Assassin In My Bed

by Samantha Cade

  With the truth coming out, Zane sees a side of Penny that he didn’t know existed. It’s not that Penny’s not scared. In fact, she’s terrified all the time, and jumpy as hell. She just has no qualms about throwing herself into the fire. He’s seen the dogged determination in her eyes. Zane’s unsure if he can persuade her to give this up.

  And if he does convince her to drop the case, will Penny resent him? Will she always blame him for not finding the truth about her brother? He’s planning on forever with this woman, and he doesn't want to jeopardize that.

  Zane shakes these thoughts away, then carefully slides the computer off of Penny’s lap. She stirs slightly as he lifts her and carries her to the bed. Soon after her head hits the pillow, her eyes flutter open. She sees Zane, and a soft smile parts her lips.

  “Good morning,” Zane says, leaning down to kiss her.

  Penny murmurs against his mouth. She grabs the side of his torso, nestling against his body. But slowly, her expression tightens. Zane witnesses the moment that the weight of the night before lands on Penny’s chest.

  She shoots straight up. “I have to get back to work. Where’s the laptop?”

  Zane kisses the side of her warm neck, tempting her back into bed. “You can rest for a little while.”

  Penny rubs her temples. “You don’t understand how much there is to go through. I can’t waste a second. I’m all alone in this.”

  Zane takes her hand and kisses her knuckles. “No, you’re not.”

  Penny closes her eyes, the relief evident on her face. They hear Nora’s voice call up from downstairs.

  “Zane, Penny. Breakfast is ready.”

  Penny shakes her head, groaning. “I can’t. I have to get back to the computer.”

  Zane tilts his forehead towards her, his expression serious. “You have to eat.”

  *

  Downstairs, Nora giddily flits around the kitchen while laying a feast before them. Penny is pale as she stares at the food in front of her. She looks a Zane with pleading eyes. He tips his head towards her, raising an eyebrow. Penny relents, and takes a tentative bite.

  “How did you sleep, Penny?” Nora asks over her cup of coffee.

  Penny clears her throat, redness rising in her cheeks. “Very comfortably. Thank you.”

  Nora nods, a devilish smile on her face. “Such a treat to have you for two meals in a row.” Nora sips her coffee, then sighs. “It’s so very quiet around here. You know, I’m of an age where I start to daydream about grandchildren. Would you like children one day, Penny?”

  Zane’s ears prick up. He’d like to hear this answer himself.

  “Yes,” Penny says, meekly. “One day.”

  Nora inhales deeply, a look of pure joy on her face. She might as well stab Zane in the heart. His mother has no idea how complicated things are, how tenuous. One wrong move, and he can lose Penny forever.

  Zane is able to talk Nora into letting Penny and him do the dishes. They stand side by side at the sink, working in a rhythmic pace beneath the hot, running water.

  “Is there somewhere you can go?” Zane asks. “Somewhere safe?”

  Penny’s gaze lands somewhere far off while she dries a plate. She nods once. Zane rubs his forehead with his wet hand, sighing with relief.

  “Who’s that?” Penny asks.

  Zane looks out of the window to see a red corvette parked outside. His relief immediately dissipates. He grabs Penny by the shoulders.

  “Go upstairs,” he demands. “Now.”

  Fear widens Penny’s eyes. “Who is that?”

  Zane positions his face an inch from hers. “Just go,” he growls.

  Penny drops the towel on the counter, then runs upstairs. Zane splashes water on his face, takes a few breaths to calm himself, before going out to talk to Jacob.

  *

  Upstairs, Penny has the laptop balanced on her lap, but her eyes are trained on the red corvette outside. Zane is in that car, talking to someone Penny can’t quite see. She tries not to think about the fact that she’s mere yards away from someone who wants her dead.

  “Knock, knock.”

  Penny turns to see Nora in the doorway. She closes the laptop, and greets her politely. Nora walks into the room and sits on Zane’s bed.

  “Hard at work?” Nora asks, gesturing to the laptop.

  Penny nods, sheepishly. “I’ll be getting out of your hair soon. I don’t mean to impose.

