Black Pawn (Michael Cailen Book 1)

by Mel LeBrun

  She looked at him, eyes wide, not sure whether or not he was joking. He didn't volunteer any more information and she decided she didn't want to know any more.

  THEY GRABBED lunch again before heading home. When they arrived back, Michael offered the use of his dresser to store her clothes, which she readily accepted.

  It was the first time she had been in his bedroom. The bed looked warm and cozy with a down comforter. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a lamp and an alarm clock attached to a long electrical cord that went into a socket hanging from the ceiling. Off to the right, he had some weights and a bench press. Attached to the wall was a bar for pull-ups. She saw a jump rope on the floor and various duffel bags. The dresser was against the wall right next to the doorway.

  “How long have you lived here?” She began folding her clothes, tucking them in the drawer.

  “About six months.” He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her. “It's about time to move. I don't like to stay in one place too long.”

  She quietly put away the rest of her clothes. The reality of never going back home was sinking in. Her mood turned somber. He saw the change in her demeanor, but didn't know how to make her feel better.

  “I'm going to work out for a bit,” he said, breaking the silence. “You're free to join me if you like.”

  “I'd like to sit on the dock. It's nice out and I'd like to be outside.”

  “Sure. Just keep the door open.”

  Jessica sat on the dock looking out at the water. She remembered the last time she was this close to the water and quickly tried to think of something else. The sun was out and the feel of it on her skin was in warm contrast to the cool breeze blowing off the water. She felt peaceful, but couldn't shake the nagging sadness over what her life would now be like. She started to feel depressed. She couldn't believe her luck. She only went to that cafe for a few hours each month.

  After an hour on the dock, Jessica decided she had enough of nature and went back inside. The sound of jump rope came from the other room. She lay on the futon silently listening to the whirl of the rope as it sliced through the air. Then it stopped. A few seconds later Michael emerged from the bedroom with a towel around his shoulders. He stopped and looked at her. Beads of sweat covered his body. She nearly drooled at the sight of him shirtless.

  He told her he was going to take a shower and then bring back some food. Ten minutes later, he emerged from the shower wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. She made an unsuccessful attempt to avert her eyes. She practically stared. He was in amazing shape, chiseled without an ounce of fat on his body.

  Michael pretended not to notice as he walked past her and into the bedroom. Once out of sight, a huge grin crossed his face. He wouldn't admit it, but a part of him had been hoping to get her attention. She was gorgeous and he found her terribly attractive. At the same time, he knew that he was playing with fire. If the relationship turned sour, it could be messy with them on the run for their lives. It would be better if they didn't get romantically involved.

  Michael returned with dinner and Jessica abandoned her spot on the futon, limping over to the table. They ate quietly until Jessica broke the silence.

  “So how old are you?” she asked.

  “Thirty-four,” he answered between bites.

  “Wow, I was ten when you joined the military.”

  He laughed. “Thanks for making me feel old.”

  “So what's the plan? How do we find out why these people are after us?”

  “I have a lead that I'm working on right now. I don't know how it will pan out. Until I know more, there isn't much we can do.”

  “Shouldn't we be doing more to find out what's going on? I mean, we spent the day shopping then you worked out, and now we're eating dinner. I can't help but feel like we're just hiding.”

  He chuckled.

  “What's so funny?” she asked.

  “The first six months or so I was on the run, I spent every waking minute trying to plan my next step, think of ways to find out what's going on. I was obsessed with trying to find out what happened in China and why the CIA was after me. I was so consumed with getting to the bottom of it, I nearly drove myself insane. I got careless. Made mistakes. It almost got me killed.”

  “What happened?”

  “I contacted someone I had worked with in the CIA. Charlie Stevens. He said he would look into it and get back to me. A few days later he called me. Gave me a name and told me to meet him so he could give me what he had found.”

