by E. E. Borton
Derek scanned the area, trying not to let his excitement bring down his guard. No movement or sound came from any direction. The still air assisted his ability to hear a twig snap underneath a human foot for hundreds of yards in any direction. Like Joshua, nothing would stop him from taking his prize.
She walked out onto the deck and danced over to a chair. She held her drink in the air as she continued the dance while sitting. She swayed back and forth as her strawberry blonde hair brushed her shoulders. She was oblivious to the monster crouched at the creek less than fifty feet away.
He could’ve easily shot out from the darkness to take her while she was distracted by the music, but instead he waited. His incredible speed and agility would have made even a short scream impossible. Derek watched her swim in the moment, content and unaware of the danger. He took pleasure watching her and didn’t want the serenity to end. But after a few moments, the urge became too powerful to ignore.
He didn’t uncoil and strike towards her in a burst of inhuman speed. He simply climbed up the bank and slowly walked across the backyard. Her swaying stopped as she noticed the shadowy figure rise out of the ground and move toward her. She didn’t scream or run into the house. She strolled to the first step leading down from the deck and stood beautifully defiant. Derek’s heart began to race as he stared at the breathtaking warrior. He stopped his advance at the first step leading up to her.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” asked Derek in a slightly quivering voice.
“Do you have any idea how late you are?” returned the warrior.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Things are beginning to heat up in Dixie. All the players have arrived in town. It was killing me, but I had to wait.”
“Well, you can stop being patient now. I kind of missed you,” said Jennifer.
“I kind of missed you, too, baby,” said Derek, moving up the last stair.
Jennifer Marlow wrapped her arms around Derek’s neck and squeezed with all her strength. She knew she couldn’t hurt him. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed like he was holding a woman made of glass. He knew how easily he could hurt her.
“Where’s Joshua?” she asked in a less inviting tone.
“Up north. I dropped him off day before yesterday.”
“Up north? Where exactly up north, Derek?”
“You know it’s not a good idea to tell you –”
“Derek,” she said, firing a warning shot by narrowing her green eyes. “Where?”
“At one of our hideouts near Dahlonega.”
She turned around and walked back to her chair. Lifting her glass, she motioned for him to sit beside her. He was very familiar with the posture and tone as he stood motionless.
“We’re going to do this already?” asked Derek. “I was hoping for a kiss or maybe a few more sweet things to be said.”
“How about this for sweet? I love you and I’m scared to death the next time we’re supposed to meet you won’t come back to me out of those woods. I’ll just sit here waiting for the news that the FBI, Colonel Brown, the Marines, Joshua or any of the other countless people who want you dead finally got their wish. So yes, we’re going to do this already because I’m not going to let them get their wish over mine. Am I clear, Marine?”
“Crystal, ma’am,” responded Derek, taking the seat next to her. “Seriously, do you have any idea how beautiful you are, especially when you’re irritated with me?”
“I’m not sure how, but someday you and I may look back on this and laugh. That’s not going to be tonight, so I want you to pay attention. I really am scared.”
“Okay, baby,” said Derek, focusing on her. “What’s going on?”
“Two college kids went missing the night before last from the military school in Dahlonega. One was a petite blond with blue eyes. The other was a male friend of hers. They’re still missing.”
Derek leaned back in his chair and looked up into the clear night sky. He knew what she was going to say next. Unlike the many times before, he wasn’t going to argue with her. He couldn’t argue with her.
“The first time I agreed it could’ve been a coincidence,” she continued. “The second time raised my suspicion. The third time confirmed it for me. And now the fourth, how could you possibly not see that it’s him? All of them petite blonds with blue eyes and all close to where he’s been hiding out.”
“I do see, Jenny,” said Derek, leaning closer to her. “The things he’s been saying to me. The two days he disappeared in Syracuse. I know it’s him,” he said, standing up and walking to the rail. “Fuck!”
Jennifer quickly went to his side and grabbed his hand. “Look at me.” Her touch and voice immediately calmed him. “I know you didn’t want to believe. I know you thought he wanted to help you end this, but he’s not the one that’s going to help you. Joshua has an agenda for Joshua and no one else. He needs you to achieve his goals, not ours.”
“His goal is my goal, his agenda is my agenda,” said Derek angrily. “We both want to kill everyone that did this to us. We both want to kill the ones that tried, and are still trying, to kill us because of what they did.”
“Derek, you’re wrong,” said Jennifer, holding her ground. “Joshua doesn’t want to kill the people that made him that way. He wants to kill the people that are trying to stop him. You said it yourself a month ago. You knew back then that he truly wants to be what he is now. But all you could think about was getting your revenge. And I can’t really argue with you. I’d want it, too. But your revenge is going to save him and end us.”
“What choice do I have? If I go at it alone, I’m going to end up dead like Peter and Richard.”
“They killed Richard?” asked Jennifer, causing Derek to pause.
“I’m sorry, baby. Yes, they did. But Alex pulled the trigger, not the Feds. That’s why I told you it’s going to start heating up around here. We’re next on the list.”
“Is the FBI here? Is Ryan here?”