  “Stay as long as you like.” Nora glances towards the window. Her face twists in disgusts.

  “Ugh, I don’t like this new friend of Zane’s,” she says, shaking her head. “Look at that car. What an asshole!” Nora looks at Penny with a satisfied smile. “But you are a good influence on him. I can tell. Things seem much better between you two this morning.”

  Penny smiles to herself. In a way, things are better. She’s more convinced of Zane’s loyalty towards her than ever. And she knows he’ll do anything to keep her safe. But if Zane insists she give up on her mission, they may have to part ways.

  Nora glances coyly towards the door, then pulls something out of her pocket. A glittering stone catches the light.

  “My grandmother’s ring,” Nora says, showing it to Penny. “One day it could be yours.”

  Penny can’t help but laugh at Nora’s refreshing audacity. But there’s also a pang of sadness. There’s a very good chance that none of this will work out.

  Outside, a car door slams. Nora quickly hides the ring back in her pocket.

  “Don’t tell Zane I showed you that,” Nora says, before rushing out of the room.

  Penny hears Zane throw open the front door, then stomp quickly up the stairs. When he enters the bedroom, his lips are pressed together, his large biceps are flexed. There’s no question that he means business.

  “You have to leave. Now,” Zane says, his voice thundering through the room. “They want the hit to go down tonight.”

  Zane plunders in his closet until he finds a duffel bag. He starts stuffing it full of his T-shirts and drawstring pants.

  “You can take some of my clothes,” Zane says while wildly packing. “I’ll give you some cash. You’ll take my car.”

  Penny folds her knees against her chest, feeling like a stunned animal. “Will you come with me?”

  Zane pauses his frantic movements, then crouches in front of her. “Not right away. I have to pretend like I’m still on board. That way, they won’t get suspicious and start looking for you. It’ll give you a head start. I’ll get there as soon as I can.” He kisses her forehead. “I promise, Penny. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Penny lets his words wash over her. You can do this, she tells herself. While Zane continues to pack, Penny texts Em Dash, telling him she’s on her way to the safe house. Em Dash is usually quick to respond, but Penny’s phone remains silent.

  “Is everything okay?” Zane asks.

  Penny nods, putting him at ease. She shouldn’t worry. Em Dash will get back to her. She’ll go to the safe house, and everything will be fine.

  At least, that’s what she tells herself.

  Less than an hour later, Penny’s in Zane’s car, driving deep into the North Carolina countryside. The safe house is even further into the middle of nowhere than the barn. Penny keeps her phone in the passenger seat beside her, waiting anxiously for Em Dash to get back to her. Penny’s texted him three more times, with no response. This fills Penny with paranoia.

  What if Em Dash has been caught? What if he’s dead?

  A half hour into her drive, her phone dings. Penny pulls over, grabbing her phone. Her heart leaps when she sees it’s a text from Em Dash.

  I’ve been compromised. I’m coming to the safe house too.

  Penny doesn’t know what to do with this information. She has no idea who Em Dash is, and suddenly, they’re going to be roommates.

  *

  Hunter’s neck slumps forward, and he can’t find the strength to lift it. His lower back throbs from sitting in this rigid me
tal chair for hours. He’s exhausted, thirsty, starving, and nauseas. Penny’s confession hadn’t been enough for them. They want more. They want to know everything, exactly how she did it. And even more important to them, they want to know who on the inside helped her.

  Vincent has been holding Hunter in a tiny room in the basement of the compound since the night before. Hunter has endured hours of grueling interrogation from Vincent, while a trio of armed guards wait outside the door.

  There are no windows here, but Hunter knows night has transitioned into day. Through the vent in the ceiling, Hunter hears the voices of Vincent’s employees as they arrive for their workday. For what feels like hours, Hunter listens as they make small talk and coffee, and settle in for the day.

  Hunter is starting to go delirious from lack of sleep. He keeps thinking he sees things out of the corner of his eye, dark, fast flashes of movement, only to find nothing there. Each time Hunter whirls his head around to look, Jacob laughs at him condescendingly.

