by Rachel Cade
“Gonzalez. He’s got Ciara.”
Jack knew he needed to get a grip, but he just wanted to smash something. “He’s got her, and he wants to trade his fuckin’ money for her. Shit.”
“He’s not trading shit. He’s going to kill the both of you. How could he even connect you to her?”
“They must have made out her plates the night she was at my place.”
“Did he give you a place to meet?”
“Yes. He just sent it from her number.”
“Give me your phone. I can pull up a layout.”
Sam closed the space between them and snatched the phone from Jack’s sweaty hand.
“Jack. Jack!”
Jack was already in Sam’s artillery room, grabbing supplies.
“He’s not going to do anything to her that might jeopardize him getting what he wants. You got to keep a cool head here!” Sam called.
“Just pull up the location, Sam.”
She was in this because of him.
He was a moron. None of this would have happened if he’d just fixed her car and let her go. Ciara didn’t deserve getting caught up in his bullshit. He had nerve being pissed about her being with Kelly when he’d put her life in danger twice so far.
“I need her to make it out of this,” he whispered as he slid magazines into his back pocket.
“You need to have a fucking plan.” Sam stood in the doorway, staring at him.
Jack straightened to face his friend. “I’m gonna to slice Gonzalez’s throat and get my girl back. That’s the plan.”
*
Thin man checked through his cell phone, sitting in a chair opposite of her. They’d driven for a couple hours, but it seemed like they were in a large secluded country house. All five men had come with them. She assumed they were all mercenaries too.
There wasn’t any attempt to cover her eyes to make sure she didn’t see their location.
They didn’t plan on letting her leave here alive.
“How do you know Jack?” she asked him.
“He used to work for me.”
“He killed people for you?”
“He was hired to protect me. There was a coup in my country, and I was barely able to get away. Instead of being honest men, a team of mercenaries, including that bastard, stole money from me that I needed to start a new life. Because of them, I’ve had a target on my back from two governments. All of them are dead now except for Jack.”
“I’m sorry that happened.” Ciara glanced around at the two other armed men in the room with them.
“So am I. But I’ll feel better once I’ve had my revenge.”
“I know you’re a smart man, but have you considered that Jack won’t come for me? Maybe he’ll turn into a ghost again. Then what?”
“Are you trying to find out if I’m going to kill you?”
“I’m trying to find out what a reasonable number is for you to grant me my life.”
“I don’t even think I’ve introduced myself to you. I’m Rafael Gonzalez.” He smiled but didn’t offer to shake her hand. She was thankful.
Ciara nodded. “What’s your number?”
Rafael smiled, looking over at the two men. “And here I thought you’d be terrified after seeing your other boyfriend die so unceremoniously. Was he right? Was he not your boyfriend?”
“I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time for him. But no, it wasn’t fun for me to watch him die.”
“It’s never fun, watching people die. But sometimes it’s a necessity, at least where I come from. What about a million dollars? For your life?”
Ciara doubted that’s what Jack owed; it was just a number he was making up.
“I have it.”
“How would you get it for me?”
“I could have it wired to your account.”
“I only deal with cash, lovely. I’m not taking chances on going back to the city. So it looks like Jack’s your only way out.”
“Can I use the bathroom?”
Gonzalez stared at her; his eyes were narrow, naturally calculating. “Of course.”
Ciara was led down a hall to a small bathroom with no windows by one of the guards.
“So, Jack found himself some chocolate.”
Ciara kept her expression blank as the soldier spoke next to her. “I knew his old man. He trained me back in the day. Jack’s just as crazy as that old fucker. When I caught wind that Gonzalez was after him, had to get in on it.”
He grabbed the back of her hair tightly, yanking her back to him. His breath reeked of cigars and old food. “He used to think he was better than everybody there. You know he’s never even been in the military? Just him and his old man out in the woods.”
He kissed at her ear when she tried to pull out of his grip.
“Feisty little bitch. Leave the door open. I have to make sure you’re up to what you say. Wouldn’t be doin’ my job.”
“There’s no windows in here. What can I do?”
He let her go and shoved her forward at he same time. She had to reach her hands out to stop herself from running into the doorframe.
“Just leave it open.”
“I have my period.”
The man paused for a second, then frowned. “All right, close it, but make it quick.”
Ciara entered the bathroom and shut the door soundly.
Her reflection in the mirror was of a woman that had been through hell, a witness to murder.
She wasn’t going to be able to talk her way out of this, that was for sure.
Breathing deeply, she wiped the sweat from her face then flushed the toilet and ran the water in the sink loudly.
Snatching the door open, she met the mercs back. He was about to turn around when she shoved her stun gun in his side, sending a few million volts through him. She held it on him even after he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
She knew she couldn’t go back the way they came, so she ran to the large window at the end of the hall and quickly pulled it up to see how far she was to the ground. To her surprise, there was a small ledge, maybe wide enough for her to stand on.
*
Jack used his telescope to peer into each window.
