by L. T. Ryan
Chapter 34
Bear looked like the athlete he was, going from zero to semi-sprint in a matter of seconds. Adrenaline had lit the big man on fire. He grunted as he took off, leaving behind an open space for Jack to stare at blankly.
The elation over his first communication with Brandon in months had been replaced with anxiety knifing through his chest. He pushed forward, his gaze on the widening slice of the street. Every face was a potential enemy. Any commotion caused could lead any of the dozens of cops a half mile away to their location.
He had his hand on the pistol grip before he turned the corner. What would he find? There had been no gunshots, no shouting. No one had come running this way.
He eased past the safety the building provided and stepped into the open. A block down, a large group of people gathered. Bear was pulling them apart, discarding them like they were paper dolls.
Jack surveyed the situation as he picked up his pace. He never broke into a run but came close. The commotion was everything. Not missing a thing became critical.
Halfway there, the sound of sirens bounced off the building. Brakes locked and tires squealed. People backed off. Bear knelt over a body. Sadie’s body. The cops exited.
“Not good,” he muttered, as a wave of people moved toward him. He resumed moving forward, pushing people out of his way as they collided. The crowed thinned enough that a view of Bear emerged. He had his hand behind Sadie’s back. She was upright.
“The hell happened, big man?”
Bear was too far away to have heard him, but he turned and looked at Jack anyway and shook his head. Not a sign of what had happened there, rather a warning. Back off.
Noble had already heeded it. He backtracked, checking every few steps to see how the police were handling the situation. The cops were helping Sadie to her feet. She was animated, waving them off. Law enforcement had enough going on. She might succeed at getting them to leave her alone. Bear was shaking his head. Jack could hear Bear’s words, “Just came up on her and found her on the ground. Never seen her before.”
A car braked ahead at the same spot Jack had been pacing. A white Genesis. Three people inside. Looked a lot like the ones in the photos. They’d pick him out just as easily.
He took another glance toward Bear and Sadie. Bear was walking back, limping badly enough Jack figured he was embellishing to keep the cops from following. Sadie was less animated. She must’ve succeeded. One of the cops was back in his car, waving the others to join him.
The Genesis peeled onto the main road and settled in between a couple other cars traveling in the opposite direction. Jack didn’t want to lose them, they might have a lead on Clarissa.
He turned toward Bear again, held out his arms, hiked his thumb over his shoulder. Bear nodded. The connection, the bond, the brotherhood they shared, still existed.
Jack took off on foot, running, pistol in hand so it wouldn’t fall out and accidentally discharge.
Pedestrians crossing the street kept traffic in a stop-start-stop pattern, allowing him to maintain minimal separation with the Genesis. He had a couple hundred yards before they started to pull away. He picked up his pace, so zoned in he didn’t hear the car pull up next to him.
“Get in.”
He looked over and saw Bear leaning his head out the window of the sedan. Sadie was in the driver’s seat.
“White Genesis,” he said, sliding into the back seat. “The hell happened back there?”
“The people in the white Genesis, I’m guessing,” Sadie said. “Came up behind me. One rushed past, the other tased me. The third was about to shoot me, but the crowd was too much.”
“Cops didn’t follow up on that?” Jack asked.
“Told them I got knocked over. Nothing else. Bear told everyone to shut up if they knew what was good for them. Maybe someone’ll talk, but we’ll be long gone by then.”
“Check it out.” Bear pointed ahead. The Genesis had stopped. A door opened. Someone hopped out.
“That’s my cue.” Jack didn’t wait for Sadie to stop before opening the door and putting his foot on the ground. “Stay with them.”
Momentum carried him across the sidewalk to the railing separating beach from concrete. He grabbed hold and leapt over. The packed sand offered little cushion; felt like lightning bolts running up his legs when he landed.
The guy was about a hundred feet ahead, moving at a steady clip toward the marina. And within a few minutes, that was the obvious destination.
Bear drummed his thick fingertips on the dash, leaving behind a white film that dissipated within a second. He watched the two remaining men in the Genesis. He planned which he’d kill first.
“Still don’t get why he didn’t shoot or stab me,” Sadie said. “They knew who I was.”
“Don’t overcomplicate it.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Someone told them not to. But they wanted you incapacitated.”
“They don’t know you two are with me.”
“That’s too much of an assumption. I’d lean toward them knowing everything and being pleasantly surprised when we find out they didn’t know about us.”
“They’re slowing down.” Sadie switched lanes and settled in one car behind. “What’s up there?”
“Looks like a parking lot. And they’re turning into it.”
Sadie slowed.
“No,” Bear said. “Go a little further past and pull over. Gonna put some theories to the test. Make sure you pop the trunk for me.”
They rolled to a stop and the trunk popped open with a clunk. Bear hopped out and went to the back. He pulled up the mat and lifted the spare tire. The crowbar felt heavy, solid, and capable of bashing a skull in. He let it weigh his arm down, holding it so it was out of sight. The little .380 brushed against his thigh. He reached in his pocket and threaded his finger through the trigger.
The front doors of the white Genesis were open. The men were looking at the scooters in the parking lot. They barked orders in German at a family passing by. The little girl started crying. Her father scooped her in his arms and carried her away. One of the men laughed.
