Blood, a Bullet, and a True Sinner

by Kelly Shade

  He agreed and let go of her hand.

  “We are going in,” Jane informed Ryan.

  “What about the other guards at Morse’s bedroom?” Gray sounded worried.

  “Just keep answering the radios. The bedroom is at the other end of the floor. We will be quiet.” Blake wanted to save Hunt’s nerves and not to kill more people. After every guard they put down, Connor was getting more and more anxious.

  Jane, Nick and Hunt went in the office. Everything was as Jane remembered it. She pointed at the wall where she thought the safe should be. Nick removed the large painting from the wall. The safe was indeed there.

  “Damn. It’s new generation. Really tricky one.” Lee commented in a slightly louder tone than he should. Jane, Connor and Ryan shushed him.

  “Can you open it or . . .” Blake whispered and took one C4 from her backpack.

  “Yes, I can,” Nick answered with irritation in his voice.

  “How much time do you need?” Ryan asked in their ears.

  “Maybe twenty-five minutes.” he said worryingly.

  “I can hold the cameras for max seventeen minutes. If they detect movement, the alarm will be on and . . . Morse awake . . .” Ryan sounded tense. The fast typing was echoing from the transmitters in everyone’s ears.

  “Lee, go.” Jane pushed him.

  Nick took off his backpack and got his tools out. Hunt waited at the door. Jane started to look around the office. Morse had many books about people’s behavior, hypnosis and guns. Blake felt awful. Most of those books were on her bookshelf too. Blake checked the drawers in his desk but didn’t find anything worth taking.

  “Nick, we are running out of time,” Ryan’s voice brought Jane back to the situation. She didn’t realize how long she was staring at Morse’s belongings.

  “Almost ready,” said Nick. A clinking sound indicated that the vault was opened.

  Hunt and Jane hurried to see what was in there. A lot of cash was the first thing in Blake’s sight. She took some of the bills and put them in her bag. Behind the money, Jane saw two huge packages of what looked like heroin. A pistol was lying there. It had no serial number. Jane took it too. She moved some jewelry aside and saw a folder with documents and a notebook.

  “The black book is here. We got him!” Blake took everything and turned around to Hunt and Lee.

  “We are good to go. How much time do we have, Gray?” she asked.

  “A minute. Hurry up!” Ryan answered immediately.

  “Take your time!” Morse was at the door smiling. “We have plenty of time!”

  Behind him, two huge men were holding Ian. Hunt and Nick looked at Jane with confusion. They all pulled out their weapons.

  “No need for that!” said Michael Morse in a calm voice. Then he slowly went closer to Jane. “You almost got me, sweetie. When I received a tip about your little plan, I thought you wouldn’t do it. Clever to lie to your boss about the time! And the sedatives. Brilliant!” he laughed, “But I thought about it. What would I do? And if it was me, I would break in the night before so no one would expect me. We are a lot alike, honey, more than you know!”

  “I’m not like you!” Jane yelled angrily “We all know you’re going to kill us. Just do it without talking! I knew I had to shoot these two creepy clowns behind you!”

  At this moment Jane and Nick fired. One of the guards fell. Nick hit him in the leg. But the one that Jane had to shoot had only a scratch on his shoulder. Ian managed to run forward, and now he was standing next to Jane. She gave him her spare gun and all four aimed at Morse.

  “You are not going to kill me, Jane.” Michael was calmer than ever. He lifted his hands and smiled again. “I’m the only one who can help you find Mommy and Daddy, Blake! And soon enough my people will be awake. Ten against four, what are the odds?”

  “You are coming with us!” shouted Blake and grabbed his hand. “You stay down!” She pointed at the man she couldn’t shoot earlier. He stepped forward, and she shot him twice in both legs. “I said down!”

  Jane had the crazy look in her eyes again. She looked calm on the surface, but her eyes showed how furious she actually was. Hunt, Valdez and Lee were shocked by the coldness and madness Jane emitted. They walked after her and Morse, out of the office to the staircase. They were at the last step when Jane suddenly stopped. “Something is wrong.” she said.

  Several men stormed through the front door. Ian, Connor and Nick ducked behind Morse as the bullets flew on both sides. Jane was shooting at the guards. Two of the men dropped dead. When Nick stood up to help Jane, Morse hit her in the stomach and ran to the door. The shooting stopped instantly. Nobody wanted to kill Morse by mistake.

