Outside the Wire

by Holly Copella

  He laughed at the comment. “You know what you’re looking for?”

  She nodded.

  “Can I assume this has to do with the note from the frig?” he questioned.

  Jackie stared at him with surprise as her arms fell to her sides. “How’d you know?” she asked. “Even if you saw the note in the weapons room--”

  “Come on, Jackie,” he announced with a groan. “I’m not as stupid as most people think. I recognized that note from the last time I was here with you. You were very protective of your father’s note. I knew it didn’t just find its way into the ranger station. It was planted there.”

  She fidgeted slightly and remained stern. “I know what I’m doing, Bogart.”

  “I know,” he replied simply with little concern. “I’m going to take a quick look around and make sure everything’s clear. Don’t be long.”

  As Bogart left the kitchen, Jackie approached the refrigerator and looked at the spot beneath a helicopter magnet where her father’s note was last hanging. Jackie stared at the piece of paper with Kilroy drawn on it now beneath the magnet. She removed the paper and studied the drawing as her heart pounded. She took a moment to stare at the newly added paper then removed her father’s note from her jacket pocket and lovingly replaced it to its rightful spot on the refrigerator. She took the Kilroy drawing closer to the small light over the stove and studied the paper both front and back. On the back was handwritten, ‘love always’. She didn’t know how long she stared at the paper before carefully folding it and placing it in her pocket. She gently wiped the tears from her eyes. She didn’t know what to make of the clue. Was Zack playing games with her emotions? What did it mean?

  †

  The light came on within the two-car garage to reveal the neat and tidy interior. Bogart eyed the familiar older sports car, which belonged to Holden. He didn’t recognize the brand new, black sedan. Someone was obviously using Jackie’s garage to store his car. The sedan definitely didn’t belong to her or Holden. Bogart entered the garage from the mudroom and approached the sedan parked in the farthest bay from the house door. He ran his hand along the hood of the car then hesitated when he felt the warmth from the engine. His eyes suddenly widened in horror.

  Bogart turned toward the house entrance and came face-to-face with a tough looking man in a dark suit. His neatly pressed shirt told Bogart all he needed to know about this man. The neatly dressed intruder punched Bogart in the face, knocking him back against the sedan. As Bogart straightened and was about to go for his gun, the intruder pulled his own gun with a silencer affixed to the barrel from his shoulder holster.

  “Well, this isn’t going to end well,” Bogart muttered while staring at the gun in the man’s hand.

  †

  Jackie leaned on the counter and stared outside through the small part in the curtains covering the sink window. Her thoughts were all over the place, and she suddenly wasn’t sure if she could do what needed to be done. Her self-pity was cut unexpectedly short when she heard a faint clunk from the garage. She was about to turn around when she saw the reflection of a man behind her in the window glass. Jackie suddenly leaped onto the kitchen counter and back flipped over the man. He spun around with his gun in his hand, obviously stunned by her ability to leap over him.

  By the time he turned, Jackie was already spinning into a kick, knocking the gun from his hand. The gun flew across the room and struck the wall with tremendous force. The well-dressed intruder stared at her with some surprise. The rage on her face was possibly more frightening than her last two moves.

  “It was you,” he suddenly declared. “You’re the bitch who killed my friend.”

  A devious smile crossed her face. “Oh? So you got my message?” Her eyes suddenly narrowed while glaring at him. “That makes you next.”

  A knife suddenly appeared in his gloved hand as he lunged for her. Jackie caught his wrist and twisted his arm completely around while spinning his body along with hers, placing his back to hers. She flipped him across her back, over her head, and threw him to the floor. He landed with a little more grace than she’d anticipated, allowing him an opportunity to return to his feet. With the knife still in his hand, he slashed at her. Jackie leaped to the floor in a forward roll to avoid the blade. She sprang up and leaped into a backward flip while kicking mid-air. She struck the man in the chest and knocked him clear across the kitchen. He struck the kitchen table with enough force that it slid across the floor nearly a foot. Jackie crossed the kitchen and paused before the man writhing on the floor with disorientation. He saw her coming for him and immediately waved his hands defensively.

