For the first time, she smiled and lurched for the weapon. With it now in her grasps, Celine moved through the trees as silent as a forest animal. Moving in silence was her forte when it came to taking out her marks. This time was no different. Her movements picked up and so did the pain.
She was almost to the road when someone stepped out in front of her. With a swift reflex, she lifted her weapon and fired. The masked man fell before he had a chance to react.
Now she was running, pain be damned. The trees became wind as she darted for the main road. She needed to get to Brian, needed to know he was okay, needed to help him. Celine stepped into the road in front of oncoming traffic. The car coming toward her screeched to a halt. It was then that the adrenaline pumping through her could no longer hold up its end of the bargain. She was still losing blood, and the more she moved, the more blood gushed out of her arm and ankle. Lightheaded, she stumbled forward and passed out on the hood of the car.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Brian sat up quickly and reached for Celine, but she wasn’t there. A high pitch sound rang out in his eardrum as if his hearing was fading. His wife was missing. It was all he cared about. The car was upside down, and glass was everywhere.
“Marcus!” he called out but couldn’t hear his own voice. Brian shook his head and glass fell off the top, tumbling down to his shoulders. He reached for his gun and put a shoulder in the door, helping it jar open. Climbing out, he stumbled but caught his weight. A few cuts, that was the extent of his injuries.
Turning left, then right, Brian yelled, “Celine!”
It was dark, and Celine had been tossed from the car. She couldn’t have gone far, he thought. But just as it came to his mind, he remembered the force of the impact.
“Fuck!”
Stepping to the driver side door, Brian yanked it open and pulled Marcus out. He was still unconscious. Bullets ricocheted off the open door. Brian whipped around and fired three times, hitting the masked man in his chest. His eyes darted around. His wife was out there alone, and their enemies were closing in on them from every angle.
Suddenly, a missile flew overhead and exploded onto the street above him. Shit had gotten out of hand, and Brian’s anger boiled over.
“You want war?” he screamed.
Marcus moved and came to. When his eyes fell on Brian, he also jumped to his feet. “What the fuck happened?” he yelled, frantic.
“Get your motherfucking gun!”
Brian stalked off while Marcus reached for his weapons. He noticed the empty back seat. “Where’s the Queen?”
Brian lifted his gun and shot in the shadows. Another masked man fell to the ground as he stalked forward.
“Celine!” Brian yelled.
“Shit!” Marcus held his guns out and fired at more masked men coming out of the shadows. Celine was missing.
Movement behind them caused Marcus to turn sharply; his gun leveled on another man.
“Hold your fire. It’s me Cedric!”
“You better speak up sooner next time, or I might put a bullet in your ass!”
“We had to set off the launcher.”
“No shit,” Brian said. “Only everyone in the fucking city saw it!”
“Can you talk to the mayor?”
Brian reached out and grabbed Cedric by his collar, pulling the large man to him. “I don’t give a fuck about the mayor right now. My only focus is finding my wife. Now spread the fuck out and find her!”
“Shit!” Cedric ran off in the opposite direction.
Raphaël ran up just as a howl in the distance gripped Brian’s heart. “It’s her,” he said, almost below a whisper. The blood drained from his face. “She’s hurt.” He struck out in the direction of her scream. More masked men shot at him, and he shot back. A bullet pierced his arm, but it didn’t slow him down. Gun shots flew all around them as men fired at them, and they fired back.
“Celine!” Brian screamed. It didn’t matter to him that his voice would bring more goons to them; he just wanted to get to Celine. The gunfire died down, and Brian paused to listen for any signs of her. If he had to guess, they were about twenty feet away from their vehicle.
He took another step, and there was a crunch beneath his shoe. Lifting his leg, he took a closer look and found it was glass. It was covered in blood.
“She was here,” he said. More shots rang out, but Brian wasn’t focused. Celine had been here, but she was gone. His thoughts wandered. She was on her own, hurt and exposed. A hand clamped down on his shoulder.