  Michael drifted back to that day as he told the story. Charlie didn't want to talk over the phone, but Michael persuaded him to at least give him a name. They arranged to meet in a parking garage downtown. He arrived early and watched the garage from a distance waiting for Charlie to drive in. The meet time came and went and he started to get nervous. He was focused on the garage entrance. He didn't know why but he looked to his right, just in time to catch movement behind him out of the corner of his eye. The movement was quick and he reacted instinctively, ducking just as he heard the dull tap of a silenced gun. A window across the street shattered as he pulled his gun from his waistband and aimed in the direction of the shooter. He fired two shots into the man's chest as he hit the ground. He rolled and saw two men running quickly down the sidewalk. They were focused on him and he knew he needed to get out of there. It was a trap.

  He was halfway down a nearby alley when the two men chasing him rounded the corner. Exposed with nowhere to hide, he was saved when a door opened and someone threw a bag of trash in a trash can. He grabbed the door before it closed and ducked in the building as shots rang out. One flew so close he felt a gush of warm air on the back of his neck. He ran through a maze of hallways in the building until he finally found the front door. He burst through quickly spotting a man getting into his Mercedes. Michael pushed the man away from his car while ripping the keys from his hand. The man tried to fight back, but a swift elbow to the face removed any resistance.

  As he peeled out, the two men chasing him emerged from the building. Spotting him in the car, they started shooting. Glass shattered all around him, but he kept driving.

  He turned down a few streets and noticed a black SUV gaining on him. He stepped on the gas and flew through a red light. He made it through, but the SUV wasn't so lucky. It got slammed by another car. He ditched the car a few blocks away and continued on foot. Police were bound to be all over the place.

  “So your friend set you up?” Jessica asked.

  “No. He was killed in a mugging on his way to meet me.”

  “A mugging?”

  “Well, that's what they said in the newspaper.” He looked at her. “But you've seen how reliable the news is.” Sadness washed over him and he made no attempt to hide it. “Charlie is dead because of me. And I almost got myself killed. If I die, Shaun can never come back, never see his parents again. He'll have to remain in hiding forever ... And now you.” He looked in her eyes. “I can't afford to be careless. In the years I've spent on the run, I've learned you have to still live. You need to take time to relax, do things you enjoy. Otherwise you'll drive yourself mad. You stop thinking clearly.”

  “Are you trying to warn me that I may be on the run a long time?”

  “Yeah, I am,” he said solemnly.

  Unsure how to handle what he just told her, she was trying to come to grips with this being a long-term situation. Michael had been on the run over three years. Would it be another three years? Four?

  Michael was watching her reaction. She looked distressed. He didn't know what to say to comfort her. It was a bad situation and nothing he said would change that.

  “I picked up a couple movies.” His voice cut through the quiet tension. “An action and a comedy.”

  “I could use a distraction right now,” she admitted.

  Jessica cleaned off the table as Michael put in the action movie, then they both settled on the futon. Jessica curled up with the blankets and hugged her pillow while Mich
ael sat with his back against the wall. During the intense parts of the movie he noticed Jessica would inch her way closer to him. He thought it was cute. Halfway through the movie, she was practically in his lap. He refrained from putting his arm around her. The hero prevailed and the movie was over.

  “You gonna be okay?” he asked her as he made a show of looking at her close proximity.

  She looked embarrassed. “Sorry. I get scared during movies.” She moved away.

  He just grinned. “Well it's getting late. We can watch the other movie tomorrow.”

  “What are we doing tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Laying low. I need some downtime. We're just going to stay in tomorrow. So go ahead and sleep in, I intend to.”

  “Okay. Goodnight then I guess.”

  “Goodnight, Jessica.” He smiled at her then climbed off the futon and walked into his bedroom.

  Chapter 11

  The next day was uneventful. Michael worked out again while Jessica watched TV most of the day and then sat on the dock to watch the sunset. Michael joined her, quietly enjoying the sound of the water and beautiful colors that filled the sky. Jessica seemed a little sad. The sun set and it grew dark.

