by S. K. Lessly
Finally, I remembered something. Malcolm and Josh both had safe rooms built inside their homes some months back. It was in fact a competition on who would have the best contingency plan just in case someone brought a fight to them.
Josh didn’t want the safe room inside his house. He preferred to have it underneath his property but a few feet from his house. He had spiral staircase installed that lead to the basement from the second floor. He reinforced a back wall with steel and concrete, protecting the stairs and a short hallway leading to his safe room.
Malcolm was different. He decided to build his safe room on the second level and installed a staircase that led to the basement from the safe room as a secondary means of escape. In the basement he had a hallway built that led to the house next door, which, ironically, he also owned. The problem was Izabella couldn’t move him. But I could get help sent to her inside the safe room.
“Shane, are you still there?”
“Uhhh, yeah, I’m here. Listen, I’m sending help your way.”
“No, did you hear me? There’s—”
“Yeah, I know. Trust me. Malcolm has a hidden staircase inside the safe room. It leads to the basement. There’s a door at the bottom of the steps and a corridor that leads to the house next door. I’m going to send help to you that way. Don’t worry about them getting in through the blast doors of the safe room. Knowing my brother, Jesus Christ couldn’t get in there. You’re safe. Just do what you can for Malcolm until help arrives. If you can find it or get to it, there’s a first aid kit somewhere inside that room. He’ll have a clotting agent inside to help stop the bleeding.”
Izabella sighed. “Okay, I’ll look for it. Just get here soon, he’s really looking pale.”
“Count on it.”
I hung up and called the office. Junior picked up.
“Shane, I’ve found—”
“Never mind. Listen, I need Bravo team directed to Malcolm’s house immediately. Tell Steve that there’s armed men there trying to break into Malcolm’s safe room on the second floor. Tell him to get Charlie team to go with him if he needs to.”
“Yeah, we know. I was able to hack into his security room and saw he was under attack. Both teams are already in route. They should be there in less than ten minutes.”
“Good. Can you see inside the room?”
“Yeah, Malcolm looks down, injured. That CIA analyst chick that was here, umm… Fuentes is applying pressure to his stomach. There’s lots of…ummm…”
“I know.”
I paused as I felt my chest get tight and my throat seize. I swallowed my emotions down and continued. “He doesn’t have a lot of time. Did you send medical team with them?”
“Yes,” Junior replied.
“Okay good. Have the medical team enter through the house next door. Tell them to go to the basement. Malcolm has a hidden entrance to his house down there. You’ll have to give them the code to the security door at the house as well as the basement once they get there. There will be steps that will lead them to the safe room, bypassing the unwanted guests. Tell them there’s no time to waste. Get him on a stretcher and extract him the same way they entered.”
“Got it, what about Misty? I think I found her.”
“You think?”
“Sorry. I found her parent’s car.”
“Why her parents’ car?”
“Well, her car is in the mountains of Virginia. Knowing Misty, she isn’t the type that likes the outdoors like that. I figured her parents had her car. I then did a search for her parent’s car and I found her.”
“Okay. Where?”
“Dewey Beach.”
“Where?” I frowned looking up at my location and making a quick u-turn once I realized I was exactly where I needed to be.
“Dewey Beach. It’s a small beach in Delaware, south of Rehoboth Beach. It’s odd though.”
“What is?”
“Well, I used thermal imaging to scan the area. I wanted to make sure she was there. I found a lone figure jogging along the beach and I used 3D imaging to make sure it was her. It was. I followed her until she stopped in front of a huge two-story house.”
“Okay, and what’s odd about that?”
“Well her parent’s car isn’t parked in front of the house she stopped at. The car is parked a few houses down. Why would she do that?”
I let a small grin play on the side of my face. “That’s Misty. She’s trying to throw us off her scent. Okay, listen up. I’m on my way to Hell. Have the chopper fueled and waiting on the helipad. What teams are there fortifying the facility?”
“Golf and Tango are at the facility. Fox and Echo teams are here.”
“Okay, call Bryant from Tango team. Have them locked, loaded and ready to move when I get there. I should be there in ten.”
“Will do.” Junior replied and I heard him banging on his keyboard.
“Also, I want you to keep an eye on her. Let me know the second it gets hot where she is, understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What about Sweets?”
“Curtis and Jesse have her and are en route. They said they encountered some resistance but they handled it. They’re transporting one of the men from Emily’s team. Maybe we can get some information from them.”
I highly doubt it but it was worth a shot. “Okay. When Jacks gets in, have him interrogate their prisoner and call me if he has something. Also, keep me posted on the progress of getting my brother to safety.”
“Yes, sir, I will,” Junior verbalized, his voice full of focus. I didn’t have to tell him this next part, but I did anyway.
“We’re under attack, Junior. Do you understand what’s happening?” I asked him.
“Yes,” he replied, however I added just to make sure he understood the shit we were in.
“Emily Parsons and possibly the CIA had the audacity to wage war on this team. Best believe someone’s going to pay for this shit. You with me?”
“Yes, sir,” he replied his tone growing harder.
“Bring us to threat level one. Update the necessary people and advise I will update them when I can.”