Bear didn’t have to decide any longer. That man was dead.
Even with the limp, he moved light on his feet. The ground hardly crunched under his size fifteens. The men sure as hell didn’t notice him. Not even at twenty feet away.
Twenty feet that Bear covered in a couple seconds. He brought the crowbar up like a warrior ready to take a scalp. He brought it down hard and fast. The guy had no chance, never knew what hit him. The crack and stifled scream were nothing compared to the bloody mess left behind.
The other guy turned, mouth agape. He froze in place. All but his eyes. They drifted past Bear.
Sadie.
He heard the car door open. He saw the guy grin. He felt the concussive force long before he felt the searing pain in his back.
Security was non-existent at the marina. Jack followed the guy right to the docks.
Boats rolled gently in the calm sea. A cascade of creaking vessels and singing birds and chatter from the outdoor restaurant filled the air.
The guy stopped.
Jack slowed.
The guy reached under his shirt. Pulled out a black handgun.
Jack scanned ahead.
He saw her. The hair was short and dark, but the rest was unmistakable.
Clarissa.
The guy lifted the pistol, took aim.
He cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled loud enough for half the town to hear. “Clarissa!”
She turned. She spotted the would-be assassin. She looked past the guy. Looked Noble right in the eye.
The guy fired a wild shot. People screamed. Plates crashed.
The overabundance of law enforcement in the town would soon mobilize to take on the second shooter of the day.
Clarissa sprinted down the closest dock, dropping all but one bag. Styrofoam food containers spilled out. Soup spread in a puddle. Noodles f
ormed a pile. At the end of the line of boats, a man stood working the lines and waved her toward him.
The gunman was looking back at Jack. He fired another round that slammed into the wall next to Noble. The guy didn’t fire another shot, switching his focus instead to Clarissa. He sprinted forward, firing again and again.
Did he think it would make her stop?
It didn’t, but whatever was in her path that tripped her did.
Jack was sprinting toward the shooter. He was on top of Clarissa. He didn’t want to kill her, that much was clear. But he reared back and smacked the pistol against the side of her head. She went limp. For a moment. The guy eased up, thinking he had her down. She lashed out, catching him in the throat. He fell back. She wriggled out from under him. Her boat was only a few steps away.
The gunman got his footing. Steadied his shaking arm. This time he aimed to kill.
Noble slammed into him as though the shooter were a tackling dummy. They hit the ground hard, near the edge of the dock. He felt the rough wood splinter into his forearm.
Clarissa called out. “Jack!”
He wanted to say, hold please, but the hand in his face trying to separate his head from his neck made it a little tricky.
The boat’s engine shifted from purring to roaring. The captain maneuvered it to the side.
Jack’s opponent landed a groin shot and took the opportunity to get up and kick him. The shots landed on his ribs, then diaphragm. Knocked the wind out of him. The pistol lay a couple feet away. The man reached down for it.
The boat was still close to the dock, and if the guy tried, he could probably jump on board.
It appeared that was his plan.
Jack scrambled to his knees, his feet, bent over, he sprinted and dove at the guy, knocking him into the water, his momentum carrying him in, too.
They struggled under the surface. But this is where Noble wanted the shooter. Sure, the guy could stand there and kick Jack after racking him in the nuts. But up close, he’d never escape Noble’s grasp. And this guy had no chance as Jack worked the man’s back, wrapped his right arm around the guy’s neck, and pinned it there with his other arm.
He only fought back for thirty seconds before going limp. Jack let him go and floated to the surface.
The boat named Abandonment had cleared the others and was drifting away. Clarissa stood at the back. She wiped tears from her cheeks. She held one finger up until Jack did the same.
The same gesture Clarissa had made a few times while they were together.
Part 3
Chapter 35
Olive trees dotted the tranquil property like guardians. The thick trunks latched into the dusty earth like weathered pilings. Pale leaves looked white in the noon sun; danced when the breeze came through. Overhead, a few wispy clouds floated past. Jack attached his rampant thoughts onto each cloud until a single one remained.
Clarissa.
It had been a week since they lost her to the sea. Finding the boat had been a challenge. Once the slip number had been noted, it took less than an hour to get transponder information. But the boat went dark until it resurfaced after the trip across the Adriatic. A makeshift team was put in place, ready to move in. But when the vessel reached shore in southern Italy, Clarissa was gone.
The man said she had jumped when they were within a mile of the coast, but they had traveled a good twenty mile stretch at that distance from shore. If she had jumped, she had a head start on them.
But if she saw Jack on that dock. She’d find a way to make contact.
Noble had spent the last two days under the same shade tree, in the same chair, with the same laptop opened to the same screensaver. He had requested and received the laptop, new phones, and a passport. Clive told him up front, he could track Jack’s every move with the devices, and the passport could be called in at a moment’s notice.
“Try to fly, and you’ll die.”
Sadie was en route, at last. Bear was left out of commission. A baseball bat to the back had done some damage, and when combined with his reduced physical abilities, they all agreed he was a liability. He and Mandy had been moved to a secure location. Contact had been made with Sasha. Soon they’d be reunited to be the family Bear wanted.
