THE DEALER

THE EXTRACTOR SERIES

BOOK 13

MIKE RYAN

WWW.MIKERYANBOOKS.COM

Copyright © 2025 by Mike Ryan

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover by The Cover Collection

1

It was a black-tie event. The chandeliers sparkled above, casting a soft glow over the elegant ballroom. Waiters circulated with trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres, while the guests mingled. The room was filled with chatter and laughter, the soft hum of conversation blending into a soothing melody. The guests were dressed in their finest attire, shimmering gowns and crisply tailored tuxedos creating a sea of elegance and refinement.

Suddenly, the double doors at the far end of the room swung open with a dramatic flourish, and all eyes turned to see who had arrived. She swept into the room like a queen, her gown shimmering with every step as she made her way towards the center of the room. Heads turned, whispers followed in her wake, but she paid them no mind. Tonight, she had a mission - and nothing would stand in her way.

Nicole’s head turned in every direction, desperately trying to find her better half. He was here. Somewhere. In the midst of a few thousand guests, on one of three floors, in any of a hundred rooms. Bridge was there.

They had carefully planned for this, being extremely careful in not being seen together over the past two weeks. This was the event they knew the stolen jewelry they were looking for would be auctioned at. Most, if not all, of the items that would be up for sale were stolen. It was one of those places.

But they weren’t here for everything. They were only here for what they were hired to find. And now they did. Well, not the exact location. But they knew it was in the building. They had worked tirelessly to find the address of this secret auction. And it was no small feat getting an invitation. It took aliases, and a whole lot of money.

They were hoping to find the missing jewelry before it went up for auction. Because once it did, items got locked down, transferred to a new owner, who usually had security with them, and then probably moved to a new secret place. They didn’t want to have to keep following the trail, if there even was one after this. They were here. The jewelry they were looking for was here. It had to be done here.

As Nicole bounced around the floor, she shrugged off some of the stares of men following her with their eyes. She also ignored a few people who tried to offer their phone number. She was laser-focused on finding her boyfriend. Bridge was supposed to meet her out front. They’d casually bump into each other like they’d never seen each other before, then start talking, and flirting with each other like it was the first time.

But that didn’t happen. She stood out there for about twenty minutes before finally going in, realizing something was wrong. Since they were newcomers, they weren’t sure if they were being watched before arriving. That’s why they arrived separately. Even had separate hotel rooms, though that was mostly for show, as they still snuck into each other's rooms.

So here she was, frantically looking around the room, hoping to put her eyes on Bridge, though it was obviously a difficult task with the amount of people in the room. Nicole finally made her way over to one side, where there was a majestic staircase. There were also two bodyguards at the bottom of them, along with a velvet rope that stretched across to prevent any unauthorized people from going up.

Nicole grabbed a drink off a tray from a passing waiter, and stood there, analyzing the situation. Her eyes never left the staircase, seeing a couple of people show some sort of ID and let through. The second floor must have been for the VIP’s.

Assuming Bridge had been taken, which she figured was a good bet considering how he liked to shoot his mouth off at times, he must have been up there somewhere. It would be the only reason why he wasn’t where he was supposed to be. But Nicole knew she couldn’t just walk up to the guard and ask where Bridge was. She knew he wouldn’t say. And even if there was nothing nefarious on the guard’s part, he might not have known Bridge by the description. He might have let a hundred people up those steps.

Nicole continued watching, and sipping, noticing a few more people being let through. She sighed, knowing what she’d have to do. It was getting a little old at this point. She knew she was good at using her womanly ways, and usually got the result that she wanted from it, but she still wished she didn’t have to use it as often as she did. But it was generally effective.

She watched both guards, picking out the one she thought would be easier pickings. After taking a deep breath, Nicole moved in that direction. She moved towards the guard on the left. She plastered on a flirty smile, puffed her chest out a little more, and had the whole seductive look going on.

“Hi,” she said, holding up her drink.

She touched the guard’s arm. Touching was always a good way to start disarming someone. And when you looked like she did, it didn’t take much to disarm anyone. She looked down at her dress.

“I seem to have lost my pass to go up there.”

The guard shook his head. “Sorry. No exceptions.”

Nicole tilted her head at him. “Not even for me?”

“I’m sorry. You have to have a pass.”

“What if I gave you something else?”

“Excuse me?”

Nicole looked around, then moved in closer, putting her arms around the man to whisper in his ear. She ran her hand through his hair.

“I am just dying to slip out of this dress. And I think you are the perfect person to help me with that.”

The guard stood there, stunned, a blank expression on his face. He wasn’t sure if this was even real. Nicole took a step back and licked her lips. She looked down at the front of his pants and could tell she was having the desired effect. She moved in closer again, whispering in his ear once more.

“Just ten minutes. And you can do whatever you want with me. I so need this. You have no idea how much.”

The guard looked Nicole up and down. How could he say no to this beautiful woman who was practically throwing herself into his lap? The chance to have sex with someone like that didn’t come around every day. And his urges were getting the best of him. Finally, he turned to his partner.

“Hey. I’ll be back. Ten minutes.”

The guard looked at Nicole and nodded. With a grin on his face, he knew what was going on. He only wished it was happening to him instead. The other guard grabbed Nicole’s hand and unhooked the rope to let her through. Still holding her hand, they walked up the steps.

“I’m really looking forward to this,” Nicole said.

As they reached the second floor, she instantly started looking at her surroundings, figuring out where she was going to go after this. The guard let go of her hand, then put his hand on her rear. Nicole tightened up at first and clenched her teeth, really disliking it. But she had to play along for the moment and let it go.

She turned around, putting her hands on the man’s suit jacket, pretending to flirt further.

“So, where shall we go?”

She fiddled with the man’s tie.

“Anywhere you want.”

Nicole’s eyes scanned the hallway as they walked, their arms interlocked with each other. Her gaze finally settled upon a door off to the side that looked like it would do the trick.

“The closet.”

“Huh?”

Nicole’s face lit up. “I always wanted to do it in a closet. Very mysterious.”

“Um, OK. I guess.”

They quickly walked over to the door and opened it, taking a quick look around before they went inside. The guard flicked on a light.

“Too bright,” Nicole said. “I like it darker.”

She turned the light off, and as soon as the room went dark, the guard dropped to the floor, courtesy of a few well-placed punches, kicks, and elbows. After making quick work of the guy, Nicole adjusted her dress and stepped out into the hallway again. She started wandering around, not sure what she was looking for. She hoped she would know when she found it.

Once she turned a corner, there were dozens of people walking in the halls, some just going from one door across the hall to another one. Curious, she went over to one and went in to investigate. Her eyes almost popped out of her sockets at what she was witnessing. There were a lot of naked people. Some doing things that even made her blush. A man almost immediately came up to her. He also had no clothes on.

“Welcome. Come join us.”

He tried gently touching her hand to bring her further into the room, but Nicole instantly pulled back.

“Uh, no, no. I, uh, think I’m in the wrong room.”

“No need to be shy. We’ll make you feel very comfortable.”

“No, no, I’m not shy, it’s just… this is… a little much for me. Plus, I’m involved.”

“Most of us here are.”

“Oh,” she replied. Nicole nervously laughed as she backed away. “I’m, uh, I’m just gonna go.” Her back hit the door, instantly turning around to open it and get out of there.

Once in the hallway she closed the door and stood with her back to it for a second. She let out a deep breath.

“Not what I was expecting,” she whispered.

Nicole sighed as she looked around, thinking this was just about an impossible situation. She knew Bridge was there somewhere. Where was the question? If she looked in every door she came across, there was no telling what she was going to find. Or, what would find her?

2

Bridge was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. Thankfully, on this one occasion, he wasn’t tied to it. It was a welcome change from most of the times when he was detained against his will. But it also wasn’t like he could just get up and walk away if he wanted. There were two big guards standing by the door, and five more circling him around the room. Not to mention the guy in charge who seemed to want some answers. All were dressed in expensive suits or tuxedos.

“Why are you here?”

Bridge shrugged. “Same as everyone else, I guess? To buy some stolen… er, I mean… some unique things that aren’t widely available everywhere?”

“Who sent you?”

“I sent myself.”

The leader, probably in his forties, completely walked around Bridge, eyeing him the whole time. The man definitely seemed to look on the rougher side, as he had a little scar coming down from his left eyebrow down his cheek about an inch long.

“Who hired you?”

“Uh, I hired myself?” Bridge replied. “Who hired you?”

“Don’t get cute.”

“Well you started it.”

The man stood in front of Bridge and crossed his arms, trying to look tough and intimidate him. If only he’d known all the situations Bridge had been in over the years. The man would have to do a lot more than that to raise the hairs on Bridge’s arms.

“What’s your name?” He took out a piece of paper and looked at it before putting it back in his pocket. “I’m sure it’s not Chester Bridgerton.”

“Why? Something wrong with it?”

“Do I look like a fool?”

“You really want me to answer that?”

“Your name?”

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

The man stared at him and huffed. “This can go very badly for you, you know.”

“Believe me, I know it.”

“I am trying to get to the bottom of things peacefully here. You’re not even restrained.”

“And my wrists thank you for that,” Bridge said.

“So how about we start being truthful with each other?”

“Sure. You go first.”

“Huh?”

“You be truthful first, then I’ll go. I’ll wait.”

“I am not the one in trouble here.”

“You sure about that?”

The man was growing more agitated by the second. “Let’s start with your name.”

Bridge didn’t hesitate. “Chester Bridgerton, born and raised. I mean, you took my ID. It’s all over my papers.”

“ID’s can be forged.”

Bridge offered a smile. “Yes. They can. But what do you want me to say?”

“Your real name, for starters?”

“Why do you keep insisting that’s not my real name? I mean, my mother would be very unhappy with you right now for questioning her. I’m told she agonized for days on finding the right name. Didn’t even come up with it until two days after I was born. At least that’s the rumor.”

“The rumor is also that you are not who you say you are and that you are here to foil this auction.”

“Where’d you hear an ugly rumor like that?”

“It doesn’t matter where I heard it.”

Bridge had an idea in his mind. One of the people he trusted to help get him in there in the first place probably turned on him. For more money, of course. He knew he was now in a tough spot. But it definitely wasn’t the worst he’d ever been in. But he also knew it could get rougher on him at any moment. It wouldn’t take much. He also knew that Nicole was out there somewhere. Once he missed their rendezvous time and place, she’d start snooping around, knowing something had happened to him. Of course, it was a big building. And he knew finding him would take some time. He just had to try to hold off long enough for her to reach him.

“Listen,” Bridge said. “I’d love to get to the bottom of this misunderstanding with you. I mean, enough’s enough with the games. My name’s Chester Bridgerton, I’m here on behalf of a third-party, who wishes to remain anonymous, and I’m here to do some bidding. That’s all. Whatever other rumor you have going on is completely baseless and without merit.”

“Is that so?”

Bridge nodded. “Completely.”

“Your name!”

“Are we back to that again? I tell you what. Let’s do a little quid pro quo here. You tell me everything about you, and I’ll tell you everything about me. Deal?”

“No.”

“You didn’t even think that over. I mean, not even a little bit.”

“Because I don’t have to. I am not in the pressure cooker here. You are.”

Bridge adjusted his collar. “Yeah, about that, it’s a little uncomfortable in here. You got the air on?”

“It’s going to get even hotter in a second.”

Bridge sighed, realizing he was running out of time. There was only so long he could keep his mouth moving and keep them at bay. At some point, things were going to get physical. And painful. Probably lots and lots of pain.

“Look, I’m willing to work with you here,” Bridge said. “I would just like a little courtesy first.”

“Courtesy?! What do you think I’m giving you?”

“A hard time?”

The man appeared frustrated and was ready to give up. He couldn’t deal with Bridge anymore. He put his hands and arms up.

“I’m done. I’m done. Take him.”

“Take me where?” Bridge replied.

He didn’t get a reply. At least, not a verbal one. He did get a hard slap across the side of his face.

“Ouch!” Bridge said, his fingers feeling the skin across his cheek. “That was unnecessary.”

“There’s gonna be a lot more of that where you’re going. You have one more chance to be honest.”

“Listen, I don’t know what you…”

Bridge’s voice trailed off as the scar-faced man went over to the door and opened it. Another man stood there. Bridge knew him. He was someone that helped Bridge get into the auction to begin with. Now he knew who set him up. The man stood there with a grin on his face and shrugged.

“It’s just business.”

Bridge made a face. “Yeah. I guess it is.”

“No hard feelings.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

The man with the scar closed the door again. “Now, should we try this again?”

Bridge shook his head. “Nah. I don’t think so. I’m not gonna tell you anything.”

“I had a feeling that would be the case. You seem like one of those.”

“One of those what?”

“You’re one of those captains that always goes down with the ship, instead of taking the life raft that is offered to you and escaping with your life.”

“Well, it kinds of depends on the situation, don’t you think?”

“Enough of this. I’ve had enough! Take him away.”

Bridge swiftly stood up, ready to engage with whoever wanted a piece of him. But he quickly went down as one of the guards in back of him delivered a forearm to the back of his head. With him down, all the guards took a few turns in giving him a shot. Nothing too severe. Just enough to let him know that fighting back was a bad idea.

They grabbed hold of his arms, and as the scar-faced man opened the door, the guards helped carry Bridge out of the room, his feet scuffing against the floor as he was dragged. Nicole had just turned a corner and saw her boyfriend being carried out against his will. Her shoulders slumped.

“I just knew it,” she whispered. She could only shake her head. “What did you do this time?”

Nicole waited for the entourage to disappear from her view before she followed after them. She couldn’t allow them to get away completely, but she also couldn’t risk divulging her presence yet before she was ready. She needed to find out what they were doing with her boyfriend, and where they were taking him.

As she reached the corner of the hallway, another door opened up to her left. A man stepped out. They locked eyes. It was the same man that Bridge previously recognized. The one that gave him up. They both stood there, not sure whether the other was going to make a move, or say something. But neither of them did. Finally, Nicole spoke up.

She tilted her head in the direction Bridge just went. “I have a feeling you have something to do with that.”

The man smirked. “It’s just business.”

“I assume you got a fat payday for this?”

“I certainly can’t complain.”

“You’re gonna show me where they’re taking him and how to get him.”

“I can’t do that. And you’re lucky I don’t unleash his guards on you too.”

“And you’ll be lucky if you actually leave here with all your man-parts attached.”

The man scoffed, not taking her seriously. “Leave now.”

“What do you think will happen if I start screaming that you inappropriately touched me just now?”

The smug look on the man’s face slowly faded away. He gulped as he looked around.

“You wouldn’t.”

“I hear they don’t take too kindly to that around here,” Nicole said. “Everything is supposed to be handled professionally here. No problems. People who cause problems are dealt with. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to go?”

“I could just tell them that you’re working with him. They’d believe me.”

“Sure about that? Because I’ll deny it. And considering I’m not with him right now, I’d say you didn’t tell them about me yet. Which now means I’m a wild card. And you have no idea which one of us they’d believe.”

“They’d believe me.”

“You really wanna find out?” Nicole asked.

The man looked at her cautiously, and cleared his throat. He really did not want to find out. Mostly because he really wasn’t sure. If Nicole made a big enough stink, he might be on the losing end of it. Those people could be ruthless. And he didn’t want to be on the bottom of the pile.

“Fine. Fine. You win. They’re taking him to the third floor.”

“What room?”

“Probably 315. It’s like a big office area. They’re probably going to beat on him for a while until he tells them what he knows.”

“And then?”

“Then what? Then they’ll kill him.”

“Right here?” Nicole asked.

“They might throw him out a window. Or maybe they’ll just overdose him, discard of him somewhere else.”

“You’re gonna help me.”

“I’ve already done that. And I…” he closed his mouth as someone walked past them. He then whispered. “And I’ve already helped you as much as I can. And I’m not turning you in right now, so that’s a win for you.”

“I need you to get me up there.”

He shook his head. “I can’t. If I do that, they’ll know I helped you and I’ll be dead in three days.”

“Then you need to tell me how to reach him.”

“Go to the end of the floor. You’ll see the steps. There’s a guard. You just need to tell them you’ve been hired for the entertainment.” He then looked her over. “They’ll believe it. You just have to say Mr. Wensink sent me. That’s a code phrase.”

“That’s it?”

“You’ll just have to find the right room. I don’t know how many guards or whatever they’ll have there. You’re supposed to be going to room 305. That’s where the entertainment is.”

Nicole made a face. “It is? I thought I already found that room. There was like an orgy going on over that way.”

“Oh, you found the room for the regular guests. The VIP’s get the third-floor treatment. Lots of alcohol and ladies doing whatever is asked of them.”

“You better not tell someone about me. Because if you do, I’ll tell them we were working together.”

“Listen, I’m leaving right now. I don’t want any part of this. If you get caught, it’s of your own doing. I’m not telling anyone anything. Good luck, and I hope I never see you again.”

“Feeling is mutual.”

Nicole stood there, watching the man walk away in the opposite direction. Once he left her sight, she turned her thoughts to the problem at hand. She didn’t worry much about the man turning on her. He had as much to lose as she did if they didn’t believe him. And he was a weaselly sort of guy. He wouldn’t put himself in that kind of predicament. He was the type who’d only do it for money, and only if the deck was stacked in his favor. Anything that was a flip of the coin, he’d stay clear, no matter how much money was involved.

Nicole started walking towards the end of the hallway. She made a few turns, eventually seeing a guard standing by the stairs. She looked down at herself and straightened her dress. She took a deep breath.

“Here goes nothing. Time to do some extracting.”

3

Nicole noticed the guard look at her as she approached. There were two other people ahead of her. They were let through without a problem. Then it was her turn. She offered a flirty smile and a wrinkle of the nose.

“Hi. Mr. Wensink sent me.”

The guard smiled and nodded his head. He stepped to the side and let her though. She walked up the steps, talking to herself.

“I don’t know why, but I thought that was going to be a little harder.”

Once she reached the third floor, there were two more guards at the door. They both looked her over as she entered. Nicole noticed the one on the right looking at her legs and rolled her eyes. The hallway split into two, and she started walking down the right side.

“Hey!” the guard shouted. He pointed with his thumb to the left. “The room’s over that way.”

Nicole stopped and turned around. “Um, I have to use the bathroom first! Gotta freshen up.”

She didn’t wait for a reply and continued walking. An eerie feeling quickly came over her, though, and she stopped once again. She turned her head and noticed the guard was right behind her.

“Don’t believe in privacy, huh?”

“Nobody can wander around unaccounted for.”

“It’s just the bathroom,” Nicole replied.

“I’ll escort you.”

“Are you going to go in with me too?”

The guard leaned to the side to get a better look at her backside. He smiled. “Depends on what you’re feeling.”

She didn’t appreciate his tone. “I’m feeling like I’m gonna throw up.”

The smile didn’t leave his face. “I got something for that.”

“You’re disgusting.”

The guard chuckled and put his arm out. “After you.”

“You’re really going to go in with me, aren’t you?”

He continued smiling, enjoying every second of it. “Them’s the rules, baby.”

Nicole huffed, then began marching down the hallway. After a few minutes, she finally found the bathroom. She stopped in front of the door and stood there, looking at the guard. He finally reached out and opened the door for her. She went in, with the guard following right behind her. She didn’t even have to turn around to feel his eyes crawling all over her.

She went to the sink and turned the water on, seeing the guard through the mirror watching her closely. She slightly turned toward him.

“Are you just going to stare at me?”

He shrugged. “Seems fine to me.”

“Do you really want a show right now?”

A bigger smile formed on his lips. “I’d be OK with that.”

“Fine. You want something, I’ll give you something. Lock the door and turn around.”

“What for?”

“Anticipation. It makes everything better. And close your eyes.”

The man did as was asked. “I hope you’re gonna rock my world.”

“Oh, you have no idea what’s coming.”

With the man’s back turned to her, Nicole took off her heels and quietly approached him. She lifted up her dress and removed the pistol that was strapped to the inside of her leg. Once she got within striking distance, she brought her arm back, then walloped him over the head with her weapon. The man instantly dropped like a bag of rocks. Nicole stood over the man.

“Man, that felt really good. I enjoyed that. You’re a disgusting pig.”

With the man down and out, Nicole quickly exited the bathroom, not bothering to put her shoes back on. She knew what was likely about to go down. It would be hard running and shooting in those things.

Nicole continued going in the opposite direction of where she came from, eventually turning a corner and seeing room 315. There was another guard in front of the door. She was a little dismayed at seeing the protection.

“Oh my God, is there a guard everywhere in this place?”

She sighed and retreated back to behind the corner, out of sight from the guard. She closed her eyes and thought of a way to approach this new problem. She could just walk up to the guy and offer him sex. That seemed to be the best and most favorable way to get to a man’s heart. And drop his pants. It also almost always seemed to work.

After a few deep breaths, Nicole made herself visible and started walking towards the guard. The man noticed her coming and looked at her with curiosity, figuring she wasn’t supposed to be there.

“You lost?”

Nicole put her arm across her forehead. “Some guy just tried attacking me and I’m… I’m so flustered. Can I just stay with you for a second?”

The man looked around for someone, ready for a conflict. Upon seeing no one, turned his attention back to the pretty lady.

“Sure. Just sit tight for a sec.”

“Thank you so much. I seemed to have lost my shoes. You don’t happen to have an extra pair inside that door, do you?”

“Afraid not.”

“I figured as much. Hey, are you guarding someone? Is it someone important?”

“I can’t say.”

Nicole didn’t waste any more time, and started putting her hands on him. “Hey, you know what would be fun? If you helped me out of this dress, and I could thank you properly.”

The guard looked at her lustily. “I… I really couldn’t.”

“Why not? Don’t you want to?”

He gulped and put his fingers on his shirt collar, feeling the heat. “Um, I… I have to stay here.”

“Well is there someone in there? If not, we could just go in for a quickie. No one would ever know.”

“Someone’s in there.”

“Can we get rid of him?”

“Afraid not.”

Nicole put her arms around him. “That’s too bad.”

Suddenly, the door opened, and the man with the scar came out. He looked a little perplexed, and angry, about what he was seeing.

“What’s going on out here?”

“Nothing, sir,” the guard responded. “This woman said someone attacked her. She was just staying here for a second.”

He glared at Nicole for a second or two. “Get rid of her.”

“Yes, sir.”

He turned and walked away in the other direction.

“Well he seems like a drag,” Nicole said.

“I’m sorry. You heard him.”

She put her hands back on the guard. “But if he’s gone now, that should make it easy for us to do whatever we want, right?”

He seemed to be getting more flustered. “No. I’m… there’s still more people in there.”

“Still? How many more are there?”

“A few.”

“What’s it, a major meeting or something?”

“Something like that.”

Nicole gently kissed him on the cheek. “I just wanted to show you my appreciation.”

“I, uh… maybe later.”

Nicole looked at the door. “Is that thing locked?”

“Yes, why?”

“Do you have a key to open it?”

He shook his head. “No. I knock three times if I need something.”

“Oh. OK. I guess that’ll work.”

“Huh?”

“How many more people are in there?”

“Why?”

“I’m just curious about your job. You don’t have a prisoner in there or something, do you?”

The man was getting suspicious about all the questions. “You need to go.”

“OK, OK, I will. But not before I do something.”

Nicole slowly dropped to her knees, and put her hands on the front of the man’s belt. The guard gulped, his heart beginning to beat faster, thinking this shouldn’t be happening. But he wasn’t going to push her away.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he felt a rush of pain, an exorbitant amount, rushing through his veins. He hunched over, grabbing at his privates, then falling to his knees. Nicole stood up.

“I’m sorry, you seem like a decent guy and all. But I just had to. I’m so sorry.”

She then grabbed her pistol and whipped it across the back of the man’s head, causing him to fall down face first. Now he wasn’t moving.

“I’m so sorry about that. But at least now you don’t have to feel the pain between your legs. You will have a huge bump on your head, but… again… so sorry.”

Nicole put her gun back between her legs and knocked on the door three times. The door opened slightly, though she didn’t see anyone at first. She then pushed it open and walked, quickly closing it so nobody could look out and see the guy on the ground. As soon as she made her entrance, though, she stopped, startled at the sight of three guns all pointed directly at her head. She then looked straight ahead, seeing Bridge tied to a metal spike sticking out of the wall. He had a few bumps and bruises on his face. Upon seeing her, a big smile came over him.

“Hey, nice to see ya!”

Nicole sighed.

“Welcome,” Bridge pleasantly said. “Glad you could join the party. Been waiting for you.”

Nicole didn’t respond to him. She was too busy worrying about the three guns pointed at her. She didn’t know how she was going to manage it, but she was going to have to do some fast thinking to get out of this one. Unless she was able to reach for her own gun, but at that range, it was unlikely she’d have time to get them all before one of them shot her. And that wasn’t an appealing proposition. Somehow, she had to come up with something, before she and Bridge finally bit the bullet.

4

Nicole slowly raised her arms as she hurriedly tried to figure out how she was going to escape this.

“I’m… just here for the entertainment.”

“There’s no entertainment here,” a bearded man replied. “How’d you get here?”

“The man outside knocked on the door and told me to go in. That’s it.”

“Go check.”

As another man started to leave, Nicole knew she had to think fast. As soon as they saw the fallen guard out there, it was game over.

“Um, wait, you guys can’t actually be worried about me or something, can you?” She looked down at her dress. “I mean, look at me. I’m not a secret assassin or something.”

She nervously laughed, more so to try to get the others to let their guard down.

“Who sent you?”

Nicole remembered the first guy that came out of the room. She put her hand up to her left cheek.

“Uh, guy with a scar?”

The others looked at each other in surprise.

“Really?” the bearded man asked. “He sent you?”

