The Executioner: A Love Story

by Melissa Silvey

  “Thanks.” His voice said he didn’t believe her as he walked toward his bedroom and shut the door. She wanted to open the door and climb on his bed and watch as he undressed.

  She restrained herself and took a seat on his couch. She had to stay calm to explain it all to him. But she started crying. She couldn’t stop herself. She was overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the past few days. She couldn’t contain the sadness she felt for Jordan and the fear she felt for the both of them.

  He was dressed in jeans and a dark navy t-shirt, and she couldn’t decide how he looked better, work or play. When he saw her tears he was immediately beside her. He knelt down on the floor and took her hands.

  “I should have told you.” His voice held the shame he felt. “I don’t want you to be sad. I don’t want you to hate me.”

  “I don’t hate you,” she sighed. “And that’s not why I’m crying. It’s just too much to explain right now. I’ll tell you later.”

  She pulled herself up off the couch, wiped her tears, and took his hand to help him off the floor. “Let’s just please go.”

  She popped into her apartment to grab the manila folder while he prepared to leave. For some reason she couldn’t explain she grabbed one of the many guns she kept in a drawer in her bedroom. She tucked it into the waistband of her jeans in the back and made sure it was hidden by her jacket. She knew she might need it to protect Jordan and herself.

  “Are you okay to drive?” She shrugged. She didn’t want to be too preoccupied with driving to pay attention to their surroundings or any cars that might be following them. She felt sure they would be followed.

  She’d seen his little hybrid car in the parking lot. It was cute and bright red and would not be hard to follow. Hers would not be any less conspicuous, but at least it was black and could blend in more.

  “Would you like to drive my car?” She asked as she pulled out her keys and offered them to Jordan.

  “Ummm…I don’t know” he mumbled as he stared at the keys. But she came closer and shoved them in his hand, and he climbed into her small car. He had to push the seat back to fit his long legs, and he sat all the way back in the seat and grasped the steering wheel tight. “I can do this,” he said with a smile as he stared straight forward.

  “Not until you start the car.” She tried to look serious as she said it, but he looked scared and she couldn’t help but smile. “I trust you,” she said as she placed her hand on his. And when he turned his brown eyes toward her she nodded. She couldn’t say she trusted any other man; ever. But him she trusted with her life. She just hoped he could do the same.

  Chapter Seven

  “Where are we going?” He asked innocently as he took a left at the end of the parking lot onto the main road.

  “I’m not sure for now,” she said evasively. “Just drive.”

  “I thought you were hungry.” She shook her head and turned to look out the back window of her car. “So why did we leave the apartment?”

  “Because we need to talk without anyone listening.” He refused to look at her, focusing completely on the road in front of him. But he did nod. “Let’s go somewhere public.”

  “How about the restaurant we ate at?” She shrugged. He drove in silence and she decided to turn on the radio. He made a face when she found a pop station and turned up the volume.

  “You don’t like pop music?” She wondered.

  “Not really,” he shook his head. He made a left turn and Florian turned her attention to the rear mirror. She saw a pair of headlights turn behind them, but she couldn’t tell for sure if they were following her car. Not until they finally pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and she saw the black SUV drive past did she know they were actually being tailed.

  Jordan’s knuckles were white when he finally parked the car. He exhaled deeply as he turned off the motor. She gently removed his hand from the steering wheel and held it to her cheek. “You did an excellent job,” she said softly.

  “Thanks.” His voice cracked as her lips fluttered against his palm.

  “Let’s go inside,” she suggested as she noticed the black SUV pass them again. This time she could make out Agent Argento at the wheel. He stared at her car as he drove past then parked a few rows away.

  She confidently held Jordan’s hand as they walked toward the door, hoping the FBI agent would see them. He seemed to stand a little straighter and walk a little taller as she smiled brightly at his side. The hostess sat them quickly, and a waitress appeared to take their drink order. If there was ever a time Florian needed a drink, this was it. She thought about it for several seconds and finally blurted out the name of her favorite wine.

