†
Holden and Jackie heard several shots being fired from the roof. Holden jumped over Jackie and off the bed to the side closest to the window. He hurried for the window and peered out from the side. The police officer positioned on the roof plummeted past the window and to the ground below. Holden quickly closed and latched the interior steel shutters. Jackie jumped off the bed with alarm and slipped into her shoes. Holden ran for the bedroom door with Jackie directly behind him. He turned and stopped her. His look was stern.
“Lock yourself in the panic room,” he informed her. “Don’t come out for anyone but me.”
“Holden--”
“Do it, Jackie!”
Holden unlocked the door, hesitated, and then removed the revolver from his belt holster. He turned toward her and handed her the gun.
“Use it if you have to.”
Jackie uncertainly accepted the gun. Holden turned back for the door. She grabbed his hand, forcing him to look back at her concerned face.
“I don’t want anyone else’s blood on my hands,” she whispered softly.
Holden offered a sympathetic smile and caressed her hand clinging to his. “You’re not responsible, the governor is,” he said gently. “Do as I say. It’s going to be okay.”
“Please don’t die,” she said softly while staring into his eyes with concern.
He stared back into her eyes and smiled warmly. “I haven’t failed a mission yet.”
Her expression suddenly shattered. Thoughts of her father crept into her mind. He’d never failed a mission; not even the day he died. Holden slipped out of the room. Jackie felt paralyzed with fear. She hesitated only a moment then shut and locked the door behind him. She cast her back against the door, drew a deep breath, then eyed the gun and looked at the panic room just across the room. She shut her eyes and softly released her breath. She couldn’t handle any more loss. People were dying all around her, and there wasn’t a damned thing she could do about it. There would be no escape, and she knew they would all soon be dead.
“I haven’t failed a mission yet,” her father’s voice echoed through her mind.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you,” she whispered softly. “Please forgive me for what I’m about to do.”
She pinched her eyes shut and sank back into a different day that felt awkwardly similar.
†
Three years earlier. Jackie felt a tremendous stinging sensation throughout her entire body. She wanted to open her eyes, but she couldn’t seem to wake. Something warm and sticky ran past her eyelid. She soon tasted a horrible, familiar liquid. It was blood! She desperately tried to open her eyes. The light hurt at first. She didn’t know where she was but something was wrong. Jackie slowly lifted her head. It pounded in response. Blood ran freely from a gash on her scalp and streaked down her face. She was in the wreckage of ‘old Marge’. At first, she didn’t know what had happened or how she even got there. She remembered the dreadful alarm sounding and several lights on the control panel flashing but very little after that. All she knew for certain was she crashed ‘old Marge’. Jackie looked to the co-pilot’s seat. Her father was reclined back in the seat with blood streaking the side of his face. For a moment, she could only stare at him. He wasn’t breathing! She removed her harness and slid closer to him.
“Dad,” she gasped softly and touched his face.
His skin was already excessively cool to the touch. He’d been dead too long for any hopes of bringing him back. As reality set in, she found herself staring at the blood saturating his abdomen. There was so much blood! His hands were covered in dried blood as well as the controls before him. He’d attempted to help her land the plane as she went down. Once again, he’d completed his mission, but it was his last. He died a hero, as he always wanted to die. He died her hero.
Chapter Twenty-six
Holden hurried down the stairs from the second floor and entered the dimly lit living room with the three remaining officers. Jonas had turned the lights down to keep the shooters from seeing their position beyond the bulletproof windows. Jonas was perched alongside the front window, and Frederick was near the back window. Holden joined Dan by the side window. All three officers were silent while clinging to their weapons and looking for signs of the shooter. It was obvious the governor’s men had weapons with silencers. The only reason they had been alerted to his hired killers lurking around was that the officer on the roof got off a few rounds before being fatally shot.
“They got your man on the roof,” Holden announced while keeping his voice down in case the hired killers outside had ears on them.
