by Skylar Cross
Caden's eyes went wide.
"Here?" he said. "I sent it to your mother in Queens."
"And I took it from her."
"Shit, Kiri, why did you do that? Where is it?"
"In my purse."
"Go get it. Now!"
I ran to my purse and grabbed the locket. What is so special about this damned locket?
I ran back and handed it to Caden.
"Hold onto it," he said.
I gasped when I saw what was in his hand.
He held a big handgun. Shit, I hate those fucking things. Why does he have one of those?
That's a stupid question, Kiri. There's a man coming up to kill us, that's why.
Caden turned to me, placing both his hands on my shoulders.
"Kiri," he said. "I have a safe room built into this place. Nothing can get in or out. Titanium walls. I want you to go in there now."
"No!" I said. "I want to stay with you."
"It's too dangerous, Kiri. Kyle Connor is a professional killer."
At that moment, the power went out. The apartment was bright with sunlight but the lights had been on in the kitchen. The glowing numbers on the microwave were gone.
"Shit!" said Caden as he grabbed my hand and pulled me through the cavernous apartment to an area I hadn't seen yet. "Forrester, the power's down. He's probably making his move up the back elevator shaft. Get your men over there."
We had reached a large steel door. Caden typed in a number. A lock clicked and he pushed me in.
"Kiri, don't argue with me. Stay in there. I'll come get you. If an hour goes by and I haven't returned, then use the phone in there to call Agent Brandt at the FBI. He's the contact I'm working with. The phone is on the wall."
He pushed me inside. On one of the walls was a safe and a keypad. He typed in a code. The safe door popped open. He reached in and took out another small gun. He loaded a magazine into it.
"Have you ever used one of these?" he said.
"No," I said. "I hate them."
"Well then, don't start now. But it's here just in case. Hate them or not, they do come in handy sometimes."
He put the gun down in the open cabinet, then went to the door.
"How do I get out?" I said.
"Just type the code in and press star," he said.
"What's the code?"
"Same as the safe deposit box. Your birthday."
The door shut. I was in complete darkness.
Chapter 21
Time seemed to pass very slowly in the safe room with no light. I wasn't sure if an hour had gone by yet. I heard nothing.
With every second, I grew more frightened. I tried meditating but it was no use. My heart beat out of my chest and I was sweating to death.
What the fuck is going on? How long should I stay here?
Then the power suddenly came back on. The little room lit up.
It was closet-sized but contained a supply of dried foods and water, a medical kit, a phone, a small TV, various other communications devices, a sink, and a small toilet. The walls shone with the same metal the door was made of.
The clock on the TV read 7:41. Wow, I've only been in here about twenty minutes. Feels like a lot longer.
Is it time to call for help?
No, he said an hour. Shit, I wish I were out there. But he's right. I'd probably only get in the way. I have no idea what men like Forrester and Agent Henderson do or how they do it.
But Caden... what if he's in trouble? What if he needs me? What if I could save his life somehow? Maybe he's dying and I can help.
I noticed the TV had a series of buttons and dials underneath it. I reached over and turned it on.
The screen flashed to life. It showed an empty room. Nothing was moving.
I recognize that room! It's the frilly bedroom with the four-poster bed and walk-in closet.
Apparently, this is a security system that shows all the rooms of his apartment. Maybe I can find other rooms.
I turned the channel knob under the screen. The picture changed to the kitchen. No movement. I turned the knob again. Caden's bedroom. No movement. I turned the knob again.
Shit!
Shit shit shit!
In the main living area Caden is on his knees with his hands bound behind his back. Agent Henderson... or Kyle Connor according to Caden... stood holding a gun. He had two others latched onto his black clothing.
Sitting in two of Caden's chairs facing him were the people I now know killed my biological parents. Sebastian and Valentina. They were younger in my memory. That's probably why I didn't recognize them when Kyle Connor showed me their pictures.
Fuck, what do I do?
Call for help. That's what Caden said to do.
I picked up the phone. No dial tone. Line is dead. I hung up and picked up several times. Nothing.
Fuck!
I looked at the gun.
I fucking hate guns.
I reached out and touched it. It felt cold. I pulled my hand back.
Then I looked up at helpless Caden, bound and tied with that nasty fiend pacing back and forth saying something.
I picked up the locket from the shelf where I had put it down.
It has to do with this damned locket, doesn't it? That's what they're after, right? That must be why Caden looked so shocked when I said I had it.
I have to go out there! I'll offer them the damned locket if that's what they want!
