A glint of metal. Alex’s mouth opened, but before she could make a sound in warning, Chip flipped open a blade and spun. Wild slashing exaggerated in a brute show of force as he lunged at Aaron.
Aaron’s response was to take one step back and slap the knife away. He seized Chip’s empty hand and arm, twisted them up behind the ruffian’s back, and locked his arms on Chip’s head and neck. Aaron’s grip put Chip to his knees but wasn’t tight enough to put him out. Aaron didn’t want him out, just incapacitated and listening.
“I told you. Don’t. This was your choice. Now, in a few seconds I’m gonna let you up. You’re gonna go and not come back. You don’t want to choose anything else. Got it?”
Chip jerked hard against Aaron’s hold, but Aaron altered his grip ever so slightly, and after several seconds Chip let out a whimper. Another few seconds and he stopped struggling.
“We good?” Aaron pressed his captive in a now dangerous tone. “You really don’t want to do this. Are. We. Good?”
A prolonged moment and Chip signaled acceptance. A single forced nod. The tension slackened from his body. He had no choice but to acknowledge defeat.
Aaron released him and stepped back. He moved to the door, putting himself between the exit and Alex.
Chip got to his feet and glared at them in silent protest, nostrils flaring, but this time made his way to the door and out onto the sidewalk. He stalked to a newer blue BMW parked at the curb. One look back and he ripped open the door, slammed it shut with a metallic bang. The engine revved to life, and the poor vehicle lurched away, squealing and swerving out of sight down the street. Tire smoke dispersed in the slight breeze. Quiet again.
Aaron shut and relocked the door. He laid a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Are you good?”
“Yeah.” She appeared more rattled over the incident than she was admitting and rolled her eyes in attempt to hide her distress. “Well… maybe not so much. He hasn’t shown up in at least six months. He’s… been a pest before, even overly pushy, but I… I never saw him pull a knife. I’ve never seen that.” Tears formed in her eyes at what could have transpired, and her hands started to shake. “Thank you.”
Aaron pulled her close in his arms. “Here. It’s okay. I’ve got you.” He held her in silence until her breathing calmed and the tension in her muscles relaxed against him. “That’s more than some obsessive crush. That’s an escalation. He needs help. If he’d accept it.” He eased her from his hold and took her face in his hands. “I’m so sorry. I should have just met him at the door myself and not had you answer at all.”
He snuggled her to him again and rubbed her back in comforting apology. “He might not have pulled that knife if I hadn’t been here. That was probably just for my benefit and to look tough, show off for you.”
But Aaron knew better. He purposely omitted his own observation of Chip’s true end goal for him. The venom in Chip’s eyes hadn’t been just for show.
Aaron kissed the side of Alex’s head. “But you never know… and he may come back. But it won’t matter after tonight.”
“So… you’re not good with arrogant stalkers, but you’re willing to run off to who knows where with crazy ex-black-ops types?” Aaron’s face was alive with devilry as he looked across the table at Alex.
It was a mixed bag for supper as they tried to use up much of her remaining food in the fridge. Thankfully, her earlier unease had fled, and she gave him a mischievous grin.
“Are you questioning my choices and motives?”
He swallowed a bite of food. “Just curious.”
“You’re funny.”
He continued to stare at her as he ate, humor dancing in his eyes. “Well, c’mon. Let’s have it.”
“Oh. Okay then. You actually do want my opinion.” She set down her fork, took a drink of her milk, and considered his question. “Well, for one, Mr. Psycho, you’re not crazy. You’re just that good. That’s what I see anyway. And there’s a big damn difference between confidence and arrogance.” She searched his face. “You guys have that quiet confidence and insanely amazing skill set. You don’t flaunt it, just do what needs doing. And you do good with it. You care.”
As she talked, he stopped eating too, his full attention on her.
