Settling The Score (BBW Romantic Suspense Contemporary Romance)

by Diane Blake

  The inspector stopped walking. The quarterback's heart felt like it stopped beating. Please don't make me remove the helmet went through his mind multiple times.

  "Just wanted to say I admire you for showing up here to do your job under the circumstances today. It's got to be incredibly difficult," the inspector said.

  "Thank you, I appreciate you saying that," he replied aloud. You don't know the half of it, he thought.

  Chapter 44

  The dark screen of the turned off television reflected the dingy room and dismal situation. Jasinda and Kandi remained bound, but not gagged.

  "I wonder why Tommy and his father haven't come in here to watch the game yet. It must have started by now," Jasinda said. She looked towards the man guarding them. He just shrugged which Jasinda took to mean he didn't know and/or didn't care.

  Kandi replied, "Started? It's well past half-time by now. I had a whole thirty second time frame planned when the TV cameras were choreographed to be just on me during the half-time show. Instead I'm stuck here like this. With you."

  Jasinda opened her mouth to respond to Kandi, but Tommy wheeled his father into the room at that moment. "What's happening?" Jasinda asked Tommy.

  "Everything is going according to plan so far. Your boyfriend seems to be keeping the score relatively even with a slight advantage going to the Blazers, as he was instructed."

  "How far along are they?" Kandi asked.

  "Towards the end of the fourth quarter. Neither team has scored since half-time."

  "You let us sit in here all this time wondering what was going on?" Jasinda asked.

  "Just be thankful you're still alive thus far," Tommy said. "Let's turn on the set and get Craig on the line in case he needs a little incentive to fulfill his obligation when the fate of the Big Game rests in the balance." Tommy switched on the TV just as the camera tracked a ball flying through the air amid the backdrop of screaming fans in the stadium.

  The ball touched the ground and the play was dead.

  "There's Craig, number eighteen," Kandi said as the camera panned around the players assembling for a huddle on the field.

  Jasinda could clearly see the name Wilder above the number on his jersey.

  "Just the right time to call," Tommy said as he pulled out a new burner phone. He dialed Craig's number. "Gag the women again," Tommy ordered the henchman who obeyed instantly.

  Please answer on the first ring Jasinda thought to herself because she remembered Tommy's threat to her fingers if Craig delayed.

  A few tense seconds went by before they saw Craig react on TV. The football player reached into his helmet, acting like he needed to scratch the side of his face. It was a tight fit, but he managed to get his finger in the correct position to touch his ear. He answered the call through the ear piece from which he could control many of the phone's functions.

  "If you can hear me, tap your right arm against your left arm two times," Tommy said.

  They all eagerly watched the screen. The camera panned around the players again, but it caught Craig following the instructions.

  Tommy laughed. "This is fun, like being a long-distance puppet master."

  "Don't lose sight of the goal," his father cautioned.

  "Yes, Father."

  In his ear, the football player heard the whole conversation taking place in the room.

  The TV announcer indicated the score still stood at Blazers 30 – Tigers 21.

  Jasinda's eyes were glued to the screen as the ball got put in play from the five yard line. She didn't really know what she was watching. It just looked like a bunch of uniformed guys tossing a ball around to her. In actuality, the center snapped the ball to the quarterback who then passed it to the running back.

  The Tigers lineman seemingly came out of nowhere and tackled the Blazers running back while he was still in his own end zone. The crowd cheered. The safety earned the Tigers an additional two points, bringing the score to Blazers 30 – Tigers 23. Only two minutes left on the clock.

  "The game's almost over. What the hell is happening?" Sal yelled. "This is cutting it too close now. They're in danger of screwing up the order to leave at least a six point difference in the final score."

  Knowing he had time while the official reset the ball on the screen, Tommy reacted in the hostage breakroom. "I can't believe he needs a reminder, but I'll give him one," Tommy said to his father. Then Tommy screamed into the phone. "Listen to this Craig and listen good..." Tommy gestured across the room. "Ungag her."

  The henchman removed the gag. Simultaneously, Tommy pointed the gun and unclicked the safety.

  Craig heard the distinctive sound in his earpiece. It was followed by a bloodcurdling scream. Bang! Bang! Silence.

  The cell connection remained open. Nobody said anything.

  The helmet obscured the look of horror on the football player's face. Anyone who noticed him make the sign of the cross just assumed it was in reference to the upcoming play.

  Tommy walked to the slumped over dead body in the chair. He spoke into the phone, "Too bad we don't have a video connection, Craig. I'd like you to see the impact of what you forced me to do. I guess a verbal description will have to suffice."

  Tommy ripped the gag off the other mouth. "Tell him!" he ordered.

  "He just shot her right in front of me!" Jasinda screamed frantically. "She's dead!"

  On the field, it looked like Craig pretended to cough into his arm so he could talk in the earpiece. "Oh, my God, Jasinda. I thought it was you."

  "No, it was Kandi. She was being held hostage with me. There's so much blood. He killed her!"

