Outside the Wire

by Holly Copella

  “That is true,” Pinto countered then appeared more confident. “There’s nothing wrong with you learning a few flips. I mean, it’ll benefit you in the long run just as learning a few self-defense moves will help me. No big deal, right?”

  “Nope, none at all,” Jackie announced while grinning slyly.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Later that afternoon, Gil’s plane touched down in the field and taxied behind Jackie’s plane. The four already at the cabin crossed the field to greet the rest of their team in hopes they were able to connect with Bogart at the train station. Pinto jumped into Beck’s arms and enjoyed a long, warm embrace while Darth made rounds with joyful tail wags and playful jumping. Bogart and Jackie exchanged a long, warm hug, which caught Monroe’s attention. He took note of their newly found connection but didn’t comment on it. The mood immediately turned dark when they noticed Kirk hadn’t returned on the plane with them.

  “Where’s Kirk?” Monroe was first to ask.

  Beck, Gil, and Bogart looked away with mixed feelings of sorrow and anger almost unable to answer. Beck finally looked back, placed his hands on his hips, and appeared enraged.

  “Fucking Zack killed him,” Beck nearly shouted.

  The others stared at Beck with surprise and horror, shocked by the announcement.

  Jackie felt her entire body turn cold as she stared at Beck. She couldn’t believe it. It couldn’t be true. “Are you sure?” she gasped.

  Beck glared at her with limited patience. “Yes, Jackie, I’m sure,” he snarled, holding nothing back. “He shot Kirk with an assault rifle at close range through the back of his head right before he took pot shots at me.”

  Jackie tried to let the information sink in, but she couldn’t process it. She just couldn’t believe it. She ran across the field for her plane. Her intentions were alarming to the others. Monroe turned to follow when Bogart stopped him.

  “I’ve got this, Monroe,” Bogart announced then hurried after her.

  Monroe stared after him with disbelief. “What’s with the two of them?” he remarked more to himself.

  “We need to discuss our options regarding Zack,” Beck boldly announced. He then demandingly pointed toward Jackie’s plane. “I don’t want her anywhere near Zack or our plans for dealing with him.”

  Monroe frowned and reluctantly nodded. “I absolutely agree,” he replied with little enthusiasm.

  †

  Jackie sat slouched in the pilot’s seat staring at nothing in particular. Bogart joined her and slipped into the co-pilot’s seat. She didn’t bother looking at him.

  “Is Beck sure it was Zack?” she finally asked in a moderately sedate tone.

  “Yeah, he’s sure,” Bogart gently replied while studying her. “It doesn’t make sense, does it?”

  “No, none,” she replied feeling as if her entire world had crashed. She could no longer explain away Zack’s behavior. “I almost wish Zack had killed me when he had the chance,” she muttered. “It’d be better than feeling this way.”

  “Don’t say that,” Bogart remarked in a sympathetic tone while placing his hand on hers.

  She let her head fall back against the headrest and shut her eyes while exhaling. “They’re going to put him down,” she whispered. “The next time the guys catch so much as a glimpse of Zack, they’re going to kill him. They won’t attempt to take him alive. No questions asked.”

  “I know it sounds harsh--” Bogart began.

  She looked at him with surprise. “They already told you their plan, didn’t they?”

  Bogart allowed his head to fall back against the seat as he groaned softly. “Yeah, they discussed it,” he gently replied then looked at her. “He shot Kirk in the back of the head with an assault rifle.” There was a pause. “At close range. Beck was pretty traumatized seeing Kirk, well, messed up like that. Makes it tough to argue Zack’s case.”

  She again let her head hit the back of the seat. “If they kill him without asking why, we’ll never know what happened. I’ll never have any closure.”

  “If any of us run into him again, I doubt we’ll be given much choice,” Bogart remarked and gently tilted his head. “You know that.”

  “He didn’t kill me,” she insisted.