“Yes, he is. The same Ryan that put a bullet in Peter’s head, hunted Richard in New Orleans, and is here to kill me. Yeah, that guy’s here.”
“Derek, you know he has no idea what happened to you. If he did, he wouldn’t be coming after you.”
“How can you say that about him? You haven’t spoken to him in years. It’s not like you two are close friends.”
“Oh, okay. I forgot you were the one with the flawless perception about people,” she said, firing another warning shot. “No, we’re not close friends now, but we were good friends in school and several years after we graduated. We’re good enough friends for me to know he has a good heart. We lost touch after he went to work for the FBI, but before that I’d see him several times a year when he’d visit on leave. And you know him well enough, too. Isn’t he the reason you decided to join the Marines?”
“There were other reasons, but yes. Everyone looked up to him as a leader in school. We’d hear the stories all the time about where he was and what he was doing. He inspired more than a few guys to join, but I can’t say I trust him. Can you?”
“I can’t overlook the fact he’s the one assigned to your case,” said Jennifer. “You look at it as a curse and want to kill him, I look at it as a blessing of someone who can help us. Do you trust me?”
“Of course, I do. You’re the only one I do trust.”
“Then trust me now,” she said, reaching up and pulling his face close to hers. “Unhitch your wagon from Joshua and hitch it to me. Stop trying to protect me from what’s happening and let me help you. Stop thinking about your revenge and start thinking about our future.”
“Our future? What future? A future on the run? A future of always looking over our shoulders? That’s not what I want for you.”
“Our future is one day soon you and I sitting in our beach chairs on Bora Bora trying very hard every day to forget this nightmare. Do you remember that future?”
“It’s what keeps me going, baby. But I just don’t see how it can
ever happen. I thought Joshua was the only way I could end this. I thought if we took them out before they got to us, we might have a chance.”
“Listen to me,” said Jennifer, putting her arms around him. “If you kill FBI agents, they’ll never stop hunting you. Up until now, it’s not your fault you killed those women.”
“Don’t talk about that, please,” begged Derek. “I can’t take hearing you say that. I can barely take thinking you know what I’ve done.”
“It’s not your fault, but murdering outside of what they’re responsible for planting in your head will be. Killing federal agents or anyone associated with the lab will be your fault. That’s what Joshua wants you to do. He wants you to get in so deep that you’ll never find your way out. And when it happens, he’ll own you. And I’m the only one that owns you, sweetie” she said with a smile.
“You really are an amazing woman,” said Derek. “You know everything I’ve done, but you still stand beside me. You still love me. I don’t know how that’s possible, but you do.”
“Because you always tell me the truth in spite of the consequences. Because I understand, Derek,” said Jennifer, quickly. “And others will, too. We just have to push them in the right direction. And that pushing starts with Ryan. I believe he’s the only one out there who’ll at least listen. And if we can get him to listen, then there’s hope we can get you help.”
“Okay, sweetheart,” exhaled Derek. “What’s the plan?”
“It’s simple, really. You follow Ryan until he’s alone and then you call me. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“That’s it? That’s the plan you’ve been working on for months?”
“Brilliant, isn’t it?”
“You want me to hunt the guys that are trying to hunt me? And you’re asking me if that’s brilliant?”
“A man as smart as you, I wonder sometimes why you can’t see the elegance of finding simplicity in chaos.”
“Well, your simple plan needs to happen fairly quickly,” said Derek. “I’m supposed to meet Joshua at the mountain hideout to go over our not-so-simple plan to lure them into our trap. If I don’t show, he’s going to know something is wrong. We both know what he’s capable of doing. It won’t be safe for you here anymore.”
“It’s not safe for anyone as long as he’s out there, Derek. How long can you stay with me?”
“Just a few hours, sweetheart.”
“Then let’s make them count.”
Derek and Jennifer sat on the deck talking about subjects any couple in love would find familiar. For Derek, they were absolutely necessary to fill his mind with thoughts other than revenge. They talked about the house they would buy and the make of cars in their garage. Jennifer poured ideas about decorating and furnishing the home that would always be open for friends and family. They dwelled on the magical vacation Derek promised to the Southern Pacific. They’d lounge in their chairs in a cove cut off from the world which had recently turned upside down on top of them. Derek held back the anger and rage he felt for the ones responsible for crushing those dreams and giving him a reality he never wanted.
He was angrier when Jennifer’s eyes became heavy after a few hours and she needed to sleep. He wasn’t upset she was tired. He was upset he couldn’t enjoy the simple peace of drifting away lying beside her. Instead, he carried her inside and placed her gently in the soft inviting bed. He stroked her hair and rubbed her back until he was sure she was a million miles away. Derek kissed her cheek and whispered that he loved her.
He double-checked every lock in the house and set the alarm behind him. He walked down the stairs from the deck and into the backyard. He stopped on the edge of the creek bank and turned around to look at the house. There was a slight unseasonable chill in the air as dew started to form on the leaves and grass. He closed his eyes and imagined himself curled up beside Jennifer’s warm body in those soft sheets. With a smile, he crossed the creek and reentered the shadows of the woods behind her house.
