The rescue helicopter arrived ten minutes later, as the local police pulled up in two boats. Chase could tell Jack was doing her best not to shoot Rózsa as she watched the paramedics load Cassady onto the chopper. Every now and then, she had to remind Jack that Cass would be okay and that it was over.
Some of the local cops took Rózsa into custody and left immediately, while the rest stayed to interview them. After some discussion and a call to Interpol, Chase was given possession of the duffel bag with Dario’s money. By the time they were escorted back to the harbor, the FBI and Interpol had agents there, waiting for a debriefing. One of the feds was already giving an interview to the media about how they had done their best to catch Rózsa and that all their efforts, time, and money had paid off.
“News travels fast.”
“Especially where grabbing the glory is concerned. Some things never change,” Jack said.
“No, they don’t.” Chase’s phone rang and she checked the caller ID. “It’s Pierce. Want to take it?”
“Yeah, right,” Jack replied.
“Chase 200967.”
“Is Lynx all right?” Pierce asked immediately.
“She’ll be fine. They took her to the hospital.”
“And Phantom?”
“She’s next to me. Do you want to talk to her?”
“Yes. Great job, Chase.”
“It was all Jack, Pierce. I could have never done it without her. She’s the best you ever had.”
Pierce cleared his throat. “I’m aware. I hope she stayed out of trouble.”
“I kept her straight.” She smiled. “Oh, I need you to call the feds and get the paperwork started on relocating Heather and her brother.”
“Will do. Reno’s already working on your transport home.”
“Great. Here’s Jack.” She held out the phone.
Jack cringed. “I said no.”
“He just wants to thank you.”
Jack rolled her eyes and put the phone to her ear. “Yeah?” She tapped her finger impatiently on the cell as she listened for a few seconds. “Yeah, okay,” she said, and hung up.
“I swear,” Chase said, “sometimes you two are like father and daughter.”
“And you would know this through all your years of experience with one?”
“Touché, but you know damn well what I mean.”
“Scary thought,” Jack said.
“Could be worse. By the way, I haven’t smelled nicotine on your breath since we got here.”
“I quit after I met Celeste.”
“Did she scold you?” Chase smiled.
“Yeah, something like that.” Jack chuckled. “I’m going to get my stuff from the hotel and head over to the hospital. They should be done examining Cass by then. I should have shot that medicopter bastard for not letting me go with her.”
“There wasn’t enough room.”
“There would have been if I’d shot him.” Jack laughed.
“It’s good to hear you laugh again.” Chase put her arm around her shoulder as they walked to the van.
Jack paused and looked at her. “We good again?”
“Yeah. We’re good.”
* * *
Jack insisted on driving them back to Marseille because she couldn’t wait a second longer than necessary to be reunited with Cass. The paramedic had tried to reassure her that Cassady would fully recover, but she’d looked so weak and frail Jack had to be with her to be certain. Chase didn’t protest as she zipped between cars with the accelerator to the floor, and they were back at the hotel in record time.
“They’re in 305,” Chase told her as they scaled the steps to the lobby. She handed Jack the duffel with Dario’s money. “Go ahead. I’ll check us out.”
“Are you flying back tonight?” Jack asked.
“I’m sure Heather can’t wait to see her brother.”
“And I bet you can’t wait to see her.”
“I won’t bet against that.” Chase grinned. “What are your plans?”
“I’m taking Cass back to Colorado to her place.”
“And you?”
“I’m moving in and not letting her out of my sight.”
“That’s not going to be easy with her job,” Chase said.
“Yeah, I know. But we’ll figure it out.”
“Are you coming back to the organization?”
Jack stared at her, mouth agape. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I didn’t think so. I’m sure Pierce wants you back, especially after this job. You really were born for this.”
“Maybe I was,” Jack replied. “But I can tell you what I wasn’t born for. Someone controlling my life.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way. You could arrange something with him. With all due respect, you’re too good an op to spend your life counseling runaways. Plenty of other people out there can do that, but only one can get any job done by any means necessary.”
Jack knew that much was true, and that if she had to spend the rest of her life counseling she’d go stir-crazy. Could she really stick to counseling until Cass got out of the organization so they could retire to her dream house on the beach? Would she eventually come to envy Cass for going on a job? She didn’t have those answers right now. “I’ll see you upstairs.” She rode the elevator to the third floor and knocked on 305.
“Come in,” someone responded, but it wasn’t Heather, as she expected, but Dario.
Alarmed, Jack opened the door and found Dario, uncuffed, in his wheelchair, with a smug smile. When she looked around and didn’t see Heather, she pulled her gun. “Where’s Heather?”
“Where is my money?”
Jack dropped the duffel on the floor at her feet. “Where is she?” she repeated.
A man came out of the bathroom, holding Heather roughly from behind. He had a 9mm semi-automatic pointed at her head. “Throw your gun on the floor.”
Jack saw the look of terror in Heather’s eyes and dropped her Glock.
