The Memory Agent & Fool Me Once

by Kane, Joany

  Derek ends the call and then on the iphone he google searches images of Peter Bosovich. Derek brings the phone over to Jillian. He shows her the image of Peter Bosovich. “Is this the man you saw kill Congressman Reynolds?”

  Jillian's eyes widen. “Yes, that's him.

  Quentin looks out the window. “We've got company, Win.”

  Derek joins him and as they see a couple of cars barreling down the road toward the cabin. Quentin jumps into action and grabs a bunch of guns from his arsenal.

  Derek pushes Jillian to the floor, flips over a piece of furniture to cover her. “Stay down.” He tells her.

  Derek and Quentin break glass from the front windows to get a good shot at the incoming vehicles.

  Quentin takes a shot at the front tire of the front vehicle causing the driver to lose control of the car and spin out. The other cars crash into the first car. A dozen gunmen jump out of the cars.

  Half the men engage Quentin and Derek in a gun battle, while the other half of the men try to surround the house. Quentin and Derek are clearly out-numbered but they’re putting up one hell of a gun fight.

  Then a fed helicopter appears over the cliff.

  The feds in the helicopter see the gun battle and begin shooting at Bosovich's men, taking out most of them.

  One of Bosovich's men, who has snuck around the house, shoots at the gas tank of the helicopter, causing the helicopter to explode and crash on top of the bad guys' cars.

  Everyone outside of the cabin is dead. It seems safe. Until the final gunman sneaks into the cabin from the back takes aim at Jillian’s back and is about to shoot when Derek sees him.

  Derek throws himself in front of Jillian, taking the bullet. The force of the shot knocks him to the floor where he slams his head getting knocked out. Jillian screams, “no!!!!”

  Quentin shoots the bad guy dead.

  Jillian cradles Derek, getting his blood all over her. Quentin checks on Derek. He sees that it's a shoulder wound. “Come on, let's get him to the hospital.”

  *****

  Quentin and Jillian wait, impatiently, in the hospital waiting area. Jillian is still covered with Derek's blood. Captain Harris joins them.

  “How is he?”

  “He's in surgery.”

  The captain looks directly at Jillian. “How are you?”

  “I'll be better when Derek, Detective Winton, is out of surgery,” she responds, shaking with worry.

  Quentin informs the captain,“Win figured out who killed the congressman.”

  “Who?” The captain asks, desperate to know.

  “I ID’d the man but before he told us the name the bad guys showed up,” Jillian tells the captain.

  “The info is on my iphone, but my phone got shot up. Win made a call on it, tracking someone’s phone number,” Quentin shares.

  “I’ll look into,” the captain states with authority. “You should come with me,” he says as he looks at Jillian.

  “I’m not going anywhere, not until Detective Winton is out of surgery and safe,” Jillian claims, holding her ground.

  “I’ll take care of her,” Quentin reassures the captain.

  “When the feds show up, she’s going to have to go with them,” the captain informs them.

  “I'm going to go wash up.” Jillian says as she looks at Derek’s blood all over her. Jillian heads to the bathroom.

  Jillian enters the ladies room. At the sink Jillian rinses the blood off of herself. When she looks up in the mirror, Knox is standing behind her. Jillian gasps.

  The doctor joins Quentin. “Detective Winton is out of surgery and awake. He'd like to see you and Miss March.”

  “Thanks doc, I’ll go get Miss March,” Quentin heads for the ladies room. He opens the door and calls in. “Jillian?” There’s no answer. He rushes in to see that there appears to have been a struggle.

  Quentin hightails it out of the ladies room and runs into Derek’s hospital room.

  Derek is in bed, his shoulder bandaged. “Where's Jillian?”

  “They got her, Win.” She went to the ladies room to wash up and now she’s gone.

  “Dammit!! Get me my jacket.” Quentin grabs the jacket from Derek’s pile of clothes on the bedside chair. Derek removes the tracking unit from the pocket. He sees the bleep and sees that the bleep is heading for the city’s port.

