Beautiful Criminal

by Shady Grace

  Ben brought the tip of the knife to Mary’s chest and pressed it against her skin. She whimpered and shut her eyes as a small trickle of blood slid a dark red path down her chest and stomach.

  “Stop it!” Terry shouted.

  “You didn’t tell me you had a husband, Mary. Bad, bad girl. I should hurt you for lying to me.”

  “But I didn’t lie!” she cried. “You didn’t ask me if there was anyone else.”

  “Did your husband look in the back of the plane?”

  Mary sobbed harder, her face a mask of pure terror. “Yes. He looked in the back, but he said he didn’t see anything.”

  Ben got up from his chair and turned to Terry and Dean, right when Jimmy burst into the cabin. “Malik’s dead,” Jimmy said, panting from exertion. He must have run all the way back to warn them. “I found his body behind the outhouse. Gabe must be here, and he has Malik’s weapon.”

  “Right on time,” Ben said in a cheerful voice. He untied Mary and hauled her to her feet. “Where is your husband?”

  “At the trapper’s shack.”

  Ben shoved Mary to Jimmy, and then he turned to the others. “Take the bitch to this trapper’s shack. I think the husband is hiding something that belongs to us. When you get what we want, get rid of them both.”

  Dean nodded and let go of Terry’s collar. The other two went to the front door, dragging Mary with them. Terry tried to follow, but Ben cut him off. “That went well, didn’t it?”

  “What the fuck are you doing, Ben? We were supposed to pick up Gabe and the cargo and get out of here. You’re taking this too far. What the hell are you up to?”

  Ben smiled. “Money is money, Terry. You should know that.”

  “But we trusted you. My father trusted you.”

  Ben wrapped his arm over Terry’s tense shoulder and walked him to the back door. “It’s unfortunate when people get caught in the crossfire. I’ve watched you grow into quite the young man, but you have a lot to learn.”

  “About what?”

  Ben opened the back door and pushed Terry out. When the boss’s son righted himself and spun around, Ben lifted his 9mm with the silencer already attached, aimed for Terry’s chest, and pulled the trigger.

  “Never trust anyone.”

  * * * *

  Mima stared out the window of the tree fort. Gabe hadn’t returned, and she feared the worst. Against her better judgment, she opened the door of the fort and climbed down the rope ladder. She needed to help them, at least try and do something.

  She followed Gabe’s boot prints through the snow until she neared the outhouse. The legs of a man lying behind the bushes met her gaze. Afraid it was Gabe, she rushed over, but stopped short when she realized it wasn’t. Thank God.

  The slam of a door echoed through the clearing, and the dogs whined.

  Mima’s eyes widened when she saw two men drag Mary outside. She ducked behind the bushes as they shoved her best friend between them and headed toward the tree line near the river. Oh my God. Are they going to kill her? A silent scream ripped through her. She couldn’t lose Mary. She was the closest to family Mima had left.

  They must have forced Mary to give up Gabe’s location. She knew Mary was a kind soul and not emotionally strong. It wouldn’t have taken much more than a hard glare from one man to make her friend give in. Poor Mary must be terrified and shaking in her boots.

  Mima took a step forward, intent on following, but something moving amongst the trees on the other side of the cabin caught her attention. She recognized Gabe immediately. He ducked in and around the trees and bushes, following them. Once they were out of sight, she made a run for her cabin. If she could get to her hunting rifle, she could help Gabe save Mary.

  The second she opened the door and walked inside, someone grabbed her from behind. She struggled to free herself, screaming as a hand covered her mouth. She bit into his flesh as hard as she could. He swore behind her, pulling his hand away, and she spun around, swinging her arm out and cracked him in the jaw.

  The man stumbled back and hit the wall.

  She got a good look at him. Saw the scar across his cheek. He looked like a killer straight from a horror movie, but she wouldn’t let fear cloud her judgment. She needed to be strong and face him. This was her home and she was damn well going to defend it.

  Obviously undeterred, the man wiped the blood from his mouth and smiled. That’s when she noticed the "M" symbol tattooed on his hand, exactly like the one on Gabe. “Feisty little bitch, eh?”

