“What do you want, Taggart?” I asked once more, my voice colder than before.
“Don’t use that tone with me. I’m in charge here, you know, and I’ll explain when I feel like. You haven’t changed one bit. You’re still a cocky proud son of a bitch, but I beat you this time.” He laughed again. He then ordered his goons to force me to my knees. Four of them had to do it, and I didn’t resist too much, because of my fear for Amanda.
“How the mighty have fallen.” Taggart went on. “Look at you kneeling before me. Let me tell you all a story.”
Taggart continued, “Once upon a time, I partnered with this motherfucker for a job. We used to get along then, but I hated his guts. He then betrayed me by sleeping with my wife and not just gloating about it, but he stole her from me. He made her leave me and he boasted about it,” he finished off.
“That is what this is all about. Revenge, Jason. You’re going to tell me where my wife is when I’m done with you. I took my time planning this for a long time, I’m going to find her and teach her a lesson. She will never betray another soul till she dies.”
Now I was curious about Taggart’s revenge and hoping it didn’t involve taking Mandy away from me like I did his wife. It wasn’t exactly my best moment, I couldn’t even claim I had no idea who she was, but I definitely regretted the action; regretted getting involved at all. She might have left him, but it wasn’t to get with me.
“What has the girl got to do with your revenge? She isn’t your wife, Taggart,” I said darkly.
“It’s got everything to do with her, my friend. I know everything, and I know you are smitten with her. I know all this because I have been following you for months, and I had your phones bugged, your house bugged, your car bugged; even that yacht you two were sailing on was bugged. I have been monitoring your internet lines and traffic, your calls, your movements, when you piss and shit. I know everything about you and I know everything about the billion-dollar ransom from Michael Coventry, and I intend to steal that from you. I will humiliate you the same way you humiliated me. I have been extremely careful planning this out. I have a team of pirates at my disposal, and man, did you fall into my hands. You cannot escape from Haiti as they control the waters outside and in the surroundings of Haiti.”
I was shocked by all of it—how could I not have realized that this fucker had eyes on me?—but I let nothing show on my face. So, all this time I’d been bugged, and I’d been exposing Mandy to danger. I had to get back to the hotel. Hopefully, his guys hadn’t gotten to her yet, or if I hurried, I could be in time to help her. I tried stalling for time, so I could get more information.
“Her stepfather is hesitating to pay. So be my guest stealing it. He may end up not paying at all,” I told Taggart.
He shook his head slowly and told me, “You will convince him to pay. That is why you’re still alive right now. If you don’t do it, I will kill her after having my way with her and letting each of my men, including those who are at your hotel, have their way with her. We both know you are smitten, you wouldn’t have fucked up on a job otherwise, so if you do not do this…” He trailed off, but I got the picture.
I was so enraged at the thought of anybody touching Mandy that I punched Taggart hard and broke his nose. He screamed, and some of his men rushed to help. I used the distraction to run into the trees as they pulled their guns to shoot at me.
They shot and missed, and I could hear Taggart moaning in pain while ordering them to get me. I ran so fast as adrenaline pumped through my system. I ducked behind trees to hide and dodge bullets. Two of his thugs were still chasing me, so I hid and tripped one, seizing his gun and knocking him out. I shot the second guy in the leg and he collapsed in pain. The gun’s chamber was already empty, so I threw it to the ground and continued running. The route through the trees was even shorter and I could already see the B&B from my vantage in the trees.
As I continued running, I hoped and prayed like I hadn’t in a while that I got there in time to rescue Mandy. If the goons Taggart had sent to the hotel were pirates, they could treat her badly, or they could even rape her. Shit, I cursed as I reached the B&B. I needed a weapon, and I didn’t have any; they were all in the room. From the hotel entrance, I spied a rough-looking guy in the reception area and decided to use the kitchens at the back to get in. I rushed to the back and entered the kitchen, grabbing two knives. My guns were all in my suitcase. I was never going for a piss without them again, I swore. I dropped my guard because of good sex and a hot, beautiful girl who was going to be more trouble now that I was a target and I was definitely interested in her.
