by Mia Caldwell
“This is what’s in store for you, if you ever try to leave me again, but just so you don’t forget, I’m going to let you stay here for a while.”
And then…. Oh, God, No.
Jana couldn’t bear the memory. Tied to the top of the dead girl. Forced to spend the night.
When he’d come back for her, she’d pretended to be obedient. But, when he was busy, burying the body in the back, she’d managed to get away. She didn’t know how she got out of the mountains, or how she’d made it to Holly’s apartment.
The car moved again, and Jana’s mind came back to the present. She couldn’t let him do that to her. She couldn’t let him make her his star. She had something to live for now. Merrick.
“Oh God,” she said as a pain kicked her gut. He’d already shot Merrick. If he’d killed him, she’d rip out his heart. Anger and a desire for revenge vibrated through every cell in her body. Where there was a will, there was a way. In a flash of inspiration, it occurred to her that his gun might not be on him. Carefully, she changed her position and inched slowly up so she could peer over the passenger seat. Adrenaline surged as she spotted the gun, sitting on the seat, assuming she was passed out. She made a lung for it.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
The back of the car dropped causing Jana to miss the gun and throwing her back. With all her strength she heaved her body over the seat again and this time grabbed the gun. When he yanked the back door open, she felt his hands grabbing her hips. He didn’t know she had the gun. She twisted her body around, distracting him with an elbow to his face. He pulled her out of the car violently and flung her back into the marsh. She managed to get off a shot before she fell painfully on her ass and one elbow. She heard him scream and saw him fall.
Gasping for breath she staggered to her feet in the mud, holding the gun in both shaking hands. She moved towards him, staying away from his long arms. He was still alive, breathing hard, a rattling in his chest. He lay on his back in an awkward position, the marsh water seeping up over him. His eyes were wide with rage, but he didn’t seem to have the capacity to move or speak. Maybe she’d paralyzed him.
The sound of a helicopter coming close, made Jana look up. Lights swept through the marsh, someone was coming. She heard brakes squeal and a car door open, and people talking loudly in the distance.
People were coming. They’d be here soon. They’d take him to a hospital, fix him up, and give him life in prison. He didn’t deserve that.
It didn’t matter. She couldn’t worry about that now. She had to rid the world of this cancer. She had to get her revenge. For the dead girl’s sake. For Merrick’s sake.
“Bombshell, don’t.”
Her face hardened.
“No,” Tony shouted. But she didn’t care. She fired and was almost thrown back into the mud from the kick back. His hands grabbed at his bleeding member, and his scream ripped through the marsh, sending a flock of birds crying up into fading clouds.
“Jesus,” Tony said.
The sheriff was in agony, but he was still alive.
“That was for the girl.”
She widened her stance and held the gun with all her strength. “And this one’s for Merrick, you monster.”
She emptied the gun into his chest, then dropped the useless gun into the mud as strong arms supported her no longer working legs.
Bombshell let Tony support her. She’d be strong for him. He’d lost his brother.
The sirens grew louder and emergency lights flashed across the wetlands. Jana felt numb as men in uniform ran over.
Tony hissed into her ear. “Bombshell, let me handle this. Sit in the car and act like you’re in shock. Don’t say anything.”
She nodded. She was in shock. That wouldn’t be hard to fake. She crumpled into the backseat, and burst into tears. Her world was over. Merrick was dead.
Chapter Twenty Nine
But, as the crime scene tape was being set up, Jana heard something over the din of her pounding shattered heart that made the tears stop. Tony was standing outside the cab door, keeping people away from her, and she heard him speaking on the phone. “How’s Merrick doing?”
He was still alive? Her chest contracted.
No one was around, so she tapped on the window. Tony opened the door. “Don’t speak,” he whispered, “you’re still in shock.”
“Is Merrick’s still alive?” she whispered, hardly believing it could be true.
“Yeah,” he said and a smile passed over his face. The smile that could only mean, that the man she loved had somehow survived. “Shhhh,” he added and put a finger to his lips. “Someone’s coming.”
