Renegade

by Jeanne McDonald

  “If I don’t finish this job, Sutcliffe will kill me.” That was partially true.

  Lucy dropped her head against the headrest. “I can’t let you take this car.”

  We were at an impasse. Someone would have to give.

  I looked up at the heavens through the windshield. Heavy clouds darkened the sky. Rain was on the horizon. Each beat of my heart felt slower. I could barely breathe as the magnitude of the situation weighed down on me like the clouds in the sky. I turned my head to look at Lucy, her eyes cut to look at me. “I have no choice. It’s either I steal this car or I lose…”

  “You lose what?”

  With my eyes fixed on the sky, I let out a heavy sigh. Ignoring her question, I asked, “Do you trust me?”

  Lucy narrowed her eyes. “I shouldn’t. In all honesty, I should be pissed as hell at you for lying to me again.” She contemplated the question for a moment. “But yes, I trust you.”

  A wondrous smile exploded across my face. “Then let’s get out of here.”

  Her face lit up like diamonds in the sunlight. “Perfect. You return the car, and I’ll get mine started. I’m parked right over there.”

  My smile dropped. “No. I mean let’s deliver this car as planned. I have something big going down tonight.”

  “Big? How?”

  This woman was fucking nosy as hell. “Luce, delivering this will save us both.”

  Lucy searched my eyes, her face scrunched up as she tried to parse through my words. “What do you mean save us both?”

  I chuckled. “Anyone ever tell you that you should be a detective?”

  Lucy reached up, placing her hand on my cheek. I’d wished I could read her mind in that moment. Her expression was unrecognizable. “I’m a cop, Jude. It’s in my blood.”

  Covering her hand with my own, I pulled it from my face and pressed my lips to her wrist. Fire exploded between the two of us. Lucy closed her eyes as I trailed my nose up her arm, breathing her in. “Luce, I know you don’t want to believe me about Ian, but…”

  “I believe you,” she stated with such clarity that it took my breath away, “but you stealing his car isn’t going to stop this from happening. Only you coming clean about Sutcliffe can save us both. I promise you, if you return the car, we can fix all of this, catch the bad guy, and no harm will come to either of us.”

  She believed me. About the douchebag! She believed me. I wanted to hug her, kiss her, and tell her how much I loved her all in that one moment. At the same time, she knew about Sutcliffe. This wasn’t good for me.

  “How do you know…”

  “Like I said, I’m a cop. It’s in my blood.”

  I gritted my teeth, trying to figure out an alternative to this situation. At this point, either way, I was dead. Prison or Sutcliffe, I was dead.

  “Jude, please. Let’s get out of here. We can protect you.”

  “No one can, Luce. I can only save us both by…”

  “By stealing this car.”

  I nodded. “By stealing this car.”

  “I put people away for this. Not assist them.”

  “You can decide whether or not I belong in a cage later, but right now, we have to go. It’s for your own good. I promise.”

  We grew quiet, letting the ramifications of our next actions envelop us.

  Before I’d left, I knew I’d better turn my cellphone ringer back on, just in case Klaus tried to contact me, but I’d forgotten. I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket, seeing all of the missed calls and texts from her. I smiled at her persistence. She cared. She really cared.

  “Being a cop,” she whispered, almost too low for me to hear, “is about knowing when to follow the rules.”

  As Lucy contemplated her next move, a text from Klaus came in.

  Klaus Zane: Sutcliffe’s at the dock. Get here fast. He’s waiting on you.

  My whole body felt heavy and my mouth went dry, a physical manifestation of my uneasiness. Sutcliffe never got involved with operations. Something was terribly wrong.

  “Luce,” I interrupted her internal struggle.

  “Hmm?”

  “What if I told you stealing this car could give you firm evidence of Sutcliffe’s smuggling operation?”

  She shifted in her seat. “Explain.”

  “He’s at the shipping yard with over fifty stolen vehicles ready to be smuggled out of the US to Japan. This is the last one on the manifest.”

  “He’s there?”

