“Jackie! Where are you?”
“On my way to you with some bad company,” she quickly informed him. “I have a thirty second head start. Get ready to move.”
“I’m heading to the rendezvous now,” Monroe responded from the other end. “Zach says your boyfriend is on his way too. He’s attempting a joker’s wild, so be prepared.”
Her look shattered. “God, help us!”
“Yeah, I know,” came the response.
Jackie replaced her phone and picked up speed through the crowd. As she approached the Ferris wheel, she could see several officers in the crowd. Just as she’d seen them, they saw her and pointed. Several policemen were heading in her direction. Jackie felt cornered and looked for an escape. Zach suddenly appeared out of nowhere and took on the first policeman with high roundhouse kicks. The remaining three officers assailed upon him. He skillfully handled all four with little effort and amazing skill. Watching Zach take on several men with martial arts moves was almost like watching a graceful dance. Had he actually intended to harm any of them, none would be returning to their feet. Jackie turned for the Ferris wheel to keep her date with Monroe. As she turned, she came face-to-face with Holden, who had an unpredictably calm look about him. Jackie suddenly stepped back into a fighting stance. Their eyes locked as he anticipated her move. She knew she had to go through him. Since he would be prepared for her karate moves, that meant she’d have to hurt him seriously. She considered a plan of attack that would take him down with minimal injury. She hesitated while staring at him and felt her body twitch. Jackie relaxed her fighting stance and lowered her fists. She couldn’t do it! She wasn’t willing to hurt him to go through him! Holden removed his handcuffs, swiftly grabbed her wrist, and forcibly cast her forward over one of the game stand counters to cuff her.
“You’re under arrest,” he growled lowly.
He roughly kicked her legs apart with his foot and cuffed her other wrist behind her back. He aggressively moved against her from behind, leaned over her shoulder, and spoke gruffly in her ear so no one else could hear.
“Anything you say will give me just cause to shoot you,” he scoffed and scanned the prying eyes around them. “Do you understand these rights?”
“Yeah, go fuck yourself,” she snapped in response.
Holden pulled her up from the counter by her arm. She looked several feet away at Zach, who was now subdued and on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back. He met her sympathetic gaze from where he lie and gave her a baffled look. With the way he was looking at her; she knew he’d witnessed her inability to fight Agent Falcone. She couldn’t bear to face him. She then glanced to her right and saw a concerned Monroe standing in the crowd, watching the entire scene with his hand to his temple. Apparently, he too witnessed her surprising surrender without a fight. She’d successfully betrayed the two men who’d laid their lives on the line for her. Jackie then saw Dexter and Oscar standing several yards away, watching the capture of their trophy.
“Dexter three o’clock,” she muttered to Holden.
Holden looked to their right. The two men slipped into the crowd and successfully vanished before he could identify either. She glared at Holden but was more disappointed in herself.
“I hope you’re happy,” she scoffed. “We’ll both be dead before morning.”
The officers brought the unusually cooperative Zach to Holden. He gave the appearance of a man with no fight left in him, but Jackie knew better. Zach scolded Jackie with a stern look. She could almost hear him mentally cursing at her. She frowned and looked away with disgrace. She didn’t want to involve Monroe, but now she’d made things worse by inadvertently handing Zach to the authorities. Considering he was supposed to be dead, she’d put him in a grave predicament, which could land him in an actual grave this time. Holden indicated Zach with a slight nod to the arresting officer alongside him.
“Find out who the hell he really is,” Holden remarked then indicated Jackie. “I’ll need somewhere to secure her. Think Alcatraz secure.”
The remaining three officers joined Holden in boxing around her, shielding her with their bodies, as they hurried her through the crowd of onlookers. She kept her head down to keep from having it unexpectedly blown off and also out of shame for disappointing her friends.
†
Two unmarked police cars pulled up to an average looking house on a residential road. Holden got out of the backseat from one of the cars and pulled the still handcuffed Jackie out behind him. She gave him a scathing, dirty look.
“Police brutality--”
“Shut up,” he growled at her then looked at the officer who got out of the driver’s side. Holden glared at Jonas with astonishment. “This is it? This is your safe house?”
Despite being a small town cop, Jonas didn’t appear offended by Holden’s criticism. “I know it doesn’t look like much, but it’s built with steel and concrete,” Jonas informed him.
“Hmm, sort of like a tomb,” Jackie remarked and eyed both men. “How fitting.”
Jonas glared at Jackie then looked back at Holden. “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer keeping her in a jail cell?”
“No offense, but that place is a cardboard box,” Holden remarked. “Any gunfire would shred through it.”
“The cells are in the basement,” he insisted. “That’s cement, and it’s underground.”
“With one way in and one way out,” Holden reminded him sternly. “If those were the governor’s hitmen hanging out at the fair, we’re not safe anywhere. At least here, we have a sporting chance of survival.”
“We have four officers, including myself,” Jonas informed him. “One will take the front, one the back, and two outside in patrol cars.”
