“Please, just listen to me, Anna.” He takes another step; he’s very close to me now. My senses are going into overdrive. Why is Tyler so concerned?
“Tell me why.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“You need to leave soon.” His voice is barely over a whisper, his shoulders are hunched forward and his head’s bowing to me. There’s fire in his eyes.
“Just go before it’s too late,” he mumbles as he places his arm next to me on the bed. He leans his frame into my body and I take a deep breath in. “You can’t be here when…” Tyler brings his lips to my ear and leans the side of his forehead into my temple. “Please…I don’t want you here when…just go.” I lean into his touch, as he brings his hand up to stroke my face.
My body betrays me and ignites under the raw heat emanating from Tyler. I breathe through my nose and regain my focus, and with a hand on Tyler’s taut chest, I push him away. I give him a brief glimpse to the inside world of Anna Brookes. The most dangerous assassin on this planet.
Tyler’s still leaning toward me, but I need distance from him so I push him back more firmly.
“Understand this, Tyler.” My façade’s on and my voice is low, menacing with a hint of chill attached. “I know exactly what I’m doing here.”
Tyler’s expression changes from concern, to shock.
“Anna, this isn’t a game to him.” He takes a cautious step backward toward the door. “He’ll kill you if he thinks you’ll betray him,” he says as a warning.
A diabolical smile reaches my lips. My eyes burn with a desire for the pain I intend to inflict on Katsu.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Tyler. I’d like to rest now. Please close the door on the way out.”
No sooner had I gotten comfortable when there was a knock at the door again. Gee, don’t these people believe in privacy?
“Come in,” I yell, not too happy about the intrusion.
Tyler walks through the door flanked by Dr. Hall.
“Miss Moore, Dr. Hall.” He announces her presence.
“Thank you, Tyler.” He breaks eye contact and leaves the room closing the door behind him.
“Miss Moore, I do want to say it’s nice to see you again, but frankly, it’s not.” Dr. Hall’s tone is snippy, almost like she’s saying, ‘told you so’.
“Yes I seem to be attracting all things dangerous.” I smile at her, but I think Dr. Hall’s somewhat pissed off at me that I haven’t taken her warnings as serious.
She examines me and finds I’ve got one cracked rib, but other than rest, there isn’t much else she can do. She leaves a yellow bottle with several strong pain killers and tells me to take them as I need them. I won’t need them. But I’ll keep them, because I’ll never know if I need to crush them and add them to someone’s food to knock them out.
The next three days go by with not so much as even a small event.
I’ve barely seen Katsu. He hasn’t been sleeping in the bed and he only had breakfast with me one morning. Something’s happening, and his regular disappearances are making me restless. I’m willing my cracked rib to heal so I can get out of here and discover what’s going on.
Tyler has not uttered another word to me, except when I ask him a direct question. He does, however, hover closer than before and is quick to aid me when I want to leave the room.
These three days have been, well honestly, mind-numbingly boring.
Something’s definitely happening and I needed to get to the action.
I need to check in with Agent.
I need to call Ben.
“Tyler,” I call him into the room. I’m more mobile than I was three days ago, but I still require some assistance.
“Yes, Anna.” He’s done away with the formalities when it’s just him and I.
I go to stand from the couch in the oversized bedroom and shriek in pain. Tyler’s by my side wrapping his arm around my waist, shifting my weight so he takes it.
“Tyler, I need your help…”
Ben
Fucking Yakuza.
Anna
Day eight since I had my rib cracked by Scar Man. He ended up dead because of it, dead by Katsu’s hand.
I’ve been recovering at the castle and Tyler’s been a great help to me.
Katsu’s been incredibly distant toward me, always away working. It doesn’t irritate me that he’s been distant physically toward me. What pisses me off is he hasn’t let me in on what work he’s doing or the operation of the Yakuza, which in turn makes me feel useless. If I’m not collecting and collating information in my head to take him down, then I may as well leave and use the other resources available to me.
