by Aimee McNeil
“This is Matt Rosh, my partner. We’re going to take you somewhere safe, and then we can talk.”
They both seemed to respect her need for quiet for the rest of the drive. She had just made an enemy out of a very dangerous man, and she knew it would not be easy to betray him without serious consequences. She hoped she had made the best decision.
***
Mary looked around at the rundown interior of the motel room. The floral wallpaper was stained and peeling in sections. Her hands were wrapped around a cup of tea. It was almost too hot to hold, but her insides felt chilled and her body needed the heat. Finley and Rosh were both looking over the paperwork as she looked on, curious what information they entailed.
Mary rolled the name Rosh around in her mind. She knew she recognized him from somewhere but couldn’t recall where. Something about him did not sit well with her. He seemed to be uneasy and constantly throwing glances her way.
“I want to keep the money.” Both men looked up at her when she spoke. “When you find me a place like you promised,” Mary directed her words toward Finley, “I want to keep the money to start my new life.”
“I’m sure we can work something out.” Finley didn’t seem surprised by her request.
Mary took a deep breath and sipped her tea as she slipped back into her comfortable silence.
“John’s reach extends much further than we realized. Look at these transactions. He’s got contacts all over the country.” Finley flipped through the nearest file as he absentmindedly scratched his chin. “Most of these accounts are from overseas.” He was oblivious to his partner’s anxious behaviour as he consumed the information.
“I’m gonna call this in. I will be right back,” Rosh excused himself, slipping out of the room.
Realization hit her where she had seen Rosh before. She had seen him at the club. He was one of the men she had seen in the private rooms. Her stomach dropped.
“I’ve seen your partner before.” Mary’s fear spoiled her words.
Finley looked up at Mary questioningly. “What do you mean?”
“He was at the club…he was at the club the night I found the girl with the rose tattoo. When she was beaten and barely conscious. He knew about her. He was there.” Mary stood up from the chair, her eyes on the door, fearful of his return.
“Rosh?” Finley face dropped in confusion. “Are you sure?”
Mary nodded her head, her eyes widening in fear. “He was there,” she whispered. “Do you believe me?”
Finley shuffled through a few of the files. A scowl formed upon Finley’s brow as he read the contents of the file in his hand. “It’s hard not to when his name is listed in John’s contacts.” Finley dropped it on the bed. “Goddamnit, Rosh!” Finley racked his hand over his face.
They both looked at each other as footsteps neared. Finley’s hand moved toward his gun as the door swung open, but he wasn’t quick enough. Rosh’s gun was already drawn and aimed when he entered.
“Don’t move, Finley,” Rosh ordered as he kicked the door closed behind him.
“What the fuck, Rosh? We’ve known each other for years,” Finley said in disbelief. “We’re practically family.”
“Yeah well, things change.”
“Why’d you do it?” Finley pleaded, seemingly desperate to find insight into his partner’s betrayal.
“It doesn’t fucking matter why I did,” Rosh snapped, his demeanour becoming unraveled.
“How’d he get you to turn on your badge?” Rosh didn’t answer as he stared down the barrel of his gun at Finley. “You’re gambling again, aren’t you? If you needed money, you could have asked me.”
“Fuck you, Finley. You and your perfect family can go fuck yourselves. I’m not your little project to fix.” Rosh waved the gun at the files laid out on the bed. “I’m not letting you take this in. My name is tied to those files, and I’m not fucking going to prison.”
“I’m sure we can figure something out.”
“It’s too late. You think I’m the only one in our department that John’s sunk his fucking teeth into? If I don’t make this disappear, someone else will.” Rosh’s grip tightened on the gun.
Finley’s whole body tensed. “Don’t do this.”
Mary backed against the wall. She knew something horrible was about to take place. Finley had confiscated her gun when they arrived at the motel, and she had no way to protect herself.
“Goodbye, Finley,” Rosh said in a cold, stagnant voice.
Finley made a move for his gun, but he didn’t have a chance against Rosh, whose weapon was already trained on him.
