by Jill Meengs
When I was right in front of the Baron, he smiled cruelly. “Turn around, now we are going to watch a show.”
I did as instructed, hoping for an opening to knock the gun out of his hand. With surprising speed, he wrapped his arm around my neck, locking me in a chokehold. His pistol pressed into my side. He didn’t cut off my air supply, but his grip was very tight. I reached up to try to relieve the pressure.
“Hands down!” He was callous.
I dropped my arms, flinching as the gun barrel pressed harder into my side.
Chase watched, powerless.
“Take care of him,” the Baron commanded now that he had me incapacitated.
I could see now that he was using me to control Chase. When he had stopped us from climbing the fence, I had wondered why he hadn’t just shot Chase. Now I knew why. If he had shot Chase while I was climbing the gate, I would have escaped. If I got away before Vlad was free, Chase would have gone after the Baron. Once he got me down off the gate, it was two versus one. He obviously didn’t want to shoot me. If he shot Chase, he would then have to deal with me without hurting me. He didn’t want to risk that since I was a wild card that had surprised him before.
The only safe move was to delay long enough for his cohort to get free. Then he would hold on to me while his friend took care of Chase. What he hadn’t known was that Vlad would be unarmed. He couldn’t just shoot Chase now. If the Baron moved the pistol just a fraction of an inch, I was fairly certain I could make a move that he may not be able to counter. He must have thought this too, since it stayed pressed firmly against me while Vlad faced off with Chase.
I was confident I could take the Baron down, but I needed a distraction. As difficult as it was, I would have to wait. I turned my attention to the scene in front of me.
The two extremely lethal men sized each other up in silence. They were about to do battle, knowing it would be to the death. Not only did both of them know this, they were resigned to it. In their world, that was just the way it was.
Vlad moved sideways until they were in the open space in front of the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. The arena had been chosen.
The Baron adjusted his grip, forcing me to shift so I could still breathe. All I needed was for him to slip for an instant so I could break free.
The two men circled each other slowly, each waiting for the other to make a move. I knew Chase would wait for Vlad to strike first. That way he could see how the aggressor moved, and take a real measure of him. Since I had already seen Vlad in action, I was afraid for Chase.
Vlad the Hungarian and the Baron; they sounded like the monikers for a couple of low- class villains in a bad horror movie. But these two were anything but second-rate, and they definitely weren’t actors. I knew the type of people they were. They had ruthlessly let people die in an effort to get what they wanted: me. If you were unfortunate enough to cross paths with either of these guys on the wrong day, you would probably end up dead as well.
The men continued to stalk each other as I watched helpless from the prison of the Baron’s grip.
“Let her go and we’ll disappear. You’ll never see or hear from us again,” Chase called out to the Baron.
While he circled away from Vlad, he kept me in his line of sight. The Baron ignored him.
“Let her go and you can take me. I’ll go with you quietly.” It was his last-ditch effort at a remedy that would guarantee my safety.
Again he was ignored.
The Baron nodded once to Vlad. Given the green light, Vlad struck viper-fast. Chase had anticipated the attack, and countered it readily. What ensued was a rapid exchange of martial arts punches and kicks as each tried to gain the advantage.
Vlad didn’t appear to be favoring the hand I had smashed at all. He moved quickly, and with ease. As fast as Vlad moved, Chase was faster still. He handily defended against every blow, moving effortlessly in response to each attack. He was waiting for Vlad to show a weakness. Thwarted thus far, Vlad kept up a relentless assault.
It was a lethal ballet. Both men moved gracefully as their actions flowed back and forth in a strange coordinated rhythm. As the two fought, they moved in and around the nearby orange trees, which added another level of intricacy to an already complex and intense fight. The slender, elegant trees stood in glaring contrast to the violence raging around them.
Chase was getting more aggressive now that he had a better feel for the man he was fighting. He would feint in one direction, drawing Vlad off balance. Then he would immediately press that slight advantage. Vlad would recover quickly, though, and the deadly dance would continue. The two men seemed fairly evenly matched. I could see now that it would come down to luck or one of them making a fatal mistake.
