He broke through the well groomed area before anything sounded, Kody considered his guardian angel was helping him, somehow his angel-ghost-form Gwen was keeping this under wraps for as long as she could. His mind flashed between the angel and the flesh versions, then his mother, sister, and all the other women in his life most of whom were his victims. He ran into the wooded area and soon found the shortest outpost where he could swim to a free island, what everyone called Eagle’s Nest Island, normally a large amount of harbor seals and eagles nested there, but every so often there would be unattended boats as well. Kody came to the edge of a cliff and decided to skid his way down. Along the way down he grabbed onto free growing branches and ferns to slow his descent to the ground, it worked slightly. He tried to remain as quiet as possible but the pain that coursed through his legs when he hit the ground made him holler, his hand clamped over his mouth to quiet him down, he did not need anyone coming to investigate.
Swimming truly was the best exercise he thought as he pumped his arms and legs as fast and hard as he could while crossing the small channel towards the little island. He stayed low in the water to not be seen. He spots one boat with a light on. Kody grabbed onto the ladder and climbed aboard. He expected whoever it was to be asleep; it appeared to be an old man working on cleaning his catch of the day in the galley sink. He walked up on the unknown man; his hair was white definitely within heart attack range. Kody grabbed him from behind and spun him around and landed a quick jab right to his heart then with a hand over the old man’s mouth, slowly the man began to fade, his struggles stopped. Kody lowered the second dead body of the night to the ground and went to the captain’s area of the boat and slowly backed the boat out of it’s spot and put the motor into the dark waters taking off to get to the mainland to start his search.
Gwen looked at her watch yet again, Torrian still wasn’t home, it was over two hours since his tour ended and she hadn’t received any call or text notifying her that he would be late. She blew out the candles of the fresh dinner she had prepared and went to the kitchen to start a pot of tea for herself. Chamomile tea was her favorite this time of night. She loved how it made her feel. There was a quick rapping at her door, she shook her head thinking it must have been Torrian playing with her, he probably got caught up and was bringing home flowers to make up for it. She silently walked to the door with a smile plastered on her face. She opened without checking who was on the other side.
It was the Scott Wickam, the warden and the same suits escorted him. Her heart sank; this had something to do with Kody. Scott’s face was absolutely dismal. He spoke unable to look at her face. “Honey we need to come in and talk to you, you might need to sit down.”
She opened the door wider for them to come through, playing proper hostess she offered drinks, everyone declined remaining stoic. She sat on her chair and crossed her ankles. “What is the problem? I thought I signed everything to get Kody McQueen transferred.”
“Have you been watching the news?” Scott asked her.
“No I have been in the kitchen cooking dinner for Torrian and me.” She looked at the warden skeptically.
“There was a… shit honey Kody escaped the island.” The warden was obviously shaken by this interaction.
“What? How could that be? What happened? Was anyone hurt? Is that why Torrian isn’t home?” She asked, worried, the questions falling out of her mouth quicker than she could think to allow the men to answer.
“Honey Kody escaped by killing Torrian. Apparently Justin and Torrian had some idea, Torrian went down there to toss McQueen around, McQueen was ready for him and took his life during the fight.”
Words were not sinking in. “What? No. You’re sick, joking like that” Her voice shook.
“It’s true honey, we need to get you out of here tonight. Kody hasn’t been caught and we need to keep you safe. I am not losing any more employees on account of this bastard.” The warden reached for Gwen’s hand to comfort her she jerked hers back.
“HOW THE HELL COULD THIS HAPPEN?” She screeched Gwen was absolutely devastated and broke out in sobs that wracked her whole body.
Gwen’s entire life had just fallen apart by one sentence being uttered. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling. Her entire body trembled as each emotion came to her she could barely separate which was sorrow and which was anger. She sat in silence, her hand clasped over her throat trying to quiet the heart wrenching sobs that echoed from her body. One of the agents cleared his throat and Gwen looked up, her eyes red from crying.
“Do you have anywhere safe you can stay that’s safe?” He asked her.
“Only place I can think of is my parent’s house, its up north.” She replied, her voice weak.
“We’ll escort you up there. Your car, with ours following, you need to pack your clothing and extremely special items. We know McQueen is coming to find you so we will have someone sitting on your home to intercept him, he needs to think you’re still home.” The agent explained what was going to go on.
Gwen held up her hand she had become numb the agents were not showing any semblance of remorse towards her she would have to mourn in private, “that’s all I need to hear. I’ll pack a couple of bags.”
She went upstairs and packed her bags. The medium bag was some clothing and things she couldn’t leave behind like her jewelry box, portfolio of important documents, and photo albums. The largest bag was full of clothing. Most of the clothing belonged to her and a few special pieces that belonged to Torrian. She couldn’t believe it; the man she loved was gone. With one more look around the master bedroom she picked up a few more things that Torrian left lying around, he never did put things away completely. She packed them up and held his necklace in her hands. She closed the door and went downstairs with her bags.
“I guess I am ready to go.” She said once she was back with the others.