“Okay, this could get long, but you asked. And if you want my honest opinion, this is it.” She smiled at him. “I trust you. And yes, of course there’s a lot more to it than just that. But I wouldn’t go anywhere with you if I didn’t.” Alex hesitated. There was so much more, but how much should she say? Her feelings had grown way beyond rationality. But then what was truly rational about anything that had happened to them so far? Oh well, now was as good a time as any. Hey, he did stay even after seeing me lose my shit the other night.
Might as well go ahead and see what happens. “On the ship, at the end, and all of it really… What you did? That was everything.” She looked down at her plate and took a deep breath. “But you also ripped my heart out.” She fiddled with the hem of her shirt. The whole of those final events of their voyage came crashing back. A tightness tugged at the back of her throat and her eyes stung. Before she lost her nerve, she rushed out the rest. “And then, a couple of days ago, you brought it back. I care what happens to you, Aaron, and even though I am curious, I really don’t care what you used to do. I see who you are now, and that’s what matters to me.”
Aaron took in Alex’s confession, at a complete loss for words. Wow. His half joke of a question to her had gotten all serious. However, he did have to admit hearing those words from her, the sentiment in them, was something he needed. In just doing his job, and in doing what he felt had been the right thing, he had made an extremely powerful impression on her. That look on her face in that split second as he came to the decision to take Shane out was burned into his memory; the heartache of loss combined with a fierce determination had mirrored his own emotions.
Of course, his tackling a guy over the side of a ship and getting killed in the process to save people would in all likelihood make a sizable impression on anyone. But since he was used to the extremes, he hadn’t anticipated just how profound an effect it would have on her to think he was gone.
The knowledge that she cared a great deal for him was why, in the end, he had let her know he was still alive. At first he’d thought that action would be enough. Just let her know and move on. But, right or wrong, the longing to see her had won out. He had to. To find out if he was just crazy and allowing his hopeful imagination to run away with him. After meeting her again at the pier, he knew better.
And now, after what she had just confessed to him, he had proof that their connection ran at a much deeper level for her too than she likely realized. She’d focused her eyes back on him, waiting. He had better tell her something before she got too concerned.
He scooted his chair back from the table, rested his hands on his knees, and took his own deep breath. “That,” he said, “was a damn good answer.”
Preparations were complete for their morning exit.
“You should go in and try to sleep,” Aaron said as he sat on the sofa next to Alex. He nudged her shoulder with his. “I’ll make sure everything’s secure.”
“Yeah, I know.” She pushed back into his nudge with her own and looked over at him. “But I’ll feel better out here. I won’t be able to sleep if I’m not in the same room with you. And I don’t expect you to understand that.”
He gave her a warm smile and kissed the side of her head. “I understand that more than you think. But you’ll be more comfortable in there, won’t you?”
“I figured that for you the other night, but you slept on the floor.” She smirked back at him.
“True.” He glanced over to the window and door, looked back to her. “It’s up to you. I won’t need the couch if I’m gonna stay awake.”
His gaze, though reassuring and protective, was pure heat, and she felt it all the way down to her toes.
“Okay.” She got up and went in to grab a pillow and
blanket off her bed. If only there wasn’t a need to keep watch. Sleep had eluded her most of the previous night, which she’d spent alone in her bedroom.
And judging by Aaron’s drowsy eyes and consumption of coffee, he hadn’t seen much sleep either, even with his extra nap. She squeezed her pillow tight and breathed deep. The one he’d used earlier—it still smelled like him. They’d have more time soon. Hopefully.
Aaron was standing beside the sofa, stretching out a shoulder, when she reemerged from the hallway. Several inches of skin between the hem of his T-shirt and his sweatpants were exposed as he pulled an arm up over his head.
Oh yeah, we really need some downtime soon. She arranged her bedding and scooted in under the blanket. Aaron sat back on the edge beside her. Alex took his hand and hugged his warm fingers and forearm to her chest. He gave her a wink, rested his chin in his other hand, elbow on his knee.