“I guess? He said you’d all been working hard and were loyal and he wanted to reward you all. I mean, if you don’t want it, that’s fine. I can just go. I already got paid either way.”

“No, no. If he sent you, you should stay.”

One of the other men spoke up and pointed at Bridge. “What about him? He shouldn’t look at this.”

“You’re right. He shouldn’t be rewarded. We should take him away.”

“Not really necessary,” Bridge said. “You seen one, you seen them all.”

Nicole instantly shot daggers at him, raising her eyebrows. “Really? Who is this guy, anyway?”

“No one,” the leader said. “He’s a clown.”

“Obviously.”

Bridge coughed. “Metaphorically speaking, I mean. But hers are probably much better than… I’ll just stop now.”

“He seems like a real pain in the ass.”

The others laughed.

“You have no idea,” the man with the beard said. “A real smart-mouth.”

“I can see that,” Nicole said. “Hope you made those bruises on his face hurt.”

“Oh, we did, yes. And we’re going to do it some more.”

“I’m sure he deserves it. And probably much, much more.”

“And we will make sure we give it to him.”

“Give him an extra one for me when you do. He irritates me.”

The others laughed.

“We sure will.”

Nicole noticed the stares given to her were starting to change. They went from suspicious at first, to now of the lusty variety, anticipating what she had to offer. But first, Nicole had to disarm them. And not just with their senses.

“So when are you going to get started?” the bearded man asked.

“Soon. But first, if you all could lower your guns, I’d really appreciate it. It makes me nervous. And I have a hard time performing when I’m nervous.”

“Oh, yes, yes.” The man motioned to his friends for them to lower their weapons. And he did the same. “Better?”

Nicole smiled. “Oh yes. Much better.”

She instantly bent over, putting her hands on her legs, her head even with her hips, and her hair hanging down. It helped to disguise the fact that she moved her hand between her legs to get a feel for her pistol. Once she had it firmly in hand, she immediately straightened back up, flipping her hair behind her head like she was in an eighties hair metal band, and pointed her gun at the three men who were watching her closely. The faces on them suddenly turned serious.

“What is this?”

“Uh, I think you could call this a jailbreak. Breakout. Rescue. I dunno. Take your pick. Any of them work, I guess.”

The men stood there motionless. “You are making a bad mistake.”

Nicole agreed. “Probably. I’ve made a lot of them before. Especially with this guy.”

“Hey!” Bridge said.

“Just in case any of you are wondering, yes, I will shoot if you make me. And no, I won’t miss. So consider your next steps carefully. Put all your guns on the floor. If one of you try something, I’ll take it out on all of you.”

Frustrated, the men looked at each other, but no one was anxious to see if the woman really meant what she said. They weren’t going to find out here. They all dropped their guns like she asked.

Nicole gave a pleasant smile. “Thank you. Now, if one of you can go over there and untie him? And no funny business. Or else.”

The bearded man nodded for one of the others to go over and untie Bridge. They did, and as soon as he was free, Bridge went over and stood behind his girlfriend. He looked at the gun in her hands.

“Hey, you got one of those for me?”

“There’s three on the ground,” she answered. “Pick one.”

“Oh. Right.”

Bridge went over and grabbed all of them. After he put them inside his belt, he stood in front of the three men. He then reared back and placed a well-timed elbow to the jaw of the bearded man. He instantly went down.

Bridge pointed at him. “That’s for what you did to me.”

Without hesitating, Bridge then suddenly nailed the next closest man to him, dropping him with a powerful left hook. Bridge stared at him while he was down.

“Same goes for you, buddy.”

Bridge then looked at the third man, who was sure something was coming his way soon. He put his hands up.

“I did nothing. I only watched.”

Bridge smirked. He then stuck his hand out to shake hands.

“No hard feelings.”

The man lowered his arms and smiled, shaking Bridge’s hand.

“Yep. No hard feelings,” Bridge repeated.

Nicole looked on and grinned, knowing what was coming. Bridge then popped the man in the mouth with his free left hand. With the man stunned and covering his mouth, Bridge then delivered a right cross, sending the man to the ground.

“That’s for what you were thinking about.”

None of the three men on the ground were a problem any longer. Bridge turned to look at his girlfriend.

“You look beautiful, by the way.”

“Oh, thanks. Just a little something I threw on.”

Bridge went over to her and put his arms around her, giving her a kiss. “It’s a little something I’d love to throw off.”

“Well, you could. If I wasn’t still mad at you for that comment you made.”

“What?! That?! It was just a joke. I didn’t want them to think we knew each other. Then they’d be on their guard more.”

Nicole huffed. “I guess.”

“I’ll make it up to you. I promise. We can do it two times later if you want.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Really. Whatever and wherever you want. Shower, bed, floor, closet, wherever. Up to you.”

“Oh, that’s exciting.”

“I thought it would be. But we should probably start figuring out how we’re gonna get out of here first.”

Nicole’s eyes lowered and looked at the men on the floor. “Oh. Yeah.”

“Anyone outside?” Bridge asked.

“Nobody still on their feet.”

Bridge smiled. “Nice.”

He put his hand on the knob of the door and slowly opened it, taking a peek outside. He saw the outline of a man lying on the floor, courtesy of his girlfriend. But there was nobody else out there that he could see. He looked back at Nicole to make sure she was ready. She nodded that she was.

Bridge threw open the door, and they left the room. As soon as they stepped into the hallway, a man appeared. It was the man with the scar. He stopped dead in his tracks as their eyes met. Both Bridge and Nicole instinctively pointed their guns at him.

With a stoic expression on his face, the man simply put his arms out to his side. He knew he had no other recourse here.

“What is this about?”

“Jewelry,” Bridge answered. “The kind that didn’t have the proper paperwork when it was taken?”

The man shrugged. “So?”

“So we’ve been hired to take it back.”

“So that’s what this is about? Some jewelry someone lost?”

“That’s it. And we’re here to collect.”

The man sighed. “Can I interest you in a deal?”

“Depends on the terms.”

“I’ll take you to what you’re looking for, then you can take it, then you can get the hell out of here.”

Bridge and Nicole were a little surprised, both looking at each other, each with an equal level of distrust.

“Sounds… intriguing. But why would you help us after what you’ve been doing to me?”

“Because I knew you were here for a different purpose. Now that I know what it is, I just want you gone. Every minute that I’m here dealing with you means other people aren’t getting serviced and attended to. There’s a murmuring that I’m dealing with something not related to the auction. That makes people nervous. When people get nervous here, they start leaving. Taking their money with them. That eventually takes it out of my pocket. I also can’t risk any shooting in here. That’s also bad for business. So right now, I just want this ordeal to be over with.”

“I can agree to that. All we want is the jewelry we’re looking for. Then we’ll be out of your hair.”

“What exactly is it?”

Bridge looked at his partner, who reached inside her dress and pulled out her phone. She quickly scrolled to a picture of it. She then held it out and brought it closer to the man with the scar so he could take a look. He recognized it instantly.

“Yeah. I know these pieces. Follow me. I’ll take you to them.”

Bridge was still a little hesitant to blindly follow him. “Ah, ah, ah. Remember, anything goes sideways here, you’ll be the first one that goes down.”

“I remember. I told you, shooting’s bad for business. At least here. But put your guns away. I don’t want anyone getting nervous.”

Bridge brought his gun close to his chest, covering it with his other arm. “I’ll just keep it out of sight for the moment.”

The man led them through another hallway, then turned the corner. There was a guard at the door. The kind that Bridge assumed had a weapon hidden underneath his suit jacket.

“Tell him to drop whatever weapon he’s got,” Bridge said.

The man waved at the guard. “Take your gun out and put it on the floor.”

The guard looked confused, but did as his boss ordered. He then stepped aside as his employer unlocked the door and opened it. He went inside, followed by Nicole. Bridge stayed outside for a moment, directing the guard with his thumb to go inside as well.

The room wasn’t quite what Bridge had pictured it to look like. He thought it’d almost be like an old pirate hideout, with gold, and jewels, and chests all over the place, overflowing and just all over the place. This was obviously not that. This almost looked like a bank vault. Very organized. Very neat.

The man with the scar went over to the wall to his left and quickly went over to the box he was looking for. He pulled out a drawer and placed it down on the ground. He had almost everything there memorized. It was a gift he had. He never lost or misplaced anything.

He stuck his hand out. “I believe this is what you were looking for?”

Bridge stood alert, keeping his attention on the other two men, while Nicole bent down for a closer look. She carefully picked up the pieces and examined them, looking at the picture on her phone for reassurance. She looked back up at her boyfriend.

“This is it.”

Bridge smirked. “Nice. Now let’s get out of here. That’s not gonna be a problem, is it?”

“Not today,” the boss replied. “Today, you’re lucky. You get a pass. I just want this over with. But I don’t ever want to see you two again. If I do, you’re both dead.”

Bridge’s smile didn’t fade from his face. “Sounds clear enough. And I do believe you mean it.”

“So take it and go out the way you came in. Discreetly. Quietly, if you will.”

“We would have it no other way. Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

Bridge and Nicole backtracked out of the room, and hurried down the halls, walking at a brisk pace, though they didn’t run to bring anymore unwanted attention to themselves. But they weren’t necessarily taking scar-man’s word that they had free passage, either. They were skeptical, though hopeful.

They were slightly surprised, though grateful, when they finally reached the steps. They walked down, with Nicole seeing that the one guard had returned to his post.

“Oh, this is a little awkward.”

“What’s that?” Bridge asked.

“I just had to flirt and make some advances on this guy to get up here to begin with. I hoped he wouldn’t be back yet.”

“Oh. Well that is awkward.”

Once they got near the bottom of the steps, the guard looked up, seeing her coming. His face turned red.

“I just want to let you know that I’m so sorry,” Nicole said. “And it wasn’t you. It was me.”

Bridge then tapped the man on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. She does it to a lot of people. You’re definitely not the first.”

The pair kept walking. As they got further away, the guard looked completely befuddled, talking to himself.

“Who is that guy?”

Once they reached the exit, Bridge and Nicole stepped outside, and smelled the fresh air. They both had a look of satisfaction on their faces. They slapped hands.

“Another job well done, Mrs. Bridge.”

“You too, Mr. Bridge. And I like the sound of that.”

“What?”

“Mrs. Bridge.”

“Oh, dear. I didn’t even realize what I said.”

“But now you’ve got me thinking.”

Bridge cleared his throat. “Well, uh, let’s get off of that and think of something else.”

“Like what?”

“I believe I promised you a couple rounds at the hotel.”

Nicole smiled wide. “You most certainly did. And that’s the kind of thinking I like.”

5

Bridge and Nicole were lying in bed when they heard the knock on the door. Bridge pulled the sheets over his head.

“Why didn’t you tell them to leave it outside?”

“What?”

“The room service. That’s what it is, isn’t it?”

“I didn’t order anything,” Nicole answered.

Bridge pulled the sheets back down. “Then who is it?”

Nicole got out of bed, not wearing a stitch of clothing. “I don’t know. Want me to go see?”

Bridge’s eyes widened. “Not looking like that, I don’t.”

Nicole stood there in her glory, with her hands on her hips. There was another knock. Bridge quickly got out of bed and threw on his clothes. Nicole went over to him and put her arms around him.

“You know, we don’t have to answer. Whoever it is will eventually go away.”

They kissed.

“That’s a good idea,” Bridge said.

There was more knocking.

“Eventually,” Nicole whispered.

“Wait a minute. This isn’t one of your ploys to get us a new job or something, is it?”

“What?! I’d never!”

Bridge laughed. “Yeah. You’d never. You’ve only done it sixty-eight times.”

“That’s oddly specific.”

“I keep track.”

“No you don’t.”

“I sure do.”

“You’re lying.”

“Every time you sucker me into a job, I keep count.”

Nicole still wasn’t sure she believed that. He had a tendency to make things up sometimes. There was more knocking on the door. Bridge wiped his face.

“I get the feeling this person isn’t gonna let up.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. She was in the mood for round three. “Or go away. I promise you, it’s not me this time.”

“Aha, so you admit you do it!”

“Uh, I may have done it a time or two. But only for a good reason.”

“Which was?”

“I forget now. But I promise whatever’s blowing up our door, it’s not me.”

There was more knocking. “I guess we should be thankful with our history that the door isn’t actually blowing up.”

Nicole sighed. “I’ll get dressed.”

“Fully. Never know what’s awaiting.”

“If I have to. I was looking forward to just lounging around with not much on today.”

Bridge looked down at her naked body. “Uh, yeah, me too. Maybe later.”

Bridge slipped out of her arms and left the bedroom on his way to answer the door. There were a few more knocks. When he opened it, he saw a smaller man standing there with a depressed look on his face, probably in his sixties, with graying hair, and a goatee.

“Can I help you?”

“Mr. Bridge?” the man asked, in a Spanish accent.

“That’s me.”

A small bit of hope formed on the man’s face. “I’m so thankful to meet you. I hope I’m not interrupting you with anything.”

“Uh, well, you know, just… uh… well, it’s nothing, really. Is there something I can do for you?”

“I would like you to find something for me if you can. I wish to hire you.”

Bridge briefly closed his eyes and puffed. No breaks. He really disliked going from one job straight into another with no time off in between. He always felt having a small break, even if it was just a couple of days, recharged his batteries.

“Well, I guess that would all depend on the circumstances.”

The man started to explain himself when Nicole walked out into the room in full view. She just put on leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. She walked right up to the door.

“Mrs. Bridge?” the man asked.

Nicole pleasantly smiled. “Not yet. Hopefully soon. I am his better half, though.”

“He was just telling us about a job,” Bridge said, wanting to change the subject.

“Oh really? Well come in and tell us about it.”

Bridge looked up and whispered. “Better half.”

She put her hands on the arm of their potential client and led him into the room. Bridge raised his eyebrows and wiped his forehead. He then motioned to the pair as they walked away from him, then back at the door. His mouth was moving, though no words were coming out. He then closed the door.

“Yeah, sure. Why not?”

He then walked into the living room, where Nicole had taken a seat across from their guest, eager to hear his story. Bridge sat down next to her, though as usual, she took more of an interest in the case at this point than he did.

“So what is it that we can do for you?” she asked.

“I am hopeful you can retrieve a missing item for me.”

“We can sure try.”

Bridge interjected. “Before we get into that, how about you tell us who you are?”

“Oh, yes, of course. My name is Antonio De Leon.”

“And you do?”

“Well, most of my work these days involve my faith and various charities I work with.”

“Very noble.”

Nicole leaned forward. “So what is it that you lost?”

De Leon instantly looked upset, putting his hand on his forehead, and taking deep breaths. It was almost like he couldn’t get the words out, or even talk about it. Bridge and Nicole glanced at each other, giving each other a look that they weren’t sure what was going on here.

De Leon took another deep breath to collect himself before beginning. “I am a man of faith. I go to church weekly for my own benefit, as well as multiple other times for the benefit of others.”

“And that gets us to here?” Bridge asked.

“I had an item in my possession. A rare, valuable item. It was made hundreds of years ago. More valuable to those… well, I guess I should not speculate on the worth. If you are not a religious person, it is worth quite a bit. But if you are, it is worth more in its beauty and what it represents.”

“Uh, what kind of monetary value are we talking about here?”

De Leon partially threw his hands up. “Oh, I would say, maybe up to a million dollars. Perhaps more. It has not been inspected for its monetary value in quite a while.”

Bridge raised his eyebrows and whistled. “So we’re easily talking a cool million?”

“If someone was intent on selling it, probably.”

Bridge and Nicole looked at each other again, knowing they had a big one on their hands. They turned their attention back to their likely client.

“Do you have pictures of what this item looks like?” Nicole asked.

De Leon reached inside his jacket pocket and removed a few rolled up 8x10 pictures. He handed them over. Nicole grabbed them and started looking at them, with Bridge glancing over her shoulder. The first one was a gold and silver cross, with several diamonds running along the width of it. It was beautiful. And looked every bit as expensive as De Leon insinuated that it was.

The second picture was of a different angle. But the beauty of the piece shined as much in it as the first picture. As beautiful as it looked in the pictures, it must have been even more awe-inspiring to see it up close.

“A few more questions,” Bridge said. “First, how did you wind up with this thing in your possession to begin with?”

“I have sought out religious items all my life. Most of them are neither worth much to the outside world, or old enough to have any perceived value to anyone else. I came across this item over twenty years ago. I was traveling in Africa, and came across a street market. There were many items available for sale, religious and not, of different varieties. In any case, I really did not know what it was at the time. Or how valuable it would eventually become. I just knew it was as beautiful a thing as I’d ever seen. So I bought it for what is about the equivalent of a hundred dollars.”

Bridge whistled again. “That’s a pretty good investment. A hundred dollars to a million.”

De Leon put his hands out as if he were trying to stop someone. “I just want to be clear. The monetary value is of little value to me. This was not bought as an investment, and I do not treat it as such.”

“Then what is it?”

“My intention is, and has always been, to hand it over to the church at some point. That is where it rightfully belongs. So everyone can enjoy its beauty. Not just one.”

“Very decent of you.”

“I have enjoyed it in solitude for far too long. Now that I’m in my sixties, I wish to hand it over for the sight of the masses.”

“The world needs more people like you.”

De Leon threw his hands up in frustration. “That doesn’t change the predicament we find ourselves in now.”

“Which is what?” Nicole asked. “What happened to it?”

“It was stolen.”

“You’re sure? It wasn’t misplaced or…”

De Leon shook his head. “Definitely stolen. And I even know the man who took it. Well, I have his picture. I don’t know his name.”

“How do you have his picture?” Bridge asked.

“Well, amongst collectors, it has become known for quite some time about the cross that I possessed. It’s not been a secret. I have showcased it to just about anyone who has asked to see it. As I said, I have not kept it hidden in a dark basement somewhere.”

“And this person you believe took it? If you don’t know his name, I assume you haven’t known him long?”

“Not long at all. He contacted me at my home, asked to see the item, then repeatedly asked if I would sell it to him. Of course I rebuffed his offers, but he became quite agitated, and even made a comment about having to keep an eye on it at all times so it didn’t eventually get lost.”

“But how do you know he actually took it?”

“I have cameras throughout my home. Some visible. Some hidden. One day I went out, and when I came back, it was gone.”

“Where did you keep it?”

“In a safe in my basement. Hidden in the wall.”

“Not so hidden,” Bridge said. “Did you get this guy on video?”

De Leon nodded. He took a flash drive out of his pocket and handed it to Nicole. She took it and got up to get her laptop. Once she had it in hand, she brought it back over to the couch and inserted the drive. There it was on video. The man, along with three others, ransacking De Leon’s basement. They all eagerly watched, though the video was already ingrained into De Leon’s mind at this point, he’d seen it so many times.

“One of those guys is a safecracker,” Bridge pointed out.

“And a good one,” De Leon replied. “He had my safe open in under five minutes.”

“And there’s the guy wrapping up the cross in a white handkerchief or towel or something.”

“And there they go,” Nicole observed.

“And you never got the guy’s name?”

De Leon waved his hand in the air. “Ah, it was a phony name. I have already checked on it. Or I should say the police checked on it. They assured me the name he gave me does not exist. At least not to the face in that picture.”

“Well, we’ll still check on it, anyway.”

Nicole thought something about the guy looked familiar and started stroking the keys a little faster. She eventually stopped the frame to get a better, up-close look at the man in question. She then zoomed in, her eyes almost popping as she did. She put her arm out and started tapping her boyfriend without looking at him.

“Uh, we already know this guy.”

Bridge looked at her curiously. “What? We do?”

“Oh, we do. Quite well, in fact.”

Bridge leaned in to get a better look. But it didn’t take long for him to come to the same conclusion as his girlfriend. There was no doubt.

“Oh, you gotta be kidding.”

Nicole shook her head. “Nope. Don’t think so.”

Bridge leaned in again. “It can’t be.”

“But it is. There’s no doubt about it.”

Bridge closed his eyes and sighed. “This is not gonna be good. No way. No how.”

6

Bridge and Nicole both sat there for a moment, a little stunned, still staring at the picture. She put her hands up to the picture.

“I mean, there’s not much doubt, is there?”

“Not with that scar,” Bridge answered.

“I take it you know this man?” De Leon asked.

“Uh, we’ve done a little business with him before.”

“I assume not in a positive way?”

“No, he threatened to kill us the next time he saw us. It was just yesterday in fact.”

“Really? He’s here?”

“Well, he was. Whether he’s still here now or not, is another question.”

“But you know his name?”

Bridge stroked his chin. “No, we actually never got that far. As you can imagine, he wasn’t a very good host.”

Nicole slapped his partner on the arm. “The auction was yesterday!”

Bridge rubbed his arm. “Ow!”

“Auction?” De Leon asked. “What auction?”

“An auction of illegal or stolen items. Most of them are rare, or expensive, and frequently both.”

A worried look instantly came across De Leon’s face. “Oh no. The cross.”

Bridge put his hands up to calm him down before he got too distraught. “Now, now, let’s not jump to conclusions. We don’t know if that piece was there.”

“Don’t know that it wasn’t either,” Nicole replied.

“True. But we don’t know that it was.” Bridge folded his arms to contemplate it further. “Now let’s think about this. It doesn’t seem likely that Scarface would be out stealing items on his own for this auction.”

“Why not?”

“Because that’s not the intelligence that we received from, uh, whatshisname?”

“Macdermid,” Nicole answered. “Jace Macdermid.”

“Yeah, that’s the guy. Creep. You know, they had the audacity to show his face to me when they had me captured? He stood there in the doorway with that creepy smirk of his, almost toying at me, like he was laughing, like he was proud of the fact that he was the one that turned on me. And he wanted me to know it.”

“Yeah, I ran into him right after that.”

“Oh. You did?”

“Yeah. He was the one that told me where you were.”

Bridge scrunched his eyebrows together, now not sure if the man was friend or foe. “Hmm. Do I need to rethink my hatred towards him?”

“No, you should definitely still hate him.”

“Oh, good. He has that kind of face.”

“He only agreed to help because I threatened him.”

Bridge smiled. “I can see that.”

De Leon raised his face, thinking Nicole seemed like the sweet, innocent, beautiful type. She didn’t seem to be the kind that would threaten anyone. At least, not in a meaningful way.

“How did you make him do that?” he asked.

Nicole grinned. “I threatened to make a hole where his scrotum used to be. And if that wasn’t enough, I’d tell everyone there he inappropriately touched me, which is a big no-no there. Everything professional.”

De Leon seemed a little taken aback. Apparently she was much tougher than he initially took her for.

“Oh. OK.”

Now Nicole looked confused. “Which is really kind of weird if you think about it.”

“What’s that?” Bridge asked.

“They had some wild stuff going on there. Orgies, parties, naked people wherever… but everything has to be professional. Does that make sense?”

“I think the extracurriculars were for anyone who willingly partakes in that sort of thing. If you’re not willing, it’s all hands are off.”

“Still seems kind of dumb.”

“Plus, maybe it’s an extra perk for the high-rollers.”

“Still stupid.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t,” Bridge said. “Just explaining it from their perspective.”

“I’d like to put my fist in their perspective.”

Bridge chuckled. “I’m sure you would. And if we wind up doing this, you may very well get your chance.”

“If?” De Leon asked. “You may not take the job?”

Bridge rubbed his forehead, knowing what likely awaited them once he accepted. In most cases, the future was the great unknown. They didn’t know what was waiting for them wherever they were going. There was a trail they had to follow, and anything was possible beyond a certain point. But in this case, since they already dealt with the man, and knew what he was likely capable of, they knew what was in store for them.

It also meant they would have to operate even more secretly than they usually did. There were some jobs they could get up close, via a disguise, or even just because they weren’t a known entity yet. That wouldn’t be the case here. Scar-man knew their faces. Both of them. Unless they were disguised as Wookies at a costume party, it was unlikely they would be able to operate closely. At least until it was time to strike. But before then? They’d have to keep their distance if at all possible.

“The ability to pay is not an issue,” De Leon said. “If that is a consideration, I can give you a full down payment today.”

Bridge wiped his face. “No, that’s not really the issue. I mean, it certainly helps. But the bigger issue is our health.”

“Your health?”

“The man threatened to kill us the next time he saw us. Just yesterday.”

“I can see how that would make you hesitant.”

“Not the first time someone’s said that to us,” Nicole said.

“No, but it sure does make you think first,” Bridge replied.

“Throwing ourselves into danger is kind of what we do.”

“No arguments there. I didn’t say we wouldn’t do it. Just saying it makes you think first.”

He took a deep breath, then motioned at his upper torso as if he were trying to get something out of his body.

“What are you doing?” Nicole asked.

“Just trying to mentally prepare myself for what we’re about to do.”

“Um, OK.”

She then made a face like he was crazy.

“So you’ll take the job?” De Leon asked.

“First things first,” Bridge responded. “There’s no telling how far and deep this thing goes. How far do you want us to take it?”

“All the way. Whatever your rate is, I can afford it for as long as it takes.”

“The good thing is we already know the who,” Nicole said. “That makes it already a little easier than usual. Most of the time we have to figure some stuff out first.”

Bridge stuck his finger in the air. “Yeah, but in this case, the who is… well, you know.”

“But now we just have to track him.”

“Unless he really did sell it at the auction yesterday.”

“You said he wouldn’t,” Nicole said.

“I just said I thought it was unlikely. I could be wrong.”

Nicole put on her shocked face and put her hands over her heart. “Are you admitting you could be wrong about something?”

“Now, now, let’s not get your panties in a twist. I just said it was possible.”

“I’m not wearing…” her eyes then went to De Leon. “Nevermind. Anyway, how are we going to figure out whether… what are we calling this guy?”

“Let’s just go with Scarman for now. It’s actually got a nice ring to it.”

