Chest heaving, Mackenna stared the young woman in the eyes. “We all have a choice, Paulina. We all can choose.”
The young girl’s face fell as tears joined the raindrops on her cheeks. Looking back at the man still standing nearby, Mackenna licked her lips wondering where Jobe was.
His hand lifted, a gun pointing right at Mackenna as he said, “Yeah, bitch. And Paulina here made her choice. She stuck a tracer on the back of your collar and made sure your goons were out.”
The memory of Paulina hugging her earlier, bolted back into Mackenna’s mind. Her gaze stayed on the gun as her body shook with a combination of fear and cold.
Tank’s gun! It must have dropped when I fell. Hoping it was too dark for him to see what she was doing clearly, she tried to drop her gaze to the ground but was unable to see anything. Her fingers still clasped the racket. She was afraid to drop it for fear he would shoot at any movement.
Suddenly the pounding of feet could be heard and for an instance Mackenna imagined Jobe rushing to the scene to save her. Instead, another man, all dressed in dark clothing, came into view.
“Jazzie, Jazzie! Where the fuck are you?”
Jazzie turned, his face angry at the intrusion from Waldo. “What’re you doin’ here? You’re supposed to be after Tito’s bitch.”
“She’s gone. I saw Tank drive off with her on his bike.”
“Tank?”
Mackenna could not see the man called Jazzie’s face, but realized that they had no idea that Tank was undercover. Oh, Please God. Let him get her to safety.
“You think he’s taking her to Tito?”
“Don’t know. When I came running here, there’d been firing at the front of that bitch’s place. Cops may have gotten him.”
“Motherfuckers! This is going to shit, man. Tank wasn’t supposed to be in this. He takes that bitch back to Tito and we’re no better off.”
Jazzie turned his angry visage back to Mackenna, still on the ground.
*
Jobe and his friends moved swiftly through the trees, the slippery ground and dim light not impeding them at all.
Hearing voices in the distance, they separated silently and began to circle the area. Vinny moved in front of Jobe, just long enough for him to make eye contact. Even through the goggles, Jobe knew what Vinny was looking for. Needs to see I’m not losing my shit. Understanding the action of squad members keeping a pulse on each other, he gave a curt nod. His heart pounded and he knew he was not in control. And for the first time in his life, he understood that that was okay. Another nod and Vinny shifted to his right.
Tony radioed, “Visual. Two females. Two males.”
As they crept closer, they could hear the male voices raised in anger. Continuing to circle, they each signaled to the others when they were in place. Vinny, as the most accurate sharpshooter, moved to a position where he could take a shot when needed. As a civilian, he knew he had to wait, unable to just fire because the suspect was a killer asshole. He gritted his teeth, wanting to go ahead and take the shot he knew he had.
Jobe moved between two trees, still in the dark shadows, but able to see Mackenna on the ground with the other three standing nearby. The other female was looking down while the two males faced each other, one with a gun in his hand still pointed at Mackenna. Jobe nodded once toward Vinny, both understanding the silent code. Blinking his eyes once, he fixed his eyes on the target, slowing his breathing. Come on fucker, make a move and you’re mine.
*
Mackenna watched as Jazzie turned back to her, and could see the desperation in his eyes even in the dim light. Adrenaline still pumping, she felt her muscles quivering, unable to stop the shaking.
A flash of movement to the side had her gaze jerking over in a panic, as Paulina dropped to the ground. Before she could understand what was happening, she saw the young woman kneeling with a gun in her hand. Tanks’ gun! Fuck! But Paulina was not pointing the weapon at her…she held it in front of her…pointed straight toward the man with the gun.
Jazzie’s fury was evident as he growled, “You better use that bitch, ’cause you ain’t worth my spit now.”
With his focus on Paulina, Mackenna roared while swinging the tennis racket toward his gun hand, which had lowered in his anger. The gun fired, sending a blast of light in the dark night, as Jazzie screamed in pain. Another shot rang out, he dropped to the ground and Mackenna tried to scramble away.
