He surrenders and encloses me in a tight hug.
“Ethan’s dead?” Ben’s asking for confirmation. His tears have stopped and his breathing’s less erratic.
“Yes. He died minutes after you left.” We’re interrupted by my phone ringing. “Ben, you need to let me go, because I have to answer this.” I get my phone out of my pocket.
“15, information accessed. One more hit on your target. Assassin unknown, however they have been hired from Hunter, Inc. by Anthony Mancini. And you have another problem 15…the bounty on you still stands.”
“Are Cleaner and Doctor on standby as requested?” Shit, I try not to think of the bounty, even though I had a strong suspicion based on the shooting at Mamma’s.
“They’re ready to move out. ETA one hour from your go ahead.”
“Wait for further instructions.” I disconnect. Ben looks over to me and waits for me to fill him in.
“Fuck,” I yell, and I’m up and pacing. Hunter Inc. – Roman Murphy’s Company. Hit 147. Shit. Someone’s stepped up and taken over. It must be his son, Lincoln Murphy. Fuck, that damn bounty’s still hanging over my head. I’ll have to come to some sort of arrangement with Murphy about the bounty. Another damn problem. One I somewhat expected–just not right now.
“We have another problem we need to sort out. I can do it on my own, but if you’re here I can protect you better. I know you’re a man of the law, and I can’t ask or expect you to help me, but I really need you close so I can protect you from what’s coming.”
“What’s coming, baby girl?” He uses his term of endearment for me and my heart skips a beat.
“In the next few hours Anthony Mancini will be arriving here at the cabin to take me out. Ethan captured me and gave him these coordinates. He’ll likely come with his posse. We also have another assassin coming for you from Hunter, Inc. I’m not sure who they’ll be, but the target will be you…and me, because there’s a very large bounty on me. If you choose to leave here, I can’t protect you and you’ll likely be dead by tomorrow.
“I can’t make this choice for you, Ben. But you need to know if you stay here, you’ll see me do what I do best. And once those images are in your head, they can never be erased.” I stop talking and wait for him to wrap his head around it. “Ben, there really isn’t a lot of time for you to make your decision. I need your answer now.”
For a few minutes. Ben remains silent. “For the next few hours I’m not a cop. I’ll do exactly what you want me to do.” His body is stiff and cold.
A killer will emerge from Ben Pearson tonight.
We both go into the kitchen and stand at the counter. “I need your gun, Ben.” He hands it over to me without a second thought. “I’m going into the steel box; I’d prefer you didn’t follow me because I don’t want you to see what I did to Ethan. And I need to collect a vial of blood from him.”
“I’m working on your terms.” I look at him and see a reflection of myself in him. His mask slips on and he straightens his back. No emotion visible in him at all. “I have one question I need to ask, though. What happened with Ethan and you?”
“Ethan forced his way into my car and forced me to drive here at gunpoint, which was fine, because I needed him back here so I could work on him. He taped me up and beat me, and when I wouldn’t give him what he wanted, he raped me. But afterward I turned it around and you know the rest.”
“He raped you?”
I nod. Ben’s hands fist and he turns to the sink and retches. I stand back and watch him as he loses the control he fought so hard to regain outside the steel box. He punches the wall and tugs his hair, his face is red with agitation and fury.
All I can do is let him expel all these emotions. I don’t try to stop him or calm him, because he needs to get it all out. After a few minutes, Ben’s calm again and his breathing has started to return to normal.
“He raped you, Anna?” he asks, wanting an answer to his question from mere moments ago.
“Yes. I have a Doctor on standby. When this situation’s over the Doctor will examine me and I’ll have a vial of Ethan’s blood to test for any disease. But right now Ben, we have a job to do. You can think about that later, but for now I need you here with me. Do you understand?” Ben nods. “Stay here and don’t follow me into the safe room.”