So far, he counted five mercs.
Three outside the house at times and two in. One kept coming out every so often to check in with the others.
He hadn’t made out Ciara yet and had no idea where she was in the mini mansion.
Jack was sitting on a branch in a large tree fifty yards out, high enough to make out the second story.
Pure fucking daylight.
He hated it.
Sam was right; he was going to have to play this differently.
Movement on the second story caught his eye through the scope when he saw a window opening. A moment later, a face peeked through. She was checking the drop, once her head drew back her leg cut through the curtains.
“Heels!” he whispered. “Holy shit.”
Jack lowered himself from the tree like it was on fire with his gun on his back before racing toward the house on foot.
Twenty feet from the clearing, he slowed down. He set his sights on the two men guarding the front entrance. On autopilot, he aimed for one, shooting at his head. Before the first man dropped all the way, he was firing at the second man right as the soldier realized what was going on. Another headshot sent him to the ground.
One more man around back.
Jack navigated through the trees to get near the other side of the house.
Ciara was on the ledge, her body pressed flat against the wall as she slid away from the window.
Jack wanted to call her, but couldn’t reveal his position yet.
Instead, he made it to the back where the last guard was. Unfortunately, he was gone.
Did he go back inside?
Fuck.
Jack stayed low and ran along the house’s foundation until he was right below Ciara.
As she took careful steps, she glanced to her foot a
nd then took a double take, her eyes widening.
Jack realized he was still wearing his face shield and lowered it.
Ciara’s knees buckled a bit when she realized it was him, but quickly straightened.
Christ, if he told her to jump…
He could catch her. He knew he could.
They didn’t have any time.
He touched his ear. “I’ve got her. Light this place up.”
“You got it,” Sam replied over the connection.
Jack set his gun down, whipping his hand to her to jump.
Ciara’s mouth gaped. “No,” she mouthed, pointing down toward the corner of the house.
Bullets started flying. Sam was smashing windows with intense shots.
The guard from around back showed up at a run.
Jack couldn’t pick up his gun before he was being shot at. He was forced to leap sideways to dodge the bullets at the same time he swung a knife out of his side pocket.
The knife caught the side of the man’s neck, his eyes widening as blood gushed out. He fell forward, grasping at the wound until his movements slowed. He was losing too much blood.
Shouts were coming from the front of the house.
Jack scrambled to his feet. “Jump, baby! We don’t have time!”
This whole fucking plan had gone to shit.
He held out his arm for her as the shots faded. Sam must have needed to reload.
The glass broke from the window she’d climbed out of. Jack grabbed his gun and shot toward whoever it was to get them to back off.
“Catch me,” she mouthed. “Catch me.”
“I will. I promise.”
That’s when Jack saw a shadow move in the ground level window to his right.
Shit. He shot at that window too before pressing against the wall beside it.
Taking deep breaths, he knew he had to focus his mind. Ciara was in sight. If he could get her off the ledge and into the woods, she could make it to Sam and get out of here. He’d handle the rest. Jack reached behind himself and took a smoke bomb out of his pack to throw it into the house.
Sam followed up, taking calculated shots at the house. Jack hoped they kept them distracted long enough to get her down.
He stepped from the house again. “Now!”
Ciara stepped forward a bit, her short breath heaving her chest.
Then she jumped.
Jack held up his arms, but wasn’t completely prepared for her to land on him. They collided together with a hard thud before he fell backward into the grass.
“Jack.” Her face was an inch above his, the breath knocked out of both of them. She could barely say his name.
Ciara’s glossy eyes bored into his.
Focus.
“I need you to run.” He pushed them off the ground. “East. Just keep running. You’ll know when to stop.”
“No. No, let’s go together. There’s too many of them!” She grasped at his arm.
“Ciara.” Jack stared hard at her. It was only for a few seconds, but he hoped his eyes conveyed everything he didn’t have time to say. How much he wished things had been different between them. “Go.”
Water glistened her eyes and a sob pulled from her throat as her grip tightened. He forced himself to pull away from her.
Her hands clenched into fists before she pulled her gaze from him. Then she took a step back before turning and taking off into the trees.
Jack quickly turned away and ran toward the guard that had his knife sticking out of his neck. Yanking it out, he dashed toward the back of the house.
Ciara’s throat felt raw as she ran. Tears were cold streaks against her face.
She stopped, stumbling against the uneven terrain. She used both her hands to break her fall. All she could do with her breath was say his name.
Everything hurt, her hands, her knees, but most of all her heart.
He came for her.
To protect her.
He was going to die for her.
The thought sent her fingers digging into the earth.
Why couldn’t they have their chance?
This couldn’t happen. It just couldn’t.
“Get up,” she whispered. “Get up.”
She had to keep moving.
“Jack, what the hell are you doing? Now’s not the time to get crazy.”
“She’s comin’ to you.” Jack rounded the back of the house slowly, peering into the open back door from the ground, looking for signs of life. “When you see her, tell her this was the one I owed her.”