I’ve been able to get Tyler on my side and he’s agreed to give me some space once my rib heals up more. Tyler’s agreed to give me two hours downtown, without supervision, as long as I keep my phone on me.
Yeah right, like that’s going to happen.
Tyler’s approached the subject of me leaving Katsu and leaving the castle for good twice more. It’s almost like he’s warning me. I’m not sure yet about what, exactly. But there’s something in his tone that tells me uncertainty is just waiting around the corner. He’s been more forthcoming about his feelings for me, often telling me he cares for me and I’m too innocent to be caught up in this.
If only he knew.
I really need to see and speak to Ben. I miss him. I want him to hold me close to his body and I want him to call me ‘baby girl’ like he always does. I want his kisses, his heat and his love.
Tomorrow, I’m taking my two hours of freedom and going to see him. I missed our rendezvous due to timing and circumstances. He doesn’t know it yet, but I’ll be at the police station to see him and make a judgment on Ophelia.
Katsu’s indicated there’s a potential mole at St. Cloud PD and the mole’s a female. The only new person there who fits the description is Ophelia. There are other female officers, but they’re ranked low and wouldn’t have the authority to access records Katsu would need for his operations.
Today drags on and even though I’m moving much more freely and my rib’s healing nicely I’m still bound to the castle until tomorrow.
The evening comes and I find myself eating dinner, with Tyler on guard and Katsu still nowhere to be seen.
“Tyler, where’s Katsu been?” I ask as I eat my fillet mignon. Mmm, delicious.
“He’s away on business,” Tyler states matter-of-factly.
“Clearly, or he’d be here eating dinner with me.” My response is snarky toward him.
A small smile ghosts Tyler’s lips and he shakes his head. “Anna, you know I can’t tell you too much.”
“In other words you don’t know because your job’s to babysit me?” I give him a pointed looking stare.
“There’s that too,” he lets out a small laugh.
It’s 11:21 p.m. and I take myself off to bed after sitting in the oversized family room, watching bad nighttime TV in front of the fire.
I have a shower first, and try to brainstorm another way to take Katsu down. I’m thinking I’ll have to resort to a bullet between his eyes. I may stop and get my babies tomorrow and just kill him. He’s pissing me off.
The more time he’s away, the more I think about the girls he’s captured and sold. The Pace and James families saved them from a life of degradation, torture, and slavery when they intercepted the shipment meant for Mexico. I can handle guns, drugs, and even prostitution if that’s what a lady wants to do, but human trafficking’s extremely high on my hate list.
The shower doesn’t clear my head. The only thing it does is make me angrier at Katsu. I want to kill him in his sleep. But the rational side of me knows that’s not possible without giving away who I am.
I turn the shower off and wrap a large, sky blue towel around my body and leave the bathroom only to be surprised to see Katsu reclining lazily in bed.
He’s wearing nothing but boxers and his eyes are half-closed. The moment
I open the door, he springs up and catapults toward me, wrapping his arms around me. He starts kissing me. Great–not.
“I’ve missed you,” Katsu says so happily; it’s quite disturbing.
“What has you in such a great mood?” He keeps kissing me down my neck and down my shoulder.
“I’ve worked a few things out. I’ve found and destroyed a few people.” Shit, what does he mean by ‘I’ve worked a few things out’?
“Such as?” I try to keep him kissing me and I even return the feverish contact in hope he’ll keep talking.
“Treasure, I’m way too wound up to talk. Just let me get what I need to wind down and I’ll fill you in tomorrow morning.”
“Of course, honey, let me see what I can do to help.” Yuck.
Katsu doesn’t break the kiss as he’s pulling me toward the bed. He untucks the towel and it drops to the floor mere inches from the massive bed.
“I need you, Anna,” he huskily breathes into my neck as his tongue continues to lick my sensitive skin.
