Fake Boyfriend
Page 16
Marie clenched her fists as he continued to walk forward, getting nearer to us with every step. “You can’t find your way out of a paper bag. You’ll never make it to Belize,” she screamed at him.
He swung the gun and pointed it at her. “Shut up. Or I’ll blow your brains out.”
Loren gasped, and her hands went straight to her mouth.
Tears were still rolling down Marie’s face. I kept my eyes on her, because I didn’t know what she might do. Apparently I didn’t know what Loren would do either, because I hadn’t anticipated her rushing for the back door of the cabin. She was impulsive. Which I should have known, by the fact that she happily went camping with a guy she’d known for one day, and then brought him to her family wedding.
“What do you need, Douglas?” I asked. “Maybe we can make it happen.”
“He needs money, because he’s a selfish prick!” Marie shouted. She started sobbing again, and laid her head on Loren’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I should have let him shoot me. I shouldn’t have gone along with his scheme!”
Loren’s face drained of color as more of the details seemed to come together in her mind. She put her arm around her cousin and patted her back.
“I really want you to shut the fuck up,” Douglas said to Marie. His teeth were so clenched as he spoke that spit formed at the edge of his mouth.
“Hey Douglas, do you want me to send the ladies inside to catch up, so we can work through whatever’s bothering you?” I asked.
“Fuck no,” he said. “You’re the reason I’m in this mess.”
“How so?” I needed to know what his end goal was, so I could get Loren the hell away from here. But I couldn’t risk pissing him off so much that he started firing his gun.
“I want her money,” he said, nodding at Loren. “Because that bitch.” Now he nodded at his wife. “Doesn’t have a dime that’s not controlled by her mommy and daddy.
Marie hung her head, resting it back on Loren’s shoulder.
“If you’ll put the gun down, I think we can work something out,” I said.
“Are you fucking crazy? This gun pointed at your girl is the only reason I’m alive right now. I watched the footage of you kill all five of my men in about two seconds.” He nodded. “Yeah, I had surveillance cameras installed at that barn. I needed to make a hostage video of Loren to get the ransom started, but I never got the chance. Because you, Mr. G.I. Joe, had to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“You were behind all of this?” Loren demanded. “How did you find us?”
“I had men follow you,” Douglas said. “And I had a tracker on this Jeep in case one of my guys went rogue.”
Another rookie mistake. I hadn’t checked for anyone following us, other than cursory glances back, I hadn’t changed up my route, and I hadn’t swept the Jeep for tracking devices. I really needed a swift kick in the ass.
“And you can bet your sweet ass, I was behind all this,” Douglas said.
I couldn’t stop the growl that came out of my chest. I was trying to stay calm, but Douglas speaking to Loren like that, he set my nerves even farther on edge. “I couldn’t leave Loren in danger.”
“She was never going to be in any danger. I was going to get the money from her parents, and get the hell out of the country. They’d have gladly given it to me under the radar. They’d never in a million years have called the police if a problem could be solved with a heavy dose of money applied to it,” Douglas said.
“Don’t talk about my parents like that! It’s not true,” Loren said.
Douglas sneered. “If you think your parents don’t gloss over half the shit that happens, then you’re a moron.”
I shot Loren a look, hoping she’d interpret it correctly and calm down. It didn’t really matter what he said or didn’t say about her parents. All that mattered is that we get through this without him blowing a hole in someone’s head. Or anywhere else in their body.
“Douglas, how much money do you need, and how can I make that happen?” I asked him.
A sinister grin lit up his face. “I’m glad you asked. It’s high time we got down to business.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Loren
Holy shit, what had I done? I was wrong about Douglas. Dead wrong. Jackson had tried repeatedly to warn me, and I hadn’t listened. And why hadn’t I?
I’d barely known Douglas. He wasn’t related to me. He wasn’t my friend. But I’d defended him, in an irrational way. Why? Maybe because I was trying so hard to prove something to Jackson, but I wasn’t even sure what that was anymore.
And he’d told me not to go outside to help Marie. I hadn’t listened, and now I’d put Jackson in danger. I’d exposed him and his cabin, which was supposed to be his private sanctuary, to this threat that was because of me, and my insane family.
If I’d stopped to think, and not just react to his telling me what to do, then we might be inside right now, planning how to handle this instead of standing out here with a gun pointed at our heads. By a crazy person who was totally unhinged.
If I lived through this, I was going to work on how I reacted to stuff, and not just go crazy when someone with expertise told me what to do. I might not do what they suggested, but I was going to listen from now on.
I’d probably put Marie’s life in danger too, because Jackson had chased me out here instead of stopping to come up with a plan.
But he wasn’t totally off the hook. He’d obviously had reason to suspect Douglas was behind our kidnapping. I’d been half-asleep, but aware of parts of his conversation over the phone last night while we drove. He’d been so cagey about it, not wanting to tell me any details. And he should have told me.
I’m sure he had good reasons, such as my ridiculous defense of Douglas earlier, and my outburst when I called Jackson paranoid. But still. he should have told me. I just hoped I’d have the chance to hash all this out with him.