  I nodded, staring into the eyes of the only woman I’ve ever loved. In the depths of her hazel orbs, I could see a whirl of emotion and logic dueling for dominance. She was calculating everything I’d said and then some. Like a chess player, she was thinking six steps ahead. She whipped out her phone and began tapping out a message. “This is exactly what we need to blow this case out of the water.”

  “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  Lucy waved her phone in the air. “I am.” She buckled herself in and closed the car door. “Drive.”

  What the hell am I doing?

  Pulling up to the shipping yard, anxiety plagued me. We were so close. Sutcliffe had made a terrible mistake by being at the drop off. When I texted Sarah to meet us there, after Jude telling me the news, I could practically hear her scream with elation. She responded promptly that she’d get Logan and a task team on it and meet us there.

  Sarah Canady: Good work, Diamond.

  I smiled, staring down at the text. I was a cop. Pure and simple. The law was my life, and tonight, I was proving that everything I’d gone through wasn’t for nothing.

  But there was Jude. He stole the car. Also, pure and simple. Even though he was giving us Sutcliffe, there were over fifty pieces of evidence on that transport that would convict him.

  I glanced in his direction, the tightness in my chest nearly strangling me. I had to find a way to save Jude. No matter what. Him giving us Sutcliffe, being willing to testify, that had to account for something. Didn’t it?

  In an attempt to alleviate the pressure in my body, I gasped for air. It didn’t help.

  Maybe I could speak to Logan for help. Or even Ian.

  Ian.

  Here I was, sitting in his car, getting ready to use it as bait for Sutcliffe. The thought of his name sickened me. I’d cared for him. I’d trusted him. And he disregarded my trust like it was an inconsequential toy. Not only did he use me, but he betrayed me in the worst possible way. I was drawn to him, and he knew that. He knew my past; I’d shared it with him freely and he used it to make me feel safe and secure. That was something I hadn’t felt in a very long time. And it was all a lie.

  My heart throbbed at the thought of Ian. His sweet smile and the wisp of blond bangs that fell over his forehead when we made love.

  I closed my eyes and bit the inside of my cheek to break the emotional pain I felt inside. Physical pain was much easier to deal with.

  “Having second thoughts?” Jude interrupted my inner worry.

  I reached over, placing my hand on his thigh. “Are you?”

  Deep inside I prayed he was. Not that we could change things. What I was asking him to do was life-threatening, but tonight, we’d take down the man who terrorized people just like us. We were fighting for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. The abandoned. The lost. The alone. Tonight, we would win so they might succeed.

  Jude exhaled, a playful grin flitting across his face. “Not even a little.”

  My heart sank, but I managed to maintain a smile. My brave Jude. He might’ve always been a punk, but he was good at heart.

  We arrived at the gate and Jude honked the horn twice. A scrawny man wearing greasy coveralls dashed out and opened it. I squeezed Jude’s thigh as we entered the expansion. Jude drove to the end of the facility where barges filled with cargo sat waiting to be shipped to their respective locations.

  He pulled up to a large trailer near the end of the yard. Another worker, also dressed in coveralls, walked out to meet us. Jude gave him som
e sort of signal. The man nodded and opened the trailer, revealing a host of beautiful cars.

  I gasped at the sight. There are to be at least…

  “This makes fifty,” Jude noted, as if reading my mind.

  “You stole all of them?”

  “For the most part. There was some other guy before us that collected the first ten. He got busted trying to steal the beauty we’re in now. That’s when Sutcliffe brought me and Klaus in to finish the job.”

  “So, you’re Diamond.”

  Jude shifted in his seat. “You’ve heard of me.”

  I said nothing. My mind raced with what I needed to do next.

  “You okay?” Jude whispered.

  I swallowed hard. “Yeah.” My voice was soft, almost unrecognizable. Finding Sutcliffe was imperative.

  Jude reached up, cupping the back of my neck, forcing me to meet his dark gaze. My heart fluttered at the depth of emotion in his eyes. “I swear I’ll tell you everything. Trust me. This will be all right.” He pulled me toward him, planting a tender, sensual kiss to my lips. My mouth parted, breathing in his scent as the world spiraled around me.