As long as Jack could finish the task.
The door to the small farmhouse opened. Clive stepped out, shielded from the sun by the overhang. Five remaining beers from a six-pack dangled perilously close to the ground as he crossed the sparse landscaping to join Noble.
“Any news?” Jack asked.
Clive pulled back the tab on a can and handed it to Jack after the head retreated. “Nothing.” He took a long pull from his own beer. “Any thoughts on where she might go?”
“Gonna say dinner with Mrs. Calabase is out of the question.”
Clive forced a laugh but didn’t look up from his drink.
“Who did it?” Jack asked. “Who shut you down and left that clue for you?”
Clive appeared to measure his words. “I don’t know, and I don’t like that I don’t know. It would take a team of top hackers just to infiltrate one of our systems. Whoever did this took us down entirely, and, for fun, left a way for us to see what they were doing.”
“You think it’s them, then. Whoever hacked you was responsible for what happened in town? Every one of them seemed to have German accents.”
“Does that tell us anything other than where they’ve been recruiting?”
Jack shrugged. “You’re the brains, man.”
“I’ve thought about it, too, and there are some connections we can reach out to. Ask who’s been nosing around. But you know as well as I do whoever it is has been smart enough to leave no traces. I am aware of my own vetting process. There’s ten steps before you ever reach me. I’d wager they are operating the same. We may uncover a step or two in the process, but getting to the top, that’s another matter.”
Jack finished his beer and reached for another. Clive obliged, opening another can.
“Who hired you to bring me in?” Noble asked.
Clive looked up, smiled, scratched the stubble on his chin as though it made his face the most uncomfortable it had ever felt. “I’m bound by confidentiality.”
“Would that confidentiality extend if I had you hanging over a saw blade by a thin rope?”
“Do what you want with me, Jack. You’ll suffer a worse fate.”
And Noble knew it. If he made a move now, a guy positioned in the upstairs bedroom would send a .308 Win round through his skull.
“I’m still alive,” Jack said. “Bear, too, as far as I know. I imagine Sadie can confirm when she gets here.”
“I’ll do you one better.” Clive set his beer down and stood. He smoothed out his pants, then reached into his pocket, producing his phone a moment later. After a few taps on the screen, he flipped the phone and showed Jack the video stream of Bear and Mandy playing chess at a kitchen table. Behind them, an armed guard stood watch at the door. “He’s there to protect them,” Clive said, presumably noting the concern on Jack’s face.
“Why’re you doing this? From what I can tell, the entire operation has been a fiasco. Someone got the drop on you, over me, Bear, and now Clarissa. You don’t strike me as a guy who’s hurting for money.”
“As one who has reviewed your financial documents, at least the ones I can access, you’re not hurting, either. So why have you continued to do what you do?”
“A mix of bad luck and needing to right my negative karma.”
“Maybe I’m the same.” Clive tapped Jack’s beer can with his own.
“Wouldn’t it have been easier to have Ines kill me? Get it over with?”
Clive cleared his throat. “I’m hesitant to speak on this, as what I say may upset you.”
“As long as you didn’t sleep with my mom…” Jack aimed his finger at Clive’s face.
Clive didn’t respond to the joke. “If we had found you in the first month, we’d have brought you in, but if you
fought back, tried to run, you’d have been wounded, perhaps fatally.”
“Bear, too?”
Clive shook his head. “He was not an original target. Once it became clear the route we had to take, Logan became a necessity.”
“A necessity? What, so I’d agree?”
“It was him or your daughter, and I know how that would’ve gone.”
“It wouldn’t have. I’d have pinned your ass to that table in your secret laboratory and killed you and anyone who tried to save you.”
“I know.” Clive tipped his head back and stared up at the dull green canopy. “It’s a fiasco.”
“What happened? You wanted to kill me, then you were determined to bring me in, then you were racing against a hit squad who was not after just me, but also Bear. And they wanted him so bad, they slaughtered dozens of people in a hospital. What gives?”
Clive glanced around as though there might be a clandestine unit listening in on them. He cleared his throat. Shifted in his seat.
“In the thirty-six hours following Frank Skinner’s death, there were three parties who reached out to contract with us to deal with you. The options ranged from bringing you in and turning you over, to outright terminating you in broad daylight, execution style, similar to Skinner’s own death.”
“He had it coming.”
“I don’t judge you one bit.”
“You must judge me a little bit. You agreed to an offer.”
“The most intriguing offer, though.” Clive paused a beat, perhaps judging how to handle the rest of the conversation.
“Spit it out, man. You’re not the first person who was willing to take me out for money.”
Clive held his hand up. “It’s not about the money.”
“Yeah, it never is.”
“There’s a sense of duty, as well. And we felt that this party had the most sensible reason for contracting with us.”
“Which was…?”
“They weren’t sure what to do with you yet. Everyone else wanted you dead.”
Jack eased back, fighting off the smile eager to spread across his face. Who the hell would care enough they wanted to talk to him first? Not the CIA. Not any person or organization within or associated with the US government. Who did that leave at this juncture in his life?