  Derek hops out of bed. “We’ve got to go get her, Quen.”

  “You're in no shape to go anywhere,” Quentin points out the obvious.

  *****

  Knox drives his cruiser down a city street heading for the port. Jillian, with a new shiner on her eye, is cuffed in the backseat.

  Knox snarls at her through the rearview mirror. “Since you have caused us so much grief, and so many men, you fucking little bitch, Mr. Bosovich has new plans for you. You're going to be a gift to the Russian crew of one of his cargo ships. The crew will manhandle you for the entire voyage back to the motherland and then dispose of your used and abused body.”

  Jillian nervously plays with Derek's wristwatch.

  Quentin drives his pick-up truck down a city street heading for the port. Derek sits in the passenger seat. He's in pain but the adrenalin of the moment and situation is keeping him pumped. He watches the tracking unit keeping an eye on the bleep.

  “We should call for back-up, Win. You’re in no condition to fight.”

  “She's moving and still alive. I’m figuring Knox is taking her to meet Bosovich, after all of the trouble she’s caused him he’s going to want to meet her face to face. If cops and feds show up, that will surely get her killed sooner than later. At least now we can bet on later than sooner.” Derek rationalizes.

  “Makes sense their heading for the port since Bosovich owns almost every warehouse there,” Quentin adds.

  At the police station, at the same time, Captain Harris confers with the CSI investigators about their interactions with Derek. They’re checking the history of calls and internet access on Quentin’s phone.

  The cop from the surveillance room tells the captain about the tracking unit Derek had checked out. They plug into the master tracking command unit and log into the device so they too can locate the wristwatch. They see the same thing Derek is seeing, that Jillian is headed for the port.

  The captain gets a call from the hospital. Derek is not only out of surgery, he’s left the hospital, his two friends are gone as well.

  The cops put it all together, the murderer is Peter Bosovich and Knox is the leak. The captain calls the feds and tells them what’s happening.

  At the port Knox's cruiser pulls up to the warehouse and parks next to a limo. He gets out and drags Jillian out of the car. They enter the warehouse.

  Knox violently throws Jillian at Bosovich’s feet.

  “So nice to see you again,” Bosovich says to Jillian with sinister politeness.

  He grabs her off the ground and gropes her chest. She struggle to pull away.

  “I wish I had more time to get to know you better myself, but you have already cost me days of business, not to mention a score of associates. I trust Knox has explained our plans for you.” He calmly says to her as he grossly feels her up.

  Jillian, squirming, does her best to not look scared. “They figured out it’s you, and I ID’d you, so you’re still going to go down for the murder.” She says defiantly.

  Bosovich glares at Knox, “is this true?” Knox shrugs, it’s news to him.

  Bosovich tries not to look worried. “No matter. I’m leaving the country.” As you will be.” Bosovich motions to one of his men who holds a syringe. The man jabs the syringe into her arm. Jillian goes groggy. “By the time you come to, you will be in international waters and will have no doubt been raped and manhandled by at least a dozen crew members.” Jillian passes out cold.

  “Throw her into the cargo container and seal her up,” Bosovich calls to his men.

  A couple of Bosovich's associates grab Jillian's limp body.

  “Wait a second.�
�� Bosovich demands. Bosovich notices the nice wristwatch on Jillian. He takes it off of her wrist. “Okay, continue.” Bosovich instructs as he puts the watch on his own wrist.

  The men throw Jillian into the cargo container and seal it up. Knox taps on the hidden side of the cargo container, snickering as he does. “Time for vodka!” Knox calls out.

  “Not for me. I’m getting out of the country until all of this interest in the congressman dies down.” Bosovich says as he heads for the limo parked near one of the entrances to the warehouse.

  As Knox breaks out the booze and shares it with the remaining men, a couple of shipyard workers start to load the cargo containers onto a ship. Jillian’s container is in the back of the pile of containers to be loaded.

  Outside of the warehouse the limo is pulling away just as Quentin’s pick up truck arrives.