“It really doesn’t. But I’ll just go with it to make you happy for the moment. How are we going to figure out whether he has it or sold it? And if he has sold it, where to?”

Bridge waved his hands in the air. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s take things one step at a time. Let’s find out Scarman’s real name first. All the dominoes will fall after that.”

“And we’re doing that how?”

Bridge smiled. “By talking to an old friend.”

Nicole’s eyes wandered around the room for a second as she thought of who he could be referring to.

“By old friend, are you actually talking about someone you’d rather punch in the face?”

Bridge’s smile grew even wider, and he pointed at her. “Yes!”

“Old friend, huh?”

“Well, he seems to know how things work at that auction, right? Knows all the players. Know what happens. Stands to reason he knows who we’re looking for.”

“Assuming he’s still around and will talk to us.”

“He’ll talk. You know me. Very persuasive. He’ll talk.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then you can follow through with your threat and rip out his testicles.”

Now it was Nicole’s turn to smile. “Nice. I can get on board with that.”

“Somehow, I thought you could.”

7

Bridge and Nicole were up early the next day, trying to get a line on Jace Macdermid. From trying to get into the auction before, they already knew some of his likes and tendencies. And like most people, he had habits. The kind that made it easier to track. He liked going to the same places for breakfast and lunch. He’d rotate his choices depending on the day, but he never really deviated from those locations, unless it was a business meeting and he didn’t get to pick where it was.

They spent most of the morning at what they thought was his favorite breakfast haunt, waiting for him to arrive, though he never made an appearance.

“Must not be the right day,” Nicole said.

Bridge looked around the small cafe one more time. “I guess not.”

“On to lunch?”

Bridge nodded. “Hope he shows up at the next one. My budget and waistline will be expanding quickly.”

“Oh, stop. We eat out most of the time, anyway.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t taste as good when you’re just waiting around. It kind of just stays there, you know?”

“No.”

“It kind of just lingers.”

Nicole shook her head. “Let’s just head out before you really say something stupid.”

“I’m actually surprised I haven’t already.”

They got up and left, heading to the next location on their list. It was a larger restaurant that, according to their information, Macdermid frequented at least three times a week for lunch. That made it a pretty solid bet that he’d be there. If not on this day, then definitely tomorrow. Though they hoped they wouldn’t have to wait that long.

Sitting on Macdermid’s residence wasn’t an option, as he moved around a lot. He never really called one place home. At least, according to their information. Being involved in the shadowy world that he was, Macdermid tried to remain as elusive as possible. Except when it came to his food choices. He just couldn’t help himself. Or stay away.

It’s what cost him the first time Bridge and Nicole put their eyes on him a week prior to that. They staked him out, just like this, and eventually he walked right into their lap. For Macdermid, he probably thought he was done with the pair. After what happened at the auction, he didn’t even know if they were still alive or not. He actually hoped they weren’t. So he didn’t have any inclination that the same thing was about to happen. But it was.

Bridge and Nicole were sitting at the bar, having a little cocktail, keeping their eyes open. They periodically glanced at the door to see if and when their subject walked in. And he finally did.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

Nicole looked up and noticed her partner’s eyes on the door, so she swirled her chair slightly, seeing Jace Macdermid walk in. He also had an attractive brunette on his arm.

“She’s pretty.”

“Oh, I hadn’t noticed,” Bridge said.

Nicole gave him a look, but put her attention back to the pair walking in. Since Macdermid was a regular, he was given a seat right away. Of course, the restaurant wasn’t packed yet, so he wouldn’t have had to wait, anyway.

“You think she knows what he is?” Nicole asked.

“I doubt it. Oh, she knows he’s got money. Maybe even has an inkling that he gets it in unethical and slimy ways, but she doesn’t care. She just likes the fancy restaurants, and the expensive-looking bracelet she’s got on, and the revealing dress that… well, anyway… she likes all that comes with it. She doesn’t care how he makes it. As long as he does.”

“Wonder if she’s a regular or just part of his rotation?”

Bridge shook his head. “Man like him, no chance. He’s not tying himself down to the old ball and chain yet.”

Nicole gave him another disapproving glance. “What was that?”

Bridge looked down at the floor for a moment and cleared his throat. “Uh, I meant the, uh… what I meant was…”

“I’m waiting.”

Bridge pointed to a table. “Oh, look, they’re sitting down. We should go spoil the party.”

“Are you bringing the old ball and chain with you or would you like to go by yourself?”

“Now, now, you know that’s not what I meant.” He snuggled his face next to hers and kissed her softly on the cheek. “I wouldn’t want to be tied down to anyone other than you.”

“Wow. So romantic. Tied down. Sounds like you’re attached to a boat. Why don’t you just nickname me Titanic since it sounds like I’m sinking you.”

Bridge rolled his eyes. “Now don’t go getting all dramatic on me.”

“Well I don’t call you a boat.”

“I didn’t call you a boat.”

“Implied it.”

“I implied nothing of the kind.”

Nicole crossed her arms. Bridge sat up straight in his chair.

“Are we really doing this nonsense now?”

Nicole’s eyes widened. “Nonsense?!”

The look on Bridge’s face realized he really stepped into it this time. He adjusted his suit and put his arm up for the bartender, who immediately came over.

“Uh, I need something a lot stiffer than this. Whatever you got.”

The bartender smiled and nodded. He came back over with a new drink, which Bridge quickly put down his throat. He then glanced over at his girlfriend, who was just staring straight ahead. He took a deep breath, then put his arm around her.

“Nic, I’m very sorry. Sometimes things come out of my mouth that I don’t intend and don’t mean. You know how I am.”

“I do,” she replied.

“So you should also know that you’re the love of my life, and I couldn’t imagine doing any of this without you. I couldn’t. You’re everything to me. And I’d be nothing without you.”

Nicole looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and a flirty grin formed on her face. She then turned her head towards him and kissed him.

“I forgive you for calling me a boat.”

“I didn’t… you know what, I’m sorry. I’m just sorry. And if I can make it up to you, I will.”

“Well, make-up sex is pretty great. We should go back to the hotel.”

Bridge slightly turned his head toward the table Macdermid was sitting at.

“Well, we kind of have this whole thing going on over here.”

Nicole then looked at Macdermid and his guest. “Oh yeah. I almost forgot about them. Let’s hurry up and get it over with so we can get back to the hotel.”

Bridge’s face turned plain, and he looked down at his empty glass. He then looked at the one in front of Nicole, which was still half-full.

“Are you drinking that?”

Nicole glanced at her drink. “No.”

Bridge quickly reached down and picked it up, then guzzled it down.

“Did you really need that?”

Bridge blew air through his nose and stretched his face. “Oh, I think I will.”

8

Bridge put some cash down on the bar, then the pair started walking over to Macdermid’s table. His back was to them, so he never saw them approaching. His brunette friend did, as she was sitting across from them, but had no idea who they were, so didn’t pay them much attention.

Bridge and Nicole went up to the table and immediately sat down as if they were invited. Bridge sat down, almost pushing Macdermid to the side, while Nicole sat down next to the woman.

“Scooch it on over,” Bridge said.

Wide-eyed, Macdermid looked at the pair, incredulous that they just randomly showed up. Again. His female friend made a face as if they’d just been joined by skunks.

“Who are these people, babe?”

Macdermid took a breath. “No one, they’re just…”

Bridge playfully elbowed him in the arm, smiling wide, enjoying crashing the party. “Oh, don’t play games with her like that. We’re all business associates.” He stuck his hand out and shook hands with her. “It’s so nice to make your acquaintance.”

She looked at her date. “Uh, likewise?”

“I’d ask for your name, but it’s probably not necessary. Unless you’re going to join us for our business meeting?”

“We don’t have anything to discuss,” Macdermid said.

“Nonsense. There’s those stolen…”

Macdermid put his hands up to prevent Bridge from saying anything else. “Ah, ah, ah.” He turned his attention to his date, putting his hands together in a praying motion. “Would you be so kind as to excuse us for just a few minutes? I promise you this won’t take long.”

“I won’t promise this won’t take long,” Bridge said. “All depends.”

“Certainly,” the brunette replied. “I can go freshen up for a few minutes.”

The woman stood up, and Nicole did as well, so she could get out. Nicole stood to the side of the table as the woman grabbed her purse and walked away.

“She know what you do for a living?” Bridge pleasantly asked.

Macdermid intentionally ignored the question. “Why are you here?”

“Surprised to see us?”

“Definitely. I had actually hoped that both of you had met an unfortunate and sad end to your miserable lives.”

Bridge pretended to be insulted. “Ouch. That’s definitely hurtful. I can’t believe you would say such a thing.”

“Again, why are you here?”

Bridge took the picture of De Leon’s cross out of his pocket and placed it on the table in front of Macdermid.

“We’re looking for that.”

Macdermid, with a disgusted look on his face, barely glanced at it. “Haven’t seen it.”

“Now, now, I feel like you’re saying that without giving it an honest effort.”

Macdermid looked at it again. “Still haven’t seen it.”

“How long do you want us to stay here?”

With a deep sigh, Macdermid picked up the picture and seemed to give it a better look. He then put it in front of Bridge.

“I still haven’t seen it.”

“You know what? I kind of believe you. But you know who we think does know?” Bridge motioned to his cheek. “Our friend with the scar.”

Macdermid let out a nervous laugh. “No, you don’t want to go there. You really don’t want to.”

“Well, you’re probably right. Based on our last interaction with him, I really don’t. But I feel that I must.”

“That might be the last mistake you ever make.”

“Believe me, I’ve made a lot of them.”

“But never a last one. Why do you want him?”

“We have a picture that he’s the one that actually took it.”

“You really don’t want to do this.”

“So you keep saying,” Bridge said. “And deep down I’m in agreement. But this is the situation we’re in.”

“You won’t live to see the end of it.”

“Well if you really believe that, you should be eager to send us off. Then you can be sure you’ll never see us again.”

“You’re right. That is appealing.”

“See? Told you.”

“What is it that you want to know?”

“We want to know what Scarman’s actual name is. And where we can find him.”

“And why he specifically took that cross to begin with?” Nicole asked. “We didn’t think he got personally involved in that sort of stuff. Is it personal? Or is he planning to sell it himself, outside of the auction?”

“He usually doesn’t,” Macdermid replied.

“So what made this a special case?”

Macdermid shrugged. “Without knowing the specifics, I can’t say with any certainty. All I can do is speculate.”

“Might as well join the fun,” Bridge said. “That’s all we usually do.”

“If you have proof that he actually took an item himself, I would say that he’s either doing it for his own pleasure, or he’s already got a buyer lined up.”

“Outside of the auction?”

“That would be my guess.”

“Does that usually happen? I thought everything happened at that auction.”

“Most things. There are special circumstances where a buyer might indicate their preference for a certain item, and then that wish is fulfilled.”

“How often does that happen?”

“I wouldn’t say it happens with any regularity, but every now and then, maybe.”

“So somebody saw this cross at some point, couldn’t get it, then made a deal with Scarman to get it for them. He does, makes the exchange, profits. That about sum things up?”

“Mostly,” Macdermid answered.

“So who would have ordered it?”

“That could be anyone. It could be a ruthless gangster from Russia, a priest from Brazil, a football player from Spain, or a United States Senator. Whoever has the money to pay for it. Assuming it’s for someone else’s gain.”

“How are we going to find that out?” Nicole asked.

Macdermid lifted his hands. “That’s the big question, isn’t it?”

“Next question,” Bridge said. “What’s his name?”

Macdermid just looked at him at first, without saying a word. “You’re sure you want to go down this path.”

“I appreciate your concern for my safety, but it is what it is at this point. The road leads where it leads. And we’re going down and not turning back. For better or for worse.”

“Well I can guarantee it will be worse. Much worse.”

“So it seems. The name?”

Macdermid was deliberate in his pronunciation. “His name is Bono Van Wyk. They call him The Dealer.”

Bridge slightly raised an eyebrow. “Ooh. That is a name, isn’t it?”

“And you’re best not to cross it.”

“Cross it.” Bridge faked a laugh and slapped his knee. “I see what you did there.” He looked at Nicole. “Did you see what he did there?”

She wasn’t as amused as he was. “I see it.”

“Cross it. Cause we’re looking for a cross. Ha! Too funny! But anyway, his name is Bono Van Wyk? Never heard of him. And he’s supposed to be a big shot?”

“You’ve never heard of him because he prefers it that way. Believe me, the people in this line of work… have all heard of him. And not in a good way. You’ve met him once and got out with your lives spared. Consider that extremely good fortune and move on. I sincerely doubt you could do it again.”

“Well, that’ll be our problem.”

“Indeed, it will.”

“Is Bono a nickname or is it the real deal?”

Macdermid shrugged. “Never inquired. Maybe his parents were U2 fans.”

Bridge smiled. “Perhaps. Where does he reside? And don’t tell me it’s a street with no name.”

Macdermid finally let out a grin. He put his elbow on the table and rested his hand against the side of his head, before finally waving his hand in the air.

“No one knows. At least not me. I’m an acquaintance, but I’m certainly not in his inner circle.”

“So who is?”

Macdermid squirmed a little in his seat, with Bridge getting the impression the man knew more than he was saying. He was holding something back. No question about it. Bridge just had to coax it out of him. He leaned closer toward Macdermid.

“Tell you what. You tell us everything we need to know, and we’ll be out of your hair for life. You’ll never have to see us again. Even if we have information that could bring us back to you, we won’t take it. You’re out of the game as far as we’re concerned.”

It seemed to be a promising proposition for Macdermid. At least his face changed a little, seeming a little brighter and happier as he considered it. He’d already dealt with Bridge and Nicole far more than he wanted to over the past week. He really didn’t want to see them anymore.

“Really? You’d be done with me?”

“As long as you give us legit info,” Bridge answered. “Now, if you give us the runaround, or some false stuff, or you set us up, or you warn Bono we’re coming, then we’ll be back. And I’ll be back with some bad intentions, if you know what I mean.”

“I get the hint.”

“But if you shoot us straight, we’re gone for good.” He glanced at Nicole. “Right?”

“Yeah, I’m tired of looking at his face,” she replied.

Macdermid rubbed his forehead, thinking it over. After a good minute of thought, he finally seemed willing to divulge all that he knew.

“OK. So Bono is… what he is. He’s elusive. You’ll never catch on to him by tracking him. You’ll have to track his associates. Who he does business with. Follow it up the food chain. One guy will lead to another, then to another, then to another, and then… finally, maybe, you’ll get to him.”

“OK. Where do we start?” Bridge asked.

“Before I say that, you’ll have to be as quiet and discreet about this as you ever have been with anything. You can’t approach any of these people directly and ask about Bono. Or even hint about him. They are all extremely loyal to him. He takes care of them. If they suspect you are coming for him, every single one of them will warn him. And you’ll be dead before you know what hit you.”

Bridge sat up straighter, putting his hand over his mouth, realizing this sounded even a little harder than he anticipated.

“What about wives or girlfriends?”

“He has women,” Macdermid answered. “If you’re thinking you can get to him through them, I would be very weary.”

“The money and power thing?”

Macdermid nodded. “He gives them everything. Anything they want.”

“One in particular?”

“He’ll have four or five hanging around him at any one time.”

“No jealousy involved?”

“I doubt any of them are in it for love.”

“How’d he get that scar, by the way?” Bridge asked.

“I don’t know firsthand. The rumor is that he was slashed in the face with a knife by a woman he was involved with. They had some type of argument and that was the result.”

“Huh. Wonder what happened to her?”

Macdermid smiled. “The same rumor has it that after he was cut, he took the knife away from her and then slit her throat. And while she was bleeding out, he proceeded to dismember her. He took her apart piece by piece, starting with her fingers, then her hands, her elbows, the shoulders…”

“OK, OK, I get it. You don’t need to go into the graphic details.”

“After she was taken apart in pieces, he threw her remains into a sack, put her on his boat, took her out to sea, then fed her to the sharks.”

Bridge gulped, obviously concerned. “Oh. I was not expecting that.”

“Believe me, whatever your reception was like with him before, you got the angel part of him. Because he can be as ruthless as anyone you’ve ever met. Once you cross him, he doesn’t forget. And he never forgets a face.”

Bridge rubbed his mouth as he glanced over at Nicole. But she didn’t seem the least bit bothered by any of it. She almost looked bored.

“Can we get on with the names of those who know him?” Nicole asked. “I’d like to get out of here.”

Macdermid reached inside his jacket pocket and removed a pen. He grabbed a napkin on the table and started writing.

“Here’s three to start with.”

Once he was done, he slid the napkin over to Bridge, who looked it over.

“Who are these people?”

“One’s a chef,” Macdermid replied. “The other’s a businessman, and the other is in security.”

“Which one’s the best to start with?”

“That is up to you. They all will lead to the same place if you do it right. The same cruel, violent, ruthless, place.”

“Just names? No addresses?”

“I am not a human phonebook. I know the names. I know what they do. I know who they know. The rest is up to you.”

“Fine,” Bridge said, putting the napkin in his pocket. He then playfully tapped Macdermid on the arm. “Thanks for all this. Appreciate it. See you next week.”

Macdermid made a face, like he was about to argue. Bridge then laughed.

“Ha! Gotcha.”

Macdermid’s brunette friend returned to the table, just as Bridge and Nicole were getting up.

“I hope I gave you all enough time,” she said.

“Oh yes, thank you,” Bridge replied. “Hey, did you know Jace here does business with killers, murderers, thieves, and a whole other host of scary people? Did you know that? Anyway, enjoy your meal.”

Macdermid looked embarrassed, lowering his head, and putting his hand over his eyes as Bridge and Nicole walked away. The brunette seemed a little hesitant about sitting down again. As they reached the door, they looked back at the table, seeing the woman walking towards a different exit. Bridge laughed.

“Huh. Guess she wasn’t that into him after all.”

Nicole snickered. “C’mon. We got work to do.”

9

Back in the hotel, Nicole was bouncing around between two laptops. On the one, she was doing her best to find Bono Van Wyk. If she could somehow get a trace on him without having to go through a bunch of other people first, that’d obviously be more ideal. But, in the absence of that, she punched in the names of the three people Macdermid gave them, trying to find their locations. Both seemed to be difficult tasks, as neither provided any immediate results.

Bridge, who was in the kitchen making them drinks, came back in and sat down, handing Nicole her glass. They sat down and talked as the computers continued their search.

“You know, I was thinking.”

“Stop it, it’s dangerous,” Nicole said.

“No, really.”

“Really. I mean it.”

Bridge just looked at her. “I’m serious.”

“So am I. Every time you think, we get into trouble.”

“Are you done with your games?”

Nicole shrugged. “Maybe.”

“I know Macdermid’s recommendation was to keep going up the food chain on this, hit up one guy after another, but after thinking about it, I don’t think that’s a good strategy.”

“Why not?”

“How far are we really going to get doing it that way? It’s basically no contact, and we’re just staking people out for who knows how long? We might follow this chef around for months and get nowhere. Where are we then?”

“So what’s your alternative plan? I assume you have one?”

“We just gotta pick one of these guys and make them talk.”

“Make them talk. That’s your big plan?”

“You have a better one?”

Nicole rubbed the sides of her forehead with both hands. “I really don’t understand how you’ve stayed alive all these years. I swear if it wasn’t for me you’d have been killed long ago.”

Bridge stretched his arms out wide. “What? What’s wrong with it?”

“Do I really need to explain it to you?”

“Apparently so.”

“Let’s just take the chef for example. We go over there, talk to him, ask him about things, he’s loyal to Van Wyk, he tells us nothing, and then where are we? Van Wyk knows we’re coming, and we’re in the same boat we were in.”

“We force him to talk,” Bridge said. “We’ve done it before. We grab him, load him up with drugs, and he tells us everything he knows.”

“The problem I see with that… is you don’t think Van Wyk has tabs on all these people? A chef he knows disappears for a day, and you don’t think that’s gonna catch his attention?”

“Could be for a lot of reasons. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s because of him.”

“If we do as you’re suggesting, and the chef doesn’t know anything other than pointing us to another guy who may know something, then we do the same thing with him, Van Wyk will not believe that’s a coincidence. He’ll know something’s up. He’ll know we’re coming. If we have any chance at this, it has to be a total surprise. Plus, unless you’re planning on killing these guys, they’re gonna talk after we’re done with them.”

“Not if you load them up with some of your bye-bye juice. You haven’t used that bag in a while. Aren’t you a little antsy to use it again?”

“That’s besides the point. I think you’re probably right that going from one guy to another guy, and then another, and another, and then maybe we eventually find Van Wyk, that’s a lot of steps. And it’s likely we’ll take a wrong turn at some point and he’ll find us before we find him. So yeah, I think you’re right, we can’t really do all that. But I don’t think interrogating these people is the answer either. Not unless it can lead us straight to Van Wyk’s door immediately, and I’m not sure any of these people can.”

Bridge leaned back and rubbed his chin. “So what’s the answer?”

“I’m trying to see if I can somehow locate Van Wyk on my own. We know he was just here in town. I’m trying to see if I can do some tracing to figure out what hotel he was staying at, maybe a plane he flew in on, some credit card tracing, maybe a restaurant he ate at, something like that. If I can latch onto something like that, I’ve got him, and I can do the rest. We won’t need any of those other people.”

“What are the chances of that? Sounds like the old needle in the haystack.”

Nicole flipped one of her hands over. “Is it a longshot? Yeah. But sometimes long shots pay off.”

“How long are we gonna give it, though?”

“I don’t know. A day or two?”

Bridge made a face, concerned with the time frame. “That’s a lot of extra time for Van Wyk to go wherever.”

“He’s doing that regardless. We’re not gonna find him in the next few days talking or following those other people either.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. We’ll do it your way. At least at first.”

“And then?”

“If it doesn’t pay off, we gotta move in another direction.”

“Which is?”

“One of these people will talk,” Bridge said. “I’m sure of it.”

“You have a likely target?”

“The businessman. That’s the guy.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s a businessman. What do they say in business? There’s always a deal to be made. They’re not loyal to anything other than money and power. If we can offer enough of either, his loyalty can change to anything.”

“You’re missing one small thing.”

“What’s that?”

“They also can be loyal to fear. And that kind of trumps over everything. This guy might be so fearful of Van Wyk, and for good reason, that no amount of money or power will be enough to change that loyalty.”

Bridge smiled. “Well, I guess we’d just have to see who’s right.”

“That’s not something I’m exactly looking forward to. What if you’re wrong?”

Bridge shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“We could lose our limbs and get fed to the sharks!”

Bridge waved it off. “Ah! I doubt that happened. Just one of those rumors that starts and gets bigger down the line. I bet Bono got that scar when he nicked himself shaving.”

“Oh, you think so?”

“Sure. He probably started the rumor himself to make himself look tougher so nobody would cross him. I mean, let’s take our encounter with him? Did he seem like the kind of guy who’d do that?”

“Uh, yeah, he did!”

“Nonsense. He seemed like a perfectly reasonable guy. Just a dealmaker.”

“I think you’re crazy. And I don’t think it’s the right way to go.”

“We’ll just have to disagree.”

“I guess so.”

“Let’s do it like this.”

“We’re gonna do it?”

“No, not like that,” Bridge replied.

“Oh. Too bad.”

“Why don’t we attack this from different angles?”

Nicole looked at her laptops and stretched her arms out toward them like she was a game show host. “What do you think we’re doing?”

“Yeah, but that requires waiting.”

“Aren’t you the one that used to tell me I should be more patient? That I charged into situations too much without knowing all the facts?”

“Yeah, but that was before.”

“Before what?”

“Before I changed my mind.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “You’re hopeless.”

A small grin formed on his face. “Hopelessly in love with you.”

Nicole laughed. “Oh my God, you’re so corny.”

Bridge laughed. “But you love it so.”

“Sometimes.”

“Anyway, I think going at this different ways is the best strategy. You continue doing that. I’ll stake out this business guy for a few days, see where that takes us.”

“I have a feeling it’s gonna take us right into a dangerous situation.”

“Nah.”

“Yeah. You’re gonna do something stupid and get yourself caught, and I’m going to have to come rescue you. Again.”

“No you won’t.”

“Extract you.”

“Don’t start.”

“Extract the Extractor.”

“Ugh. I hate it when you do that.”

“I know. That’s why I do it.”

“Anyway, deal?”

Nicole took a deep breath. “Fine. I know we’re gonna regret this, though. At least I know I will.”

“Nah. It’ll be fine. You’ll see. It’ll be fine.”

10

Several days passed, and neither Bridge nor Nicole had gotten very far in their respective pursuits. Nicole was no closer to finding Van Wyk than when she started. The man was very good at hiding himself. It was to be expected. But she thought she’d at least find one thing, however small it may be, that would help push things along. But she just never found that small kernel.

Bridge, on the other hand, had followed Ferris MacQuaid religiously for the past three days. From the moment he left his apartment to going to his office building, to when he went to lunch, and then back again to the office. The man didn’t seem to do anything out of the ordinary.

Then on the fourth day, Bridge decided to take a different approach. He disguised himself as a maintenance worker. It didn’t take much, just a green pair of coveralls. He waited until MacQuaid left the office for lunch. Then Bridge went into the office to snoop around. There was a secretary on the floor, but she didn’t pay Bridge any attention in that getup.

Once Bridge found the door to MacQuaid’s office, he started fidgeting with it, trying to get it unlocked as quickly as possible. The good thing was that in his disguise, nobody really questioned what he was doing. A few people passed, giving him a quick glance, but Bridge just smiled at them.

“These doors,” he said. “Gonna have to put a request in to fix some of them.”

