by Alexis Gold
Gavin let out a war cry and came at his opponent with a right hook, but Lance dodged and fired his own punch at Gavin’s temple. The young man dove down and grabbed Lance by the waist, knocking him back into the pile of boxes. The two went rolling, knocking everything down and giving the other man an opportunity to go for the gun. Lance scrambled to get to cover, and a shot rang out just as he dove behind the pallets.
“So, you guys ready to play on the big league? Let’s go.”
Lance reached into his waistband and pulled out his own gun. He quickly looked out from his cover and saw the two were trying to sneak around both sides and trap him. He ducked back as a shot fired and whizzed past him into the wall with a loud bang.
Lance stepped out and aimed low. He fired precisely, and the man screamed in horror as the bullet landed right in his thigh. Blood began spewing and Gavin yelled, lifting the gun he had retrieved and firing at Lance, who dodged again behind the pallets.
“Give it up, Gavin!” Lance yelled as he listened to the young man’s footsteps.
“Fuck you!” he yelled as he stepped around the corner of pallets and aimed at Lance.
Lance was ready for him though. He grabbed his arm as Gavin aimed the gun and pulled it down over his thigh; the sickening snap of bone was accompanied by a high-pitched scream.
“Sorry man, gave ya a chance,” he said. He was breathing hard now and wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his hand.
He walked over to the man with the leg wound, who was crying and clutching the bleeding hole in his leg. Lance kneeled down, pulled a rope from his bag, tied off the injured leg for the man, and handed him a bandana.
“Apply pressure and keep it elevated, you’ll survive.”
Without another word, Lance approached the next door, but he knew Franco had heard the commotion and awaited him on the other side. Cautiously, Lance stood back, reached as far as he could, grabbed the handle, and quickly stepped back as bullets whistled past his head. He waited a moment as Franco shot another bullet, clearly hoping to rattle Lance.
“Come out and play, lover boy!” Franco shouted through the door, the gun held in front of his face.
Lance plastered himself to the wall. This was going to be a standoff if he didn’t act fast. He surveyed the room again, and an idea sparked in his mind as he saw the empty scale. With a deep breath, he gathered himself and quickly rolled into a somersault across the doorway. Franco shot a moment too late and Lance ended on the other side of the doorway, where a pile of packages had spilled to the ground. He grabbed one of the soft bags and threw it past the doorway; Franco instinctively shot, thinking it was the movement of a person.
In rapid succession, Lance threw packages at Franco, using the instinct to shoot to his advantage, and a smile spread across his face as he heard the gun click to an empty cartridge. He used the brief moment to swing around the corner of the door and launch a full tackle at his opponent’s waist. He used his larger build and strength in an attempt to knock the gun from Franco’s hand and reached out his arms to grab at Franco’s s middle. Franco lost the gun, but he stepped back just as Lance’s arms reached out and grabbed thin air. With a thud, Lance fell to the cold, hard ground.
Embracing the advantage, Franco swung a quick kick at Lance’s head, but he rolled out of reach. Lance pushed himself up to his feet and squared off with the lean man, whose scarred face twisted in a smile against tan, leathered skin.
“Lia was right about you, just a big clumsy idiot,” Franco taunted.
Lance wavered as the man spoke of his sister like this. How could it be true? His sister… involved in this mess? With these people? This violence and death… For what? Money she already had?
Lance roared angrily and lunged at him, but his emotions had got the best of him, and he misjudged the aim. Franco sidestepped and grabbed Lance by the shoulders. He heaved him into the door behind him. Lance’s head made contact as the door burst open. For a brief moment he saw Jenna’s beautiful face, and then everything went dark.
*
Jenna awoke to the buzz of a motor and the wind fiercely whipping her hair around. The whoosh of air was so loud she could barely hear herself think. The salt licked at her wounded lips, her throat and neck seared in pain, and she felt like her head was about to explode. She tried to get her bearings in the chaos, and her eyes squinted through the dark to make out the scene before her.
She was tied once again, this time to the railing of a boat. She looked around and saw that Lia and Franco were at the front of the small speed boat, only ten or so feet from the cushioned bench she had been tethered to. She could hardly hear them over the engine, the violent wind, and the waves that crashed thunderously on the side on the boat.
They were screaming at one another, their angry contorted faces lit by the dash of the small boat. Franco sneered as his hands wildly pointed at Lia, and she threw hers in the air as she screamed back at him. Jenna closed her eyes and tried to drown out the surrounding noise. Her fuzzy concentration slowly focused on their voices.
“We can’t leave Gavin, you stupid, ignorant, heartless bastard! He is your son! The LOVE of my life!” Lia screamed right in his face.
Her makeup ran down her face in dark black, blue, and gold streaks, and her lipstick was now smeared. Jenna couldn’t help but give a smile at her despair.
“If you want to make it out alive, Señorita, you forget about him! He is my son, but I’d rather have him in jail than me!” Franco jabbed a thumb at his chest. The selfish father’s eyes bulged in anger and fear.
