He’s working for them, she thinks, bitterly. That’s the traitor. I wonder if he knows that Ben is still alive.
“Hunter,” Penny calls. He doesn’t look at her. He and the other man continue towards the door. “He’s alive,” Penny calls after him. Hunter doesn’t turn around, but he does stand up straight, only briefly, and exhales a deep breath.
Vincent turns his beady eyes on Penny, his lips twist into a garish smile. Outside, there’s the rumbling of an engine, and a whipping through the air. It sounds like a plane taking off.
“Ah,” Vincent says, cocking his head towards the sound. “There he goes. Say goodbye to Zane.”
Zane’s gone. I’m dead.
This realization turns Penny’s fear into anger. “Where are you taking Zane?”
Vincent clasps his hands together. “Picture a beach with no water.” Vincent closes his eyes and shudders. “Don’t worry. He’ll have plenty of work to do on my oil rig.”
Oil rig? Penny remembers a file from the flash drive, detailing how VC Solutions would occupy an area, then set up shop to exploit its resources.
“Is that where you sent my brother?” Penny asks, tasting bile at the back of her throat.
Vincent cocks an eyebrow. “Brother?”
“Ben Waters,” Jacob offers. “The other traitor.”
Vincent eyes widen in realization. “Ah, of course. Ben Waters is your brother. Is that what this is all about? How quaint. Yes, Ben. He’s not the first to play the part of the noble hero. He thought he could ruin my plan. Actually, he did me a favor. A dead American is valuable leverage when making deals with the US government. Not only did the arms deal go through, but we were able to seize the oil field there.”
Penny’s mouth goes dry. Her voice is barely a whisper when she asks, “Is Ben still alive?”
Vincent shakes his head, as casually as if he was talking about the weather. “I doubt it. Eighteen hour days of hard labor in that kind of heat. Most only last a few years in those conditions.” Vincent hardens his eyes on Penny, sizing her up. “You wouldn’t last a week. So, you’re of no use to me. A traitor gets a traitor’s death.”
Penny conjures the image of Em Dash, her face bruised and battered. Apparently, a traitor’s death will be a painful, drawn out process.
Jacob fumbles around on a table of medical equipment, then grips something that looks like a shiny metal crowbar. He swats it against his hand as he approaches Penny.
“Do you remember the quick, painless death I offered you?” Jacob asks. “That’s off the table.”
Penny closes her eyes, anticipating the first blow. When she does, she sees Zane. She tries to hold onto his face when Jacob begins to beat her.
Chapter Twenty
When Zane steps down from the plane onto the hot asphalt runway, he’s immediately weakened. The euphoric rush he’d felt with Dr. Wensel and the pilot had made him feel strong, like he’d completely recovered. Now, stumbling down the runaway in the blazing heat, Zane’s reminded of the severity of his injury. Each step is torturous. Zane feels like there’s a sharp blade embedded in his midsection, continuously slicing him further with his every movement. Black spots invade his vision. He feels like he might faint. He forces himself to remember what Vincent said, that the bullet didn’t hit any major organs. It hurts like hell, but it won’t kill him, not yet.
“Penny,” he reminds himself, growling out her name. He focuses on the building in the distance. She’s in there, and she belongs to him.
Zane keeps his head down, trudging along, his mind on her. When he approaches the building, Zane sees a man standing by the entrance. Zane grips the gun in his hand. He’s fully prepared to kill whoever this is. Nothing will keep him from Penny.
The man doesn’t make a move until Zane reaches the entrance. Zane squints at him, focusing his blurry vision. The man wears a white body suit. His head is uncovered, revealing a head full of dreadlocks. Zane glances at the entrance, and sees that it requires a keycard. He grunts with effort as he begins to raise the gun.
The man moves quickly, reaching into his pocket, withdrawing a keycard, and swiping it. He’s lucky Zane’s reflexes are subdued, or Zane would’ve shot him just for flinching. The door swings open. Zane squints at the man in confusion.
“I’ll show you where Penny is,” the man says. “Follow me.”
The man slips inside the building. Zane doesn’t move. This could be a trap.
“Who are you?” Zane asks.
The man lowers his head. His eyes are filled with shame. “I’m Hunter.”