“There are at least two shooters, as far as I can tell,” Dan informed him while keeping watch out the window. “Reinforcements should be here in ten minutes. The glass is bulletproof and the doors have floor and ceiling bolts. Nothing short of a tank is getting inside this place.”
“They have to know we’ve called for backup,” Frederick remarked. “Why would they hang around?”
“Because they want her that badly,” Holden replied.
“They must have a man in the Bureau,” Jonas announced then looked at Holden across the room. “It’s the only way they could know where we were.”
“This guy is corrupt and powerful,” Holden informed them. “There’s no shortage of men in his hip pocket. Men like that have a long reach.”
“I see one of them,” Dan suddenly announced and became alert. “He’s heading for the back door.”
“I’m on it,” Holden replied and darted for the back door to cover it.
The front door was suddenly broken open with unusual ease, startling everyone. Oscar dove into the dimly lit room and was out of their sight before they barely saw him. Frederick fired at Oscar as he rolled across the floor before losing sight of him. Jonas saw the hired gun from his vantage point and was about to squeeze the trigger when Dan suddenly turned and aimed his gun at Jonas from behind. Holden witnessed the double-cross and shot Dan, hitting him in the shoulder rather than the chest. Dan’s gun fired simultaneously but being shot threw his aim off and the bullet hit Jonas in the arm instead of the head, which was his intended target. Everyone leaped to the floor except Frederick, who appeared shocked by his fellow man’s double-cross. Oscar shot Frederick twice in the chest. His body jerked from the shots and fell to the floor.
Holden dived behind the sofa with Jonas, who didn’t have time to worry about his bleeding arm. Dexter stormed into the living room and joined Oscar and Dan. All three fired their handguns at the two men behind the sofa. Holden and Jonas took cover to the barrage of nearly silent gunfire. The sofa seemed to absorb the bullets better than anticipated. They were boxed down and the last line of defense before the stairs leading to the second floor and Jackie’s safe room.
“Last stand, huh?” Jonas said to Holden while both remained hidden behind the sofa.
“And they know they have to go straight through us,” Holden informed him while frowning.
“I’m sure we have them shaking in their shoes,” Jonas teased and indicated the stairs near them. “Think you can make it up the stairs if I draw their fire?”
“Three on two,” Holden replied. “Together we stand a chance. Even if I make it up the stairs, they’ll swarm you for sure. You don’t stand a chance.”
“Got a better idea?”
“Give me a second.”
“We haven’t got a second,” Jonas informed him. “Get ready to run.”
Before Holden could protest, Jonas took advantage of one of them reloading and poked his head out, returning their fire. Oscar fired back at him, hitting Jonas in the head. Jonas immediately dropped to the floor, having died instantly. Holden stared at Jonas’ blood spilling across the floor from the large hole in his head. Holden’s look conveyed his hostility. He looked to the grandfather clock near the stairs on his right. Dan’s reflection could be seen through the glass of the large clock, giving his exact location. Holden aimed his gun around the sofa, using the image in
the mirror to line his shot, and fired several rounds. The first shot hit Dan in the chest and the second hit him directly through his eye. As Dan collapsed to the floor, there would be one less dirty cop in the world. Another bullet pierced the sofa, found its way through, and struck Holden in the arm. He clutched his bleeding arm but didn’t allow his minor injury to stop him from returning fire.
“Find her! Check upstairs!” Dexter cried out.
Dexter fired wildly at Holden, who had little choice to take cover behind the sofa, giving Oscar a chance to run up the stairs. Holden attempted to fire at the running man, but Dexter continued with heavy gunfire. Holden never got a shot off at Oscar. Thumping and thudding was heard from the second floor above the sound of their guns firing.
“She’s in the panic room,” Oscar was heard shouting down to Dexter.