I walk over to the steel box and put my code in, the door opens and I step inside. I place Ben’s service pistol on one of the shelves. I get a vial and fresh needle and extract blood from Ethan. Once I’m done with the now lifeless Ethan, I get my weapons, all of them, and the ammunition that goes with them.
The only thing left on the shelves is Ben’s gun. I take my disassembled sniper rifle out to the kitchen and Ben’s face remains impassive. I go back into the steel box and get the rest of the weapons and ammunition I’ve laid out and take them back to the kitchen. Ben’s still in the same position, looking over all the artillery I’ve brought out. “You can choose your weapon, but the rifle’s mine. You won’t have the precision I have so don’t touch it.”
Ben swallows loudly as I start putting the rifle together. “Okay, I’ll take the Sig semi-automatic and the Glock. Your Glocks are custom-made aren’t they?” I nod to him.
“My rifle’s been modified too.” Now we’re speaking my language.
“I don’t doubt you can take a target out at eight hundred yards.”
“One point five miles and not break a sweat.”
“One point five miles? That’s impossible. That’s unheard of. Ever. The record stands at one point one mile.”
“I said one point five miles without breaking a sweat. And really Ben, who’d measure me? You yourself called me the girl with the golden aim. I took Roman Murphy out at one point eight miles. He was personal, though, so I made an extra special effort for him.”
“You took out the boss of Hunter, Inc.?” Ben knows who Roman Murphy was? What?
“I told you it was personal.”
“One day you’re going to tell me why you took him out and explain what you mean about ‘personal’.”
”One day,” he says. Is there hope for a “one day” with us? A police officer and an assassin? My mind quickly fast-forwards to a year from now. Ben and I are living together and are happy. But that future doesn’t seem possible. Not in my universe.
We’re checking weapons and magazines. I know I keep them in perfect condition and they’re clean and in fantastic working order.
“Anthony Mancini’s due here. I’m going to go up the mountain with my rifle. You need to come with me and stick close, because if they come at us from all sides I’ll need your help. You’ll need to take out anything that moves toward us. I’ll have eyes on Anthony and I’ll take him out. I’m hoping you won’t need to shoot, but if you do, you don’t hesitate. If I’m captured, you do not come to rescue me. Do you understand?”
“Yes but...”
“No ‘buts’, Ben. This is for your safety. I’m doing this to keep you safe. Promise me you won’t come for me if I’m taken by Mancini or his men.”
“I can’t promise you that.”
I pull my Glock out and hold it to his head; I’m seriously going to kill him if he disregards my instructions. “If you don’t give me your word, you’re as good as dead. You’ll die by my hand, and I’m prepared to do that right now. You will not come for me, you’ll live for your family and protect them, and you’ll take down Mancini’s cocaine processing operation. You’ll protect the people of St. Cloud, or I end you now.” I pull the safety back.
Ben knows by my tone I’m prepared to kill him. He nods and finally says, “I promise you, Anna, I won’t come after you if you’re captured.”
I lower my Glock and put it back in my waistband. “Good, now let’s head up the mountain and get set.” We start our ascent up the mountain and in my duffle I have guns, ammunition, part of my rifle, my laptop, my phone, water and the vial of blood from Ethan. The other part of my Barrett I carry up by hand.
When we get
to the perfect attack zone, I set my Barrett up and bury the vial of blood in the dirt. I bury it because I need to keep it cool and it won’t be damaged where I have it. If anything happens to my cabin, I’ll always have that vial nearby. I open the laptop to keep an eye on the surroundings.
Ben and I are sitting quietly and I’m tuning into the environment, listening to every sound. They could be here in the next ten minutes or the next three hours. We need to sit and wait and there’s nothing else we can do.
“You need to be on high alert and totally quiet for me to work. If you sense something, I don’t want you to talk, I want you to tap my arm one time and motion where you think or see the danger’s coming from. Watch the laptop once it all starts and indicate how many men are coming through. From here on in it’s total silence. Nod if you understand.” Ben nods.