  “You have no idea,” she spat, holding her fists in front of her face. She used to play fight with her brother all the time. Maybe it would come to good use now.

  The stranger reached into his jacket and pulled out a handgun, deflating all hope she had that she might be able to save herself.

  “Sit down, Mima. I’m not going to ask you twice.”

  * * * *

  Gabe followed the trio, dread coiling in his stomach when he saw his two old friends. Dean was a wrestler-type giant, and Jimmy enjoyed beating a person to death. He was known for mutilation in his line of work and could clean and put back together a wood chipper in the span of an afternoon.

  Lucky me.

  When he’d seen them leave the cabin, he was surprised. Colton had sent his best, most feared men to come get him. Why? Colton was like a father to him, and Gabe had never done him wrong. Unless the boss didn’t know what was going down….

  He followed them, careful not to step too loudly. The men were forcing a woman whom he guessed was Mary to walk between them. When he noticed her torn shirt and blood on her chest, his rage boiled out of control. But one gun against two may not work in his favor, and he didn’t want her getting caught in the crossfire.

  They neared a clearing. Gabe saw Colton’s chopper waiting in the center. If he could stop them, he’d have the beast at his disposal. Maybe he could radio Colton and discover what his motives were.

  When the three ahead of him entered the clearing, Mary made a run for it. She shoved against Jimmy’s back and darted through the brush alongside the trail. Gabe lifted the Tec 9 and squeezed the trigger, sending a shower of bullets at Dean.

  Dean roared in pain and returned fire. Gabe threw himself behind the trees, narrowly escaping the bullets whizzing past his head.

  Birds scattered from the trees.

  Gabe peered around the tree he hid behind, realizing Dean was no longer on the trail. He crept forward, keeping his eyes trained for Jimmy, until he saw speckles of dark blood on the snowy ground. He knew he’d hit Dean in the vitals. Moments later he found the big man’s body lying on his back with the gun tight in his grip, his desolate gaze aimed to the sky.

  A shrill scream sounded in the distance.

  He turned, intent on running after Mary, but a hand slammed down on his shoulder. He spun around, the gun ready to fire, but paused when the pale face of Terry filled his vision. Blood bloomed on his friend’s chest and shoulder.

  “Ben betrayed us,” Terry said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “Okay, Terry. It’s okay. Stay here. You’re bleeding badly, man.”

  Gabe tried to pull away, but Terry stopped him. “Leave Jimmy to me. Your girl went to the cabin and Ben’s in there. The fucker shot me. I think he’s gonna use her to get to you.”

  Everything he feared most was now a reality. “Fuck. You sure you got this? I don’t want to leave you.” Gabe looked down at the Tec 9 in his grip before handing it over to Terry. “Take this.”

  Terry backed up, a sad look on his face. “No, man. You need it. If it wasn’t for my stupidity, none of this would’ve happened.”

  “This isn’t your fault.” He shoved the gun at him and immediately regretted it when Terry’s face contorted in pain. “How do you expect to fight Jimmy with one hand and a bunged-up shoulder? Just take it!”

  Terry took the gun. “If I don’t make it, know that my father had nothing to do with this. He knew
something terrible must have happened to you. Make sure Ben gets it good.”

  “You know I will, buddy.”

  Without another word, Terry shot off down the trail to find Jimmy and Mary. Gabe raced back to the cabin. A sting formed behind his eyes. Something he hadn’t felt since he was a kid when his father died. He knew what Ben was capable of, and he could kill Mima simply out of revenge.

  She’d saved him. Put her life in danger for a lowly bastard. He’d gladly die with a smile on his face, for her.

  He ran as fast as his legs would take him. When he burst through Mima’s back door, the scene was nothing short of devastating.

  Mima’s lip was swollen. Blood trickled over her chin. Ben had her hair wrapped in his fist as she kneeled on the floor in front of him in the living room. His 9mm was aimed at her skull. If not for that, Gabe would have lunged at him and fought him to the death with his bare hands.

  “Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.”