  “Of course he didn’t,” Bogart suddenly lashed out. “He wanted to keep you as his plaything. Everyone knows Zack has a hard spot for you. What did you think he wanted?” He immediately fidgeted and reined in his emotions.

  Jackie sat forward with a sense of urgency and stared at Bogart. “I need to talk to him,” she insisted. “The guys aren’t going to support my decision. You have to help me.”

  “Are you kidding?” he demanded with surprise then shook his head. “No way, Jackie. I’ll end up dead, and you’ll be chained to his bed in some basement.”

  She wanted to lash out at the country boy, but she couldn’t be mad at him for wanting to protect her. She felt completely helpless. They heard someone running up the steps to the fuselage, immediately alerting both. Jackie and Bogart looked past the cockpit as Monroe entered with renewed enthusiasm.

  “We got an encrypted message from Othello on the satellite phone,” Monroe announced barely able to contain his excitement. “Gil already deciphered most of the message. They’re coordinates to a safe house. It’s an abandoned ranger’s station in the woods. Gil found a place for us to land. It’s a small hike up a footpath to the station.”

  “I could kiss that man,” Bogart cheerfully announced while grinning.

  “Sounds like everything is set up for our arrival,” Monroe informed them. “That’s what took him so long to get in touch with us.”

  “Did he say anything about Holden?” Jackie asked with enthusiasm.

  Monroe suddenly hesitated and tensed slightly. “No, he didn’t say either way, but it was a short message.”

  She stared at him with some concern. She couldn’t be the only one who had her suspicions. “How do we know it was really Othello? Was it his voice?”

  “Well, no, it was a computerized message,” Monroe remarked.

  “So how do you know it was him?”

  “I’ve had a long-standing relationship with Othello,” Monroe reported. “He’s sent me similar messages before. Obviously, we’ll be cautious, but I’m sure it was him.”

  “We could go in two teams,” Jackie suggested.

  “Good idea,” Monroe announced then eyed her. “Beck and I will stay with you.”

  She sneered at him realizing why he made the comment. “Where the hell do you think I’m going to go?”

  “Just looking out for you,” Monroe casually replied then turned stern. “We move out in twenty.”

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Once both private planes landed in the secluded field, using an old road as their landing strip, they found an area large enough to keep them hidden beneath some trees. With little effort, they found the path leading up the hillside to the abandoned ranger’s station. Although the hike only took a little over fifteen minutes, they separated into two groups to prevent an ambush. Each group was within eyeshot of the other, and everyone was armed and prepared. They said very little to one another on their trek and listened for any sounds that didn’t belong. Gil and Darth took the lead of the first group while Beck brought up the rear of the second group.

  The abandoned ranger’s station needed some work, but it looked to be in fairly decent shape. There were two newer ATVs parked outside the building, alerting the group to potential danger. Perhaps Othello was waiting for them, but they weren’t taking any chances. Monroe and Bogart scouted out the back of the building. When nothing moved, they gave their signal to the first team. Gil, Beck, and Darth approached the main entrance to the building and tried the door. The door was locked, but the key was where they were told it would be.

  The first team unlocked the door and entered. When they gave the ‘all clear’, Jackie and Monroe entered next, leaving Bogart to keep an eye on Sal and Pinto until they were certain the
entire building was clear. The five made their way across the large lobby area of the ranger’s station and headed into the living quarters. Darth suddenly started whimpering and ran through the building, surprising the team. They hurried after the dog while watching doorways and their backs. Darth scratched at one of the doors and whined loudly. Gil pulled Darth back. He tried the door, but it was locked. He drew a deep breath then stepped in front of the door and kicked it in. There was a loud crack as the frame splintered and the door struck the opposing wall. Gil aimed his weapon into the room while Beck took a low position on the opposite side of the doorway and aimed his weapon as well. A gun fired, nearly clipping Gil in the head. Darth bolted past them and into the room while everyone else ducked and aimed their weapons.