The sound of the gun rang out in the room. Mary didn’t realize she was screaming until the sound faded from her lips.
Finley dropped to his knees; his gun dropped from his hand before he collapsed on the floor. Mary saw the bright red color seep into the carpet as she stood frozen in fear. She looked up and noticed Rosh moving toward her.
Mary spurred her feet into motion. She jumped across the bed in an attempt to evade him, but he was too quick. He grabbed her leg and pulled her backward. Mary managed to land a kick to his chest and slip from his grasp, tumbling to the floor next to Finley’s body.
Her hand landed in the scarlet puddle that now saturated the carpet. Mary gasped as Rosh grabbed her by the hair. She tried to fight him, grabbing for anything to hold onto to give her leverage against his pull. Her hand touched something hard; when her fingers wrapped around it, she realized it was Finley’s gun. Holding tight, she wrenched her body around and pointed it at Rosh and pulled the trigger.
His eyes widened in shock. He rolled off the bed and collapsed on the floor with a strangled breath. Mary didn’t waste any time. She grabbed for all the files on the bed. She threw them into the bag with the money. She knew she needed to take them for leverage. She needed to keep her head if she was going to survive this.
Grabbing the box of disks off the desk, she tossed them in and zipped up the bag. She could hear Rosh moaning as he remained slumped on the floor. She grabbed the car keys and slipped out the door.
Mary now knew she could not count on anyone but herself to save her baby.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jackson
“Did you honestly think your little security detail would stop me?” John boasted as he looked past the barrel of Jackson’s gun. This man truly thought he was invincible. Jackson’s finger itched to pull the trigger and end the sick bastard. “It only took a moment to apprehend Lexie’s little friends. Your men never even saw us coming.”
“What about my mother?” Lexie asked John, tears welling in her eyes, as she kept glancing through the window at her friends.
“She’s not fucking going with you,” Jackson said to John, reaffirming his grip on his gun. All the men around him moved in. Jackson couldn’t care less about the men pointing their guns at his head. The only thing he could see was John in his sights, on the side of the gun he wanted him on.
John ignored Jackson, turning toward Lexie. “Your mother and I have unfinished business, Lexie.”
“You can’t hurt her,” Lexie demanded.
A shout outside drew everyone’s attention. Evan had tackled the man who had them hostage to his gun, shoving him into the side of the car. Stephanie was knocked to the ground, and Evan struggled against his bindings as he threw his body into the armed man. A shot went off during the struggle.
Lexie screamed out; her mother shoved her to the ground and withdrew a gun she had tucked away. Beth barely had the gun raised when one of John’s men knocked it from her grasp. The force of the hit threw her backwards into her seat. Lexie’s scream echoed through the entire building before a flurry of action followed suit.
Jackson aimed at John, but one of his men threw himself in the way and his bullet lodged into the other man’s chest. Jackson was tackled by a man beside him, but he managed to get a grip on his gun, twisting it from his grasp as his fist contact with the man’s face. Lexie and Mary were pulled out
of sight by a few of John’s men.
“Get the girls, Dane!” Jackson screamed out as he struggled. Shots started firing throughout the room, followed by a sea of screams by the bystanders. He couldn’t even see Dane and Teddy through the chaos that erupted. A sharp, raw sting tore across Jackson’s shoulder that burned like fire. He knew the feeling well. It was not his first time being shot. He could still manipulate his arm, which gave him a good indication it was only a flesh wound.
Jackson grabbed hold of his attacker’s head and brought it down on the edge of the table with as much force as he could manage. Blood sprayed over the front of his shirt as the man slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. He wasted no time grabbing for the gun of another, twisting the man’s arm so his gun was aimed at his own chest. Jackson pulled the trigger, releasing two rounds into the man. Blood sprayed from his mouth before he fell.
Jackson ducked for cover as a bullet rushed past him. “Lexie!” Jackson called out. He lost sight of her. Teddy approached him from the side as Jackson knocked over a table for some cover. Teddy had a gash on his forehead; blood ran down his face and dripped off his chin. “I lost Dane. He was trying to get the girls.” Jackson leaned up and unloaded his gun at the remaining men still firing. He noticed Lexie struggling against one of John’s men trying to pull her toward the exit.