“Police!” Shane roared. “Drop your weapons,” he ordered to Paulina. She shook in fear, but slowly knelt, placing the gun on the ground.
“Hands on your head,” he ordered next as the others stepped into the dim light, showing themselves. Paulina immediately obeyed, as she stayed on her knees.
Waldo looked around as the detectives moved forward, then back to the area where Jazzie lay dead in the grass. He knew his life was worth nothing now. He had gone against the leader. He was dead if he went back…dead if he went to jail. Pulling his gun out of his pants, he aimed at the bitch still sitting on the ground. The last thing he heard on this earth was a shot being fired. Right before he dropped to the mud next to his brother.
Mackenna flung herself down as she instinctively covered her head. Vinny stepped from the trees, his weapon still in position as Shane pulled a handcuffed Paulina to her feet.
Jobe, throwing off his goggles, raced to Mackenna still huddled on the ground. Scooping her up in his arms, he pulled her into his embrace as he sat on the wet dirt. “Are you hurt?” he cried, trying to see if she were injured, but her wet, muddy clothes made that task impossible.
“No, no,” she answered, her voice shaky as she twisted around to see his ravaged face. Lifting her hands, she cupped his jaw pulling him in close. “I’m fine. Honest, Jobe. I’m fine.”
He lifted her up in his arms, but she insisted on standing. He placed her feet reluctantly on the slippery ground but held her tightly against his side. Her hand wrapped around his waist, thick with the Kevlar vest, glad for the protection but wishing she could feel him instead.
The area quickly filled with others as the police closed in, some with heavy lights to illuminate the crime scene. Jazzie and Waldo’s bodies lay twisted on the ground as they had fallen and Matt ascertained that they were both dead.
Paulina stood, staring down at the two bodies, her hands behind her back in cuffs. Her shocked gaze lifted to Mackenna’s, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I…I’m sorry,” she whispered. Shaking her head slowly, she looked over at Shane standing next to her. “I’ll tell you anything. Anything.”
A policewoman stepped over and, taking Paulina by the arm, led her away. Mackenna watched her silently as the sight of Paulina disappeared into the night. Suddenly, her legs gave out as the adrenaline no longer pumped, leaving her weak.
Jobe’s body took her weight as she slumped against him before he scooped her up once more. Stalking over to the EMTs that had appeared on the scene, he gently laid her down on the stretcher.
“I’m all right, honey. Just tired,” she said, her hands still holding tightly to his arms, unwilling or unable to let go.
He turned to the EMTs, barking, “She’s pregnant.”
They immediately began assessing, against her protestations. Jobe leaned down, his face directly in hers and said, “Not taking a chance, doll. Please,” he begged, as his voice broke.
Nodding, she lay back still clasping his arm. Not letting go. Never letting go.
*
Swish, swish, swish. The baby’s heart monitor gave off the clear signals that it was alive and well, bringing both Mackenna and Jobe to tears as she continued to cling to him.
With her high blood pressure, the ER doctor admitted her for overnight observation. Once settled into the hospital room, she slept fitfully as Jobe kept watch, his hand still holding hers and his gaze moving between the monitor and her face.
A slight movement at the door had him swinging his head around, nerves instantly on alert. He relaxed as he saw Shane and another ma
n enter. His eyes appraised the second man, his large frame filling the doorway as he hung back from the others. Dark hair, with an expression of hardness on his Hispanic features.
“Tank?” came Mackenna’s soft voice.
Jobe’s head jerked around, seeing her eyes open and a quizzical expression on her face.
“Yeah,” the large man said, walking over to join the others. Looking down at Jobe, he extended his hand. Jobe glanced at it momentarily before taking it. “Real name is Cam,” he said to Jobe, but his eyes shifted over to the woman in the bed. “Glad you’re okay.”
Jobe, wanting an explanation of who the man was, looked at Shane. “Undercover with the Sixers,” came the short answer. “He got Gabby out of the park and gave his weapon to Mackenna.”
Jobe stood, not used to looking up at anyone, but found himself directing his glare upwards several inches to Tank. “She didn’t know how to use the gun.”