  He didn’t frown, and she was thankful. And she tried hard not to gulp it. “The Secretary wants you dead,” she said softly after she finished her drink.

  “What?” He blurted it out as he took a sip of his soda, and he had to wipe his mouth. As usual she tried not to chuckle at him.

  “We need to leave town and hide out for a while.” She tried to remain as calm as possible. She didn’t want him to panic.

  “I can’t, I have to go to work, and…”

  “Hello Arianna.” She didn’t expect him to come into the restaurant. And she wanted to hit him for using her real name. “May I join you?”

  He had balls, she’d give him that. He even waited for her to scoot over so he could sit down beside her. The confusion on Jordan’s face would be funny in any other situation.

  “Who’s Arianna?” He wondered aloud as he glanced from the man who just intruded to the woman he thought was Florian.

  “I’m Special Agent Vince Argento. And this lovely woman beside me is Arianna Becker.” He pulled the leather wallet out of his pocket again, and showed it to Jordan. Jordan took it and examined it briefly. And then he nodded. “Ms. Becker is taking far too long to explain it all, so I will sum it up. You’re in danger.”

  He said it dramatically, and it sounded like a line straight out of a movie. His voice, along with his good looks, made it even more unrealistic. If she hadn’t already met him she would be looking around for cameras.

  The waitress approached then, and Agent Argento smiled at her as if nothing at all was wrong. “I’d like to pay their check, please,” he said with a grin and a wink and handed her some money. “We’ll be leaving soon.”

  “You can’t just march in here and tell us what to do,” Arianna nearly growled at him. “We won’t be leaving until I’ve explained to him.”

  “The package your employer sent you had his picture in it,” Agent Agento stated smugly.

  Her eyes grew wide. “There’s no way you could know that, unless,” she began, but he interrupted her.

  “We intercepted the package and looked at it before you did.” He said with a charming grin.

  “I don’t believe you,” Arianna argued. Her eyes narrowed, and her nostrils flared. “You’re working for her.”

  “I assure you, I’m not working for her,” he countered roughly. “The FBI has had your employer under surveillance for two years. The White House has given the go ahead to prosecute her.”

  “I don’t know if you’re even an FBI agent,” Arianna countered. “That badge could be a fake.”

  “It’s not,” Jordan broke in finally. He’d watched the two banter for several moments in awe. He knew he wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of either of them if they were angry. At that point, though, he felt he needed to interrupt. “It looks just like mine.” He reached into his back pocket and grabbed his wallet and handed it to Arianna.

  And there, staring back at her, was a picture of the man she’d developed feelings for on a federal ID. Just when she thought her day couldn’t get any worse.

  “Are you in on this?” She refused to believe he had only acted like he cared about her to… To what? Get close to her and trap her? “I am pretty stupid, huh?”

  “Trust me; Mr. Stewart isn’t involved in our investigation.” Agent Argento ins
isted.

  “I’m not a field agent,” Jordan explained. “I’m in a different department.” But he didn’t say anything else.

  “His job is classified.” Agrento raised one eyebrow as he said it. “I don’t even know what he does.”

  Jordan frowned and stared at the table. Arianna handed his wallet back to him, and her fingers lingered a little too long on his hand. Argento groaned when he saw it. Arianna pulled away quickly, then shot him a dirty look. He had no right to comment at all about their relationship, and she opened her mouth to tell him so. But he had a far-away look in his eyes. Then he glanced out the window.

  “I understand,” he said into the cuff of his jacket. “We need to go, now,” he said as he stood up. Jordan followed him immediately, but Arianna hesitated. “Now,” Argento reiterated, sternly.

  Arianna lagged behind the two, and watched as Argento placed his hand on the small of Jordan’s back and led him not to her car, but to the black SUV he drove. She glanced toward Agent Wolf as he moved from the rear of the SUV to the passenger side. And then she turned toward her car. She’d really grown attached to it; although she knew it was as temporary as everything else surrounding her job, including her name.