Holden looked at the grandfather clock and saw Dexter’s attention fixed on the stairs. He was obviously frustrated that the woman they’d come for had locked herself in a panic room. Retrieving her would cause a significant problem for them. The only way they’d get her out of there is if she opened the door willingly; and there wouldn’t be any reason for her to do that. Holden had one chance at a clear shot at Dexter while he was momentarily distracted. Holden aimed his weapon, again using the image in the mirror to aim and squeezed the trigger. His gun clicked empty. Although the sound wasn’t excessively loud, to Dexter, it was loud enough and the only sound he needed to hear. Holden hastily popped out the empty clip and quickly replaced it with a full one. Dexter suddenly stood over him with his gun aimed at his head. Holden froze and stared at the gun pointed at him. Dexter grinned, pleased with himself.
“You’re going to call her out,” Dexter boldly announced to Holden.
“No, I’m not.”
Dexter struck Holden in the head with his gun, dropping him to the floor alongside Jonas’ body.
Chapter Twenty-seven
The safe house bedroom appeared unusually quiet. There was no sound and nothing moved. The panic room door was shut with no way of entering without a writing invitation. Dexter and Oscar dragged Holden’s nearly unconscious body into the room and dropped him to the hardwood floor. Holden fell to the floor as blood streaked his face after being pistol whipped by Dexter. Dexter pulled Holden to his knees and aimed the gun at his head. His look was cold and serious.
“Call her!” Dexter ordered.
“Reinforcements are on their way,” Holden gasped with some disorientation.
“Now why would reinforcements arrive?” Dexter mocked. “Dan never made that call and the houses around here are empty.” He gave Holden a sinister, creepy grin. “No one’s coming.” He then looked toward the panic room. “Jackie! Come out now or I pop the fed!”
“Nice try, but she hates me,” Holden muttered.
Oscar pounded on the panic room door. “Come on out or the fed dies!”
“They can’t get you!” Holden yelled out.
Dexter struck Holden in the head with his gun then aimed it at him where he lie motionless. He smiled deviously with his finger tight on the trigger.
“Say goodnight, Gracie,” Dexter retorted.
“Goodnight, Gracie,” Jackie’s voice was heard hissing from behind Dexter.
Dexter suddenly spun with surprise. Jackie stood directly behind him in the bedroom doorway. She hadn’t been in the panic room! Before Dexter could even react, she spun into a high roundhouse kick and struck him in the head. The gun flew from his hand as he was thrown across the bed with a bounce. Jackie immediately turned toward the panic room door and fired Holden’s revolver at Oscar, hitting him in the side. Her aim had been a little off, but she wasn’t exactly trained for military combat. Oscar roughly struck the panic room door. Dexter had recovered at the same time and tackled Jackie to the floor. As he landed on top of her, she was winded by his weight. Without hesitation, Dexter punched her in the face. Jackie appeared momentarily stunned by the hard hit. He was about to hit her again when something snapped inside her. She suddenly grabbed his crotch with her left hand and gave it a hard squeeze and a violent twist.
Dexter gasped with surprise and instant agony, half-collapsing on top of her. Jackie barely released his crotch with her left hand as she punched him in the throat with her right. Dexter fell off her while gasping and wheezing in agony. It was a favorite move of her father’s, and she now understood why. She’d done a number on him, and he wouldn’t recover nearly as quickly from the assault. Jackie slowly pulled herself to her knees and scanned the room for either of the two discarded guns. Her eyes momentarily stopped on Holden, who lie motionless while bleeding from a head laceration. She saw Dexter’s gun just beyond Holden near the bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dexter scrambling to his feet. She couldn’t believe he had actually recovered from her father’s signature move so quickly. Jackie lunged for the gun. Rather than attempt to beat her to the weapon, Dexter ran from the room. He wasn’t in any condition to fight her, and he knew it.
