Witness Protection

by Holly Copella

  “The guy you handcuffed to the motel bed?” He grinned lustfully. “Was there more to that bondage scene than you’re telling me?”

  She glared at him with a disapproving look then groaned softly. “I just thought--I thought I could reason with him. I really thought I got through to him, and he turned around and tried to flush out Monroe.” She leaned back on her elbows and stared at the sky. “I really thought we were working toward the same goal--to put that bastard Lyle behind bars, but it seems his only agenda is to make a name for himself by bringing me in.”

  “Would you like me to take care of this prick of a federal agent for you?”

  Jackie suddenly straightened and eyed Zach with surprise and possible horror. “What do you mean ‘take care of him’?” she suddenly gasped and felt her entire body tense.

  Zach fidgeted slightly then responded with, “You know, hold him at bay for a few days. I could lead him on a wild goose chase.” He suddenly grinned and added a humored chuckle. “You didn’t think I meant eliminate him, did you? I mean, he’s a federal agent. That kind of heat I don’t need.”

  Jackie was relieved and managed a smile. Zach was known for being wildly unpredictable, and she didn’t need him doing anything stupid, particularly on her behalf. She finally took a deep breath and sighed.

  “No, I think I’ve shaken him for now,” she replied. “By the time he realizes I’m not going to some airport and thinks to look here, Monroe will have me hidden away.” She hesitated and looked at the man massaging her feet. “He’s constantly messing with my head. Just when I think I have him figured out, he’s someone else.” She suddenly couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling of anger surging through her. “I’ve been betrayed by people before, but I seriously wanted to hurt him last night. I guess I wanted to trust him so badly, that I couldn’t handle it when he proved he couldn’t be trusted.”

  “Did you sleep with him?” Zach asked casually.

  She felt her cheeks immediately redden and pulled her feet from him. “My God, no!”

  Zach appeared curious but showed little emotion. “Old, fat, and ugly with a bad rug and body odor?”

  She suddenly hesitated. “Well, not exactly.”

  Zach’s eyes suddenly lit up along with his grin. “Do you want to sleep with him?”

  Now he was just interrogating her for his own amusement. “No, certainly not,” she firmly insisted.

  “There you have it,” he replied casually.

  “There I have what?” Jackie demanded and wondered why she was even having this conversation with him. Talking with Zach was enough to make her head spin.

  “It’s pretty obvious. You’re sexually attracted to him and he’s not taking the bait.”

  She groaned with annoyance. “I told you I didn’t want to sleep with him.”

  “Yeah, so you’ve said, but that’s not what you were thinking,” Zach casually informed her. “Your pheromones are betraying you, my dear.”

  “I’m not attracted to him,” she snarled then took a moment to consider the lie. “Sure, he’s cute, but he’s so ungodly straight. No sense of humor whatsoever. He’s like some sort of FBI lab experiment gone astray.”

  “Yeah, I know the type,” Zach replied with a sigh. “Ass could be on fire but nary a flinch.”

  “Oh, so you’ve met him.”

  Zach eyed her and chuckled. She sank into thought then looked at her strange friend.

  “Maybe I should call him, you know, just to make sure he got out of those handcuffs.”

  “Yes, I’ll bet he’s in a good mood,” he remarked. “Nothing burns a man’s ass more than being cuffed to a bed in his own handcuffs.”

  “I put on pay-per-view porn for him, but somehow I think that’s only going to increase his bitchiness.”

  Zach eyed her with surprise, smiled, and laughed softly. “And you were counting on his backup to release him?” he suddenly asked then laughed again while shaking his head. “Oh, that’s so embarrassing. You are a devil, Jackie.” He gave her a quick, lustful once over. “It’s a tragedy that some men just don’t appreciate you the way I do.”

  She grimaced slightly. “I was pretty mean. Think I should call him?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure he’d appreciate that,” Zach remarked. “Rub it in a little deeper while you’re at it.”

  “I guess that’s a negative on calling him.”

  “Yes, that’s a negative on calling him,” he replied. “See, that’s the sort of thing I would do, and I wouldn’t want you turning into me.”

