“I can’t land,” she cried out. “I can’t hold on much longer. I’m losing control of her!”
“Bail!” Zack shouted now pinned between Wade and the door. He punched the doctor several times, but Wade refused to release the gun.
“No,” Jackie yelled back above the loud roaring of the smoldering engine. “If I let go, she’s going to go down to the right. Your right! You’ll be killed!”
Zack eyed Jackie from his position beneath Wade. Their eyes met briefly. “I think that’s inevitable now,” he informed her.
Jackie saw the grenade in his free hand, causing her to gasp. He punched Wade twice in the face with the grenade and kept the gun from pointing at his face.
“I’m sorry, Jackie,” he announced then kicked her with both feet in the shoulder.
Jackie flew against the helicopter door, her hands slipping from the controls. Zack kicked her again, throwing her through the door. Jackie fell several feet to the ground, landed harshly, and rolled several feet. She saw the helicopter rotors striking the ground near the cliff. The rotors tore from the craft and flew across the clearing, slicing trees. Jackie screamed and shielded herself. When she lowered her arms, she watched the helicopter hit the edge of the cliff. Several gunshots fired within the helicopter as blood spattered against the inner windshield. Jackie cried out and scrambled to her hands and knees. The helicopter tumbled over the cliff. Jackie made it to her feet and ran for the cliff while clinging to her aching leg. She stopped at the edge of the cliff just in time to see the helicopter hit the water below. A second later, it exploded.
“No,” she cried out and ran from the cliff.
Despite the pain from her right thigh, Jackie ran along the steep trail. She stumbled and rolled several feet, striking a few rocks as she tumbled. She was momentarily dazed but managed to pull herself to her feet and again ran down the path. She reached a clear stretch and picked up the pace. Jackie half slid down another steep path that wasn’t even a path, crashed at the bottom, and again picked herself up. She ran while limping and finally hit the sand. She ran along the beach nearly half a mile before coming to a stop.
The remains of the helicopter floated in the surf. Some debris had already found its way to shore. She saw a moderately burnt man’s hand sticking out of water not far from shore. Jackie ran into the surf and clutched the hand, pulling it from the water. She stared at the severed, burnt hand and immediately released it while screaming. She looked around at the smoldering debris and objects floating within the surf. Jackie grabbed a shirt floating in the water that she recognized as Zack’s. She stared at the bloodstains and the bullet hole in the torn shirt then looked into the water.
“Zack!”
There was no response. Jackie began to sob while clinging to the shirt.
“Zack!”
Jackie fell to her knees within the surf and sobbed softly while clutching the shirt to her chest.
“No, don’t do this to me,” she sobbed softly.
She didn’t know how long she’d been kneeling in the surf as debris floated past her to shore. She never even heard the jeep pull up on the beach. Bogart ran into the water after her while screaming her name, but she didn’t hear him. He pulled her from the water, swept her into his arms, and carried her onto the beach while Kirk stood in the surf and stared in silence with his mouth hanging open. He placed his hand to his eyes a moment then screamed with rage. Bogart set Jackie down on the beach and nearly collapsed with her. She clung to him and the blood-soaked shirt while continuing to sob uncontrollably. Bogart held her against him as he trembled, fighting his own tears.
Chapter Forty-three
A little more than an hour later, the five men and Jackie stood on the beach with their rifles in their hands while Pinto and Sal remained behind them and watched. All six fired their rifles simultaneously and repeatedly in the air giving Zack his final, twenty-one gun salute. Sal held Pinto while she sobbed softly. Darth lay on the beach with his head on his paws and watched in silence. By the final round of the twenty-one gun salute, Jackie was nearly on her knees while sobbing. Monroe pulled Jackie into his arms and held her while the others watched the helicopter debris continuing to wash ashore.
“I thought he’d be back,” she whispered to Monroe while clinging to him allowing the tears to streak her face. “He always comes home.”
“I know,” Monroe announced softly while caressing her almost as much for his own comfort.
The rest of the team exchanged sorrowful hugs and fought their own tears. Gil put on a tough act, but the glossed look in his eyes told a different story. Darth leaned against his leg and whimpered softly, feeling his pain.
“Did you call Ross?” Gil finally asked Beck once he was able to pull himself together.
“No,” Beck replied softly while shaking his head and dabbing the corner of his eyes. “Let him have his vacation. We’ll tell him when he gets back in a few days.”
Gil nodded in agreement then looked back at the ocean and debris that continued to float around. “Do we wait for the authorities to come out and investigate?”
“From afar,” Beck replied. “We should probably lay low with the others and let Giovanni handle the authorities. Giovanni’s having his men bring the yacht Corbin left to the dock. He offered it to us for our passage home so we can avoid any misunderstandings. We can leave whenever--” Beck hesitated and looked across the beach to where Monroe held Jackie. He inhaled deeply. “--whenever Jackie’s ready.”
While Monroe held Jackie, Bogart put his arms around her from behind and hugged both her and Monroe while resting his head on Jackie’s back. Monroe managed a smile and patted Bogart’s arm. Jackie finally pulled free from both men and wiped her eyes while sniffing. She again stared out to the floating debris and rubbed her chilled arms.