As people walked away, he finally got it open. He went inside and locked it, then started looking around. Though he knew MacQuaid was into some illegal stuff, evidenced by the fact that he was in business with Van Wyk, Bridge wasn’t really concerned with any of that. At the moment, he was only trying to find something that led to a connection to Van Wyk. A phone number, another name, an address, a business, the name of a boat, a private plane, anything that would put them one step closer to finding where Van Wyk was.

Bridge rummaged through the files on the desk, quickly looking through them to find that one piece of evidence he was hoping for. He knew he didn’t have a lot of time, though. Over the prior three days, MacQuaid’s lunches lasted exactly one hour. He was very precise.

Bridge looked through the desk drawers, file cabinets, even got on the computer that was on the desk and started going through downloads and files, hoping to get that connection he was searching for. But there was nothing. Nothing that indicated MacQuaid and Van Wyk knew each other.

Bridge wiped his face as he thought about the situation. If the two men really did know each other, with Van Wyk’s reputation, it would make sense that MacQuaid didn’t leave anything to be found to indicate it. Van Wyk probably required that type of indiscretion. Nothing could lead back to him in any way.

Of course, there was another thing going through Bridge’s mind. What if Macdermid sold them a bill of goods? What if he just gave them three names, hoping Bridge and Nicole would spin their wheels for a few days or a week, giving him enough time to get away, knowing by the time they got back to him, Macdermid would be long gone? Bridge couldn’t discount that possibility either.

Not wanting to stay in the office too long, Bridge cut his time short, knowing there was nothing in there to find. Once he got out of there, he went to the restaurant that MacQuaid had been to for each of the last three days. It seemed to be his spot. It was only a few short minutes from the office, so Bridge could catch him there for the last fifteen minutes or so before he headed back.

As Bridge found his subject, he saw MacQuaid sitting at an outdoor table, engrossed in his phone. But he seemed different this time. The previous three days, MacQuaid sat there, eating, looking at his phone, but there didn’t appear to be anything more than that. Just a regular lunch. But on this occasion, the man was constantly picking his head up and looking around, as if he were waiting for someone. Or looking for someone. Bridge wondered if MacQuaid had noticed him over the past few days, and now had an eye out for him.

Bridge stayed back, looking on from a small bench down the street. There were some signs and poles that partially blocked his presence. After about five more minutes, Bridge noticed a figure approaching the restaurant from across the street. It was a woman in a striking red coat, her blonde hair shining under the midday sun.

Bridge's heart started to race, hoping he was finally about to get something different. Within moments, the woman reached MacQuaid’s table and sat down across from him. There was no doubt they knew each other. They began to talk in hushed tones, their expressions serious and intense. There didn’t seem to be any get-to-know-each-other period. They were already acquainted.

Bridge needed to hear what was going on and moved positions. He had to get closer. He found a spot near a pole that he leaned up against. It was as close as he could get without actually getting a table nearby. And he thought that would be getting too close, and might alter the pair’s behavior. He grabbed his phone and subtly took a few pictures of them, though he was mostly focused on the woman.

Bridge strained to hear their conversation, but did catch snippets of a few words like "deal," "payment," and "father." The pair continued to keep their voices low. His gut told him that this unexpected meeting somehow connected to Van Wyk. Maybe that was more hopeful optimism than anything. Bridge never heard the man’s name, so in reality, this could’ve just been one of MacQuaid’s contacts from a thousand other business dealings. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this had something to do with Van Wyk.

Still struggling to hear more, Bridge thought about getting closer somehow. Maybe even just walking by the table, all in the hopes of hearing a few more words. Anything to get a clearer understanding of what was going on.

He wouldn’t get the chance, though. The woman abruptly got up and walked away from the table. Bridge’s eyes stayed on MacQuaid for a bit, who seemed a little rattled by whatever was said. He lowered his head and put his hand on his forehead, seeming distressed by the situation.

As the woman walked away, Bridge wondered about his next move. There was a decision to make. This woman was a wild card. She could’ve been involved. Or she might’ve been as far removed from the situation as humanly possible. She might have had absolutely nothing to do with Van Wyk. But Bridge needed to be sure. He knew where MacQuaid was probably going. If the last three days was any indication, he was going back to the office, where he’d remain for the rest of the day.

Of course, this was a new wrinkle. And there was a possibility that this meeting would alter his usual activity. But Bridge couldn’t get it out of his mind that there might have been something more with this woman. It was just a feeling. And he didn’t want to let her escape without finding out more.

Bridge jogged across the street, not wanting the woman to get out of his sight. She was walking at a brisk pace, but he was able to keep up with her. After a few minutes, she got off the main street, leading Bridge through narrow alleyways and winding streets until they arrived at an inconspicuous building nestled between two towering skyscrapers. It appeared to be a dead-end, though there was one door that led inside one of the buildings.

Curiosity piqued, Bridge decided to follow the woman inside, careful to remain unnoticed. As he stepped through the entrance, he was met with a dimly lit corridor lined with closed doors. The sound of muffled voices and clinking glasses echoed from behind one of them. Bridge approached cautiously, his heart rate quickening with each step. Something seemed off about this.

Bridge tried several of the doors, though all of them were locked. He wasn’t sure where the woman had gone now. But something was telling him now was a good time to turn and head in the other direction. Before he left, he overheard another conversation. Like before, it was somewhat muffled. He couldn’t make out much.

Then he heard shuffled feet, as if someone was coming closer to the door. Bridge started making a hasty retreat back the way he came. Before he was able to reach the door, it opened, with two shady-looking individuals coming inside. Bridge stopped immediately. He then heard one of the doors behind him open up. He spun around to see who it was, and it was the same blonde-haired woman he’d been following. He got the feeling that he was in trouble. Lots and lots of trouble.

11

Bridge tried to put on an unassuming face, happy-go-lucky and innocent, knowing that he most likely stepped deep in a hole here. He knew the look of the people surrounding him. As usual, he knew he was going to have to do some pretty fancy talking to leave here in one piece.

The woman, probably no more than twenty-five, had striking beauty, to go along with her long, blonde hair. She didn’t wear much makeup. She didn’t have to. She looked at Bridge curiously, almost with a warm affection, like he was a lost puppy dog.

“Is there something we can help you with?” she pleasantly asked.

There wasn’t the slightest indication in her tone that she had a much, much darker side. Bridge nervously laughed.

“Uh, yeah, no, not really. I, uh, guess I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.”

A couple of new fellows showed up behind the blonde. They had the same look about them as the others.

“He’s been following you since the restaurant,” one of the men said.

A wry smile formed over the woman’s face. She didn’t seem angered, or bothered by the situation.

“Oh really?” she asked. “And why would you be doing that?”

Bridge cleared his throat. “Um, well…” he nervously looked at the four men on both sides of him. “Uh, if you must know, I saw you at the restaurant and… thought you looked attractive. It’s… just a case of hormones, I guess. I thought I’d follow you, not in the creepy stalker way, but, uh… you know, thought maybe I’d catch up to you… see if I could grab your phone number. That’s really all there is to it.”

“Oh. It’s just that?”

Bridge smiled. “Yep.” He glanced at the others again. “I didn’t realize you were famous or anything with your own security. If I’d known, I definitely wouldn’t have taken this path.”

“I’m not famous. Quite the opposite.”

“Oh. Again, very sorry to intrude on you like this. I sometimes get overzealous and do things without thinking them through.”

The woman smiled. “Sometimes it’s good to be impetuous from time to time.”

“Sometimes it’s a fault of mine.”

“I like a man who just goes after what he wants and doesn’t think of the consequences.”

Bridge put his hands together like he was about to pray. “Again, so sorry to intrude on whatever you got going on here. If you don’t mind, I’ll just duck out of here and leave you to whatever you’re doing.”

“No need to leave so soon. Didn’t you want my number?”

Bridge lightly clapped his hands. “Uh, yes. I didn’t think you were actually going to give it, though.”

The woman grinned. “I’m not. I don’t hand my phone number out that freely.”

“I had a feeling.”

She took a few steps closer to him. “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be interested in seeing you again. Where are you staying?”

“Um, just a hotel. I got into town recently. Just here on business.”

“Oh? What kind of business?”

Bridge cleared his throat. “Insurance. Yes. Insurance. I insure rare items. Difficult to assess sometimes unless you see them in person.”

“How nice. Sounds very interesting.”

“Can be sometimes.”

“So what hotel were you staying at?”

“Oh, uh, The… Grand. Yeah. I was just… actually… yeah. The Grand.”

“I know it well. I’ve stayed there many times. It’s a lovely place.”

“Yes, it is. I’m enjoying it.”

“Maybe I could stop by later.”

Bridge’s face froze, especially considering that wasn’t the hotel he was staying at. His eyes darted to the men around him.

“Uh… with them? No offense, guys.”

The woman laughed. “They do ensure my protection.”

“I can definitely see that. If I may be so bold, what do you need protection from?”

“I engage in multiple business dealings. Some of them can be really high-stakes. With that comes a certain inherent danger. Especially when you’re not always sure of the people you’re dealing with.”

“I can understand that.”

The woman flirtily smiled at him, seeming like she was enjoying their conversation. Bridge honestly couldn’t tell if she was actually the most pleasant person he’d ever met, and would soon let him go, or she was just toying with him, and was about to stab him in the chest. It honestly could’ve gone either way.

They stood there in an awkward silence for a bit, mostly in Bridge’s case. The woman just stared at him, with a smile on her face. Bridge gulped, as uncomfortable as he could ever remember being in a situation like this.

“So, um, I guess I’ll be going.”

“That’s too bad,” she replied. “I thought you were different.”

“Hmm? How’s that?”

“I don’t get approached by very many men. They’re intimidated. Either they think I’m unapproachable, or my bodyguards scare them away. But I’m just like anybody else. I crave companionship. I would like to find something… more meaningful. I thought maybe you were that.”

“Oh, well, yeah… I guess I could be.”

“So your hotel room?”

Bridge nervously smiled. “Um, I think it would be inconsiderate to have you meet a strange man in his hotel room the first time they meet.”

“Actually, it would be the second.”

“True. But not very romantic or anything.”

She raised her eyebrows, intrigued by what he had to say, seemingly eating it up. “Have something else in mind?”

“Um… dinner?”

She raised the corner of her lips. “I’ve got the perfect spot.”

“Great.”

She put her hand out to her side, with one of her guards handing her a small notepad and a pen. She instantly wrote something down, then handed it to Bridge.

“Meet me here later? Around seven?”

Bridge looked at the restaurant’s name. He didn’t know it. “I’ll see you there.”

“Oh, uh, make sure to bring your wallet. It can get very pricey.”

“I’m sure you’ll be worth every penny.”

“Make sure you dress appropriately.”

“You do the same.”

“You’ll love what I have picked out,” she said.

“I guess I should be going. Seven will come sooner than we think.”

Bridge slowly walked between two of the men, but stopped when he reached the door and turned around.

“I didn’t get your name.”

She smiled. “I didn’t get yours either. Let’s just keep it that way for now. More mysterious. Even more of a turn-on. Makes it more fun.”

Bridge nodded. “I’ll see you later.”

The smile didn’t fade from her face, even after Bridge disappeared and walked out the door.

“What do you want us to do?” a guard asked. “Follow him?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

“He’s not going to meet you later. We’ll never see him again.”

“Oh, I think we will. He’ll show.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because now he’s hooked. He needs to find out more. I’ve got him just where I want him.”

“Well, even if he doesn’t, we know where he’s staying.”

“He’s not staying at The Grand.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he’s not an idiot. He wouldn’t willfully divulge that.”

“He could become a problem.”

She smiled. “Oh, he definitely could become a problem.”

“So what do we do? Grab him and kill him later?”

“No. That won’t be necessary. I’ll take care of him. I’ll have him eating out of my hand.”

12

Nicole sat there, looking a little dumbfounded. That look slowly turned in displeasure.

“I’m not sure what the problem is here,” Bridge said.

“Can you explain how just a simple reconnaissance on MacQuaid has turned into you going on a date with some beautiful blonde?”

He scoffed at the implication. “It’s not a date.”

“What would you call it?”

“Intelligence gathering.”

Nicole laughed. “OK. That’s what we’re calling it?”

Bridge shrugged. “That’s what it is. I’m not sure why you’re making it a bigger deal than that.”

“Because I’m not sure how we went from there to here.”

“I already explained all that. She met with MacQuaid. Had what seemed to be an interesting discussion, then I followed her to some sketchy place where she had bodyguards around her. To me, that seems fishy.”

“But that might not have anything to do with Van Wyk. This guy is a businessman. He might have a thousand other things going on. This could pertain to anything.”

“Could pertain to our thing too.”

“What are the chances it is?”

“What are the chances it’s not?”

“Good!”

Bridge rolled his eyes. “I think you’re taking this a little out of context.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Is this just about the fact that I’m meeting with a beautiful woman?”

Nicole pulled her head back, giving him the look that he was all-too familiar with. He then crossed his arms, and then wiped his face with his hand, thinking about his word choices.

“Look, you take guys into closets and bathrooms, and make sexual innuendos, and flirt all the time. You don’t see me getting mad about it, do you?”

“But I don’t actually do anything!”

“Well I don’t plan to do anything either. It’s just dinner. Talking. I’ll see what she knows.”

“Oh, yeah, because she’s just going to come out and tell you that she’s working for Bono Van Wyk. That seems so likely.”

“You don’t need to be condescending.”

“Besides, when I do those things, it’s in the context of the actual job and there’s sometimes no other option but to do that in order to get to where I need to be in order to help you. If there’s a guard, or I’m blocked, then I do what I have to do in order to get to you. None of that’s happening here. You’re choosing to go on a date.”

“Nic, you’re being a little overdramatic here.”

“Oh, you think so?”

“Yes, I think so. I’m going to meet this woman to see how it pertains to our case. If it does. If so, we got something to work with. If not, that’s that, I never see her again, and we get back to MacQuaid.”

“I’m so glad you think so.”

“Besides, it’s not like I’m meeting this woman while you’re here by yourself. You’ll be out there watching my back, listening, whatever it takes.”

“Oh, will I?”

“Uh, I was hoping so?”

Nicole sighed, still not pleased with the situation. Bridge put his arms around her and pulled her close.

“I promise, nothing is going to happen.”

“Why’d you have to make a date? I mean, of all the things you could’ve done.”

“They caught me red-handed,” Bridge replied. “I had to think fast. I obviously couldn’t tell them the real reason. I had to think of something. She’s a woman, she’s pretty, I figured that following her because I was interested was actually the only plausible thing I could say that wouldn’t get me tied to a chair and beaten. Actually, I’m still a little surprised that they didn’t do that anyway. But anyway, what else could I say?”

Nicole huffed. “I don’t know. I guess nothing.”

“I’ll be mic’d up. You’ll be listening. Everything will be fine.”

“You do realize every time you ever say everything will be fine, everything goes to Hell in a handbasket, right?”

“No it doesn’t.”

“It really does.”

“Oh. Can I take it back now?”

“Too late.”

“Damn. Well, let’s look on the bright side, she’s probably not going to do anything violent towards me, right?”

“Why not?”

“Well, if she was going to do that, she could’ve just done it back where I met her. She had enough guards there to do the job.”

“Not if she’s not sure what you know. Or if you have a partner. Then she’s going to try to pump you for information.” Nicole quickly realized what she said. “Strike that. Poor choice of words.”

“I get the gist.”

“And how many guards did she have with her?”

“I counted four,” Bridge answered. “At least that I saw. No idea if she has more.”

“I have another question for you.”

“Shoot. Not literally.”

“What are you going to say if she checks to see if you were actually staying at The Grand?”

Bridge moved his jaw around, trying to think of a response. He wasn’t getting anything. He muttered a few sounds as he thought, but no actual words.

“If she actually checks that hotel and sees you weren’t there, she knows you’re lying. And everything crumbles after that.”

“I could have a good reason for lying.”

“Which is?”

Bridge wiped around his mouth, then pointed towards her. “I…” He kept waving his hand and fist as he tried to think of something.

“You’ve got nothing.”

“No, no, that’s not true. I’ve got…”

“What?”

“I’ve got nothing.”

“I mean, that’s a dead giveaway right there. Why would you be hiding your real hotel from her? That’ll cross through her mind, and she might just ask. You better have a good response.”

“OK, OK, let me think.”

“Too late.”

“Nonsense. The reason I kept it hidden is… I’m married.”

“What?”

“My wife’s with me, and I didn’t want anyone knowing where I’m really at.”

The look on Nicole’s face told the story of how she was feeling. But she said it anyway.

“That is the dumbest.”

“Why?”

“You have no ring on your finger, and no tan line where one would be, and you’re just leaving your wife behind at the hotel while you go on a date with someone else?”

“Uh, we have an open relationship?”

“Right now, you have a stupid relationship.”

“Now, now…”

“Luke, if, and it’s a big if, this woman is involved in Van Wyk’s operation, it means she’s not stupid. And she’ll smell bullshit from fifty miles away. You better have your story straight if you’re going to do this.”

Bridge snapped his fingers as if he got it. “I’m insuring rare items. Recently had some threats made against me. Now I’m in the habit of telling everyone a bad address for my own protection.”

Nicole moved her head around, not sure about it. “I guess it’s better than the wife thing. Not by much, though.”

“I’m all ears.”

“I don’t know.” She rubbed her face with her hands. “But this woman’s smart.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because she’s smart enough not to tip her hand by doing something to you when she met you. She doesn’t know you. She wants to know what you know. Instead of taking you, and trying to beat something out of you, or killing you, all of which would’ve either led to you knowing she’s into something, or in the case of a dead body, possibly leading the police to her, she’s taking the more intelligent route. Act nice, pretend there’s nothing going on, go on a date, and then see who you really are.”

“And then?”

“Depends on the answers you give her. If she doesn’t think you’re a threat, she’ll probably try to sleep with you, then leave you before you wake up, never seeing her again.”

“And if she perceives me to be a threat?”

“Then she’ll probably try to kill you.”

Bridge nervously smiled. “Well, that’s why you’ll be out there with me, making sure that doesn’t happen.”

“In either scenario.”

“Oh, yeah, right. The first one’s definitely off… uh, yeah. No, definitely not.”

“Because if the first one happens, the second one’s going to happen too. Just by a different blonde.”

Bridge gave an uneasy smile. “Noted.”

13

It was just about seven o’clock. Bridge stood just outside the restaurant, adjusting his suit. He cleared his throat. Nicole found a location across the street, watching the street below from a fourth-floor window.

“You hear me?”

“Loud and clear,” Nicole answered. “You look nervous.”

“I’m not.”

“You look it. Is that how all men look when they go on a date with a pretty woman.”

“It’s not that. And I’m not nervous.”

“Then what is it?”

“Well… OK, I’m a little nervous.”

“See? Told you.”

“Not about the woman part.”

“Which part, then?”

“The part where I might get tied up and murdered after this is finished part. That’s always the part that scares me the most.”

“And it does seem to happen quite frequently, doesn’t it?”

“More than I’d like.”

“I can tie you up later if you’d like. I can’t promise what would happen afterwards, though.”

She didn’t say it in her usual flirty manner. Bridge knew she was still not pleased about this whole ordeal. Maybe she was right. Maybe he should’ve just let it go and concentrated on MacQuaid. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that this woman was somehow mixed up in it. It was probably wishful thinking. He didn’t have one piece of evidence that indicated she was. It was just his gut. And he learned to listen to it over the years. Sometimes it was right. Quite often it was wrong. But he always had to listen.

Bridge and Nicole had spent the previous few hours getting him to look his best, as well as preparing him for answers, trying to determine what questions the woman might ask. And if he said one wrong thing, didn’t have a good answer, the whole thing might blow up in his face. Everything had to be rock-solid.

“Uh oh,” Bridge said, seeing one of the woman’s guard’s approach. He turned his back to the man. “Somebody coming.” He quickly turned back as the guard got near. “Oh, hey, what’s shaking?”

The guard had a stoic look on his face.

“I was thinking this was going to be a one-on-one date. Hadn’t really counted on you being here. You’re not staying, right?” Bridge let out a nervous laugh. “I mean, you seem like a great guy and all, very social, but, uh… you kill all the mojo, you know?”

The guard still stayed silent.

“You’re not gonna sit at the table with us, right? Because that’d be a little awkward. And I’m not sure I’d be able to get a word in if you’re there. You’re a little chatty, huh?”

“Do you stop talking?”

“Oh, you do speak? And me, stop? Ah, depends. Usually when I get nervous, I tend to talk a lot. Situations like now tends to bring out the worst. And then I just keep on…”

The guard put his hand out. He didn’t want to listen to it anymore. He didn’t understand why his boss was even bothering with this clown. He wanted to just bang his head against something like a Bongo drum.

“Enough. Stop. Just stop.”

“Was it something I said?”

“It’s everything you said. Just stop.”

Bridge adjusted his suit again. “Well, is Miss… what’s her name again? Is she here? She’s not canceling, is she?”

“We can only hope,” Nicole blasted in his ear.

Bridge batted his left eye quickly, trying not to let her words affect him.

“She is sitting at a table waiting for you.”

“Oh. Excellent. Are you going to lead the way, or should I just go in to find her on my own?”

The man looked disgusted, but turned and walked into the restaurant. Bridge eagerly followed. The restaurant was a very upscale place. The decor, the white tablecloths, the ambiance, everything screamed expensive. And it was bustling. Every table was filled. For most people, you couldn’t get a reservation within twenty-four hours' notice. Unless you had connections.

Bridge let out a sigh. “This is really gonna hit my wallet.”

“Something else is gonna hit you,” Nicole said.

Bridge didn’t bother to respond, allowing her to vent. After walking through most of the large restaurant, and sidestepping multiple guests and waitstaff, Bridge finally saw where he was being led to. He locked eyes with the woman, who gave him a smile when she saw him. She gave a slight wave and stood up to greet him when he got there.

“Oh my,” Bridge said.

Nicole was instantly alarmed. “What? What’s ‘oh my’? Is she ‘oh my’? Why did you say that? Who’s ‘oh my’? What is she wearing?”

Once again, Bridge didn’t respond. He thought the guard was too close to him, and he didn’t want the woman to see his lips moving, thinking he was talking to someone.

As Bridge approached the table, he couldn't help but notice the woman's striking appearance. The woman extended her hand once he got near. Bridge took it, smiling nervously. She was stunning. Her long, flowing blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders in gentle waves, framing a face with high cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. Her eyes sparkled with intelligence and curiosity. She was dressed in a sleek sleeveless black dress that hugged her curves perfectly, exuding an air of confidence and sophistication.

“I wish I was able to see right now,” Nicole muttered.

“So nice of you to make it,” the woman said with a charming smile.

“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Bridge replied.

The pair sat down across from each other, the guard slowly moving away. Bridge was so focused on the woman in front of him that he didn’t even notice where the guard went.

“My name’s Scarlett.”

“If her name is Scarlett, my name is Queen Mary,” Nicole said.

“Luke.”

Nicole looked up at the ceiling. “Why would you do that?! Just tell her any name! Not your real one! We went over this!”

“So what do you do for a living?” Scarlett asked.

“Insurance,” Bridge answered. “I think I told you that earlier. Rare pieces.”

“Oh, yes. You did. How silly of me to forget.”

Her voice was soft and melodic, sending a shiver down Bridge's spine. Her piercing blue eyes seemed to see right through him, making him feel exposed and vulnerable. Scarlett exuded an air of mystery that both intrigued and unnerved him. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than met the eye.

As they engaged in small talk, Bridge found himself drawn to Scarlett’s every word. She talked about her work as an art curator, her love for travel, and her passion for ancient history. Bridge was mesmerized by her intellect and charm, feeling himself being pulled deeper into her web with each passing moment.

But as their conversation continued, a nagging doubt crept into Bridge's mind. As much as he enjoyed her company, what was really lurking behind those deep blue eyes and that infectious smile?

“So an art curator, huh? That’s fascinating.”

Scarlett smiled. “It can be.”

“So why the need for the hired muscle?”

“Well, sometimes I have in my possession some very high-profile, and expensive pieces. And I’ve learned that you can never be too careful. Early on, there were several attempts to steal pieces that I had, so after that, I just decided to never take any chances again.”

“Makes perfect sense.”

Bridge's mind raced, trying to piece together everything he knew about Scarlett. Her profession, her caution with security, the air of mystery surrounding her—it all added up to a dangerous combination. As they continued their conversation, he subtly steered it towards safer topics, trying to glean more information about her past and motivations without raising suspicion.

But Scarlett was adept at deflecting his questions, seamlessly shifting the focus back to him. Bridge felt like he was treading on thin ice, unsure of whether she was truly as innocent as she appeared or if there were darker secrets lurking beneath the surface.

The evening wore on, the ambiance of the upscale restaurant fading into the background as Bridge's focus narrowed on Scarlett. Every flash of her smile, every flicker in her eyes, only deepened his unease. He didn't know what game she was playing, but he was determined to stay one step ahead.

“Just remember, you’re not on an actual date here,” Nicole said.

Scarlett leaned forward, giving Bridge an ample view of her exposed cleavage. “You know, I was thinking, maybe after this we could go back to your hotel room?”

Bridge cleared his throat, suddenly feeling the heat. Nicole had heard enough. She threw off her headset, put in an earpiece, and raced out of the building she was in and hurried across the street. She was prepared for something like this. She was already dressed appropriately for the restaurant in case she needed to enter.

“Well, you know, I like to consider myself a gentleman,” Bridge said. “I would feel… uh… you know… like an un… gentleman.”

He glanced away and shook his head, knowing he sounded like an idiot. Scarlett continued leaning forward, wanting him to look at her assets. It was hard to resist.

“But I want you to take advantage of me. In every way possible.”

Bridge put his hand on his collar and adjusted his tie. “Is it getting hot in here?”

“I feel fine.”

Bridge then gulped and froze as he felt her foot touch him between the legs. His head slowly turned to both sides, trying to block out the distraction.