  “I’m not here for you,” he announced in panic. “Let’s talk about this.”

  “I’m tired of playing with you,” Jackie informed him with little emotion. She removed her semiautomatic from her concealed shoulder holster beneath her leather jacket and aimed it at him. “I’ve got more important things to do than waste my time and energy on you. A bullet is faster and cheaper.” Her finger tightened on the trigger.

  “Who the hell are you?” he suddenly gasped with horror. “Are you CIA or something?”

  “I’m the daughter of Lieutenant Commander Jackson Remus, United States Navy SEAL team Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” she announced while proudly straightening. “And your friends killed my friends. Now you’re going to die.” She cocked her head and offered an unsettling smile. “Any questions?”

  He again waved his hands defensively. “Wait, wait,” he cried out fearfully. “I didn’t kill your friends, I swear. It was the Russian.”

  Jackie’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t want to show any emotion, but he had to see the shattered look in her eyes. She felt the gun tremble in her hand as her concern replaced her hostility. Jackie held her breath and attempted to resume her authoritative position over the man.

  “Yes, the Russian,” he explained with renewed enthusiasm, almost certainly reading her expression. “You want the man who killed your friend, don’t you? I can give you the Russian. Let me go, and I’ll give you the Russian.”

  “You know where to find him?” she asked while attempting to conceal the quiver in her voice.

  “Yes, I know where he is,” he reconfirmed. “I can take you there tonight. That’s why we were here. He’s been here several times. We were told to keep an eye on him.” He again waved his hands. “We’re not hitmen, I swear. We aren’t after the bounty on you or your friends.”

  “We?” she suddenly gasped.

  “My co-worker,” he announced.

  Jackie felt horror sweep through her body. “Bogart!” There was no response. “Bogart!”

  Bogart ran into the kitchen while gasping for air. She saw his shirt was covered in blood and his expression was almost panic-stricken. “There was a small accident in the garage,” he announced while pointing.

  She stared at him and the blood covering his shirt and arms. “What happened?” Jackie cried out.

  “I don’t know,” Bogart pouted. “This guy came after me, and I tried to do what you guys do, and he just sort of died.” His look was serious. “I’m telling you, Jack. They drop like flies around me.” He eyed the gun in her hand aimed at the man on the floor. “Who’s that?”

  “Oh, that’s maggot bait,” she announced simply. “He’s going to tell us where to find the Russian.”

  “The Russian?” Bogart questioned.

  Jackie raised her brows demandingly while glaring at Bogart. “Yes, the Russian.”

  Bogart then appeared to understand what they were talking about. “Oh, the Russian.” He gave the guy a serious look and nodded. “Smart move,” he informed the man on the floor then indicated Jackie. “That bitch be crazy.”

  “Why don’t you clean up while I finish my conversation with maggot bait,” Jackie remarked while eyeing his shirt and nodded him from the room.

  Bogart eyed his shirt and grimaced. “Good idea.” He headed for the downstairs bathroom.

  Jackie looked back at t
he man on the floor. “Who’s your boss?”

  “If I tell you I’m dead.”

  “If you don’t tell me you’re dead anyway,” she replied and raised a cocky brow along with a tiny smirk. “You may want to consider a new career.”

  “Melissa Pendleton,” he blurted out.

  “Who put the hit on my team?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know,” he informed her with sincerity. “She spoke of ‘the boss’ to others, but I’d never met him. None of us have.”

  Jackie gently scratched her temple with the barrel of the semiautomatic handgun. “You’re surprisingly cooperative for a killer.”

  “I told you,” he announced seeming to relax. “I’m not a hitman. I’m just one of Ms. Pendleton’s guards. She always sends us to keep an eye on the new guys. The Russian is sneaky. She doesn’t trust him. There’s a guard keeping an eye on him where he’s staying. My co-worker and I were supposed to find out what he was doing here. We didn’t find anything.” He then appeared curious. “Is this your place?”