Zane’s eyes light up as he makes the connection. Hunter, Penny’s childhood friend, the one helping her find Ben, the one who turned her in. Anger grips Zane, distracting him from his pain. Zane steps quickly up to Hunter, backing him against the wall. Zane presses the gun into Hunter’s belly, while planting his forearm across Hunter’s chest.
“Is this a fucking trap?” Zane says through clenched teeth. He digs the barrel of the gun into Hunter’s flesh.
“No, man,” Hunter says, panicked. He raises his arms, showing his palms. “I swear, I’m trying to help you. I fucked up before. I never should’ve gone to them. They’re some psychotic dudes.”
Zane is still unsure if he can trust Hunter. He releases his forearm from Hunter’s chest. Hunter exhales in relief. Zane grabs the collar of Hunter’s white body suit at the back of his neck, and pushes him into the hallway. He keeps the gun pointed at Hunter’s back.
“Prove it,” Zane says.
Hunter looks back at him, nodding timidly. Zane keeps a close watch on him as they navigate the hallways. He focuses through his pain, not letting it slow him down. They come to a door, and Hunter jerks his head towards it.
“She’s in there,” Hunter whispers.
Zane gestures for Hunter to be quiet, then presses his ear against the door. He hears a low, desperate groan filled with pain. Penny. What are they doing to her? Zane clenches his fists, stopping himself from kicking the door down and opening fire. He steadies himself, mentally transporting back many years ago, to the moment before he and his team stormed Iman Hussan’s hideout. It’s the first time that he’s able to think about that moment without the baggage of what came after. At that time, it wasn’t about fast cars, women, or publicity, it was about carrying out his duty. And that’s just what he’s doing now.
Zane grabs Hunter and pulls him to the side.
“You go in first,” Zane tells him. “Distract them.”
Hunter seems reticent, but he hardens his gaze and nods. He swipes the keycard and enters the room. Zane discreetly slips his hand into the doorjamb so it stays open enough for him to peek inside.
Zane’s eyes go directly to Penny. She’s strapped to the same chair that Grace had occupied. There are dark bruises on her arms and legs. She’s still conscious, but there’s no light in her eyes, no hope. She barely reacts when Hunter enters the room.
Jacob is studying the medical equipment, probably deciding which instrument of torture to use next. Jacob rubs his hands together eagerly. He’s obviously enjoying this.
“What do you want, Hunter?” Jacob asks. “You’re free to go, remember? I thought you couldn’t wait to get home.”
Hunter clears his throat. “He had a, um, problem with the body.”
Jacob squints. “What kind of problem?”
“We, um, we dropped it.”
“Then pick it up.”
“It made a big mess,” Hunter says. “We need a clean up crew.”
Jacob sighs with a long, drawn out groan. He leaves his toys, and walks to the intercom mounted on the wall. While Jacob calls for a clean up crew, Zane slips into the room.
Penny senses his presence in an instant. Her eyes light up, and her smile crackles with excitement. Zane fights the urge to run to her and cradle her in his arms. He puts his finger to his mouth, signaling her to keep quiet. Penny nods, understanding.
Zane zeroes in on Jacob, who’s back is to him while he talks in
to the intercom. With silent footsteps, Zane sneaks up behind him. All of Zane’s military instincts are kicking back in. He is a quiet, stealth killer. Jacob doesn’t sense his presence, even when Zane is mere inches away from him. Zane quickly snaps his arm around Jacob’s head, and clamps his hand over Jacob’s mouth. He presses the gun against Jacob’s temple.
“Not one sound,” Zane growls.
Jacob looks up at him, wild-eyed. Zane feels a warm satisfaction spread through him when Jacob realizes who has a gun pressed to his head. Jacob’s eyes harden, but he doesn’t make a sound.
Zane jerks his head towards Hunter, then over to Penny. Hunter gets the message. He rushes over to Penny and starts untying her straps. Once Penny is free, she runs to Zane’s side, wrapping her arms around his torso. Zane wants to hug her back, but he can’t remove his arms from Jacob.
“Careful,” Zane grunts, painfully.