  Gil stared down the barrel of his assault rifle at Ellie, who held a semiautomatic aimed at him. They stared at each other a moment with surprise. Ellie suddenly screamed with delight and ran for Gil. He pulled her into his arms and held her while sobbing softly.

  “I thought you were dead,” he cried out without releasing her.

  She managed to pull back just enough to look into his eyes while smiling. “No, this guy with wild, curly black hair showed up,” she announced. “He said he was your friend, but I didn’t trust him. He practically abducted me.” Her eyes widened as her look turned serious. “We were only a few houses down when these men broke into the house.”

  “I know,” Gil announced while wiping his tears. “I thought they got you. The neighbors said they didn’t pull anyone out of the ash.”

  “They burned my house?” she gasped.

  The others entered the room, relieved to see Ellie was alive. They then saw Darth jumping on a man by the foot end of the bed. Holden attempted to hold himself up while the dog excitedly stood on his hind legs and licked his face. He had a semiautomatic in one hand and a cane in the other. Jackie saw Holden and felt her heart nearly explode. He grinned when he saw her and attempted to take a step toward her, but he was obviously having difficulty walking. Jackie ran to him and gave him the same reception Ellie gave Gil. Holden tossed the cane and gun onto the bed and pulled her into his arms. They kissed passionately then pulled away when they realized they were being watched.

  Beck smiled with some awkwardness at the happy couples. “I’ll, uh, get the others,” he announced then hurried from the room to allow them some privacy.

  Monroe fidgeted. “I’ll, uh, help him,” he announced and disappeared.

  Jackie looked over Holden where he stood with some difficulty. He had a healed wound on his temple with freshly removed stitches.

  “Are you okay?” she asked when gingerly touching his forehead then met his gaze. “Blake told me what happened during the raid.”

  “It was an ambush,” Holden replied while frowning. “They were professional killers. They waited for my team and then gunned us down. I wanted to call you, but it wasn’t safe.”

  “The bad news doesn’t end there,” she informed him with added anxiety.

  “Ellie told me about Ross, Lee, and Zack,” Holden gently responded while caressing her shoulder. “I can’t believe it. They were after the entire team?”

  “Yes, they came after all of us. They trashed our house.” She grimaced slightly. “They also broke the glass door on the grandfather clock.”

  “The house isn’t important,” he informed her. “I’m just happy you’re okay.”

  Jackie resumed her concern for him and his condition. “What happened?” she asked while again looking over him. “We haven’t seen on spoken to Othello.”

  “I was half doped one night, and Othello enters my room,” he announced with disbelief. “I was lucky I even recognized him. He said ‘Holden, we have to go’.” Holden casually shrugged. “So we went.”

  “That’s it?” Jackie nearly gasped with surprise. “You didn’t question him or anything?”

  “My team was gunned down by professional killers,” Holden remarked. “When Othello showed up and said we had to go, I knew we had to go. If Othello got involved, it had to be bad. He left me here and then returned with Ellie. Although I’d never officially met her, I knew she was Gil’s ex-wife and a nurse. She took care of my injuries while Othello ran errands and brought supplies to the station. He said it was too dangerous to contact you or the rest of the team. I had no choice but to trust him and your ability to take care of yourself.”

  She again hugged him and sobbed freely. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” she gasped, no longer fighting the tears that flowed. “I was so worried, even after I knew Othello was the one who took you from the hospital.”

  “You were worried?” Holden gasped while clinging to her. “You have no idea what I went through having no way of contacting you. I couldn’t even get out of bed without assistance, let alone try to find you. I had no idea where you were, what was happening, or if you were even okay.”

  She looked into his eyes and drew a deep breath. “Zack didn’t die in the crash,” she announced gently and nearly choked on the rest of her words. “He attacked us at the boneyard.” She hesitated while trembling. “He killed Kirk.”

  “Zack?” Holden gasped while staring at her. “That’s impossible. He wouldn’t do that.”