“We should probably go,” she announced gently. “I need to call Holden, and I don’t want to do it from their unsecured resort lines.”
“You won’t get a cell phone signal until we reach Columbia,” Monroe informed her. “Giovanni has a secured satellite phone you can use.”
“I’ll wait until we get to Columbia,” she replied gently.
“Come on,” Monroe announced and pulled her to his side. “I’ll help you pack up Zack’s things.”
“Could you do that?” she asked then indicated the beach. “I’d like to stay here a little while longer. You know--” She shrugged. “Just in case.”
“Want me to stay with you?” Bogart asked.
“No, I’d like to be alone,” she gently replied.
“We’ll leave you an ATV,” Monroe informed her than lightly smacked Bogart on the shoulder and nodded to the jeep.
Once the guys were gone, Jackie sat on the beach and stared at the debris in the ocean and the helicopter pieces that gently washed to shore. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, and she didn’t particularly care. Something glistening in the surf caught her attention. She stared at the object as the water washed past it a second time. She finally stood and approached the surf before the water could take away the object. Jackie picked up the ruby and diamond tennis bracelet and stared at it a moment with surprise. It was a rare and valuable find. Its presence seemed almost odd. She placed it in her pocket and stared back at the ocean. Zack wasn’t coming back. It was time to go home.
†
Beck and Pinto walked along the beach past the devastation of the wedding. The staff had been working tirelessly to clean it up, but it was still a grim reminder of what had happened only a few hours earlier. Pinto limped alongside Beck with scrapes and cuts over nearly every part of her body. Beck eyed her several times and seemed to feel worse each time he saw her injuries.
“Are you sure you don’t want to be checked out by the resort doctor?”
She laughed nervously and squeezed his hand. “Thanks, but I saw how he took care of Monroe’s shoulder wound. Monroe had better get a tetanus shot and a double round of antibiotics after that meatball surgery.”
She smiled and gently touched his face. “You’re not to blame for any of this,” Pinto informed him. “I’m alive because of you.”
“Wade involved you because of me,” he corrected. “It is my fault.” Beck groaned and looked away while fighting his tears. “We’re all cursed. We’ll never live like normal people.” He looked back at Pinto. “Everyone we love will eventually be used against us. I don’t want you dying because of me.”
“You seem to forget who I have for a father,” she remarked simply.
“Your father’s involvement with the mob has never been proven,” Beck reminded her.
She made a face and casually indicated the disaster left behind from the earlier attack. “I present exhibit ‘A’.”
“Which is exactly why I sometimes wonder if you should stay far away from me and my screwed up life,” he remarked then groaned softly. “Even if I walked away from the team tomorrow, my past will always come back to haunt me. As long as you’re in my life, you’ll always be a target.”
Pinto offered a warm smile. “Then you’ll just have to teach me how to handle those situations,” she replied. “I may look like death warmed over, but I’m still alive.” She sank into thought with an odd smile on her face. “You know, earlier in Matt’s suite, I witnessed Jackie take on two men. One was twice her size, and she literally kicked the shit out of them.” Her smile brightened. “At that moment, I never felt so empowered. If I could defend myself like that, you wouldn’t have to worry about me so much. If you didn’t worry about me so much, maybe you’d stop feeling so guilty about involving me in your life.”
Beck stared at her a long moment. “I’ve been pushing you away, haven’t I?”
“Not so much pushing as avoiding,” she replied gently. “I never know where our relationship is going from one day to the next. You seem to leave me hanging a lot.”
He gently caressed her hand while staring into her eyes with the black and blue marks beneath them. “Pinto, I love you, and I always want you in my life no matter what. If I’ve failed to show you or tell you how I feel, I’m sorry.” Beck drew a deep breath while clinging to her hands. “Let me go on record so there’s never any doubt about how I feel for you.” He lowered to his knee before her and stared into her eyes. “Pinto Romano, will you marry me?”
She stared at him with a moderately stunned look as her mouth hung open. Pinto held back her sobs and wiped her tears while nodding.
“Yes, Beck,” she announced while slightly choked up. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Beck sprang to his feet, gathered her in his arms, and held her. He pulled away just long enough to kiss her warmly but passionately on the mouth. She returned the kiss while clinging to him.
Chapter Forty-four
Most of the team assembled at the dock just beyond the resort beach. Bogart was mysteriously missing the last hour and the guys were becoming restless. They had seen him riding the black horse bareback across the beach, which was against hotel policy, but with the condition of the beach after the wedding attack, it didn’t seem to matter. He finally showed up slightly out of breath and without his duffel bag.
“Where’s your gear?” Kirk demanded, growing impatient.
“Oh, I, uh, I’m catching a ride back to the states with Nelson Banks and his wife,” Bogart informed them. “I’ll be at the lodge in time for the funeral.”
He received several strange looks.
“You’re catching a ride home with Nelson and Emily Banks?” Gil remarked. “Is that wise? If he finds out you’d slept with his wife--”
“I don’t get it,” Beck remarked. “What am I missing? What are you up to?”
“Nothing,” Bogart announced innocently.