“I don’t want to tell you how to do your job, Officer,” Holden announced then gave him a firm look, “but allow me to tell you how to do your job. Position one of your men on the roof with an assault rifle with a night scope. The other three should remain inside and keep watch from alongside the windows.” Holden had successfully offended Jonas, but he didn’t seem to care. “These men are professional killers. If you leave your men alone in patrol cars, they’ll be sitting ducks. I’d take her back tonight, if I could, but the fair traffic on the water puts us at risk for an ambush at sea. Then there’s that hurricane off the coast causing air transportation problems for my men, so my backup won’t be here until morning.”
“Then you’ll want to get her out first thing tomorrow morning, because I heard that hurricane is picking up speed and intensity. It intends to hit the island head-on tomorrow evening,” Jonas informed him. “If we survive tonight, we may get wiped off the island tomorrow.”
“We intend to be out of here long before that storm hits,” Holden assured him.
Jonas cast a stern glare at one of his men, Frederick, and indicated the house. “Show our guests to the Presidential Suite,” he announced.
Frederick nodded and escorted Holden and Jackie inside. Jonas nodded one of the officers to the roof.
“Care to take the crow’s nest?” Jonas asked the officer.
He nodded in response.
“Grab one of the assault rifles from the weapon’s safe in the house,” he informed him.
The officer hurried for the house to secure his weapon and take his crow’s nest position. Jonas stood alongside the last officer, Dan, and shook his head with disgust while staring after Holden and Jackie as they entered the house.
“Let’s make sure we don’t screw this up,” Jonas remarked. “Damned feds with their superior attitudes. Acting like we don’t know how to handle a few bad asses.”
“Bad asses we can handle,” Dan replied. “Hired assassins? We may be in over our heads a little.”
He glared his disapproval to his deputy’s lack of confidence. “We’re holding her inside a fort,” he announced. “No one’s getting inside without a written invitation. Did you bring along that bag Frederick found?”
“Yeah, I’ve got it i
n the trunk,” Dan replied. “Want me to take it inside?”
“After I’ve checked it out,” Jonas informed him. “I’ll meet you inside.”
†
Holden forced Jackie into the bland, prison cell like second floor bedroom. He locked and bolted the door behind them. The only window within the drab room had bars and steel shutters, giving the illusion of safe. He pushed Jackie onto the bed and approached a small room in the back. He peered into the small, concrete room and nodded his approval.
“Panic room,” Holden remarked. “Nice touch.”
Jackie sat on the bed with her hands still cuffed behind her back and watched him with little expression. He checked the bathroom then approached her with the handcuff keys, motioning for her to stand. Jackie showed little expression and did as he indicated, allowing him to remove the handcuffs. She moved away from him and gingerly rubbed her wrists. He glared at her in an unusually threatening manner.
“I’m warning you, Jackie,” he growled. “Fuck with me again, and I’ll shoot you myself.”
She was oddly silent but didn’t take her eyes off him. “Can I use the bathroom?”
“Sure,” he replied a little too quickly. “There’s no window and no lock. Take as long as you like.”
Jackie sneered at him, headed into the bathroom, and slammed the door with added vigor. Holden didn’t even flinch. There was a knock on the bedroom door. Holden looked out the peek hole then unlocked and opened the door to reveal Dan, who handed him Jackie’s duffle bag.
“We found her bag in a locker at the fairground,” Dan informed him. “She had two guns, phony ID’s, and over twenty thousand in cash.”
Holden took the bag from the officer. “Did you remove the guns?”
“Yeah, we locked them in the squad car,” he replied. “We left the cash in the bag. No one wants to be responsible for it, so I guess it’s your responsibility now.”
“Thanks,” Holden grumbled, lacking enthusiasm for that sort of responsibility. “I’ll take a change of clothes for her, but I’d prefer if you kept the bag downstairs. There’s no telling what gismos she has hiding in there.”
Dan snorted a laugh, mocking Holden. “You think she’s that resourceful?”
Holden gave the officer a serious look and nodded. “Yeah, I do. She’s Houdini with a black belt.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Holden sat on a chair alongside the door with his feet propped on the nightstand and flipped through an old magazine. He glanced at his watch and frowned. Jackie finally emerged from the bathroom, having been in there over an hour. She was freshly showered and changed into in a pair of clean shorts and a tank top. With the way Holden looked at her above his magazine; she knew she had succeeded in making him squirm with the length of time she’d spent in the bathroom. If he wanted to play her keeper, she was going to make him earn the title. Jackie glared at him then climbed onto the bed. She sat against the headboard, hugged her knees to her chest, and stared at the blank television screen. She had no interest in watching television or holding a conversation with the insufferable man.
If she was honest with herself, she was actually angry at her own actions more than Holden’s. She’d betrayed her friends. Zach would undoubtedly be punished severely for current and past crimes. She wasn’t even sure what those were, but it couldn’t be good. Monroe, with his hero complex, would undoubtedly do something stupid and she no longer had the means to tell him not to risk it. She didn’t even want to think about what he was plotting at that moment. Holden glanced at her over his magazine.
“Is that your helpless caged animal act?
She didn’t bother looking at him. “I didn’t realize we were talking.”
“We’re not,” he scoffed and tossed his magazine aside. “Try to get some sleep.”