“If you need more you can call us and someone will bring you more clothes.” The agent assured her, as if the reason she was upset was leaving home.
“Thank you, shall we go?” She asked, numb to being at her home.
“If that is all yes.” The agents stood and took her bags out to her SUV; she nodded at them and closed the heavy door behind them.
“Honey I’m so sorry.” The warden tried to touch her back.
She shrugged away from his touch “I think… I think I quit I can’t do it anymore Scott, not after this.”
He nodded and got into the SUV with Villafore and Miller the agents that set this plan in motion, the third agent got behind the wheel of her car, she was too out of it to drive. She looked at her home one last time as the SUV departed towards her parents’ home.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Almost a full week later Gwen was still in her old bedroom at her parents’ house. Her mother usually so full of advice and loving support had been stunned into silence. It seemed no one knew how to address Gwen appropriately so they stuck to silence. After she finished drying her hair Gwen pulled the blonde tendrils into a soft chignon hairstyle and brushed her bangs to the side. It seemed surreal still. That somehow this was an elaborate, sick joke someone is playing on her. Every time someone walked past her door she expected Torrian to pop through with his radiant smile and chuckle while saying “gotcha” but it was just a dream.
The logical side of Gwen’s brain knew that wasn’t true, she knew her love was gone and Kody had taken Torrian from her forever. Gwen’s mother knocked on the door gently.
“Gwen honey, are you sure you don’t want us to go. We loved Torrian too, and we’d love to support you.” Marie sounded as if she had been crying too.
“Yes I’m sure Mom, it isn’t exactly safe, if Kody is there and sees us all together it’s a target on your back as well. I can’t lose anyone else.” Gwen’s last words twisted the knife in her gut further.
“As you wish honey. We’ll be having pot roast and mashed red potatoes for dinner tonight, so if anyone takes you to dinner let me know so I can wr
ap up a plate for you for later.” Always thinking of food, Gwen had to smile and admit it was comforting.
“Thank you mom.” Gwen hid her sigh and continued with the mundane tasks.
She had to pretend to be human, easier said than done. She did simple makeup as usual. She knew her tears would likely wash away anything she put on before the funeral even started, but she was turning into a creature of habit, she was creating the habit to deal with the pain. The more things she could do in a day without truly thinking about it allowed her to be numb to some of the intense pain she felt. She left for the car waiting outside to take her to the funeral. Her knuckles were white, the grip she had on her small black clutch was like it was her own lifesaver. She wasn’t ready to bury her love.
An eternity later Gwen was waiting in the back of the car, she watched other cars as the driver maneuvered the freeway on her way back North. She was exhausted from crying, exhausted from emotions, exhausted from life. She held the mementos close to her chest. The last pieces of him she had. She was silent through the funeral even though the tears flowed freely as they prepared his plot; they lowered him, and followed the traditional ceremony procedures. Many came to her after the funeral and tried to talk to her. She ghosted herself through the conversations. It felt like thousands of times she uttered the words “I’m fine” or “thank you for your sentiments” she was numb once more. When they left the lush green lands of the burial site she had tried calling both her mother and father neither picked up, Gwen assumed they were appreciating each other in the husband and wife way. Since she was getting closer to home she decided to try again, all three phones, Marie’s cell, Steven’s cell, and the house phone all went to voicemail.
Gwen gave up at that point trying to call her parents, she asked herself in the silent back seat. “Why have a cell phone if you don’t answer it?”
The car pulled up to the house Gwen grew up in. It was big, warm, inviting. She exited the car with the agent that was assigned to play babysitter to her today. His job was to basically make sure no one followed her, and escort her to the funeral. Now that was done he might be overstepping his boundaries by taking her up to the house. Gwen went to unlock the door; it was already open and ajar. Something gripped her throat she couldn’t define it. Her mother didn’t like open doors so the door being unlocked and open worried Gwen. She pushed her way inside without a word to the agent. What she saw murdered what was left of her spirit.
The night he escaped Kody had a hard time finding a dark space to ditch the boat. After he was out of immediate danger of being caught again he heard the alarms sound. That still forced him to crash land the boat. After the boat hit the land Kody left the dead body of the old man on the boat, he posed him like it was a heart attack, for some reason he didn’t want this kill on his list of many. It wasn’t near his level of brutality, it was a pitiful old man and all he had to do was punch the other in the chest. It killed him. Kody figured it was only a matter of time till the old man croaked anyways.
He left the boat and ran in the direction of the Narrows Bridge. The big green bridge connecting Tacoma to Gig Harbor, it used to be named “Galloping Gertie” because it twisted and turned when it was first built, then it went crashing into the sound back in the 1940’s. The bridge was illuminated in the dead of night normally but during the sunset it was sort of just there and nothing special about it, except it acted as his beacon. Kody made it to a pay phone and began making calls to his sources within the mob to find everything he needed.
