by Taylor Lee
Jake threw Roberts to his back. “You fucking piece of shit. You—”
Roberts moaned, “Lexie…”
Jake grabbed him by his hair. “What? Where is she?! Goddamn you! So help me God, tell me where she is or I’ll start chopping you in pieces starting with your prick…”
Tom choked, “Cynthia…”
“No, Goddammit, I don’t give a fuck about Cynthia. Where is Lexie?”
Tom’s voice was barely audible. “They… have her, Cynthia… Ji-Hun… shot her…shot Peter…” A gurgling sound in his throat throttled his words as blood bubbled from his mouth. Jake threw him back to the floor.
“Jake, over here.”
Jake looked up to see Tiffany pointing to a shiny object under Peter’s leg. With a low growl, he grabbed Lexie’s evening bag. Seeing the blood on the bag, he lost his ability to breathe.
From across the room, Brady’s rapid-fire orders continued.
“Medics, now! Library, second floor. Eighth door on the left. Tighten the perimeter. Lock down the gates. No one gets out of here. Shoot anyone who tries. Be careful. They’ve got Lexie.”
Jake looked up to see Brady at his side. He didn’t recognize his own voice.
“They got her, man. They got Lexie.”
“I know, Jake. But we’ll find her. No one will get by our guys.” He continued shouting orders into his com. “Sequester the Mayor. Get Spellman here. NOW! Denny, get the fuck up here, take over. Jake and I… we… need to find Lexie!”
Jake found his breath and turned to see Tiffany pressing against Peter’s chest trying to stanch the blood that was coming too fast to stop. It hurt to speak.
“Peter?”
Tiffany eyes were wide, they almost filled her face. She shook her head. “I don’t know. It looks bad, Jake. We need the medics now!”
As if hearing her plea, three of their men came rushing through the door. In the blur, Jake recognized Stu Corder, one of the field medics he worked with in Iraq. Tiffany jumped up to allow Stu and Mike Forrester access to Peter’s body. Tony Verrano headed over to the police commissioner who was unconscious—or dead.
“What the fuck?”
Jake looked over to see a grim-faced Dan Rourke in the doorway, a shocked Craig Spellman at his back. Jake barreled past the burly policeman and grabbed Spellman by the front of his shirt. Shoving him up against the wall, Jake’s face was inches from the man’s startled face.
“Is there a way out of here… of your house? A private door? A fucking tunnel? Now, Goddammit! Speak!”
Spellman face was wet with sweat. He was shaking like a reed in the wind.
Dan grabbed Jake’s arm.
“Jesus, man. Fuck, Jake. Get hold of yourself. It’s World War III down there. Kkangpae are swarming the place.”
Jake nodded. “They’ve got her, Dan.”
“Christ, man. Who’s got her?”
An icy chill flooded Jake. The fog lifted and his mind became crystal clear. It was as though a giant sign pointed the way. Saying the words calmed him.
“The White Dragon. Cynthia Roberts. And her chauffeur, Ji-Hun.”
~~~
Ignoring the shock on Dan Rourke’s face, Jake held Spellman tight against the wall. The normally pale man was grey with fear.
Jake yelled, “Think, man! For God’s sake! There has to be another way out!”
A light spilled over Spellman’s face. His eyes widened. With a visible effort he controlled his trembling body. He grabbed Jake’s arm for support.
“Fuck. The bomb shelter. My father, the paranoid bastard built it—”
“Where? Where is it?” Jake’s voice was low, commanding.
“Down the back stairway. It… it’s hidden. A false door.”
“Where does it go?”
“There’s a… tunnel. To the side garage.”
“Show me. Lead the way. Now.”
Chapter 25
Lexie woke to a blinding pain. Her head felt as though someone had slammed the back of it against a concrete wall. But the true pain, the one that had her gasping for air was in her right shoulder. The fact that her arms were twisted and tied tightly behind her back only exacerbated the agony. Lexie struggled to understand where she was. In a distant memory she remembered the sound of gunshots and saw Peter throwing himself toward her. Cynthia’s voice beside her shocked her. For a moment she thought her friend had come to help her… but then she remembered.