“You know her more than anyone,” Marcus said. “She can take care of herself. She’s strong. Her willpower is like steel.”
Brian took in Marcus’s words. He was right, but that didn’t stop Brian from turning into a madman. Pulling another gun from his waist, he fired at the masked men that continued to pour out around them, taking them out two by two.
Two days later
Celine stretched her arms and rolled to her side, but a numbing sensation gave her pause. Looking closer at her arm brought her out of the comatose state she’d been in. A needle sat pierced in her vein. Her eyes followed the IV to a machine sitting next to the bed she lay in. Her eyes roamed the room. It was unfamiliar. Where was she?
Pulling the covers back revealed her mocha brown legs. She’d been undressed. Celine threw her legs over the side of the bed and snatched the IV out of her arm. Blood squirted from her vein. She reached for the gauze sitting on a silver tray next to the IV machine and worked at wrapping her arm. In the corner of the room, her skirt lay across a wooden chair. The cut in her ankle was patched. Instantly she turned to survey her shoulder wound. It also was patched. Wherever she was, this person had taken care of her.
Timidly, Celine stood and padded over to her skirt. Celine pulled up short when she passed a mirror. Getting closer, she examined the small cuts on her face, neck, and shoulders. Her lips appeared to be healing, no doubt from also being bruised. Brian. She never made it back to him. Her eyes darted back around the room for something, anything she could protect herself with.
She reached for the needle that had previously occupied her vein and stepped into her skirt. Her broken heels lay on the floor in front of the chair, but she didn’t put them on. If she needed to run, she wanted to be out before her capturer knew she was gone. The door to the room was cracked. She reached for it, her fingertips pushing it slightly so she could squeeze through. Silently, Celine took steps down a long corridor, her feet sinking into plush carpet along the way. She came to a spiral staircase. Voices were coming from the first floor.
One female and a male. Celine quickly descended. Reaching the bottom brought her to another hallway. Quietly, she walked toward the voices.
“I still don’t understand why you didn’t take her to Saint Mary’s,” the woman said.
“How many times do I have to explain it to you? She passed out on my car. I was an hour away from the emergency room. She could’ve died.”
“That wouldn’t have been your fault.”
A silence pursued before the man spoke again. “So you would have me turn around and drive an hour to the hospital when coming here would save her life?”
“You could’ve called an ambulance.”
“That would’ve taken longer.”
Celine peered around the corner. The man and woman stood in the kitchen. The woman’s back was to the man as she moved about fixing what looked to be dinner. It was then that Celine’s stomach growled. She hadn’t been up long enough to think about food. Celine’s eyes followed the woman around the kitchen as she spoke her disapproval for the man bringing her into their home. Neither of them looked familiar.
It was safe to say she wasn’t with people who wanted to kill her. With that thought, she loosened the grip she had on the needle in her hand.
“I know you, Reese, you like to find people you can fix. Ever since that incident.”
The man’s name ricochet through Celine’s head. Reese, Reese, she thought, can’t
be.
“Come on, Martha, must you go down this road?”
“I’m only speaking what I know to be the truth.”
“I’ll have my dinner in the living room,” he said before walking off.
“That’s not going to stop me from saying what I have to say.”
“Nothing ever does,” he grumbled.
“Excuse me?” The woman whipped around with a spatula raised midair.
“Martha, I don’t want to argue with you, okay? Just let this go.”
“I’ll let it go when you do. You can’t save everyone! You’re a doctor, not a God! You had to do what you had to do, stop punishing yourself! It was him or us, and we’ve got grandbabies!”
Celine’s eyes closed as her chest tightened. A plethora of emotions skated through her entire being. A mist of tears clouded her vision, and her heartrate increased. Suddenly, she was warm, and a trail of goosebumps flew down her arms. She could barely inhale her next breath, and her head ached. Reese walked over to Martha and grabbed her shoulders.
“Listen to me, stop it, right now! I told you never to bring it up again! Must you drive me crazy? What is wrong with you?”