Tank nodded but said, “She’s smart. She’d done all right. And it was better than nothing.” His gaze dropped back to Mackenna as he said, “But I hear that a tennis racket is almost as good as a baseball bat.”
She blushed as the others tried to hide their smiles, while Jobe sat heavily in his chair again. “Fuck,” he said, the fight leaving him as the thought of the danger she had faced sunk in once more.
After a moment, she stared past Jobe at the men in the room. Licking her lips, she asked, “How’s Gabby?”
Receiving assurances of the young woman’s health, she looked back up at the large man who had shifted to the other side of her bed. “What happens now? Now that your cover’s gone?”
“I’ll be okay. Got options. Anyway, just wanted to check on you.” He gave a head jerk to Jobe and with a last smile down at Mackenna, turned to walk out of the room. Pausing next to Shane, he stopped. As the two men held each other’s eyes, silent communication between them, he just nodded again before stepping into the corridor.
*
Outside of the hospital, Tank slid on his sunglasses just before climbing into the large, black SUV. The driver glanced at his passenger carefully before saying, “You ready, Cam?”
Tank nodded silently as the vehicle pulled into traffic. Several minutes passed before he spoke. “Yeah, time to make a change.”
Jack Bryant just nodded.
*
Shane stayed in the hospital for just a few more minutes, updating Mackenna and Jobe on the latest. With preliminary information from Tank and Paulina, Tito’s gun running operation was going to be shut down. He had not been arrested yet, but indictments would be coming.
“From what Tank had seen, Gabby was Tito’s greatest downfall,” Shane said, much to the surprise of Mackenna. “He hated that she left, but must’ve really had feelings for her—enough that the others were questioning some of his judgements. It’s true that he wanted you out of the way, but he wanted Gabby back with him.”
Shane left soon, letting Mackenna know that once she was out of the woods they would question her about the events of the previous night.
The sun was just rising as Penny, Rachel, and Joseph tiptoed quietly into the room. Jobe lifted his head from its position on her bed, giving a tired smile to their parents. Standing, he moved over to offer hugs to all of them, then took Penny by the arm leading her to her daughter’s side.
Mackenna’s eyes fluttered open and she smiled seeing her mother’s face. “Mom, I’m fine,” she assured as Penny leaned down to hold her.
After a few minutes, the parents left, with Rachel’s vows of filling their refrigerator with food so that Mackenna would not have to cook.
Jobe watched Mackenna as his mother left, whispering, “You know what that means, doll? She’ll bring enough to feed an army.”
Giggling, Mackenna laughed. After a moment she sobered, looking at the monitors. “Everything still okay?”
“Yeah, babe. Your blood pressure’s back down and listen,” he said, encouragingly.
Swish, swish, swish.
Her expression gentled into a smile as she heard the baby’s heartbeat. Settling back against the pillows, she asked, “When can I go home?”
“Soon, the last nurse who came in said.” He brushed her hair back from her pale face, the dark shadows underneath her eyes stark in contrast. “Try to rest some more.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, their room quickly filled with friends as Sherrie, Tony, Gabe, Jennifer, Vinny, and Annalissa came in. The women rushed to her bedside as the men moved over to Jobe.
“Good shot last night,” Gabe said to Jobe, referring to his kill shot to Jazzie.
Jobe glanced over at Vinny, addressing him with a nod. “Thanks for letting me get that one. And for taking out that other asshole.”
Turning to Tony, he asked, “Any problems?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “Nope. We had the police with us. Clear evidence. We’re good.”
The four brothers shared a look, no words needed.
Chapter 24
Epilogue
(6 months later)
“Come on, doll. You’re doing great,” Jobe encouraged, trying to ignore Mackenna’s glare. She panted through the contractions, anxiety mixed with hope spurring her on. Her thick mane of hair had been trimmed in layers around her shoulders and was currently pulled back with a headband, keeping the damp tresses from falling in her face. Jobe used a cool, moist washcloth to wipe her brow as her body relaxed. The epidural was easing her pain, but she was exhausted.