As enthralled as I was by the controlled yet violent battle playing out before me, I remained extremely aware of what the Baron was doing. Whenever I shifted slightly, he would press the pistol against me to remind me that he was well aware of my every movement. For the moment, there was still nothing I could do.
A sudden shout of frustration made me turn back to the conflict raging in front of me. Until now, the fighting had gone on in silence with the exception of heavy breathing. They continued to circle each other, seemingly oblivious to anything but their opponent.
Words spoken from behind me made my heart leap and my mind reel.
“Put the gun down and step away from her slowly.”
Even though I knew that voice, I almost couldn’t believe it. The Baron spun me around in a tight circle. Marcello was standing with a pistol pointed at the Baron’s head.
“Marcello!” I gasped.
The Baron tightened his arm on my throat, cutting off any other words I may have wanted to say.
“I don’t think you are in a position to tell me what to do,” the Baron replied.
“I would argue the point, sir.” Marcello was calm as he flicked a look at me.
I gave an almost imperceptible nod that I was okay. He shot another glance at the men who continued to clash a few feet away. I had no doubt that they had noticed Marcello, but neither could afford to react because at this point the fighting was so intense, if one lost focus for any reason, the other would prevail.
“You think you’ll be able to shoot me and save her. However, if you shoot me are you certain you will be able to render me unable to kill her? Are you ready to take that risk? From what I’ve observed of your behavior when it comes to this lady, I would say that you wouldn’t be willing to take such a chance.” The Baron was very poised. “Kick the gun over to me unless you are willing to bet her life on your ability with it.”
Marcello’s eyes found mine and I knew he had no move but to follow the Baron’s orders. Marcello held his weapon steady for a few tense moments then gradually lowered it until it pointed at the ground. Defeated, he dropped the pistol on the stones and kicked it toward the Baron.
The Baron indicated with his gun that Marcello should move. When Marcello was standing where the Baron could keep an eye on the Italian and the fight as well, he told him to stop.
Watching the brawl again, the Baron snarled, “Finish him!”
The savagery in his voice was uninhibited. I knew that if he was going to make a mistake, it would be soon.
With the command from his master, Vlad let loose a right kick that just missed connecting with Chase’s head. Once he landed, he immediately went into a backspin, bringing his right arm up to try to catch Chase as he recovered from dodging the kick. Chase anticipated this and instead of standing straight up, he ducked to his left into a spin of his own. Vlad was forced to continue rotating in order to stay face-to-face with him. With Vlad’s momentum thrown off balance, Chase closed in. He landed a well-aimed punch to the head followed by a hard kick to the kidney area.
Vlad resumed his fighting stance, but didn’t look as strong as he had earlier. Chase countered each move as he waited for another opening. Vlad pressed an attack and Chase stumbled slightly. Vlad sprang at Chase, la
nding several sharp punches to his midsection.
Chase doubled over as the blows rained down, forcing him to drop to the ground. He twisted to protect his head from the worst of the barrage. From his kneeling position, he pushed himself forward into a somersault, rolling away from his attacker. Blood trickled from his mouth as he stood up looking slightly dazed.
“No!” I shrieked as Vlad moved in to finish it.
Frantic, I struggled violently against the Baron’s grip. I couldn’t watch him die. I had to act. Maybe if I provoked the Baron, he would end all of this by killing me. If Vlad won, then I would end up dead or a hostage anyway. Neither was very appealing, but if Chase was able to get away, that would be something.
I thrashed wildly. Just a few feet away, Marcello was inching his way toward Vlad. The Baron was busy dealing with me, so he hadn’t noticed that Marcello was moving. I twisted to make the Baron face away from Marcello.
With the Baron diverted, Marcello swiftly closed the distance between himself and Vlad. At the last second, Vlad heard Marcello coming, but it was too late. Marcello got in a well-placed kick. Vlad immediately attacked Marcello, who had clearly been trained in hand-to-hand combat. Despite his evident skills, I could tell he was no match for the Hungarian.