The goon pushed Heather forward. “Both of you sit on the bed.”
She sat next to Heather. “What’s going on?”
“I wanted to make sure you kept your promise,” Dario replied. “Where’s your friend?”
“Still talking with police about Rózsa’s capture.” She was sure Dario had been informed.
“You are with the FBI, after all.”
“Yeah,” she lied.
“Then why are the police not breaking down that door for me?” Dario asked placidly.
“We made a deal. You give us Rózsa, and we let you go.”
“Since when does the FBI make deals?”
“All the time,” she said. “Don’t be naïve. It’s all we do.” She hoped Chase would catch the conversation through the door before she walked into this. “Now take your goon and money and let us go,” she said loudly.
“I don’t think so,” Dario replied. “You see, Heather and the two of you know too much. And frankly, although I thought you were with the FBI in the beginning, I have strong doubts now.”
“And why is that?”
“Because one of my men had both your faces sent to someone who has access to a lot of information.”
“Your sister,” she said.
“And although we can’t match…Brett to anything, we did find you. It would appear you have been very active.”
“I don’t have police records.”
“No, you don’t. But you have left quite an impression with others. The underworld, mainly.”
“And of course you’d know them,” she said.
“One hand rubs the other.” Dario smiled.
“So what do you want, creep?”
He folded his hands in his lap. “We’re going to wait for your friend to come back from her fake interview with the fake police, and then we’re all going for a ride. And my sister thought I couldn’t do this.” He snickered.
* * *
Chase had her hand on the doorknob and was about to go in when she hea
rd Jack from inside; she was telling Dario to leave with his goon and money and let them go. She pulled her Glock and quietly stuck her ear to the door. Dario said something, but she couldn’t make out what it was.
She couldn’t open the door because she had no idea where anyone was positioned, and she couldn’t very well start shooting without knowing that. She’d only have one chance to fire before whoever was in there took someone down. Somehow, she needed to get a look inside before she took that shot.
Spotting the cleaning lady with her cart down the hall, she fished her cell from her pocket and dialed the reception desk. “I want two salads and a bottle of white wine in room 305.”
If Jack was quick, she’d pick up on it and say she’d ordered it on her way up.
Room service arrived ten minutes later. Chase hid her gun behind her back when the young man approached with his tray. “Go ahead,” she said, and stepped aside.
He knocked on the door.
“Who’s there?” Dario asked loudly.
In a low voice, Chase told the delivery boy, “Tell him, Ms. Jack’s order.”
He nodded and called out, “Room service. Ms. Jack ordered dinner.”
“She changed her mind.”
Chase told the young man, “Say, ‘I’m sorry, but you still have to sign for the bill. It’ll get charged anyway.’”
He repeated exactly that, with enthusiasm. He seemed to be enjoying the game.
“Go away,” Dario hollered.
“I will call my superior if you do not sign, sir,” she instructed next, and the teenager repeated that as well.
She heard whispers and commotion inside the room, and Dario finally spoke again. “Just a moment.”
The door opened a crack, and she saw Jack’s hand stick out. “Let me sign,” she said.
Chase took the bill before the delivery boy had a chance to give it to her. She shooed him away and wrote, Where is he?
Jack took the bill and her hand disappeared inside. When she thrust it back through the door a few seconds later, she held it so Chase could immediately read to your right.
Chase crouched, pushed the door open, and, without hesitation, shot the goon under the chin.
Jack put her arm around Heather, who instinctively screamed. “It’s all right,” Jack reassured her. “He’s dead.”
Chase ran to Heather and pulled her up. “Thank God you’re okay.”
“Call your sister,” Jack told Dario.
“What?” Dario had a glazed expression, as though he couldn’t register what had just happened.
“Call your sister,” Jack repeated more forcefully, “or I’ll fucking kill you.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to tell her something.”
“No.” Dario tried to regain his composure, but he was obviously shaken. He’d gone white, and his hand trembled slightly.
Jack cocked her gun.
“Jack, what are you doing?” Chase didn’t like the look in Jack’s eyes. She wasn’t playing.
“Now.” Jack pressed the Glock against his head.
Dario fumbled for his cell and dialed. When he hit the last digit, Jack grabbed the cell from his hand.
“Hi, bitch,” Jack said, her voice oozing menace. “I want to introduce myself, since you seem to know a lot about me. My name is Jack.” She paused to look at Dario for a moment before she shot him between the eyes. “And I just killed your fucking brother.”
Two feet away from Jack, Chase could hear Dario’s sister scream something in reply, but she couldn’t make out what it was.
“Not if I find you first, bitch,” Jack said, and hung up.
Chapter Forty
he coroner’s office removed the bodies of Dario and his goon while the French police tried to question Chase, Jack, and Heather about the shootings. Since they couldn’t reveal much about themselves and their mission to the local cops, Chase contacted Interpol again to get the matter resolved quickly. Interpol had a direct line to Montgomery Pierce, so within an hour, the French police were ordered off the case and told to return Chase’s and Jack’s guns.