  Other guards came along too. They looked disoriented and dizzy, but they were carrying weapons pointed at Jane, Nick, Ian and Connor.

  “Now drop your firearms slowly on the ground. Give me the backpacks and the vests.” Morse spoke loudly. They did it. “Kick them away.” The team pushed their weapons, bags, and vests forward. Morse narrowed his eyes full of hate. “I don’t like the fact you kill three of my men, Blake. I have to return the favor.”

  Michael had a nasty smile on his face. He reached and took the pistol from the hand of one of the guards. He aimed. He shot. Jane turned around. Hunt fell to the ground slowly with his hand on his chest. The bastard killed Connor. Ian and Nick had scared expressions on their faces. Blake turned to Morse with a deadly look in her eyes. She was thinking of a way out. She had to keep him talking and not shooting at more of her friends. Friends, she thought, they were exactly that.

  “So, you are my grandfather,” Blake said the first thing that came to her mind.

  “Oh, well-done! You know, I’m impressed!” He lifted his eyebrows. “I’m proud of you, kid! You were an amazing con artist. I really liked your work, but it was a mistake working with the cops.” He shook his head. “You see, when I gave you away, I didn’t know that my granddaughter would turn out to be more like me than the grandson I have. I even regretted it for a while. I should’ve given you a chance!”

  “I have a brother?” Blake couldn’t hide the surprise.

  “That’s all I needed to know!” said Morse. His tone changed, and he lifted his weapon.

  Jane knew he would kill her and then the rest of the team. All of Morse’s guards were awake now. Blake looked around. There was no way out. They were surrounded, without firearms and outnumbered. This was the end. Jane closed her eyes, trying to admit that she was the reason every one of her team would be killed. At least Ryan was still out there. He would go to the FBI and give them all the records from the cam contact lenses. Jane blinked fast to make sure she still had them. Fortunately, Morse didn’t know about them and the transmitters.

  “We have enough evidence for the feds. The FBI will have it sooner than you think. You may kill us now, but you’re going down anyway!” Jane hoped Ryan would get the hint.

  “Yeah. I have people everywhere, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere but the Bahamas!” Morse said.

  He aimed at her. “Goodbye, princess! Say hi to your daddy from me. He should be in hell paying for his mistakes!”

  Jane opened her eyes wide with great effort. She wanted to capture Morse in the act. That would help get an extended sentence.

  “Duck!” Ryan’s voice shouted in her ear.

  She, Nick and Ian squatted. Bullets were flying above them. No one dared to look up. When the shooting stopped, Jane peeked out. Ryan was holding two machine guns. The front door was smashed on the ground with big holes in it. All the guards were down. Apparently, Morse realized what was going to happen and lay on the floor. He was alive. Jane stood up and looked around. Ian and Nick were okay, but Hunt was losing too much blood. Lee checked his pulse. It was still there, but Connor was unconscious. Ryan smiled at Blake.

  “Did you really think I would leave you?”

  Jane smiled back.

  “I think it’s time to call Tyler Smith.”

  Ryan nodded and turned
around with his phone. At this moment Morse got a gun from the ground and aimed at Gray’s back. Before he could pull the trigger, Jane saw him and shot. Morse dropped to the floor again, and a puddle of blood started to form underneath him.

  “Jane?” Nick shouted.

  “He was about to shoot Ryan.” Blake groaned, and her hand trembled.

  “This was your only chance for the truth,” Ian said and looked at her with sadness in his eyes.

  Ryan went to see if Morse was alive.

  “He’s not dead. We still have a chance. Come on people, we need to give him first aid. Your friend Smith said he needs forty minutes to come.” Ryan ripped Morse’s shirt.

  While Gray and Valdez were trying to save Morse, Blake and Nick were taking care of Hunt. They stopped the bleeding, but he was almost gone. Connor was getting colder and whiter with every minute. He needed the hospital ASAP.

  The forty minutes they had to wait for the FBI felt like ages. Ian almost gave up. Nick was about to quit helping Hunt. Ryan and Jane were the only ones with a clear mind at that moment.

