by Mike Ryan
“Heather?” one of the men asked.
“Yes.”
“Hi. Cain sent us to meet you and take you to a secure location so you’d be safe.”
“Oh? He didn’t say anything to me about that before we left,” Heather said.
“Change of plans. He called us while you were in mid-air,” the man lied.
“Oh. So where are we going?”
“One of our safe houses.”
“So did Matt call you from his cell phone?” she asked.
“Uhh, yeah.”
“Oh. His cell wasn’t working before.”
“He fixed it.”
The men led Heather and Cassie away, pretending to be protecting them. Heather knew they were lying as Cain would never send anyone to meet them. Plus, she knew that Cain didn’t have his cell phone anymore so it was an easy trap. They were Sanders’ men. She knew what was in store for her but could only hope that they’d let her sister and the baby go. She’d plead for their lives if she had to. She didn’t have to think about it for long though. As they were leaving the airport and walking in the parking lot, Heather’s eyes raised when she saw a familiar face coming closer to them.
“There’s been a change of plans,” the man told the agents.
“What change? Who are you?”
“My name’s Wentworth. Sanders sent me to make sure these women were not eliminated.”
“Why did he send you? Why didn’t he just contact us directly?” the agent asked.
“Looks like they’ve got Cain pinned down in a warehouse right now. He’s a little busy with that. If they can’t smoke him out, he wants to use this pair as leverage and try to use them as bargaining chips. Their life for his.”
“He thinks Cain will go for that?”
“He’s sure of it,” Raines replied, smirking. “Should we put them in your car?”
“Yeah. It’s over here.”
Raines gave Heather a wink and started walking to the side of them. Heather nudged her sister in the arm and gave her a look to let her know something was about to happen. Cassie understood the message. As they walked to the car, Raines gradually walked slower to let the group get completely in front of him. Once they got to the car, one of the men started to climb in before Raines grabbed his arm to stop him.
“Hey. Where are your manners? Ladies first,” Raines told him.
The man shrugged and rolled his eyes but complied with the request. He opened the back door and let the two sisters get in. Once they were both sitting in the car, Raines had the opportunity he was seeking. He didn’t want to get into a gunfight with the women possibly getting in the middle of it and taking a stray bullet. Getting them into the car by themselves at least afforded them some protection.
“Well, I guess this is where we’ll part company,” Raines stated.
“What? What’re you talking about?”
“I’m switching teams.”
Raines reached into his coat and pulled out a gun and commenced firing. Before any of the Specter agents knew what was happening they were lying on the ground, blood pouring out of their bodies. Raines acted with such surprise and quickness that none of the other agents were even able to grab their guns. One bullet to each of them put them down. As they were lying there, just to make sure they were dead, Raines unloaded another round into each of their lifeless bodies. He then opened the car door and ushered the woman out.
“We haven’t much time,” Raines told them. “Once these men don’t report they’ll assume something happened and put the word out.”
“Thanks. You’re a little late though,” Heather replied.
“Once I got here I noticed these jokers roaming through the airport. I didn’t want to engage in a shootout in there so I had to wait to get them into a better position.”
“Well, thank you.”
“Not necessary.”
“Hmm. That’s what Matt would say,” Heather said. “Is Matt really pinned down right now?”
“No. I just told them what I thought would get the job done,” Raines replied.
Raines’ car wasn’t parked too far away and they rushed over to it, reaching it in a matter of minutes. He put them in the back seat and told them to get down to avoid being seen as he drove away. Once they were on the road for a few minutes Raines told them it was safe to sit up again.
“That was more excitement then I’d care to have again,” Cassie stated.
“Hopefully it will be the last you’ll have of it,” Raines replied.
“Can I ask you something?” Heather wondered.
“If I say no will you ask it anyway?”
“Probably.”
“In that case, go ahead,” Raines said.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Cain asked me to.”
“Yeah, I know that. But why are you really doing it? You don’t owe him. Or us. What’s it matter to you what happens to us?” Heather asked.
“It’s complicated.”
“I’ve got time.”
“There are many factors involved.”
“You’re a wanted man. Aren’t you taking a bigger risk of them finding you?”
“I take a risk every day I get out of bed.”
“You’re evading the question.”
“One of my best qualities,” Raines said.
“So you’re not gonna answer?”
“I don’t know how much Cain has told you about this line of work, but things are hardly ever as clear cut as they appear. In fact, I’d say things are almost always not what they seem to be.”
“So how’s that apply to you?” Heather wondered. “Are you not who you appear to be?”
“There are many facets to my involvement in this. Most of which I am not at liberty to go into with you,” Raines answered.
“Is it about getting revenge on Sanders’ men?”
“Only one small factor in the equation.”
New York—Sanders was talking to one of his men on the phone when his secretary rushed into his office, putting a note on his desk for him. Sanders read it as he was listening to the agent talk.