  Ben’s evil grin made Gabe’s blood boil. “Oh, but I beg to differ. She’s a part of you, and she knows enough to bring me harm if I let her. The bitch socked me a good one.”

  “I’m sure you deserved it. Let her go, and let’s settle this.”

  Gabe inched his way closer, but Ben yanked Mima’s hair, making her cry out. It hurt Gabe to see his woman in pain, and he vowed to make Ben suffer the second he got his hands on him.

  “Lay one more finger on her, and I’ll sink a knife in your chest.”

  Ben laughed. “Haven’t you learned anything from us, boy? Never bring a knife to a gun—”

  Gabe grabbed a kitchen knife off the counter and flung it at Ben. It grazed the side of his skull, stunning him enough to let go of Mima’s hair. His roar of pain resounded through the cabin.

  Mima scooted away, giving Gabe the advantage he needed.

  Ben cupped his bleeding skull. “Fuck!” When he raised the gun, Gabe lunged at him. A shot cracked the air. All the breath in Gabe’s lungs expelled as the familiar pain of a bullet plunged into his arm. His body collided into Ben, taking them both down to the floor.

  They rolled around, fighting each other for the upper hand.

  “Gabe!” Mima screamed.

  “Get out of here,” he shouted, as Ben rolled Gabe beneath him.

  “I should’ve killed you years ago,” Ben growled, wrapping his hands around Gabe’s throat. “You know how long I’ve waited for this? I did everything for him! Everything! And he chose to love you like a son instead.”

  Gabe struggled to remove Ben’s hands, but the bullet in his arm sapped his strength, and his efforts were useless. He choked, struggling to breathe, felt the life slowly slipping away from him.

  His vision blurred, and his hands slipped from their hold on Ben’s arms. The moment he thought it was over, that he’d lost the battle, he vaguely saw Mima standing above Ben with a chunk of firewood in her hands, right before she swung it with deadly purpose across Ben’s skull.

  Gasping for air, Gabe rolled Ben’s limp body off him and struggled to sit up. Mima’s blurred presence loomed before him. He was barely aware of the cabin door opening and two people rushing inside.

  “Mima? Oh, thank God you’re okay,” Mary cried in the background.

  Gabe pushed up on his feet, fighting the dizzy rush threatening to bring him back down.

  Terry leaned heavily against the doorframe, his hand cupping his shoulder. Blood oozed between his fingers from where Ben had shot him.

  “Jimmy?”

  “Dead,” Terry answered with a pain-filled smile. “And Ben?”

  “Out, but not dead. We need to get you home.”

  Terry swayed in the doorway. “You too. We need to tie him up and get back to base. Pop’s gonna love the news. Before we left, he said to me in confidence that if Ben did anything stupid, he’d feed him to the pigs.”

  Gabe laughed, but then shut his mouth when Mima and Mary gasped, their faces twisted in horror.

  “You’re not coming back, are you?” Mima said, tears filling her eyes. She ran into his embrace, mindful of his wounded arm. “Just when you make me care about you, you up and leave.”

  Terry cleared his throat, and Gabe regretfully pushed Mima away. “We have to go. Terry needs help badly, and we have a private doctor in Victoria. It’s the only thing we can do, or we risk the authorities coming down on us.”

  Tears slipped down Mima’s cheeks. She looked heartbroken, and he hated himself for hurting her. He knew better than to tangle with somebody outside the realm of his job, but he couldn’t help himself. He pulled her back in his arms and kissed her with all the emotion he possessed. She’d brought out a different side of him he thought long buried. But he was responsible for Terry and he was in bad condition. They had to leave now, no matter how much he wanted to stay.

  The girls helped Gabe and Terry get the bodies in the chopper, before Gabe tied Ben down on the backseat. Terry took his place on the passenger side, his face pale. He’d lost a lot of blood and would be lucky to make it to the compound in Victoria.

  Gabe started the engine with a heavy heart. He didn’t want to leave, but he had a job to finish. He owed Colton that much. But after this past week with Mima, he couldn’t help but feel that this life he knew too well might not be for him anymore. He wasn’t getting any younger and he was so damned tired of the drama. Next time he might not survive the job, and that was something he needed to think long and hard about.

