“Where’s Grace?” She punches him in the face.
“Cunt. You’ll never find her.”
Suddenly Drew’s voice sounds behind me in the hall. “Drop the weapon, O’Brien. Back off Jenna.”
I was afraid this might happen. This whole scene has been playing out too long. I turn halfway so I can keep an eye on both men and Megan.
Drew’s face is curled into a cruel snarl. “I told you I had it dealt with but you had to go and butt in. Now I’ve got no choice but to kill you.”
“If you do, my team outside has all the evidence it needs. The coastguard will be here any minute.”
He laughs. “If you believe that, you’re as delusional as our little genius. All I’ll have to say is that you and your highly illegal vigilantes botched up my negotiations and because of that, Mr. Teherizad escaped along with Doctor Jones.”
“How much is he paying you?” I hope to buy us some time.
“Enough to retire well onto a nice island. So long O’Brien.”
I brace for death and a shot is fired.
Shocked, I wonder why I’m not dead and Drew’s the one that crumples.
Behind me Meggie stands with my smoking gun in her hand, doing the deer-in-the-headlight thing. When Mahmoud lunges, she drops the weapon.
Odds are, pretty soon I’ll pass out from loss of blood but I will take him down before I go.
He crawls over to her, completely out of his mind. “You bloody bitch! I will fuck you until you bleed. You are mine! That tape is nothing compared to what I’m going to do to you. You will nev-”
I grab him by his shirt’s collar and push him into the wall, noticing too late that the window is open. Oops. He shouts as he falls for at least ten seconds and then there’s a splash. I guess I should care so I bend over the railing and search the water.
Behind, in the ship’s wake, bits of cloth and flesh bubble up in the water.
I sit down on the couch, suddenly exhausted.
Megan rushes over to me, glancing out the open window as if he might fly back in. “Did he survive?”
“Nope.”
“What about Drew?” She points to the bloody body on the cabin floor as she sits down next to me.
“Don’t know. Don’t care.” I should check on the FBI traitor but my vision is turning black at the corners.
I speak into my headset, “Hatter is dead. Drew is wounded. Alice secure.”
I slip off the couch and my head clunks onto the floor. It would be too bad to die before telling Meggie how fucking awesome I think she is.
She crawls over, lips close to mine, and I think she’s going to kiss me. Instead she shouts into my chest mic, “Oh my God! Colin is down. He’s bleeding all over the place. We need a medic in the captain’s quarters! Right now!”
Chapter 31
Megan
There’s a talking internet connection in the corner of the room. I’m not sure if it’s Siri, Google, or Amazon but I know Jason is always following me, listening.
“Jason?”
It does not disappoint. “Good Morning, Jenna. How can I help you?”
Thank God. I have to save Colin. “I have an unconscious male with a gunshot wound to his side. He’s bleeding. What do I do?”
“Apply pressure to the wound. I will call for a medic.”
I’ve never taken a first-aid class in my life and I do as he directs but more blood spurts out the back.
“Jason, I’m just making things worse. He’s dying.” Oh God, no. This can’t be happening. And it’s all my fault. I’m the one that got him shot.
The monitor pops to life but instead of my rape scene, there’s step by step instructions. When I realize there’s entrance and exit wounds, I squeeze the blood-soaked towels and the bleeding slows.
“Colin, stay with me, my love.”
He groans and coughs up blood. “You should have stayed with the crew.”
Salty tears roll down my face and my nose runs. I lean over and kiss him. “Please. Don’t talk. Just stay with me.”
His eyes roll back and his lids flutter.
I slap his face, and shout with my voice cracking. “Colin. Look at me. I love you.” He can’t leave me. What will I do without him? How can I go on?
A crooked smile plays on his face. “I’m not saying it back. Not like this.”
What is taking the medic so long? I kiss him, tasting him perhaps for the last time, everything within me breaking apart.
“I can’t lose you. Not now. Please baby. Don’t die.”
There’s way too much blood between my fingers and on the floor. I can’t fathom how he’s going to live through this.