  She eyed him sharply. “I think we’re safe, Zach.”

  He stared at her with his mouth hanging open, slowly shook his head, and appeared offended. “You’ve never appreciated me or my work.”

  “Your work?” she questioned and nearly choked. “Your work scares the shit out of me.”

  “You’re turning into such a girl.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Dark Water Island was home to a small town with a slightly booming population. A few years ago, everyone knew everyone else, but there had been an influx of wealthy people attempting to make the secluded island their home. New homes were being built in the island’s interior by the dozens. It was nearly impossible to find a beach house on the beautiful island. Locals refused to sell to non-locals in silent protest to big city attitudes attempting to change their simpler way of life. The Dark Water Island fairground was alive with activity as its annual fair continued into the weekend. The extensive fairground was filled with attractions, rides, games, and food vendors of all types from all across the country. As the sun was setting, the lights from rides and attractions lit up the fairground, giving it a romantic glow. Jackie walked through the massive crowds with Zach, who ate pink cotton candy. He looked so much like the innocent fatherly type; it almost caused her to laugh. Looks were so deceiving!

  “You didn’t have to come along, Zach,” she informed him as they maneuvered through the crowd. “I’m meeting Monroe in half an hour.”

  “People don’t travel alone to fairs,” he casually informed her in a slightly mocking tone. His eyes suddenly lit up as they neared one of the game stands. “Oh, a stuffed elephant,” he exclaimed with childlike glee. “I’ve got to have one of those!”

  Jackie began to wonder if he was just messing with her for fun or if he really wanted the pink, stuffed elephant. Something was obviously off in his mind. Once, while on shore leave at her house, she caught him watching cartoons at two in the morning while smoking Cuban cigars. Sadly, he wasn’t even drunk at the time. As he dragged her toward the game stand, she saw Holden standing in the crowd fifty yards from them. Jackie felt her heart leap into her throat. She suddenly yanked on Zach’s hand, nearly pulling him off his feet, and pulled him alongside the vendor’s booth. Without warning, she kissed him passionately. Zach tossed his cotton candy aside, pulled her against him, and returned the kiss. Despite Zach’s passionate and aggressive kiss, Jackie watched Holden pass them. Once he was past, she broke off the kiss, despite Zach’s efforts to prolong it.

  “That’s him,” she gasped softly.

  Zach paid little attention to her concern or comment and began affectionately kissing her neck, completely preoccupied with his own sexual desires.

  “Him who?” he groaned softly.

  Jackie suddenly realized he was kissing her neck, stopped him, and nodded across the crowd. “The guy who looks suspiciously like an FBI agent at the popcorn counter,” she remarked then shook her head. “How did he find me?”

  Zach zeroed in on Holden. Before her very eyes, he suddenly morphed into the highly trained soldier she remembered. “I’ve got this. You meet Monroe,” he firmly ordered. “Don’t bother waiting for me.”

  Before he could take off, Jackie grabbed his arm to stop him, forcing him to face her. “Don’t hurt him,” she threatened with a serious look.

  He grinned boyishly. “Relax, Jackie, I’m just going to have a little fun.”

  “Yeah, but your idea of fun i
s disturbing.”

  “Trust me--” he said while grinning.

  Those were famous last words that always frightened Jackie, especially coming from Zach. Men from her father’s old platoon always said ‘trust me’ before they did something frightening or wildly inappropriate. Zach kissed her quickly on the lips, groaned while grinning lustfully, and then hurried behind several gaming booths to get ahead of Holden. He merged into the crowd, removed his cell phone, placed it to his ear, and kept his head down while looking around nervously as he walked a few feet in front of Holden.

  “Where are you?” Zach said into the phone while maintaining mild suspicion. “I’m getting worried.”

  Zach continued walking and didn’t bother looking back. Holden suddenly looked through the crowd, noticed Zach, and followed him from a distance. Zach shifted his eyes in every direction, increasing suspicion upon him.

  “Okay, I’ll meet you at the pier in thirty minutes,” he announced into the phone.

  Zach disconnected his fake phone call, replaced the cell phone to his pocket, and moved quickly through the crowd. Holden followed him at a safe distance and made his own call.

