by Wilder, L.
“Why?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I’ll make some more calls and see what I can find out.”
“More calls will just end up with more questions,” I argued.
He stood up and took his car keys from his pocket. “Maybe so, but at least we’ll have some more answers.”
“Sounds good.” I followed him over to his car, and as he got inside, I said, “Be sure to let me know if something comes up.”
“You know I will.”
He started out of the parking lot, and as I eased up behind him, I watched closely as he turned back towards the interstate—the complete opposite direction I that was headed. I surveyed the area, making sure that no one was following me as I began driving back towards Savannah. Even though Charlie assured me he had nothing to do with the target on my back, I continued to monitor my rearview mirror just to make sure there weren’t any headlights trailing me. I was relieved to find nothing out of the ordinary, and it remained without incident the rest of the way into town. I did a quick run to the grocery store and picked up a few things, then got back on the road. Once I’d gotten to the turn off, I did one final check before starting down the old dirt path that led up to my family’s fishing lodge. I pulled up to the house and Madison was waiting for me on the front porch.
“How did it go with Charlie?” she asked as soon as I got out of the SUV.
“It’s hard to tell.” As we walked back up to the house, I continued, “My heart is telling me one thing, while my gut is telling me something completely different, but one way or another, the truth will come out.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Once we were back inside, I went over to the cooler and removed the fish I’d iced down. “You ready for a bite to eat?”
“Definitely. What do you need me to do?”
“Grab us a couple of beers, and I’ve got the rest covered.”
Thirty minutes later, we were sitting at the table, eating some of the best fried crappies and hush puppies I’d ever had. When we were done, Madison leaned back in her chair and groaned, “Thank you. That was incredible.”
“No need to thank me. You’re the one who caught them.”
“But you cooked them. And I remember you catching a few.”
“I did, but they were too small, so I had to throw them back.”
“Oh, yeah.” A smirk crossed her beautiful face as she giggled. “That’s right. I forgot about that.”
“Um-hmm. Sure you did.”
We spent the next hour just sitting there talking, and we were having a great time until the mosquitos started biting, forcing us back inside. Once we’d put our dirty dishes in the sink, we took out a deck of cards and I taught her how to play “Bullshit.” After kicking my butt three times in a row, I got up and tossed her over my shoulder, carrying her into the bedroom—a place where we could both end the night with a win. The next morning, Madison woke not feeling well. Her allergies were giving her all kinds of trouble, so she spent the morning in bed. Morning rolled into night, and I was getting concerned when she still wasn’t feeling any better the following day. She tried to convince me that she was fine, but her watery eyes and runny nose were telling me something different.
Then she started with a cough, so by late afternoon I decided it was time for me to make a run into town for some meds. It didn’t take me long to get there and back, but when I pulled up to the house, it was almost dark and there were no lights on. I was worried that something might be wrong, then it hit me ... Angry at myself for forgetting, I grumbled, “Dammit. The generator!”
I got out of the SUV and raced up the front porch, quickly unlocking the door and rushing inside. The second I stepped through the front door, I shouted, “Madison!”
Moments later, Madison appeared carrying a candle. “Hey, is everything okay?”
I walked over and kissed her on the forehead before saying, “I’m sorry, baby. I forgot about the generator.”
“It’s okay. I’ve managed fine without it.”
I placed her bag of medicine on the table, then went to the kitchen in search of a flashlight. “How long have you been without power?”
“Not long.” She shrugged. “Maybe an hour.”
“Give me a minute, and I’ll get her back up and running.”
I was just about to head outside when she asked, “You need a hand?”
“You mind holding the flashlight for me?”
“Of course.”
Madison followed me out and, as asked, held the flashlight while I filled the generator up with gas. Once we were done, we went back inside, and Madison took the medicine I’d bought for her. About an hour later it looked like the medicine had started to kick in because she sounded a bit better. “You wanna try to watch a movie or something? I think we might have some old VHS tapes we can check out.”
“Oh, my God, VHS tapes? A blast from the past!” Madison hurried down the hall as she shouted, “Let me get a blanket.”
I’d just knelt down to look for a movie when the power went out, engulfing me in complete darkness. I sat there frozen for a moment, trying to remember exactly how much gas I’d put in the generator. While I hadn’t filled it up completely, there should’ve been enough to last us until morning. With an anxious feeling, I got up and rushed down the hall to the bedroom, running right into Madison on my way through the door. Startled, she asked, “What’s up with the generator?”
“Not sure.” I reached for Madison and tugged her back into the bedroom. Feeling my way over to my duffle-bag, I pulled out both of our 9mm sidearms, along with several extra clips, and placed a weapon in the palm of her hand. “I need you stay here, keep the door locked, and don’t come out until I come and get you.”
It was dark, so it took her a moment to figure out what I’d given her. “What? Why? Is someone here?”
“I don’t know yet. Won’t know until I go outside and check.”
Her voice was trembling as she asked, “If you don’t know, then why do I need this?”
“Better to be safe than sorry.”
I took the extra clips and shoved them into my back pocket before screwing the silencer onto my 9mm. When I started for the door, I heard Madison whisper, “Jasper … I’m scared.”