I scream into his chest microphone to Fin or Simon or whoever is listening, “Please. Hurry! He’s dying.”
The door bursts open and a very efficient looking crew member in a white uniform kneels beside me. “You’re doing fine, young lady. Just stay like that while I get set up.”
He sticks an IV into Colin with a bag of fluids. When he sees where I’m holding, his face grows grim. “Don’t move. We got a helicopter on the way.
I don’t let go, not even as we rush Colin down the hall and onto the helipad. When we’re up in the air, I just keep saying over and over, “Baby, hang on. I love you.”
Chapter 32
Colin
When I open my eyes I’m in a strange bed inhaling the strong scent of antiseptic. I must’ve made it to the hospital. That’s good. Real good. There’s a cup with a straw in the nearby tray, so I reach and take a sip to sooth my parched throat while I try to gather my brain cells. I vaguely recall a helicopter ride and a sweet voice that kept calling out my name.
That angel is curled up in the chair next to my bed.
“Meggie?”
She stirs, yawns, and gives me a bright smile, wavy red hair tangled. “Thank God. You’re awake.”
Then she leans over my bed, soft breasts squishing my chest, lips sweet and demanding. Jacked up on painkillers, I’m totally into her and forget I’m in a hospital. I wind her locks between my fingers as my tongue takes the kiss deeper. Maybe we can shut the door andA male clears his throat, obviously irritated.
Meggie pulls away, cheeks pink. Then bright sunlight fills the room when the room’s curtain is opened.
“How you doing, lover-boy?” A male nurse wraps a blood pressure gage on my upper arm and sticks a thermometer in my mouth.
I point to my wrist. “Uht time is it?”
“Noon.” he slaps my hand like a schoolteacher when I try to peak under the bandage. “Leave it be. There’s fifty stitches, front and back.”
Meggie stretches, face still red. “I’ll be right back. Joe and Georgio are in the waiting room, along with some guy who says he’s your boss. Mike?”
“Sit.” The nurse points to the chair and stands in front of the door, preventing her from leaving.
“The doc said it was okay. That I could come and visit.” Meggie frowns but does as told.
He tsk-tsks, clucks his tongue, and writes stats into his iPad. Then he scribbles on a small tablet attached to the foot of my bed and asks Megan. “Are you having any headaches?”
“No. None at all.”
“She’s lying.” I tattle, I don’t even have to see her face. I hear it in her voice.
“You should go back to your room, young lady.”
Before she can argue, Joe and Georgio are standing in the doorway. “Still up to no good?”
I grin. “Come in. Come in. Nurse Ratched was just finishing up.”
The nurse scowls. “Five minutes, everyone. Miss Jones, stay seated or I will escort you to your room. You’ve had a nasty concussion and I don’t want you passing out and banging your head. The paperwork will be a bitch.”
Georgio runs to Megan, sits her down, and throws the evil nurse a salute. “I will see to it, mio generale.”
Meggie mouths. “Thank you.”
That settled, Joe shakes my hand firmly, then gives me a goofy get well card w
ith a picture of a guy with his ass hanging out of his hospital gown. “Glad you made it.”
“Just a scratch.” I push up on my elbows. Even soaring on morphine, my side aches like a mother, so I lower back down, biting hard on my tongue so the pain doesn’t show on my face.
Joe catches my expression. “Heard you had a couple stitches. Hit anything vital?”
“Jesus. I hope not. Check my dick for me, would you?” I smirk and pretend to lift my gown making Mike and Georgio laugh.
“Ass hat.” Joe moves aside so Georgio can give me his gift of a helium balloon. It has the words ‘Sorry you feel like,’ followed by a picture of a giant smiling poo emoji.
“Dude. That is so thoughtful I might cry.” The painkillers make everything seem hilarious. I chuckle so hard my side hurts.
“What about Drew? Did he make it?” Meggie throws out the buzz kill and I feel like an idiot for being so cavalier. Me and the guys joke about surviving. It can’t be helped. But she’s not used to it.