“Yes sir.”
“Good. Out!”
I hung up and focused on the road. I had about five more minutes before I arrived at the facility, which was plenty of time to let the rage fester.
So, Emily Parsons had made her move. Fuck, I should have let Misty kill her when we had the chance. A scary thought suddenly popped into my head and I quickly grabbed my phone and called my parents. My father answered on the second ring.
“We’re good son,” he informed me after our introductions. “The Kings asked us to head to the mountains with them. We’re about to head out to a bonfire shindig.” My father then paused and asked, “Is everything good with you?”
There was no way I was about to tell him about Malcolm, not yet anyway, and I damn sure wasn’t going to tell him about Josh. But I couldn’t keep him in the dark either.
I said to him, “Yeah, Pops, everything’s good. We just have a bit of heat coming our way. I need you and Dr. King to stay vigilant. You guys have protection up there?”
“Always son, we don’t leave home without it. Plus, Vern has a fully stocked gun collection up here right next to his fully stocked bar. We’re good. You let me know if we need to come on home, yeah?”
“I will, Pops. In the meantime, stay up there. I got things down here.”
“I know you do. Love you, son.”
“Love you too, Pops. Kiss Ma for me.”
I hung up then called my brother-in-law.
Nolan Fox was a cop with the Metropolitan Police Department, the MPD, in D.C. He was part of the Special Divisions unit that handled bomb threats, hostage situations, and any high-risk situations of violence, such as terrorist plots and attacks. The man was a bad dude, highly trained and capable to handle anything that came his way. I had no doubt he would protect my sister and our family with his life no question.
He picked u
p on the third ring and I gave him the story as it stood, Josh was missing and Malcolm was shot.
“I need you to protect my sister,” I told him.
“That goes without saying. But what about you and everyone else?”
“Everyone else is fine. Ma and Pops are in the mountains with Misty’s parents. They’re covered. I’m on my way to check on Misty and Curtis has Sweets. They’re going to take her to the office so she can help find Josh.”
“Is it safe there? Do you want her to come here with us?”
“So far, she’s good. I’ll ask but you know her. There’s no way she’s going to stay out of the fight. Plus, I need her. She’ll be safe. You know my office is safer than Fort Knox. I’ll call you with updates on Josh and Malcolm. I may need the boys in blue to keep an eye on Malcolm once he gets to the hospital.”
“You got it. Just let me know. I’ll send my team there. In fact, I’m hearing some chatter about some shooting in Malcolm’s neighborhood. Do you need backup?”
“No, they have everything under control. In fact, you’ll probably hear more in a few minutes. I’ll text you once they have Malc and what hospital they’re taking him to.”
“Alright, brother. You know I have your back. Let me know if there’s anything I can do on my end,” Nolan offered and I knew he meant every word. Nolan was one of those quiet types, my sister had the mouth and attitude for the both of them. However, don’t sleep on him. The man was just as deadly as we were. My sister wouldn’t have it any other way.
I hung up with Nolan and breathed a sigh of relief. My parents were safe for now, so were Misty’s parents. My sister was also covered. Knowing that, I could put all my focus on my team and finding Emily. The regret from not unleashing Misty on Emily was weighing heavily, along with guilt. Best believe I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Speaking of mistakes, I picked up my phone, searched for the contact I needed and hit send. I didn’t think he’d answer my call, but much to my surprise the call picked up.
“Major Cooper,” Luther Santini answered, his tone alert and expectant. It was as if he knew I’d call.
“I take it you were expecting my call.” I said to him, trying not to go ballistic on his ass.
“Yes. I figured you’d want to talk about the failure of a meeting we had. I’m actually surprised you waited this long to contact me.”
This fucker was full of bullshit. I told him as much too.
“You’re so full of shit, Santini. You know exactly why I’m calling and it doesn’t have anything to do with the fucking meeting.”
Santini paused for a few heartbeats before he asked, “Where are you?”
“That doesn’t matter. What does matter is that your prize assassin has just signed her death warrant. The question is, have you signed yours.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Is that a threat?”
“That depends on you. Where is she?”
“I have no idea.” He rebutted and I snorted.
“Isn’t she working for you?”
“Come on, Major, you know the answer to that. Are any of our prize assassins, as you call it, working for us. Why are you calling me?”
“Did the CIA sanction a hit on my team?”
Santini paused before he answered. “No. At least I hadn’t heard anything about a hit.”
It was the answer I was looking for, because it opened him up for the next question.
“Oh, so you knew about the kidnapping of my brother then.”
Silence.
“Choose your answer wisely, Santini.”
“I don’t respond kindly to threats.” He barked and I went off.
“You don’t respond kindly to threats? Do you think I give a fuck about you and your sensibilities? Understand something, from where I stand, the CIA has just declared war on my team and I will respond in kind. You have fucked with the wrong one. You better hope I find my brother in one piece, or I swear to God I will make the last seconds of your fucking life the worst you ever felt. I’m coming for you. After this is done, I will take my pound of flesh from your useless, fucking traitorous ass. You got that, you sorry son of a bitch!”