They all went back to Jack’s room so she could retrieve her bag and head to the hospital, but as they were going in, Chase’s cell rang with a call from headquarters.
She answered with her identification number, then immediately held out the phone to Jack.
Jack wasn’t surprised that Pierce wanted to talk to her, since Interpol had filled him in on everything that had happened. She hated to defend herself to anyone, especially him, but considering the circumstances, she didn’t have a choice.
“Was it really necessary to kill Dario?” Pierce asked.
“Yeah, it was necessary,” she said, irritated. “He threatened both Heather and me with our lives.”
“I understand he wasn’t holding a gun.”
“He planned to have his man do it,”
“Chase had eliminated him,” Pierce pointed out.
“Why are you so uptight about the world being an organ trader down?” she asked angrily.
“I’m not. That’s not the point.”
“I killed him because it was only a matter of time before he sent someone else after Heather, probably even before we got her out of France and relocated.”
Pierce sighed. “You don’t know what you’ve started.”
“I refuse to defend myself for killing that sorry excuse for a human.”
“Damn it, Jaclyn. I don’t give a damn about him,” Pierce said. “It’s you I’m worried about.”
“I think my conscience can live with it,” Jack replied sarcastically.
“But his sister can’t. She’s known as TQ—aka ‘the Broker’— and, as it turns out, is one of the most dangerously influential people on the planet. She has links to everyone who’s anyone, and then some. The feds have been trying to find her for years.”
“I gave them her other half,” she said.
“He was a halfwit they didn’t care about and kept alive in the hopes of getting to her. The feds aren’t thrilled about his demise.”
“You’re upset because I threw in a wrench for the feds? They owe us…you, for every damn job we’ve done for them so they can get the credit.”
“It’s you I’m concerned about,” Pierce repeated, louder. “TQ will not rest until she avenges her brother.”
“Then let her.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Pierce shouted. “You have no idea what she’s capable of.”
“You have no idea what I’m capable of,” she shouted back. “But aside from that, my life isn’t your problem, as you’ve already proved. So take your concern and stick it.” She hung up.
“That went well,” Chase said.
“Jerk thinks he can start to care just because he feels like it today.”
“He’s right, you know.” Chase put a hand on her shoulder. “The bitch will come after you.”
“She won’t find me.”
“It sounds to me like she can do pretty much anything.”
“So can I. I’ve learned from the best and worked for the worst. Let her bring it.”
Chase squeezed her shoulder. “Let me know if…she starts making problems. I’ll be there.”
“Thanks.” She smiled and looked from Chase to Heather. “When do you two leave for home?”
“In a few hours,” Chase said.
“Take care of her, she’s your Emily.” Jack winked.
“How about you?”
“I’m going to the hospital. Cass and I will fly back as soon as she’s stable. Could be a week or so.” She crossed the room to get her bag.
“Will I see you when you get back?” Chase asked, her tone hopeful but uncertain.
She walked over and embraced her, and Chase hugged her back. “Yeah. You will.”
* * *
One week later Marseille, France
Outside the hospital entrance, Jack opened the door for Cass to get into the rental car. She was thrilled Cass was almost back to her ol
d self, and excited about her surprise. She hoped Cass would feel the same.
“Can you tell me now?” Cass asked impatiently. “You’ve been talking about this surprise for the past week.”
“I’ll tell you when we get there.” She smiled as she got behind the wheel. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this happy. The sun was shining, they were in France, she had the world’s most beautiful woman by her side, and she felt more in love than ever. She kissed Cass almost shyly on the cheek. It had been so long since she’d kissed her she wanted to swallow her whole, but Cass was still recovering and she didn’t want to appear insensitive.
Cass turned to her. “Jack?”
“Yeah?” she said as she put the key in the ignition. When Cass didn’t immediately respond, she looked over at her, concerned. “You okay?”
Cass grabbed her face with both hands and pulled Jack to her. They kissed so fiercely and so long, blinded by their emotions and lost time, they didn’t realize a crowd was gathering outside the car. Someone yelled something in French and both of them laughed.
“We need to get a hotel soon,” Cass said.
“Trust me, we will, because I’m about to pop in my pants.”
They drove for nearly two hours, passing through farmland and vineyards and small towns. Jack steered and shifted with one hand, so she didn’t have to let go of Cass’s. Cass looked out the window, seeming absorbed in the scenery and her thoughts.
“It gets better.” Jack squeezed her hand. “Someday, you’ll give what happened a place.”
“I know,” Cass said, still looking out the passenger window. “How long did it take for you to deal after Israel?”
“Let’s see.” She pretended to think. “When exactly did we meet?”
Cass smiled. “Shouldn’t take me long, then.”
“I’m here for you, baby.”
They reached the outskirts of a quaint but crowded village on the coast. Sailboats and yachts and other pleasure craft dotted the harbor.
“This is a beautiful little village,” Cass said. “Where are we?”
“In Sainte-Maxime.”
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