Mike frowns. “Drew’s under arrest.”
I look to him, worried now. “Do I need a lawyer?”
“No, but you should’ve worked your cockamamie plan through me. We had quite a time backdating paperwork, dotting our i’s, and crossing our t’s.”
“Cap, I didn’t see any other way around it. I really wasn’t sure about Drew, until he tried to shoot me in the captain’s cabin.”
Mike turns to Megan, sitting quietly nearby. “Atta girl. Good clean shot.”
“Thanks. What about Jason? Am I out of business?”
Georgio smiles, “Google’s asking a lot of questions. I think you’re going to have a lot of options. Mia amore, you might want to partner with a bigger company with better security.”
“Yeah. I know.” Her mouth turns into a little frown. Only she and I know she’s a control freak when it comes to Jason but as soon as I get out of here, we’re going to have a little talk. Well, we can do that after we spend at least forty-eight hours fucking our brains out.
Suddenly I note someone is missing. “Where’s Simon? Was he injured?”
“Their commander got wind of their extra-curricular activities and said if they were so bored, he’d put them back to work. They were deployed last night.” Joe laughs knowing I owe Simon a huge favor.
“Oh shit.”
“Yeah. He said that I should give you a big kiss goodbye and that paybacks are a bitch.”
Chapter 33
Megan
When I can’t sleep at home, I reach for my Kindle and a romance, maybe a glass of warm milk. Tonight, a stroll around the temple will have to suffice.
I was so thrilled when Colin invited me to spend a few days with him in New Paltz, even more so when I found out he’s chaperoning the kids’ tournaments. It reminds me of how we met. Even as a teen, he was a great role model. The only downside is that we can’t sleep together. I’m in the girl’s dorm and he’s with the boys.
At the bottom of the staircase I catch a snippet of his bass voice along with giggles and whispers. I can’t help but sit in the hallway just outside their door.
A young boy says, “Tell us again, Mr. O’Brien, how you started studying Kung Fu.”
Funny how I can always tell now when Colin is smiling. “You guys have all heard that one. Besides it’s late. Shirfu will have my head if you guys aren’t sharp in the morning.”
I crack open the door to take just a peek. A boy who can’t be more than five sits under Colin’s arm pressed tightly against his body. The rest gather around, the cots pushed into a close circle. If I wasn’t already madly in love with Colin, this scene would do it for me.
“C’mon, Mr. O’Brien. Pleeeeaaase?” Only kids can get away with teasing like that.
Holding his hands up with palms down, he allows a couple more kids to jump onto his cot and stands. “Okay, but only the short version and then not a sound outta any of you guys until morning. Promise?”
Suddenly, he toes open the edge of my door, revealing my presence. “Oh, oh. There’s a girl spying on us. What should I do with her?”
One boy jumps up and down on his cot. “Is that your girlfriend? She’s way too pretty for you.”
Laughing, Colin reaches out a hand and pulls me into the room. “Come on in Doctor Jones and meet the guys.”
They all rattle off their names at once and I probably won’t remember any of the more than a dozen. Most I recognize from today’s sparring contests.
A pre-teen points his flashlight at a young bicep. “If you change your mind about him, I’m Kris and I’m here for you.”
I nod at the lady killer and totally mess up trying to keep a straight face.
“Hands off my girl.” With a mock frown, Colin wraps an arm around my waist and places a quick kiss on my lips.
“No kissing.” A small voice shouts out and then giggles abound.
There’s more laughing when Colin pokes my ribs and tickles me until I squeal and fall onto the cot.
“Stop, oh stop.” My ribs are so friggin’ ticklish I may pee my pants.
By the time he complies, the whole room is in hysterics. Then he finds a spot for me on the cot, we sit cross-legged, and the smallest boy climbs onto my lap.
Colin’s voice booms into the dark dorm room. “So. Who’s going start me off?”
The teen who’d offered for me with the bicep raises his hand. “I will. It goes like this. The big guys made fun of you. You were short and small and they called you names. Pee weenie, Penis weenie…”
“Wee Penis,” says one.