“For the clever types,” Jackie informed the guys, “you don’t pay attention to much. Isn’t it obvious?” They stared back at her still not understanding. “Bogart’s stealing Giovanni’s horse and Banks is shipping it to the states on his cruiser.”
The guys looked from Jackie to Bogart with surprise. “A horse?” Kirk suddenly demanded.
Bogart urged him to keep his voice down with hand gestures. “Just a little souvenir.”
“Souvenir?” Beck cried out. “It’s a thousand pound animal. A resort bathrobe is a souvenir. What the hell are you going to do with that thing?”
“Ross has that big ranch with his horses,” Bogart announced. “I thought I’d drop it off there.”
There were several groans. The guys waved him off and headed for the dock with Darth leading the way.
“We’ll see you in a few days,” Beck muttered.
Once the guys were gone, Jackie and Bogart hugged briefly. She then looked into his eyes and gave him a stern glare.
“Stay away from Nelson’s wife,” she warned.
He playfully saluted her then grinned and ran across the beach.
“Yeah,” she muttered softly. “He’s my brother all right.”
†
The yacht sailed toward the port in Columbia where the team would disembark and catch a flight home. Jackie stood along the railing with Monroe, who stiffly flexed his injured shoulder. She tried her cell phone again and finally got a signal. She pressed the number for Holden’s cell phone, gave Monroe a strange look, and then disconnected the call.
“That’s strange,” she informed him. “The voicemail isn’t picking up. It just keeps ringing.”
“Did you try the office?”
“No, not yet.”
Her cell phone rang before she had a chance to try a different number. She looked at Monroe and smiled. “It’s the Bureau number.” Jackie accepted the call with enthusiasm. “Holden?” She hesitated and eyed Monroe. “Mr. Harris, I’m sorry. I thought you were Holden. I’ve been out of town.” She fell silent then suddenly gasped, alerting Monroe. “What?” she cried out. “What happened? Is he okay?”
Monroe gave her his full attention. Beck approached while carrying his duffel bag and computer backpack. He seemed to sense the conversation and immediately listened.
Jackie shut her eyes a moment while holding her breath. She briefly choked up. Her voice crackled as she spoke. “Thanks for calling, Mr. Harris.”
She disconnected the call and looked at Monroe and Beck. Both stared at her with indescribable horror on their faces. She exhaled softly. “There was an incident during a raid,” she informed them while trembling. “Holden’s been shot, but he’s going to be okay.”
Beck and Monroe both exhaled and clung to the railing. “Thank God,” Monroe muttered. “I can’t go through that again.”
“Think you can find us a plane in Columbia?” Jackie asked while trembling. “I don’t want to wait hours for a commercial flight home.”
“Yeah, sure,” Monroe announced. “I know half the country by name. I’ll set it up.”
“I’m going to call the hospital where they took Holden,” she informed them. “His boss said they should let me talk to him.”
Jackie hurried away while punching numbers into her phone. Monroe and Beck again exchanged looks and groaned softly. Both leaned on the railing.
“We can’t lose anyone else,” Beck muttered softly while shaking his head. “I don’t think I can handle any more bad news.”
“Yeah, they say cruises and island resorts are supposed to be so relaxing,” Monroe remarked. “Honestly, I don’t agree.”
Monroe’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He removed his phone and eyed the caller ID. He didn’t recognize the number and replaced the phone in his pocket. It again vibrated but only once then stopped. The phone buzzed again in his pocket, vibrating three times, and then stopped again. Monroe eyed Beck and groaned.
“That’s never good.”
He pulled the phone from his pocket and stared at it as if
anticipating another alert. The phone vibrated again. Monroe immediately answered the call.
“Yeah,” he announced into the phone then listened to the voice on the other end. He groaned softly while rolling his eyes. “Hey, you old cocksucker. How’s it hanging?” Monroe held the phone away from his ear, waited a moment, and then returned it. “You kiss your momma with that mouth?”
Beck stared at him, interested in his conversation. It wasn’t Ross, since there was little to no respect coming from Monroe.
“Yeah, yeah, take it easy,” Monroe scoffed and grabbed Beck’s bag from his shoulder.
Beck gave him a ‘what for’ signal then placed his hands on his hips while glaring at Monroe. Monroe ignored him and unzipped the bag. He swiftly removed Beck’s laptop and began working his magic on the computer. He frowned and shook his head.
“I’ve got nothing,” Monroe informed him. There was a moment of silence. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone wanted to cut off your pecker, man.” There was more cursing from the other end. “Okay, just chill.” Monroe continued to tap into the computer, hesitated, and then grinned. “Oh, I think I have just the ticket for you.” He continued to type onto the laptop. “I can get you a backdoor entry on a cruise ship.” He glanced at his watch. “But it’s about to leave port any minute, so you’ll have to hurry.” He listened a moment then laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s a boring cruise ship. I’m sending you the information as we speak. The ship is called the Andrea Maria and it’s leaving Costa Rico in less than an hour.” Monroe listened to the caller on the other end. “That’s the one. Bon voyage, dickhead.”
Monroe disconnected the call and returned Beck’s laptop to his bag. Beck stared at him and waited but Monroe didn’t offer any information.
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