Jackson was so calm while he talked to Douglas. “How much money do you need?” Jackson asked.
“I want ten million.”
My eyes bugged out, but Jackson’s face remained passive. “Loren, do you have access to that kind of money?” Jackson asked.
“Yes. My account is unrestricted. I can wire up to five million at a time, with a limit of ten million in one day.” Wait a minute. I glared at Douglas. “Did you know that? Did you find out exactly how much money I could get?”
“Of course,” he said with a scoff. “I’d already wasted four months of my life trying to coax money out of this bitch, only to find out that she didn’t have any to give me.”
Poor Marie. She didn’t say anything. All the fight had gone out of her, and her eyes were downcast. She was a really haughty person, who was often self-involved and unkind, but she didn’t deserve this. Although maybe she’d change. Sometimes extreme experiences brought out the best in people. I was relying on it to bring out some of my finer points too.
Jackson looked around. “Should we expect the police, FBI, or secret service to show up here with a helicopter or a SWAT Team? Do Marie or Loren’s parents know what’s going on?”
Douglas cackled. “No. They don’t have a fucking clue. I told them you and Loren ran off to fuck on a beach, and they were delighted. They think we were so inspired by your carefree lovemaking that we ran off early for our honeymoon.” He bared his teeth at me. “So no. No authorities to show up with their pesky bullhorn and start making demands.”
The bottom dropped out of my stomach. My parents hadn’t even known to look for me. Thanks to the story I’d told of my adventure camping with my hot new boyfriend, I was now free-spirited as far as they were concerned, and they wouldn’t think anything about me running off at the end of a wedding.
It could have been days or weeks before anyone knew I was missing.
“Okay great. We won’t have to deal with that complication. Loren, do you know your passwords to get into your accounts?” Jackson asked.
I nodded.
Douglas nodded. “Okay. But don’t even think about sending out a hidden cry for help. I have guys outside this compound, and they’ll come running at my signal. If I get the money, then the three of you can stay here, and we’ll leave,” he said. “For good.”
“The money’s yours,” I said. And as far as I was concerned, it was. I knew it was obscene to have that much money, but I had access to my accounts, and I didn’t spend that much, compared to the rest of my family. If it would save Jackson and Marie, Douglas could take the money and spend the rest of his life in Belize, as long as he never bothered us again.
“The front door’s locked,” Jackson said. “But the back door is open.”
“Then let’s walk,” Douglas said. “You first, soldier. I know if I keep this gun trained on your girl you’re less likely to act up. So start walking.”
Jackson nodded and walked, with Marie behind him, and then me, with Douglas behind him. I could tell the rigid set of Jackson’s shoulders that he resented having to lead this vile piece of shit right into his grandfather’s home.
Once we were inside the cabin, my pulse sped up. Douglas pointed at Marie. “You sit on the couch. Don’t move a muscle.”
Beaten down, she went directly to the couch and sat down.
“Get the computer. And both of you sit at the kitchen table. I’ll stand up,” Douglas said.
Jackson got his computer, and set up the internet connection. He then passed the computer to me, where I went to my bank’s portal, typed in my username and password and waited. “It’s going to send my phone a code. I’ll need to get that,” I said.
Douglas nodded, and Jackson went to a drawer and pulled my phone out. He handed it to me.
Right on the screen was the code to access my account, and a text from my mother. It said:
Have a lovely time with your new beau. It’s great to see you so happy!
Yeah, my mom would not be too impressed if she could see any of us right now. She’d approved of Marie’s quick courtship, so I wasn’t sure what she’d criticize other than the fact that Marie clearly didn’t vet her husband very well. It sounded like Jackson had gotten plenty of dirt on him without a lot of effort, and yes, Jackson had military connections, but so did Marie.
Oh Lord. Her father was going to flip out. As the Attorney General of the State of Alabama, this would be all over the news if it ever got leaked. He’d do everything in his power to make sure it didn’t. Her mom might even freak out more. She cared so much what other people thought, that Marie’s one day marriage was going to send her into a tailspin. But none of that mattered right now.
I was not going to risk sending an SOS text to my mother. I said the code out loud, typed it into the website, and then put my phone face down on the table.
The transaction was slow. I could feel Douglas getting impatient beside me; the tension was radiating off of him. I wasn’t sure what he expected for a multi-million dollar swap of money. Once I had everything ready, I turned the screen toward him and he typed his account numbers in.
Then we waited. After a few minutes, my phone rang. “Answer it,” Douglas said.
I didn’t recognize the number. But when I picked up, it was the bank calling to verify my transfer. I assured him that I meant to send money to my brother in law, because we were all vacationing together, and I thanked him for his vigilance.
The bank manager thanked me for our business, and then we were done. Douglas confirmed on his end that he now had ten million of my father’s dollars, and I found that I did not give a shit, other than hating that he’d go on to hurt other people in the future.
“That’s it,” Jackson said. “You’ve got your money. You can go now.”
“Well, I’m afraid it’s not going to be that easy. I have to make sure none of you come after me, so I think I’m going to give you a little something to make you sleep.” He stepped back, still holding the gun, and reached into his pocket for a syringe.