Jenna looked out over the ocean. The warehouse had faded to a tiny speck, but in front of it, she saw a light. It was but a fleck in the darkness, its yellow bobbing like a firefly weaving in the tall grass on a summer night.
Her heart jumped in her throat. Could it be Lance? The Feds? Someone else? It was hard to tell in the inky darkness of the night, but the moonlight showed a silhouette of something heading directly toward them.
Before Jenna could form another thought, the warehouse erupted in flames in a huge, thunderous boom. The explosion rocked the boat even harder, and the two arguing culprits almost fell to their knees.
“You… you blew it up?! You fucking sicko! How could you?! Gavin was in there!” Lia began crying profusely, and she pounded on Franco’s chest with clenched fists.
“It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!” Franco raised his arms to defend himself.
Jenna continued to survey the situation. They were distracted by the explosion, but the light grew closer and once again Jenna worked at her confines and regarded her little beam of hope.
Chapter10
Lance awoke to the chaos of people yelling and screaming. His head pounded painfully, and his body was stiff from the fight. He looked up and blinked away blood. He didn’t see Franco, Lia, or Jenna. With a deep grunt, he hauled himself up onto his hands and knees, and with the crack of his neck, he sneered and pushed himself to his feet.
He grabbed his duffel bag from the ground and forced his legs to work as he tried desperately to gain his ground. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he quickly searched around for a trace of them, but the yelling from the warehouse told him to move on. He pressed against the door to the next office; everything had been left where it was. He ran to the final door and popped out onto the balcony that overlooked the warehouse.
There, running through the center, was Franco with Jenna draped over his shoulder and Lia right beside him. He screamed at everyone to get out and fired his guns wildly as he did so.
Lance hurried down the stairs, his legs still wobbly as he desperately tried to catch up, but they were already at the door. He pushed himself harder, but the workers got in his way; he tried to push, shove, and brush them aside, but they were frantically trying to escape the building.
He looked up and saw Gavin atop the other stairs, his broken arm dangling at his side. He had a bag in the other hand, and Lance gulped as he had a feeling there was a surprise in that bag, one that w
ould make a very loud boom. Gavin set the bag down on the balcony, ran over to the fire alarm, and pulled it. The sirens wailed, and he shouted for everyone to get out. Then he went back to the bag, dug into it, and pulled out a mess of tubes and wires. Lance tore his eyes away and headed toward the door. He needed to get to catch up with Jenna, Franco, and Lia and get away from this place as quickly as possible.
He burst through the door with a group of workers and began to sprint toward the back where his boat was parked. He cursed himself now for not parking closer and pumped his legs harder to get him across the distance faster. The cool, damp air felt good on his hot skin as he ran down the beach, his boots spraying sand with each swift step. He dashed through the small wood, the giant tropical leaves pulling at him as he rushed by. He looked out at the darkness of the ocean and spotted a small speed boat as it raced along the water.
He was breathing hard as his boat came into sight. His lungs and legs burned, but he ignored the pain and pushed through it until he finally came to the bobbing machine. He leaped up and over the rail, threw his duffel bag aside, and turned the key. The engine fired up, and Lance began to maneuver the vessel out on the water. Once he was lined up, he pushed the throttle as far as it would go and lay on the gas.
He sped his vessel toward the distant boat; it rocked heavily as the water began to churn. Lance felt his stomach knot as he watched the other craft head toward the dark skies to the east; a storm was brewing and the waves were beginning to pick up and splash over the rail. Lance focused in on the tiny shadow of the boat. He needed to get out there and pull Jenna from their grasp. He needed to feel her in his arms and hold her tight.
Lance felt the thrashing wind push at him as he headed deeper into the storm and grew closer to the others. A sudden boom, a violent shake, and the feeling of heat against his back made him whip around and watch as the warehouse burst into flames that licked toward the sky without mercy. Gavin had finished his task, destroyed all the evidence and then some.
Lance returned his gaze to the horizon. Behind the storm, a deep green and dark blue early sunrise attempted to make it past the clouds. Long dark shadows were now cast, but a faint hue of orange began to glow against the water. Lance watched as lighting danced in the clouds, and a deep rumble of thunder echoed across the vast waters.
He pressed the gas and continued to gain on the smaller boat; his engine surpassed its power, but the distance they had gained made it a challenge for Lance to catch them. He watched them closely as they approached the storm. They would hit it a few moments before him, and that could give him just the time he needed to close the gap.
“Come on, you son of a bitch,” he growled to himself and the boat; the speeds had been topped out, and all he could do now was stay the course.
He watched as they hit the stronger waves and felt himself hold his breath as he worried that a crash could be fatal for all of them; yet it might be the only way to stop them. Their smaller ship began to rock and sway harshly on the growing swells, and he felt his own boat battle the rough seas. He was closer now. The three of them were finally visible in the growing light. His stomach lurched as he saw Jenna tied to the rail, her hands clutched to the steel for dear life as the vessel was jolted to and fro.