“Ah, Alexis. Good. You’re awake. I would hate for you to miss all the excitement. We’ve waited a long time for this moment. Haven’t we, Ji-Hun?”
Cynthia’s voice was dripping with scorn. A hand wrenched Lexie’s head back forcing her to look in Cynthia’s face. Lexie was shocked at the expression on the woman’s face. It was cunning. Triumphant. Evil.
Lexie forced herself to speak; each word felt as though a sharp blade was slicing through her throat.
“Cynthia. I don’t understand. Why? Who?”
Lexie gave up trying to sound coherent. It hurt too much to talk.
Cynthia laughed. A dry shrill sound.
“Hmm. Let’s start with the ‘who,’ shall we? You already know me, Alexis. You have been looking for me. And now you lucky girl. You’ve found me.”
Lexie fought through the fog in her brain. Her voice was incredulous.
“You are the… the… oh my God, Cynthia. You’re the White Dragon?”
Cynthia laughed again.
“Why are you so surprised, girlfriend? Did you think only a man could be the White Dragon? A man as strong as my husband? The Police Commissioner? Hah! Right.”
Cynthia jerked Lexie’s head further back. At the sharp pains shooting through her skull. Lexie couldn’t hold back a moan. Cynthia cackled madly again. Then her expression tightened. Spittle formed at the corners of her mouth.
“I will fill you in, darling, on what few people know. Tom Roberts is a pussy. A coward. A self-righteous bastard. He could have been the White Dragon. Tell her, Ji-Hun. Tell our little captive everything. She deserves to know. She came so close to discovering the truth.”
Her laugh grated on Lexie’s frazzled nerve endings.
“After all? Who is she going to tell? We’re the last people she will see before she dies.”
Lexie did her best to focus on the solemn man standing beside Cynthia. In place of his usual chauffeur’s uniform, Ji-Hun was dressed in a business suit. He looked strange, professional. What caught Lexie’s attention was the way that Cynthia was hanging on his arm. More riveting was her expression. She was gazing lovingly at the Korean man beside her. Sudden understanding blasted through Lexie’s muddled brain.
“Him. It’s him. Sammie was talking about him. Ji-Hun. He’s the man she hated.”
Cynthia sneered. “You’re right. My goodness, Alexis. Tied to a chair with a bullet in your shoulder and you still manage to think it out. And yes. Leave it to that snoopy little brat to see Ji-Hun and me together in a—how shall I put it? A compromising position? I warned her. We both did. If she ever told anyone, Ji-Hun promised her he would kill her father.”
Lexie shook her head, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. She gasped, trembling at the wave of pain that flooded her from the small movement. Understanding the terror Sammie must have felt, Lexie felt sick. She was furious with herself that she hadn’t pushed more. That she didn’t insist that Sammie tell her what was bothering her. Oh God. If she had, then maybe just maybe none of this would have happened. Lexie forced herself to listen to Cynthia’s nauseating explanation.
“You had me worried, Alexis. You are such an intuitive woman; actually, nosy is a better description. I was concerned that Sammie might tell you, confess her mother’s sins. But she didn’t.”
Cynthia’s expression darkened. Her face twisted in a dreadful mix of hatred and anger.
“No, she did something worse. The scheming little shit told her father. Apparently she called him from your Center. Her ‘conscience’ must have gotten the better of her
. Too bad. Now her father is dead and I will make sure she knows that it is her fault.”
Lexie struggled with her grief. She forced herself not to think about what Sammie’s life would be like after this hideous incident was over.
“That’s… that is what you and Tom were arguing about?”
“Humph! Yes and other things. When he confronted me about Ji-Hun, I decided, ‘What the hell’ and told him everything. What he was missing out on. What he/we could have had together.”
Ji-Hun spoke, his voice was surprisingly cultured.
“Please, Cynthia. Do not sell yourself short. We never seriously considered bringing your husband into our ‘activities. From the beginning I told Young-soo you were a better choice. You have a greater appreciation for the finer things in life and shall we say a more ‘textured’ view of right and wrong.”
He glared at Lexie. For the first time she looked at the man and truly saw him. Like Cynthia’s, Ji-Hun’s eyes were bright, cold. Evil.