This made me vulnerable and I didn’t like it one bit. I avoided relationships or getting entangled because of how unsafe and unpredictable my world was. Now, because of my past fuck-up, Mandy was in danger and no matter what I said or thought, if something happened to her I would never forgive myself. I walked down the corridors, trying to hide and duck so that I was not noticed.
Chapter Thirteen
Amanda
I waited at the bed and breakfast for Jason to get back. I’d just showered and called the reception desk to order dinner. I was putting on some very sexy lingerie that I bought on a whim when I was shopping for this little adventure.
The lingerie was an adventure for me as well, as I had never worn anything so sexy and revealing aside from the gown I wore yesterday. Jason brought out a different me, a more daring and intriguing me. I tied my robe and lay down on the bed to rest a little.
A few minutes later, I heard some rustling sounds at the window. I was not easily frightened, but it sounded strange and with the pirate attack yesterday, I was scared and alone. Where was Jason, anyway? He was taking way too long. I started feeling uneasy as I checked the time.
I heard the sound again and decided to find out what was causing it, or I wouldn’t relax. I walked to the window to check, but saw the long sliding doors that led to a small garden open. That was strange, I didn’t remember opening them. I pulled them shut and turned back into the room, to see a tall figure standing by the door. The figure walked to the center of the room, and I got a better look. He was quite handsome and lean. Before Jason, he would have been my type, but what was he doing in Jason’s room?
“Who are you and what are you doing in this room? How did you even get in?” I asked as he walked toward me. I tried to open the sliding doors, but they seemed to be stuck. As I asked, another figure appeared at the other end of the room. I screamed when I saw him, almost fainting in fright. He was the ugliest man I had ever seen with a long scar running across his cheek, but that wasn’t the most frightening thing. The look in his eyes got to me more.
“I always knew your ugliness could cause a lady to faint. My theory was almost confirmed, Ti Jean,” the handsome guy commented.
“You two are scaring her. Let’s talk to her reasonably so she’ll come with us and we don’t have to hurt her. She’s so pretty,” a third voice spoke directly from behind me, and I ran to the bed screaming.
The ugly one spoke, his voice as nasty as his face and that look in his eyes. “Alain, shut up if you have nothing intelligent to suggest. How do you negotiate with somebody you’re kidnapping to come with you, idiot?” He turned to the handsome one. “Grab her already, Marcel. Since you’re the pretty face, that won’t scare her.”
“Who the fuck are you?” I asked, getting angry that they were talking about me as if I wasn’t there.
“We are pirates and here to kidnap you. So, come along peacefully or…?” the handsome one explained.
“Or what? Or you kill me? Rape me? I don’t give a fuck what you do, but I’m not coming along without a fight, so you had better prepare yourself,” I said with a sneer.
“She is the feisty type. I like her, and I now see why Jason likes her,” the handsome one spoke again to the ugliest.
I hadn’t seen the third person’s face yet. Where was Jason? What did pirates want with me? Had Jason betrayed me or planned this all? I moved
toward the head of the bed, remembering I spied a gun under one of the pillows. I couldn’t even shoot a gun, but I intended to brave my way out of here. Where was the waiter with my dinner so I could alert him, I wondered, but then feared for his life. These guys could kill him for being a witness, so he wouldn’t even be useful. I sat down slowly and moved my hand under the pillow as they continued arguing. My hand touched and held something cold. I looked around and three sets of eyes were looking at me. I needed to buy some time.
The handsome guy smiled and asked me, “You’re a lovely bird and a feisty one at that. If you come away with me I will give you the world.”
I was outraged. Like I would just hand myself over for a corny line like that. “How can you be kidnapping me and flirting with me?” I asked.
The tall and huge guy in the corner laughed. “He thinks he’s a lothario. He doesn’t know how unattractive he really is.”
