by Nova Drake
“This door don’t even work.”
“What the hell are you talking about? It is it locked?”
“No, it just won’t open. Jammed or something.”
“I’ll do it,” the new voice answered with a sigh.
The door handle again rattled with effort, and Cash held the door firmly in place.
“Huh. Well if we can’t get in no way some little girl could. Come on, ten bucks says she found a way out. Harris wants her alive, bet he’ll offer a reward to whoever brings her back. You get a good look at her?”
“Oh yeah,” came the nasal reply. “That bitch is mine.”
The voices trailed off as they left the room, and Jess slumped against the wall. Cash listened for a few seconds before he attempted to leave the closet. The handle didn't budge under his hand. He gently rattled the door as he realized they were trapped.
“Tried to warn you,” Jess said flatly.
“When was that?” Cash spun around, nearly knocking her over with his broad shoulders in the process.
“When you stuffed your hand over my mouth, genius,” she snarled as she caught her balance.
“It’s not like we had much choice by that point,” he snapped back.
“Yeah, or maybe you were too busy trying to sneak a feel to figure out a better plan.”
“Oh, please. I was trying to keep you quiet. It’s not my fault you enjoyed it.” He tilted his head in a cocky gesture.
Fury washed over Jess. She felt her face flush with heat. Cash’s satisfied smirk only pissed her off more. Her glare locked on his and she got right in his face, as close as she could with the height difference, anyway.
“You wish!” she hissed through clenched teeth.
Cash’s smirk widened into a full-blown smile. He lowered his head closer, and she leaned away as his breath tickled her neck. He spoke softly in her ear, sending goosebumps running across her skin.
“I think it’s your wish, Doll.”
Taking a breath to compose herself, Jess slowly turned to face Cash. Grabbing a fistful of the front of his shirt, she pulled him closer in front of her. He smiled at her dominant gesture and allowed her to move him willingly. Enjoying her boldness, he placed one hand on the wall behind her and leaned in.
Jess tipped her head, mimicking his cocky gesture. “I don’t waste my time wishing for things. I don’t ask for them either. If there is something I want, I go for it. No exceptions. Make no mistake, if you were what I wanted, I’d have already let you know. The only thing that’s left you unharmed is that bullshit symbol on your chest.”
His demeanor shifted on a dime, more insulted by her insinuation than her lack of interest in him. His eyebrows drew together as he pushed himself back up.
“Bullshit? Honey, you don’t know a damn thing about me!”
“I know what I see. Your buddies are criminals. None of them have been arrested. Here for your payment maybe?” she shrugged casually.
Cash’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know shit. I make arrests, and I take payments from no one. This organization goes too deep. I can’t touch them. And if I want to keep my job and do what I can, then I have to work within the system. Don’t pretend to know anything about me.”
She gave him a doubtful look. “You’re not the first cop I’ve met.”
Cash’s jaw set. “And you’re not the first scared little girl I’ve met that’s trying to make it in a world she knows nothing about. You’re playing with fire, and you’re going to get yourself killed.”
Jess’s fists clenched, and she fought the urge to punch him. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she seethed.
“Don’t I? Seems to me that you don’t know a damn thing about how the world works.”
That one hit a nerve. “I know all too well how this world works! I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it! Don’t you dare stand there and pretend you know anything about me! I know far too well what trusting a cop will get you. So forgive me if I think you’re the one who doesn’t have a clue! I’ve yet to see a single person in our justice system do anything but ruin lives, so thanks for the bullshit and fairy tales but I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Cash’s face softened as he realized his mistake. Jess knew his world a little too well. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…”
Jess was suddenly embarrassed by how much she’d revealed about herself to this total stranger. She looked away and folded her arms over her chest, trying to hide her discomfort. “Whatever.”
“You wanna tell me what happened?”
Her incredulous eyes flashed to him. Was he freaking joking? “Thanks, I’ve been violated by the authorities enough for one lifetime. I think I’ll skip storytime,” she spat. Cash tensed, and she immediately regretted her choice of words. “That came out wrong,” she tried to correct herself, even though it wasn’t especially inaccurate.
He nodded, but she could tell from the way he was looking at her that he knew it wasn’t far from the truth. “We’re not all the same.”
She let out an amused snort and shook her head.
“Getting caught with you would put me in a really bad situation, but I’m here aren’t I?” he pointed out.
She let her eyes settle on him again. “Why?”
“I needed to make sure you got out safely.”
