“Please…I’m begging you. Just do whatever you want to me.”
“I’m planning on it after I get the money, but first I need to get it. Aren’t you a little curious to how I found you so easily?” Jackson stared back blindly. He watched as Braymond casually walked over to Michelle keeping the gun pointed at him and reached into her pocket and pulled out an iPhone. “See how easy it is.” Jackson slammed himself for not thinking about that. How could he have forgotten about how easy it is to track a cell phone. He didn’t even think to ask if Michelle had one, and if it was on. “Now let’s get down to business.”
“Please…no. Don’t do anything. We’ll tell you whatever you want.”
“You’ll tell me whatever you want right Michelle.” He stepped closer to Michelle. Jackson could no longer contain himself. He immediately vomited once he realized what was going on. He couldn’t believe it. He looked at Michelle and felt the tears begin to pour out of his eyes. “Hurts doesn’t it? Probably more than that ankle.” Braymond had a huge smile on his face. Michelle looked as though she was going to be sick as well. Jackson closed his eyes and squeezed his hands as tightly as he could to try and make the pain go away but he couldn’t. It hurt way too much. He loved her so much. More than anything he had ever loved before except for of course Stephanie. He looked past Michelle and Braymond and saw Stephanie begin to stir. It was now or never. He had to save her.
He tried to speak, but nothing but gibberish was coming out. He felt like there were a thousand knives being slammed into his heart. He had never felt like this before. Even when he was sentenced to prison, he still knew in his heart his family would be there with him. He finally was able to speak through the tears and pain. “So how did you do it?”
Braymond smiled, a smile so evil it made Jackson’s heart stop beating for a moment. “Remember when I contacted you for the job?” Jackson nodded thinking back to that day and wishing he had never answered the phone. “I had already met with Michelle beforehand. It took a lot of convincing, so don’t feel too bad, but once I told her about the twenty million dollars and she was convinced right Michelle?” Her expression didn’t change. Jackson stared at her until she finally looked down. “Everything was planned. The whole thing and it worked great. The jury was convinced you shot the guard.”
“It was you.” Jackson started to rise, but sat back down when Braymond leaned forward with the gun.
“It was me. Then you went to prison, and we had to get you out. That’s why Michelle kept telling you that you had to leave. We even planted the guy in there to get you the drugs.”
Jackson couldn’t take his eyes of Michelle. “How could you? I loved you. What about Stephanie?” She continued to look down.
Braymond placed his arm around her waist. “Yes, we have been together, many times right my dear?” Jackson cringed as he pulled her tighter to his side. “By the way, I know what you’re thinking. I tracked her here by her phone, but she called me after you fell asleep and let me know right where you were.”
“Is that right Michelle?” Jackson cried out still not believing what he was hearing. “You called him to tell him where we were after I rescued you and broke out of prison for something I didn’t do. This whole thing was a set up. You two make me sick.”
Michelle slowly looked up. “I’m sorry Jackson…I really am. It’s just I always wanted to be rich and we weren’t ever going to get there, and then this came up. I didn’t want it to happen…it just did.”
“Okay, enough with the sorry’s. Now tell us where the money is.”
“I have no idea. I never got the money.”
Braymond shook his head. “No, I was there and I saw you go into the vault and grab the money just like the contract said for you to do in the job.”
“You are correct I did go into the vault, but I didn’t grab the money.”
“Okay, have it your way.” Jackson watched him pull out a knife and lean in towards Stephanie who had just woken up and was slowly sitting up. Jackson flew to his feet as quickly as he could, diving in mid-air when the first shot went off. He didn’t feel the pain as the bullet pierced his upper arm, but he did see the second shot land directly in the center of his wife’s chest as she jumped in front of the gun to protect him. Jackson stood stunned as Michelle fell to the ground in a pool of blood. He looked to Stephanie as she leapt from the bed towards him, and Braymond aimed the gun at him. He couldn’t let anything happen to Stephanie. The last thing he remembered was reaching for her as Braymond began to pull the trigger, but instead of the bullet hitting him, Braymond’s head exploded from the impact of another shot fired behind him. Jackson looked behind him and saw Warden Dever still holding his firearm pointed at where Braymond had been standing. Jackson continued running and scooped up Stephanie in his arms pulling her tightly to his chest. Everything was swirling around him, but he could hear Michelle telling the warden the whole story before she died. She explained that she had documented everything in a book and it was in a security box at her bank. Jackson tuned everything out and pulled Stephanie tighter as he watched the paramedics enter the room and tend to his upper arm wound. He didn’t want to let go of Stephanie, but when they slipped on the handcuffs and placed him into the ambulance, he had no choice. The last thing he remembered was seeing the warden seated next to him and telling him Stephanie would be in good hands and then everything went black.
Epilogue
It’s been six weeks since Jackson was exonerated of all charges involving the death of the security guard. The police recovered the documents from Michelle’s safety deposit box, including taped phone calls and documentation describing the whole process. Jackson still couldn’t get past the fact that she did this to him, but when he looked next to him and saw Stephanie, he knew it was all worthwhile. He is looking forward to completing the two hundred hours of community service he has to fulfill for the crimes committed during the escape, so he can put the whole thing behind him. He watches as Stephanie takes a bite into Manny’s newest specialty, the hot dog. She actually looks happy. He hasn’t left her side since he was awarded full custody, even though there have been some rough nights with Stephanie waking up screaming for Michelle inthe middle of the night, but it is beginning to happen less often now. He still hasn’t faced his own agony yet, but he knows at some point he will. He reaches over and straightens out Stephanie’s pirate hat, her new craze after their trip to the abandoned old farm near their old house a few weeks ago. Jackson and Stephanie went to the far-right corner of the old barn and walked ten paces to the right then five to the left and Jackson drew a large “X,” and that’s where they dug and found the treasure chest full of 20 million dollars. He couldn’t believe it was still right where he had buried it five years ago. If only Braymond could have seen it. An anonymous donation had already arrived at The Conduit to build the Sergeant Alvin Harris Computer Center with all the newest technology to assist both the prisoners and staff. Jackson watched the excitement grow on Stephanie’s face as her newest best friend Jessie, joined them and sat down across the table in the booth. Jackson leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. She was running late because she’s been busy meeting with the contractor to begin the new construction after several million dollars mysteriously appeared in the motel office, the same motel where Jackson and Stephanie are currently living.
Evasion Page 24