Oh fuck no. Not again. “No. You aren’t drugging us. That is not happening,” I said. I still felt like I hadn’t gotten over the side affected from the last time I was drugged.
Douglas pointed the gun at me. “You’re not calling the shots here, brat.”
Very slowly, Jackson stepped in front of me. “What Loren meant to say, is that we can work out another way to to make sure we don’t follow you, or call the police.” Jackson nudged my hip. “Loren, why don’t you go sit down by Marie?”
I wasn’t happy being pushed aside, but I’d spent enough time ignoring Jackson’s warnings, and look where that had gotten us. Into a whole boatload of shit. So this time I was going to listen. I made my way over to the couch, and sat down next to Marie, who instantly clutched my hand.
Douglas didn’t try to stop me, but he did shoot us several dirty looks. “You aren’t calling the shots either, soldier.” With one hand, he popped the cap off the syringe. A droplet of liquid formed at the end.
“I wasn’t intending to. I was just thinking we could work this out, man to man,” Jackson said.
Without warning, Douglas lunged at Jackson, bringing the syringe up toward his neck. I leaped up from the couch. There was no way I could just sit there if Jackson was getting drugged. Douglas was no doctor; he didn’t know what the hell he was doing, and I’d already endangered Jackson’s life enough.
“I’m going to kill you, you mother fucker,” Douglas screamed.
But I shouldn't have worried. Jackson must have anticipated that Douglas would lose it, because he threw one arm up and blocked Douglas’s arm. With his other arm he grabbed for the gun. Douglas threw his body forward and the gun went off.
“Loren, hit the floor,” Jackson shouted in our direction.
“Shit, get down.” I grabbed Marie and we hit the floor. This time I was going to listen to him. I wiggled, on my stomach, pulling part of the coffee table in front of us.
I peeked up, fearing the worst, but there was no blood on Jackson and he was still upright. It looked like the bullet had lodged in the ceiling. Part of the plaster was hanging loose now.
“Come on, get behind the couch.” Marie and I belly-crawled until we were completely behind the couch, while Jackson continued to grapple with Douglas, who was still screaming that he was going to kill him.
I squeezed my eyes shut as glass shattered.
Please let him be okay. All of this is my fault.
Jackson might not be in love with me, but I owed him so much. He’d survived dozens of high-level deployments. It wouldn't be fair for my cousin’s idiot husband to be the one to harm him.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jackson
This fool was not going to be the reason I died. I’d been on the world’s worst hot spots, and I’d survived. I would not be taken down by an idiot. He was also not going to be the reason that anything happened to Loren, or even to her crazy cousin.
He was stronger than he looked, and he’d reached the end of his rope. He was desperate, and he was ready to take his chances. The gun going off hadn’t been an accident. He’d deliberately tried to pull the trigger.
When the gun had fired, my head had whipped over to the couch, where Loren had been sitting. If that bullet had hit her, even just a graze, I would have gutted Douglas with my fish knife.
I’d lost my sister to a maniac. I wasn’t going to lose Loren too.
I brought my knee up between his legs, and my head forward, right into his skull.
Finally he was dazed enough to drop to the ground, groaning and writhing. I grabbed the gun and emptied the chamber. I put the bullets in my pocket, and put the gun on the countertop.
“Loren, are you okay?” I called out.
“Yeah. Can we come out?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “He’s down. How’s Marie?”
“Fine,” Marie said in a wobbly
voice.
I’m sure she wasn’t fine, but she was alive, and that was good enough for now.
Douglas was already trying to push himself back up. He wasn't having a lot of success. His arm was flailing around, reaching for something. I looked around and saw the syringe.
I picked it up. “Maybe I should inject this into your neck,” I said.
He moaned. “No.”
“It was good enough for me. So it should be good enough for you.”
He shook his head, which was pretty stupid about the way I’d headbutted him. I took the syringe and put it on the countertop next to the gun. I wasn’t going to inject him -- at this point, it wouldn’t be self-defense, it would just be revenge, and I really liked my job. I didn’t want to lose it over an ethics violation.
I also wasn't going to empty it. I wanted whatever was inside to be sent to the lab and tested.
I opened the drawer where my grandfather kept his handcuffs, and pulled them out. I tugged Douglas’s arms behind his back and cuffed his hands together. For good measure, I zip tied his ankles together too.
He gasped a few times. “My shoulder was dislocated. You can’t put my arm like that.”
“Sorry,” I said. “Should have thought about that before you tried to kidnap Loren.”
“Now I get the pleasure of calling the police.” We weren’t in Anchorage, but I was going to use the contacts that I had. I dialed my friend who was the chief of police in Anchorage, on his cell, and luckily he was on duty. He was incredulous at first, and thought I was trying to prank him with my story.
“So it sounds like your life has been pretty exciting since you met this girl,” he said.
I shot Loren a look, but she was comforting her cousin and wasn’t looking up. “You’re not wrong,” I said. “I told her she was trouble when we met.”
Loren’s head came up when she heard me say that, and our eyes met. I knew then that I was in love with her.