“Mini wiener.” Another small voice sounds from somewhere on the cot.
I put a hand over my mouth so the guys can’t see me about to crack up. Colin O’Brien does not have a small cock.
“Okay enough. I’ll take it from here.” He holds up his flashlight, yellow light dancing across his amused face as he shoots me a wink. I’m sure he knows what I’m thinking.
A dark haired, dark skinned youth with bright brown eyes sits up in his bed. “No. wait, Let me do the next part. They stuck your head in the toilet at school.”
“Ewwwww.” All of the boys moan in unison.
“Can I take over now?” Colin feigns annoyance for his audience. “I thought this was going to be my story. If I let you guys tell it, we’ll never get any sleep. Everyone, back under the covers.”
There’s a moan and he waits for everyone to obey. All of the kids on Colin’s cot scoot back to their own except the one on my lap.
“Bryan, you can stay. Okay. That’s better. Where was I? Oh yeah. So I started playing hooky whenever I could. I even told my Mom I was too sick to go school.”
The little one on my lap raises his hand. “That wasn’t good. That’s lying.”
Collin leans over and tousles the kid’s hair. “Ah. But I couldn’t go on getting my head stuck in the toilet, could I? But you’re right, I couldn’t keep lying, either. So I went back to school and fought at recess. There were these two big guys against one. I got a huge shiner, a bloody lip, and sent home from school. The other two kids said I started it.”
“It figures.” says a new voice in the back of the room. “Bullies always do that.”
“Right, Louis, they do. The next day, I was pretty embarrassed but my Mom wouldn’t let me stay home. After school, the beautiful Miss Hastings, my second grade teacher gave me a note card with an address on it. She adored me.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
I steal Colin’s flashlight and shake my head, no, and everyone laughs.
Colin pretends to be hurt. “I still have the note if you don’t believe me. Anyhow, the note said I was to meet Master Joe. So next Saturday afternoon when my Mom agreed that I was done with chores, I raced my bike downtown.”
He mimes pushing on heavy doors then whispers with eyes wide, “There stood the biggest group of guys I’d ever seen. I mean they were tall with biceps like this.”
He flexes his arm and I squeeze it for effect. I’d totally forgotten what an awesom
e story-teller Colin is.
“There they were, wearing black tops, wide cotton pants, and colored belts. The biggest guy shakes my hand.”
Colin changes from his narrator voice to one that’s deep and booming. “What brings you here, boy?”
“I would like to speak to Master Joe, please.” Now his voice is a squeaky tenor.
He alternates voices back and forth. Low voice says, “Master Joe is a pretty busy man. How important is this?”
“It’s a matter of life and death,” answers squeaky.
“That’s some very serious business.”
Colin leans forward. “You got to understand. This commander guy was frowning and had a big fuck, ah, big friggin’ anchor on his forearm. He was one scary dude. He had a knife scar on his chin and towered over me. Anyhow, this big dude says, ‘What makes you say that?’”
Colin raises his hand and breaks the monologue. “How many of you guys watch martial arts movies?”
Everyone’s hands go up.
“Oh man, so did I. This had to be a test of sorts. If I gave the right answer, I would become a pupil. If not, I’d be out the door. I even thought about going home, getting my sleeping bag, and camping out on the front steps. I saw a movie like that once but this wasn’t fake. This was real life. No doubt the police would come and take me home to my mom as soon as it got dark.”
Colin waits with this Oscar-winning theatrical pause. “So this is what I did. I said, ‘I suppose that if I continue on the path I am on, I will end up just as good as dead.’”
He laughs and holds out his palms. “Not bad, right?”
The kids nod.
“So, this whole group of masters stop what they’re doing and listen. The commander asks me in this big voice, ‘And what path are you on, son, that would lead you to believe that?’
I tried to remember every Kung Fu movie I’d ever seen. And I said, ‘I am on a path of fear.’ It wasn’t out of any one movie, it just kind of sounded right. You know?”
I stifle a laugh when Colin looks at me with a smirk.
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