What did Les have planned and where would that take them? Tomorrow…
They’d changed vehicles twice and now occupied an older-model Chevrolet pickup truck. By the sound of its engine plus the roll cage in the cab, there was much more to the aged brown four-wheel drive than met the eye. Late afternoon found them in a remote region of Montana. Had it not been for the overall situation, Alex would have appreciated the rugged mountainous setting much more.
Les drove, Aaron slept, and Alex sat between them, feet up on the dash to keep her legs out of the way so Les could shift. She nibbled at one finger, her brows knitted.
Les took note of her expression in the rearview. “Second thoughts?”
It took Alex a few breaths to register that he was speaking to her. She looked over at him. “Huh? No. Definitely no. Just… thinking.”
“Well, you look fairly perplexed.”
She frowned again as she looked out at the road ahead. “It’s just… something Shane said to me when he brought me back up to see…” She trailed off, recalling events she’d rather not. “Anyway, I just thought he was being a jerk. But maybe it meant something. Thinking about it now.”
Les glanced over at her again.
“He said it was part of the bargain that they kill Aaron and that I made the wrong choice.” Bringing up that short conversation and the events of that moment left her with the beginnings of an irritable mood. She shook it off and looked to Les. “Do you think it means anything, or was it just him trying to mess with me?”
Les remained silent for a time before replying. “It actually could. Makes sense with what we’ve been hearing. The ones we feel were actually calling the shots with the pirates? That group is where the chatter’s centered. There’s one guy in charge, with a few decent semipro hired guns. Shane was, unfortunately, part of it. Seriously doubt he’d have been given carte blanche on the kill, but what you just said helps solidify what we been thinking.” He glanced over to Alex again. “I won’t sugarcoat it for you. I know you don’t want that.”
“I know you guys told me it would be, but… it’s bad, isn’t it?”
Les nodded back to her. “We think the guy at the top of this is someone ol’ Psycho used to know back in the day. Not only is this guy bad news outright, always involved in questionable shit, but he hurts people. And”—Les nodded toward Aaron—“he’s also got a personal vendetta against our friend here.”
“Wonderful.”
The hard, barren blacktop streaking by underneath their vehicle matched her weary gaze. The fact that her stomach was also performing sick gymnastic flips at the thought of all this didn’t help matters. “Do you think Shane knew the whole time? That this guy was after Aaron? And that’s why he was so, so… why he tried to kill him?”
Les met her gaze with a brief glance. “Nah. Shane always wanted to show off, prove himself better. He ’n’ Psycho never saw eye to eye. I think he may’ve known at the end. In communications with the pirates, somebody bloody likely figured it out. Still highly unlikely he’d have had permission then to do anything himself. Take him out, you know. He just took advantage of an opportunity to torture someone.”
Finding no words to respond to that insight, Alex turned her eyes to the road once more. Thoughts shifted to the past couple of months of her life and how things had taken such a sudden and dramatic turn. From working subtle changes into her everyday to gain more freedom in her work environment, making small yet decisive moves toward future goals, to that unplanned invite from her brother, and now riding in this truck. With him. Aaron. His well-being held the utmost importance. Whoever this Damien character was, whatever it took, he had to be out of their lives. And the how of that goal being accomplished didn’t matter much to her at the moment.
Her mind had begun to wander to dark places when she felt Aaron stir next to her. Still asleep, he shifted position to lean over against her, one arm lying haphazard on her leg. She took hold of his hand, careful to not disturb him, and held it tight in both her own. Focusing on the feel of their entwined fingers and the sound from the big V-8 engine helped to drown out her scary speculation.
“You really do love him, don’t you?”
Les’s words broke Alex from her thoughts, and she looked over to see him smiling at her. More of a statement than a question, there was resoluteness in its sincerity. Neither she nor Aaron had said it, they hadn’t even had a conversation about their relationship. She had yet to give it much thought. But she did. She wouldn’t be where she was right now if she didn’t. And it was obvious that Aaron held deep sentiment for her too or he never would have come to find her.
She smiled back at Les, her reply bringing her feelings to words. “Yes, I do. No apologies.”