  “It’s been a long night,” Vincent says. He leans back in his chair, lighting a cigar. The windowless room quickly fills with thick smoke. Vincent points at Hunter with the burning end of his cigar. “But you done good.”

  Hunter doubles over, breathing heavily. They broke him, hours ago. He’d put up a good fight at first, claiming not to know anything, but Jacob and Vincent had worn him down. After Vincent promised Hunter absolute immunity, and repeatedly threatened him with violence, Hunter told them everything.

  He told them about Em Dash, the anonymous hacker who had insider information on VC Solutions, the very information used to break into the company’s files.

  Now, they’re waiting.

  “We’re going to catch us a rat today, boys,” Vincent says, biting the cigar. He claps his hands and vigorously rubs his palms together. “Everyone should be here by now,” he says, standing. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

  Vincent takes Hunter’s arms, and pulls his aching body from the chair.

  “Can I go home now?” Hunter asks, hopefully.

  Vincent laughs gregariously, and pats Hunter so hard on the back it knocks the air out of his lungs. “Your job’s not done yet. You have to prove your loyalty, son. That’s how you’ll move up in the world.”

  The armed guards join Hunter, Vincent, and Jacob in a elevator that they take to the top floor. When the doors ding and open, Vincent walks to the middle of the floor, overlooking the entire building. He straightens his collar and clears his throat before speaking in a clear, bellowing voice.

  “Attention, everyone. Can I get your attention? Come out of your office, please.”

  Everyone stops what they’re doing to look towards Vincent. They walk out of their offices and stand in the hallway, watching him expectantly. They’re trained. Vincent obviously addresses them like this often, and they know exactly what to do. Vincent looks around the room, taking a tally in his head.

  “Is that everyone?” Vincent asks. “Benny, down there. You too.”

  A young man with a dark crewcut, wearing a janitor’s uniform, steps out on the bottom floor. He looks up at Vincent, blinking.

  “Now we’re all here,” Vincent says, pleased. The kind smile disappears from his face. His eyes fall over his employees, full of contempt. “Everyone stay where you are,” he demands. “Put your hands in the air.” He nods to the guards, who march out in formation. One guard is sent downstairs, while two stay on the upper level. Vincent continues. “I regret to inform you, that we have a rat among us. And they will be flushed out. Stay outside of your office, with your hands in the air. We will search every office from top to bottom. Now, if you’re innocent, you should have nothing to worry about.”

  The employees, upwards of one hundred people, turn to each other in confusion. Their voices rise in panicked chaos. Vincent claps his hands, the sound ringing loudly through the cavernous building.

  “Quiet, please,” Vincent says. “I require your full cooperation in this matter.”

  Hunter has his back pressed against the cool marble wall. He’s in awe of Vincent’s power. This compound is like his kingdom, and he reigns over everyone here with absolute power. The employees grow silent, obediently holding their hands in the air. Hunter feels sorry for whoever it is. Vincent isn’t likely to go easy on them.

  A woman in a fitted orange pantsuit saunters over to Vincent and rubs his back. From her mannerisms, Hunter guesses that she’s Vincent’s very young wife.

  “Darling, is this necessary?” she purrs. “People are frightened.”

  Vincent slips his arm around her tight waist, then lightly pats her bottom. Her trim, elegant figure is a stark contrast to the wide, squat man.

  “Only one person should be frightened, Grace,” Vincent says, his eyes looking particularly beady.

  Grace sighs. She takes her cell phone from her jacket pocket, and casually begins to type. When Vincent sees her, his face turns red with rage.

  “Hands in the air,” Vincent bellows. “Put that phone away.”

  Grace’s mouth opens with shock. “You can’t be serious. I’m your wife.”

  Vincent kisses her on the forehead. “I am most certainly serious. Get in line with the others.”

  Grace looks at him like she wants to spit, but eventually does as he says. She glares at Vincent as she lifts her hands in the air, and joins the others. The guards keep their eyes on everyone as they walk the perimeter of the building, their weapons ready at their side.

  “You too, Jacob,” Vincent says.

  If Jacob is offended by this, he doesn’t show it. He puts his hands in the air with a smile.