Celine opened her eyes and peered around the room. When she found what she was looking for, she bolted into the kitchen, grabbing a lone knife that lay on the counter. Martha yelped and Reese turned full circle. Celine held the knife out toward him.
“Calm down,” Reese said, his hands rising in surrender.
Celine exhaled a deep breath. “I’m calm.”
“No one’s here to hurt you,” Reese responded.
“Yeaaaaa, the jury is still out on that one.”
“I told you, you should’ve never brought her here,” Martha chirped.
“Shut the fuck up, Martha,” Celine spat.
Martha’s eyes grew big as saucers. “Excuse meeee,” her condescending voice rang out, “who do you think you’re talking…”
Celine grabbed a smaller knife that sat on the counter and shot it at Martha. It caught a ball of Martha’s hair and glided into the wooden cabinet behind her.
“Oh my God!” Martha screamed, unable to yank her hair from the blade.
“Young lady,” Reese said, flustered, “you calm down right now. I’ll not have you throwing knives and such. I’ve just saved your life!”
Celine gave a fake smile. “Thank you so much. I do appreciate your hospitality… um, what did you say your name was again? Reese?”
“Yes, Doctor Reese Timberland. If you put the knife down, I can explain to you how you got here and take you home, or anywhere you want to go. Just put the knife down.”
Celine’s thoughts had tuned him out at the mention of his full name. The last member of the seven, and according to Martha, Doctor Timberland had been trying desperately to make up for the life he’d taken on purpose. Her husband’s life. Her Caleb. But karma was a bitch by the name of Celine Briggs, and today she’d come to collect, unbeknownst to them both.
Her laugh started off quiet and slow, then bubbled over to a guffaw.
Doctor Timberland glanced to Martha then back to Celine. Hesitantly, he said, “What’s so funny?”
Celine’s laughter subsided. “You’re the doctor that killed my husband.”
Doctor Timberland turned pale. “Wha-what’re you talking about?” he stuttered. “I save lives, I don’t… um..” He looked over to Martha.
“Say it,” Celine chided.
“You are out of line!” Martha threw her finger in the air, waving the chiding digit around. “You need to get out! Now!”
A blade flew past Doctor Timberland and landed in Martha’s neck. Her eyes bucked, and her scream was caught in her throat. She gurgled and choked on air.
“Martha! Noooo!” Doctor Timberland reached for the knife to pull it loose.
“That’ll just kill her quicker,” Celine stated matter of factly.
Doctor Timberland’s hand held steady on the butt of the knife; he knew she was right. Whipping toward Celine, he shouted, “Damn you!” His eyes popped, and dread coated his face. “I bring you into my home, nurse you back to health, for you to turn around and do this?”
He shook his hand in the air. “You were knocking on death’s door before I helped you! Your shoulder wound was open,” he held his hands apart to demonstrate, “this wide when you passed out on the hood of my car.” He took a step toward her. “I could’ve done what everyone else did and drove around you. But I didn’t without my wife’s permission!”
“I gathered that much while I was listening to your conversation,” Celine said nonchalantly.
“How could you!”
“You killed my husband.”
“I didn’t kill anyone!”
“Liar!” Celine sent another blade flying across the room. She was so quick he never saw it coming. Doctor Timberland screamed as pain shot through his arm. The knife lodged in the palm of his hand through and through.
More gurgles came from Martha. “Please,” Doctor Timberland begged, “let me help her.”
“Confess,” Celine spat.
“I don’t even know who you are. How am I supposed to admit to something I have no idea about?” He was on the verge of crying. Pain screamed through his veins from the dagger in his palm.
“Briggs. My last name is…” she paused and backtracked, “was Briggs.”
Doctor Timberland’s voice cracked, “Okay, I’m sorry. Yes, yes, I did it. Please, let me help her.”
Martha was swatting at him now, her face becoming pale.
“Please!” Doctor Timberland begged.