BANG
BANG
BANG
BANG
“Anna, get down.” Tyler bursts through the door and is hurtling toward me, propelling Katsu to the left, while he covers my naked body with his own fully clothed one.
I don’t have a second to spare while I reach for my gun. FUCK. They aren’t here. This is the second time I’ve been caught without them.
Katsu’s surrounded and protected by his own men.
Tyler’s mouth is close to my ear and he whispers, “Don’t say a word. Just keep quiet.” His weapon isn’t drawn, he’s simply covering my body, protecting it from whatever’s just at the doorstep.
‘FBI. GET DOWN,” is all I hear chanted over and over again by several agents.
The room’s filled with men and women in dark blue jackets and black dress pants. The dark blue jackets have yellow ‘FBI’ written across the back, much like you see in the movies.
“Katsu Vang, you’re under arrest.” One of the officers handcuffs Katsu and pulls him up by the cuffs as they’re reading his Miranda Rights to him. I’m still totally nude, but covered by Tyler’s body. “Get off her,” the same officer says to Tyler.
“Not until you all turn around so she can wrap the towel around herself.” Tyler’s brazen as he speaks to the FBI officers, but he hasn’t moved an inch. He has balls. Even I would comply with them.
“Give the lady a minute. Officer Christine, please stay with Miss Moore while she gets dressed.”
He called me Miss Moore. Not Anna Brookes. This arrest isn’t for me. I’m being arrested for association with Katsu Vang. The FBI isn’t aware of who I am. Thank God.
The room clears and Tyler’s handcuffed and taken away as Katsu was. There’s only me and Officer Christine, who I could take down, but won’t, because I don’t want to draw attention to myself. They’re not here for me.
I simply get up and stride across to the drawers to get clothes. My rib’s protesting from where Tyler threw himself on me, but I don’t give anything away to Officer Christine. Her eyes don’t waver from me, even though I’m completely nude.
I dress silently and the moment I’m fully clothed, she calls out for the male agent who arrested Katsu. He’s in the door the same instant the words, ‘she’s ready’ have left Officer Christine’s mouth.
FBI Man doesn’t tell me his name. He simply dangles his handcuffs as he approaches and stands behind me. He pushes me out the door.
“Your personal security was forthcoming in telling me you’re injured. I’ll be as careful as I can,” he says as he lets out a chuckle.
“What are you arresting me for?” I ask as I’m being pushed and led down the stairs.
“Human trafficking.” A chill runs up my spine and I shiver at the thought I could be implemented in such a horrific act. But I don’t say a word to him. I know what to do in these situations and I know to keep my mouth shut.
I’m led to the FBI SUV and pushed toward the back door. I look around and see the entire household, maids, cooks, cleaners, gardeners and all the security detail including Tyler, are in handcuffs and being led to one of the many FBI vehicles that are here. I can’t see Katsu, so I assume they’ve already taken him and are on the way to the station to question him.
The outside of the castle’s all lit up, with a police helicopter flying overhead, and all the lights of the cars are pointed toward the castle.
There are three police dogs, waiting on leashes with their handlers, ready to pounce on anyone who may make a run for it.
I take it all in and watch as fear registers on the faces of the house staff. The Security Guys all have stoic looks, like they’re sitting at a hand of high-stakes poker. Tyler catches my eye and he gives me a nod and a small smile. I nod back to him in the smallest of ways, expressing my understanding to remain silent.
They aren’t after me and the charges they’re trying to pin on me are only a power-play so I’ll talk and give up what I’ve heard and know about Katsu’s operations. They have nothing on me, so they’ll end up dropping the charges.
I’m not going to give them Katsu because he’s mine. I want him intimately involved with my two beautiful guns. I will take his life. I refuse to give him a chance of prison or parole and I refuse to allow him to rebuild his empire once I rip it away from him.
Pushed in the car, I’m taken to the Minnesota State Police Station. It’s much larger than St. Cloud’s, and has more rooms for interrogations.