Jana sat back in against the seat and tried to look like she was in shock.
A women dressed in a pant suit stepped into her line of sight, then opened the door. “Are you Jana Peters?” she asked.
Jana made her face go blank and let her tongue loll out of her mouth a little.
“Don’t pull that shit with me, ma’am. I heard you talking a minute ago.”
Jana’s shoulders drooped and her heart started pumping fast. She was about to get arrested. She was going to spend the rest of her life in jail because she had murdered a monster. Her chest tightened as she realized what that meant. Merrick was alive, but she’d never see Merrick again, or kiss him, or feel his warm body next to hers. He wouldn’t want her. Not after Tony told him what a cold-blooded killer she was. A tear fell down her cheek. It wasn’t fair.
“Ms. Peters?” the woman said in a voice quieter and gentler than she’d expect from the law. She peered at the woman and caught her glancing around, as if she didn’t want anyone to overhear them. She drew closer.
Tony tried to intervene. “Give her a break.”
The woman put out an authoritative hand out, telling Tony to back off or face her wrath. In a clear and quiet voice, she spoke to Jana. “Listen, let me do the talking. Don’t say anything.”
Jana gulped and let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Maybe she wasn’t about to go to jail after all. Tony looked relieved as well and took guard duty, making sure that no one was coming close enough to overhear.
“Here’s what I think you should say when they start questioning you.”
Jana gulped and prepared herself to pay attention. This woman was trying to help her. “After he kidnapped you, he got stuck in the mud. He thought you were knocked out cold, so he left the gun on the seat while he tried to push the car out of the muck.”
Jana nodded. That was exactly how it had gone down.
“But you weren’t knocked out, so you took the opportunity and grabbed the gun. He tried to take it away, so you shot him in self-defense. But you don’t remember where you shot him, or how many times. You were too scared. Okay?”
She remembered exactly how many times and exactly where, but she nodded again.
Tony hissed. “Someone’s coming over.”
Several officers were walking towards them. The woman quickly leaned down and whispered into Jana’s hear. “Don’t worry about these yahoos, I’ll get rid of them,” she said.
As soon as the officers were within earshot, the woman spoke in a sharp authoritarian voice. “I’m taking this woman to the hospital,” she announced and helped Jana to her feet. Tony took Jana’s other side and they started moving towards one of the cars.
“Wait, just a minute,” the officer said. “We need to question this young lady. This is a crime scene. She doesn’t look that bad off.”
The woman in the suit, released Jana into Tony’s supportive hands. “Look, Officer—what’s your name?” she said as she peered at his badge. She reached into her coat and whipped out her own. “This is an FBI matter. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere.”
The officer’s face went from irritated to worried, then morphed into respectful. “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. But this is a crime scene, and that dead body back there is in my jurisdiction. I need to know what to file in
my report.”
“Isn’t it obvious? You know she was kidnapped, right?”
“Yeah, lots of witnesses testifying to that.”
“Well, clearly he got stuck in the mud, must have thought she was knocked out cold, so he left the gun on the seat when he went to try to push the car out, she grabbed it, and killed him in self-defense. Simple. Can we go now?”
The officer pressed his lips together, then said, “Yeah, I guess.”
And Tony and the FBI agent helped Jana to her car.
As soon as they were on the road, Jana let out a gasp. “Thank you,” she said. “Please take me to see Merrick.”
Chapter Thirty
When they got to the hospital, Jana refused to worry about herself. She had some bruises, and her whole body ached, but she was going to be just fine. She had one thought and only one thought on her mind. She had to see Merrick.
Merrick looked like hell lying on the hospital bed, with the center of his body wrapped and bandaged. When he looked up, his face broke into a pained smile. “Bombshell,” he said.
Jana rushed to his side, leaning over him, staring into his eyes, as her eyes teared with happiness. He was going to be okay. Everything was going to be okay.