She looked into his face, as familiar as gazing into a mirror. His handsome features along with two days of stubble, piercing but tired eyes, had her smiling in spite of the exhaustion. Unlike Jennifer, who had only been in labor for about six hours before delivering a healthy boy, Mackenna was going on almost eighteen hours.
“I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up,” she confessed, tears in her eyes.
Before Jobe could call the doctor again, he appeared and checked her once more. The obstetrician’s jovial manner had Mackenna wanting to punch him, but one hand gripped the bed sheet while the other clung to Jobe’s instead.
“Looks like we’re about ready to start pushing, little lady,” he said with a smile, nodding to the nurse in the room who began moving equipment around.
Jobe saw Mackenna’s glare turn murderous at the name little lady, and he could only smile, thinking that his tiger was about to show her fangs. Leaning down, he whispered, “Good thing you don’t have any sport’s equipment handy or I’d be afraid for the doctor’s safety.”
Her eyes jumped to his and she could not help but grin. For her birthday, he had given her a beautiful, silver charm bracelet with her first charm being of an envelope. Together, they had burned the old letters, choosing to not to be defined by their past, but by their future. The tiny, silver envelope charm was the perfect reminder of their earlier years. She had been even more surprised when Gabe and Jennifer gifted her with a silver charm in the shape of a baseball bat, followed by a tennis racket charm from Vinny and Annalissa.
After the events of that night, the New Beginnings Center moved to the new location and had not been bothered by gangs again. They had had eleven more women graduate from their program and were getting recognized at the local and state level as a premier facility for their purpose.
Gabby had given birth to a little girl, whom she was raising on her own. Tito was in prison and Gabby was determined to raise her daughter in a way that would keep the allure of gang life from her. Even hearing that Tito truly had feelings for her, she had her own life…and the life of her baby…to focus on.
Rose had been in secret arrangements with a local church to take on the women in educational programs including child care. She had explained her phone calls to Mackenna after that night, saying that she had hoped to have a big surprise waiting for her when the new center opened. The extra help was welcome and new business partnerships had been created.
Mackenna, true to her vision, had resigned as the center’
s administrator and become the counselor only. She loved continuing her work and spent a lot of time in the local high schools reaching out to girls before they took the fateful step toward gangs.
Her mother had continued to thrive in her rehabilitation, her speech almost perfect and her left side much more functional. She, along with Rachel and Joseph, were outside in the family waiting room, eagerly awaiting her first grandchild.
And now, it was time to push. At this point, Mackenna’s body took over and with Jobe by her side, they welcomed their baby girl into the world.
*
(Years later)
The Alvarez picnic was in full swing, the area overrun with good friends. BJ’s son had commandeered the playground’s fort, along with Shane, Tony, and Gabe’s sons. Matt’s two girls played on the swings with Shane, BJ, and Vinny’s daughters. Jobe’s daughter was trying to attack the fort, much to the consternation of the boys.
When the boys tried to push her down, she roared a war cry, swinging a plastic baseball bat before the men could intervene. Tony and BJ continued to man the grills while the others refereed the children.
Mackenna rolled her eyes at her daughter’s antics, saying, “I wish she would learn a little diplomacy instead of swinging a bat.”
“She’s just like her momma,” Jennifer quipped, as Sherrie and Annalissa nodded.
The other women laughed as they continued to set out the food, waiting for the meat to finish grilling. As food was finally passed around, good friends joined in the conversation, comfortable in the intimacy of the group.
Each adult, in their turn, reflected on the years that had passed. Their career paths, old friends and new friends, and life as it evolved.
Makenna snuggled closer to Jobe on the picnic table bench, her small son in her lap as she watched her daughter play with the others. This was the dream she had had so many years ago—life with this man. She felt his warm breath on her neck, as he kissed her shoulder.
Jobe’s arms wrapped around her as he settled her deeper into his embrace. Like the others there, he managed to keep up with the conversation and keep one eye on the children playing games in the grass. Nothing like having children to make you feel like you’ve lost all control.
Jobe: Alvarez Security Series Page 23