“So what do you think?” Scarlett asked.

Nicole marched into the restaurant and looked around, finally finding their table. She had her phone out and took a picture of them, so she could figure out exactly who the woman was. Nicole started walking over to it, quickly thinking of how she would make her entrance. A waiter walked by, holding a tray with five glasses of champagne on it. Nicole helped herself as she walked past. Once near the table, she pretended to stumble closer to it.

“Oh, excuse me,” she said with a laugh.

Then she pretended to take a closer look at them. Bridge did a double-take as he realized who the tipsy woman actually was.

“Luke,” Nicole said, her face turning to shock. “Is that you?”

Bridge cleared his throat. “Uh, yes?”

“Do you two know each other?”

“Uh, well, no, yes, I mean… kind of.”

“Kind of?” Nicole replied, an obvious tone of surprise in her voice. She was playing the part. “That’s all our time together was to you? I don’t even get a hi or anything?”

“Um, hi?”

“You told me we were going to go out tonight, but you had to cancel plans because you had a business meeting.”

Bridge licked his lips and extended his arm towards Scarlett. “Yeah, well…”

“This doesn’t look like business to me!”

“It’s…”

“You’re an ass! Don’t ever speak to me again!”

Nicole threw the drink in Bridge’s face, then stormed off, tossing her glass on the ground. Scarlett looked taken aback by what she just witnessed. Bridge grabbed a napkin off the table and wiped his face. He then turned around and saw Nicole storming off. He honestly couldn’t tell if she was playing a part or actually serious. But he knew he couldn’t leave it to chance.

“Could you…?” He turned around back and forth. “I just…” He put his finger in the air. “I just… I just need to take care of this real quick.”

Bridge jumped out of his seat and hurried after his girlfriend. Scarlett crossed her arms, not pleased at how things unfolded. Bridge ran out of the restaurant, seeing Nicole quickly walking down the street. He caught up to her.

“Hey, what was that?”

She kept walking and pointed to her ear. “I can hear, you know!”

“I wasn’t doing anything. I can’t help what she says.”

Nicole mocked Scarlett. “‘But I want you to take advantage of me’. Yeah, OK.”

“Is it my fault I’m inde… inde…”

“Don’t even! You weren’t putting up much of a fight.”

“I was trying to get close to her.”

“Well you were about to do a good job with that.”

“I felt like she was just about to open up.”

“Oh, she was going to open up something.”

Bridge rolled his eyes. “Stop being jealous. Nothing was going to happen.”

“I’m not jealous. In fact, I’m so un-jealous I’m… not jealous. Anyway, if you want to go back in there and finish your date, go ahead. I won’t stop you. Have at it. Enjoy yourself. Have a great time. I give you permission.”

They kept on walking.

“I’m obviously not going to do that,” Bridge said. “It wasn’t a date. I was just trying to get more information on her to figure out who she really is and how she fits into this.”

“Well, you can keep on doing it your way. I don’t have to anymore.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means I took her picture,” Nicole answered. “I’m going to run it to see what hits I get. Then I’ll be able to figure it out without you. Or without you… doing whatever it is you plan to do with her.”

“You got her picture?”

“Yes, when I entered the restaurant.”

“That’s good thinking.”

“Thanks. At least one of us does. At least I think with the right body part.”

“Oh, will you please stop? Nothing was going to happen!”

They stopped walking and faced each other.

“OK, so tell me, exactly how were you going to get out of that little predicament? She was clearly trying to seduce you. So what were you going to do?”

Bridge hesitated for a moment. “I was… going to figure something out.”

“Uh, huh. Right.”

“Would you trust me?”

“I do trust you. I trust you so much that I’m telling you that you can go back and finish. Be my guest.”

“But you don’t really mean it.”

“Sure I do. ‘Oh my’.”

Bridge rubbed his face. “I had a slip of the words.”

“You were clearly attracted to her.”

“I wasn’t. I was… it’s just… she was… I mean…”

“It’s OK, Luke. She’s an extremely attractive woman. I get it. It’s hard to resist. I’m not mad.”

“You sound mad.”

“Well I’m not!”

Bridge was silent as he walked behind her for a few seconds. “Walking mad, too.”

Nicole stopped and turned around, a clear look of displeasure on her face. “I… am… not… mad. Got it?”

Bridge gulped. “Got it.”

“If you want to go pump her for information… or vice versa… go finish your date. I’m OK with it.”

Bridge turned around to look at the restaurant. By now, they were a couple of blocks away from it. She started walking again.

“Well, it’s a long walk back there. And she might not even be there anymore.”

“How unfortunate for you.”

Bridge turned around and saw Nicole moving further away and sped up to catch up to her once more. Once he did, he put his arm up to put it across her shoulders. He didn’t actually touch her, though, afraid she wasn’t going to be receptive to it. He then gently grabbed her arm to stop her power walking.

“Hey, can you give me a second?”

“Just one,” she replied.

“Look, no matter what she did or said, I wasn’t going to sleep with her. I would’ve gotten out of it somehow. Do I know how? No. But I wouldn’t go that far. You have to know that.”

Nicole sighed and looked away. “I know.”

Bridge put his hands on her waist. “Was she beautiful? Yes, of course. I’m not going to insult your intelligence by pretending she wasn’t. But was anything going to happen? Not a chance. I love you. And I know what I have. And I wouldn’t risk losing that for anything. Not for a job, not for a fleeting moment, not for one beautiful woman in a sea of a hundred, not for anything. You are one of a kind. And the only one that has my heart.”

Nicole tried to fight back a smile, though a slight one formed on the corner of her lips.

“If we head back to the hotel, I’d love to take that dress off and let you ravage me in whatever way you want.”

For the first time he could remember, she didn’t jump at the opportunity.

“Hmm. I dunno. I’ll have to think about it.”

Bridge knew there was still some work to be done, but knew he could eventually reach her. “I’ll agree to whatever you want to do, however many times you want to do it.”

She moved her jaw around, seriously contemplating it. “Hmm.”

“Whatever you want.”

She finally agreed. “Fine. But I better not hear one complaint.”

Bridge motioned to zip his lips and put his hands up. She grabbed his hand and started walking.

“Come on, you have a very long night ahead of you.”

14

Nicole was the first to wake up, getting out of bed and walking into the living room on her way to make some coffee. She hadn’t even bothered to get dressed yet, just wearing an oversized sweatshirt that barely covered her essentials. She didn’t quite make it into the kitchen, as she heard a small beeping sound coming from her laptop.

With her eyes only halfway open, she stumbled over to her computer and sat down. She ran her hands through her hair as she slowly woke up. She rubbed her eyes and then stared at the screen, getting a better look at it.

It was a notification from the facial recognition software she had running the previous night. The program had found a match for the woman's picture Nicole had taken at the restaurant. After squinting at the screen at first, her eyes slowly widened in disbelief.

“Nothing?!”

Talking loudly, she threw her arms up in frustration.

“That’s what you’re telling me?! Nothing?!”

Bridge was initially alarmed by Nicole’s loud voice, and stood in the frame of the door as he watched her. He loved it when she worked in barely anything.

“I am a lucky guy,” he whispered.

Nicole didn’t notice he was standing there watching. She was too busy getting agitated by the lack of results. Finally, Bridge stepped forward and went behind her chair, putting his arms around her, kissing her on the back of the neck. She moved her head forward, enjoying the tender moment. Then, her eyes fixated on the screen again, and the anger started returning, ignoring what her boyfriend was doing behind her.

“How is that possible?!”

Bridge snapped his head back and took his arms away, not wanting to be in the line of fire. He hesitated to even ask the question, but he knew he had to.

“Is something wrong?”

“Is something wrong?! Yeah, you can say that! We got a hit on Ms. Hot Stuff last night.”

“Isn’t that good?” Bridge asked.

“It would be if I actually got any information out of it.”

Confused, Bridge tried to look at the screen. “I thought you said there was a hit.”

“Basically useless. Name. That’s basically it. Nothing else.”

Bridge looked a little closer. “What do you mean, nothing else? I see a lot of stuff right there.”

Nicole put her hand up. “Nothing useful.”

“I see a bunch of things.”

“Name, birthdate, yadda, yadda, yadda. Nothing useful.”

“Um, what were you expecting?”

“A laundry list of felonies and maybe a hit from Interpol.”

Bridge grinned. “Maybe, just maybe, she’s not who we thought she was.”

“Oh, she’s dirty. I can smell it.”

“Weren’t you the one initially telling me that it was probably nothing and she most likely had no connection to Van Wyk?”

“That was before.”

“Before what?”

“Before I heard and saw her. She’s guilty. I can tell.”

Bridge put his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from laughing out loud. He didn’t want the look.

“I mean, the woman has no social media presence. None! How is that possible?”

Bridge shrugged. “Maybe she doesn’t want the extra attention?”

Nicole shot him the look anyway. “Did you see her?”

“Uh, pretty sure I did, yeah.”

“With the dress she was wearing, with how forceful she was coming on to you, the fact she has guards, it all screams one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“She’s up to something.”

“Um, very possible, but we still don’t know if it pertains to our thing. And unless you want me to take another run at her…”

Nicole snapped her head towards him again.

“And that’s probably a very bad idea, I agree,” Bridge said, not wanting to put his head in the cooker again. “We should probably just focus on MacQuaid again. We know he’s involved.”

“Isabella Morozova.”

“Isabella. Izzy. Bella?”

Nicole looked at him, slightly confused. “What are you doing?”

“Just trying to guess what her nickname is.”

“Stop it.”

“OK. But maybe, just maybe, since she has no criminal record, that indicates we should go in a different direction.”

Nicole shook her head, not wanting to hear it. “The fact that she gave you a fake name doesn’t move the needle for you?”

“Oh yeah. Scarlett. I wonder why that is?”

“Because she’s hiding something!”

“Well, I often use a fake name too.”

“Yes, because you’re hiding who you really are! For good reason!”

“You might have a point there,” Bridge said. “But anyway, even if she is hiding some deep, dark, intimidating, lonely, explosive…”

“I get it! Get to the point!”

“Doesn’t mean it’s what we want her connected to. She might be the world’s biggest art thief. A con man. Woman. Doesn’t connect her to our guy.”

“Back to MacQuaid?” Nicole asked.

Bridge nodded. “I think so. Maybe keep Izzy running in the background, just in case you get a hit on something else.”

“Don’t call her Izzy. You’re not friends. She was probably planning on killing you after she slept with you.”

A lump went down Bridge’s throat. “I didn’t take her for that kind of woman.”

“Well I definitely did!”

“Anyway, let’s put her to the background and…”

“I mean, how can she have no social media presence? What is she hiding?”

“Maybe she’s just not the woman you think she is.”

“She’s exactly who I think she is,” Nicole said. “And I’ll find out what she’s hiding, eventually.”

“OK. Why don’t you still work on her, and I’ll go after MacQuaid again?”

“You don’t have to do that alone. I’ll come with you.”

“It’s not a big deal. Not much has happened with this guy, so I think I can handle it by myself. Besides, if you have a hunch about this woman, I think you should keep running it down.”

“Oh, are you finally admitting my intuition is usually correct?”

“Uh, I’m not admitting that. I’m just saying that sometimes your hunches pay off and that you should pursue it. So you should keep at it. Figure out if Morozova has some kind of secret we should know about. I’ll keep on MacQuaid. No worries.”

“I can keep the computer running in the background and come out with you.”

“Nah. Like I said, I can handle this guy. There hasn’t even been a hint of a problem when I’ve followed him. I don’t anticipate anything now. Besides, if something pops up on the computer, you’ll be able to run it down right away. That’s more of a priority for you than coming out with me. I’ll be fine.”

“OK. But if you start to run into a problem, you let me know. I’ll track your phone just in case.”

“Works for me. But I really don’t think that’ll be necessary. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Nicole looked at him and batted her eyes. “Really? What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Oh, yeah. Right. Anyway, I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’ll just be another boring day with nothing going on.”

“Keep saying it until you believe it.”

“I believe it. No, not really. But it’s nice to think about sometimes.”

“How about you just think about not getting yourself backed into any corners, huh?”

“Well I can try,” Bridge said, laughing to himself. “But I make no promises. Nope. No promises.”

15

Bridge went back to his previous routine, following Ferris MacQuaid around. But there wasn’t anything new or interesting about it. MacQuaid showed up at work, same time, went to lunch, at the same place, doing nothing out of the ordinary.

But as Bridge sat there across the street from the restaurant, holding a magazine in front of his face, his eyes caught hold of something. A woman. Blonde haired and beautiful. It was Morozova. With a bodyguard nearby, she made a beeline for MacQuaid’s table. Bridge certainly wasn’t expecting a meeting between the two of them two days in a row. But here they were.

Bridge looked on intently as the two subjects engaged in conversation. It struck about the same tone as their last one did. It didn’t seem especially friendly. It almost seemed like Morozova was admonishing MacQuaid for some reason. The man looked displeased, and though he got some words in, seemed to be taking the brunt of criticism. The way his head moved, his facial expressions, it definitely seemed like he was the subordinate.

And this meeting lasted a lot longer than the last one. At one point, Morozova made a phone call, and passed the phone to MacQuaid, who appeared to mostly be listening. It didn’t last long. Just a minute or two. But there was something going on. Bridge just couldn’t be sure it pertained to what he was hoping it did.

After sitting at the table for about twenty minutes, Morozova’s guard approached the table, and whispered something in her ear. Whatever it was, it seemed important. She was calm, though. Collected. Nothing really fazed her. She said something to MacQuaid, which was enough for him to slowly get up and leave.

Bridge thought about getting up and following him, but knew he was likely just headed back to the office. Morozova was the one that really intrigued him. There was something about her. And it wasn’t her looks. Nicole was right. She was hiding something. It was just a matter of finding out what it was.

Suddenly, Morozova turned around, and looked straight in Bridge’s direction. He raised his magazine to hopefully block himself from view. He hoped she didn’t see him. He slowly lowered the magazine, only to find her staring straight at him and smiling. She waved.

Bridge gulped and lowered the magazine onto his lap. The jig was up. He grimaced and returned a half-hearted wave. Suddenly, he felt like he wasn’t alone. He only moved his head an inch in either direction, but he could see the outlines of someone standing just over both of his shoulders. If he had to guess, he’d say it was a couple more of Morozova’s bodyguards.

Then, both guards grabbed hold of the back of Bridge’s shoulders and lifted him up off the bench he was sitting on.

“Someone would like to have a word with you,” a guard said.

Bridge nervously laughed. “You don’t say? Wonder who that would be.”

The guards took a firm grasp of Bridge’s arms and led him across the street. Morozova now had her back to them, and the guards brought Bridge right over to her table, sitting him down across from her. She had an amused look on her face, and a smile that could melt one of the Arctic icebergs. She had her hands clasped together on the table.

“So nice to see you again.”

“Yes, likewise,” Bridge replied. “Sorry again about last night. That woman was a little crazy.”

“Certainly seemed like it.”

“So weird that we’re bumping into each other again like this.”

“It is, isn’t it? Very strange.”

“Just one of those crazy coincidences, I guess.”

“Yes, it must be. Just the same restaurant as yesterday, it kind of makes me feel like maybe you’re stalking someone.”

Bridge balled his fist and put it up to his lips and coughed. “Uh, yeah, no, certainly not. No. Just one of those crazy things that can’t be explained.”

“Why don’t you try?”

Bridge cleared his throat. “Oh, um… instead of that, let’s just concentrate on us. Let’s get back to that. I believe we were making some late-night plans when that crazy woman appeared last night.”

“I’m suddenly feeling a little more apprehensive than I was, for some reason.”

“Oh no. That’s too bad. I was really looking forward to getting to know each other better.”

“Oh, we will. Just… maybe not quite in the same context.”

A worried look quickly formed on Bridge’s face. “What do you mean?”

Morozova rubbed her hands together. “I think you have some questions that need to be answered.”

Bridge looked over at the guards, who were staring at him from the next table. It was making him very uncomfortable. He had a brief thought of running. But he was going to try to talk his way out of this first. If that didn’t work, and things seemed to be deteriorating, he’d give running a shot.

“You’re making things difficult for me.”

“Oh yeah?” Bridge said. “How so?”

“I feel like you’re after something.”

“Well, yeah. And she’s blonde and beautiful.”

Morozova smiled. “You’re a charmer.”

“I try my best.”

“You do a great job.”

Bridge smiled. “Thank you.”

Then there was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them for close to a minute. They each just stared at each other, though Bridge seemed a lot more uneasy than she did.

“So what is your last name, Luke? I don’t think you ever said it last night.”

“Uh, no, I’m not sure that I did.”

Morozova grinned. “So?”

“It’s… Bridgerton. Luke Bridgerton.”

“Oh. Like the television show?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

She then looked at one of her guards and snapped her fingers. The guard got up and placed a piece of paper down in front of Bridge. He looked at it, alarmed to see his picture and his name on it, along with some of his other pertinent information. He faked a cough as he looked at it. He then pointed at it.

“You know, that’s a pretty good picture of me. Where’d you get that from?”

Morozova waved her hand in the air. “It just sort of manifested itself.”

“Oh, one of those. Yeah, that’s a good one.” Bridge then looked at his watch. “You know, I think I’m gonna have to cut this short. I have another meeting soon.”

“As much as it pains me to say it, I don’t think you will.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“You have some explaining to do. You are The Extractor, are you not?”

“Oh, well, you know, I’ve never really been fond of nicknames or anything.”

“I see. A man like you, here, meeting me two days in a row, I can only imagine that you are following me for some reason. Now why would that be?”

Bridge shrugged. “Like I said, pure coincidence we ran into each other. If you want to know the absolute truth, I was really following the other guy. You really had nothing to do with it. You just happened to show up both days.”

Morozova briefly looked away. “Ferris?”

Bridge nodded. “Yep. I think he’s mixed up in some shady stuff. I was hired to bring back some stolen artifacts I think he had a hand in. Nothing to do with you, obviously.”

“Stolen artifacts.”

“That’s right. Just gonna try to get them back from him for my client, then I’ll be on my way.”

“Hmm, that complicates things somewhat.”

“Yeah? How so?”

“He and I have some business dealings. Important things. I’m afraid I can’t have you interrupting them.”

Bridge stretched his arms out wide. “Not a problem. I’m not here to interfere in anything with you. I just need what I’m looking for and I’ll be out of your hair. No muss, no fuss. And you get to go on your merry way.”

“I don’t think that works for me.”

“Isabella, come on. We don’t have to be adversaries here.”

Morozova raised an eyebrow. “I see you were also doing some digging last night.”

Bridge bit his lip, realizing his mistake. “Well…”

“So you know my name is Isabella.”

“It might have come up somehow. Why give me the Scarlett name? Unless there’s something to hide.”

“There is always something to hide.”

Bridge chuckled. “Yes. Probably true.”

“For some more than others.”

Bridge abruptly stood up as he slammed his hands on the table. “Well, it’s been fun chatting with you. But I really gotta get back to work.”

Before he could move another inch, he felt the presence of two guards behind him. Morozova flashed him one of her smiles and put her hands out.

“Please. Sit.”

Bridge briefly looked at the burly men behind him. “Well, if you insist.”

“I’m afraid I must.”

Bridge sat back down again, and noticed the guards take a few steps back. He knew he wasn’t going anywhere. Before saying anything else, he reached in his pocket and removed his phone.

“Excuse me, I just have to take this real quick.”

He hit the button to call Nicole, but instantly started talking as if someone was calling him. He knew they wouldn’t have allowed him to make a call, but if it was reversed, maybe they’d give him a few extra seconds so as not to alert whoever had called. He put his hand over the phone to let Morozova know who it was.

“Dry cleaner. Only be a sec.” He then started talking like it was a real conversation. “Yes, you can take an extra day or two with it, no problem.”

Nicole answered. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I don’t think that’s a problem. Take all the time you need.”

“What?”

“I mean, it’s a good thing that you’re swamped with business, right? Like I said, I’m in no hurry.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll just swing by in a few days and grab it.”

“Are you in trouble?”

“I would say so.”

“Oh, jeez. What did you do?”

Bridge sighed. “It’s really too much to go into.”

“How much can you say right now?”

“Zero.”

One of the guards suddenly snatched the phone out of Bridge’s hand and disconnected the call. He put the phone in his pocket. Bridge shifted in his seat to look behind him.

“Hey! That was rude. I was talking.”

“And now you’re not,” the guard replied.

Morozova just looked at him and smiled, while shaking her head. “There’s quite a bit I love about you.”

Bridge grinned. “Well thank you.”

“You are quick-witted, funny, good-looking, charming, and have a wonderful personality.”

“Same goes to you.”

“But I’m afraid we’re going to have to make some type of arrangement here.”

“In regards to?”

“Your life.”

“That sounds harsh.”

“It is. You’re digging into things that you have no business being involved in.”

“Well, that’s kind of a matter of interpretation,” Bridge said.

“All that matters is our interpretation.”

“Our interpretation? Who’s your plus-one?”

Morozova. “You will find out soon enough. But for now, I’m afraid you will have to come with us.”

She stood up and motioned to her guards, who all stepped closer to Bridge. He cleared his throat, knowing he was in trouble. He’d seen this movie way too many times before.

“I think I’ll just wait here.”

“I must insist,” Morozova replied.

Bridge shook his head. “Nah. I’m good.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to come with us?”

“No, definitely not. I’ll just sit here. You guys can go. I promise I won’t follow.”

Morozova smiled at him. “So nice of you.” She then looked at her guards and nodded. “I guess you leave us no choice, then.”

“With what?”

“If you won’t come willingly, I must resort to other options.”

“You really wanna have a fight right here out in the open?” Bridge asked.

“No. I don’t. That’s why there won’t be one.”

Bridge suddenly felt a sharp jab in the back of his neck. He put his left hand back there, though he already knew what had happened. It wasn’t the first time someone had injected him with a needle. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be the last, either. But he instantly started feeling the effects.

“Mr. Bridge, you really should do a better job of holding your liquor,” Morozova said. “Especially in the middle of the day like this. So unbecoming.”

Bridge looked up at her, though he was starting to have trouble at keeping his eyes open. And everything was becoming a bit blurry. He slowly lowered his head and licked his lips, his mouth getting dry. Finally, he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer, and his head slumped forward. The guards grabbed his arms and picked him up.

“What do you want to do with him?”

“Just put him in the car for now,” Morozova answered. “We’ll figure the rest out soon enough.”

16

Nicole started frantically typing, trying to get a fix on Bridge’s location. His phone was still on the move, so at least she knew he wasn’t dead or anything. Unless of course they dumped the body and kept the phone. But she was trying not to think about that. She had to remain positive. These were always the situations that stressed her out the most. When they were separated and she didn’t know what was going on.

She also wasn’t going to sit still and wait for his phone to stop moving. By that time, just about anything could have happened. She was going to get a jump on it and start heading in that direction. Hopefully by the time it stopped, she’d be that much closer to it.

“I’m coming, Luke. I’m coming.”

Bridge blinked his eyes quickly as he finally awoke. He’d only been knocked out for about two hours, but his body felt heavy, like he’d been hit by a truck. He moved his arms and legs around, somewhat surprised that they weren’t restrained. He was in a dark room, though not so dark that he couldn’t see in front of his face. He could see the concrete walls surrounding him. And there was a small window at the top of the far wall, though it was high up. Too high for Bridge to reach without something to stand on or a ladder. The room he was in, the ceilings must have been at least ten feet high.

He looked around, hoping there was something he could use to break out of there. There was only one door. He went over to it, but it was locked, of course. He hoped he could find a large rock, or a stick, or something metal, like a bar. But there was nothing to be found.

It was a situation Bridge was all-too familiar with. He’d been here too many times. He knew there was probably no way to get out of there, and nothing to do, but wait. Wait for someone to make an appearance. The good news was that he wasn’t dead yet. That was always a plus. If they wanted him gone, they easily could’ve done it while he was under. Maybe they needed him for something. Or maybe they were hoping to draw Nicole in. That was probably his biggest fear. Getting her roped into this and putting her in danger.

After about thirty minutes, the door finally opened. A couple of Morozova’s guards stepped inside the room. They gave the all-clear sign. Then their boss came in. She smiled at Bridge as if she were really quite glad to see him.

“So glad you’re awake again.”

Bridge stretched his back out. “Yeah, me too.”

“I guess you’re probably wondering where you are and why you’re here?”

“Well, I figure the where I am part, you’re not gonna tell me. The why I’m here part, I assume you’re getting to that.”

Morozova laughed. “I really do quite enjoy being in your company.”

“Well let’s get out of here and finish our date from the other day.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible any longer. I wish it was.”

“Why not?”

A man’s voice was heard coming from the hallway. “Because now you know too much.”

Bridge’s eyes widened as he saw Bono Van Wyk join them in the room. Van Wyk smiled, knowing Bridge was surprised to see him.

“Hello again.”

“Uh, yeah, hi,” Bridge said.

“I really didn’t think we’d be running into each other again so soon.”

“Yeah, kind of a surprise to me too.”

Van Wyk looked around the room. “So where’s your friend?”

Bridge shrugged. “Lost her.”

Van Wyk turned his attention to the lead guard. “Have everyone be on the lookout for his accomplice. Not very tall. Blonde. Very attractive.”

“It will be nice to meet her again when she shows up,” Morozova said. “That’s who was at the restaurant, was it not? Your partner?”

“Uh, you know, suddenly I can’t remember,” Bridge said, motioning his hands near his head. “These drugs… clouding my memory.”

“Well, we will have to see what we can do about that,” Van Wyk said. “To clear it up.”

“You’ve done excellent work here, Izzy.”

Morozova reached over and hugged him. “Thanks, Dad.”

Bridge’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “Dad?!”