Merrick took her hands. “I love you, Bombshell. Please never leave me again.”
“I love you too, Merrick, I promise I’ll never leave you.”
A moment later, she had to break her promise as a nurse came in and shooed them both away. They didn’t have permission to be back in this part of the hospital, the nurse said as she scolded them outside his door.
“I love you, Bombshell,” Merrick shouted from inside the room.
“I love you,” Jana shouted back, as they left the restricted area. When they got into the waiting room, Holly almost tackled Jana.
“Jana, you’re alright, thank God,” hugging her so hard Jana lost her breath.
“Bombshell?” They all turned around. Jana was surprised to see her psychologist standing before them. “Doctor Garcia.”
“You missed your appointment, dear,” the shrink said in a mock serious tone.
They all laughed.
“I’m sorry, Doctor, I was a little busy.”
“I can see that. In fact, I heard all about it in the hallway. So, you’re in love with Merrick Flynn, is that correct?” she said, and motioned Jana to a long empty couch in the waiting room.
Jana got the gist and lay down on the couch, resting her back against the uncomfortable straight edge. “Yes, doctor, I am,” she said.
The psychologist sat on the edge of a heavy marble coffee table. She grabbed a magazine and plucked an imaginary pen out from behind her ear, then started making notes on her imaginary patient file.
“Very interesting, Bombshell, tell me more.”
Chapter Thirty One
Jana spent every minute at the hospital during Merrick’s recovery. She also got to meet and become good friends with all of Merrick’s relatives, which consisted of a huge extended fourth generation Italian family, all from his Merrick’s stepfather’s side. She moved out of the hotel’s penthouse suite and into Mama G’s spare bedroom. Holly had moved in as well, and the two of them dealt with the odd events that had brought them to Atlantic City.
Jana saw Doctor Garcia every day until the doctor returned to her practice in Florida during the sessions, she went through some hypnosis, where she’d been forced to relive some of the most horrifying moments.
Merrick needed to stay in the hospital, but that didn’t stop him from putting down his foot, when the FBI tried to get Jana to fly to Misty Falls with them to help them identify the location of the house where she’d witness the snuff film production.
Instead, Merrick use his own money to hire a plane to fly over the likely areas and produce aerial shots. The video and still shots from the pilot were forwarded to Merrick and with Tony and a nurse present, as well as Special Agent Carson and one of her tech wizards, they wheeled Merrick into a conference room and they stared at hundreds of images hoping something would pop out for Jana. After several hours, they were starting to lose hope. Jana was beginning to doubt herself as well. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she’d imagined the whole thing. Maybe she hadn’t murdered a murderer.
“Are you alright?” Merrick said from his wheelchair.
“I just need some fresh air.”
Merrick wheeled himself next to Jana as she went to an atrium.
“What is it, honey?” he asked, concerned.
Jana was feeling guilty. She hadn’t told anyone that she’d murdered the sheriff in cold blood. Tony knew it. But, somehow, she doubted that he’d told Merrick. Merrick said he loved her, but how could he, if he knew? It didn’t matter; keeping that secret from him was eating her up inside.
“I killed him,” she said, more to herself than to him.
“What?”
“He was injured and he couldn’t hurt me anymore, and the police were coming—I didn’t have to kill him, but I did. I murdered him in cold blood. I’m a killer. How can you love me?”
Merrick got out of his wheelchair. Jana could see the pain of his face and tried to stop him, but he struggled to his feet.
“Come here, you,” he said and pulled her close. She made sure not to let her body touch his injured side. “You’re not a murderer; don’t say that. He deserved to die. You had no choice. You did what you had to do.”
For the first time since it had happened, Jana actually believed what he was saying. It wasn’t like she had had a choice, not really.
She cried in his arms until the tears stopped.
“I love you, Jana,” he said.
“I love you too.”
Jana insisted that Merrick return to this wheelchair, and they went back to the conference room. Two more rolls of video to look at, then they could go back to their lives.