She wasn’t dumb enough to believe there wasn’t some ulterior motive there. “And instead you locked us in a closet.”
Cash sighed. “Not intentionally. I can break down the door, but someone will most likely hear it. If we can find another place to hide you, they might believe that I broke it open to look for you.”
Jess rolled her eyes. “Unless they find your bloody hand suspicious.”
Cash lifted his hand. The blood wasn’t visible in the dark but a swipe of his thumb came away wet enough for him to realize it was noticeable.
“And I’m guessing it’s on anything you’ve touched in here too,” she pointed out.
“Shit,” he mumbled.
“We’re stuck in here until they give up on the idea that I could still be in the building. After that, we’re going to have to take our chances and break down the door. I say we give it an hour, make a break for it, and go our separate ways.”
Cash leaned back against the wall with a sigh. “Not a lot of options.” Sliding down the wall, he sat on the ground, taking up almost the entire closet. “Guess we’re going to be here a while.”
Jess sighed and kicked his ankle over so she could sit in the few inches of space near his feet in front of her file box. His knees were annoyingly close, she drew her legs in closer, hugging her knees to her chest to avoid rubbing against him.
“So you wanna tell me your name now?” She snorted but didn’t answer. “Are you always this much of a pain in the ass?”
She let out a frustrated breath. “Jess,” she offered, opting not to give her full name - the one he might recognize.
“You killed three of their guys. You know they’re going to be looking for you.”
“What else is new,” she grumbled.
“How long have you been stalking these guys?”
“Is this really the time to be sharing our life stories?”
“Trying to make friendly conversation.”
“Really? Why don’t you tell me what you know then? What are you doing here? Who sent you? Exactly how deep does this organization run?”
“I’m not at liberty to release that information. You’re a civilian, it’s my job to ask questions.”
“It’s your job to arrest criminals but I don’t see you doing that.”
Cash gave her a nasty look. “You’re the one that beat the shit out of Nick,” he guessed.
A smirk spread across Jess’s lips, but she hoped it was dark enough that Cash couldn’t see. “A friend of yours?” she insinuated.
“You should have finished him off. The guys a real slimeball.”
“I was feeling generous that day.”
“You’re Justice,
” he concluded.
Jess tensed, realizing she all but admitted that Nick was her handiwork and it was too late to take it back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m sure.”
“Nick and three of his friends were beating someone to a pulp. I intervened before they killed him. That’s all.”
“That’s all, huh?”
“Just being a good Samaritan.”
“You act like it’s normal that you took out four hired guns with ease.”
That was normal. She rolled her eyes. Cops knew nothing about how people like her lived. “They were incompetent muggers.”
“Nick’s a hired killer. Not an especially high paid one but he can get the simpler jobs done.”
She snorted. “You know this, and yet he’s still walking free.”
Cash frowned. His typically amused eyes turned hard. “As long as he’s on the payroll for this organization I can’t touch him.”
Now Jess was interested, she sat up. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine.” Cash hesitated. “And I’ll kill Nick.”
His eyes met hers with a little more interest. For all the flirting and joking, there was a cunning look in his eyes that spoke of a much more duplicitous nature than she’d originally given him credit for. She could see the wheels turning in his head as he considered what could come of them working together. Of course, she would only cooperate with him as long as she was getting something out of it, but it couldn’t hurt to know someone with access to information she couldn’t easily get.
“Deal.”
“Who runs this organization? Why is it protected?”
Cash shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve been trying to figure it out, but I can’t exactly just ask.”
“Who told you it’s off-limits then?”
“That ain’t how this works, sweetheart. It’s my turn. What is it you’re trying to get out of all this?”
“I’m trying to find someone. Who told you this organization is off-limits?”
“That’s not an answer. Who are you trying to find and why?”
Crap.
“You want my help, I want to know who I’m dealing with and why,” Cash prodded when Jess remained silent.
Damn it. This would have been so much easier if he really was the skirt-chasing meat-head she’d originally taken him for. “Five years ago, a man was killed and his fourteen-year-old son was kidnapped. I’m looking for that kid.”
“What makes you think he’s even still alive?”
Jess spoke slowly, staring at nothing as she recited the facts of the case. “The house he was taken from was broken in to, but nothing was stolen. The man they killed was a skilled fighter. It would have taken several men to take him out. The boy was trained, too. It would have been much easier to kill on the spot if that was what they wanted. But they didn’t, they specifically took him alive. There has to be a reason.”
“Where was the boy’s mother?”
“Dead. A few years earlier. Your turn is up. Who gave you the order to protect this organization?”