With blinking eyes, Penny takes in the bloody bandage tied around Zane’s waist. Her eyes shoot to Jacob with glaring rage. Zane swears he feels Jacob start to tremble.
Zane walks Jacob forward, and forces him to sit in the chair Penny was just in. Hunter and Penny quickly get to work, strapping Jacob’s arms and legs, while Zane holds the gun on him. Jacob smirks at Zane.
“You idiot,” Jacob says with a raspy voice. “You walked away from seven million dollars. You’ll get nothing if you kill me.” Jacob glances sideways at Penny. “Is this bitch really worth it?”
A split second after the words leave his mouth, Penny winds her arm back, and hurls her fist against the side of Jacob’s jaw. The force is so hard, the chair nearly tips over. Zane gawks at her in awe.
“That’s for Mary,” Penny says, shaking out her hand.
Jacob spits blood on the floor beside him.
“Ouch,” Zane says, sarcastically.
Jacob raises his head, a slow laugh falling from his lips. “You two are really pathetic. Why haven’t you killed me yet? What are you waiting for?” Jacob smiles deeply at Zane, daring him to pull the trigger.
Penny jerks her gaze to Zane. “Do it.”
Zane shakes his head, slowly. “No. He needs to suffer in prison for what he’s done.”
“This is our only chance for justice,” Penny says.
Penny is pale, bruised, and slightly crazed. Zane knows she’s not thinking clearly. She’s letting her thirst for vengeance cloud her thinking. Penny doesn’t understand the cost of taking another’s life, even if that person deserves it. Zane understands it all too well.
Penny approaches Zane, holding out her hand. “Give it to me. I’ll do it.”
Zane looks into the eyes of the woman he loves. He considers all she’s been through, all she’s risked to find justice for her brother.
“We don’t have the files,” Penny argues. “We can’t get them on any of that stuff.”
“Wait,” Hunter calls. Penny and Zane turn towards him. Hunter sits on the ground and removes his boot. He reaches inside, and produces a small rectangular piece of plastic. “I know you told me not to make a copy, but I did, just in case.”
Penny blinks as Hunter lays the flash drive into her palm. “Hunter,” she breathes. “Thank you. You did right by Ben.”
Jacob throws his head up to the ceiling and laughs. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Zane takes the gun off of Jacob, and offers the handle to Penny. “Your choice,” Zane says. “I’m sure no one will mourn Jacob’s death, but I’m warning you, it’s something you’ll never forget.”
Penny’s eyes widen as she takes the gun from Zane. She balances it in her hand, feeling the weight of it. Zane wants to plead with her not to do it, but this is about her brother. This is her mission.
Penny lets the gun dangle by her side as she approaches Jacob. She cocks her head, studying him. Jacob breathes through his teeth, seething.
“Do it, coward,” Jacob says, then spits at her feet.
Zane’s muscles tense as Penny smiles, and raises her hand holding the gun. She points it at Jacob, briefly, before crossing her arm over her chest, then pistol whipping Jacob across the face. There’s a loud crack as metal meets bone. Jacob yells as blood pours down his face.
“That’s for hurting my hand,” Penny says, coolly.
Penny rushes over to Zane. He holds her trembling body against his chest.
“Let’s get out of here,” Penny says, desperately.
Zane nods. They start for the door, when they hear Vincent’s voice booming down the hallway.
“Finish up, Jacob,” Vincent is saying when he walks blindly into the room. “I’ve wasted enough time on her.”
Penny separates herself from Zane, and points the gun at Vincent.
“Stay where you are,” Penny commands.
Vincent’s eyes flit to Jacob, and his bruised, bloody face, then back to the gun pointed at him. Anxiety flares in Zane’s stomach. Penny may decide to kill Vincent.
“You evil son of a bitch,” Penny says, shaking her head. Her eyes are dark with vitriol. She steps closer to Vincent. “You exploit everything you touch, everyone you meet. All for profit.”
Vincent shrugs, rolling his eyes. “That’s business, darling. Something you obviously know nothing about. That’s how the world goes ‘round. Look at all the modern comforts you have, cars, gasoline, air conditioning. People want beautiful granite countertops in their large homes, endless gas and fossil fuels to power their SUVs. Brilliant, glittering diamonds to collect dust in their closets. Exotic fruits, planted and harvested by slave labor. For Americans to prosper, other countries must suffer.”