I watch through the scope for thirty-eight minutes before I sense the danger and turn to Ben to tap him. I bring my finger to my mouth reconfirming for him to be quiet and not make a sound.
I hear the one sound I know so well.
The whoosh of a bullet. Not heading here, but toward my cabin.
A sniper bullet.
I close my eyes.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Concentrate… Breathe.
Mask on.
I snap my eyes open and find my target through my scope.
The sniper is nine hundred yards away from us, down, to the left, and eight yards away from my cabin. He really mustn’t be very smart if he’s that close and he’s in plain sight.
I check his rifle out through my scope. I make a mental note how I like it and I think I’ll be the new owner of it, if I manage not to get it too bloody.
I place my finger over the trigger and let my breath out just as I release it. The sharp sound of the bullet leaving the chamber sends calm over my body.
I watch as the bullet makes its way to the sniper and explodes his head. Ben taps me once and I turn to face him, he holds up one hand with all five fingers extended. He points due north and north-west.
It appears Anthony’s coming at us from just one direction. He must still think his son’s alive and I must be half-dead, so he’s approaching cautiously, but isn’t in full attack mode. I watch through the scope and see a dark Hummer parked back toward the road, and then I spot my old friend, guard one, from our meeting in Salt Lake City a few days ago. He’s right at the back and I can see two men in front of him.
I turn the scope slightly and see two more men. I don’t see Mancini though.
I’m not going to take another shot until I see Anthony, because he may have more men hiding, and if I shoot into his entourage right now, Anthony could get away or bring in a small army. And either option’s not good for me or Ben.
All the men have the same weapons – machine guns. That makes it a bit more difficult for me, but not impossible to take them all down. Just as I focus on my old friend, I see the back door of the Hummer open and out steps Anthony Mancini.
First things first, destroy the Hummer so he can’t get away. I let one shot go to the front of the Hummer and that’ll put the engine out of commission. Mancini ducks his head down and jumps back to the safety of his car. I want to show him what I’ve done to his precious Ethan, so I need to keep him alive.
My old friend’s taken down within seconds of me destroying the Hummer. Not giving him time to see where I’m at. But I know the others will now be alerted to our whereabouts. I’ll have time to take them down.
The others start to scatter and the two who were closest to my old friend are now down too. However the other two have scattered and I can’t find them through my scope. I search but I still need to keep an eye on Mancini.
Ben taps me on the shoulder and indicates with two fingers he can see them through the surveillance cameras that they’ve split and are coming toward us from due west and due east. If they come at different speeds I can take them both down but I won’t be able to do it alone, so Ben will need to help me. Just then Anthony Mancini jumps out of his car and goes at a run toward my cabin. I put a bullet in his leg so he stays exactly where I need him.
“Which one’s closer?” I say to Ben, still focused on Anthony Mancini.
“East.”
I turn my rifle and wait for the killer to come at us from the right. I can’t see him, but Ben has him on the laptop, so he must be close.
“Two o’clock, eight hundred yards.” Ben gives precise and clear directions.
I see him through my scope and release the trigger. I watch as his head snaps back and he falls to the ground. One more target left, then I get Anthony Mancini.
I turn the rifle, but before I get the chance to, I hear gun fire. Ben’s standing, right leg and shoulder protruding forward. His stance is deadly, menacing and powerful. Back straight, chin downcast, Glock pointing where his eyes are looking. He’s taken on an intimidating and hostile persona. He’s focused and is watching for any other dangers.
I look at the direction of the pointed gun and see man number five is lying slumped on the cold ground. “Get down Ben.” I turn to the scope of my Barrett and look over the area but don’t see any further risks. I check on the laptop and can’t see any more threats. “Let’s go.”
I’m methodical in the way I address Ben.
We pack up quickly and I partially disassemble the Barrett. I retrieve the vial of Ethan’s blood and pack that away. “We need to get down there to Mancini. He’s injured but I don’t know if he’s made any calls. We have to do it quickly. Do you understand?” I ask Ben who’s quietly and carefully packing up.