As he gained on them, he watched as Jenna looked up, pain and fear in her eyes, before a sudden smile broke on her bruised and battered face as she caught his eyes. His heart leapt, and he felt the final push of the engine propel him closer. He watched as Lia and Franco turned and saw him for the first time, their faces contorted in shock. He kept on the gas and angled his boat right for their haul. With a swift turn of the wheel, he skidded into them hard enough to send Lia and Franco tumbling to the ground and hard enough to stall their boat’s engine.
Lance acted fast. He had his hooked lasso ready, and with an effortless toss of his hand, he had hooked the other’s rail and quickly tied it to his boat. The two boats now tied together, the metal and fiberglass clanked loudly as the waves tossed and rocked them like toys in the bathtub. Lance grabbed his pistol and spun around just as Lia and Franco rose to their shaky feet.
Franco lifted his gun, but Lance was ready with his own; in a flash, he raised his pistol and clipped Franco in the shoulder. The man yelled as the bullet pierced his flesh, and the flash of pain made him drop his weapon. He collapsed to the floor and held his shoulder, while the arm hung limp and blood gushed from the large wound.
Lia spun around, her hair a mess from the wind and the storm. Her makeup smeared down her face, and her mouth pulled back in a vicious sneer.
“Lance, nice of you to finally show up!” she yelled over the wind that howled and waves that crashed around them.
“Lia, what the hell is going on?! Why are you doing this?!” Lance held up his hands and stepped closer to their boat as he tried to talk to his sister.
“Why?! Why, Lance? Because I can!” Her laughter was accompanied by a crack of thunder that seemed to shatter the air around them.
The sun had peaked over the horizon, but the storm still brewed above. And all the while, the moon watched as it set over the waters. If not for the circumstances, Jenna would have loved to enjoy this absolutely stunning moment. Glimpses of rainbows shimmered against the water as warm, orange light danced through the rain. The sudden stream of rain allowed Jenna to work her wrists more easily, and suddenly she slipped free of the ropes.
Lia stood between Lance and Jenna, and her body shook in rage, exhaustion, and cold as she raised a gun up at Lance. For Jenna, the next few moments seemed to occur in slow motion. She saw Lia reach behind her and pull the gun from her waistband. Lance stood a few feet away on his boat with his hands in the air. Jenna stood on jello legs but squared her shoulders and moved with her instinct as she watched Lia begin to raise the gun.
“Sorry, Lance.” Lia said simply and pulled the trigger.
Before the bullet left the chamber, Jenna had swooped in and pushed her aim away from Lance. The shot trailed off into the ocean instead. Lia whirled around angrily, but Jenna was prepared and pushed her arms out as hard as she could into Lia’s shoulders; the force sent her flailing overboard and into the waters with a loud splash.
Lance hopped off his boat and onto theirs. He began to walk toward Jenna, and a big smile spread across his bloodied and bruised face. The wind howled around them, blowing his hair every which way, and his soaked shirt and wet, tight jeans clung to every inch of his beautiful body. Jenna could almost feel his skin against hers. She knew it was just a matter of time before his arms would wrap around her and she’d feel at home in his warmth.
A flash surprised Jenna, and she screamed as she saw Franco dive at Lance. He had a knife and slashed right for his throat. Lance grabbed his arm and flipped Franco overboard, but the man held on and dragged Lance right down in the dark, churning waters with him. The storm raged on, and she only saw the two bob above surface before the waves began to carry them away from the boats.
“Lance! No!” Jenna yelled, her voice hoarse and barely discernible over the clashes of thunder and treacherous rush of waves.
Jenna didn’t have time to think. A hand grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the soaked, slippery floor of the boat. She whirled around and saw Lia hoisting herself back up into the boat, her hair drenched and her skin white as a ghost from the frigid water. She breathed heavily, her lips pulled back in a snarl as she shook with racking shivers of cold and rage.
“I’m going to kill you, you little bitch.” Lia growled and, with shaky legs, lunged at Jenna.
Lia hit Jenna’s chin with an uppercut and sent her reeling back into the railing and into a sitting position. Lia went for another punch, but Jenna pivoted off the bench and away from her opponent. The other woman tried to send a kick at her, but she dodged it and hopped back further and onto the control deck.
The rain poured down, the streams of water almost blinding Jenna at times, but she kept her wits and carefully navigated the slippery vessel. Lia hopped up with h
er onto the deck and gave her a menacing grin. Her appearance was almost supernatural with her soaking wet hair and running makeup, the storm thrashing around them and lighting her face in drastic, sharp shadows.
The two circled the small boat, and Lia stalked Jenna’s every step as she danced around it. Jenna’s eyes scanned the tiny area and quickly formulated an idea. She put her back to the railing and waved Lia to come at her.
“Come on, rich girl. Show me what ya got.”
Lia laughed madly and lunged full force at her. Jenna was ready this time, and as her opponent hurled toward her, she sidestepped and grabbed the woman’s arm. She used the momentum and sent Lia right into the railing. She flipped onto the seat on her back, the wind knocked out of her.
Jenna then jumped on Lia and grabbed the rope she had just been tied with. Lia was screaming at her and thrashing around, but Jenna had the upper hand. She wrapped the rough material around her hands and knotted it again and again before tying her tightly to the steel rail and then using the remainder to tie her legs.
