by Mary Alford
“You see, Lena, in spite of what you and everyone else thought you know about me, I wasn’t just your typical spoiled rich girl after all. I fooled everyone, including my own father and your precious Roc. And Doren, who’s about to get what he deserves for betraying Justin.”
I took a step back from the hatred in her eyes.
“That’s far enough. There’s nowhere for you to run. It’s over for you as well,” she growled.
“Why, Becca? Why would you sell out your own father, your country, to become just another one of Justin’s patsies?”
She moved closer and I leveled the gun at her. Becca might take me out, but not without a fight.
“Why do women do anything? For love, of course. I love Justin and he loves me. He’s promised we’ll be together soon. No more keeping our love secret.”
“Becca, you’re not that foolish. Don’t you see he was only using you? You’ve lost your value to him. Once this is over, he’ll dispose of you as well.”
She waved the weapon between us. “Shut up, Lena. You just shut your mouth. You don’t know anything about it. You always thought you were so smart—you and Roc with your secrets. You thought you were better than me, but look who has the best of you and your precious husband. And where exactly is Roc now that you need him? He’ll be dead for real very soon. You see, the documents, my apartment, they were all just an elaborate setup to get Roc exactly where we wanted him.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked before I could stop the words. I didn’t want her to see how much those words hurt.
“He was out of it. We actually believed Roc was dead, gone for good. He would never have had to die this way if it weren’t for my father. Dad thought he was so smart, keeping his little golden boy a secret. You see, he slipped up and forgot to get rid of the evidence. That’s how I found out Roc was still alive. Of course, Dad was beginning to get suspicious about me. So, we staged my kidnapping. The apartment—that was my idea. Justin is so brilliant. He figured out a way to accomplish what we’ve been working toward all these years, and get rid of Roc and my father in the process. So, you see, you’re too late, Lena. You can’t save yourself and you certainly can’t save Roc. He’s done exactly what we wanted him to do, for once. He’ll be dead soon.”
I recoiled at those words and she saw my weakness. Becca smiled and came a little closer.
“Drop the gun, Lena. We both know you won’t use it.”
While the bizarre conversation between Doren and my brother continued below us, I knew no matter what, I had to disarm Becca quickly.
“Becca, look, it’s not too late for you. If you give yourself up, things will go better for you.”
Her derisive laughter told me just how little she believed what I was saying.
“Better for me? You know the price for treason in this country, Lena. There will be no turning myself in. Justin and I will be leaving tonight. Unfortunately for you, you’ll be dead, as will your friend Doren.”
We stood facing each other in the darkness, weapons drawn and ready to fire. I prayed with all my heart I would be quick enough to wound her before she accomplished her goal. I needed something to divert her attention, if only for a second, to give me the advantage I needed.
Close by, something moved. A small animal rustling through underbrush startled us both. An answer from God. For a split second, Becca’s attention was distracted and I took that opportunity to fire first. The bullet hit its mark, straight though the heart. She dropped lifeless to the ground without ever getting a shot off.
I checked for a pulse, knowing I wouldn’t find one. Becca was dead. Once I secured her weapon, I checked for any movement around me. Somehow, I hoped Justin and Becca were here alone.
I circled around the same way that I’d left the house, stopping every few yards to make sure no one followed me.
When I reached the basement window I’d left undone, I slipped inside and stood listening for any evidence Justin might have backup in the house.
Just as I started up the steps, the sound of gunfire erupted. I forced myself to move cautiously through the cabin until I was close enough to hear, firsthand, Justin laughing. Instinctively, I knew Doren was hit.
The door to the great room stood slightly ajar. I nudged it open a little farther and saw Doren lying on the floor in front of the fireplace. Justin stood over him, gun leveled at his head.
Without hesitating, I burst through the door, taking both men by surprise.
The expression on Justin’s face made it clear he wasn’t expecting me to be alive. Doren was bleeding from his left shoulder. I couldn’t tell how serious his injuries were, but he had lost a lot of blood. He needed immediate medical attention.
“Well, well, my little sister.” Justin turned toward me with a grin. “Glad you could join us, after all.” He glanced down at Doren. “She never was good at listening to reason. Don’t take it personally.”
“Drop the gun, Justin,” I ordered.
Justin’s smile disappeared at my command, but he kept his weapon trained on Doren.
“What, you’re going to kill your own brother, Lena? I don’t think so. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll make your deaths painful for the both of you. Drop the gun, or I’ll kill him right now. Besides, we both know you won’t use it against me.”
“It was a nice touch recruiting Becca as your mole. How’d you do it? Did you tell her you loved her?” I said as steely as I could.
Justin’s eyes narrowed in anger. “It was easy. She’s weak. I used that to my advantage.”
“I’m sure you did. So how did you convince her to kill her father? You promise to marry her?” Some of Justin’s composure slipped when I added, “Becca’s dead…Jeremiah.”
I’d wanted so desperately to believe he was my brother that I’d overlooked so many things. But this man wasn’t Justin. He was just a cold-blooded killer.
