Freak

by Francine Pascal

  Granddaughter. Somehow, the word lost its warm and fuzzy feel when spoken by a man pointing a deadly weapon at her face.

  Gaia felt sick, but she didn’t let it show. He may have been her grandfather, but he was clearly still the enemy.

  “Are you actually trying to threaten me?” she asked, her elbows locked. “I thought you were supposed to be some kind of sociopathic genius, but you’re just another idiot if you think that that matters to me.”

  Yuri continued to smile, his eyes glittering. “Careful, now. My sociopathic idiot blood is running through your veins.”

  Gaia swallowed back the bile that instantly appeared in her throat. She didn’t have an answer for that.

  “Just think about it, Gaia,” Yuri said, seeing an opening. “If you join me I can help you reach your full potential in a way your father never can. He’s holding you back. He doesn’t want you to know what you’re capable of, but I do. Gaia, I want the world for you. . . . ”

  He lowered his gun and started to pace at a safe distance, relaxing as he talked. Gaia followed him with her gun by her arms, which were starting to shake, by her vision, beginning to blur with tears. Frustrated that he seemed so calm. He didn’t think she would shoot him. He didn’t think she had it in her.

  “It’s what your mother would have wanted, Gaia,” he said, pausing and turning to look into her eyes. “I’m your grandfather. Don’t you think Katia would have wanted us to be together?”

  “She hated you,” Gaia spat, one tear brimming over. “She fled her country because of you. If she were here right now, she’d tell me to kill you.”

  Yuri paled slightly and in that moment Gaia felt truly murderous for the first time in her life. She had never killed anyone in cold blood. She’d never even punched someone who hadn’t attacked her first. But right then, she knew she could do it. She could take this evil bastard out right then and probably even feel good about it. No guilt. No remorse.

  But he is your grandfather, a little voice in Gaia’s mind told her. He could tell you things about yourself . . . your history. Things you may otherwise never know.

  Gaia was too close to this. She had to get control of herself. Hand trembling, she reached down to her belt and hit the button on the side of her mini-walkie-talkie.

  “What are you doing?” Yuri asked, brandishing his weapon again and taking a few steps toward her.

  Gaia fired a warning shot over his shoulder, taking out a few books on a shelf behind him. Yuri froze.

  “I missed on purpose,” she told him. “Move again and you’re worm food.”

  Yuri swallowed hard and eyed her gun. Gaia only hoped someone would come and relieve her before she used it again.

  Time to Die

  TOM STALKED ALONG THE PERIMETER of the house, doubling back to the window he and Gaia had come through the first time. During the firefight he’d managed to subdue four guards, but the chaos had taken him outside. He needed to retrace his steps so he could find the hallway he’d sent Gaia through.

  How could I have let her go alone? Tom berated himself, struggling to catch his breath, racing more from nerves than exertion. Yes, she’s capable, but she’s your daughter, idiot.

  Suddenly the red light on his GPS receiver started to blink and Tom whipped it free from his belt. Gaia had hit her panic button, but the information on the digital tracking screen couldn’t have been right. According to the dots on the display that represented his location and Gaia’s, she was right on top of him.

  Or beneath me, Tom realized, his heart seizing up. He looked down and spotted a long, low window near his feet. Tom dropped to the ground and peered through the glass. There, just below him, was Yuri himself. And he was pointing a gun at Gaia’s face.

  Tom’s paternal instinct didn’t even register the fact that Gaia also had a weapon trained on Yuri. All he knew was that he had to get in there and help her. He had to get in there now.

  Flipping over onto his back, Tom turned around so that his feet were facing the glass. He said a quick prayer, pulled his legs back, and thrust them forward, shattering the glass. A cacophony of alarms sounded out across the grounds. Tom squirmed through the window, landed hard on his feet, and tumbled right into Yuri, taking him down in a pile of limbs.

  Yuri’s knee came down on Tom’s forearm and he heard the snap before he felt the intense shot of pain. He shouted out, a primal growl, and struggled to free himself, but it was no use. Yuri may have been old, but he was still powerful. Without his right arm, Tom couldn’t win.