Twenty yards into the darkness, he found his foxhole. He pulled back the camouflaged tarp and crawled into the dampness. He covered himself, trying to get as comfortable as possible. He had a clear view of her bedroom window and the entire backyard. He would sit motionless constantly scanning back and forth for any signs of danger. Derek would stay hidden until Jennifer safely left for work in the morning. He’d only leave his post to eat and grab a few hours of sleep at his hideout. He’d return as soon as the sun went down the next night.
Jennifer didn’t know it was a routine he had repeated almost every evening since arriving in Georgia four months earlier. The less time he spent with her, the less chance someone would discover their relationship. For the time being, he had to limit his visits to a couple of short hours a few times a month.
*****
As Derek settled into position, several miles away Ryan’s untraceable phone woke the agent at four-thirty in the morning. He quickly sat up and answered it on the first ring. He had only been asleep a little over an hour.
“Is everything okay, Steve?” asked Ryan.
“Sorry to wake you so early, buddy, but I knew you’d want to know as soon as Kristina arrived in Georgia. Only two kinds of people are out at this hour. Bad guys and cops. We didn’t run into either.”
“So everything is okay.”
“Roger that. I’m sending you a text message now with the address. I posted two of my best inside and four out. They know you’ll be coming by.”
“Thank you again, Steve. Really, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”
“Save it, Ryan. If you need anything else, anything, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
“I won’t. Good-night, Steve,” said Ryan, ending the call.
It had been four days since Ryan and the team left Kristina in New Orleans. And each night Ryan found it difficult to fall asleep. He was worried about a number of things, but none as much as her safety. He took a deep breath and returned to his pillow. Ryan wasn’t lying in a dirty hole outside Kristina’s safe house, but he was close enough to her to find a few hours of elusive sleep.
15
Little Miss Sunshine
It was a very rare occasion for another member of the team to be awake in the morning before Ryan. But when he made it downstairs, all three were in the kitchen of the small house used by the Atlanta FBI field office for visitors. Dallas had completed his sweep for listening devices and found nothing.
“Good morning, Boss,” greeted Dallas, offering a cup of coffee. “It’s about time you caught up on some sleep.”
“Yeah, a little surprised I slept so late,” said Ryan, taking the cup. “I guess my mind stopped racing long enough for me to doze off.”
“You needed it,” said Michelle. “Tom and I are heading out shortly to follow up on a missing persons report on the east side of town. The girl fits the profile of being a victim of one of our guys. We should be finished by early afternoon.”
“Sounds good,” said Ryan. “Oh, by the way, Kristina arrived in town last night. Could you stop in and see if she needs anything?” he asked, tearing off a piece of paper from his pad with the address to her safe house.
“Ah, the reason for the good night’s sleep,” said Dallas, knowing he screwed up the moment the words left his mouth.
“What’s that?” asked Ryan.
“I mean knowing she made it to Atlanta safe,” said Dallas, backpedaling. “I didn’t mean that you’re glad she’s here or anything. I mean, I’m sure you’re glad. We’re all glad she’s here, right, guys?” he asked, as both Tom and Michelle stared at the floor. “But I’m not saying glad for you per se. I mean…shit.”
“No, Dallas,” said Ryan, throwing him a rope. “I am glad she’s safe. I know what you meant.”
“Exactly,” said Dallas.
“Okay, now that we’ve worked that out, I’m going to grab a shower. Dallas, you and I are going to canvas the neighborhood where Derek grew up. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a friend or
family member he’s reached out to recently,” said Ryan, leaving the kitchen.
Dallas looked over at Tom and Michelle who were staring at him. “What are you two looking at? He knew what I meant.”
“Then he’s the only one,” said Michelle. “Are you really that dense?”
“Come on, you two,” said Dallas, defending his suspicion. “You’re trying to tell me you don’t see something going on there? A little spark maybe?”
“A little spark?” asked Tom. “Between Ryan and Kristina?”
“Yeah.”
“Even if there was, which I seriously doubt Ryan would let happen, do you think he’d want you to know?” asked Michelle.
“Why not? What’s the big deal? They’re two consenting adults, right?”
“That’s the major difference between you and him,” said Michelle. “He’s actually an adult.”
“Poke your fun,” said Dallas, “But I’ve known him for a long time and something is going on there. I’m just not exactly sure what it is.”
“Well, good luck, detective,” said Michelle. “And when he puts a boot up your ass, maybe you can detect which foot he used.”
“You’re a lucky man, Tom,” said Dallas. “You get to hang out with this ray of sunshine all day.”
*****
Alex Tifton entered the secure section of the Michaels Laboratory, escorting two men with bruised faces. He knocked on Colonel Brown’s open office door. “Sir, these gentlemen have something you’re going to want to see immediately.”
“What is it?” asked the Colonel, turning around in his chair. “Ah, the two morons that lost Dr. Anderson in Baltimore.”
“They have a video from a jewelry store security camera covering part of the alley where they were jumped. It only caught a few seconds, but you may recognize one of the faces.”
Alex placed a laptop on the Colonel’s desk and started the video. He stopped it right after Paul from Red Team went airborne after getting his face smashed. The Colonel leaned in close to make the positive identification.