  “Hunter, with me,” Vincent barks, and starts to walk away. Hunter stumbles to catch up. “You’re good with computers? I need your help examining everyone’s electronics.”

  Vincent walks with quick, determined steps to an office on the top floor. Hunter doesn’t dare not follow him. The desk inside is decorated with framed pictures of two small children, a girl and a boy. Those same children smile from the wallpaper on the computer screen when Vincent clicks it on.

  “Sit down. Start looking,” Vincent says.

  Hunter starts clicking around the computer’s files, all while those kids stare at him. Please don’t let this be Em Dash, Hunter thinks. I don’t want to be responsible for killing these kids’ mother or father or grandparent.

  But this is how every search will be, in each office, one by one. It’s not enough that Hunter screwed over Penny, his friend and partner, now he’ll indict someone else. This is going to be absolute torture.

  Vincent impatiently drums his fingertips on the desk beside Hunter. “Anything?”

  Hunter shrugs. “It looks clean.”

  Vincent swats him hard on the back. “Then let’s move on.”

  Hunter starts to stand, when suddenly, a loud male voice rings through the air.

  “Stay where you are! Hands up! Back in line!”

  “What the hell?” Vincent grunts under his breath. He rushes out of the office. Hunter follows.

  The three guards are standing side by side, their guns lifted and aimed.

  “Last warning!” the middle guard yells.

  Before Hunter can see who they’re talking to, the building is rocked with a loud explosion. People scream, fall to the floor, and try to run for the exits. Hunter feels like he’s in a dream. He shakes the ringing from his ears, and looks around slowly to see the pandemonium taking place. The explosion has ripped the door from an office, and sent it flying to the other side of the building. There’s a crowd gathering over there, and he gets the impression someone was hit. The air smells of burning plastic. The marble floor in front of the office is scorched black.

  “Come on,” Vincent says, grabbing Hunter’s arm.

  They run into the office. Everything is destroyed, torn apart, or badly scorched. Flames lick up one wall towards the ceiling.

  “We shouldn't be in here, man,” Hunter says, terrified.

  Vincent do
esn’t pay him any attention. He crouches down where the desk used to be, rakes his fingertips against the floor, and smells the residue. He smiles to himself.

  “She had a bomb underneath her desk,” Vincent says. “I knew there was something I liked about her.”

  Hunter watches the flames climb up the wall, and expand to devour more of the wall space. He rushes out to the hallway and finds a fire extinguisher, then returns to the burning portal to hell that just opened. It takes him a few moments to figure out the fire extinguisher, but eventually he does. He sprays the foam heavily on the flames, suffocating the fire before it got out of control. Hunter doubles over, huffing and puffing.

  “She was my favorite one,” Vincent says, wistfully.

  Hunter looks up to see Vincent staring out of the shattered window. He slowly approaches, wondering if Em Dash is lying down there, dead.

  Grace is lying in the bushes under the window. Her orange pantsuit is stained with blood, and her legs are splayed unnaturally beneath her. She’s barely conscious, but alive, when the guards swarm around her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jacob would like to think that he saw it coming, that he knew Grace was more than just a gold-digger. But the truth is, he had no idea.

  He shakes his head in disbelief as he drives the dark roads on the way to pick Zane up. What happened this morning, with Grace’s betrayal and the explosion, has Jacob shaken up, and utterly perplexed. Why would someone like Grace betray Vincent? She was set for life by being married to that money bags. Even if they divorced, she could negotiate a hefty alimony payment, just like his other wives had. She’d given all that up, for what? Some righteous mission?

  Sometimes, Jacob just doesn’t understand people, and how they decide whom to be loyal to. For Jacob, it’s obvious. He’ll never betray Vincent, because Vincent pays him well. Why would anyone put emotion over personal financial gain?

  Jacob pulls next to the curb in front of Zane’s house. This will all be over soon. Grace is as good as dead. And after Zane pulls the trigger tonight, Vincent won’t have to worry about those documents being leaked any more. Jacob figures he can play this to his advantage. The betrayals of others stand to highlight Jacob’s loyalty to Vincent and the company. Jacob’s been looking for leverage so he can negotiate a raise, and he’s gotten his chance.