  Hearing the terror in Jasinda's voice pained Craig's soul. "It's going to be alright, honey. I promise," Craig, said but she didn't hear him.

  Tommy had already taken the phone away from Jasinda's ear and lifted it to his own. "Now you let the clock run down and the score stand the way it is or this bitch is dead!"

  Chapter 45

  Outside the auto repair garage/chop shop, a pizza delivery van idled by the curb.

  At the entrance, the delivery guy handed over two piping hot boxes to the henchman with the scar under his eye. The delivery guy warned, "Nobody but the boss opens the boxes with these pies."

  "Why not?"

  "You don't know? He hates it when someone else handles his pizza first. He's got some weird thing about other people breathing on his food."

  The henchman eyed the delivery guy suspiciously. "That is strange."

  "You shouldn't question your boss. We sure don't. When he calls to order, what he says goes."

  "Why do you keep calling him my boss instead of using his name?"

  The delivery guy laughed. "You wanna serve these kinds of customers and live to tell about it? You learn not to use names. Know what I mean?"

  "You got that right," the henchman agreed. He carried the two pizza boxes inside. The smell of the sausage and pepperoni wafted out of the vent holes on the sides of the boxes. His mouth watered just thinking about sinking his teeth into the first cheesy bite.

  As much as he wanted to open the box and get a sneak peek, he heeded the delivery guy's warning. When he entered the breakroom, he announced, "Food's here!"

  "I didn't order any food, did you, Father?"

  "No," Sal answered.

  The henchman didn't say anything. He knew that Sal could be forgetful sometimes, but he certainly didn't want to be the one to point that out.

  Sal inhaled deeply. "Sure smells good. Bring it over here. Let me see it," Sal ordered.

  "Dumb pizza place probably screwed up the address. Their loss. Some other poor sucker's going hungry right now while we scarf down their pies. And watch Craig Wilder make us so much money, we won't know where to spend it all! Must be our lucky day, huh, Father?"

  Sal threw back the lid of the top pizza box.

  That's when the stun grenades inside exploded.

  Chapter 46

  As they suffered the multiple disorienting effects of the blast
, everyone in the breakroom instantly learned why stun grenades are also called flashbang grenades.

  The intense flash of light immediately engulfed the room. Jasinda, Sal, Tommy, and the henchmen were all blinded for several seconds. Jasinda felt like she was lost in a blizzard because all she could see was bright white.

  The loud bangs of the grenades also deafened them temporarily. The blast affected the fluid in their ears causing them to lose their balance.

  Finally the devices emitted an explosion of smoke similar to what a magician uses on stage.

  In the confusion while they all tried to regain their senses, two men in military fatigues stormed the room from their hiding places in the building. They'd already taken out Sal's other henchmen scattered throughout the facility. Sal, Tommy, and two henchmen remained with the hostage in the breakroom.

  The large and imposing military men wore protective facial gear with air filtering masks and special ear muffs to make them immune to the effects of the stun grenades.

  A rescuer with the name Rivera on his camo jacket threw himself at Tommy. The two men stumbled into the AV cart. The TV fell backwards. The sound went out. The fallen screen hung over the edge of the cart, but managed not to go crashing to the floor.

  As the two men struggled to gain the upper hand against each other, they smashed into Jasinda's chair. It and she crashed to the floor. The impact made a loud cracking noise which Jasinda barely heard since her ears were still ringing in the aftermath of the sound of the grenades' explosions.

  Jasinda felt the effect though. Not on her bones, as she feared, but on her mobility. The wooden chair had broken when it hit the floor, thus freeing her from being tied to it. She rolled on the floor a bit to untangle herself from the ropes.

  One of the military dudes bent down to check on her. The name on his shirt read Sauvage. "Are you injured?" he asked.

  "I don't think so," she said.. That voice. I know it. It can't be...

  "A little help over here please!" boomed Rivera's voice. He fought off the remaining two henchmen, bearded guy and scar eye, at the same time from one direction. Tommy attacked him from the other.

  Rivera held his own against them, but wasn't gaining any ground either.

  "Stay down and safe. I'll be back for you," Sauvage told Jasinda.

  Across the room, Tommy pulled a knife out of his pocket. With a flick of his thumb, the blade swung into place. He jumped forward to drive it into the base of Rivera's neck.

  More of Sauvage's special forces military training sprung into action. Sauvage delivered a martial arts style kick to Tommy's rib cage. He also made a full circular motion with his arm. On the upswing, he clipped the underside of Tommy's elbow which jolted the knife out of Tommy's hand.

  Tommy turned to face Sauvage with both fists swinging. Sauvage expertly blocked the attacks with one hand which whipped back and forth like an angry lion's tail.

  Sauvage kicked Tommy's legs out from under him with a blow to the knees. As soon as Tommy hit the floor, the military man pounced on him. Sauvage grabbed both of Tommy's arms and held them together with one hand. He produced lightweight plastic zip handcuffs and twisted them around Tommy's wrists.