Meanwhile, Chase rejoined the melee. Vlad knocked Marcello back, then had to immediately counter an assault from Chase. As soon as he recovered, Marcello rushed back in. What had been an artful dance between two people was now a barrage of activity as the three men clashed. Vlad was visibly tiring, but he hadn’t given up yet.
Marcello circled behind Vlad and moved in to strike. Dodging to the side, Vlad was able to land a quick blow to Marcello’s throat that knocked him down. Pouncing on him, he twisted his arm until there was a stomach-turning snap. Marcello cried out in anguish as his arm lay at an unnatural angle. Having dealt with one problem, Vlad stood to face the other.
Chase rushed him, but Vlad was too quick and evaded the attack. The two men circled each other as Marcello lay on the ground, clutching his ruined arm to his chest. Vlad closed in on Chase, who rushed to meet him and I knew this was it: One of them was about to die.
It was now or never. Dropping my left hip I picked up my right foot and with all the strength I could muster I smashed it into the Baron’s kneecap.
He went down with a grunt as I sidestepped away from him to break his grip on my throat. Taking his hand in both of mine, I yanked it downward while slamming my right knee up into his wrist. Bones snapped with a hideous crack, and the pistol fell at my feet. I shoved him so he sprawled onto his back where he lay writhing in pain. I picked up the weapon.
Meanwhile, I could hear the two men behind me continue to exchange blows. I knew I had only seconds before Vlad recognized that I was now an armed threat. Spinning around with the Baron’s gun in my hand, I raised it and took aim.
My mind was clear; despite the constant motion of the two men battling, my target was also clear. I exhaled. Soft as a whisper, I pulled the trigger.
The single deafening shot brought both men to an abrupt halt. For a moment, it wasn’t clear to anyone except me who had been hit. I knew. I had no doubt that I had hit the target squarely in the middle of his chest. I knew it the moment I squeezed the trigger. When bright red blood blossomed across Vlad’s torso, everyone else knew it too.
I hustled over to grab the pistol Marcello had dropped. With a gun in each hand, I pointed one at the Baron, who continued to moan in agony as he clutched his ruined knee.
Totally composed, I faced the two men who were both looking at me. Chase’s expression was calm. Vlad’s was one of disbelief that twisted into an ugly grimace as he crumbled to the ground. The malignant light in his eyes went out as his now lifeless body hit the cobblestones. A thick puddle of blood pooled underneath him.
Chase moved over to check Vlad’s pulse. Satisfied that the man was dead, he walked over to where I stood, still as a statue. Chase held his hand out and wordlessly I handed him the pistol that was not pointed at the Baron.
Gazing down at me, he ran the back of his bruised fingers lightly down my cheek as if to assure himself that I was okay. His clothes were soiled, and blood from his mouth was trickling down his chin onto his chest. He tried to wipe it away, but ended up smearing it everywhere. None of that mattered.
He was alive.
We were both alive.
The Baron sat holding his broken wrist. He hadn’t said anything since I had knocked him down. He didn’t look as formidable now. He looked old and worn. Chase stood in front of him, pointing the gun at his head.
“Who else knows about her?”
“What do you mean?” His response was feeble.
“No games or I’ll shoot you right now. Who else knows that she exists or that you were coming after her?” His tone was clipped and angry.
“No one.”
When Chase cocked his head to the side quizzically, the Baron reiterated. “No one knows about her or that I came after her.”
“Why should I believe you?”
The Baron wilted a little under Chase’s intense glare.
“Because you know how we operate. We don’t often share information, even within our own company. I wanted her for me, so why would I tell anyone else about her?” He sounded defeated.
“So only you and your men, who are now dead, know about her and that for some reason she is important to you?”
The Baron nodded reluctantly.
Chase squatted down to be eye level with the Baron. “I’m going to ask you this only once and I want a straightforward response. If you jerk me around I’ll put a bullet in your head.” He spoke clearly and calmly like he was addressing a naughty child. “Do you understand?”