“Fuck!” Jackson screamed out in frustration. “Find Mary,” Jackson ordered Teddy. Most of John’s men were already pulling out. He ducked back behind the table to avoid gunfire.
“Lexie!” Jackson screamed.
“Jackson,” Lexie called back desperately. Jackson threw his empty gun on the ground and grabbed another from his holster before he stood up with his gun aimed. He jumped over the table and toward the man that still ushering Lexie toward the door. He aimed, his focus snapping clear and true before he pulled the trigger. The man was thrown back by the force of the blow.
He need to get to Lexie; he couldn’t let John have her.
A sudden blast caught Jackson off guard, his eyes blurred, and he stumbled to the ground. Lexie was so close. He could still feel her near him. He frantically grabbed for her, but he was too disoriented. His feet refused to cooperate. His ears rang, drowning out the cries from the people in the diner.
“Lexie,” Jackson tried to scream, but he couldn’t hear his own voice. He pulled himself to his feet. His surroundings snapped back into focus just in time to see Lexie and her mother being forced into the back of one of the cars. Jackson grabbed a gun off the ground and ran outside. He aimed for the tires of the vehicle as it pulled away, but the other car drove toward him. He barely managed to jump out of the way just before it collided with him. He unloaded a few rounds into the windows before it tore out of the parking lot.
Jackson took off toward his car. Swinging the door open, he slipped in behind the wheel. The passenger side door opened, and Evan slipped into the car.
“Get the fuck out!” Jackson spat angrily. He had no time to waste.
“I’m coming.” Evan pulled the door shut awkwardly because his hands were still tied behind his back.
Jackson shook his head and stepped heavily on the gas, and the car jolted to life as he sped after the cars. He saw Teddy come running out of the diner, but he was already in pursuit.
“You let them take her. You were supposed to protect her. She trusted you,” Evan hollered angrily.
Jackson pulled his blade from his boot and held it out for Evan. “I’ll get her back.”
“I swear to God, if something happens to her, I will kill you,” Evan seethed.
“If something happens to her, you won’t have to.” Jackson turned toward Evan, locking eyes. Evan twisted in his seat to grab the blade Jackson offered. He immediately began working on the bindings, only taking a moment to cut himself free.
Jackson tore down the street, paying no mind to controlling his speed as he drove with determination. When one of the black cars came into view with his handiwork that had destroyed the back window, it was an easy target. Jackson floored the pedal, swerving around the last two civilian cars between him and his target. Car horns blared in response to his invasive driving as he forced his way toward the black car.
Jackson crossed the lines of the road and forced the driver toward the shoulder. “Shit!” Evan muttered as he braced himself on the dash. The sound of his car scraping against the other made his head throb, but he needed to stop the vehicle. His shoulder burned painfully as he held on tight to the steering wheel. He needed to find out where they were taking Lexie.
The car finally hooked onto the shoulder and lost control, spinning off the stretch of road and down into the ditch. Jackson slammed on his brakes, coming to a stop and kicking up a cloud of dust around the two cars. Jackson grabbed his gun and swung his door open. He barely missed a bullet that caught the roof of his car. Jackson aimed his gun and shot the gunman in the head. The side of his cheek sprayed against his door window before he dropped to his knees and then landed face first into the dirt.
Jackson approached the car slowly with his gun readied. The dust slowly began to settle, and he noticed there was no one else in the vehicle. Jackson stepped over the man’s body, looking for a phone or anything inside the car that would be helpful. There was nothing. He flipped the man’s body over, looking for identification or anything to give him direction, nothing.
“Fuck!” Jackson screamed out in frustration. He unloaded a few more rounds into the dead man’s body.
“Where the fuck is she?” Evan screamed. He rounded the car, looking down at the dead man at Jackson’s feet.
“Not here,” Jackson bit off in irritation.