Jackie’s hand hit the gun while she was hastily reaching for it, causing it to slide under the bed and further out of reach. She quickly sat up and looked for her revolver. Oscar was now on his feet by the panic room door and shot at her. The nearly silent shot ricocheted off the bedpost near her head. She gasped with alarm and rolled across the floor into Holden as the hardwood floor splintered from the silenced shots. She was now exposed in the center of the room and both she and Holden were clean targets for the hired killer. She looked at Oscar as he straightened while panting. He was in bad shape, but that wasn’t going to stop him from pulling the trigger. He kept the gun aimed at her and suddenly grinned.
“The governor will be pleased,” Oscar remarked and tightened his finger on the trigger.
Monroe suddenly appeared in the doorway behind Jackie and Holden. Oscar saw him, showed his surprise to the stranger, and aimed his gun at him. Monroe raised the Uzi in his hand and fired a barrage of bullets into Oscar. The sound of rapidly firing shots was almost deafening, but Monroe didn’t even flinch. Oscar’s body jerked and jolted in some macabre dance of the dead before striking the panic room door. As the firing stopped, his blood-soaked body slid down to the floor, leaving a streak of blood on the panic room door. Jackie looked back at Monroe with her mouth hanging open in silent shock.
“How’s that for an entrance?” Monroe announced with a pleased grin, his cocky brow raised.
She exhaled with relief and hid her smile. She’d never been happier to see Monroe. She’d never been happier that he came prepared and with guns blazing.
“Dexter is getting away,” she announced and gave a nod behind him.
“I’m on it,” Monroe announced and hurried back into the hallway.
Jackie hovered over Holden’s unconscious body and gently tapped his face while she visually assessed his bleeding head injury. Dexter had nailed him good with his gun.
“Holden, can you hear me?” she gasped with concern.
He slowly opened his eyes and attempted to focus on her. “I’m okay,” he replied softly but seemed to have trouble focusing. There was the very real chance he didn’t even know where he was. “Help me up.”
Jackie attempted to pull him to his feet. His legs gave out and he fell back down, taking her to the floor with him. She couldn’t deny the drop to her knees hurt with his added weight.
“You hit like a girl,” he scoffed with all seriousness. He really had no idea where he was.
Monroe entered the room as Jackie stood and again attempted to help Holden to his feet. The federal agent was flopping from his knees to his backside like a drunken man.
“He got away,” Monroe said with disgust then watched the display. He tilted his head and appeared curious.
“Help me,” Jackie quickly announced.
“Leave him,” Monroe grumbled.
“No, he could die.”
“So? He’s the reason you’re here in the first place,” Monroe reminded her.
Jackie glared
at her friend. Her look conveyed she wasn’t going to ask nicely a second time. He groaned while rolling his eyes with disgust and helped her pick up Holden. Holden half stumbled with them as they slowly made their way from the room.
Monroe and Jackie half-carried Holden from the ‘safe house’ and toward Monroe’s modified Hummer. Jackie had once again secured her duffle bag, which had been discarded in the living room. Monroe dumped Holden onto the backseat then took Jackie’s duffle bag from her and tossed it into the back with the nearly unconscious federal agent. As the bag struck Holden’s body, he cried out. Jackie jumped into the passenger seat as Monroe hurried to the driver’s side. The Hummer pulled away from the safe house in no particular hurry. Burning out and leaving tire marks would only give forensics more evidence pointing to Monroe’s presence. Monroe was always thinking and planning. He wasn’t a genius, but he was resourceful, which was probably what had kept him alive for so long.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Monroe’s beach house, Casa d’Monroe, was lavish with tall windows facing the ocean and a large deck surrounding it. His home was located on a pristine parcel of beachfront real estate with only a few other homes within viewing distance. Monroe’s wealthy status was always a bit of a mystery to Jackie. He’d come a long way since his stint under her father’s command a few years ago. Jackie could honestly say that she didn’t know what he did for a living or if he even worked, yet he somehow managed to live the high life on Dark Water Island. She was sure he wasn’t into anything illegal, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t doing something slightly shady in that questionable gray area. A little after midnight, the black Hummer pulled alongside the house just beyond the garage.
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