  Jude released me from his grasp, nodding slightly. “I need you to get out so I can pull in. Stand by the doors. You’ll be okay there. I won’t be too long.”

  In a final attempt to make me feel safe, Jude grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. “Thank you for trusting me.”

  All of my inhibitions melted away. I returned his tight grip then released him, sliding out of the vehicle and closing the door behind me. I stood back and watched as the worker directed Jude as to where to park the car.

  Soon the lights of the Cuda disappeared, and Jude stepped out, grinning ear to ear. He spoke to the attendant before making his way over to me.

  In a swift movement, Jude lifted me off the ground, twirled me around, and kissed me hard. He was lighter, almost boyish in his behavior.

  “What now?” I rasped, startled by his actions. “Where do we find Sutcliffe? I need to notify my partner to be ready.”

  Jude grinned and lowered me to the ground. He pulled out his cell phone and switched it on. He swiped his finger across the flat surface and placed a call. Watching me, Jude lifted the phone to his ear. I could hear the ringing from where she stood. Someone picked up. “It’s done,” Jude stated, calm and smooth, immediately hanging up.

  I cocked my head to the side. “Who was that?”

  Jude slipped the phone back into his pocket. “My contact.”

  “Um, okay.”

  “Now we wait.”

  My eyes widened. “For what?”

  “Sutcliffe.”

  At the sound of that name, my body turned to jelly. Sweat beaded at the back of my neck and brow. Heart palpitations rattled my chest. The sound of the water moving in the ocean behind us buzzed in my ears. The urge to grab my gun caused my fingers to twitch.

  “I hope your friends are –”

  A crack of thunder cut off Jude’s sentence.

  But it wasn’t thunder.

  Before I could register what was happening, I was flung to the ground. My head hit the pavement, sending a swell of pain through my skull. My eyes watered and colors sparkled behind my eyelids. I blinked, wincing at the ache. Shots had been fired. That’s what I’d heard.

  Fear gripped my chest and instinct took over. I reached behind my back for my gun. Images of George, laying on the ground, flooded my mind. Blood pooled around him, and his face pale from being shot.

  I shook my head, clearing it of the image, searching for Jude. I caught sight of him lying on the ground where we’d been standing. He’d pushed me away, and now lay on the ground with a pained expression on his face.

  “Are you okay?” I yelled.

  “I’m fine. Are you shot?”

  The monstrous man from the pier appeared, inching toward us. His smoking gun was pointed directly at my head. He beamed a terrible grin. “Aww, isn’t this sweet. You’re worried about the pig,” he sneered. “I missed before, but I won’t miss again.”

  “Ringo, no,” Jude hissed.

  “Shut it!” Ringo roared. “The boss is going to be pleased with me,” he snorted, cocking his gun. “The fucking Brit didn’t have the stomach to kill a cop, but I don’t mind.”

  My heart stopped. My mind clicked like cogs coming together in perfect sync.

  Ian.

  I sucked air between my teeth and looked into the eyes of the man who’d entered my life the same night Jude and Ian had. So much had changed since that night. I’d changed. And now, I would save Jude as he saved me. And even though Ian didn’t deserve it, I wouldn’t betray him the same way he had me.

  “Ringo,” I said, “That’s your name, right?” I slowly lifted myself to my feet, keeping my hands where he could see them. I needed to de-escalate the situation, and fast. At least I knew backup should arrive any moment. “You don’t have to do this. You can walk away.”

  Ringo snarled. “Why would I want to do that? I’ve got you right where I want you. The boss is going to give me everything I want once I off you.”

  “Not if you’re in jail.” I moved slowly, attempting to reach my gun without Ringo noticing.

  “I’m not going to jail. You’ll be dead, and I’ll be a god.”

  I exhaled, attempting to keep myself calm. “You know it’s not that simple. If you put the gun down right now, I promise I will make sure you get a reduced sentence for your testimony against Sutcliffe. We might even be able to get you immunity. All you have to do is put down the gun.”

  Ringo shook the gun, pointing it directly at my head. “You think I’m a narc? Fuck you, bitch!”