“Where then?” Evan raised his hands.
“I don’t fucking know. If you quiet the fuck down, I might be able to think.”
“Fuck you, Jackson. This is all your fucking fault!” Evan shoved Jackson backward into the open door.
Jackson clenched his jaw, trying to curb his anger, but it flared hot. He couldn’t contain the emotions that suddenly suffocated him with the realization that Evan was right. It was his fault that Lexie was taken. He knew what evils John was capable of. He had studied the man’s files for years, wanting to solve his father’s last case. Swinging his fist toward Evan, he connected with Evan’s jaw, causing him to stumble backward. He was not going to let Evan put his hands on him. Evan regained his footing before bringing his fingers up to his lip to see blood. He spat on the ground before he threw himself at Jackson. Evan’s fist connected with Jackson’s stomach before he could twist out of his path.
“Stop, Evan!” Jackson screamed. “Get the fuck off me. I need to get back. I need to figure out how to get Lexie back. I don’t have time for this shit.” Jackson shoved Evan backward. Evan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, taking a deep calming breath before he nodded in surrender.
Jackson jumped back into his car, raking his hands down his face before he hit the steering wheel with his fist so hard that pain shot up his arm toward his shoulder. He noticed the blood that saturated his shirt and dripped down the back of his arm. “Shit. This is fucking great!” He had forgotten about his injury.
Evan slipped into the passenger seat, and Jackson threw the car into gear. The car was a decoy to allow the others to get away. He fell right into their trap, and it infuriated him beyond measure.
“Why do you have to keep hitting me in the face?” Evan asked angrily as he looked in the mirror. “Fuck.” Evan used his sleeve to stop the blood that seeped from his lip.
“’Cause you keep pissing me off.”
Jackson drove at full speed back toward the diner. He needed to figure out a plan, and having Evan next to him did nothing to clear his head. He couldn’t stand him.
Jackson swung his car back into the diner parking lot. He could hear sirens in the distance. A few rattled customers lingered in the doorway and were startled by his approach. He jumped out, ignoring the extensive damage to the body of his car. The entire driver’s side was m
arred beyond repair. Many of the customers were hovering outside the building now, awaiting the authorities’ arrival. Most looked to only have minor injuries.
He walked past an older man, trying to calm his shaking hands long enough to light his cigarette. He looked ready to pass out as he leaned against the wall. Jackson recognized him from before the attack. He had sat a couple tables over, his attention on his newspaper as he sipped coffee and ate a slice of apple pie. The man’s eyes widened when they looked at Jackson. He knew that Jackson was involved in the dramatic turn of events that brought the violence from the pages of his safe paper to the world around him, where the threat was real and inescapable.
Jackson walked past him and into the open door of the diner. A sullen mood was painted on all the faces of the people lingering inside. People were slowly getting to their feet, still skittish that the threat would return. He only noticed a few fatalities.
Jackson spotted Teddy, motioning him over. “Where’s Dane?” Jackson asked as he approached. Other than the blood seeping from his head wound, Teddy looked to be in good condition.
“Fuuuccckkk,” he heard Dane moan. He looked down and saw his friend slumped against one of the booths. Blood saturated his shirt from a wound on his side.
“He’ll live.” Teddy shook his head. “He’s just being a fucking baby.” Teddy tried to sound light, but Jackson could tell he was feeling the weight on his shoulders.
“Give me…my gun. I’m gonna shoot…this fucker.” Dane’s words clenched his teeth through the pain.
“What the fuck happened?” Jackson ran his hands over his face.
“I don’t fucking know. This was supposed to be a closed meeting.”
“Pete and Josh?” Jackson asked, looking for their backup who had their eyes outside.
Teddy shook his head. His eyes said it all without having to speak a word.
Jackson turned on his heel and walked back outside. Teddy followed on his heels. Two police cruisers pulled into the lot as he walked toward Pete’s car. Jackson didn’t know Pete and Josh well, but they were both dependable officers. He knew Josh’s wife was expecting a baby in a few months, and the thought made the news hard to bear.