  “Get off him!” Gaia shouted with all of her energy.

  “Gaia, don’t!” Tom shouted, knowing that if she joined the scrum she would be disarmed.

  Suddenly he felt an arm around his neck and was hauled to his feet. Just then the door behind Gaia burst open and Jake and Oliver rushed in, guns at the ready. They flanked Gaia and all three watched in grim surprise as Yuri grasped Tom to him and pressed the barrel of his gun to Tom’s temple.

  “Dad!” Gaia shouted helplessly, her gun still drawn.

  Tom tried to speak, but Yuri’s grip choked him.

  “I want all of you to see this,” Yuri said.

  From the corner of his eye, Tom could see that Yuri held something in his right hand—the hand that was free while his forearm pressed into Tom’s larynx. It looked like some kind of remote control, but Tom couldn’t be sure.

  “Tom and I are going to be leaving here together and if any one of you tries to stop us I will shoot him, then blow this entire place.”

  Gaia’s gaze flicked to Tom. He knew his own eyes were filled with fear and he wished for a moment that he had Gaia’s power—that he could show his daughter a pair of clear, undisturbed eyes—but he couldn’t. He didn’t care about himself, but he didn’t want her to die. And it seemed like Yuri was more than willing to make that happen.

  This is it, Tom thought, looking at his brother with grim resignation. Looking at the three guns pointed at himself and his captor. It’s time for me to die. And either Jake, Oliver, or Gaia is going to have to kill me.

  SAM

  I realized something about myself today. I realized that I love Gaia Moore. Not just love her like, “Oh, yeah, love you, too.” But I love her with every ounce of my soul. I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone before. In fact, I don’t think I ever have loved anyone before, because this feels totally different than what I had with Heather last year or with Anna back in high school. This feels real. This feels more than real. It feels . . . transcendent.

  There’s nothing I won’t do for her. That’s what brought this realization home. If I can choose her over a man who has been nothing but a friend to me. If I can put her safety before my own. If I can stand in the very same room with the person who snatched me away from my life, my family, my friends for months and not go insane. If I can do all of that for her, then it must be love.

  I told her that I’ll meet with her uncle and I will. I’ll do that and anything else she asks of me. Anything to prove my love to her. Because she loves me, too. I can see it in her eyes. This Jake guy seems like he’s in right now. Like he’s involved in whatever’s going on with Dmitri or Yuri or whoever the hell he is. But that doesn’t matter. Jake is too new. Too green. He can’t possibly know Gaia as well as I do. Gaia and I have a history—a whole heart-wrenching, mutual lust and longing kind of history. And that doesn’t just go away because some mojo-having tool enters the picture.

  No. Gaia loves me. It may be buried. It may be confused with something else. It may be a while before she realizes it. But Gaia Moore is mine. We were meant to be together. We’re soul mates.

  And sooner or later she’s going to realize it, too.

  peaceful silence

  She’d done plenty of stupid things in her life, but now was not the time to add to the idiocy list.

  The Idiocy List

  “KILL HIM!” TOM GROWLED, HIS throat constricting in pain, his voice sounding like something otherworldly. “Open fire! Kill the bastard
!”

  Gaia gripped her gun with all her might, feeling as if it was the only thing in the room over which she had any control. The touch of the cool steel against her hand grounded her—helped her focus. She knew what her father was really saying. He wanted them to take them both out—Yuri and her father if necessary—just to take Yuri down.

  Sorry, Dad. Not gonna happen, Gaia thought, staring into his eyes. She wasn’t about to lose her father now. Not when they were so close to being a family again. Not when they were close enough to taste their own freedom.

  “I know you won’t do anything stupid, granddaughter,” Yuri said, his glare boring into her skull as if he could read her thoughts.

  Well then, you obviously don’t know me that well, Gaia thought. She’d done plenty of stupid things in her life, but now was not the time to add to the idiocy list.

  Gaia assessed the situation before her, the seconds dragging away like hours. As far as she could tell, she had one option. It wasn’t a clear shot, but if her aim was true, it would work.