As she looked at the footage, something caught her eye. “Stop, go back!” she said. The FBI technician reversed the footage a few frames. “There, see that yellow? That’s a school bus. I remember walking by a house with old school busses.”
The technician used the zoom and the image got bigger. Sure enough, the outlines of a yellow school bus peeked through the pine trees.
“Get the address,” Special Agent Carson ordered her technician, “Then get a team out there right away, and take the cadaver dogs.”
Chapter Thirty Two
Two days later, Merrick was scheduled to be released. He’d been out of the wheelchair and walking around the floor, antsy to leave the hospital and be with his girl.
Jana had been anxious about Merrick’s homecoming, and Tony had moved out of the beach house, so Merrick and Bombshell could have a place to themselves.
Per hospital rules, Merrick reluctantly got back into the wheelchair for the trip down to the front entrance. At Tony’s suggestion, Holly brought over a second wheelchair, and Jana amiably agreed to sit in it.
When they arrived on the bottom floor, Tony and Holly pushed Merrick and Jana, not to the front doors where she expected, but down a hallway.
“Where are we going?” Jana wanted to know. She looked at Merrick, who didn’t seem surprised at all. In fact, he was avoiding her gaze. What’s going on?
At the end of the hall, Mama G. was standing in front of a large door. She pushed it open and waved the wheelchair caravan inside.
The room, a plain conference room, had been decked out with plants and bird cages, a table covered in white linen in the center. Jana’s heart flipped in her chest. It looked just like the garden room at the hotel, where she’d been with Merrick the morning Holly had shown up. There were no chairs, so Holly and Merrick were pushed so that they faced each other over the candlelit table.
Linda walked into the room, a huge smile on her face. She carried a tray and set it down in front of them. The largest, freshest, sweetest-looking strawberries Jana had ever seen swirled in white chocolate. Her mouth watered and her heart thumped in her chest.
&n
bsp; Around her, the room began to fill up. She recognized everyone—people from the Hotel, all of Merrick’s cousins, everyone.
“Merrick?” Jana asked. “What’s going on?”
Merrick pushed himself out of his wheelchair and came around to her side. Holly turned Jana’s chair so she was facing Merrick. Tony and Holly both moved to the edge of the room as Merrick got down on one knee. From his pocket, he pulled out a small velvet-covered box. Jana’s throat went dry as her body went numb, her chest expanding to large she could hardly breathe.
“Jana Peters, Mona Lisa Van Dyke, Bombshell, and love of my heart, will you marry me, please?” he said. She stared at him, his sapphire eyes moist and round, pleading, wanting, needing her.
Any doubts Jana had about whether he could possibly love her considering her sins, flew out of her mind. She got up, pushing the wheelchair out of her way, and with a loud, “Yes,” she threw herself into Merrick’s waiting embrace, taking him by surprise and the two of them fell over and rolled onto the floor, laughing, kissing and loving each other as the room erupted into joyous applause.
Epilogue
Merrick and Bombshell, as he insisted on calling her, were married six months later in a tasteful but very expensive ceremony. Her name was legally changed to Jana Bombshell Flynn, and Holly was of course her maid of honor. Charlie and Joann flew out for the ceremony, and Merrick gave them the deed to their house as a thank-you for their help, and also because he didn’t need their services anymore.
The performance center he’d designed, which had once been his primary obsession, no longer mattered to him. He sold it to a rival casino owner for a very good price and let the man worry about finding the opening performer. Bombshell, it turned out, had no desire to be a star. Despite her amazing talent, she was more like him and had no desire to be in the limelight. When she told him that she’d only performed that strongly the night he’d seen her at the talent show because it was the only way she could think of to leave Misty Falls, he realized that the place was somewhere she never wanted to go back to again. Knowing that his cabin would only bring bad memories to his beloved wife, he put the place on the market and used the proceeds to buy a stunning waterfront home on St. Bart’s, a place Bombshell fell in love with after they went there for their honeymoon.