  Tommy kept kicking at him, landing several blows in various parts of his body. Sauvage backhanded the young mobster across the face. Tommy's head slammed into the floor, leaving him temporarily dazed.

  All the men continued to throw punches at each other. Kicks, jabs, and elbows to the face were all fair game as well.

  The smoke had cleared completely and Jasinda regained her bearings. She sat up on the floor and looked around at the rescuers subduing the henchmen. She saw Tommy already restrained on the floor. Something nagged at her. Something wasn't right. Then it hit her. "Where's Sal?" she said aloud.

  She looked across the room and saw him slumped over the side of his wheelchair. Maybe the exploding grenades gave the old man a heart attack, she thought. She almost felt guilty for hoping the mobster was dead. At the same time, she couldn't help but think at least he can never come after me again.

  Did he just move? It must be my imagination. Jasinda stared slack-jawed when she saw him do it again. The sneaky bastard was only pretending to be dead or unconscious. He kept opening his eyes and taking a quick survey of the room. As his son and henchmen succumbed to the rescuer's pummeling, Sal inched his wheelchair closer to the door to escape!

  "Like hell you will!" Jasinda declared. She crawled the first few steps before getting her bearings and scrambling to her feet.

  Sal didn't see Jasinda. He focused on all the men fighting. Knowing that they were all too distracted to see him, Sal leaned his hand on the propulsion controls. The motor kicked into gear. The wheelchair rolled halfway into the hallway.

  Jasinda sprinted across the room. She slammed into the handles on the back of the wheelchair. The force knocked it off its trajectory and it slammed into the wall. "You're not getting away!" she told Sal. Jasinda used all her strength to drag the wheelchair back into the breakroom.

  Jasinda bent down to grab the plastic key out of the wheelchair's control box. She got it and tossed it aside. She also kicked and activated the manual wheel lock on the back tires.

  At the same time, Sal had his own plan. "I'll kill you with my bare hands," he shouted at her.

  Before she knew it, Sal's meaty fingers pressed into her neck. He knew exactly what he was doing. There could be no doubt the mobster killed this way before.

  Chapter 47

  Jasinda gasped for breath with her airway almost fully blocked. Sal's hands dug into her skin. His thumbs pressed into her esophagus with ever-increasing pressure.

  Jasinda raised her hands to his arms and wrists. She pulled with all her might, but she couldn't loosen his death grip. Jasinda choked. She twisted and turned her neck, but nothing helped. The movement only seemed to help him hurt her more.

  Her eyesight started to fail from lack of oxygen. She knew if she lost consciousness, he'd finish her off. She only had a couple seconds of oxygen left. In a last desperate attempt to save herself, she stopped pulling at his hands.

  She reached behind her back towards the counter. Her fingers wiggled in the air, grabbing at nothing. Finally, she touched the plastic handle of the glass coffee pot.

  Sal felt Jasinda's head droop in his hands. He knew from experience that was the last moment of her life. He wanted to send her into the next world with a message. He wanted it to be the last thing she ever heard. "This is for my son, Jim," Sal said with glee.

  "And so is this!" Jasinda managed to choke out. With her last bit of strength, she swung her arm around. The grimy glass coffee pot smashed into the side of Sal's head.

  The mobster screamed out in pain as the glass tore through his skin. Blood ran down his face. His hands instinctively released their deadly hold on Jasinda's neck.

  Jasinda felt dizzy. She stepped sideways. She could barely stand.

  Sal leaned forward with his hands outstretched to finish her off. Since Jasinda had moved, Sal no longer had a clear path to her neck. Instead of grabbing her like he wanted to, he accidentally shoved her away.

  Already unsteady on her feet as she waited for the oxygen to get back into her bloodstream, Jasinda took several steps backward until she finally lost her balance completely. She fell back against a pile of boxes in the corner. A long forgotten and opened twelve pack of full soda cans tumbled down. Several cans scattered around her and rolled on the floor.

  Sal tried to maneuver the wheelchair. He screamed out in frustration when he discovered he couldn't move it more than an inch or two because of the activated manual lock.

  Across the room, Sauvage and Rivera finished securing the zip cuffs on the two defeated henchmen.

  Tommy moaned on the floor.

  "I've got these two assholes. Check on that one," Rivera said.

  "Roger that," Sauvage agreed. He yanked the young bloodied and beaten Tommy to his feet. "You'll pay for what you did to Jasinda," Sauvage promised.
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  Sal Dagostino believed that even when cornered and unable to escape, one should still take out as many enemies as possible. Sal leaned forward and propelled himself out of his wheelchair. He hit the floor with a thud, but he didn't let that stop him. He dragged himself a foot across the floor to get to the object of his desire.

  In the fighting between the rescuers and his men, someone had lost a gun. Sal gladly retrieved it. He picked it up and aimed for the man who held Tommy in cuffs.

  At the same moment, Sauvage removed the facial mask which had managed to stay on him during the physical action with the mobsters. He smiled across the room at Jasinda.