I touched the gun again and left my hand on it. Gingerly, I picked it up. Fuck, I hate this thing.
But I'm glad I have it.
I turned to the door, took a deep breath, and typed in 4-1-8-9-0 *.
The door clicked open.
Shit, was that loud? Could they hear that?
Sweat was pouring off me as I pushed open the door an inch. I saw nothing outside but the hallway. I could hear my heart beating in my eardrums.
I thought about just closing the door and hiding again, but I couldn't let anything happen to Caden. If he dies, then I could never forgive myself for not trying to save him.
I took off my shoes. My bare feet made no sound as I moved onto the hallway's off-white carpet.
I stepped out of the room.
So far so good.
I moved toward the kitchen.
As I got closer, I heard voices. To my left was the other hallway that led to the bedrooms.
I held the little gun out and in front of me with both hands. Like I've seen them do in the movies.
Shit, is it cocked? Or whatever that thing is that you need to do to get the bullet in place? I don't even know.
Shit.
I crouched down past the door of the black marble bathroom. The voices were getting clearer now. The kitchen was coming up on my right. If I can make it up there, maybe I can shoot Kyle Connor from behind the stove through the opening that looks down onto the living area.
Click!
I felt cold steel pressed against my neck.
"Hello, Kiri," said a voice I recognized.
I turned my head to see Agent Henderson... now Kyle Connor... smiling down at me. He yanked the gun out of my hand. Then he hit me in the side of the head with his own gun. I dropped the locket. He picked it up.
"I gave you a chance to escape with your life, Kiri," he said. "But you didn't take it. I didn't want to have to kill you, but now I have no choice."
Stunned, I felt wet falling down my cheek from my temple as he dragged me by my hair into the living room.
"Look what I found!" he said.
"Take your hands off her!" said Caden, visibly struggling against the cuffs that bound him. "I'll kill you!"
He shoved me into Caden sideways onto my knees. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like big garbage bag ties, only much thicker. He bound my hands behind my back with them.
"Don't worry," whispered Caden, "we'll get out of this."
I knew he was just saying that. We're dead. Both of us.
I looked up and s
aw them. The people from the photographs on the iPad and my recent flashback. Sebastian looked thinner than in the picture, even somewhat ill. He wore a white suit with a flowered shirt.
Valentina was gorgeous in a yellow patterned dress and hat with matching handbag and shoes. But I saw nothing behind her eyes. She looked at me as she would look at a painting, with mild interest.
"Kiri Huang," said Sebastian. "I see you've met Caden Storm. Again."
Keeping his gun trained on us, Kyle Connor held up the locket.
"Kiri has brought us a gift," he said.
Sebastian's face changed. His mouth went wide and slowly became a big smile. He reached out and took the locket from Kyle Connor.
"Oh my dear sweet girl, look what you've delivered unto its rightful owner!"
Sebastian flipped it open, removed the picture, and read something on the inside.
"That's it!" he said. "Those must be the correct coordinates! I believe that's in the Andes! Not like the ridiculous ones that fucking moron Maru Huang put into the fake he tried to fool me with!"
He was so happy I thought his bright red face was going to explode as he closed the locket and clenched it. He tossed the picture of the woman at me. It bounced off one of my breasts and fell on the coffee table.
"A dead relative of yours," Sebastian said to me. "You will see her soon."
Kyle Connor moved between us and over to the patio window.
"I think I heard something," he said.
"We should go," said Sebastian. "I'm still recovering from my operation. My doctor said nothing too exciting for a while. But this, this is a wonderful gift. Thank you, Kiri. Oh, and sorry about your parents. But your father really pissed me off."
I spat at him. It landed on his shiny shoes.
He just laughed and stood up slowly. Valentina helped him.
"As for you, Caden Storm, I would be just as pissed off at you if not for our past together. How can I help but be proud of you for trying to con me with your own fake locket in that safe deposit box? But I know the coordinates of the gold mine aren't in Nepal, my friend. Nice try. I would have been disappointed if you hadn't tried. After all, I taught you everything you know. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not going to kill you."
Sebastian reached under his white suit jacket and pulled out a small gun. It was the old-fashioned revolver type.
Oddly, I felt no fear. It had subsided. I turned and looked at Caden. His beautiful aquamarine eyes met mine. I saw a reflection of my own soul in them.
If I die, at least I have loved this amazing man.
Then something caught my eye. A movement from outside behind Kyle Connor. On the patio.
I looked over just as I heard a loud squishy plop! The back of Kyle Connor's head erupted with blood. He was dead before he hit the carpet.