  “Pier--thirty minutes,” Holden said into the phone. “Send two of your best men.”

  Holden replaced his phone to his jacket and watched as Zach headed in the direction of the pier. Holden remained a safe distance behind him.

  Just across the fairground, Jackie approached the Ferris wheel area and scanned the crowd of people with anticipation. A suave looking man in his mid-thirties, Monroe, stood not far from the Ferris wheel. He wore expensive clothes and had a commanding presence despite his lanky stature. Monroe looked more like a rich playboy than a scheming mastermind. A feeling of relief swept over her to the familiar man.

  “Monroe--” she whispered softly with relief and visually took him in with a sweeping gaze.

  Jackie quickly maneuvered through the crowd and suddenly ran into Dexter. Their eyes met, startling her. He grabbed her arms before she had a chance to react. She appeared momentarily horrified to see the governor’s hitman standing directly in front of her. It was the first time she’d seen him since that night, and she was surprised by the feelings of fear shooting through her. Her leg seemed to throb in response.

  “Miss Remus, imagine finding you here?” Dexter said with a devious grin on his face.

  It didn’t seem possible. How did he know where to look for her? Jackie instinctively thrust her knee for his groin. He deflected it with anticipation, but she had struck him hard enough on the thigh to force him to release her. Jackie turned and ran. Monroe appeared oblivious to her situation while casually looking around the crowd. Jackie ran through the crowd and saw another tough and sinister looking man making his way toward her. She’d never seen Oscar before, but the way he stared at her told her he was to be avoided. She turned and continued through the crowd in the opposite direction of Monroe with both men closing in fast.

  †

  Dark Water Island harbor was filled with boats tied to the dock as well as anchored in the bay. Tourists traveled great distances to enjoy the town’s well-publicized fair. Since hotels on the island were scarce, most had to bring their own place to sleep, which usually involved a boat of some sort. Zach walked along the dock while eyeing several boats crowding the dock and slips. Holden and two officers pursued him from a distance, attempting to remain inconspicuous. Zach seemed to find what he was looking for, jumped the railing onto one of the boats, and disappeared from their sight. Holden motioned for the officers to take either side. Holden jumped onto the boat and approached the cabin. A woman’s laughter was clearly heard. He drew his gun and kicked in the door. Holden and the officers entered the cabin with their guns aimed at the couple beneath the covers on the bed.

  “FBI! Hands up!”

  A naked man and woman jumped up in the bed. The man put his hands in the air, the horror showing on his face, while the woman held the sheet over her naked body. The unfamiliar woman screamed in response. Holden groaned, rolled his eyes, and lowered his gun.

  “Sorry, there’s been a mistake,” he announced gently in an embarrassed tone.

  Holden left as the officers attempted to smooth things over with the irate man and panicking woman. Holden jumped off the boat and saw Zach walking along the pier. He caught sight of Holden and immediately bolted.

  “Stop! FBI!”

  Holden ran after Zach, gained ground on him, and tackled him to the dock. It was a hard tackle, but Zach didn’t appear harmed. Holden flipped Zach onto his back and held him by his shirt collar. Zach stared back at him and appeared genuinely frightened.

  “Where is she?” Holden demanded.

  “Are you Sherry’s husband?” he suddenly cried out while trembling. “I don’t know where she is, I swear! Sherry and I are just friends!”

  The police officers hurried toward them with their guns drawn. Zach saw them and attempted to point at Holden while his hands trembled.

  “Officers, thank God! This man tried to kill me!” Zach yelled to both officers. “He thinks I slept with his wife, but we’re just friends!”

  Holden stood with a look of distrust and pulled Zach to his feet. “Let’s see some ID.”

  Zach fumbled in his pocket, removed his wallet, and handed it to Holden with trembling hands. His look of distress was frighteningly convincing. Holden looked at the ID then tossed Zach’s wallet to him.

  “Go on. Get out of here,” Holden growled with disgust while looking moderately embarrassed and mostly defeated.

  Zach hurried away then slowed his pace, smiled deviously to himself, and removed his cell phone. He pressed a button and waited for the response.