  Once the blades were spinning full force, ready for takeoff, he pulled the beast into the air. The chopper did a one-eighty as it lifted into the sky, making the trees sway in the wake of the whirling blades.

  Is she better off without me? Could she ever love a man like me?

  He took one last look at the woman who’d made him feel like he was worthy of something good, something right, and directed the chopper toward home.

  Epilogue

  She’d never tried to kill a man before. It wasn’t like killing an animal, but then again, that Ben guy wasn’t much of a person. After he’d attacked her, then tried to kill Gabe, it was easy to bash him over the head with a piece of firewood. Now that she thought back to that moment, nearly a month ago, she felt good about what she’d done. It made her feel alive.

  But Gabe didn’t return. It broke her heart knowing she’d allowed herself to fall in love with a man who couldn’t love her back. Maybe he cared for her, in his own way, but he led a much different life than her own. He had a dark past, one he couldn’t share with her, and she understood his reasoning. Every day she tried not to imagine what his life was actually like, but she couldn’t help it. Visions of him shooting a person, or of him getting stabbed to death, entered her mind constantly. The visions were wearing away her resolve to be strong. He may be a tough man, but she knew he could only handle so much.

  Of all her confusing and frustrating thoughts, she recalled how he’d held her so gently. How he smiled at her with that crooked grin, making her weak in the knees. How he kissed her with passion unlike any kiss she’d had before. She may have saved him twice, but he made her feel cherished. Loved. He made her feel like she meant everything to him.

  As the days passed without word from him, she kept telling herself that this was meant to be. He was back in his element, and she was still in hers. Still stuck in her peaceful, boring life. God, she missed him. He’d shown her that life could be exciting, passionate, and memorable. Gabriel had shown her that she deserved more than a solitary existence. Even the dogs looked toward the trail where he’d last set foot. It was depressing.

  Since that fateful day, she’d received a visit from an RCMP officer, informing her that Tom Billings had been found floating in the Athabasca. When the officer questioned Mary, she cried her little heart out and told the officer that Tom had left her roughly two weeks prior, and Mima would vouch for her. The officer didn’t say anything about finding a huge cache of cocaine, and neither of the girls bothered to ask.


  She sensed Terry and Gabe had something to with it. If they had already picked it up, why couldn’t he at least drop by and say hello?

  Now, Mima stood on the trail, looking at the spot where Gabe’s Cessna was buried out of sight. All she could see was an oblong shape against the huge birch tree. The plane belonged there now, as though it had always been part of the forest. So many memories came and went from that first day they’d found him here, near death. She never would’ve known him, or loved him, if they’d taken a different trail.

  The dogs whined and barked, eager to continue home. With a deep sigh and a heavy heart, she made her way back to the sled. She pulled the snow hook out of the ground, and, before she could utter a sound, the team surged forward.

  The air was cold today, crisp in the lungs with every breath. Dogs panted, bells from the sled jingled. The ride home enabled Mima to clear her mind and focus on the future. By the time they reached home, she was eager to dip into some whiskey to warm her chilled body. She couldn’t stop her constant shivering, or the depression of being alone again.

  She unhooked the dogs and ushered each of them in their pens. As she headed past the pen with the mother and her pups, Mima stopped midstep. One of the puppies was missing.

  “Where’s your baby, Shiloh?”

  Mima looked around the snowy floor, halting on a set of boot and paw prints leading around to the front of the cabin. Her heart lodged in her throat, and a spike of fear slithered up her back. Is somebody playing tricks on me? Who would steal a puppy?

  She followed the tracks, worried the little mutt was already long gone, and when she came around the corner of the cabin, she stopped, biting back a gasp. Tears filled her eyes.

  A man with shaggy brown hair and the missing puppy were wrestling in the snow. The puppy noticed Mima first and lifted her snow-covered snout to look at her curiously before she let out a little yip and wagged her curly tail. Then the man lifted his head, and when he saw her he grinned.