“Yes I do. Are you going to kill Anthony?”
“I’m going to show him his son first.”
“Anna, let me have him arrested.”
“Ben you told me this is my show today. I’m not giving Mancini a chance to get out or get away. He dies today, next to his son. This isn’t open for discussion.” I take the duffle and start toward the cabin as fast as I can. Ben’s behind me and says no more about my intent to kill Anthony.
We make our way down to my cabin and Anthony Mancini’s dragging himself, with a leg that’s hanging half off, toward the entrance of my building.
“Anthony Mancini. It’s so nice to see you again. Unfortunately, the circumstances aren’t so pleasant. Well, for you they aren’t so pleasant, for me they’re great.”
“Do you fucking know what I’m going to do to you? You fucking bitch!” He stopped himself screaming because he’s in agony and holding onto his thigh to relieve the pain and keep enough pressure on it to keep from bleeding out.
“Ben, can you drag him inside to the steel box, I’m sure he’ll want to see his son.”
“Where’s Tony? Is he okay?” He suddenly becomes a concerned parent.
“You’ll see him soon enough.” Well his body, anyway. He’ll see him in hell soon after.
I go in the front and open the steel box. Ben doesn’t bother picking Anthony Mancini up, he literally drags him inside by the collar of his suit that’s now destroyed.
“You’re a police officer. Help me. Stop her. You’re going to let her kill an innocent man.” Anthony’s desperate and trying whatever he can, but Ben’s ignoring his pleas. “I’ll pay you, I have a lot of money.” Ben smirks at Anthony and stops dragging him just short of the steel box.
“How much did you pay her to have me killed?” Anthony’s features turn even more ashen and he realizes his attempt to plead with Ben is futile.
Ben continues dragging Anthony in and as soon as he makes it inside the steel box, Anthony turns and looks at his son’s slumped, still body.
Anthony begins yelling. Nothing intelligible, nothing that makes sense. He’s been made stupid by the loss of his son.
“It’s time to meet your son, Anthony,” I say as I reach for my gun. Ben puts his hand over mine.
“Let me.”
“Ben, I told you he’s not going to jail.”
“I know.” It dawns on me
that Ben’s asking my permission to kill Anthony Mancini. I nod and step back to let him do what he needs to do to find peace within himself.
Ben stands over Mancini. No words are exchanged. Anthony’s looking more frightened as the seconds tick by. Ben’s letting the silence drive Anthony insane. Anthony’s sobbing and crying and fruitlessly begging for his life.
Ben stands with a smile on his face and he raises one of the Glocks he used to kill goon number five at the top of the mountain. He has it pointed at Anthony.
The situation is becoming uncomfortable for me and it must be unbearable for Anthony. Not knowing if Ben’s toying with him, if he’s going to pull the trigger, or let him live. Anthony’s sobs turn to anger and he starts shouting at Ben to kill him. He taunts him, “It should’ve been you in that fucking car with your fucking parents. I’m going to kill your whole fucking precious family, Pearson.”
Ben smiles at Anthony. “I just needed to hear you say you killed them,” he says, and shoots Anthony between the eyes.
I smile.
I grab my phone and call Agent. I need to remember to give him a good bonus this year, because he’s always on his game and never disappoints me.
“Cleaner to come to coordinates sent and Doctor to remain on standby. Coordinates for Doctor in two minutes. ETA?”
“Cleaner one hour away, Doctor same location. Will wait for your go ahead.” The call’s disconnected.
“Ben get your service weapon; we need to go.”
“Where are we going?”
“The Cleaner’s coming to sort this out.” I sweep my arms out to indicate the bodies everywhere.
“I don’t understand. Who’s the Cleaner and what does the Cleaner do?”
“I have several people on my payroll, Ben. One person is the Cleaner. They don’t kill, they come in and take care of all the garbage. The Cleaner isn’t always needed, but in this situation we need to get rid of all the loose ends.”
The HiT Series Page 15