Valentina screamed.
Behind Kyle Connor was a man hanging upside down from above. He turned his gun toward Sebastian and fired.
The bullet hit the gun in Sebastian's right hand. It went clattering across the floor. Good shot.
Valentina had a little gun out now.
The man dropped down from where he had been and shot Valentina directly between the eyes. She went down.
The man looked to be in his late twenties. Asian with black hair and similar features to mine. He wore a bulletproof vest over military-style black clothing. An earpiece with a cord stuck out of his ear.
At first, I didn't know who he was. But as he walked slowly toward Sebastian, I gasped with recognition.
Sebastian's face went wide with fear. The redness faded, going pale as the man walked toward him. He shook.
"The locket, please," said the man as Sebastian reached inside his suit and handed it to him. The man walked over and handed it to me with a smile.
Oh my God, I can't believe it's him!
He walked back over to Sebastian and stood about two inches from his face.
"Do you know who I am?" said the man.
Sebastian shook his head.
"My name is Narith Huang. I believe you know my little sister Kiri here. I also believe you killed my mother and father, Maru and Mealea Huang."
"Oh God no," said Sebastian. He turned to Caden. "Caden please–"
Narith stepped quickly backward, brought up the gun, and fired.
A bright red hole appeared in Sebastian's forehead and he sank to his knees. Then his head went face-forward into the floor.
"Are you all right?" said Narith to me.
I nodded yes in between tears and sobs. Narith took out a knife and cut the ties that bound Caden. Then he came over and cut mine.
Crying at the top of my lungs, I leaped up and threw my arms around the big brother I hadn't seen in nineteen years.
Chapter 22
"You're sure you want this?" said Caden.
God, does he think I'm still a little girl? I'm a goddamned woman. I know what the fuck I want.
"Yes," I said.
"Fine," he said. "Eight o'clock."
"I'll be there."
I clicked off.
I took my Fleet Enema bottle and went into my bathroom to get ready.
It had been four months since the incident at Bay Towers. I had been living in a luxury apartment on Boylston Street a couple of blocks down from the bank while I did my therapy. Same building as Caden's friend Devlin Bane. He and his unbelievably gorgeous girlfriend Marisol live in the penthouse. She recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.
The first therapist Caden set me up with hadn't worked out, so I went to one suggested by Dan's friend Meghan. I never really liked Meghan. She's kind of a bitch. But I'm glad I went.
Meredith Zycroft turned out to be quite helpful. She talked me through my repressed memories, helping me to come to terms with my dual identity.
I was Kiri Thanwarattanamangkul, with a Thai family in Queens I loved.
But now I was also Kiri Huang, with a wonderful older brother and sister who I remember and love.
On top of that, I had to deal with the memory of watching my biological parents being shot and killed. Add to that watching the killers being killed recently while being held prisoner.
Psychologically, I was a bit of a mess.
So Caden and I agreed that, for a while at least, we would go on very low-intensity dinner dates. My sex drive had shut down right after the incident and I kept having intense flashbacks.
At first, I told Caden he couldn't pay for my new apartment. But when he explained that it was my parents' earnings from a bank account in Tahiti he opened nineteen years ago, I agreed.
Turns out the entire building is actually owned by Devlin Bane. Who refused to accept rent from me anyway. He even had Dan move in next door so I would have family near me.
It wasn't hard to say goodbye to both my roommate Karen and the entire Allston/Brighton neighborhood. I made a silent promise to myself never to take the Green Line past BU again.
I stayed at the bank for about a month. Then I realized I didn't want to work there anymore.
While my degree from BU was in Communications, I always wanted to start my own business. That's why I initially got the job at QV Bank, to find out how the world of finance worked from the inside.
So I wrote a business plan for an online idea I had that Caden told me just might work. I'm still working on it.
It was a little hard to leave my job at the bank. But not that hard. I would miss my daily banter with Troy, but I wouldn't miss Barbara for one split second.
Troy and I promised to stay in touch and hang out.
Nikki came over a lot until she and Dan broke up. He never told me if she was a transsexual or not. And I never did ask. Who really gives a shit anyway?
About a month after the incident, my mother called me to say that Martine Decoud had passed away. I gathered up every bit of courage I could muster and went to her funeral in New York with Caden and my mother.
There were over a hundred people there. Including a handful of famous faces I re
cognized from old magazine pictures.
She had apparently left me quite a sum of money. Add that to the money from the resort in Tahiti and I suddenly found myself up a couple of tax brackets. Not to mention the love of my life is a billionaire.