  “Would you like to go out to eat tonight?” he asked.

  “What? Like at a restaurant?”

  He smiled. “Yeah, a restaurant. They serve a mean steak.”

  “I thought we were supposed to keep a low profile?”

  “We won't have to worry about that there. You want to go?”

  “Sure. Better than eating here again.”

  If she had known where they were headed, she might have answered him differently. They pulled into a dark parking lot. She stared at the drab building surrounded by motorcycles.

  “A biker bar?” she said nervously. “I don't want to eat here.”

  “The food is good. Believe it or not, the place is actually pretty clean. And the best part is we don't have to worry about police or CIA.”

  “Yeah, that's probably where the steaks come from,” she retorted.

  He laughed. “You're with me, remember?”

  “I think they outnumber you,” she said, trying to count the bikes.

  He turned off the truck and got out. She reluctantly followed.

  A waitress seated them in a corner booth just opposite the bar. The décor was what you would expect in a biker bar. Dim, lots of wood, and not much decorating the walls. The bar looked rustic to say the least. Tall wooden bar stools that looked terribly uncomfortable surrounded it. Next to the bar was a hallway above which were an EXIT sign and a wooden sign that said “Restrooms”. Booths lined the walls of the dining area with a few wooden tables scattered in the middle. It was not upscale like she was used to, but Michael was right. It was clean at least.

  The place was packed and smoky, in spite of the law barring smoking in public buildings. Most everyone hovered around the bar. They all looked like scary bikers to Jessica even though they were laughing and smiling. There weren't many women there, Jessica could only count about seven, including the waitresses. Rock music poured out of the jukebox. The waitress handed them two menus and asked what they wanted to drink. Michael ordered a beer and Jessica ordered a glass of red wine.

  The waitress came back with their drinks and they both ordered steak with mashed potatoes. They made casual chit chat about food and restaurants they've eaten in. They liked a lot of the same things.

  Their food arrived and again Michael was right. They made a mean steak. He declined another beer, but Jessica ordered a second glass of wine. She wasn't driving and she wanted to get a little tipsy. They finished their meals and Jessica finished her second glass of wine. She was feeling it and had started to act silly, much to Michael's amusement. She was really quite funny when she was relaxed.

  “I ... have to go to the bathroom,” she declared as if she were making a formal announcement.

  He chuckled and told her he'd be waiting with baited breath for her return. He watched her as she walked past the bar towards the hallway. She stumbled a little but managed to keep going. A combination of the alcohol and a bum ankle made the trip to the ladies' room challenging.

  She walked into the hallway and saw the men's room door on the left. The hallway was even darker than the dining area. She could barely make out the signs on the doors. She walked a little further down and found the women's room door on the right.

  The bathroom was clean and bright, much to her relief. There were bare spots on the wooden stalls where the paint had peeled off. The tile floor looked very old, but fairly clean. The laminate had chipped off in areas around the edge of the counter where the sinks were, but still everything was clean, even if it was a bit run down.

  Michael noticed a few men watching Jessica from the bar as she passed. Then he saw six or seven of them tapping each other and talking. They all started towards the hallway. It didn't look good. They could be going to the men's room or leaving out the back door, but he worried it was something else.

  He threw some money on the table and started towards the hall. A man was leaning against the wall just past the men's room. Michael walked into the men's room. Finding it empty, he cursed. He calmly left the men's room and started walking towards the exit. He smiled and nodded at the guy as he approached. The guy just stared at him. He could now hear men's voices inside the women's bathroom. He kept his composure and as soon as he was within arm's reach of the man in the hallway he punched him square in the face, then swung his arm around the man's neck, quickly dragging him into the men's room before he could make a sound. Michael squeezed his neck so hard, he couldn't breathe. After a few more seconds, he went limp. Michael dumped him in a stall and sprinted out of the men's room.