“My daughter,” Van Wyk proudly said. “A chip off the old block, wouldn’t you say?”

“Unfortunately.”

“We thought it’d be best if she kept her mother’s name. To avoid any bad connotations it might have with myself. A wise decision, don’t you agree?”

“Oh yes, probably so. Definitely a smart move. Every criminal enterprise family should do the same.”

“So how did you latch on to Ferris?”

“Uh, I just can’t remember,” Bridge answered.

A sadistic grin formed on Van Wyk’s face. “You know, I have many ways of extracting information from people.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“I would hate to have to use them on you.”

“You know, I don’t think you would really hate it.”

“Perhaps not. But it does take more time and effort. And I do have other matters to attend to.”

“Well, don’t let me keep you from them. I can wait.”

“I’m pretty sure I warned you about what would happen the next time I saw you.”

“You did, yes. But, uh, and don’t get me wrong, I didn’t really want to bump into you again.”

“Then why are you here?”

“You apparently took something that belonged to someone else. They hired me to get it back.”

Van Wyk put his left hand over his mouth. “And what would that be?”

Bridge wasn’t sure if he should say, but in his current predicament, didn’t think there was any real harm in it. Plus, maybe it would somehow help him. He wasn’t sure how that would work, but if he was honest, maybe Van Wyk would be a little less violent with him.

“I have a picture of it on my phone. If you give it to me, I can show you.”

Van Wyk looked at one of the guards, who handed it over to him. Van Wyk held it up in front of Bridge’s face to unlock it. Once he was in, he went over to the photos and started scrolling through them.

“Ah yes, the cross,” Van Wyk said. “It is a beautiful piece. So this is what you were hired to bring back.”

“Yep. So, uh, if you just wanna hand it over, I’ll be out of your hair, and we can both move on with our lives and never have to see each other again. How’s that sound?”

“It sounds like you’re reaching. I have buyers lined up for it. I’m afraid giving it back is now out of the question.”

“I see,” Bridge said. “What’s the going price for it right now, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I anticipate it will be several million.”

Bridge whistled. “Pretty penny.”

Van Wyk kept looking through the photos on Bridge’s phone. He came to a couple of Nicole, in which she was barely clothed. Van Wyk smiled and turned the phone back to Bridge.

“I think I know her.”

“Those are private pictures, pal.”

“She is a beautiful woman.”

“Hey, eyes off,” Bridge said.

“Perhaps she could be persuaded to change teams.”

“I think you’re off your rocker.”

“I know she’s coming.”

Bridge shrugged. “Why would she be coming? How does she even know where I am?”

“She saved you last time.”

“She knew where I was last time.”

“We will wait.”

“Could be waiting a while.”

“Why did you not take my advice the last time we saw each other?”

“I just go where the cases take me. Definitely wasn’t looking for you.”

Van Wyk’s phone rang, and he stepped away from Bridge to answer it. After a few seconds, it was clear he was not happy about something. He tried to keep his voice down so Bridge didn’t hear too much. Within a few minutes, the call was over. He went over to his daughter.

“I’m afraid I must go right now.”

“Is everything OK?” Morozova asked.

“Just some things I must take care of. It might take a while. But his partner might not show up for a while, anyway.”

“What makes you think she’s even coming?”

Van Wyk held up one of the provocative pictures of Nicole. “This tells me she’s coming. She won’t leave him. So you must be ready.”

“I’ve got it.”

“I know. She might not be here for a while, though, so you likely have time to prepare.”

“I have eight men here,” Morozova said. “We’re ready.”

“Do not assume numbers are everything. I have seen this pair work before. They are good. Clever. Take nothing for granted. Hopefully, I will return in the next day or so before she has a chance to make her attempt.”

“Dad?”

Van Wyk smiled and put his hands up. “I know, I know. You are more than capable of handling things. I trust you completely.”

“Who’s in charge here?”

“You are. Of course. But you know how parents are. We naturally try to take over.”

Morozova grinned. “Just go. I’ve got this.”

Van Wyk hugged and kissed his daughter on the cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Once he left, Morozova turned her attention to Bridge and walked towards him. She took a deep sigh.

“You have really put a wrench into things.”

“Sorry. If you let me go, I promise I’ll be on my way and not bother you again.”

She put her hands on the collar of his shirt. “The moment I put my eyes on you, I knew you were going to be trouble.”

“Well, I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you.”

“I wish it didn’t have to end like this.”

“It doesn’t.”

She kissed him on the cheek. “But I believe if you walk out of here, I would eventually regret it. You’ll ruin one of my deals, show up when I least want you to, and you won’t stop looking for that cross. I would eventually have to kill you anyway.”

“I think we could come to some sort of arrangement.”

“But then there’s your partner. And I don’t think she’d be as agreeable as you are.”

“She can be persuaded,” Bridge said.

“What if we just kill her, and you could stand by my side after that?”

Bridge scratched his nose. “Uh, let’s see. That’s, uh… I think I’d have to think about that. She’s been with me a while.”

Morozova whispered. “I bet she can’t offer you what I can.”

“Uh, no, probably not.”

“Wouldn’t you want me?”

“Well, it’s… not a question of that. It’s just… like I said, I’ve been with her a while and… it’s hard to think of life without her.”

“Think of all the good times we could have.”

“Yeah, I’m thinking.”

Morozova then kissed Bridge on the lips. “That’s just an appetizer. Think about it.”

“Uh, yeah, yeah. Yeah.”

Morozova then walked out of the room, the door closing behind her. Bridge just stood there, motionless. At this point, he wasn’t sure whether he wanted Nicole to come rescue him or not. Though he obviously didn’t want to stay there, he also didn’t want her to walk into something she couldn’t walk out of. Even if it meant his ultimate demise.

And it sure seemed like they had something special planned for her. Bridge would have rather remained captive than to put Nicole into something she wasn’t prepared for. But whatever happened, Bridge just had to hope that Nicole was ready for it.

17

There’d been no movement from Bridge’s phone for the past three hours. As Nicole looked at the building from the outside, she figured this was it. It was in the middle of some kind of industrial district, right by the bay. There were plenty of boats and ships docked nearby.

She had been watching the building through binoculars for hours, meticulously planning her next move. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the water, and the shadows were growing longer. Nicole knew time was of the essence. She didn’t know how many people were in there, or what she was facing or walking into. But it didn’t matter. She couldn’t wait any longer. Not without knowing what Bridge was going through. Every second she delayed could have led to fatal consequences.

With a deep breath, she put down the binoculars and checked her gear one more time. She had her trusted Glock strapped to her hip, extra magazines tucked into various pockets, and a few smoke grenades just in case things got messy. It was now or never.

She didn’t see any guards on the outside of the building, but she would have been shocked if there was no one there at all. She figured they were inside, waiting for her. She assumed that Morozova had figured out by now that she was Bridge’s partner. And if that was the case, they were also probably planning for her to make an appearance.

Nicole initially thought of grabbing one of her RPG’s and letting loose on the building, creating chaos, which would lead to her sneaking in, but without knowing exactly where Bridge was, she thought better of it. As she surveyed the area, she noticed a small side entrance, but if they were waiting for her, that’s where they’d assume she’d go. The main or front entrance was always deemed to be the easiest path. Everyone would always assume an entry would be made either from a side or back door.

That’s why Nicole was choosing the front. Nobody would expect her to go right in the front door. She silently made her way towards the entrance of the building, sticking to the shadows and avoiding any security cameras. As she approached the door, Nicole noticed it was slightly ajar. That was never a good sign. It meant they were expecting her. And wanted her to come in. Nobody ever left a door open by accident. It was because they wanted her there. Which meant she had to be ready. Danger would be lurking around every corner.

She carefully pushed it open and stepped inside, the sound of her footsteps echoing in the dimly lit corridor. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from one of the rooms nearby, followed by muffled voices. Nicole crouched down, keeping her back against the wall as she inched closer to where the sound was coming from. She heard footsteps approaching from around the corner. Nicole ducked into an alcove just in time to see a group of armed guards passing by, talking amongst themselves.

With the guards gone, Nicole started moving in the direction they initially came from. But she hadn’t seen the last of them. They knew she was there. They wanted to lure her in further. As she crept further away from where the guards had gone, the hallway opened up into a large room filled with crates and shadows. The only source of light was a flickering bulb swinging from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows across the walls.

She saw movement ahead and quickly hid behind a stack of crates, peering out to see two guards patrolling the area. They were heavily armed, scanning their surroundings. As Nicole hid there, the three initial guards suddenly came in behind her. They completely took her by surprise, all pointing their guns at her.

Nicole cursed at herself under her breath for allowing this to happen. She should have just taken them out when they walked past. That was always the number one rule. Never let anyone go who might come back to haunt you later. This would certainly qualify.

But Nicole remained calm. She slowly put her hand inside the front left pocket on her thigh, removing a grenade. One of the guards stepped forward, his eyes cold and unyielding.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” he sneered. “Looks like the little birdie flew right into our trap. On your feet and turn around.”

Nicole gradually stood up and raised her hands in surrender. The three guards approached cautiously, their weapons trained on her. Nicole kept her gaze steady, calculating her next move. She was still calm. But she knew she had to act fast before the guards decided to eliminate her on the spot.

“Turn around,” the man said.

Nicole slowly turned around, keeping her left hand closed.

“You guys might want to catch this.”

Nicole slowly opened her hand, revealing the grenade. She then slowly tossed it up in the air. As the guards realized what it was, they all jumped up to try to grab it. With their attention off her, Nicole jumped over the crate she was next to, knowing the grenade was about to go off. Seconds later, it exploded.

The force of the explosion sent Nicole sprawling across the floor, debris flying all around her. She was on the floor, with pieces of wood on top of her, her ears ringing from the blast. Smoke filled the room, obscuring her vision as she tried to locate any sign of movement around her. She knew those three guards were probably gone, perishing from the detonation. But there were still those other two on the opposite side of the room. They probably weren’t hit, though maybe they were knocked off their feet. But they still had to be dealt with.

Through the haze, Nicole saw a figure charging towards her, their gun raised. She reacted on pure instinct, firing off precise shots that hit their mark. The assailant fell to the ground, clutching their arm in pain. She fired off another round, making sure she finished the job. But there was no time to celebrate her victory as more shadows emerged from the smoke.

Shaking off whatever effects she felt from the explosion, Nicole ducked behind what was left of a stack of crates, using them as cover as bullets whizzed past her. It wasn’t much protection. That half of the room was in shambles. But she returned fire with deadly accuracy, taking down one guard after another. More guards entered the room, and it soon became a battleground, filled with the sounds of gunfire and shots echoing off the walls.

As the smoke began to clear, Nicole spotted another door at the far end of the room. It was her only chance for escape. The one nearest her was now filled with debris, as part of the ceiling caved in as well. She wasn’t getting through it. Not quickly, at least.

But there seemed to be more of the enemy now than before. She found herself ducking more than returning fire. It wasn’t what she wanted to do, but she’d have to throw another grenade. It was her last one. Hopefully she wouldn’t need it later.

Nicole reached into her pocket and removed the grenade and quickly tossed it to the other side of the room. She got down on the floor after throwing it, and it exploded a few seconds later. All the gunfire had now stopped. Nicole peeked her head up, not seeing any remaining life in the room.

With the other door in her sights, Nicole ran for it, stepping over loose body parts that were no longer attached to their original owners. She didn’t know how many people were dead in there. It was hard to count with all the destruction. She figured it was probably six or seven. She wondered how many more she’d come across.

Nicole burst through the door, panting and battered from the fight, only to find herself in a dimly lit hallway with several doors on both sides. She paused for a moment, listening for any signs of life nearby. She could hear nothing but her own labored breathing. Gripping her Glock tightly, she kept moving, her senses on high alert.

The corridor beyond was mostly empty, with only a few abandoned offices lining the walls. The sound of her own breathing was deafening in the silence that followed her exit from the room. She had no idea how many people were still alive, or how many more were on their way. There was only one thing she knew for certain. Assuming there was anyone still alive, they would come for her. And when they did, she would be ready.

A few of the doors she came across were already open. She peeked her head inside to make sure there wasn’t a trap waiting for her. But they all seemed empty. Finally, after a few minutes, she came across a door that was closed. And it seemed like a sturdy door. The kind that you might need if you were keeping someone captive inside.

Nicole braced herself, ready for a fight. If Bridge was in there, there was a good possibility there would be others too. With guns. Lots and lots of guns. Being held by people who probably wanted her dead. She touched the handle of the door and slightly moved it. It was open. That was also usually a bad sign. It meant they were ready for her. Expecting her. Waiting.

Nicole forcefully pushed open the door, and got into her shooting stance. It wasn’t necessary, though. There was nobody in there. Nobody except one. Nicole’s eyes lit up upon seeing Bridge. He was tied to a chair. But he didn’t look the worse for wear. For once.

Nicole took nothing for granted, though. She crept into the room, still expecting the worst. She twirled around as she moved, waiting for that surprise that she figured was coming. But it never did. Once she reached Bridge, she holstered her weapon and started to untie him.

“I heard explosions,” Bridge said. “Figured it was you.”

“How many people were here?”

“I think I heard them say eight. Who knows if that’s truthful or not. How many did you take out so far?”

“Six or seven. Tough to tell with the missing body parts.”

“Oh.”

“Maybe I got all of them.”

“I wouldn’t count on that,” a woman said from the door.

Nicole didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. She stayed frozen.

“It’s Isabella,” Bridge said.

“Yeah, I got that!” Nicole whispered.

“Just put your gun down slow and easy,” Morozova said. “And maybe, just maybe, you’ll live through this.”

“Are there any guns pointed at me?”

“Oh yes,” Bridge answered. “Three. But you know what to do.”

Nicole grinned at him. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

Nicole remained still as she contemplated her next move. It was a little risky, but it was the best chance of getting out of there with both of their lives intact. If she turned around and started blasting, there was a chance at least one of them wouldn’t make it. Maybe both. She had to be a little creative.

She slowly reached her hand into the right thigh pocket of her pants and slowly removed a smoke grenade. There was a chance that after she threw it, they’d think it was the real thing and scatter. That’s what she was hoping. If they started firing right away, they were goners. With the grenade in her right hand, Nicole tossed it between her legs at the door.

“Happy landings!” she yelled.

“Grenade!” a guard shouted.

Everyone at the door scattered. Smoke immediately rose into the air and quickly filled the room, as well as the hallway. Nicole finished untying Bridge, and the two of them rushed over to the door. Just as they got there, they saw a hand with a gun in it, pointing it inside the room.

Nicole grabbed the man’s arm and flipped him down to the ground. She then put a couple of bullets in him. She tossed her gun to Bridge, then grabbed the one that the guard didn’t need anymore. Bridge fired his weapon, seeing someone else standing just beyond the door, waiting for them.

Nicole got on the ground to peek outside the door and into the hallway. She didn’t see anyone at first. She gave Bridge the clear sign, and they both left the room. About halfway down, a man jumped out from behind them. Bridge and Nicole both turned around and put multiple bullets in him simultaneously.

They kept on moving, though everything was quiet. They knew Morozova was there. Somewhere. She wasn’t among the bodies yet, so they knew they weren’t out of the woods. Unless she just took a powder and left altogether. That’s something they couldn’t count on or assume, though.

At least now they had each other’s backs. They could lean on each other to get out of there. The hallway eventually got a little difficult to get through, courtesy of Nicole’s grenades, but they managed. And there were no further people getting in their way of leaving. Once they made their way outside, they got as far away from the building as possible before looking back.

Nicole hunched over, trying to get her breath back. “That was fun.”

“Ha! I knew you’d think so.”

“So what was all that about?”

“It’s a long story. And there’s a surprise in it. I’ll tell you about it once we get back to the hotel.”

“Maybe over a nice, long, warm bath?”

Bridge smiled. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

18

Van Wyk was sitting at a small, two-seat table, overlooking the ocean, with only a small ledge between them. He was just staring at the water, enjoying the morning peace and calm that came with it. One of his servants approached the table and placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of Van Wyk before quietly retreating, leaving him to his solitude. He took a sip of the strong, bitter brew, trying not to think about the previous night’s events.

Van Wyk knew there were loose ends to tie up, questions that needed answers, and most importantly, revenge to be had. But for now, he allowed himself this moment of respite, letting the sound of crashing waves soothe his nerves.

His phone buzzed with a message, breaking the peaceful atmosphere around him. He returned the message and put his phone back down, but his mind wouldn’t return to his peaceful surroundings. The sound of footsteps behind him alerted him, but judging from their quick pace, already knew who it was without having to look.

His tranquility ended as a shadow fell over him, blocking the sunlight that had been warming his face. Van Wyk didn't need to look up to know who it was; there was only one person who would seek him out at this secluded spot and interrupt him.

“Izzy.”

Morozova sat down across from him without a word, her expression unreadable. Van Wyk remained silent, waiting for her to speak first.

“They’re still out there.”

Van Wyk kept his composure, masking any flicker of emotion, as he continued to stare at the water. “I’m painfully aware of that.”

“Do I need to take care of it?”

“It is already being handled.”

“They seem to be very resourceful,” Morozova said.

“Yes, so it seems. I knew she would come. But I did not expect such an… explosive reaction. It is not a mistake we will make again.”

“We need to find them soon. Before they find us. They won’t stop looking until they find that cross.”

Van Wyk took a deep breath, the smell of the ocean and salt in the air filling his lungs.

“I have already set the wheels in motion.”

Morozova seemed confused. Her father seemed to have more information than she did.

“Do you already know where they are?”

“Not specifically, no,” Van Wyk answered. “But I do think I know where they’ll turn up next.”

Morozova turned her head toward the ocean, hoping some of the tranquility would help her to think.

“What is the one thing they know about us?” Van Wyk asked.

“They believe we have the cross.”

Van Wyk shook his head. “Beyond that. What is the one thing they know they can turn to right now that they believe will lead to us?”

Morozova continued to think, the answer coming to her rather quickly. “Ferris.”

Van Wyk nodded. “They already know the connection is there. They’ve seen it. And they know where he is. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out they’ll stay with him.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“Logically speaking, they have two options. They will either continue to follow Ferris, hoping he eventually does something that leads them to us. Or they will finally make contact with him and try to turn him against us.”

“Ferris doesn’t know as much as they think he does.”

“No, but he knows enough,” Van Wyk said. “Enough to make us have to change our habits significantly. In either case, Ferris is the key in finding them. They will return to him. And when they do, we will be there.”

Bridge and Nicole were sitting on a bench, further down the street from the restaurant than Bridge had previously been. They were waiting for MacQuaid. They were assuming Morozova wouldn’t make another appearance after being burned the previous two times. Especially considering they had Bridge in their grasp and let him escape.

They would have been beyond surprised if she turned up again. But, it could never be completely discounted, which is why they were further away this time. The restaurant was still within view, but there were more obstacles between them, disguising their appearance somewhat.

“I still can’t believe it,” Nicole said.

“I know, right? Isn’t it crazy?”

“It completely is. That you were so dumb to allow yourself to be recognized and caught? Just because you were so close they could basically reach out and touch you.”

Bridge was a little caught off-guard, as that wasn’t what he thought they were referring to. He thought they were talking about the bombshell that Morozova was actually Van Wyk’s daughter.

“Oh, that’s not where I thought we were going. So that’s what we’re talking about?”

“Yeah, what’d you think we were talking about?” Nicole asked.

“You know, just the fact that… hey, getting caught could happen to anybody.”

“Seems to happen to you more than most.”

“Because I’m always thrown into the deep end of these cases. That’s what the job requires.”

“The job requires getting captured, constantly beat up, and almost killed nearly ninety percent of the time?”

Bridge just looked at her. “No! And it’s not ninety percent of the time, Missy.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah!”

“And Morozova is really Van Wyk’s daughter? That’s completely out of nowhere.”

“I know, right?!”

“I guess the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Nicole said.

“Hard to believe a woman like that would be related to him.”

“A woman like what?”

“Huh?”

“You said, ‘a woman like that’. Like what?”

Bridge tried to play it off by acting dumb. “What?”

“What’d you mean by that?”

“Nothing.”

“You meant something.”

“Not really.”

“What, because of her looks, you find it hard to believe she could be evil or something?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You implied it.”

“I did no such thing.”

“Did too.”

Bridge then pointed to the street. “Hey, look, there’s our man.”

“Saved by the bell.”

Bridge rolled his eyes. “No matter how pretty she is, she could never beat you in anything.”

“You have a lot of making up to do after this is over, you know.”

Bridge sighed. “I figured as much.”

MacQuaid was alone for now. But Bridge and Nicole kept their eyes open. They didn’t believe Morozova would return, or anyone else for that matter, and if they did, it would almost assuredly be a trap. MacQuaid sat down at his usual table, ordered his usual meal, and sat there for forty-five minutes by himself. It was as plain and boring as it could get. Bridge and Nicole looked at each other.

“Well, it’s about what we figured,” Bridge said.

Once he was done, MacQuaid got up and started walking down the street. Bridge was slightly alarmed, though. He was walking in a different direction. Away from the office. He hadn’t done this any of the other times.

“Something might be up.”

“Maybe he’s just taking an alternate route,” Nicole said.

Bridge shook his head. “No, something’s happening. Let’s go.”

They got up from the bench and started following MacQuaid, eager to know where he was heading. They followed MacQuaid as he turned down a narrow alleyway, his pace quickening with each step. Bridge and Nicole exchanged glances, their instincts telling them to proceed with caution. It was a small alley, which seemed to be heading towards a dead end.

As they reached the end of the alley, MacQuaid abruptly stopped in front of a nondescript door. He knocked three times, paused, then knocked twice more. The door creaked open slowly, revealing a figure standing in the darkness beyond. Bridge and Nicole stopped and took cover, anxiously watching what was transpiring.

MacQuaid exchanged a few hushed words with the figure before disappearing through the doorway. Without hesitation, Bridge and Nicole moved closer, their footsteps silent against the pavement. As they cautiously approached the door, there was a window next to it. It was small, and dirty, barely able to be seen through. But they did catch a glimpse of MacQuaid disappearing down a flight of stairs. They never caught sight of the other person.

“What do you think?” Nicole asked.

“I think we’re not gonna know what’s going on from out here.”

They went over to the door, which was not locked. After pushing it open, Nicole motioned for Bridge to follow her as they descended into the dark unknown. They went over to the stairs they saw MacQuaid take and started going down. The stairway seemed to go on forever; the air growing colder with each step they took. Finally, they reached the bottom and found themselves in a dimly lit corridor lined with closed doors. They could hear murmurs coming from behind one of the doors nearby.

All at once, all the doors opened. Bridge and Nicole were squarely in the middle. They shuffled their feet as they tried to figure out where to turn their attention first. It happened in a matter of seconds. They were surrounded by ten men, all of whom had guns pointed at them.

“I think we stepped into something,” Bridge said.

“You think?”

With the matter seemingly under control, MacQuaid stepped out of the shadows. He wasn’t armed.

“Relieve them of their weapons,” MacQuaid said.

The other men quickly frisked Bridge and Nicole.

“Hey, watch where you’re putting your hands!” she told one who brushed up against her private parts.

“What are you doing here?” MacQuaid asked.

Bridge nervously laughed. “Seems kind of obvious, doesn’t it? Following you.”

“You’ve been following me for days. Why?”

Bridge could feel the icy stare of his girlfriend and only glanced at her. He knew that disapproving look, wondering how he could’ve been so sloppy.

“To warn you.”

MacQuaid’s face turned to one of confusion. “Warn me? Of what?”

“You’re obviously in danger.”

“From?”

“The people you’re doing business with.”

“I do business with a lot of people.”

Bridge looked at the ugly faces of the men surrounding them. “I don’t want to name drop or anything, but does the name The Dealer ring a bell?”

“You have poked your nose into things that do not concern you.”

“Kind of an occupational hazard.”

“I’m afraid now you’re going to have to be dealt with,” MacQuaid said.

“If that means calling The Dealer, or any associates of his, I would strongly urge you to reconsider.”

“Why?”

“Because I think you’re on borrowed time.”

“Me?” MacQuaid shook his head. “Ridiculous. I’m one of his most trusted people.”

“That’s not quite what I saw judging from your interactions with his daughter the last couple days.”

“That is not your business.”

“Saving your life might be. And I think yours is hanging in the balance right now.”

“What do you know that I don’t?”

Bridge shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe let’s put all these guns down and we can talk about it.”

“The guns stay up.”

“It’d be a little unfortunate if someone’s finger slipped.”

“Unfortunate for you, maybe.”

“That’s kind of what I was referring to.”

Since Bridge didn’t seem to be getting anywhere, Nicole thought she’d give it a shot.

“Hey, if you think The Dealer is this all-trusting guy, then by all means, blow us away.”

Bridge’s eyes widened, and he slowly turned his head toward his girlfriend, thinking she was being a little too over-the-top.

“But if you have even the slightest of doubts about him, then you might wanna hear what we have to say.”

MacQuaid studied their faces for a moment. He did have some doubts. Honestly, anyone who worked with Van Wyk did. Most were just too fearful to say anything or worried about crossing him to raise those doubts. Everyone walked on eggshells around Van Wyk. And his daughter.

MacQuaid then stuck his hand out, and the armed men suddenly lowered their weapons. He then walked toward one of the rooms and stopped by the door. He motioned with his head for Bridge and Nicole to follow him.

“In here. You have a few minutes to change my mind.”

MacQuaid disappeared inside.

“A few minutes is better than none,” Bridge whispered.

“Let’s not waste them,” Nicole replied. “It might be all the time we have left.”

19

There was a small table in the room, and MacQuaid put his arm out to direct his guests to sit. He sat down across from them. He had the others leave the room, except for one guard at the door. Just in case Bridge or Nicole got frisky. That man had his gun out and visible.