  She looked at Oliver. I’m making my move, she thought, hoping she somehow conveyed that message in her face. Then she gave Jake the same look, lifting her chin ever so slightly to tell him where to go. If Oliver dove right he should be able to take cover behind the leather couch. If Jake dove left, he could duck and roll behind a wooden credenza. It wouldn’t give him much protection, but it was something.

  Jake narrowed his eyes slightly and Gaia knew he understood her.

  She turned her head, closed one eye, and took aim. The last thing she saw before the bullet left the chamber was Yuri’s mouth opening in surprise.

  Jake and Oliver leapt for cover as the bullet grazed the shoulder of Tom’s already maimed arm and embedded directly into Yuri’s. Both men tumbled backward and the detonator flew from Yuri’s grasp, skittering across the floor and coming to rest right in front of the sofa behind which Oliver now crouched.

  Yuri fired into the air as he fell, but his ammo hit nothing but wall, ceiling, and bookcase. Tom gained his balance and dug his knee into Yuri’s shattered shoulder. A gut-wrenching cry ripped through the room, but Tom didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Yuri’s gun with his left hand and stood, his broken right arm held protectively against his chest, blood oozing from the wound on his shoulder.

  Gaia stepped up next to her father and pointed her own gun down at Yuri as well. Jake soon joined them. Oliver dismantled the detonator, then trained a fourth weapon on their mark.

  Broken and defeated, Yuri lay on his back on the floor, sirens screaming through the night. Gaia saw him glance toward the door where three guards now lay, sleeping soundly.

  There’s no one left to save you, Gaia thought, gazing at him coldly. He seemed to realize this at the same moment, closed his eyes, and laid his head back on the floor.

  “It’s over,” Gaia’s father said.

  Gaia looked at him and smiled. “It’s over.”

  Sweet Relief

  GAIA AND JAKE WALKED DOWN THE winding driveway behind Oliver and Yuri, who shuffled along, his feet and hands shackled. Small electric lights lined the drive, casting a soft glow over the area. The rumble of an engine split the air and all four of them paused as a pair of headlights swung into view. A moment later, the black van Oliver had procured for their road trip came around a bend in the driveway. Tom was in the driver’s seat, one hand on the wheel, the other taped against him in a makeshift sling.

  The brakes squeaked as he brought the van to a stop a few yards ahead of them. Tom got out of the car and went about helping Oliver lift Yuri into the back of the van. The moment all three men disappeared behind the vehicle, Gaia felt a thrill run through her.

  This was it. This was her moment.

  She looked at Jake. He gazed back at her. About a thousand crickets chirped in the darkness around them, but aside from their song and the quietly idling engine, there was nothing but peace. Peaceful silence outside. Peaceful silence in Gaia’s heart.

  It was over. And that morning she had made herself a promise. If they came through this alive and well, there was something she was going to do.

  Gaia took a step closer to Jake and she saw the question in his eyes just before she wrapped her hand around his neck, pulled him to her, and kissed him like she’d never kissed anybody before. There was no hesitation. No uncertainty. No concern for what he thought, what anyone else would think. Gaia knew what she wanted and for once in her screwed-up life, she felt free to take it.

  Jake wrapped his arms around her back and lifted her until she was standing on her toes. He had a confident, strong kiss. Not sloppy or overeager or unsure. His touch sent chills up and down Gaia’s back and through her heart. It cleared her mind of everything except him. His lips on hers, his fingers in her hair, his arms clutching her to him.

  It was more than perfect. It was surreal. And when they heard the van doors slam, they pulled their faces away from each other, but never let go completely. Gaia looked up into Jake’s clear blue eyes as her mind slowly started to function again. Jake closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers, letting out a sigh that sounded like sweet relief.

  This is where it all begins, Gaia thought, a fluttering of happiness tickling her heart. Out with the old life, in with the new.