  A helicopter landed in the backyard of the mansion. The FBI was finally there. A team of twenty armed men burst in. A tall, dark haired agent with sunglasses, black suit and no weapon headed to Jane.

  “What the hell, Jane? Why didn’t you tell me?” he said with a concerned voice. “How are you?” He opened his arms for a hug.

  To everyone’s surprise, Blake stood up and threw herself into his arms.

  “We need medical help. One of ours is shot, and Morse is down too.” Jane placed her head on his chest.

  The man, apparently Tyler Smith, kissed her forehead.

  “My people will take them with the helicopter. Your team and I will go back with cars. Don’t worry! Everything is going to be fine.” He wanted to calm her.

  As the feds got Hunt and Morse on the helicopter, Jane, Nick and Ian told Smith everything. They didn’t forget to mention their chief Abigail Wilson’s tip to Morse. About Rose Hunt’s and Amber Gray’s investigation, about Dimitria Grigorovich, about the weapons and the girls they rescued from Morse’s warehouse.

  Smith was very pleased with the investigation and everything they did. He confirmed that the FBI had tried to get this person for years, but they never had enough evidence for a conviction. Tyler said that indeed they worked with Rose Hunt, but they didn’t know she hired Amber Gray for help.

  They all went to the cars. Tyler Smith, Jane and Ryan went in the van. Ian and Nick took the getaway cars.

  It was time to fix all the mess and time to catch a corrupt chief and to report it all to the FBI.

  The sun was rising. The day coming ahead would be long for the homicide team. But Jane felt relieved. She felt great even though she shot the only person who could tell her the truth that she sought for so many years. She felt good.

  Chapter 21

  The cold green eyes . . .

  The two-hour drive back felt like ages for Ryan. He had to watch Smith and Jane together. They were just talking about the horrible night Jane and the team went through, but for Gray, it seemed like flirting. There was something different about the way Blake was speaking with that man. She trusted him.

  Ryan was driving too fast for the capacity of the van. The vehicle was shaking and every hole they hit felt like a crater. They arrived at the border and thanks to Tyler and his FBI badge, they went through quickly. That made Ryan even more furious at Smith.

  Blake convinced Tyler to go to the hospital Hunt and Morse were settled. Tyler wanted to go straight to the FBI office in Los Angeles to close the investigation. The whole homicide team had to testify. Also, Tyler had to cover their illegal actions to save their careers. He said he would affirm that it was an undercover operation and the team was working with the FBI.

  “So you will get all the credit, huh?” Ryan said irritably.

  “Well, if you want, we can put you and your team in federal prison instead. Do you have any idea how many laws you broke?” Tyler changed his friendly tone to a cold and dogmatic one.

  Ryan didn’t say anything until they arrived at the hospital.

  Blake, Gray and Smith hurried to see Hunt. He was out of surgery, in a hospital bed and awake. When he saw Jane and Ryan, he smiled and said with a throaty voice.

  “Tell me we have Morse!”

  “We do. But I had to shoot him. He is here in room 326. The FBI is guarding the door,” Blake explained and sat next to Connor on the bed.

  “How are you?” Ryan also settled next to Jane.

  “Fine. Alive.” Hunt looked at Smith who was standing at the door. “Who’s that?”

  “Agent Smith, FBI, sir!” Tyler introduced himself. “Jane needed a backup, so we arrived in Tijuana.”

  “You know him?” asked Hunt, looking at Blake with surprise. She nodded. “So you saved my team? Thanks!”

  “No. Agent Gray saved your people. When we came, they were trying to keep you and Michael Morse alive,” Smith answered respectfully. “I’ll wait outside, but please, Jane, hurry. We need to get all the details and to think of a proper cover story, okay?”

  “Yeah, Tyler, I know. We’ll come in a minute.” Blake didn’t even turn to him. She was staring at the monitor above Hunt.

  Smith went out.

  “Good thing you have a boyfriend in the FBI,” Ryan said with irony.

  “It’s not the time for your jealousy, Gray. He will help us get away with everything we did. Which reminds me . . .” Jane didn’t feel it was right to argue or to fight with Gray. “Connor, Tyler said that your wife almost got him when Morse ordered her murder. He said she was one of the best people he had ever worked with.”