“Unlike you and your paramour, we, Cynthia and I, know what is important and are willing to go after it. Nothing will stop us. Nothing will stop me from carrying out Young-soo’s orders, no matter how challenging they may be.”
A strange expression crossed Ji-Hun’s face when he looked at Cynthia. It was tender but shaded. Lexie couldn’t begin to untangle the relationship between these two abhorrent deviants and didn’t want to try. Instead she focused on her situation. She had to get free. She refused to die like this. Captured by wicked people. She must have telegraphed her intent because Ji-Hun looked at her and gave a dismissive snort.
“Ah, Ms. Alexis Beloi. Do not waste the short time you have left on Earth trying to determine how you will escape. It is impossible. As for seeing that wretched man, Jake Gardner, who has caused me and my father so much difficulty, he will soon be dead. But not before he sees you suffer a most painful and humiliating death. Even as we speak, a hundred of our fiercest warriors have invaded this mansion. Their specific orders are to kill Peter Kim, Brady Schaefer and that redheaded bitch, Tiffany Anderson. Fortunately I already killed Peter Kim, filthy traitor that he is, and Cynthia took care of her husband. As for Colonel Jake Gardner? We will capture him alive—that he may watch you die. The last thing he hears will be your screams. This is my pledge to you and to my father. To underscore. Every one of our Kkangpae fighters knows that if Gardner escapes, they all will be killed, along with their families.”
His pompous boasts made it halfway to Lexie’s consciousness. The words got blocked by the more startling fact.
“You are… Young-soo’s son?”
Cynthia looked as shocked as Lexie felt.
“What? You never told me that! Ji-Hun. We are lovers, compatriots. You have called me your ‘partner for life.’ I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me that the sneering bastard who has done everything possible to terrify me is your father?”
Ji-Hun shrugged.
“Some things, my dear, are better left unsaid.”
A pained expression crossed his face and a deep sigh escaped from his chest. He smiled at Cynthia, but Lexie saw that the smile did not reach his eyes. If anything his eyes were colder, harder than they had been before. Cynthia apparently saw what Lexie did because she startled and stepped back. When she did she bumped against Lexie’s shoulder driving a riveting pain through Lexie’s body. Lexie couldn’t stifle her cry.
Cynthia whirled on her. The fear that had been on her face moments before turned to rage. Without warning she drew back her fist and drove it at Lexie’s shoulder. Lexie couldn’t hold back her scream. When Cynthia wound up as though to strike again, Ji-Hun held up his hand.
“Stop. My father wants her alive, well enough to fully experience the lengthy death we have planned for her. She is too important to die easily. We must make an example of her. Show potential enemies of my father what will happen to them if they disobey Young-soo.”
Staring at Cynthia, he added, “His personal emissaries will be here soon. We will be taking the Blonde Barracuda with us.”
Cynthia stepped back, her eyes wide with a mix of surprise and slowly dawning terror. “What… what do you mean… we? Am I… you told me Ji-Hun that I… that you and I are… we are partners for life.”
Ji-Hun nodded sympathetically. “Ah, so I did. And we will be. And as long as we are both alive, we will be partners.” He pulled a gun from behind his back and aimed it at Cynthia’s dumbstruck face. “Alas…”
The sound of the gunshot didn’t shock Lexie nearly as much as the professionally placed bullet hole between Cynthia’s eyes.
~~~
Jake followed Craig Spellman down the dark stairway. Brady and Tiffany were at his heels. When they reached the bottom of the stairwell, Craig ran his hands over the seams in the sheetrock. At the sound of a click a narrow panel opened. He held up his hand and motioned for them to stop.
Craig’s voice was barely audible.
“The room is in the center of the tunnel. It has several entrances. Plus there are windows on all four sides. I have to warn you. They… they may already have taken her out of the—”
“Stop. I understand. Take us there. Now.” Jake’s whisper was as harsh as his expression.
Spellman nodded and fled down the narrow corridor with the others racing behind. When the hallway appeared to end, Craig held up his hand. Ahead of them they saw what looked like a doorway. Small windows virtually opaque with dirt were on either side of the door. Tiffany drew her gun and motioned that she would go to the other side to see if the visibility was better. Jake nodded and with a flick of his wrist indicated that Craig should go with her. He and Brady pressed up against the filthy windows and peered inside. At some level, Jake blessed the clouded glass. If it had been clear and he was able to get a detailed vision of the scene inside he would have destroyed their chances of a stealthy entrance. His rage would have driven him inside with both guns blazing.