  Taking Lumps

  TOM TOOK HIS SEAT AT THE GLEAMING black table in the debriefing room, as if he were about to face a firing squad. His sore arm throbbed within its cast for the first time all morning as if it sympathized with his plight. There had been no doubt in Tom’s mind when he’d taken off to find Yuri on his own that he would meet with dissent upon his return. But he had hoped that the success of his mission—the fact that he’d just turned over one of the world’s most wanted criminals—would deflect the ire of his superiors somewhat. From the level of tension in the room, however, it appeared that this was not the case.

  Director Vance sat directly across from Tom, flanked by Agent Frenz and Agent Jack Freelander from Internal Affairs. Their expressions were grim except for Agent Frenz, who seemed to be smirking without moving one muscle in his face.

  “Well, Agent Moore, what have you got to say for yourself?” Director Vance said, lacing his fingers together on the table, his shoulders hunched forward. Even with bad posture the man was intimidating.

  “You’re welcome?” Tom asked archly.

  Freelander laughed but quickly covered his mouth with his fist and disguised it as a cough. With his good arm, Tom nonchalantly reached for the clear pitcher of water on the table and poured out a glass for the man, then slid it across the table toward him.

  “I’d advise you that being flip will get you nowhere,” Vance said. “I believe I told you not to go off on your own.”

  Tom sighed. If Vance had really wanted to prevent Tom from his mission, he could have stopped him. He could have had him detained at the door for disobeying a direct order. But the fact was that Vance had always known Tom was their best shot for bringing down Yuri. He had let the whole Philadelphia mission happen by not doing enough to stop Tom. That meant they had both gone against procedure. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t look like that to any IA committee because Vance had covered his ass by ordering Tom to lay off.

  Tom had brought down a highly dangerous international terrorist and he was going to get no credit. Instead he was going to be reprimanded. He knew this and had accepted it, but that didn’t mean he was going to just sit here and take his lumps quietly.

  “Am I suspended or not?” Tom asked, leaning back in his chair. His shoulder twinged and he managed, somehow, not to wince.

  Vance took a deep breath and looked at Freelander. The smaller man took a sip of his water and placed the glass down on the table.

  “Under normal circumstances a suspension would be in order, but these are not normal circumstances,” he said. “The internal affairs committee has reviewed your reports and the statements of several agents and has determined that it would be against this country’s interests to deactivate you at
this juncture.”

  Tom held his breath, uncertain if he should allow himself to believe what he’d just heard.

  “What?” Frenz blurted, leaning forward to see Freelander past Vance’s sizable frame. “How is he not suspended?”

  “Agent Frenz,” Vance snapped, holding up a hand. Frenz sat back in his seat, petulant. Tom tried not to smile. “Agent Moore, you will be taking the rest of the week off, however, and this time I will not be calling you to come back in. I suggest you take these few days to relax, spend some time with your daughter, and not do anything stupid.”

  “You can count on it, sir,” Tom said, letting the grin break through.

  He stood slowly as Frenz and Freelander exited the room. He flinched in surprise when Vance extended his arm across the table. There was a split second of hesitation before Tom lifted his left hand and shook with his superior.

  “Good work, Moore,” Vance said.

  “Thank you, sir,” Tom replied.

  Vance pulled his hand back and straightened his suit jacket. “I never said that,” he warned.

  “Of course not, sir.”

  “We’ll see you next week,” Vance told him, holding the door open for Tom.

  “Yes you will,” Tom replied. As he slid by Vance, turning sideways instinctively to protect his broken arm, Tom lifted his chin. In the end, the meeting had gone better than he’d imagined. And now he had a few days off to do with them what he wanted. He didn’t even have to think twice to know what that was.

  “Spend some time with your daughter,” he thought, recalling Vance’s words as he headed for the nearest exit. I like the sound of that.

  Repentance

  WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE? Sam wondered, pressing his back up against the armrest on the wooden bench in Prospect Park as he watched Oliver approach. The moment Sam laid eyes on the man his throat filled with bile and his veins with hatred and fear. He had chosen the park because it was a public place—always crowded on spring days like this one with joggers and stroller-pushing mothers and cops on horseback. But even with the dozens of people milling around within a hundred-yard radius, Sam suddenly felt alone. Utterly alone—just like he had for those months he’d spent in this bastard’s excuse for a prison.