  Hunt smiled. Then he asked them to go and do what they had to do to save their careers. Ryan and Jane went out. Tyler was waiting in front. Blake asked for one more favor. She wanted to see Morse. Smith agreed when he heard that Michael Morse was her biological grandfather. They went to room 326. Cops and feds were everywhere on the fourth floor. A doctor came out of his room. Jane hurried to ask what happened.

  “I have no idea how he arrived at this hospital alive, but he will be okay. The surgery went well. He lost a lot of blood, but this man wants to live. He is awake now. We expected the worse. And his age.” Jane heard part of what was said. She was trying to calm down and to walk in that room without hitting Morse in the face.

  Ryan wanted to go with her, but Smith stopped him.

  “What . . . the?” Ryan pushed Tyler’s arm.

  “She needs someone to calm her down. Not a jealous boyfriend!” Smith said quietly so Jane couldn’t hear, but she did.

  “He is not my boyfriend, but he is a damn good friend.” Jane smiled at Smith and moved his hand away from Ryan. “We are all going in.”

  Gray didn’t know if he should be offended or pleased with her words. Three of them walked into the room. Morse was covered with tubes, syringes, and all possible hospital equipment. There were three monitors above his head. Jane took a look and saw his life indicators were way worse than Hunt’s. Blake knew they needed him alive, but she felt good about the fact that he was in pain. She got close to Morse so he could see her arrogant smile and cold eyes.

  “You can tell me the truth now, or I can find out myself. We have everything from your house,” she said and reduced the morphine drip. Michael groaned in pain. Tyler and Ryan glanced at Jane disapprovingly but they didn’t do anything.

  “You will never find your mother.” He breathed heavily. “And I personally shot your daddy. Your cold green eyes remind me of him. The bastard thought he was smarter than me and he paid with his life for that! The cops couldn’t even find the body!” he laughed which caused severe coughing.

  “I will, and you know it,” said Jane coldly.

  “Send my best to Connor Hunt. He can thank me later that I got rid him of his terrible wife.” Morse tried to laugh again, but he coughed instead. “And is that the son of Amber? She was a fighter. I regret she was on the wrong side! But you, my
boy, can join me. Don’t be as stupid as your mommy!”

  Ryan walked toward the bed furiously. He was about to punch Morse, but Tyler and Jane stopped him. He fought for a while, but they didn’t let him get close to Morse.

  “He wants to provoke you. Don’t let him under your skin!” Jane whispered in Ryan’s ear, and he stopped fighting. He took a few steps back and lifted his palms to show he was calm.

  Blake turned to Morse again.

  “I’m leaving you now. Rest in the comfortable bed because in jail I don’t believe you will have that luxury.” Jane laughed and fixed the morphine drip. Blake walked to the door. For a moment she hesitated, then she spoke again. “I will find her and him too. No matter if he is dead or alive.”

  “Oceans are deep, sweetheart, deeper than you can imagine! Good luck!” he said with a jaded voice.

  Blake smiled and walked out the door. Ryan and Tyler followed her.

  It was time to go to the FBI office. Ian and Nick were already there waiting for them.

  Tyler Smith welcomed them in. Lee and Valdez were sitting on a comfortable looking couch and with coffee in their hands.

  “You should be Ryan Gray and the star of the day Jane Blake!” A huge Afro-American man in an expensive suit extended his hand. His voice was deep and his posture was stiff. “I’m Curtis Barrett!”

  “Yes, boss, that’s them,” Tyler sat next to Ian and Nick.

  “So go make them coffee and . . .” the man smiled and glanced at them “Do you want something to eat?”

  “No, thanks. But coffee I need.” Blake smiled back.

  Tyler jumped out of his seat and left. Minutes later he came back with coffee for everyone.

  “Now I want all the details about last night’s operation. I don’t want you to lie. Agent Smith already convinced me you are one of the good guys, so whatever you say will be confidential and will not affect your carriers.” The man sat in his armchair, put his hands together with interlaced fingers and leaned back ready to listen.

  Jane started talking. Then Ryan, Ian and Nick joined. The whole explanation was quite long. At some point, Barrett showed he was impressed, at other times he seemed confused. But he let them finish without interrupting. At the end of the story Jane, Ryan, Ian and Nick exchanged worried looks. Not all of them trusted the FBI, but they didn’t have other options. What if the FBI decided to charge them for everything they did?