  Jackie sank into Holden’s arms and clung to him. “I’d rather not think about it right now. I just want you to hold me,” she whispered.

  “We’ll get through this, Jackie,” he announced softly in her ear while gently caressing her back. He then looked past her. “It would seem we cleared the room.”

  Jackie glanced across the room and realized the others had left, leaving them alone. She never even heard them close the door behind them. She smiled gently, knowing the guys wanted her to have a few minutes alone with someone who could bring her back to rational thinking. Now that she was alone with Holden, another thought crossed her mind, and it was the most pleasant thought she’d entertained in a while. Jackie gently caressed Holden’s chest while giving him a sympathetic once over.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked delicately, although the moderately mischievous look in her eyes expressed her lustful thoughts.

  He stared into her eyes and raised his brows. “Happy to see you.”

  Jackie hid her knowing smile then kissed him warmly but passionately. He eagerly returned the kiss, encouraging her rising aggression, but his unsteadiness was obviously an issue. Holden broke off the kiss and leaned heavily on her while attempting to regain his balance.

  “A little like china though,” he informed her with an embarrassed chuckle. “You should probably use the kid gloves.”

  Jackie laughed while fighting her tears then kissed him quickly on the lips and met his gaze with a sly smile. “Let me help you to bed then you can show me which boo boos to kiss.”

  “Hmm, I like the sound of that,” he murmured as she helped him to the edge of the bed.

  Jackie gently pushed him back while climbing on top of him as she affectionately kissed him. As she worked on unbuttoning his shirt, he kissed her chest above her tank top.

  “We should probably keep it down,” he announced. “The walls are thin, and I wouldn’t want the guys to think we’re being disrespectful--”

  There was banging against the wall across from them as the bed in the next room creaked loudly. Ellie cried out Gil’s name followed by loud moans. Jackie sat up while straddling Holden’s hips and both looked to the connecting wall with surprise. They then exchanged bewildered looks.

  “Didn’t they just leave the room two minutes ago?” Jackie asked with surprise.

  “I guess that settles that,” Holden remarked then pulled Jackie down on top of him and kissed her passionately.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  The team and their new recruits searched the large building to familiarize themselves with their surroundings, exits, and weaknesses. In addition to the building itself, they conducted a thorough inventory of items within the ranger’s station. Despite being abandoned for five years, the buil
ding had a lived-in feel. Othello brought supplies on his return visit with Ellie, being the last time anyone actually saw him, but there were also other non-perishable supplies already stored. Some of the items seemed to have been stocked a year or longer. While the guys looked for anything useful, Jackie wanted to learn a little more about the actual owner. Monroe was on a need-to-know basis with Othello, so he didn’t readily know all his connections.

  The living quarters within the ranger’s station contained several bedrooms, kitchen, lounge, and laundry room. As far as safe houses went, it was quite comfortable. The public area of the ranger’s station itself consisted of a large lobby with information desk, ranger’s desk, and exhibits on display. Some exhibits contained preserved, mounted wildlife found in the woods. Jackie and Bogart explored the back of the living quarters and came across a locked door. Since they didn’t have a key, Bogart accepted the challenge to pick the lock. He had the door open in under two minutes. The door led to the basement, although it seemed odd to lock a basement. Being the suspicious type, both drew their semiautomatics before exploring.

  When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they stopped and stared with identical looks of shock. The large weapon’s room was lined with rows of open cabinets containing rifles, shotguns, and automatic weapons. In the smaller cases beneath, there were hundreds of handguns ranging from derringers to Uzis. Another case contained dozens of knives in varying sizes. There was a wall with crossbows, hunting bows, and over a dozen swords. As they looked around with astonishment, Bogart shook his head.

  “So this is what Zack heaven looks like,” he teased.

  “We’d never get him out of this room,” she muttered.

  Jackie approached the swords and removed one from the case. She touched the sharpened edge then frowned.