“Hold on a minute. I just got handed something,” Sanders interrupted. “I’ll call you back.”
Sanders immediately dialed the number of Pierre Proulx, the European Director, to get the full story.
“Pierre, what’s this crap that I’ve just been handed. Please tell me it’s not accurate,” Sanders said.
“If you’re referring to this mess in the airport here, I’m afraid it’s very accurate,” Proulx responded.
“You’re telling me that three of our agents have been killed by Cain’s girlfriend?”
“You obviously have not gotten the whole story yet. Our agents were killed, but not by her.”
“Who did it then?”
“Eric Raines,” Proulx told him.
Sanders didn’t immediately respond, stunned by Proulx’s answer. “You’re totally certain that it was Eric Raines?”
“We got a facial rec on a parking lot security cam. There’s no doubt it’s him.”
“And what happened to Lloyd and her sister?”
“I’m afraid it gets even murkier. From the video feed it looks as though Raines talks to the agents and somehow gains their trust and starts walking with them. The women get put in the car and Raines killed all three of them,” Proulx explained.
“And what did he do with the girls?”
“He took them to his car and drove off.”
Sanders sighed in frustration and rubbed his forehead. “How is Raines involved in all this now?”
“I’m not sure we’re gonna get an answer to that anytime soon.”
“We need to get Raines and those women,” Sanders replied.
“Ed, we’ve been after Raines for several years now. We’re no closer to finding him now than we’ve ever been. He’s probably on his third car by now.”
“Well we need to step up our efforts. The fate of this agency could be in the balance here.
I feel like things are starting to fall apart here. We need those girls. Especially Lloyd.”
“I’ll put every resource I have into it.”
“OK. Let me know what you come up with.”
Sanders was now more concerned than ever. Two of the most lethal agents he’d ever had were both on the run and eluding them. It seemed to him that the two of them had somehow aligned their efforts. It seemed obvious that Cain had enlisted Raines’ help and had sent the women over to him. Things appeared to be spiraling out of control. He could only hope the agents dispatched to Cain’s wife’s house would finish him off. Sanders then left his office to go to The Room, wondering about the status of the agents near Cain.
“What’s the eta of the men near our boy?” Sanders asked.
“About two minutes.”
Sanders let out a sigh. “Let’s get this done finally.”
Before going back to the office, Lawson stopped at a Staples store to use the fax machine. She knew she couldn’t fax what Cain had given her in her office in case she was being monitored. She looked up the numbers of a couple Senators and Congressmen and faxed everything she had to them. She also sent a copy to the New York Times. After she was through she headed to the office. Once she got in, there seemed to be a lot of commotion, people hustling through the halls as if something was happening.
“What’s going on?” Lawson asked someone.
“Looks like they’re moving in on Cain.”
“Oh,” she replied, hustling into The Room.
“Shelly, just in time,” Sanders stated, noticing her walk in.
“I hear we’ve almost got him?” she nervously asked.
“Almost.”
Cain was still sitting in his car when he noticed a black Ford pulling onto the street behind him. He knew what was about to happen. As soon as it got behind his bumper, Cain sped off, leading them on a high speed chase. He thought about engaging them right there but didn’t want to endanger his wife in any way or have her see gunfire erupt in front of her house. He zoomed down the next street, his attackers closely following. Cain spun his car and did a three sixty, speeding past them. He raced out of the section and onto the highway. He reached over a hundred miles per hour with the agents still in pursuit. After ten minutes on the interstate, Cain took an exit and led his pursuers to a more remote location. Wheels screeching, he turned a corner into an abandoned set of warehouse buildings. He led them around a couple of buildings and once Cain got a little separation, he went down an alley between two of them. He waited a few seconds and as soon as the Ford entered his crosshairs, Cain put his foot on the gas. His wheels spun, smoke rising from them, and he sped into the black car. The front of Cain’s car smashed directly into the driver’s side door, spinning it out of control, airbags deploying. Cain quickly got out of the car to check on the condition of the agents. They were both knocked unconscious by the impact. Cain thought about just leaving, but knew he’d have to deal with them again at some point if he left them breathing. He raised his gun up, pointing it at the agents through the shattered window, and hesitated about pulling the trigger. Though he wanted to just walk away without killing two men who weren’t even conscious, he knew there was a very good chance he’d have to do it again soon anyway once they got back on his trail. Regretfully, he pointed the gun at each agent and shot them each three times, leaving no doubt about their demise. Cain turned to leave when he heard voices emanating from the car. He reached into the car and checked the driver and took out his earpiece. He placed it in his own ear and went back to his car.
“627, what’s your status?”
“His status is dead,” Cain broke in.
Lawson closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Cain’s voice. Sanders slapped his leg and looked up at the ceiling, frustration once again setting in.
“Nice to hear your voice again, Cain,” Sanders said.