  In the pick-up Derek watches the tracking unit. The bleep, which had been stationary, is now moving again away from the warehouse. “She’s in the limo,” Derek shouts.

  Quentin follows the limo for about a mile. Just as the limo is about to reach the entrance to the port, a half dozen cop cars and fed cars arrive and surround the limo.

  The limo stops. Cops and feds hop out of their cars, and with guns drawn, surround the limo. The feds holler for Bosovich to get out of the limo.

  There is no movement from the limo. It’s a Mexican stand off.

  Until Bosovich lowers the limo window.

  “Hands up where we can see them!” A cop yells at Bosovich. Bosovich complies, sticking his hands out the window. “What seems to be the problem officers?” Bosovich politely asks.

  From the pick-up truck Derek sees the wristwatch on Bosovich’s wrist.

  “Shit!!!” He says, as he hops out of the truck. Derek rushes over to the limo, approaching Bosovich. “Where is she?!” Derek hollers with such fervor it causes Bosovich to raise his eyebrows.

  Bosovich gives Derek an evil smile. “She’s long gone, detective. Her fate is sealed and it’s not a pleasant one.”

  Derek grabs the wristwatch from Bosovich’s wrist. He runs back to the pick-up truck and hops in. “Go back to the warehouse. Now!” Derek commands Quentin. Derek is fueled with anxiety and anger, if anything happens to her.

  Quentin speeds back to the warehouse.

  At the warehouse, Knox is enjoying vodka with a half dozen men as they watch the cargo containers being loaded onto the ship. There are just a few left until Jillian’s container is loaded.

  Outside of the warehouse, Quentin parks the truck a short distance from the entrance to the warehouse. Derek sees Knox’s cruiser, which boils him.

  Derek and Quentin hop out of the truck and head for the warehouse entrance.

  “You’re in no condition for battle,” Quentin points out.

  “If it's with Knox I am.” Derek declares focused and fueled with adrenalin.

  Derek and Quentin reach the entrance. They quietly enter. They see Knox and the men drinking vodka, listening to Russian music, clearly they have no clue that Bosovich was just apprehended.

  Derek motions to Quentin to take a cover position. Quentin nods.

  Derek stands out in the open and approaches Knox and the men. Knox’s mouth drops open at Derek’s audacity.

  “Look what the fucking pussy dragged in,” Knox quips.

  “Where is she?” Derek demands.

  “You're too late to save the damsel,” Knox taunts.

  “I'm going to kill you, Knox,” Derek declares.

  Noting Derek’s physical condition, Knox laughs. “ I’d like to see you try.”

  Two of the men grab Derek. Knox wails Derek in his injured shoulder. Derek buckles over in pain.

  “This is going to be way too fucking easy,” Knox boasts.

  Knox starts punching the hell out of Derek. Derek can't fight back because two men are holding him, and he’s pretty weak from being shot.

  Quentin, from his cover position, easily takes out the two men with two shots. This causes the other men to draw their guns and pursue the shooter.

  Quentin easily takes out the men with his sharp shooting skills.

  It’s down to Knox and Derek. They engage in a brutal fist fight, Knox getting the better of the injured Derek. “Where is she?” Derek keeps asking.

  Knox is such a mean and nasty fighter that he's doing a lot of damage to Derek. But Derek has driven determination and adrenalin on his side.

  Just when Knox appears to have the upper hand, Derek makes a come back, and finally gets the upper hand on Knox, having him pinned. “Where is she?!!!” Derek hollers.

  Knox just smirks as he glances at the cargo container being wheeled out of the warehouse. Derek turns his attention from Knox to the container and that’s when he sees it, on the side of the container the I Brake For Crack Whores bumper sticker!!

  Derek’s moment of looking away from Knox gives Knox the opportunity to overtake Derek. The fight continues as the cargo container disappears from the warehouse.

  Derek, completely pumped is so invigorated to take down Knox that he pummels him and then snaps Knox’s neck. Before Knox’s dead body hits the ground Derek is running to the cargo container.