“Thanks, but I prefer to be awake when they come to kill me,” she remarked lowly. “If you think you can sleep, I’ll be sure to wake you when they get here.”
“No offense, but I’m never shutting my eyes around you again,” Holden announced sternly.
Jackie continued to stare at the television in silence. Holden eyed the bruises on her wrists from the handcuffs. He frowned and moved to the edge of the bed facing her.
“I’m sorry for being so rough with you tonight.”
“Yeah?” she asked without looking at him or lifting her head from her knees. “Well, I’m sorry I didn’t kick the crap out of you when I had the chance.”
He stared at her a long moment in silent question. “So why didn’t you?”
Jackie lifted her head and glared at him. “Momentary lapse in judgment. I thought about Harris and lost my nerve,” she remarked then replaced her head to her knees. “Of course, two minutes later, I regretted that decision.”
Holden again eyed the bruises on her wrists. He hesitated and then reached for her wrists. Jackie yanked her hands away from him and shot him a venomous glare.
“Touch me and die.”
Holden sighed while frowning. He turned on the bed alongside her and positioned his back to the headboard. He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling.
“I had no right to be so rough with you,” he said gently. “I was still pissed about this morning. I don’t normally allow my emotions to surface like that.”
“I suppose if it made you feel better--”
He cast a sharp look at her even if she didn’t look back at him. “No, it didn’t make me feel better.”
She suddenly glared at him. “Oh, that’s a lie and you know it. You know damned well it wasn’t necessary to throw me over that stand.” Jackie sharply raised her brows. “And you know exactly why you did it.”
“Of course I do,” he replied sternly. “I did it because I was angry.”
“No, you did it to establish sexual dominance.”
Holden stared at her and appeared stunned by the comment. “I did no such thing.”
“Oh, please! You already had me subdued, but you threw me over that stand and gave me a good bump and grind for added measure. That’s the definition of sexual dominance.”
Holden stared at her with complete surprise and shook his head. “I know I didn’t do that.”
“I’m not going to argue with you about it. I know what you did. I was there,” she snapped. “Honestly, I was a bit surprised by your behavior too. You probably felt emasculated when you were found that way in the motel room, so you felt the need to ‘put me in my place’ so to speak.”
Holden appeared to consider the comment and looked across the room while deep in thought. He glanced back at her and raised his brows.
“I’m sure I didn’t do that, but you don’t exactly bring out the best in me,” he replied.
“Yeah, well, I don’t mix well with cold and unfeeling people,” she muttered.
“You think I’m cold and unfeeling?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” she snapped while glaring at him. “I’ve tried dragging emotions out of you several times with little success. I suppose I should be happy with sexual dominance. At least it’s something.”
“That’s not really a fair assumption, you know. I’m here to protect you, not entertain you,” Holden informed her. “Although, you seem to think I’m your personal lackey.”
Jackie groaned softly and allowed her head to fall back against the headboard. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind as she searched for some excuse to why she didn’t stomp on him when she had the chance. A little bruising to his ego and she would have been home free with Monroe. She just didn’t understand why she stopped herself. Why did she give in to that handsome face? The realization that she’d answered her own question hit hard. How could Zach have been right about her feelings for Agent Falcone? What the hell did Zach know about women and emotions? She felt sorry for herself a moment longer then looked at him.
“Harris and I would have gotten along a hell of a lot better,” she remarked.
“Would you have left him handcuffed to a bed?” Holden sudden
ly demanded.
Jackie tilted her head with arrogance and raised her brows. “If I had, he would have enjoyed it.”
He seemed momentarily set back by her comment. If he was uncomfortable, he didn’t show it. “You’ve fucked me twice already, and I can’t say I enjoyed it either time.”
Jackie sharply glared at him in response. Had that comment come from one of her father’s military buddies, she would have found it amusing. Hearing it coming from him just added to her growing annoyance with him.
†
The Dark Water Island police officer sat quietly on the roof and scanned the dimly lit neighborhood surrounding the safe house through the night scope on his rifle. Despite the earlier storm clouds, the night was clear and quiet. In the distance, faint sounds from the fair could be heard. It was getting late, close to ten o’clock, and the Friday night fireworks would soon be displayed. The officer would have a perfect view of the fireworks from his position perched on the second story roof. He again scanned the surrounding area through the night scope of his rifle. Something moved just beyond his line of sight. He scanned further into the development to catch a glimpse of what he had possibly seen. The tail end of an unfamiliar vehicle was seen partially exposed beyond a newly built garage. The vehicle hadn’t been there earlier.
He scanned the area near the newly arrived vehicle for signs of life. There was always the possibility the vehicle just belonged to some kids looking for somewhere quiet to get drunk or make out. He caught a glimpse of a man with what appeared to be an assault rifle. The officer zeroed in on the man just before he darted behind the nearby house. The man again appeared at the edge of the house with what was definitely an assault rifle in his hand. The officer caught the man in the crosshairs of his night scope and aimed for his leg. A gust of parting air broke the silence. The officer’s finger tightened on the trigger and the rifle fired with a loud crack. He immediately looked to his shoulder and saw blood spreading across his shirt. Before he even realized he’d been shot, there was another gust of parting air.
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