When Kody had gotten the information he needed he hung up the phone and wiped his prints from the phone and buttons he pressed, and then took off on another run. He needed to ditch the guard special he had stolen; maybe he should have stolen the old man’s clothing. They looked like a golfer met pastels so that was a no. Kody could pull off the black uniform better, he looked at the watch he stole off the corpse as well and there were still places open to shop at. The sunset had only just begun.
The area wasn’t completely unknown to him, Kody stayed off the main roads, careful to not be seen just in case they were already looking for him. He checked the wallet that Ford had on him, he had cash and cards on him, Kody could sell the cards unless they got turned off when they found the dead fuck. He put the wallet back into the pocket and changed his course slightly. He would be able to get something from the mall; at least till he was able to get to his own hideout and reconnect with the sources he had on Gwen’s tail. They had found her place, took her address book, and next was to just get the book from them. Gwen had a limited amount of contacts, her parents most likely knew where she was if she wasn’t already with them.
The next day dawned and Kody got a cab ride up north, to a neighborhood that was so ritzy he wanted to puke. These people had no clue what the real world was like. He was surprised Gwen turned out so down to Earth as she was. He had the cab drive by first, there was a black SUV leaving so he told the driver to go back towards the market. Kody would walk from the market, less of a chance that someone would remember him at this point. His walk was a short one, his legs ate the distance up, and back at the community he was in just a few moments ago. He knocked at the door. The woman was an older version of Gwen. Things snapped and he saw red, before he knew it there was blood all over his hands and the distinct smell of death filled his lungs.
“Shit.” He cursed at the two dead bodies at his feet, these must have been Gwen’s parents.
Their eyes were opened and trained on him as if they had any ability to be controlled still. Kody took off from the house. He hadn’t meant to kill them. He wanted to use them as leverage to get Gwen to talk to him. He had to get to the safe house and fast before anyone saw him fleeing or found the bodies. He slapped the sides of his head in dismay, he hadn’t meant to hurt Gwen like that, the woman looked so much like his love he couldn’t stop himself from trying to touch her. When she refused and screamed he had to punish her, just like he had to punish Gwen. Then the father came at him, they fought, broke things, and destroyed the beautiful house’s clean look. Kody fucked up.
Gwen’s sobs could be heard miles away she thought. The last people she had in her life were gone. Her parents had been killed in their house because of her. The blood stained walls hurt her heart. First Torrian then her parents Kody was moving up the list and getting closer and closer to her. The agent had tried to drag Gwen away but she fought him and pulled her mother’s head into her lap with trembling hands Gwen closed Marie’s eyes and kissed her head, Gwen’s tears transferred to Marie’s forehead.
The sirens started to wail in the background and the anxiety hit Gwen even harder than before. She clawed at her throat and let the agent drag her away from the scene before her. Once outside Gwen held her arms around her chest seemingly to hold herself together. She felt like she had died. “It should have been me.”
“What?” The agent stammered.
“IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!” She screamed at him louder than before.
“No, McQueen is a sick bastard and death follows him. If we let him get you he wins, he has to lose. You need to live.” The agent was trying to comfort her but she wasn’t having it.
“What’s your name?” Gwen asked of him.
“My name is Kevin…. Remember?” He asked her, she was exhausted and not truly listening when he had spoken earlier.
“Well Kevin, my fiancé, and my family is dead because of me, because of him.” She was hysterical.
“He will be dead before this is over.” A ringing phone disturbed them; Kevin answered it, giving short details about the scene before them.
“Who is that?” Gwen asked.
“Go get your belongings, everything that can fit in a carry on.” Kevin told Gwen, she took off towards her room, thinking she must be getting moved again.
Gwen returned quickly, she grabbed only a few things, she wore Torrian’s tags under her shirt, and her most sacred possessions were tucked in a small bag of hers. Kevin grabbed Gwen’s arm and escorted h
er to the car, closing her into the black SUV again. He got into the drivers seat while listening to the directions. Gwen could hear someone’s harsh tone on the other side spouting orders; Kevin kept repeating the phrase, “yes sir.”
Darrien Davis was a tall, statuesque hunk of a man. He had short dirty blonde hair and amazing light green eyes. Darrien wore a white v-neck and dark wash jeans. He stood in the warehouse waiting for the package to arrive. Another protective detail another dollar. He was a specialist; he was one of the best at what he did. He was able to lie smoothly about his identity, the mark of a true agent. He was charming, but most of all he was handsome and he knew how to use it. The women he had to deal with became puddles at his feet when he unleashed his charms and that was good when you were on the run trying to protect someone from a certain death.
After what seemed like hours later Darrien checked his watch yet again. They were en route, probably a rookie trying to ensure they were not being followed. Or the package he was waiting for would be one of the reluctant ones. Sure he was there to save them but sometimes they rejected his protection because they wanted to stay home. He did get his way, normally by throwing the package over his shoulder and walking out of the old life, heading to the temporary new life the government had established for them. Darrien patted the new details he had stashed in his pocket. A hastily thrown together parcel of cash, documents, identification cards, anything they would need including untraceable cell phones.
The Deadliest Secret (The Deadliest Series) Page 24