“Don’t be. Everything’s going to be fine.” I felt my way over to her and pulled her close. “Just do what I told you, and if anyone other than me comes to the door, you know what to do.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I know everything is clear.”
I walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me, then slowly made my way to the back of the house. Trying my best not to make a sound, I slipped outside and quickly scanned the perimeter. There was a storm rolling in, so there were no stars or moon illuminating the sky, making it difficult to see. When nothing caught my attention, I continued down the steps and over to the side of the house. The hairs on the back of my neck stood tall when I heard something move in the grassy area in front of me. I drew my weapon, placing my finger on the trigger as I stepped forward. I heard more movement coming from the side of the house. It could’ve been a raccoon or a thousand other animals, but something told me that wasn’t the case.
I continued forward and was about to check out the dock when I saw a dark figure move behind my SUV. At the same time, there was a rustling sound near the bank, and another in the field behind me. Anger surged through me at the realization that our location had been compromised, and even though I wanted to know how the fuck they’d found us, I couldn’t take the time to think about it. I had to get to them before they got any closer to the house. My instincts kicked in as I slowly started moving towards the SUV. I lowered myself down into a crouching position as I readied my weapon, paying attention to any sign of movement. The darkness would work to my advantage. I knew the area like the back of my hand, and I just had to be patient and wait for them to make a mistake.
I was focused on the SUV when my attention was drawn o
ver to the shed. Just as I’d expected, one of them fucked up and stepped out of the shadows where I could see him. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger, killing him instantly. His body barely had time to hit the ground when I heard the shift of gravel, followed by a round of gunfire. Still crouching, I turned and aimed under the vehicle, shooting at his legs. Seconds later, he dropped to the ground with a muffled grunt. He was still shooting aimlessly as I carefully moved forward and took another shot. Clearly a novice, he never even saw me as I shot twice more, killing him with a bullet to the head. Knowing I had at least one more target to contend with, I started back towards the house. I eased up on the porch, hoping to get a better view, but just as I rounded the steps, I came up on another shadowy figure. His weapon was drawn and just inches from my chest. I didn’t need light to see that he was bigger than me—at least six-foot-seven and no less than two-seventy with biceps as wide as tree trunks.
I didn’t let his size stop me from reaching for his weapon, grabbing the barrel, and twisting it from his grip. As it fell to the ground, I brought mine around. I quickly realized that this guy was no slouch. He reacted just as I would, meeting my every move. Neither of us were making any ground as we fought to dominate one another. Blow after blow, he met my every punch, never wavering from his position. He finally managed to snag my weapon, and moments later, it fell useless to the ground. When I reached for it, he grabbed me by the throat as he lifted my feet off the ground. I formed a fist, slamming into his hard gut as I tried to break free from his grasp, but his hold was too tight. As my feet dangled above the ground, he growled, “Why do you keep fighting? No matter how you slice it, you’re dead.”
“We’ll see about that.”
I brought my hand up and plowed my fist into the side of his face, but he didn’t budge. A smile crept over his face as he said, “You’re gonna have to do better than that.”
Without answering, I lifted my knee and plowed it into his balls, causing him to buckle. When he loosened his grip, I punched him again, but he just kept at it. Using his free hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. I grabbed his wrist, holding him back as he tried with all his might to drive it into my side. “You’re just prolonging the inevitable. One way or another, I’ll be getting that million-dollar payoff.”
I had to do something, so I twisted his middle finger back, which forced him to drop the knife. Angered, he rammed my back against the side of the house and tightened his grip on my throat. I was barely able to breathe as he snarled, “This shit ends here.”
I was beginning to think he might be right, and that I’d finally met my match, until my hip bumped into the grill. I reached out, frantically searching for something I could use to get him off me when I felt the long, sharp ends of the grilling fork. I grabbed the handle and with everything I had left, rammed it deep into the base of his neck. Blood gushed from his wound, leaving him with no other choice but to release me. I used the opportunity to dive for my gun. Once I had it in my hand, I aimed it towards his head and grumbled, “You were right. This shit ends here.”
I pulled the trigger, shooting him right between the eyes. His lifeless body dropped with a hard thud, and I took a moment to catch my breath. I needed to be sure that there were only three men, so I got to my feet and searched the perimeter of the house again. Once I was certain it was all clear, I cautiously edged over to the generator. I turned it back on, and then headed inside to find Madison. My blood ran cold when I stepped through the door and found a gun positioned at Madison’s head.
16
Madison
I couldn’t believe that I’d been so stupid. Jasper had warned me not to come out of the bedroom until he came back for me and I initially planned to do just that, but with the sounds of gunfire outside, I was frantic and completely overcome with fear that someone had gotten to him. Needless to say, I wasn’t thinking straight when someone knocked at the door and said, “Open up. It’s me.”
It was said so calmly, so matter of fact that I just assumed it was Jasper. The thought never crossed my mind that it could be anyone else until I opened the door. It was dark and I could barely see anything, but I knew right away that man standing before me wasn’t Jasper. I could only make out the silhouette of his face, but something about him made me think he was there to help. But then I noticed the gun in his hand and quickly realized that he was no ally when he pointed it in my direction. He looked down at my hand and demanded, “Drop it.”