  “It’s a friend’s,” she replied and offered nothing more to the stranger. “What else do you know about the Russian who killed my friend?”

  “He’s highly skilled,” he informed her. “You could have your hands full if you go after him. He came highly recommended by another known associate.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied seeming genuinely sincere. “I’m low on the food chain.”

  She studied him a moment then replaced her gun and extended her hand to him. He stared at her hand a moment with distrust then accepted it. Jackie pulled him to his feet and brushed the dirt from his jacket.

  “I’m going to forgive you for attempting to kill me,” she informed him. “You were upset about your friend. I get that.” Jackie casually leaned against the counter and folded her arms across her chest. His gun and knife remained on the floor not far from them. He could easily go for them. “Now, tell me something I don’t know.”

  He considered the comment and never once looked at his weapons on the floor. Jackie had to admit; she was impressed. He respected her ability to kill him, which meant she probably wouldn’t have to kill him after all.

  “There is one strange thing I’d overheard,” he replied. “It may not be important.”

  “Try me.”

  “In addition to the million dollars for each member of your team, there’s an additional million if you’re brought alive,” he informed her. “I thought that was strange.” He tilted his head and stared at her. “I have to ask. What’s so important about you? We were all sort of curious.”

  Jackie sank into thought. “Good question.” She snapped out of her trance and studied the man. “This is how it’s going to go down. You’re going to take us to where the Russian is staying, introduce us to your friend, and then you’re going to leave town and never come back.” Her look was serious and frightening. “It’s the only way I can promise I won’t kill you because if I see you again, I will kill you.”

  “I’m as good as dead anyway,” he informed her. “I don’t have a whole lot to lose now that I’ve crossed Ms. Pendleton. I’m not safe from her anywhere. She’ll probably have one of her hired goons kill my girlfriend just to torture me first.”

  Jackie stared at him a long moment and gave it some thought. She removed a pen and tablet from the nearby drawer then wrote a number on the pad. She tore off the top sheet.

  “Have you ever heard of Giovanni?”

  He stared at her with surprise and almost choked. “The notorious mobster, Giovanni? Of course, I heard of him. Who hasn’t?”

  She handed him the piece of paper containing a phone number. “This is the number of his front man. You call him and tell him Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is calling in a favor.” She gently cleared her throat. “I heard he has several new job openings at his island resort off the coast of Columbia. As long as you and your girlfriend are working for him, Melissa Pendleton wouldn’t dream of touching you.” She then tilted her head and considered the comment. “Of course, if you cross him, you’ll probably be shark bait instead of maggot bait.”

  He stared at the phone number then gave her a puzzled look. “Why are you helping me?” the man asked with surprise. “I tried to kill you.”

  “Believe me,” she announced. “If you give me the Russian, we’re more than even.”

  “You want him that badly, huh?”

  “You could say that,” she muttered. “I have a little score to settle with that one.”

  He placed the paper in his pocket then looked at her and attempted a tiny smile. “Could you maybe not kill the guy keeping an eye on him?” he asked with a curious look. “He’s not a bad guy. Not really.”

  “Sure,” Jackie replied. “I’ll make sure Bogart doesn’t sneeze on him and accidentally kill him.”

  Chapter Thirty-four

  It was after one o’clock in the morning. The lake was peaceful and calm in the moonlight allowing a panoramic view of several homes lining the secluded section of the lake. A houseboat was tied off to a large, private dock with a few other boats sharing slips on both sides. A vapor light provided dim lighting over the dock and boats but allowed just enough shadow to conceal predators. Zack slipped from the darkness of the houseboat doorway and into the shadows on the boat deck. He remained in the shadows and paused several feet from the railing to scan the dock and the surrounding homes within the woods on the lake.

  Although nothing moved, he still didn’t appear convinced there wasn’t something out there. He crossed the light on the deck, leaped over the deck railing, and softly landed on the dock in the shadows alongside the boat. He again scanned the area but didn’t see anything. He turned back toward the boat’s permanently secured gangplank. Jackie leaned against the gangplank railing and stared at him without emotion.