“You have three minutes,” MacQuaid said.

Bridge protested. “Three minutes isn’t a lot of time.”

“Two minutes.”

“Look, let’s not play games. Your life is hanging in the balance here.”

“How so?”

“Even you should be able to put two and two together. You’re here with us, right?”

“Obviously.”

“We know you have a connection to Van Wyk.”

“How do you know that?”

Bridge waved his hand in the air. “That’s not the important thing. The important thing is that we know. And Van Wyk and his daughter also know that we know. We escaped their clutches last night.”

“And?”

“Hate to be the one that breaks this to you, but that makes you a weak link.”

MacQuaid shook his head. “I don’t believe that.”

Bridge chuckled. “You can’t be that dumb. Here are these ultra-secretive people that nobody knows where they are, and here you are, knowing both of them, talking to us, who also know all of you.” He started moving his hands around. “You don’t see the problem?”

“The problem will soon be eliminated.”

Nicole interjected. “That’s not the right way to look at it. You have to look at it from their perspective.”

“Which is?”

“If I put myself in Isabella’s shoes, I now look at you as a threat. You know certain things about me, about my father, about our operation. Now, these two outsiders are here, asking questions, putting their nose into things.”

“Which will soon be dealt with.”

“Except, if they can find you, and know who you do business with, who else knows? And have they told anybody?”

The look on MacQuaid’s face changed, starting to realize what she was saying. He cleared his throat, becoming more uncomfortable by the second.

Nicole continued. “So even if this threat is dealt with and neutralized, will there be another one coming? Why should I even take the chance? Wouldn’t it be easier to just cut bait with everybody involved so I don’t have to deal with any of it?”

Bridge leaned forward. “That means all three of us would be dead, in case you didn’t get the reference.”

MacQuaid’s jaw tensed up. “I got it.”

“So yeah, you could kill us now,” Nicole said. “But that doesn’t solve the problem for you. The real problem now is that you’ve been made. And that makes you a liability. And we all know what happens to liabilities in Van Wyk’s organization, don’t we?”

MacQuaid moved his jaw around as he thought about it, looking away for a moment. They were making sense. There was nothing they said that he could dispute. He’d witnessed firsthand how Van Wyk, and his daughter, dealt with problems they felt could arise again. They just eliminated them completely so they wouldn’t have to worry about them later.

MacQuaid leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So what do you propose?”

“Work with us,” Nicole answered. “Help us find them. Help us lure them in.”

“And what’s the end goal with them? Capture? Kidnap? Send them to jail? Kill them? What?”

Bridge shrugged. “That kind of all depends on how everything goes down.”

MacQuaid leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the table. “With these people, it can only go down one way. You have to kill them. Anything else is a useless waste of time. They have money, they have power, and they are ruthless. They will use anything, and anyone, to get what they want. Capturing them, or putting them behind bars, does not solve the problem. It only hides it. They can still give orders from a jail cell, or hiding in some cabin on a snowy mountain. You either kill them, or you leave them alone. There is no in-between. Because if you don’t, they will come for you, and they will keep coming, until you are nothing but a forgotten memory.”

Bridge put his hand on his chin. “Can you still be a memory if you’re forgotten?”

Nicole elbowed him in the arm, not wanting to deal with nonsense questions at the moment.

“OK. So we eliminate them.”

MacQuaid looked away again and sighed, wondering how he became involved in this mess. Deep down, he knew something like this would eventually happen. It was inevitable. It was the price that was paid for dealing with people like Van Wyk. You got the money, the power, the nice things, but there would always be a time when all that hung in the balance.

“It’s not as easy as all that.”

“Let us walk out of here, tell us where and when, and it’ll be dealt with,” Nicole replied.

Bridge didn’t want to forget about what they really were there for. “Oh, and there’s a cross that they stole? Any ideas on where that might be?”

MacQuaid looked perplexed. “A cross? I don’t know anything about that. If I had to guess, I’d say that Van Wyk is probably holding it in his basement.”

“His basement? That’s it?”

“Not an ordinary basement. He has a massive safe down there, to go along with high-tech security systems in place.”

“Such as?”

“I couldn’t say, I haven’t been there.”

“But you know of it?”

“I have heard him talking about it,” MacQuaid answered. “I think I even saw a picture of it once. But I have not seen it in person. I have never even been to his residence.”

“Do you know where that is, by chance?”

MacQuaid shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I do know that it is by the ocean. He has talked many times about waking up and looking at the ocean from his balcony in the morning. How it is a calming experience for him.”

Bridge looked at his girlfriend. “I mean, I guess that narrows it down a little bit.”

“It’s a big ocean,” Nicole said.

“What about his daughter?”

MacQuaid slightly lifted his hands. “I know even less about her. She appears, then she’s gone.”

“What about the meetings you’ve had with her the past couple days? What was all that about?”

“They wanted me to do some business for them in the upcoming months.”

“What specifically?”

“They wanted me to talk to some art collectors and dealers about some paintings they’ve got an eye on. It would involve some traveling for about a month. I politely declined. Isabella wasn’t happy about it. The next day, we met about it again. She grew more unhappy, and put a call in to her father. That was that.”

“I assume you capitulated?”

“You don’t say no to the Van Wyk’s.”

“I understand.”

“Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll help you. But it must be done quickly. I’ll get them wherever you want them to go.”

“It’s something that has to be done cautiously,” Bridge said. “You can’t do anything that goes against the norm. Do you usually call them for anything?”

“They call me. I only call them if they have specifically instructed me to about some business dealing.”

“So that leaves that out. If you call them and ask to meet or something, they’ll know it’s a trap. They’re not dumb. Everything has to go along like normal.”

“But if we delay, and you’re right, which I think you are, my life hangs in the balance.”

Bridge nodded. “I know.”

“I also want an assurance. I help you, and I’m out. Whatever you have against me is forgotten. I disappear after this is over.”

Bridge didn’t care about him one way or the other, so that was an easy deal to make.

“Done. We’re not after you. Actually, we’re really not even after them. It’s the cross we’ve been hired to get.”

MacQuaid shook his head. “Not possible. You cannot just take the cross and leave, without expecting any repercussions. If you take it from them, they will come back for you.”

“Even if they stole it in the first place?”

“You must understand how Van Wyk’s mind works. Anything that is in his current possession, he believes is his. It doesn’t matter how he acquired it. If you take it, you are stealing from him. He will not forget. And he will not stop coming. With his assets and power, there is only one way to stop him from putting you on his hit list. You must kill him before he has a chance to seek retribution. If you are not willing to do that, you should walk away now while you still have the opportunity.”

Bridge and Nicole glanced at each other. They didn’t want to kill anyone. But they knew in some circumstances, it was unavoidable. And with some people, there was just no other way. This seemed like it was one of those times.

“It would help if we knew where he was,” Bridge said. “Or his daughter. One will probably lead to the other.”

“I don’t think that’s probably necessary,” MacQuaid replied.

“Why not?”

“If you’re now on the radar, as you seem to be, you don’t need to worry about finding them. They’ll find you. And probably sooner than you’d like.”

20

Bridge and Nicole sat there grilling MacQuaid for the next several minutes, hoping the man would remember something that could actually help them. But in all the times MacQuaid met either Van Wyk, or Morozova, it was usually at a place that was more familiar to him. Never at their residence. Sometimes he stood on a street corner, and a car came by with them inside, and MacQuaid would get in for a drive. Sometimes it was at a restaurant, such as the one MacQuaid liked to frequently visit. Sometimes it would be at a park, or a beach, or some other public place… but never one of their homes. They were very protective about who they allowed into their personal space.

“Are you due for another meeting with them?” Nicole asked.

MacQuaid shook his head. “No. And to be honest, I’m not sure I’d want to have another one, if we actually think I’m in danger.”

“Oh, you’re in danger, no doubt about that,” Bridge said. “They’ve gotta have a boat, or a helicopter, or something we can get a fix on.”

“I do know they have a boat. At least Bono does. I’ve heard him mention taking the boat out on occasion. Where it’s docked, or what it’s named, or anything like that… I have no idea. But I do think he has one.”

“Docked at his house?”

MacQuaid shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Bridge put his hand over his mouth as he thought about it. “I get the feeling a man like that has a boat dock at his house. Probably a big, sprawling mansion. Has a limo parked at his house, servants, a boat dock, maybe even a helipad. He’s living the life.”

“Could be,” Nicole replied. “We just have to find out where it is.”

“Guess we have to start digging. Let’s get back to the hotel and check it out.”

“What about me?” MacQuaid asked.

“Honestly, if I were you, I’d get out of sight. Wherever you feel safest, I’d get there as soon as possible. Don’t see the light of day for anything. Get in a hole and crawl in it until this thing is over.”

Nicole had something else in mind for him, though. “One thing you can do, if you wanna try and move this along, reach out to any of your contacts. Anyone you know that also knows Van Wyk or Morozova, see if they can help with anything.”

“No one is going to turn on him,” MacQuaid said.

“You don’t need to try. Just put some feelers out. See if you can learn anything. Maybe one of them might know the name of his boat, or where he resides, or a restaurant he likes to eat, or a park they always visit every Saturday. Something. Anything. Even the smallest piece of information could be the break that we need.”

“I think it’s likely that if I start poking around, somebody’s going to get back to Bono with it.”

Nicole didn’t seem bothered by it. “That’s OK, really. You’re already on his list now, and if you want to break free from it, who cares?”

MacQuaid put his elbows on the table and rubbed his forehead. “I can, uh, there’s a few people I might be able to contact.”

“Good,” Bridge said. He reached into his back pocket and removed a business card. He slid it across the table. “You find out anything, you reach us here.”

MacQuaid took the card and looked at it. He seemed a little shaken, as one would expect at trying to break free of a man like Van Wyk, and his daughter. But he knew this was the only course he could navigate now. He was guilty by association. His cover was blown. In his mind, there was no doubt Bridge and Nicole were right. Van Wyk would eliminate him before he allowed him to become a weak link.

“I guess that’s all we got here,” Bridge said. “Let’s get to work.”

Before they got up, Nicole had another question. “What about all these guys out here? Can you trust them?”

“They’re hired guns,” MacQuaid answered. “They can be trusted as far as the money goes.”

“Which means they could be bought out by a higher bidder,” Bridge replied. “Best watch your step with them.”

With their discussion done, MacQuaid gave a nod to his guard at the door. The man turned around and opened the door. He briefly stepped into the hallway, then hurriedly came back in.

“The boys are gone.”

MacQuaid jumped out of his chair. “What do you mean they’re gone?!”

The guard shrugged. “They’re not there.”

“Find them.”

Bridge squinted his eyes, wondering what was going on here. It seemed odd that the men would disappear. And there were really only a few reasons that would happen. Someone else was in the building and were silently taking them out one by one. Or, they left voluntarily, turning their backs on them. If that were the case, it was because they’d already been gotten to. And this whole thing was a setup.

Suddenly, gunfire erupted. The guard in the hallway seemed to have his hands full with something. Bridge grabbed Nicole's arm and pulled her over to the wall, as they exchanged a quick glance, silently communicating their next move. MacQuaid made his way next to them. The sound of bullets ricocheting in the hallway filled the room, echoing in their ears.

“You have your guns?” MacQuaid asked.

“No, you took them from us!” Nicole replied.

Bridge got down and crawled to the door, hoping to find a gun or two lying on the floor out there. But there was no such luck. The guard was still there exchanging gunfire.

“Hey, buddy. You got an extra piece?”

The guard didn’t stop firing. “Yeah. I got an extra one in my…”

He never got the chance to finish his thought. A bullet penetrated the front of his forehead, dropping him to the ground with a thud, dead on arrival. Bridge quickly grabbed the fallen guard's gun and tossed it to Nicole before ducking back behind the cover of the door. Nicole caught it deftly, checking the chamber as she prepared to defend themselves.

Bridge then grabbed the guard’s arm and started pulling him inside the room.

“What are you doing?!” MacQuaid asked.

“He’s got a backup somewhere. And it’s not gonna do him any good.”

Bridge started patting down the man’s clothes, eventually finding a pistol strapped to his ankle. He relieved the dead man of his weapon and looked at Nicole, who’d come over to the door next to him.

MacQuaid was visibly shaken, his face pale with fear as he huddled close to Bridge and Nicole.

“Are we going to be able to get out of here?”

Bridge wasn’t about to give him false hope. “Well, we both know who’s probably out there. Do with that what you will.”

“He’s here.”

“Or Isabella is,” Nicole replied.

“Same thing either way.”

“We need to move,” Bridge said, his voice low but urgent. “There’s no way we can stay here or else we’ll run out of ammo and get boxed in.”

Nicole nodded, her eyes scanning the room for any possible exit. “Back entrance,” she pointed towards the hallway leading away from the gunfire. “It’s our best shot.”

Bridge looked at MacQuaid. “Can you lead us there?”

MacQuaid took a deep breath. “Yeah. But what if they’re out there waiting for us too?”

“Let’s deal with one thing at a time. First things first. Let’s get out of here and deal with that later. We’ll start firing, when we do, you get in behind us and lead us to that back exit.”

MacQuaid nodded. Bridge and Nicole readied themselves, not even sure how many people they were facing. They just knew they had to create some noise to give themselves some breathing room. Bridge and Nicole exchanged glances, ready to take their first shots. They knew they needed to move fast, but also carefully.

"On my count," Bridge whispered, "1...2..."

As he reached "3", Bridge and Nicole both opened fire, letting out a barrage of bullets in the direction of the apparent threat outside the door. MacQuaid wasted no time, following their lead and charging towards the back entrance as they continued to spray gunfire into the hallway. One of their bullets did some damage, as a man dropped to the ground at the end of the hallway. The sound of their assault echoed ominously through the building, bouncing off the walls and eventually fading away into silence. The trio slowed down, not sure whether their attackers were actually gone or if this was just a temporary reprieve. They figured it was the latter.

Nicole turned and ran after MacQuaid, with Bridge staying put for a second to make sure they had enough time to get where they needed to go without having to worry about a bullet lodging into their backs. As they headed for the last door in the hallway, it suddenly opened, with a man stepping out. MacQuaid immediately dropped to the ground without having to be told, mostly out of fear. It gave Nicole a clear line of fire, and she opened up, hitting her opponent with several shots that eliminated the threat.

Bridge took a quick look back, seeing the other two reach the door safely. Once they did, Nicole stopped and gave Bridge cover, so he could run back towards them. With all three of them out of the main hallway, Bridge closed the door. He stood there looking at it for a moment.

“Is there something we can block this with?” he asked. “Might give us a precious few seconds we desperately need.”

MacQuaid quickly scanned the area and spotted an empty filing cabinet that could be moved. He motioned for Bridge and Nicole to follow him, and together they pushed it across the room. They eventually got it into position, blocking the doorway with a satisfying thud.

"That should hold them off for a bit," Bridge said, satisfied with their makeshift barrier.

“How long until we get to the exit?” Nicole asked.

“Only a few minutes,” MacQuaid answered. “We just go down this hallway, make a left, then the exit is right there.”

“Lead the way.”

Before they went any further, Bridge gave MacQuaid some last-minute instructions.

“Now once you get to that door, I want you to stop. Don’t go out until we say it’s clear.”

“Got it,” MacQuaid replied.

“We don’t wanna go from the frying pan into the fire.”

“I think technically we’re already there,” Nicole said.

“Technically, let’s not get into techni… nevermind. Anyway, you just stop when you reach it. Getting out of here might be hard enough, and I don’t wanna…” he stopped before saying anything else he had suspicions about, not wanting to make anyone’s anxieties even worse. Namely MacQuaid’s. “Anyway, if we do this right, we just might make it out of here in one piece. Just maybe.”

21

Once they reached the exit door, MacQuaid stopped and waited, just like Bridge wanted him to. The door was solid, and there were no windows nearby, so they couldn’t look out to see if anyone was out there waiting for them. Bridge suspected they might be. He took a deep breath and whispered.

“OK, there’s two ways we can do this. We can go out slowly, making sure there’s nobody around, or we can run out like our hair’s on fire and find the closest thing available to get behind or inside of.”

“I vote for number two,” MacQuaid said. “Let’s just get out of here.”

“No,” Nicole replied. “We open the door, go out slowly. Take a look around. If it’s good, we keep on going.”

“And if it’s not?”

Nicole shrugged. “Then we come back inside.”

“We can’t do that! We already know what’s waiting for us back there.”

Bridge agreed with his girlfriend. “Slow and steady it is.”

“You guys are going to get us all killed.”

MacQuaid didn’t want to wait, and quickly pushed the door open, charging outside. Bridge put his shoulder against the door to prevent it from closing all the way, taking a peek at MacQuaid as he ran. Within seconds, shots rang out. Bridge flinched as he heard them. MacQuaid went down. Bridge stared at him, his body not moving. He noticed some blood start to stain the ground around MacQuaid’s body. A doctor, an ambulance, none of that would be needed. MacQuaid was already gone. Bridge slowly closed the door and locked it. He looked at Nicole and shook his head.

“Now what?” Nicole asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“We have to keep moving.”

“But where? Out there or back in?”

“Well we know what’s waiting for us out there.”

“We know what’s waiting for us in here.”

“In here we have a chance,” Bridge said. “Out there, we’d be sitting ducks.”

Nicole nodded. “Let’s go.”

Bridge tilted his head to look at the ceiling. “Let’s go up.”

“Huh? Why?”

“This building was what, three or four stories?”

“Yeah?”

“Can’t have people everywhere.”

“Who says?”

“Maybe we can find some alternative way of getting out of here.”

“Here’s to hoping.”

They ran down the hallway the way MacQuaid had pointed out earlier, their footsteps echoing through the deserted building. They ran past the door and the file cabinet they originally came from. They heard the door start to shake a little. Someone was trying to get through.

They kept running until they came across a small stairway. It only led up. They reached the top floor without any issues. Once they got there, they discovered that it was an open area with multiple windows overlooking the streets below. It offered a glimmer of hope for escape, but also meant they were exposed to any outside threat that might be lurking around.

Bridge surveyed the windows for an exit strategy while Nicole scanned for any immediate danger. The silence in the room felt deafening as they held their breath, waiting for something, anything, to break the tension. Suddenly, a loud crash from behind them shattered the silence. They both spun around in unison.

The door splintered and burst open, revealing several armed men advancing toward them. Bridge and Nicole both started firing. The gunfire echoed through the room, the intruders rapidly dropping to the ground after eating a few bullets. The situation was quickly contained. But they knew that wasn’t the end of it. It was only a temporary reprieve.

Bridge went over to the windows to look for an exit strategy, while Nicole scanned for any immediate danger. She saw MacQuaid’s dead body still lying on the ground.

“Look, I see two guys down there waiting.”

Bridge came over to her spot to take a look, seeing what she was seeing. Bridge took a few steps back, contemplating their next move. They didn’t have many options. Some of the windows were broken, and it was a pretty good drop to the street. There was also a window that led to the fire escape. That was the extent of their options.

Nicole went over to the door, closing it, and moving the two dead bodies in front of it to prevent it from opening quickly again. If someone tried to come in again, they’d know it. It gave them a few extra seconds to react if they needed it. And they had a feeling they would.

“Well, seems to me, we got two options,” Bridge said. “And both of them require going out the window.”

Nicole made a face, not liking either of them already.

“We either find a spot to jump, or we go down the fire escape.”

She shook her head. She knew she wouldn’t like them. “The fire escape is a death trap. We’ll be moving so slowly on there, and we’ll be trapped if they see us, we might as well light ourselves on fire.”

Bridge could see her point. “Noted. Option two. We just jump out the window.”

Nicole glanced over at the windows. She didn’t like it. “How about option three?”

“Which is?”

“We head back down those steps, go out the way we came in, and shoot whoever’s in our way?”

Bridge put his finger in the air to squash her hopes. “One small problem with that.”

“Which is?”

“We don’t know how many are down there, and we only have a limited supply of ammunition. If we do that, and there are more than we can handle, and we run out of bullets, we might be fighting them off Alamo-style. Just waving our guns around like clubs.”

Nicole sighed as she moved her head around. She hated all the options. She went back over to the windows and started moving around the perimeter, looking down at the street, hoping something would strike her. As long as it wasn’t a bullet.

As Nicole scanned the street below, her eyes fell upon a dumpster along the other side of the building. It was close enough that if they could make the jump from the window, they might have a chance to fall into it and escape. She turned to Bridge with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“I think I’ve found our way out,” she said, pointing towards the blue dumpster. “If we jump from here, I think we can make it.”

“No, not a dumpster. I hate going into those things. They smell.”

A noise startled them, and they looked back to see the door moving slightly. Someone was trying to get in again. Bridge quickly went over to it, and pointed his gun at the door. He was just waiting for a small opening, for the door to open just a sliver, so he could take out whoever was trying to get in. After a few moments, with an extra bit of force, the door opened a few inches. That was all the opening Bridge needed. His first target stared him straight in the face, seeing the gun pointed at him, knowing he was in more trouble than he wanted.

Bridge pulled the trigger, firing two times. The man went down. Bridge wasn’t sure if there was anyone else behind the guy, but if there was, he temporarily retreated. Bridge went over to the door and closed it again, pushing the dead bodies against it once more.

“It’s not gonna hold them for long,” Nicole said.

“I know it.”

“We gotta jump.”

Bridge’s shoulders slumped. But it seemed like the only decent option they had. He then rejoined Nicole by the window, who was knocking out what remained of the broken glass. They stood by the windows and looked down. They grabbed each other’s hand, then with a shared nod, propelled themselves out into the open air. The rush of wind filled their ears as they plummeted towards the ground below. It was a perfect landing. Right into the dozens of bags of trash, which helped to cushion the blow.

Nicole coughed as she pushed herself up to her knees from the pile of garbage bags, wrinkling her nose at the stench that surrounded them. Bridge remained on his back for a moment. But Nicole was ready to go.

“C’mon, we don’t have much time to waste. It won’t take them too long to figure out where we went.”

Just as Bridge was about to lift his head up, they heard a bunch of sounds coming from the outside. They were just about to check them out, but it soon proved to be a moot point. They looked up, seeing five guns directly pointed at them. Bridge put his head back down on a bag of trash.

“I really hate days like this.”

Nicole contemplated pulling her gun, but knew there wasn’t much point. Not unless she wanted to die right then and there. And considering they hadn’t killed them yet, figured there was still a chance to fight another day. However fleeting that may be.

Then, another figure emerged atop the dumpster, looking down at them. It was Isabella Morozova. She smiled at them.

“Well, it seems you two have gotten yourselves into a smelly situation, doesn’t it?”

Bridge laughed. “Ha! I love a good garbage pun.”

“Lose your guns and get them out of there.”

“And then what?”

“Then we’re going to have a little chat.”

“About?”

“Business,” Morozova answered.

“And after that?”

“That all depends on the answers you give me.”

“If you like them?” Bridge asked.

“Then maybe you’ll live.”

“And if you don’t?”

“Then maybe you’ll die.”

“I had a feeling that was it.”

Bridge and Nicole glanced at each other.

“I told you this was a bad idea.” He lifted his head up before letting it fall back down on a bag. “A really bad idea.”

22

Once Bridge and Nicole climbed out of the dumpster, they were surrounded by guns pointing at them. And Morozova’s beautiful, smiling face.

“That was an impressive jump, by the way. I really enjoyed it.”

Bridge smirked. “Thanks. I think it was one of our better ones.”

“Jump into dumpsters often?”

“Oh, you know, whenever the situation calls for it.”

“I see.”

Bridge rubbed his hands together. “Well, if that’s all, this has been fun, we’ll just head on out.”

Morozova shook her head. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. I wish it was. And I’d really like to sleep with you before you get killed.”

Nicole snapped her head back and raised her eyebrows, shocked at the woman’s candidness. She fought back the urge to leap at her and strangle her.

“What do you want with us?” Nicole asked. “I assume there’s a reason we’re still breathing?”

“Him, yes. You, no. Take her away.”

“What?! No!”

A couple men grabbed hold of Nicole’s arms, who instantly started fighting back. They were able to get her under control, though.

“I’m afraid we’re a package deal,” Bridge said. “What happens to one of us happens to both of us.”

Morozova moved in closer to him, their faces only inches apart. She put her hand on his cheek.

“That’s such a shame. I had such plans for you.” Though it looked like she was about to kiss him, she suddenly moved away. “Take them both.”

The guards took Bridge and Nicole to a black van and put them inside. Morozova went into the back seat of an expensive car.

“Where do you think they’re taking us?” Nicole asked.

Before Bridge was able to answer, they both had tape put over their mouths. Then their hands were tied together. The van drove for what felt like hours, twisting and turning through the city streets. Bridge and Nicole exchanged worried glances, trying to anticipate their captors' next move. Once the van finally came to a stop, they were pulled out of the vehicle.

They squinted their eyes as they tried to adjust to the brightness outside. They heard seagulls and smelled the ocean. There were boats all around. It didn’t take long for Bridge to figure out what was planned. That story they heard, about Van Wyk chopping up body parts and throwing them in the ocean for the sharks. He had a feeling that wasn’t just a silly rumor, made up to make the man sound tougher. He now figured it was probably a reality. And they were about to live it. Then, someone yanked the tape from their mouths. They both made a face and moved their mouth around, but neither gave their adversaries the satisfaction of letting them know they were in any discomfort.

“Do I need to ask what’s planned?” Bridge said.

“Keep it closed,” a guard replied. “Or it goes back on.”

Bridge and Nicole were then forced onto a small boat, their captors pushing them roughly as they struggled against the ropes that bound them together. The ocean was rough; the waves crashing violently against the side of the boat. The wind whipped at their faces, salt spraying into their eyes and mouths.