Afraid of what might happen if I didn’t do what he said, I let my gun fall to the floor. After that, I was too scared to move. I could barely manage to ask, “Wh-who are you?”
Without answering, he reached for my arm and pulled me out into the hallway as he growled, “Move it.”
“Where’s Jasper?” I asked as I stumbled behind him.
“Hmmph.” He snickered, “He’s meeting his maker right about now.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you want to hurt him?”
There was a loud slam just outside the door, which made him turn to look towards the front door as he warned, “Don’t say another word.”
We both just stood there, waiting for god-knows-what to happen. My heart was racing, and with each second that passed, I was becoming more and more frantic. I desperately wanted to know if Jasper was okay, but as long as there was a gun pointed at my head, I could only stand there and wait. My entire body tensed when I heard more of the same sounds, followed by a loud commotion out on the porch. On instinct, I shifted my feet and started towards the window until I heard, “Take another step and you’re dead.”
Completely terrified by what he might do, I stopped dead in my tracks. Too scared to look at him, I stared down at the floor. I couldn’t breathe. It was like someone had their hands wrapped around my throat, choking me as I stood there trying to listen to what was going on outside. I just wanted to run and find a place to curl up and hide, but at the same time, I wished I was strong enough to rise up and fight, to claw his eyes out and make the stranger pay for trying to hurt Jasper. Unfortunately, I couldn’t muster that kind of strength—not when there was a 9mm aimed directly at me. Suddenly, the noise outside stopped. It was completely silent—eerily silent—and we both just stood there waiting for something to happen. Not even a minute later the lights flickered on, and for the first time, I got a good look at the man in front of me.
He was in his late forties, not nearly as tall or muscular as Jasper, with salt and pepper hair that was cut short. His eyes were a pretty shade of green, but they were cold, almost evil looking as he glared at me. At the sound of footsteps coming up the porch, he turned and watched as the door opened. I inhaled a deep breath of relief when Jasper stepped inside. Panic filled his eyes when saw that I wasn’t alone. The man grabbed my arm and pulled me against his chest as he placed his gun to my temple and snarled, “Nice of you to finally join us.”
“Dammit, I knew it was you!” Jasper growled viciously. “How the hell did you find us?”
“Been tracking your SUV since the day we started doing business together. I trust no one. You should know that.”
“You’re right. I should’ve known. I can’t believe I actually thought you were on my side.”
“I was on your side, but then you had to go and fuck things up.” He shook his head as he continued, “You couldn’t just leave it alone. You couldn’t just do the job you were assigned to do.”
“We’ve already covered all that. You know I had my reasons.”
“I don’t give a fuck about your reasons. You know how this works, Jasper. I told you from the start—there’s no going back. You made your bed, and now you’re gonna lie in it.”
When Jasper took a step towards us, the man moved the gun away from my head and aimed it at him. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Let her go, Charlie. This has nothing to do with her.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? This has everything to do with her! She’s the reason we’re standing here right
now. You let her ruin everything!”
“It’s not her fault,” Jasper argued. “There should’ve never been a contract put on her head, and you know it!”
“So, now you’re the judge and jury for all contracts? I don’t think so. You’ve got too much heart for it, my friend. You don’t see the truth even when it is staring right back at you!”
“I’ll tell you what I see! I see a man who I’ve trusted for years has turned his back on me.” Jasper’s eyes flashed with anger as he raised his gun, aiming it directly at Charlie. “That’s the only truth I need to see!”
“Put the gun down, Jasper. You can’t win here. This is the end of the road for you.”
My chest tightened when I felt Charlie’s body tense behind me. I could see him start to squeeze the trigger, and I knew I had to do something to warn Jasper. Unfortunately, there was no time. So, I did the only thing I could: I stepped back and rammed into his chest as he fired off his shot. The sound of the blast echoed through the room, startling me. Jasper went flailing back, and my world stopped turning the second I realized that he’d been shot. On the way down, his head slammed against the table, rendering him unconscious. Consumed with panic, I shouted, “Jasper!”
I started to rush towards him but was quickly jerked back. “Don’t worry. He’s not dead. At least, not yet. I’ll give him a minute to come around. I want him to see me finish the job he refused to do.”
“Please … just let me go,” I pleaded.
“That’s not going to happen.” Still holding me tight, Charlie looked down at Jasper sprawled out on the floor and grumbled, “I knew the minute he started asking questions that he hadn’t gone through with the hit, but I just didn’t want to believe it.”
I wanted to ask him what he was talking about, but I couldn’t say the words. They just hung there in the back of my mind as I stared at Jasper, watching the blood pool around his body. My heart was breaking. I wanted to go to him, to try and help him, but Charlie’s hold was too tight. I could only stand there and cry as Charlie grumbled, “I should’ve known that as soon as he saw your pretty face he’d be done. There was nothing I could say that would’ve made him understand why I had to do it. Why I needed you dead.”