  “Hey, do you have her?” Zach asked. There was a pause as Monroe responded from the other end. Zach suddenly stopped and appeared alarmed. “What do you mean? I left her there.” He hesitated then sank into thought while listening to the response. “I’ll be there just as soon as I divert her FBI stalker.”

  Zach disconnected the call and pushed another button. Holden’s cell phone rang as Zach walked away.

  Holden answered his phone with annoyance. “Falcone--”

  “I have some urgent information regarding that young woman,” Zach whispered into his cell phone.

  Holden immediately straightened and appeared interested by the call. “Yes?”

  His voice became bold. “When a beautiful, sexy, young woman handcuffs you to a bed, enjoy it, you lucky bastard,” he announced into the phone while grinning.

  Holden looked across the dock and met Zach’s gaze from fifty yards away. Zach flashed a mocking smile and took off across the pier toward nearby buildings.

  “Son-of-a-bitch,” Holden exclaimed. “That’s him!”

  Holden and both officers ran after Zach, who already had a healthy head start. He seemed to vanish mysteriously near the buildings. Holden suddenly stopped the two officers.

  “Whoa, wait,” Holden announced and looked around. “He wants us to follow him. He’s a diversion. Get everyone back to the fairground. She’s there.”

  All three hurried back toward the fairground. Zach sat on a nearby roof while watching them with a look of disgust. He placed his cell phone to his ear and headed for the fire escape.

  “They’re heading back to you, Monroe,” Zach grumbled. “Find her and get the hell out of there. I have one more card to play.” There was a brief pause as he stopped before the fire escape. “Which card?” he repeated the question with surprise. “Joker’s wild, which else?”

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Jackie ran through the crowd toward the farm machinery display with Dexter and Oscar chasing her. They were quickly closing in on her, since neither man seemed to care who they shoved from their path while Jackie relied more on ducking and dodging fairgoers. When she hit the clearing surrounding the farm machinery display, she was able to pick up speed and her goal was in sight. Beyond the farm machinery sat a news helicopter! Both men appeared to come to the same concl
usion about the direction she was heading. They knew if she reached it, she would be gone. She knew better then to look back, since it would only shave precious seconds off her speed. A man suddenly turned unexpectedly into her path. She collided with him, nearly knocking him down. Although she didn’t fall, it slowed her momentum.

  Before she could continue her sprint for the helicopter, Dexter tackled her to the ground. He barely had her on the ground when her body reacted subconsciously to the tackle. Jackie threw herself into a roll, taking him with her. She continued through with the roll and was on her feet like a cat falling from a tree. As Dexter scrambled to his feet, she kicked him in the chest, bowling him over. Oscar suddenly grabbed her from behind in an attempt to subdue her. As she struggled to break free, Dexter made it to his feet and approached to help Oscar. His twisted, confident smile infuriated her. Jackie used Oscar’s body as leverage to brace herself as she kicked Dexter in the chest with both feet, sending him backwards and into a tractor. A crowd began to gather at the otherwise empty, boring exhibit. As Jackie’s feet hit the ground, she used her forward momentum and threw herself to her knee, flipping Oscar over her shoulder and roughly to the ground. Despite the hard hit, he immediately sprang to his feet.

  Jackie spun into a roundhouse kick and nailed him in the chest. He was thrown violently to the ground. Dexter had recovered from his hard hit to the tractor and lunged for her, throwing a punch. She blocked his punch and rammed her knee into his side, winding him slightly. She spun into a high roundhouse kick and struck him in the face. He was thrown roughly to the ground, writhing in agony. Oscar stumbled to his feet and took a step toward her. Despite the cheering from the growing crowd of men to the beating she was giving her attackers, several men stepped forward to aid her and shoved Oscar back.

  “Leave the lady alone!”

  Her rescuers were met with booing from the men enjoying watching a woman beat two grown men. More men soon joined in. Oscar was quickly surrounded by fired up local boys looking to find a new source of entertainment. As they pushed and shoved Oscar while yelling profanities at him, Jackie turned and ran back toward the Ferris wheel. She removed her cell phone while jogging and darting through the crowd. The phone was immediately answered by a concerned Monroe.