  “Hey,” she casually announced without even so much as a smile.

  Zack’s expression immediately dropped. He was obviously surprised to see her, but he didn’t usually make those feelings known even with facial expressions. He appeared almost frozen as if he didn’t know how to react to her presence.

  “Are you alone?” he asked and seemed unwilling to take his eyes off her.

  “Nope,” came a male voice from behind as a dart struck him in the ass.

  Zack jumped when he felt the pinch and immediately removed the dart, but it was too late. As he turned, he saw Bogart lowering the dart gun while grinning.

  “Hey, Zack,” Bogart cheerfully announced while indicating the dart gun. “Look what I found in your car.” He watched Zack stumble then collapse to the dock. “Good to see you too, buddy.”

  Jackie frowned and casually approached her fallen comrade. She eyed Bogart without emotion. “Let’s get to work,” she announced in a stern, commanding voice.

  †

  Zack slowly woke with some disorientation. He immediately realized his wrists and ankles were duct taped to a chair. He jerked in a feeble attempt to pull free then looked across the bland looking room. Jackie casually leaned against a table while staring at him with no expression. Bogart stood alongside the only door while holding an Uzi in his hands. His light-hearted, playful mood was nowhere to be found. He was officially Jackie’s muscle and played the role with seriousness. Judging by the sounds outside and the looks of the place, they were in an abandoned bait shop. The windows were boarded, leaving them with plenty of privacy for Jackie to conduct her interrogation.

  A devious smile crossed Jackie’s face. “Oh, look, Bogart. Our guest of honor is awake.”

  Bogart raised the Uzi without showing any emotion as he stared at Zack. “Pity,” he scoffed then sneered. “I was hoping I’d killed him.”

  “Do you remember all those stories you used to tell about interrogating prisoners?” Jackie asked Zack while raising a cocky brow. “Stories meant to gross me out?” There was no response. He only stared at her a moment then refused to acknowledge her. “It seems those stories may finally
come in handy.” She walked toward him in a slow, intimidating manner, although it came across somewhat sexy and caught his attention. She paused before his chair, placed her booted foot on the seat in the free space between his legs, and leaned on her knee. “Simple questions, Zack. Answer them, and you might leave with all your teeth.”

  He met her gaze and showed no emotion. “Your delivery needs work,” he casually remarked. “And you should have Bogart interrogating me. Because this--” He indicated the situation. “This is a bit of a turn-on.”

  Jackie sneered at his comment and thrust her heel into his crotch. Zack gasped with pain and attempted to endure it. She didn’t hit him hard enough to do any damage, but hard enough to get his attention and cause some discomfort.

  “That was a warning shot,” she snarled and backed away from him. “Now you be sure to let me know whenever I do or say something else that turns you on, so I can correct the situation by tenderizing your balls.”

  “Sorry, sir,” he announced under his breath. “It won’t happen again, sir.”

  She considered the comment. “A bit cocky, but I’ll accept it.”

  Jackie sat on the floor, hugged her knees to her chest, and stared at him a long, silent moment. Zack stared back at her then looked away. He obviously wasn’t expecting her to take up residence on the floor like some innocent child waiting for story time. It’s possible her actions stirred some past memory.

  “Can’t look at me?” she remarked. “Is it guilt? Or are you thinking about the two million you’d get for betraying me like you did Kirk?”

  Zack twitched but didn’t respond or look at her.

  She suddenly raised her brows. “Oh, are you a little surprised I know about the additional million on my head if I’m brought in alive?” she asked then smirked adding a throaty chuckle. “Yeah, I tortured that out of some poor bastard before I tore him apart in my father’s garage.”

  Bogart raised a brow but didn’t comment.

  “You’d be proud of me,” she continued while showing little emotion. “I’ve graduated to your level. You’ve officially turned me into a merciless killer like yourself.” Jackie shrugged. “It’s pretty easy to do when everyone you love is either dead or has betrayed you.”