  JESSICA WAS washing her hands when the door to the bathroom opened and six men piled in. Her legs went weak. At the same time, she felt a surge of adrenaline. She backed away from the door, staring in horror at the men in the restroom with her. They ranged in size from a short, skinny man to one that had to be at least two inches taller than Michael and triple his weight.

  “We couldn't help but notice your pretty little behind as you walked by,” the largest man said. “So my friends and I thought we'd get together and invite you to a party.”

  She felt her body go numb. This couldn't be happening.

  “What's the matter, little girl? Never been to a party before?” the large man spoke again. “Well don't you worry, sweet thing, we'll show you how it's done,” he said as he reached out to touch her face. The rest of the men laughed and a few of them started to unbutton their pants.

  That's when the door opened and Michael stepped in. She had never been so happy to see someone in all her life. Though she didn't think it would matter. He was outnumbered and that one guy was so huge. There was no way he could take them all on.

  “How sweet, your boyfriend came to watch,” the big guy jeered.

  Unfazed, Michael looked around at the lot and then at Jessica. “Anyone that wants to leave had better do it now.”

  Laughter filled the room. “What do you think you're gonna do, tough guy?” said the man standing next to the big guy. They all laughed again. This time Michael laughed, too. Jessica wasn't sure what to think. She was terrified. Michael kept smiling as the laughter died and just nodded his head. All eyes were fixated on him now.

  “Okay ... okay,” he said, still smiling.

  He turned toward the door. The men started giving each other victory glances until they heard the click of the lock on the door. Before anyone knew what was happening, Michael's foot slammed against the head of the guy closest to him. It was lights out for him as he fell to the floor. Michael's moves were so quick and fluid, she never even saw him hit the second little guy. She just saw the guy clutch his chest and fall to the floor. A powerful punch had knocked the wind out of him as well as broken a few ribs. Another blow to the head and he too was on the ground unconscious. In one swift motion Michael took out the third man before he even knew what
hit him. The fourth guy tried to run toward the door, but a powerful kick in his back sent him flying face first into a wall and he fell to the floor unconscious. The fifth man tried to defend himself by taking a swing at Michael which he easily blocked. Michael returned the punch, but didn't miss. The man dropped to the floor out cold.

  Finally only the large man with his big mouth remained. He pulled a knife from his pocket, intending to get back at Michael for what he had just done to his friends. Michael shook his head in disapproval.

  Unintimidated, Michael sprung forward as the man swung the knife out. The man soon found himself weaponless and in utter shock over the ease at which he was overtaken. He stood shaking and trembling as he looked at his knife now in Michael's hand. Michael wanted him to feel fear, to feel terror. The way he had just terrorized Jessica.

  “Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” the man pleaded.

  “Are you really?” Michael asked rhetorically.

  Without mercy, he lunged forward and slipped the knife into his side. The man was in a stupor as he couldn't believe what just happened. He clutched his wound and dropped to his knees speechless. During the whole event, Jessica hadn't moved. She was frozen, terrified. The bathroom floor was littered with the lifeless bodies of the men who had planned on raping her.

  Michael saw the horrified look on her face after he stabbed the man. “He'll live,” he assured her. “We have to go.”

  He took her hand, pulling her through the restroom. They went out the backdoor and hurried to the truck. Jessica fought back the urge to vomit. Michael helped her in, then hopped in the driver's seat. She started hyperventilating. She was shaking worse than before and began crying.

  “Jessica. You're okay. We're out of there. You're safe. Try to calm your breathing,” he tried to comfort her. He started the truck and peeled out of the parking lot. “Jessica, you're going to pass out if you don't slow your breathing ... Jessica, do you hear me?”

  She nodded yes while struggling to take slower breaths. She didn't stop shaking and crying the entire ride home. Michael felt sick over it. He should have known better than to take her there. He couldn't help think of how many times her life had been put at risk because of him. The cafe, almost drowning her, and now this. He was beginning to think she was safer without him.