I’ve been pushed, shoved and pulled along and Officer Christine’s been by my side the entire time. She’s the one who helped me out of the car, and now she walks beside me, pulling me along by my upper arm, down the long, cold, sterile corridors.
There are other officers crossing our path and some look at me, then back to Officer Christine. We make our way to a large, open area where there are eight desks, set in two rows of four, with a walkway in between.
I’m being led toward an interrogation room by Officer Christine when I see a man come out of an office mere feet in front of me.
His face is sunken. He looks unkempt and there are visible signs of distress on his face.
His clothes are swimming on his gaunt body.
His eyes are lifeless.
His hair’s flat.
His skin’s pale, almost translucent.
There’s definitely a demon attacking him from within.
I spark to life because I have to know what’s happening. Nothing else matters right this minute except him.
Ben.
Anna
“Is this woman part of the Katsu Vang investigation?” Ben stands tall with authority, but I can tell by his appearance, he’s struggling to form a sentence and keep it together.
“Yes, sir,” Officer Christine answers.
“Go get a coffee.” His eyes don’t leave mine, he isn’t asking her to leave, he’s telling her to leave.
“But, sir, I was told…” Ben interrupts her with a raised eyebrow and a sneer. “Yes, sir.” She quickly cuts off what she was going to say. She walks away, I assume toward the break room to make a coffee.
Ben drags me into the office he just came from. There’s no one in here, just an empty, clinically cold police office.
“Anna, I can’t take the cuffs off, in case someone comes in, but this is a ploy by the FBI to get to Katsu and to get you to talk about his operations. They’re going to let you go after the 24 hours they can legally hold you.”
“Ben, I don’t care about me. Why do you look like you haven’t slept or eaten in a month? What’s happening?”
“I need your help, Anna.” His eyes are frantic, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He looks so stressed. “I need 15.” That must’ve been difficult for him to say.
An excited tremble flutters in my stomach, a freezing quiver runs up the length of my spine. An exhilarating energy takes over my body.
“What do you need, Ben?” I stand straight and lean toward him, listening inten
tly as he begins.
“Claire’s gone.”
Two words can have so many meanings. Gone? Where?
“She’s been taken.” Ben’s voice is just above a whisper.
Ben’s sister has been kidnapped.
“Taken? By whom?” I question him.
“I need you to find her.” He ignores my questions. “I got proof of life yesterday; I’ve had nothing for…” He checks his watch to calculate the time she’s been missing. He lets out a huge sigh and in the expulsion of breath, he rubs his hands over his eyes and says, “20 hours”.
Breathe Anna.
I close my eyes, I calm my body. Goose bumps rise on my arms and my body switches into assassin mode. My brain kicks into overdrive and I start to formulate a plan.
I snap my eyes open and Ben’s watching me as my mask slips on and I become the person I know best. 15.
“First, call no one or say anything until I’m released. Not Emily, not anyone. Do you understand?” My tone’s clipped and straight to the point. Ben’s seen me work and he knows I’m able to get results. He nods his head in agreement, but says nothing.
“Second, be waiting for me the moment I’m released. Have enough cash to see us through and leave your service revolver in your safe room.” Ben nods again.
“Sir, I need Miss Moore.” We’re interrupted by Officer Christine and I can’t finish telling Ben what I require. Ben pushes up from the table he’s leaning on.
“You can wait outside, Officer, I’ll bring her out.” Officer Christine steps outside giving us mere seconds before he needs to hand me over to her.
Ben comes to stand next to me pushing his body up against mine and embracing me in a constricting hug.
“Thank you, baby girl,” he whispers in my ear. The clear sound of relief is evident in his words.
He steps aside and indicates for me to leave the room.
I turn to my right to walk into the open area and Ben passes me, his hand softly sweeps down my right arm. The touch is intimate and soft and Officer Christine doesn’t catch the exchange we just made.
The HiT Series Page 37