The short guy approached the handsome one and punched him hard. I cringed in pain for him, but he didn’t even flinch. “Stop flirting and wasting valuable time. We need to be out of here before someone shows up. She’s screamed two times already. If you won’t grab her, then Alain can do it.”
“How much are you being paid for abducting me?” I asked out and none of them answered, but they were all looking at me with suspicious eyes. “I can pay you double for you to leave me alone. I can afford it,” I said.
They laughed in unison and the ugliest who was called Ti Jean said, “We know who you are and your worth. We are being paid more than you can afford so do not worry your pretty head.”
I winced when he used a phrase Jason had used on me before.
He started coming toward me again and I pulled out the gun and pointed, trying not to sound nervous and to keep my hands steady. “Stay where you are. None of you better come closer or I will shoot, and I mean it,” I ordered.
They were not bothered, and the handsome one said, “The odds are against you. There are three of us, all good shots and stronger than you. Put the gun away and come with us. We won’t hurt you. You can even become my lovely bird.”
“I know the odds are against me, but before any of you pulls your trigger, I will have fired, hurting or killing at least one of you.” I smiled at the thought of hurting one of them. When did I become this mean, I asked myself. “That shot will equally alert more than half of the hotel staff who will rush in here and the odds will really be against you with so many witnesses. Not to mention, when shots are fired, people tend to call the authorities.”
“She has a mean streak and she’s intelligent, I like her,” the third person called Alain said, and the handsome one nodded in agreement.
Ti Jean charged toward me and I uncorked the gun and shot, aiming for his leg and hitting the floor. I screamed as he reached me, taking the gun and throwing me over his shoulder. Just then, a knock sounded on the door. I started shouting for help as I heard footsteps and yelling in the corridor, and then the hotel door was being forced open.
“We need to go. Drop her, Ti Jean,” Marcel warned Ti Jean who was struggling to carry me.
I was biting, punching, and kicking at the same time. He was short for a guy, thus easier for my legs to reach his balls. I kicked out and back as Alain shouted for him to watch out, and he dropped me as he doubled over in pain. Alain broke the stuck sliding doors and Marcel helped Ti Jean so they could run away, missing being caught by a second as the hotel door was finally opened.
The hotel staff and some guests flocked into the room to see what was happening. They saw the broken glass, the gun on the floor, and the bullet hole left by the gun when I fired.
“What happened, miss?” the security guard asked.
“A break-in. They wanted to kidnap me, and they said they were pirates,” I told the security guard, my voice trembling.
He told me the police were on their way and cleared the room of all the guests and workers. As the last guest left, Jason walked in looking tense and ready to fight, when he saw me sitting on the bed as white as the sheets. I was suffering from shock now that adrenaline had worn off.
“Where were you?” I asked. “I was almost kidnapped. How come? Why? Who else knows about me? What is going on, Jason, and where have you been?” I was getting hysterical.
“Please calm down,” Jason pled with me. “There is something I need to tell you.”
“It will have to wait until after the police get here and interview me,” I said shakily and buried my face in my hands, ignoring him.
A few minutes later, the police came in and looked around.
“Good evening, miss. I’m sorry about your ordeal this evening,” he greeted and apologized in one. “How many assailants did you say were here?” he asked while jotting down on a small notepad.
“There were three,” I answered.
“Can you describe them to me?”
I nodded and start describing, “One is short. He has a long scar running down his cheek and speaks with a thick accent. Very ugly fellow. The other is fair and lean, he is charismatic and looks American. The third guy is medium height and very burly, with medium-dark skin, small brown eyes, and short reddish dreadlocks.”
The officer scribbled some more and thanked me.
“Did they take anything of value?”
“No, they didn’t.”
“The gun you fired on them, was it yours and do you have a permit?”