“Save the crap. When are you gonna stop sending other people to do your dirty work?”
“As soon as you’re dead.”
“Sorry to keep disappointing you,” Cain responded.
“Well, you know what they say…tomorrow’s another day,” Sanders joked.
“And you only have so many left.”
Sanders immediately discontinued communications and angrily stormed out of the room. Cain drove off to the cemetery where Justin was buried, about ten minutes away. It was a large cemetery with a green, metal fence that surrounded it. Cain walked around some of the graves, glancing at them on his way to the back. After walking for a few minutes, he looked up and noticed the purple and blue flowers with the red rose nestled between them on a grave off in the distance. He cleared his throat and continued walking in the direction of the flowered grave. Just as Cain reached the grave, the skies grew darker and a light rain started coming down. Cain looked up momentarily before looking back down at his son. He licked his lips, unsure what he should do or say. He knelt down on one knee and fiddled with the flowers. He cleared his throat again.
“I, uhh, I’m not quite sure what to say here so bear with me a few minutes,” he started, his eyes beginning to tear up. He coughed as he tried to collect his thoughts. “I wish I had something eloquent to say, some poetry to recite, or some beautiful words to relay, but I don’t. All I can tell you is…that I’m sorry,” Cain told him, tears rolling down his cheeks. “People keep telling me that none of this is my fault, but I can’t help but feel that it is. I guess that even if I was around that none of this would be any different, but at least you would have died having your father around. If you’re looking down, you probably already know everything that’s happened with me, but I wish I could remember something about you. Your first words, your first steps, maybe when you first started crawling, or maybe even playing catch in the back yard. But I can’t remember any of it. They took my life away from me and…,” Cain stopped, not sure what else he was trying to say. The skies opened up a little more and the rain started coming down a little heavier. “Is that my cue to leave? Trying to get rid of me already?” he laughed. “Well, due to my current situation I probably shouldn’t stay in one spot for too long anyway. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to make it back, or if I ever will, but if not…I just want you to know I love you.”
Cain stood up and looked at the grave, letting the rain drops bounce off him, and watched as the flowers began getting soaked. He wiped his eyes and glanced up and noticed a flash over by a clump of trees. It looked like the type of flash that happened when something reflected off the scope of a sniper rifle. If Cain was being lined up, he sure didn’t have much cover, and it was a long way to get back to the car. He hoped he was wrong, and a sniper wasn’t waiting for him, but he couldn’t take the chance of just standing there doing nothing. He pulled his gun out from the belt of his pants as he said his final goodbye to his son.
“If this is it, I might be seeing you sooner than I figured. If not, I’ll talk to you soon.”
Cain then took off and started running toward the front gate, passing some small headstones. He ran about thirty yards when the sound of a rifle being fired sounded. Cain almost instantly felt a shooting pain and fell to the ground. He laid there motionless, blood coming out of his left shoulder. He figured he’d lay there a little while, knowing the sniper would most likely leave rather quickly. The sniper would figure he’s dead and take off, or if he thought he was still alive, would have to come closer to check. Cain laid face down, still clutching his gun in his hand, tucked underneath his stomach. Now all he had to do was wait.
The Room was abuzz with excitement when the agent called in to let them know he’d shot Cain. Sanders was quickly summoned from his office to survey the situation.
“Who do we have there?” Sanders asked.
“Agent Hester,” an analyst replied. “While the other agents went to Cain’s wife’s house, Hester staked out the cemetery his son was buried.”
“Excellent.”
“He called in and said he’d just sh
ot him.”
“Hester, what’s the situation down there, soldier?” Sanders asked.
“I was waiting by the cemetery and Cain showed up. He must’ve spotted me cause he made a run for it. I shot him and he went down.”
“What’s his status?”
“He’s still laying there,” Hester replied.
“Where’d you hit him?”
“Not sure. Thought I nailed him square.”
“Can you take another shot?” Sanders asked.
“Don’t think so. Not from this angle and where he’s laying. He’s between a couple graves, only thing I can do from here is shoot his feet.”
“Well we need to know for sure. You need to go check on him.”
“Roger that.”
Cain laid still for half an hour to make sure he was in the clear. With his shoulder needing attention, he knew he couldn’t stay there too much longer. Luckily, his attacker was moving in and he didn’t have much longer to wait. Hester had made his way to the front of the cemetery and was about to enter through the arch shaped gate. He was taking his time and making sure he didn’t rush and make a mistake. A mistake that might get him killed. By this time he switched his weapon from the rifle to a handgun and was inching closer to Cain’s body. As Hester moved in, he kept looking around to make sure no one else was there. He still saw no signs of life in Cain’s body causing him to relax a little.
“Cain,” Hester yelled. “Doesn’t look like he’s alive,” he replied back to Sanders.
“Don’t take any chances. Put two more bullets in his back to make sure.”
“Roger that.”