His gaze met mine and he knew it was over. I’d figured it out. “So you know. Well it really doesn’t matter anymore. You’ll both be dead soon.” Yet for a second, Jeremiah wavered. “And Becca was beginning to get on my nerves, anyway. All that whining and attention she needed. You did me a favor, really. How’d you figure out I wasn’t really your brother?”
I glanced at Doren. I could see he was in incredible pain. I had to get help soon. “This is your last warning, Jeremiah. Drop the gun. I’m not kidding. I wouldn’t think twice about taking you out.”
“Really? And risk killing your precious hubby in the process?” He watched my reaction with pleasure.
“Don’t believe him, Lena. He doesn’t know where Roc is.” Doren struggled to get the words out.
“Shut up.” Jeremiah waved the gun in Doren’s face. “Just shut your mouth.”
“What do you know about Roc?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
“I can still save him. It’s not too late. Put down the gun and I’ll call it off. If you shoot me, you lose your only chance at saving him.” He took a step closer. “Drop the gun and we can work something out. You know it’s your only chance at saving Roc.”
“Don’t trust him, Lena,” Doren clutched his shoulder then staggered to his feet.
“Don’t come any closer, Jeremiah.”
“Lena, he’s not on your side,” Jeremiah pointed the gun at Doren for emphasis. “He’s just using you. He’s here to clean up a mess. That’s you, Lena. He’s here to get rid of you.”
“Don’t listen to him, Lena. He’ll kill you.”
Jeremiah took another step closer and I hesitated for a second.
Doren saw it. He lunged for Jeremiah, who aimed the gun at me, no doubt believing he could take me out before Doren reached him. Out of sheer reflex reaction, I leveled my weapon at Jeremiah’s chest and fired, beating him to the draw.
Jeremiah looked at me in utter disbelief before he fell to the floor.
Doren knelt next to him and removed the gun from Jeremiah’s lifeless hand, feeling for a pulse.
“Is he?”
I asked and he nodded. I sank down to the floor, tossing my own weapon away.
I was shivering from the adrenaline rush. I couldn’t find the strength to stand. Doren came to my side and lifted me off the floor, leaning heavily against me.
“We need to get you help.” I came out of my shock and remembered he was injured. Once he was seated, I opened his shirt to examine his injury. It appeared to be a flesh wound, but he’d lost an alarming amount of blood in a short amount of time.
“Stevie’s team is on the way,” he said, struggling back to his feet. “I’ll be all right. It’s not serious.”
The radio still broadcast everything that was happening inside the house when someone intercepted the frequency.
“Lena, its Stevie, we’re almost there. Are you and Doren okay?”
“I’m okay, but Doren’s been shot. He needs immediate medical attention. Stevie, you need to get word to Roc and Mark that they’re walking into an ambush. Becca and Jeremiah set it up.” I hesitated a second before saying, “Ed’s dead as well.”
“What? Ed’s dead?” Stevie paused for a moment to take in what I’d said. “I’ve been trying to get through to Roc and Mark for a while now, but they’re not answering. I’ll keep trying. Don’t worry, we’ll get them.”
“Doren, where is he?” I asked.
“Somewhere outside of D.C.” He gave me the location. “They received information earlier today that Becca might be outside of the city in an abandoned farmhouse.”
“Stevie, get a chopper sent to this location right away. I’m going after him,” I said.
Doren shook his head. “No. Roc’s strong. He’ll be okay and he has lots of backup.”
“I’m going, Doren,” I insisted. “So don’t try to stop me.”
Within minutes, dozens of agents descended on the cabin, combing every square inch of the property for any remaining threats. While the medical team treated Doren, I answered Stevie’s questions as best I could.
“Any word yet?” I asked him.
“Nothing, but it’s not uncommon for him to go to radio silence. Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” But I could tell Stevie was worried.
“Let me know the minute the chopper arrives, okay?” I said before joining Doren.
The EMT who had bandaged his shoulder left us alone.
“How’s it feel?” I asked, pointed to the bandage.
“It’s okay. You saved my life, Lena. Thank you,” he said humbly.
I managed to smile. “I owed you one. You saved mine too, remember.”
He looked into my eyes. “Don’t go.”
“Why? What are you afraid I’ll find there?” I forced myself to ask.
He shook his head and said, “It’s not that. You’re still in danger. All of you, the entire Agency team. We can’t be sure what Becca revealed, or if there are any other operatives among us who could be gunning for you. Each of you will need to be relocated, until we’re certain.” Stevie came to a halt a few feet away from Doren. I glanced up and he nodded. It was time to leave.
“I have to do this. I have to find Roc. I can’t let it end this way.” I touched his hand gently and then got to my feet. “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”
“Of course you will. I’m going with you.” Doren struggled to his feet. I glanced at his defiant expression and knew it would be pointless to argue. Doren’s mind was made up.
“Okay.” I glanced at Stevie. “Let’s go.”
The trip from the cabin to the area outside of D.C. was a mere forty-five minute chopper flight but each of those minutes slid by in excruciating slow motion.
Stevie tuned the radio to the frequency being used by the team to communicate. The agents were moving in quickly on the abandoned farmhouse. Their exchanges were short, filled with tension and excitement as they advanced on the house.