Brady put his arm around Jake and shook his head. Jake took a deep breath and silently concurred. The next several minutes were as revealing as they were painful. Jake focused on the words of the two evil people, doing his best not to be distracted by the blood on Lexie’s clothes, or the bruises on her face, or the horrendous pain in her eyes.
Jake immediately picked up on the duplicity in Ji-Hun’s expression. He and Brady exchanged an astonished glance when the despicable man declared himself to be Young-soo’s son. Jake watched with increasing certainty as Ji-Hun physically put space between himself and Cynthia, seeing what the evil woman apparently did not. He snorted in disgust when Ji-Hun described how they planned to kill him. The closest he came to losing control was when that pig of a woman struck Lexie’s injured shoulder.
When Ji-Hun’s shot rang out and Cynthia crumpled to the floor, Jake let out a harsh breath preparing for their move. He heard Brady’s gasp at the same time that he felt the cold metal digging into the base of his skull.
~~~
With a toss of his head, Ji-Hun kicked Cynthia’s body aside and turned to Lexie, pointing his gun at her face. At that moment the door at the back of the room opened.
Lexie’s joyful cry became a wail when she saw Jake and Brady enter. Both men had their hands in the air. Behind them were two Kkangpae warriors, their gun barrels pressed against the heads of her would-be saviors.
At first, Ji-Hun appeared to be as surprised as Lexie was. Then his face widened in a wicked grin. “Well, well, well. What have we here? Two white knights. Hmm. I guess that will do. Our plans are somewhat flexible. My understanding is that the Lt. Colonel loves our Blonde Barracuda almost as much as Colonel Gardner does. Why not let both men watch her being tortured to death?”
Lexie met Jake’s impassive gaze then saw his eyes shift slightly. She wasn’t sure precisely what he meant, but the signal was universal. At his cry, she ducked as best she could and Ji-Hun’s bullet barely grazed her skull. Jake’s yell was echoed by a piercing Hapkido cry. In the seconds that followed, Lexie watched Ji-Hun
sink to the floor. The perfectly placed bullet hole in his forehead poetically mirrored the one he himself had drilled into Cynthia’s. Out of the corner of her eye Lexie saw the redheaded fury holding the death weapon.
Jake and Brady made short work of their captors. As consummate fighters as the Kkangpae were, they were no match for the enraged men they faced. If Tiffany hadn’t stepped forward and coolly shot each of the Kkangpae in his face, it was clear Brady and Jake would have beaten them to death.
The last thing Lexie heard as he gently untied her arms, was Jake’s soft murmur.
“I thought we had a deal, Darlin’? You weren’t gonna go off by yourself, remember?”
Lexie would’ve thought he was angry with her if she hadn’t seen the tears streaming down his cheeks.
Chapter 26
Banished from the operating room, Jake paced the floor in the small private waiting room. His face was flushed, his eyes flashing. Tension radiated off his rigid frame. Doctor Matheson, the Chief of Emergency Medicine had assured him that the bullet had missed Lexie’s shoulder joint and that they only had to remove the fragments that were left. He insisted that Jake wait outside and allow his medical team the space they needed to work quickly. At Jake’s demand for an ETA, the doctor shook his head and promised Jake that they would have Lexie in her room within the hour.
Brady paced the room as frenetically as Jake except that he had his cell phone plastered against his ear. Moving seamlessly from one call to the next, he didn’t cover his end of the conversations, ensuring that Jake and the others had a moment by moment update on the state of the aftermath. Their biggest concern was Peter — and second was Tom Roberts. The doctors had given Roberts a better than fifty/fifty chance of a full recovery depending on the extent of the swelling in his brain. Cynthia’s bullet had pierced his skull but luckily had moved cleanly through the soft tissue without leaving fragments. Before the surgery the police commissioner was able to give a lucid account of what had happened. He’d even spoken to his daughter and son on the telephone. Even with that relatively good news, the doctors expected him to be in surgery for at least another six to eight hours.