“The police chief makes it well known that this organization is not to be harassed. They claim that only legal operations occur here, and we have no jurisdiction to interfere. Now and then he sends us here to drop things off or pick them up.”
“I don’t know who he answers to, but he’s afraid of them. A rookie made the mistake of arresting someone on their books once, and the chief looked like someone just signed his death sentence. He survived the ordeal, but we never saw that rookie again. Transferred,” Cash added making finger quotes in the air. “And it was for nothing. The perp was released within a couple of hours. They’re untouchable.”
“And you have no idea who could be controlling him?”
Cash shook his head. “Pick a politician or crime boss. It could be anyone. What happened to the mother?”
“Two years before the kidnapping, the mother and older brother were killed. The official report says gang violence. The family never got any answers. No arrests were made.” Jess spoke like she was reading a police report.
“How old was the brother that died?”
“Eighteen. Ever heard the name Key?”
“Yeah. Real high player, but no one I’ve met knows who he is or has ever met him. They guys a ghost – a powerful one, but a secretive one. So when your little brother was kidnapped, you were hiding in the house and witnessed this?”
Jess’s hateful glare snapped to Cash. “No.”
“Then how do you know he was taken alive?”
Her fists clenched. She didn’t like this agreement anymore. But he had access to information she couldn’t otherwise get. “Can you get me my brother’s file?”
“Possibly. Were you not part of the original investigation?”
Her jaw clenched now too. “I told them what I saw. The asshole running the investigation was a worthless moron. I couldn’t get any answers out of him.”
“What happened?”
“You’re out of questions.”
“Tell me what happened and I’ll get you everything I can find on your mother’s death and your brother's kidnapping.”
Jess slumped down and stared at her knees. Shit. After a few moments, her eyes drifted back up to meet his, cold and expressionless. And her voice was just as vacant.
“I was walking home when I saw my brother being stuffed into a car, kicking and screaming. A black utility vehicle, in good condition with tinted windows. Even the paint was still nice, no rust or large dents that I could see. I don’t have to tell you much that doesn’t make sense - it had to be someone with money, someone powerful. Possibly a connection to a politician or high-level officer - a top-level crime boss, or gang leader maybe. I didn’t catch up in time to see faces, but I saw at least six men. I’m sure there were more, and most were injured in some way. Several more were dead in the house, along with my father.”
She looked away again. “I knew that I shouldn’t call the police, but I was young and alone… and incredibly stupid. The detective that showed up took an interest in the crime scene. He looked over my entire house meticulously, and he took down what descriptions I was able to give.”
“A few days later, he came to the house to discuss the progress of the case. He was alone, and I was a sixteen-year-old girl, living in the house by myself. He basically told me that they didn’t have any leads, but maybe I could motivate him to work a little harder.”
Cash shifted uncomfortably and dropped his gaze.
“When I didn’t give in willingly, he tried to take what he wanted. Having already inspected the house, he knew exactly where anything of value was and the emergency cash my dad had stashed. And then he tried to take something from me that I wasn’t willing to give, so he pulled his gun on me.
“He made it as far as ripping my clothes before I got the gun away from him and shot him in the leg. My aim was a little off,” she added with a casual shrug, leaving out that it was because her hands had been shaking too badly to hold the gun still. “But it was enough to break free and knock him out. I packed a bag, grabbed the cash he’d tried to steal and took off to find my brother on my own. Now I’m a fugitive that shot a police officer, while he roams free looking for more people to victimize.”
On the defensive, Jess quietly slipped her knife out of her boot. It was worth the risk for the files, but she didn’t trust him in the least.
“That’s not necessary,” Cash warned her. “It was self-defense. What were your family’s names? I’ll get the files for you.”
“Ryker Kost. He was fourteen when he was taken, he’d be almost twenty now. Flynn Kost was our father, Colt Kost, my older brother. They never found his body, but there was too much blood at the crime scene for him to have survived, even if he got away.”
“The police told my father that he probably tried to flee, but wouldn’t have made it far with injuries that severe. The killer likely cleaned up their mess and got r
id of his body before anyone showed up. Feris Kost was my mother. Her body was left in the middle of a street and found by someone passing by. She was dead by the time police showed up. The man that found her said the only time she managed to speak, she was crying about her son. That’s all I know.”
“I’ll see what I can find out. If we can come up with any new leads, I can re-open the cases.”
Jess rolled her eyes. Her confidence that the police would do anything helpful was nonexistent.