  Derek hollers for the shipyard worker to stop and lower the container. He does. Derek pries open the container and finds Jillian’s unconscious body. He cradles her, kissing her forehead. “Thank god,” he whispers.

  *****

  Jillian is sound asleep in her own bed. She’s wearing her Three Stooges pajamas. A loud knock on the door awakens her.

  She instinctively looks at her wrist. Derek’s watch is gone.

  She hops out of bed and heads for the door as she hears another knock. She stops for a moment in the living room when she notices the blow up dolls on the sofa. She notices her black clothes and hat folded and on a chair.

  And she sees that her calendar on the desk is on April 1st.

  She didn’t imagine the past few days did she? She feels her cheek and winces when she touches the welt. No she couldn’t have imagined it all.

  She walks to the door and opens it. It’s Derek. Before she can be insanely psyched to see him, he states, quite professionally, “You left something at the station, Miss March.”

  Jillian looks at him curiously as if thinking what’s going on? It doesn’t look like Derek was shot, he’s certainly not in the hospital or wearing a sling, although his face is covered with welts and bruises.

  Derek hands her the bumper sticker that was on the side of the cargo container. She smiles wide, getting it. “If you’re trying to out prank me by staging my apartment, detective, it’s not going to work. You can’t mess with a pro.”

  Derek teases, “I had you there for a moment though, didn’t I?” Jillian relents and nods, he did have her there for a moment.

  Derek turns serious. “There were times all year long I wanted to knock on your door but I didn’t. I kept thinking foolish idea, what would a beautiful young woman see in an older, tired detective who is way too dedicated to his job?”

  “The answer to that question is very easy, detective,” Jillian affirms. “You see, you are at the very top of my love list. Actually, you are the only thing on my love list, and you will always be the only thing on my love list.”

  Their eyes lock. She steps aside to allow him to enter her apartment. He does. “Speaking of love lists,” she flirts as she unbuttons her Three Stooges pajama top. “I think there are a couple of things on your love list that need revisiting.”

  Derek beams with love and desire as he takes her in his arms, kissing her passionately while shutting the door.

  Thank you for reading my two novellas “The Memory Agent” and “Fool Me Once.” I hope you enjoyed the action romances. For more information about me and my stories, please check out my website: http://www.joanykane.com

  I am a screenwriter by trade. My first movie, the Emmy nominated “The Christmas Card,” was voted the most beloved holiday movie of all time by the Hallmark audience. My
movie “The Christmas Kiss,” when it aired on ION, was the highest rated movie of all time for the channel. My most recent movie, “Matchmaker Santa,” aired in 2012. It was the highest rated movie of the year for the Hallmark Channel.

  ALSO AVAILABLE IN EBOOK:

  MISS ANNIE AND THE CHIEF:

  In Miss Annie And The Chief” a Civil War widow heads west where she befriends an Indian Chief and is wooed by a dashing Army Captain.

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BK9NKCA

  OPERATION NAUGHTY:

  Santa recruits a naughty young lady to help him take down a naughtier man in order to save Christmas. It's magical, epically romantic - and fun. A mix of "Pretty Woman" and "A Christmas Carol."

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BKSSYHM

  THE REMOTE SEDUCTION:

  A genius female hacker is recruited, via seduction, by a handsome government agent working for a secret organization to steal back a high tech remote control from a beguiling rogue agent who is closer to her than she realizes. It’s a steamy love triangle story about a woman caught between a good guy who’s kind of bad, and a bad guy who’s pretty darn good (in so many ways.)

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BMXVLMK

  COMING SOON TO EBOOK:

  THE REALM WARRIOR:

  Marco Alburn, a warrior from a different realm, captures Phoebe on her 21st birthday and is duty bound to bring her to her fate, to sacrifice her to the fire mountain Gods in order to break the curse on his kingdom. When he falls in love with her on their perilous journey he struggles with the battle raging in his heart between his feelings and his duty.

  WE MET IN A DREAM:

  An unfulfilled woman finds passion and love with – literally – the man from her dreams. (Erotica)