by Tara Brown
“What happened to Finn?” Lain asked after several minutes.
“I don’t know. He was running and there were men. They shot him with something that dropped him like a sack of potatoes. I have to guess tranquilizers maybe. And they carried him out.”
“Where were Jake and Vince?” I asked, still watching the water.
“I don’t know. I never found them.” Linds seemed perplexed. “Finn and I went looking for you. He went one way and I went the other. And then he was running and screaming like he was chasing someone. I came up and he ran past me. I tried to catch up but then I saw them shoot him. So I hid.”
“Great.” I shivered and clung to Lain. There was one person who made me feel everything, and now he was missing. If I didn't find him, nothing would ever be okay again.
Epilogue
I gave my minion the nod.
He looked like he might argue but he didn’t. He was smarter than that.
He picked the lock and opened the door silently.
We crept into the fancy apartment. It wasn’t far from my parents’ place but it was a different type of fancy. It was more of a bachelor pad than my mom’s taste.
The evil man’s voice spilled into the hallway. “I don’t give a shit. We have a major situation. I’m being blackmailed by Vincent Banks. That little shit is your problem so you better deal with him,” he barked into his phone.
The minion gave me a subtle headshake, but I shoved him forward. He knew better than to go against what the boss said. But men were egotistical.
Which was why women were better for this line of work.
The minion opened the door, peering in and lifting just one finger.
I smiled wide and walked past him, pushing the door open.
The evil man lifted his face when he saw me. “Holy shit!” he shouted, but I raised my gun and smiled wide.
“You remember me?” I asked quietly.
He nodded.
“Lower the phone.”
He obeyed.
It didn’t save his life. I had a way in my head, a vision, for his death. It didn’t involve the phone.
“Tell me why Vincent Banks is blackmailing you?”
The evil man pressed his lips together and shook his head.
I fired a shot into the wall next to him, making him and Zachary jump.
“He wants to know about you. About the old Crimson Cove.”
“He’s too smart.” I contemplated that. “Did you tell him anything?”
He shook his head.
“That’s probably good.”
“I won’t tell anyone anything about this. I swear. I never have.” The evil man begged, but it didn’t follow the plan I had for him either. So I pulled the trigger again, this time not missing.
“I know.” I smiled as I pulled the trigger a second time, hitting him even more squarely. He grunted and slumped into his chair, his head falling back, exactly the way I wanted him to.
I wiped the gun off and placed it on the desk and turned and grinned at my minion. “And now the pieces will fall into place.”
We walked out of the apartment and headed for the street.
I hadn’t been out much recently. I enjoyed the smell of the cold winter air.
I hoped one day I might be able to enjoy the smell of all the seasons, as a free woman.
But first I had to rid the world of Crimson friggin’ Cove.
The End.
Don’t miss out on the fourth installment, Four Crimson Corners. Coming in 2016.