“That’s not true,” Penny says.
“It is true,” Vincent says. “And everyone here knows it. They just don’t dwell on it.”
Penny takes another step towards him. “How can I not dwell on it? You told my family that Ben was dead. We had a funeral.”
“Ben was in breech of contract,” Vincent says, forcefully.
“Penny,” Zane says, trying to calm her. He reaches for her elbow, but Penny jerks her arm away.
“You have no idea the suffering you’ve caused,” Penny says, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. She grips the gun tighter. “It would feel so good to blow your head off.”
Penny is charged with pure emotion, that Zane can see. He can’t let her do this. She’ll have to live with it for the rest of her life. If she shoots Vincent, the blood lust rushing through her veins will dissipate, leaving her empty. Zane’s familiar with the feeling. It’s large and foreboding, and never leaves.
Zane places his hand lightly on Penny’s back, murmuring her name. “If he dies now, he won’t pay for his crimes. You could be indicted, and we’ll never be together. You might never see Ben again.” Penny’s shoulders relax beneath his touch, emboldening him. He wraps his arms around her waist, and whispers directly into her ear. “He’s not worth it.”
Penny grits her teeth, keeping the gun on Vincent. After a tense few moments, she takes a step back from him.
“Move away from the door,” Penny says.
Vincent nearly trips over himself to obey her command. Penny grabs Zane’s hand, making eye contact with him. They stare at each other with a shared understanding, then make a break for the door. Hunter follows after them.
“Don’t go that way,” Hunter says, when they’re in the hallway.
Zane turns to him, and starts to ask why, when they hear an alarm sound. It’s a sharp, grating beeping noise that makes Zane cover his ears. A moment later, there’s the rhythmic sound of boots on the ground. It sounds like a dozen guards are coming towards them.
“Down there,” Hunter says, pointing down a narrow hallway. “Keep left. It’ll take you to another exit.”
Zane grabs Penny, and starts to run that way, but Penny plants her feet.
“Aren’t you coming?” Penny asks Hunter.
Hunter lowers his head, shaking it. “I’ll distract them.”
“They’ll kill you,” Penny says.
> Hunter looks up at Penny, his eyes welling with tears. “I have to do right by Ben, by you.”
The footsteps grow louder. They’re getting closer. Penny calmly walks up to Hunter, and kisses him gently on the forehead. She whispers something to him that Zane can’t hear.
Zane nods to Hunter, then takes Penny’s arm. “Let’s go.”
Together, Penny and Zane flee in the opposite direction. After they take a left turn, they hear shouting and gunfire. Penny clings to Zane as shots ring through the air.
After running for what feels like an eternity, they burst out of a door, and find themselves outside. Penny turns to Zane, frantically.
“We have to cut through the woods.” She glances at his bloodied bandage. “Can you make it?”
Zane hardens his resolve, nodding. Penny takes his hand. They dart towards the woods. Once under cover of trees and brush, they’re able to slow down. Penny leads Zane patiently through the tangle of vegetation. Everything is a blur of panic and pain for Zane. It feels like they walk for a long time before they finally make it to the road, and the car Penny left there.
Penny cranks the engine and peels out onto the road with Zane in the passenger seat. Now that things are quiet, Zane can hear Penny’s anxious breathing. She grips the steering wheel, her eyes focused on the road ahead. Once they’re a good distance away, Zane reaches for her thigh.
“Pull over,” Zane says.
Penny shakes her head. “I have to get you to the hospital.”
Zane grips her thigh harder. “Pull over.”
Penny does as he says. When the car stops, Zane leans over her seat, grabs the back of her head, and kisses her with every ounce of power he possesses. He feels Penny relax beneath his kiss. Warmth floods Zane’s body, relieving his pain.
Zane pulls back to look at her face. He shakes his head in disbelief. “You did it. I can’t fucking believe it.” He clasps his hands on the side of her face, staring her straight in the eyes. “You’re a goddess.”
Zane leans in to kiss her again, but Penny pulls back, shaking her head. “We did it.” She lays her hand against his chest. “You really are a hero.”
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