  She didn’t hear the engine of the car that sped toward her until it was five feet away from her, and she spun quickly out of the way, right into Agent Argento. She wanted to reach for her gun, but it was already in his hand.

  “I can’t take the chance that you’ll use this on me,” he said as he shoved it into the back of his trousers. Her shoulders slumped as he grabbed her wrist and led her to the SUV. Jordan was already in the back seat, and Argento opened the door and practically shoved her in.

  “I’m sorry.” Arianna’s voice cracked as she stared into Jordan’s eyes. He put his hand on hers, and she grabbed it and held it for dear life. And then the tears came. She sobbed loudly, and Jordan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

  “I thought the Secretary’s soldiers were tougher than that,” Argento said snidely. “The car wasn’t even that close.”

  Jordan rubbed her hair and made a soft shushing sound. She shouldn’t trust him right now. He was a fed, just like Argento and Wolf. But she didn’t have a choice. Her life, although fabricated, crumbled around her. She knew she ran the risk of capture, incarceration. She assumed, though, that the Secretary would have her back and get her out of any messy situations. Now she knew there was no one she could trust, except maybe the man who held her so close.

  “You have ten minutes,” Argento said as he opened the door and held out his hand to help her. They stopped at the apartment building, which she didn’t expect. She thought, for some reason, that they would take her straight to their headquarters, put her under a bright light, and read her her rights. Argento stared pointedly, and flicked his wrist. “You have nine minutes and forty seconds.”

  Arianna heard the other door close, and saw Agent Wolf escort Jordan to his apartment. “I guess you don’t want to grab your clothes,” Argento growled and moved to close the door again.

  “Wait,” she exclaimed, and scrambled out of the seat. He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her to her apartment. Wolf already entered the apartment next door with Jordan, and Arianna realized that he had her keys. “I don’t…”

  Before she could finish Argento sighed and pulled a small case out of the inside of his jacket. In less than twenty seconds he had her front door open. He lingered in her living room as she hurried toward her bedroom. She hadn’t unpacked from her last trip, and she placed those suitcases by the door. She grabbed another bag out of her closet, and threw her stash of cash inside, along with several guns she had in her drawer, her knives, and some ammunition. The last thing she wanted to be was unarmed. She just wished she had time to put on her forearm holsters, and then she’d like to see Argento take her knives from her.

  After a few minutes she wondered if he’d left, and she looked out her door to find him gazing at the flowers she’d placed on her counter. She thought it was odd, until he quickly glanced toward the door and caught her staring.

  “What are you planning to do with me,” Arianna wondered. He walked toward her; even his stride was masculine.

  “For now we’re going to take you and Jordan someplace safe.” Argento tried to sound comforting, but his voice didn’t have quite the same tone as Jordan’s. Argento’s was rough, raspy. She could imagine being seduced by his voice, not comforted. She exhaled loudly. He took a few steps toward the bag that lay on her bed. “You know I can’t let you bring any weapons with you.”

  “I’m sorry I don’t trust you to keep me and Jordan safe,” she barked, and then grabbed the bag out of his hand.

  “I’m sure you’re tough with child molesters and rapists, but don’t try to play tough with me. I will eat you alive.” His voice was barely above a whisper. But he didn’t need to be any louder; he was standing right in front of her. She felt his strength emanate from him, and she shivered. She never showed any weakness or mercy to the men she killed, and she never showed fear. She must have been much like Argento right now.

  He tilted his head to the right side slightly, and stared at a point just past her shoulder. She knew Wolf must be speaking to him somehow. “Understood,” he said to his cuff again, and put her bag over his shoulder. “We need to go now.”