Jason answered that for me, saying, “The gun is mine, Officer, I’m her husband and we came here for a vacation. Since we came on our boat and have heard of the pirates around, I move with the gun. I have my permit. Do you want to see?” Jason asked the officer, who nodded it off and turned to leave.
At the door he said, “We will leave an officer stationed outside your door for security.”
I thanked him and said goodnight. The hotel concierge came in to show us into a different room. I ordered some food. My stomach would probably not hold it, but I had to eat so I wouldn’t collapse.
Ignoring Jason, I entered the bathroom in my room to shower. I felt shattered. It had been fun before, but the adventure was getting too dangerous for me now.
Chapter Fourteen
Jason
While I waited for her to come out from the shower, I asked myself how I even got in this mess. I had wondered how Mandy would react when it was all over. I recalled how it all started.
It was a Thursday evening and I’d just returned from a long job in Mexico. I only wanted to shower, rest, and forget about all I had seen there. As I opened the door to my apartment, the phone started ringing. I wanted to pull it from the wall and not answer, but it went to voice mail and the voice talking stopped me. I quickly picked up the phone before the call was dropped and answered. It had been long since I’d spoken with Malcom. He was my mentor, father, friend and he taught me everything I knew. For him to call me meant something serious was happening. I don’t bother greeting and just asked, “What’s wrong, Malcom?”
“I’m being blackmailed to do a job, son, and you know once I’ve retired, I don’t want to get involved in any shit, plus I’m not getting younger,” was his reply.
“What do they have on you?” I asked.
“They took my daughter,” he said, sounding really worried.
I almost threw the phone in anger; if I found the guys responsible… “Who’s responsible?”
“Taggart Jones. He has her and says if I don’t cooperate he’s going to kill her. This guy is bad news.”
“Take the job, I’m coming over.” I didn’t even change. I just walked out to my car and drove five miles to Malcom’s place. I hated Taggart without even meeting him. He had threatened people I cared about, and I never forgave that. The only thing stopping me from finding him and blowing his head off was Malcom’s daughter.
Malcom took the job and brought me in as his apprentice; it was a big kidnap job. An Italian mobster’s son who was only six years old. The first time Taggart and I met, I punched him hard in the s
tomach. I told him it was for kidnapping Malcom’s daughter and intruding on his retirement. We tolerated each other for the sake of the job and I had to admit that Taggart was a sick bastard, a psycho probably. The job was so risky we could all lose our lives, but Malcom and I planned for weeks and gave it our all. Most of our meetings took place at Taggart’s house. That was how I met Suzie, his wife. She was so beautiful in an ethereal way, soft spoken and kind. I couldn’t imagine what she saw in that bastard Taggart.
I started talking to her whenever I came over to discuss with Taggart, and we later on became friends. Taggart didn’t like that, and he hit her whenever she so much as gazed at me when I came over. If we didn’t have a job to do, I would have killed him already. I advised Suzie to run away, told her I could help erase her, but she was too scared to agree.
After the night of the kidnapping, I visited a bar not far from Taggart’s house and the place where he was keeping the kid. I had one too many beers and was walking to my truck when I saw Suzie leaning on it. She looked so beautiful I couldn’t resist touching her. I asked what she was doing there, and she said she had decided to run away after all. I asked her to get in my truck, and I drove to my motel. She followed me to my room and as I shut the door, there was no way to resist her. Not in my semi-drunk state. Luckily for me, Taggart had released Malcom’s daughter and they had left town that evening so I had nothing holding me back. We had amazing sex that night. In fact, we barely slept. And the next day, while I was buying coffee, Taggart approached me, and he was sizzling. He wanted to fight and started shouting, saying I was a wife thief and I should give his wife back.
I told him I didn’t have his wife, but he tried attacking me. That was the biggest mistake he ever made. All the anger broke out of the dam and I give him the beating of his life. While he was semi-conscious, I told him I had erased his wife and he would never find her. I told him she was too good for him and he deserved to die alone for hurting her all those years. I was so pissed that I actually shouted how good she was in bed.
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