“You can stop with the gotdamn threats. I get it. You’re pissed. I had nothing to do with any of this. You can choose to believe me or not. I don’t give a fuck either way. My life is over as I know it anyway. After this night, the CIA will have my hide that is if Parsons doesn’t get to me first.”
I scoffed. “Santini, you better wish they get to you before I do, and best believe that’s not a threat but a promise.”
Silence again.
I had no doubt that he understood the shit he was in; it was evident in the heavy breathing I heard over the phone. I remained on the line, waiting for him to realize his life was no longer in his control. The only control he had left was whether his death would be quick and painless or long and insufferable. I was hoping for the latter, but I’m good with either.
“What if I could help you? You know give you some information,” he proposed, finally breaking the heavy silence.
“That’s the least you could fucking do,” I retorted, bitterly. I pulled up to the gates of Hell and waited for the two Marines and one of my guys, Tacoma, to walk toward me. All three were armed to the teeth and heads on a swivel as they approached. I gave them a head nod and watched as the gates were pushed open by Tacoma. I cleared the gate and headed toward the back of the campus where a black UH-D1 helicopter, equipped with gunships, was ready and loaded.
I heard Santini sigh, reminding me I still had him on the line. I decided to get to the reason I called him.
“Do you know where she is or what she’s up to?”
“I have my suspicions, but I’m not sure.”
“Well tell me what you are sure of?” I challenged and he did just that and more.
17
Misty
I stared out into the distance, the weight of my fucked-up life weighing heavily on my chest. I blinked back the remnants of the dream I’d just woken from—no, better yet, the bloody nightmare—and tried to stay in the present. With my knees bent and my feet resting on my chair, I wrapped my arms around my legs, hugging myself as best I could. I closed my heavy eyelids as the touch of the warm morning sun traveled along my body.
God, it ached to breathe. Every beat of my heart shot undeniable pain throughout my restless body. Nevertheless, I welcomed the pain. I deserved it. My life was in shambles and it was all my fault
Good thing I was able to find a place to escape to clear my head. My parents knew someone who was willing to let me hide out in their Victorian beach house for a few days. I took advantage of their friend’s generosity, took my parent’s car instead of mine and made my way to the beach. I needed the break from my tormented-as-fuck life and this place was exactly what I needed. It allowed me to face the truth I’d been denying for far too long. I was a fucking idiot.
Do you see now just how bad I had fucked up?
I had walked out on the man of my dreams.
Did you understand me? I.walked.out!
Can you believe that shit?
Why couldn’t I just open my mouth and talk to him? Why didn’t I explain myself, tell him my fears, my struggles, and let him be there for me? I mean that’s what he was trying to do, right? Be there for me? Love me? And as always, I had fucked everything up.
I shook my head and rested my forehead against my bent knees.
I hadn’t meant to walk out on him and I sure as hell had not meant to keep things from him. Shane had said I had trust issues, and he was right. I had that thought my issues didn’t include my loved ones, but maybe it did. If I had trusted him, I would have told him everything that happened, from what had gone down between Simon and me to what had happened to Sweets without a second thought. God, seeing the looks of pain, anger, and heartbreak on his face had gutted me. I could see the depths of how much I had hurt him in his cold bluish-green eyes, which had only gutted me more.
&nbs
p; I raked my fingers through my hair as the truth finally settled in my heart. I blinked back the tears, trying not to bawl my eyes out again. I’d done enough crying on the way to this beach house that could flood the earth ten times over.
Since I was riding this single-passenger, self-loathing train, maybe I should look at everyone’s opinion of me. Like Malcolm. Maybe he was right about me too. Maybe I was reckless with my life and the lives of my team. Let’s look at the shit that’s gone down the last few weeks, shall we?
One, I kept shit from the team. Two, I went against orders and put my life at risk. And three, I put my team at risk with my behavior in the lobby. I guess when you look at it from their eyes; I was out of control. If I was being honest, my life was out of control and I had no idea how to get it back.
No! You know what? Fuck that! He was wrong. They both were wrong. I was a good operative. No, better yet, I was one of the best. I had been doing this type of shit for years. I could shoot better than anyone. My knife game was sharper than any fucking seasoned vet in this game. I could fight and kill with the precision that would give someone nightmares. I wasn’t reckless. I was smart, calculating, and cunning.
I was a got damn badass!
Also, I didn’t have trust issues, not when it came to the people I loved. I trusted Shane with my life. I trusted all of them with my life. Malcolm, Josh, Sweets, baby Jay, baby Sweets, all of the Coopers, and my parents meant everything to me. However, Shane… that man meant more than everything to me. He was my lifeline, my soul, my dreams, and desires. I would lay down my life for him without question or hesitation.
So, why hadn’t I told him all of that instead of walking out? I’ll tell you why. Because I was an idiot that’s why.
Fucking hell!
I lifted my head and rested my gaze on the horizon over the Atlantic Ocean.
The only good thing that came out of this fiasco was the secret I’d been holding back from him that was finally revealed. It was proof that I wasn’t the woman for him. I couldn’t be. My failed marriage was evidence that it wouldn’t work.