Another hour and Les steered the truck off a back road. The narrow dirt drive they now traversed carved a winding path through woods and rugged terrain. Rocks and boulders littered the berm. The truck’s beefed-up suspension absorbed much from the rough trail, but Alex found herself grabbing ahold of the roll cage rail above her head to steady herself.
A good distance farther and they pulled to a stop at a large gate. Its battered wood and metal construction, in sad need of maintenance, gave her the impression it could crumble apart in the slightest breeze. Could it even provide any decent barrier? Les pulled out a walkie. “Gate two. Party’s here.”
Aaron stirred next to Alex, raised his head off her shoulder, glanced around and peered over at her.
“Hey.” She offered a warm greeting to his drowsy observation.
Upon his waking, the green tones and gold flecks in his irises showed more prominence to the gray-blue. The idea of seeing that on a daily morning basis brought a glow to her heart.
“Hey, yourself,” he replied, his voice rough from sleep. He squeezed Alex’s hand, stretched with a groan, and looked over at Les. “We here?”
“We’re here,” Les replied, and with that the gate clanged and began to move.
Aaron straightened up in the seat as the worn barricade parted in the middle to swing out, allowing them safe passage. As they crossed through the opening, Alex noted it was by no means old and decrepit, just made to look that way. The backside sported heavy-gauge steel with large, sturdy motorized hinges and massive vault-like pins that would throw together when closed and locked. Wow. Appearances.
A half mile or so farther and several buildings came into view. Nestled at the foot of a mountain, these too appeared aged and abandoned, arranged between pines and rocks. Weathered exteriors streaked with rust from metal-trimmed roofs, block walls mottled by peeling paint, their nondescript features would offer little to attract outside interest.
Les pulled the truck to a stop next to a couple of older-model cars parked between two of the eight structures. The powerful rumbling of the engine ceased. He opened his door, pulled the keys, and hopped down. Aaron exited his side and turned to grab Alex at the waist as she slid over the bench seat to get out. He lowered her the short distance to stand beside him.
Les walked around the front of the truck to join them. “C’mon,” he said. “Meet the rest of the
team.”
Alex and Aaron shared a quick look. He took her hand, and they followed Les back through the cars and buildings.
Les led them to the rear of a windowless single story that melded into the hillside. As they approached a rusted door, a dull click sounded. He reached out and grabbed the handle. They followed him inside, and as the door closed behind them, it clicked again.
A long narrow hallway led to another door. That opened into a large and comfortable, if somewhat cluttered, room. Several chairs and two sofas were arranged together beside a small kitchenette and dining area. Multiple computer banks occupied nearly a third of the space opposite. Shelves piled high with books, documents, and binders lined one wall.
Two men spoke at a console, one sitting, the other standing bent, looking over his shoulder. The second straightened and called out in greeting.
“Hey, Care Bear!” The tall, slender man’s longish dark hair swung to his loping gait as he trotted over to Les. Baggy jeans and metal-band T-shirt completed an overall laid-back look that made Alex think of a surfer dude or grunge rocker.
They clasped hands, and Les introduced everyone. The man who had approached them was Andy Parker. In addition to being former black hat intelligence, he was an avid gamer, and that term had become his nickname. By contrast, Mikey Duman dressed in neat and professional attire. Shorter, trim and compact, he stayed at his station, his dark, wavy hair and goatee brightened by the light from his console. He lifted a waggling hand in welcome. A genius with surveillance and possessing a remarkable IQ, he had picked up the informal call sign of Brain.
Andy veritably bounced with excitement to meet them. “I know all about you,” he said to Aaron. “Really, really crazy shit, man!”
Aaron raised an eyebrow, giving him a dubious inspection.
“But it’s good, dude.” He turned to Alex. “Still trying to figure you out. I mean, it’s all good, just getting started.” He offered a somewhat uneasy grin as she tried to hold in a laugh. “We’ll have to get you a code name too. I’ll have to knock that one around the ol’ hat rack for a bit.” He finished with a finger tap to his head.
Off the Deep End Page 17