“No matter what I do you’ll put a bullet in my head, so why should I tell you anything more?” the Baron jeered.
Chase raised his eyebrows as if to imply there were any number of things he could do.
The Baron sat in glum silence, finally nodding.
“Why did you come after her?” He spoke each word with a slight emphasis.
Reluctant, the Baron spoke slowly. “I used to be quite the talent spotter in my day. I bet you didn’t know that.”
Chase’s expression indicated that he had not.
“I was in the United States on assignment when our paths crossed. It was while you were on that trip with your parents in California. Do you remember, my dear girl?” The Baron turned his beady eyes to me.
The look on his face, calling me dear, and his knowledge about a family trip I had taken made my skin crawl. My mouth felt like it was lined with gritty sandpaper, making it impossible to talk, so I simply nodded.
“You were at the beach with your family while I was dining at a restaurant overlooking the water. For some reason, I started watching you. I don’t know why. There was just something about you that caught my eye. Perhaps it was your girlish beauty as you ran around in that blue bathing suit.” The Baron had a faraway, almost dreamy look as he spoke.
He was describing a day I would never forget as long as I lived. What cruel twist of fate had placed him there that day?
Chase was obviously confused by both my reaction and the passion with which the Baron spoke. He kept glancing back and forth between us.
“That part of the beach wasn’t very crowded. No one heard the cries for help except you and your brother. You both raced toward the source. It was you who saw the little girl that had been swept off the jetty first. You sprinted barefoot over gravel then jumped from one giant rock to another as graceful as a dancer until you were close enough to dive into the water. The control you had, the agility, and the concentration. I’ve never seen anything like that, especially in one so young. Nothing was going to stop you from helping that child. Jetties are dangerous places. You can easily break your neck diving off of one. While you were airborne, a rock was exposed by a receding wave. I watched you twist in midair so you would miss it. You hit the water precisely as you needed to in or
der to avoid injury. Your brother dove in after you, but he wasn’t so skilled, was he?”
I gazed at him dully as the overpowering memories dragged me back to that day like it was all happening again. The frantic cries for help echoed in my ears. I could still feel the shock from when I first hit the cold water. The sound of my mother’s screams had been cut off when I dove under the surface. Chase was transfixed by the Baron’s story as it unfolded.
“By the time you were in the water, your parents were making their way to the jetty, as was everyone else. But they weren’t fast enough. It was you, Jordan, that saved that little girl’s life. You dragged her to safety against the riptide. Then you went back in to help your brother. He was hurt when he hit the water. He was unable to keep himself afloat with the waves battering him. He was bigger than you were, and that current was horrendous, but you wouldn’t be stopped. It took you a while to find him. I saw you dive down at least twice before you surfaced with him in your arms. Then you towed him in as well. I have no idea how you managed it, scrap of a thing that you were when he was so much bigger than you. How old were you, fourteen?”
“Thirteen,” I mumbled hoarsely.
The memory of the raging water closing out the sun made me shiver. I couldn’t find Carter for the longest time. When I finally did see him I was out of air, and had almost no strength left. I wouldn’t leave him there in the dark and the cold. I couldn’t leave him, just like I couldn’t leave Chase earlier. When my arms closed around Carter, I swear his body relaxed as though he knew I was there and that I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from saving him.
My muscles had burned, and my lungs had felt like they were going to rupture as I fought my way to the surface. Every meter I gained was a bitter battle against the current and my own frail body. That first gulp of fresh air had been so overwhelming, I almost passed out.
“Once you got to the surface, I was worried that you wouldn’t make it to the shore. I was in awe of what you had done, but agonized that in the end the ocean would defeat you. You had just reached the rocks when that last big wave hit. I thought for sure that was it. Everything was enveloped by white water. When it finally cleared I expected to see only rocks, but there you were, clutching a boulder with one arm and your brother with the other. People crawled down to help. You made them lift your brother to safety first. Then you started climbing up on your own. You were the most incredible thing I had ever seen!” The baron’s voice was impassioned to the point of fevered reverence.