  He grabbed one of her suitcases on the way out of her bedroom, and she grabbed the other. “Do you have a cell phone?” He asked as she picked up her rarely carried purse. She shook her head slightly, but then dug around inside it. There was one of the old phones the Secretary gave her inside. She threw it down on the couch as she walked out the door. She wouldn’t miss the place.

  Apparently Jordan didn’t have the same thoughts. The back of the SUV was full of books, notebooks, and computer equipment. There were several suitcases too. She was glad she packed light. Argento groaned when he saw the stuff in the back, shook his head, and placed Arianna’s three bags with it before closing the door and heading toward the driver’s side. He helped Arianna inside, and she heard something fly past her head.

  “Get inside,” he yelled as he shoved her. He slammed the door, and spun around toward the woods to the left of the building. “Gunfire,” he announced to Wolf, and then the window next to his head shattered. He bent down behind the door, and more bullets were fired toward the SUV.

  Arianna moved quickly to grab Jordan and pull him down onto the seat. She ducked into the floor, and covered her head. The window she had been seated beside exploded into shards of glass that fell onto her back.

  “We have to get out of here,” Wolf screamed.

  Arianna knew Argento was trapped behind the door. If he tried to move his head would be exposed. She could only think of one thing to do. She crawled over Jordan, grabbed her bag out of the back, and pulled out two of her semi-automatic guns. She knew they were loaded, she kept them that way at all times.

  “Are you ready?” She screamed it at Argento.

  “For what,” he replied.

  “Now!” She yelled. She leaned toward the door and put the guns up over the window sill. And then she started shooting. The opposing gunfire stopped long enough for Argento to climb into the driver’s seat and duck behind the door as he started the car. He squealed the tires as he tore out of the parking lot. The back window of the car shattered, and Jordan pulled her down against his body on the seat.

  “Is everybody okay?” Wolf turned toward the back seat to find Arianna shielded by Jordan’s body. “They’re okay,” he said as he turned toward Argento. “Are you okay?”

  “Yea,” he nodded, but Wolf could see blood on the other agent’s cheek. He pointed, and Argento wiped his hand over his cheek then looked down at it. “Probably from the glass. Make sure we’re not being followed.”

  “I don’t see any lights behind us,” he said as he turned again. “Nothing.”

  “Good, we’ll head to the safe house,” he nodded. He glanced up to
the rear view mirror to try to catch a glimpse of Arianna. She was still curled up in Jordan’s arms. He shook his head and returned his attention to the road.

  Chapter Eight

  They drove for a little more than an hour, and finally stopped for gas. Argento offered to get drinks for everyone, but Arianna and Jordan both refused.

  Arianna did, however, make her way to the restroom. Jordan followed along, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Wolf pounced on Argento, putting his finger in the other man’s chest. “You were supposed to watch her until we got the search warrant,” he said with a scowl. “Now we have a suspect and an FBI employee under our protection. However this plays out it won’t be good for your career.”

  “Fuck the career,” Argento spat out. “I’m not going to let that girl die.”

  “She’s not a girl, Vince. She’s a twenty-six year old woman who has killed countless men all across the country. She’s a serial killer.” Argento turned away, but his partner grabbed his shoulder. “She’s a psychopath…”

  Argento pushed his partner’s hand away, and moved toward the gas pump. “You don’t know what that poor girl has been through.” He tried several times to put the nozzle back into its holder, and then when he was still unsuccessful he kicked the pump. Finally Wolf took it, and Argento slapped his hand against the back of the car.

  He surveyed the damage. One of them would have to stay with their charges while the other got a new vehicle. And then that agent would have to explain exactly where their partner was, and why. Argento would send Wolf, he was the more diplomatic of the two.

  They both climbed back into the car, and only had to wait a few moments for Arianna and Jordan to join them.

  “So, where are we going?” Arianna wondered when they were back on the Interstate again.

  “Hagerstown,” Argento answered. “Maryland.” Jordan frowned, and Argento shook his head and chuckled. “We contacted your supervisors and let them know your life was being threatened. You won’t be in any trouble.”