“What? Jack!” He took the earpiece off and tossed it on the ground.
Jack entered the house, aiming his semi auto in each direction he looked. The kitchen was empty and he could see a set of stairs off the pantry that led to the second floor.
Gonzalez was still alive in the house; he could feel it in his gut, but it wouldn’t be for long.
The second floor was a long corridor with a small bathroom at the end of the hall. The door was open and he saw a pair of heels and purse on the tiled floor that belonged to only one person. His mouth kicked up a bit.
Jack continued down the hall before coming to an open study door. The bullets had stopped again. Sam was giving him time to find Gonzalez.
“Find her!” Gonzalez hissed. “He’s here! Fucking goddamn it, you find him!”
Jack’s trigger finger itched as he quietly approached the study. He counted in his head to five before he planned to openly spray the room.
When he stood in the doorway, it swung back hard and hit him, knocking him back.
Then he was being kicked hard in the face.
Before he could get his bearings, he felt steel being pressed into the lower left part of his skull. “Jack,” Gonzalez said from behind him. “Always great to see you.”
Ciara saw the body of the dead soldier in the same place Jack dropped him as she returned to the house. It was so quiet, too quiet, as she came out into the clearing with scratched and dirty bare feet.
Fear was pumping so much adrenaline in her veins that nothing felt real anymore.
But she couldn’t leave Jack here alone and outnumbered.
Moving quickly as she could, she picked up the dead man’s weapon. Surprised by how heavy it was, Ciara managed to wrap the strap over her neck and went around to the back of the house.
The kitchen was empty. It was quiet, but she could hear voices upstairs. Had they spotted Jack?
“You fucking cunt!”
The merc that brought her to the bathroom was stumbling toward the doorway from the living room. He was disoriented but still huge.
Ciara raised the gun to shoot him, knowing it would alert everyone in the house.
She pulled the trigger and it clicked.
And clicked again.
What was she doing wrong?
No bullets?
He was getting closer to her. Ciara searched the room and spotted a black cast iron skillet on the stove. Without thinking, the grabbed the handle and flung it like a frisbee in his direction. It cracked hard into his face, smashing into his skull just over his eye.
He fell down behind the kitchen island and Ciara had to force her own footsteps around it to see if he was moving.
The sight of the man’s face caved in at his temple took her breath.
She knew she had to keep moving.
*
“So you came here with no money. Pretty bold.”
Jack kept his mouth shut as Gonzalez used the gun at his head to push him into the room.
“It looks like I only had one competent soldier among the lot. It’s a shame we couldn’t have kept working together, Jack. You are good at what you do. Well, you were.”
“You should get your fuckin’ money back this time. All these guys couldn’t keep one woman? Let alone me.”
It fucking pissed Jack off that this was how he was going to go out.
Not even a chance to get Gonzalez.
But at least she got out.
&
nbsp; He could rest with that.
“You sure you wanna work for this guy? He won’t pay you if he can get out of it,” Jack laughed. He had to fucking laugh at all of it.
“Shut the fuck up.” Gonzalez snapped.
“He thinks I stole from him. All I took was my fee. I sure as fuck wasn’t takin’ the chance of this guy changing his face and leaving me with dick after risking my life.”
“You’re so fucking smart?” Gonzalez pressed the gun into his neck. “Get on your knees. You’re going to suck this gun before I blow your brains out.”
“Was it worth it?” The other guy asked, holding his gun on him.
Jack lowered to the ground on his knees as he thought on it. “Some of it. But if I’d had the chance, I was leaning toward retirement.”
Jack waited, listening to Gonzalez’s boots as they moved over the carpet.
He had no plans on going out like a chump.
“Get away from him!”
The hairs on Jack’s neck stood.
That wasn’t Ciara.
The other merc raised his gun, and before Jack could lift his knees off the ground, the guy was getting shot, bullets were coming from Ciara’s direction.
Jack used all his force to knock the gun away from Gonzalez.
Standing swiftly, he punched the dictator with a left hook, probably the hardest he’d ever hit a man.
While Rafael was still reeling from the punch, Jack rounded him, tightening his arm around his neck. He fought back, pulling at his arm, but Jack held him tightly while he struggled. Gonzalez legs swung as Jack’s hold lifted him off the ground. Swears ground out of the dictator’s mouth as he fought for air.
With his knife in his right hand, Jack reached under his arm and sliced across Gonzalez’s neck. He made sure the cut was deep enough, feeling the man jerk before going limp. Then he let his body drop to the ground.
Ciara watched Jack look down at Gonzalez’s lifeless body.
Her body was on autopilot. She didn’t even know the gun would shoot properly when she aimed it at the man. But it worked.
Now she couldn’t breathe.
“Heels… Jesus.” Jack was in front of her, pulling the gun strap over her head. “I told you to get out of here.” He pulled her hard to him. “What are you doing?” he whispered above her head, over and over.
“You didn’t have to come for me. You could have left me here.”