Some fifty feet away from the target, an explosion ripped through the night, jarring the secure area where the command post had been set up. The extent of the blast could be felt from our vantage point in the air. The detonation jarred the helicopter. It dipped, then spun to the right. The pilot struggled to bring the craft back under control.
After a moment of stunned silence, which was followed quickly by frantic, broken communications between the agents advancing, heavy gunfire exploded from somewhere behind the command post.
The onslaught lasted only a matter of minutes before it was all over. It felt like hours passed before we finally came upon the sight.
From the air, it looked like a war zone down below. The farmhouse appeared completely engulfed in flames. No one inside the house could have survived. Already, fire and emergency personnel were on the scene.
The helicopter landed some distance away from the hot area. The moment we touched down, Doren, Stevie, and I jumped down to the ground. Doren radioed ahead to let the second-in-command under Roc, Agent Jason Macdonald, know we were on our way.
“Have you located our two missing men yet?” Doren asked as Agent Macdonald led us to the command post.
“No, sir. We’re still looking. Their last known communication was over an hour ago in the wooded area north of the farmhouse. We have agents combing the area now.”
“Let’s go then,” Stevie said and we both started in that direction, but Doren stopped us.
“Out of the question. You two aren’t going anywhere.”
Stevie’s eyes flashed anger and his body grew tense. “Roc and Mark were my friends.”
“They’re my friends as well, but that doesn’t change facts. You two are in danger. You’re not going anywhere.” Doren turned to Agent Macdonald, who stood close by, watching the exchange silently.
“Agent Macdonald, have one of your men stand guard on these two. If either tries to leave here, have them arrested.”
“Yes, sir,” Agent Macdonald said. Within seconds, a young female agent escorted Stevie and me to a black Suburban.
“Great, just great. This is crazy,” Stevie announced for the benefit of the female agent identified as Agent Simmons, before whispering to me, “What do you think is really going on here?”
“What do you mean?” I looked him in the eye.
“You see the way Macdonald was addressing Doren? You’d think Doren’s in charge.”
I had noticed. “Do you think he knows something?”
“I dunno,” Stevie said. “But I’d say something major’s happening here.”
We looked out the window of the Suburban at the activity going on around us. In my heart, I prayed Roc would be found alive, but I wasn’t sure. I could no longer feel his presence with me as I had in the past.
Chapter Fifteen
When Doren returned, his expression was grim. He pulled the door open and ordered Stevie to go with Agent Simmons.
“Come with me, Lena.” He waited while I got out of the Suburban before walking at a fast click.
“Is he dead? Roc’s dead, isn’t he? Just tell me the truth, for God’s sake!” Even to my own ears I sounded hysterical. “No one is telling me anything, but you know something, don’t you? Tell me what you know, Doren. Is Roc dead? Becca said we were too late…”
“Not here.” Doren took my arm and led me to a nondescript sedan, opening the passenger door. He waited for me to get in before walking around to the driver’s side.
We left the site in silence. When we were a little way away from the activity, he turned to me. “Lena, we don’t know anything yet. You can’t give up hope.”
“No, it’s different this time, Doren. I don’t feel him here.” I pointed to my heart.
“Stop it,” he ordered. “We don’t know that for certain.”
I tried to pull myself together. “What aren’t you telling me?” His eyes left mine and went back to the road ahead. “Doren, please…”
“Okay.” He reluctantly gave in. “We found Mark. He’s alive but he was badly burned in the explosion. They’ve transported him to George Washington Medical Center. Roc and Mark were on the north side close to the farm
house when the explosion occurred.
According to Mark, Roc was just ahead of him.”
“Oh, no…” I covered my mouth with a trembling hand.
“Lena, in all the chaos that took place before the explosion, Mark could be wrong. He said the blast knocked him some fifty feet backward.”
“Doren, I can’t do this.” My voice broke with emotion. “I can’t go through this again.”
He watched me closely. “Yes, you can, because you don’t have a choice,” he said quietly. “You have Roc’s child to consider. And we don’t know anything for sure.”
As I met his gaze again, I could tell Doren knew something more. “There’s something more. What is it?”
“We found two victims inside the house.”
For a moment, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the rest. “No…”
“We haven’t been able to ID either of them yet. It could take days, but the likelihood of either being Roc is next to impossible.”
“But you don’t know for sure,” I said.
“No, not yet.”
For the first time, I noticed the car headed in the opposite direction to D.C. “Where are we going? Where’s Stevie.”
Doren turned and smiled at me. “Stevie is in protective custody as of right now and you are being relocated.”
“What? No, Doren, this isn’t what I want.” I needed to be close to Roc.
Doren shook his head. “You don’t have a choice. The Agency’s cover has been blown beyond repair—not that there’s much of its membership left anymore. Becca’s dead along with Ed. Mark and Stevie will eventually be reassigned and you and Roc are out of the game.”
I couldn’t ask the question I needed to, but Doren guessed. “It was his wish, Lena. He told me so right before he left. This was his last mission. He wanted to have a normal life with you and his child.”