  I swallowed hard. My eyes met Jude’s. Fear lingered there. Helplessness engulfed them. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. This would be the end, here and now. I made my move. Rolling over, I grabbed my gun at the same time Ringo aimed at me.

  “FBI! Lower your weapon!” I heard a familiar voice ring out at the same time a gun went off.

  A flash of light exploded from the darkness as another shot echoed into the night. I expected to feel the sting of a bullet ripping through my flesh, but I felt nothing. So many times, after George’s passing, I wondered what it might feel like to be shot. I’d expected it to hurt. To sting. But no. I felt nothing. Nothing at all.

  I waited and waited, wondering why I didn’t feel any pain. Was death really so quick that I felt nothing?

  I opened my eyes, not realizing I’d closed them. Confused and disoriented, I shifted only to see darkness.

  Light drops of rain began to trickle over my face. I fluttered my eyes against the water coating my eyelashes. The sound of my name echoed in my head. It was coming from a distance, and I could barely recognize the voice. The world seemed to be spinning so fast yet so slow that nothing made sense.

  I heard my name again. I tried to sit up, but the spinning of my head kept me lying flat. I managed to open my eyes and could see that mere feet from me, our assailant lay on the ground, blood gushing from a wound on his forehead.

  My mouth dropped in surprise and I attempted to examine myself. There wasn’t a scratch on me from what I could tell. But my head hurt. It pulsed like the worst hangover I’d ever experienced.

  “Luce,” Jude’s raspy voice called out to me. Two hands began to feel around my neck and the back of my skull.

  “Luce, baby,” Jude spoke calmly to me. “You’ve banged your head pretty hard. Can you hear me?”

  I attempted to nod but winced with pain. Sharp bright lights flashed behind my eyes.

  “Baby, open your eyes for me.” Had I closed them again? Nothing was making sense. “Someone help him!” Jude screamed out.

  “Help who?” I breathed.

  “Luce, Ian’s been shot.”

  Ian?

  I forced my eyes open and was met with the most beautiful dark pools imaginable.

  “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  I attempted to sit up and as soon as I did, I was for
ced to witness Ian slumped over on the ground. Even in the dark and with the rain, I could see the blood pooling around him. It was running down the pavement like a stream mixing with the water.

  I scrambled over to him, ignoring Jude’s pleas to take it easy.

  “Oh my god. Ian.”

  “Lucy.” Ian coughed and sputtered.

  “Don’t talk. I’m going to get us help.”

  Ian tried to lift himself up. I turned to Jude, my eyes pleading for help.

  “We need to get him to a hospital.”

  “Luce…”

  “No. We have to get him to a hospital now. I know you hate them, but he’s going to die if we don’t. Where’s my backup?”

  “Lucy,” Ian whispered, barely breathing.

  “What the hell happened?” I demanded. I applied pressure to his wound, trying to slow the blood that poured profusely from his chest. It was like watching George die all over again. Yes, I was angry with Ian for betraying me, but I never wanted him to die for it. He didn’t deserve this.

  “He jumped in front of us and shot Ringo in the process,” Jude explained to me. “He saved our lives.”

  I lifted Ian’s head up from the ground and placed it in my lap. “You’re going to be okay. Sarah. Logan. They’re on their way.” I whipped my head around to Jude. “Call an ambulance. Officer down!”

  Jude nodded, taking my phone.

  “Now!” I demanded.

  “I’m sorry,” Ian breathed. “I wanted to tell you, but this was the only way to keep you safe.”

  I could hear Jude making the call. His voice was muffled, but I could make out him giving instructions.

  “Shh. Don’t talk. We’re going to get you taken care of. I promise.”

  Ian rested his hands over mine, coating his pale skin in his own dark, sticky blood.

  “I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. It all happened so fast.”

  “You saved us. You have nothing to apologize for.”

  Ian ignored my ramblings and continued his confession. “I could’ve loved you, you know. Everything between us was real. I didn’t fake any of it.” Those piercing blue eyes pleaded with me to believe him. And I did.