“Doctor Sanders, Doctor Jenkins, Nurse Jenkins, Nurse Chandler, Nurse Felipe, Nurse Lancaster, and finally there’s you.”
Doctor Timberland eyes bucked. “It was you. You killed them all.”
“Every last one.”
“We had to do it! I’m sure they told you. We would never just take a life. I tried to tell them we could save him. But they were terrified. We’d all been threatened, and you don’t take threats from a man like him lightly.”
“Oh don’t worry, he’s next. He’ll never have the chance to ruin more lives.” A casual laugh left Celine’s lips. “He won’t even see it coming. I promise.”
Doctor Timberland shook his head fervently. “You’ll never get close to him. Many have tried. And failed.”
“And where they failed, I will succeed.”
“Please,” he begged, “let me save her.”
“Was it worth it?” she asked, ignoring his plea.
“Please!”
“You know, I should keep you alive so you can run back to Zeus and tell his bitch ass I sent you. But I think I’ll go for a surprise visit instead.”
Doctor Timberland let out an exasperated breath. “Who is Zeus?” Beads of sweat were now on his forehead, threatening to slide down his face.
“You’ve already confessed. There’s no need to toy with me about your master now.”
“Lady, I don’t know what you’re talking about. We received our orders from Devereaux.”
Celine momentarily lost her voice, and her mind went blank. She walked to the doctor, grabbing him by his neck. “Liar…” she growled.
The doctor flinched at her grip. “Why would I lie now? What would that get me? We take orders from Devereaux. It’s always been him. I have no idea who this Zeus is you speak of.”
Celine stared into his light gray eyes. He was telling the truth. “No…” she whispered. “He wouldn’t…”
“Please,” Doctor Timberland begged, “let me save her. I’ve told you everything you wanted to know.”
Celine released him. Doctor Timberland pulled the knife out of his palm and cleared the table to lay Martha atop it. He worked to get everything he needed to remove the knife and save her life while Celine stood as still as a corpse, bewildered by his startling confession.
It was Brian. All this time, it was him.
“No…” she whispered again, refusing to believe him.
&
nbsp; Her heart ached, and a lone tear slid down her face. Her body trembled as anger took over. She needed to know the truth. It was imperative.
“Your lies will be the death of you!” Celine charged at him. Doctor Timberland had just begun inserting stitches when his head was pulled back and his throat sliced from ear to ear.
There was no coming back from it. She left Martha to bleed out on the table. Passing through the kitchen door, Celine grabbed a set of keys that hung on a hook and went in search of the car they belonged to.
On the road, Celine weaved through traffic, blood-stained hands gripping the wheel. Her body vibrated from fear that Doctor Timberland’s words were true.
“No, no!” she yelled, forcing herself to believe otherwise.
Brian wouldn’t willingly hurt her like this. She knew him. Even if he were jealous, he wouldn’t. It was the one thing he’d shown her. Celine knew his truth; he loved her, he would never. And still, the thought of his betrayal shook her to her very core.
It took Celine twenty minutes to get from Doctor Timberland’s home to the Devereaux Estate. When she approached the gate and entered the code, a security team of men flooded the area.
Cedric approached the car. “It’s the Queen! Backup! Backup!” he yelled. The men dispersed and Celine pulled around the circular driveway and parked the car. Reaching over to the glove compartment, Celine hit the button and the top flipped open, revealing registration papers and a small handgun.
The weapon reminded her of the one she killed Devon with. Celine pulled it out and checked the chamber and clip. It was full. On a mission for the truth, she pulled herself from the car and stalked past Cedric and the other men into the estate.
On shaky legs, Celine made her way to Brian’s office, her mind heavy and her feet bare. When she appeared in the doorway, Brian thought he’d seen a ghost. He left the spot he stood to approach her.
“Baby…” he said excitement in his voice. He saw the blood on her hands and the gun at her side, and his face fell.
Her hand rose, pointing the gun at his chest. It was then that Celine noticed Marcus standing to the right. Brian stood still; his expression had gone void of emotion.
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