As they sat there, waiting for whatever came next, they looked over and saw Van Wyk approaching. He was making a beeline for them and got onto the boat.

“Who are you working for?”

“I just can’t remember,” Bridge answered.

Van Wyk snapped his fingers. “I assume it’s, uh, what’s the guy’s name that had the cross? De Leon? Him?”

Bridge looked confused. “De Leon? Who’s that?”

Van Wyk chuckled. “It’s really of no matter. Will there be more coming after you’re gone?”

Bridge smiled. “It’s really hard to say.”

“You look rather pleasant for a man about to be fed to the sharks.”

“What can I say? I’m a happy guy.”

“Is there anyone else out there? Anyone else who knows about me?”

“About who?”

“You know, you both don’t have to die here. One of you can live. Whoever decides to be smart enough to tell me who else knows about my operation.”

Bridge and Nicole lovingly looked at each other.

“I’m good,” he said.

“Me too.”

Van Wyk sighed and shook his head. “Fools. I will enjoy watching you be dumped overboard from the shore.”

“Well, at least you have something to look forward to,” Bridge said.

Then they heard some type of commotion coming from near where the cars were parked. Voices were raised. It was enough of a concern for Van Wyk that he got off the boat to see what was happening. It gave Bridge and Nicole a little alone time.

“Well, if this is it, it’s been nice knowing you.”

Nicole gave him one of her looks. “Really? That’s it?!”

“What?”

“It’s been nice knowing you. That’s all you got?!”

“What do you want me to say?”

“I dunno, but if this is our last moments together, something a little more romantic would be appropriate. Like, you’re the love of my life, or until we meet again, or I wish we had more time together, or you’ll always be the star in my eye. Maybe something like that?”

“Oh. Yeah. I could’ve done that, couldn’t I?”

“Yeah, you could’ve! No. You just say, ‘been nice knowing you’. Wow. So glad our time together has been so meaningful to you.”

“You know it’s not like that. You know how much I love you.”

“Uh, huh. It’d be nice to hear it in our last moments together.”

As Van Wyk reached the cars, his daughter was standing there, already in a heavy discussion with a man. Once she saw her father nearby, she apprised him of the situation.

“Mr. Brink here has a special request.”

“Oh?” Van Wyk asked. “And what would that be?”

Brink pointed to the boat where Bridge and Nicole were. “Them. I want them.”

Van Wyk seemed surprised at the request as he looked at the boat. “Why?”

“They have messed up three of my deals before.”

“You know who they are?”

“Oh yes. Luke Bridge. The Extractor. And his partner, Nicole. I am very familiar with their game. And I have been looking for them for years. And now, suddenly, here they are. You must let me have them.”

“You sound rather angry about it.”

“I am! I want them. You have no idea how many sleepless nights they have caused. How much money they have made me lose. It’s in the millions. I need some closure on them. I feel they have targeted me for too long. This is my turn.”

“I was planning on cutting them up and feeding them to the sharks.”

“Let me do it! I will not be cutting them up, but give me the satisfaction of stabbing them and ending their miserable lives. I’ll kill them and toss them into the ocean myself.”

Van Wyk appeared to be genuinely considering the offer. Brink needed to convince him.

“If you do this for me, I will offer you a bonus on our deal.”

A smile finally formed on Van Wyk’s face. “All right. You can have them. My man will steer the boat for you. And I’ll give you…”

“No, no, no. No one else,” Brink said. “This has to be done by just me. Your man steering is fine.” Brink closed his hand into a fist and shook it forcefully. “Just me.”

Van Wyk was a little surprised by Brink’s intensity. He obviously really wanted this. Bridge and Nicole had really gotten under his skin. Though they’d already been an annoyance to him, they hadn’t yet grown into a sure hatred yet. Van Wyk, for the bonus, was willing to step aside and let someone else take the lead in killing them.

Van Wyk smiled and stuck his arm out towards the boat. “They’re all yours.”

“Thank you. Do you have a knife I can borrow?”

Van Wyk motioned to one of his guards to give Brink a knife, which they did.

“How far out do you wish me to take them?”

“My man knows the way,” Van Wyk answered. “He’ll stop when it’s time.”

“Very good. Thank you for this. I will remember it.”

Van Wyk sadistically grinned. “I hope you enjoy it.”

Van Wyk walked Brink down to the boat. As Bridge and Nicole saw who was walking with Van Wyk, their eyes widened. They could hardly believe it. Van Wyk couldn’t wipe the pompous look off his face. He enjoyed seeing the fear on their faces.

“It looks as if you are already acquainted.”

Brink kept his hand plastered to his side, but lifted it just slightly as a sign to them. Bridge noticed.

“I did not think this day would ever come,” Brink said.

“Uh, yeah, me neither,” Bridge replied.

“Mr. Van Wyk has graciously given me the opportunity to kill you myself.”

Bridge took a deep breath. “Oh. How nice for you.”

“I will leave you to it,” Van Wyk said. “Take all the time you need.”

Brink slightly bowed his head as Van Wyk walked away. Brink took a seat on the boat, across from Bridge and Nicole. The other man started the engine. As the boat began to move, Bridge looked at the man holding the knife in front of them.

“So what’s this about?” Bridge asked.

Brink smiled. “Don’t you know? You’re going to die.”

23

On the back of the boat, Bridge and Nicole just stared at the man. They could hardly believe he was there in front of them. Antoine Chalamet. In the flesh. Since they were well out of range from the man steering the boat, the three of them could now talk freely. Bridge leaned forward.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came here to talk business with Van Wyk,” Chalamet said. “Imagine my surprise when I got here, I see you two being loaded onto this boat. What are you two doing here?”

“We were hired to retrieve an expensive cross that Van Wyk helped to himself.”

“I see that is not going so well.”

“Yeah, well…”

“Why are you here?” Nicole asked. “You have business with him?”

Chalamet smiled. “I have my business. He thinks it’s his business. He has some items I plan to take for myself. He knows me as Brink, a charming businessman. I’m just working to get in closer.”

“What do you have your eyes on?”

“He has a few pieces of jewelry I’d like to take. So my plan was to get in close, take what I want, then leave in a few days.”

“You know who he is, right?” Bridge asked.

Chalamet shrugged, not seeming to care. “He knows me as Brink. He’ll spend years looking for that name. All while I’ll have moved on to some other slob. By the time he knows it was really me I’ll be retired and living on my own private island somewhere.”

Bridge shook his head. “You’re unbelievable.”

“We have an opportunity to help each other here. I can help you get out of this mess, and you can help me get what I need. And maybe what you want, as well.”

“How?”

“It will be difficult. But I see no other way. I’m going to have to kill you here.”

“I don’t see how we’ll be able to help you after that.”

“I’ll pretend to kill you. I’ll cut the restraints off your hands, though you will still act like they’re tied. I will get in close and pretend to stab you, throwing you off the boat at the same time. Unfortunately, you will both have to swim back to shore. I see no other way around that.”

“I do,” Bridge said.

“What’s that?”

“Cut us loose, we kill that moose steering the boat, and we all get out of here.”

Chalamet shook his head. “That won’t work.”

“Why not?”

“Because then Van Wyk will know we’re working together. He’ll know you’re still alive, and I won’t get close to him. I am almost there with what I need.”

“How close?” Nicole asked.

“After this, he is taking me to see his collection.”

“You’re going to his house?”

Chalamet put his hand up. “I’m not sure about that. It’s possible. He did not mention specifics. It’s possible he may be taking me to another location as well. So I am not sure. Whatever the case, I am close to finding out where he lives. I understand that basement of his has a treasure trove of things.”

“That’s the rumor.”

“So you see, it’s imperative that we continue this little charade of ours. If not, the work I have put in will be for naught. And we will lose whatever progress I’ve made, and we might not ever get the items we desire.”

“I really don’t wanna swim,” Bridge said.

Chalamet laughed. “It’s good exercise.”

“How close do you really think you are?” Nicole asked.

“Even if he doesn’t take me to his house, I have contingencies in place to glean that information. We have an opportunity here for everyone to get what they want. Except for Van Wyk, of course.”

Nicole glanced at her boyfriend. “We really don’t have any other options.”

“I really didn’t want to swim today.”

Chalamet continued smiling at him. “And you must be willing to let me take whatever I want and not stand in my way or try to take it back or anything.”

“Ugh, now there’s more conditions.”

“As long as we get the cross we were hired for, it’s a deal,” Nicole said.

“How far out are we going, anyway?” Bridge asked.

“I have no idea. I was just told when the boat stops, so does the music.”

“How are we going to find you after this? Assuming we don’t get eaten by the sharks on the way back.”

“I am staying at The Regal Hotel. Room 721. Meet me there at nine o’clock tonight.”

“We’ll be there,” Nicole said.

“Make sure you disguise yourselves or come in through a backdoor or something. I am not sure if the hotel is being watched. It wouldn’t surprise me if it is.”

“Speaking of being watched, it wouldn’t surprise me if there was a secret camera planted on this boat somewhere,” Bridge said.

“I have thought of that,” Chalamet replied. “We will have to make this look good in case we are being watched.”

Bridge took a look back at the water. He then saw how far they were from the shore.

“It’s such a long swim.”

“Oh stop,” Nicole replied. “Just man up and do it. It’s better to swim in the ocean than to sleep in it.”

Chalamet smiled. “The lovely lady has a point.”

“Don’t encourage her,” Bridge said.

“I’m going to see how much longer it will be.”

Chalamet stood up, then leaned in between Bridge and Nicole, pretending to check on their restraints. He quickly cut the rope that tied Bridge’s hands together. Then he did the same for Nicole. He put the knife back in his pocket. Bridge and Nicole were careful not to move their hands or arms at all. They still pretended that their hands were tied behind their backs.

“You ever think we’re in the wrong business?” Bridge asked.

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t overdramatize. We’ve been in these predicaments before. I’m sure we will be again. Let’s just get through it.”

“Don’t usually have to swim the ocean, either.”

“It’s not that far.”

A minute later, Chalamet returned. “We’ll be stopping momentarily.”

“And then?” Bridge asked.

“And then we’ll have to play our respective parts, I’m afraid. Believe me, I take no joy in dumping you into the ocean. You can swim, correct?”

“Hell of a time to ask.”

“We’ll be fine,” Nicole said.

The boat then stopped. A man appeared from the cabin.

“Looks like this is our stop,” Chalamet said.

Everyone stood up. Chalamet stared at each of them, contemplating how he was going to do this. He then got into character as he focused on Bridge.

“You have antagonized me, tortured me, for years. You thought you would get away with it. But it is I that will have the last laugh!”

Chalamet put his back to Van Wyk’s man, so he wouldn’t have the best view. He then got up close to Bridge and pretended to repeatedly stab him in the stomach. The knife was going between Bridge’s side and his arm. Since the man by the cabin couldn’t really see, it looked as if Chalamet was really giving Bridge the business. Then, Chalamet shoved Bridge in the shoulder, pushing him overboard.

“No!” Nicole yelled.

“I’m afraid now it is your turn,” Chalamet said. “Unless you would like to join me for a little motion in the ocean, as the kids say.”

Nicole spit at his shoulder. Chalamet looked down at it. He then lunged at her, putting his arm around her neck, as he pretended to also stab her in the stomach. She let her body go limp, and Chalamet cradled her in his arms. He tossed the knife into the ocean. He took another step, then dropped Nicole into the water. He stood there for a moment, looking at the bodies in the ocean, then took a step back and took off his shirt. He threw that in the water, as well.

“What’d you do that for?” the other man said.

“Too much blood on it,” Chalamet answered, now just wearing a white t-shirt. “And I did not want to get Mr. Van Wyk’s boat too bloody. It’s only a shirt. Let’s go back to shore.”

“Should we check on them?”

“They are dead, believe me. Let’s get out of here.”

As the man went back to get the boat started, Chalamet looked at the bodies in the ocean again.

“Good luck, my friends.”

As soon as the boat changed directions, Bridge and Nicole came to life and started swimming. They were about three miles from shore. Swimming at a pretty good pace, it took them about an hour and a half to finally make it. Once they did, they both got on their knees to catch their breath.

“You look really good wet,” Bridge said.

Nicole looked at him and smiled, just in time to see him fall over onto his face. Her smile faded and her shoulders slumped.

“Really?”

She then went over to him and helped to get him on his feet.

“C’mon, we have to go.”

“Where?” Bridge asked.

“Just away from here. We have to get back to the hotel, change, then meet Antoine later. And figure out how we’re going to do that without being seen.”

“Just let me die here.”

“Oh my God, you big baby. Would you just stop and get to your feet so we can get out of here? What if they come back? Then you’ll really be swimming with the fishes.”

“Good point.”

Bridge instantly sprung to his feet as if he were about to run a marathon. He suddenly had some pep in his step.

“You’re something else, you know that?”

Bridge laughed. “Yeah. Good, isn’t it?”

“It’s something. I don’t know how good it is, but it’s something.”

Bridge kissed her on the lips. “We dodged another one.”

“Yep. We sure did. For now. But we need to be more careful, because if Van Wyk catches us again, there will be no reprieve for us, and nobody’s coming to save us. If he catches us again, we’re definitely dead.”

Bridge nodded. “No doubt about it. Definitely dead. Dead, dead, dead.”

24

Bridge and Nicole were outside The Regal Hotel. Night had fallen, which would aid them in getting into the building unseen. They’d go in separately. Just in case there were any doubts, and someone was watching, there’d be no thoughts about them still being alive.

“You know, I just had a terrible thought.”

“Save it,” Nicole said. “The last thing we need to be thinking about is your terrible thoughts.”

“No, I mean it.”

“So do I. Whatever it is that’s running around that little mind of yours, cut it out.”

“Well it’s not… what do you mean, little?”

“Luke, now’s not the time.”

“It’s exactly the time! Because if what I’m thinking about is actually true, then what we’re doing is not the best thing to be doing right now!”

Nicole lowered her head, knowing she was getting dragged into this conversation whether she wanted to or not. She looked at him, not that she really wanted to ask, but she had to.

“What are you blabbering on about?”

“Antoine.”

“What about him?” Nicole asked.

“What if Van Wyk found out that he helped us and didn’t really kill us? And then killed Antoine instead? Then that maniac could be up there waiting for us right now. And then what?”

Nicole just looked at him without saying anything. It was obvious what he said had struck a nerve with her. She hadn’t really contemplated it up to now. But unfortunately, it did make some sense. Chalamet was a great con man. A great talker. He could usually say or do anything he wanted, and he could get most people to believe it. But Van Wyk was different. What if Van Wyk knew? What if the other man on the boat knew that Chalamet didn’t kill them, and reported back to Van Wyk once the boat docked? They had no way of knowing for sure that Chalamet was up in his hotel room. They were only guessing. Hoping.

“We can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Nicole said. “We still have to go up there.”

“What if he’s gone?”

“What if he’s not? What if everything just went off without a hitch?”

“We could just call the hotel and patch us through to his room.”

“What if they have his phone tapped?”

Bridge slapped his leg in frustration. “I really don’t want to go for another swim.”

“You won’t have to. We can be smart. One of us goes in. That way if we land into trouble, the other one is around to bail us out.”

“OK. Let me know when you’re in there.”

“Me?! Why am I the one going in?”

“Well it was your plan.”

“So?!”

“Plus, you’re already dressed for it.”

Nicole looked down at her outfit. She had on a plain blue dress and white sneakers, the kind that the cleaning staff wore. Nicole could only shake her head.

“Well the plan was for you to let me in the back door,” Bridge said. “I’m just sticking with the plan.”

Nicole sighed. “Fine. I’ll go in.”

“Call me when you’re in Antoine’s room. If I don’t hear from you within the next twenty minutes, I’m bringing the heat.”

Nicole didn’t have any other words for him. She just stuck her hands up and bobbed her head, then got out of the car. She had a black scarf that she tucked over the top and sides of her head, tying it just underneath her chin. She had a mostly empty backpack that she slung over her shoulder. There were only a couple of weapons in it, just in case she needed them.

She walked toward the hotel. They parked a little further away so as not to catch someone’s eye who may have been watching the building. Nicole kept her head down and mostly looked at the ground as she approached the hotel.

Once she entered the building, she took a quick look around the lobby. There were a few guests being waited on by the main desk. There were a couple of people sitting in chairs by a fireplace. And someone else in the corner reading a book. Nicole quickly assessed the threat level and thought it was low. She immediately changed directions and went over to the stairs and started climbing.

When she reached the seventh floor, she looked through the glass of the door before stepping out into the hallway. Everything was clear. She opened the door and started walking. Not a sign of anybody. She briskly walked until she found room 721. She took the backpack off her shoulder and softly knocked on the door. She unzipped her bag and stuck her hand in there, feeling the handle of her pistol.

After a few seconds, she heard the door unlock. Then it slowly opened. Nicole saw Chalamet’s face and felt a small sense of relief. Seeing that it was her, he opened it further.

“Come on in.”

Nicole quickly went inside. Chalamet stuck his head out the door, then closed it.

“Where’s Luke?”

“He’s outside,” Nicole answered. “We thought it’d be best if we split up. We wanted to make sure you were really here.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, it occurred to us that if Van Wyk somehow knew you were helping us, maybe he’d kill you, then he’d be here waiting for us.”

“Oh. I see your point. Good thinking.”

“So that’s why I’m here. If I got taken, Luke would be out there to rescue me.” She then took a look around. “He’s not here, right?”

Chalamet laughed. “No, no, no. Everything’s fine. Have Luke come up so we can talk business. Everything went fine after.”

Nicole took out her phone and called her boyfriend, letting him know everything was good. They agreed that Bridge would swing around to the back of the hotel. The doors were locked and could only be opened from the inside, so Nicole went to meet him there. Chalamet stayed put in his room.

After going down to let Bridge him, he and Nicole went straight back up to room 721. Chalamet was at the door waiting for them. Bridge shook his hand.

“Glad to see you made it.”

“Touch and go for a while,” Bridge said. “I had to punch a shark in the nose.”

“He’s lying,” Nicole replied. “There were no sharks.”

“That we could see. You know they were out there.”

Nicole rolled her eyes, then took a seat.

“So how’d things go after the boat?” Bridge asked.

“Went well,” Chalamet answered. “He believes you guys are dead. His man on the boat confirmed that I stabbed you both and tossed you into the ocean, so we’re all good there.”

“Did you go to his house?”

Chalamet made a face. “No, unfortunately not. We got in his car and drove around for a while, talking business, then went to a restaurant. But the good news is… he is bringing me to his house in the next few days.”

“You’re sure?”

“Definitely so. Now, I’m sure there might be a blindfold involved so as not to know the location, but he will definitely bring me. We agreed to let me look at some of his collection in his basement.”

“How have you been able to get in deep like this?” Nicole asked.

“I have been working it for months. Mostly on the outside. Contacting him through back channels and third-parties. Plus, my alter ego, Mr. Brink. It doesn’t hurt that he has a sterling reputation for this sort of thing.”

“You mean you?” Bridge said.

“No, Mr. Brink,” Chalamet replied. “He is actually a real person, currently in Singapore at the moment. I just happened to come across some of his credentials and copied them for myself, so naturally, everyone would think I am him.”

“And Van Wyk didn’t check it?”

A proud grin formed on Chalamet’s face. “Oh, he has. Just so happens his phone calls and meetings about me have all gone to people who are…”

“On your payroll?”

“This is the life, is it not?”

“You are one of a kind.”

“Thank you. I pride myself on that.”

“So what’s your plan for when you get inside Van Wyk’s place?” Nicole asked.

“That’s what we have to figure out. They’re obviously not going to let me in with any kind of weapon. I will be searched. Bugs are probably also out of the question. It wouldn’t surprise me if they search for that too.”

“How are we gonna keep tabs on you?” Bridge wondered.

“You’ll have to be nearby when it goes down. That way you’ll be able to follow me.”

“We can’t get too close, though,” Nicole said. “What if we give you a bug to plant on the car?”

“That could work.”

“You’d just have to put it somewhere out of sight so they can’t see it.”

“I can manage that.”

“Then we don’t have to be that close. We can monitor you from my tablet.”

“Getting the location is good,” Bridge said. “But what about once he’s inside? It’ll be eyes and ears off. We’ll have no idea what’s going on.”

“We won’t need any,” Chalamet replied.

“Why not?”

“We don’t need to do anything at first. As long as we get the location, that’s all we need at first. We can always come back another time. This is just for me to see his collection. We'll start talking some numbers, throw some proposals back and forth, eat, drink, have a good time, that’s all. Then we can put the place under surveillance, come back, wait until a more opportune time to strike, then be in and out before he knows what hit him.”

“You’ll have to get an idea of his security system while you’re there,” Nicole said.

“Not a problem. I have a good eye for that sort of thing.”

“When do you expect him to make contact again?” Bridge asked.

“Probably tomorrow. Maybe the day after. No later than that.”

Bridge looked at the others and nodded. They all seemed to be in agreement on the plan.

“Well then, looks like there’s nothing else to do at the moment but wait.”

Chalamet got up and poured each of them a small drink. He brought their glasses over and they clinked them together.

“Here’s to taking all that maniac owns,” Chalamet said.

“And not sleeping with the fishes by the time it’s over,” Bridge replied.

Chalamet laughed. “That would be bad, no?”

Bridge joined in the laughter. “Real bad. Really, really, bad.”

Nicole did not join in. She just looked at them and shook her head. “I just know something’s going to go wrong here. It always does. I just know it.”

25

There was a knock on the door. Chalamet thought this might be it. Though there was no phone call like was previously discussed, it wouldn’t have surprised him if they showed up randomly. Doing things like this on a whim was probably one of the ways they kept the advantage. They never let anyone get prepared.

But Chalamet was still ready. Nicole had given him the tracker the night before to place on the car. It was small. About the size of a button. They wouldn’t suspect a thing. Unless they had some type of detector that they used for such things.

As Chalamet opened the door, he saw Morozova’s smiling face. Along with the menacing scowls of two of her guards.

“What do I owe the unexpected pleasure?” Chalamet asked.

“You were promised a tour,” Morozova replied. “Looks like that time is now. I hope you’re ready to discuss some numbers.”

“Oh yes. I am ready.”

“Now?”

“Let me just get my jacket.”

Chalamet went over to a chair and grabbed his suit jacket. As he came back to the door, one of the guards stepped inside and started moving throughout the room.

“What is going on?” Chalamet asked, though he already knew.

They were checking to make sure he was alone. A minute later, the guard returned, giving Morozova the thumbs up.

“We just have to make sure,” she said.

Chalamet grinned. “Completely understand.”

He didn’t put his jacket on, instead just carrying it in his hand as he followed the others out the door. Once they reached the main floor, they went straight to the car that was awaiting them in front of the hotel. There was another man standing there by the rear door. He had something in his hand. As Chalamet approached, it became clear what it was. Some type of detector. They were going to sweep him for bugs.

“Is this really necessary?” Chalamet asked.

“I’m afraid so,” Morozova answered. “Father is most apprehensive.”

Chalamet smirked, not wanting to make it seem like anything bothered him. That would be a red flag.

“Very well.”

He tossed his suit jacket on the back of the car and stuck his arms out. The man slowly and carefully moved the small wand around Chalamet’s body. Everything seemed to check out. There were no hits. Chalamet then grabbed his jacket, removing the small bug that was on it as he picked it up.

“Don’t forget the jacket,” Morozova said. “Just to be thorough.”

Chalamet smiled, handing the guard his jacket. He then looked at Morozova and stuck his right hand out, while his left hand quickly found a spot inside the car by the back tire.

“Of course,” he said. “We must be thorough.”

After finishing, the guard looked at his boss and shook his head.

“Well then, shall we get started?” Morozova asked.

Chalamet followed one of the guards into the back seat of the car, followed by Morozova. Within a minute or so, they were on the road. Bridge and Nicole were watching from down the street inside their car. Bridge was anxiously waiting for the word.

“Nothing yet?”

Nicole had her tablet in hand. “Relax, relax, it takes a minute.”

“What if he wasn’t able to pull it off?”

“He’s Antoine. He pulled it off.”

“Then why isn’t it showing up? Maybe they made him.”

Nicole hit a few buttons on her tablet. She wasn’t worried yet. Bridge watched as the other car pulled away.

“They’re moving.”

“I know,” she replied. “It’s coming.”

“I’m gonna have to move too.”

Just as Bridge was about to resort to their alternate plan, Nicole reached out and grabbed his arm.

“No, we’re good. We’re good.”

“We got it?”

Nicole nodded, turning the tablet so Bridge could see the red dot on the screen. “We’re in business.”

“OK. I’ll give them a few minutes head start.”

Nicole gave him turn-by-turn directions as they followed the dot on her screen. It was a good, strong signal. They drove for close to an hour, though it did seem like they took a few extra turns that weren’t necessary. They were heading towards the ocean.

Once the car finally came to a stop at Van Wyk’s residence, Chalamet was led out of the car. He now had a black blindfold over his eyes. It was quickly removed. By the time he opened them, Van Wyk was standing in front of him. He greeted him with a handshake.

“Do forgive me for the precautions I have taken.”

Chalamet put his hands up. “Not necessary, my friend. I completely understand.” He put his hands together as if he were about to pray. “I just thank you for bringing me here and allowing me to see your collection. I am most grateful.”

“I thank you for coming.”

Chalamet turned his head around, looking at the large mansion, feeling the breeze from the ocean, smelling the air.

“An impressive property you have here. Beautiful.”

Van Wyk put his hand on Chalamet’s shoulder. “Let’s give you the tour.”

They started walking, with Morozova, and two guards, right behind them. As they entered the mansion, Chalamet couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder at the opulence that surrounded them. Large paintings adorned every wall, exquisite rugs lined the marble floors, and the air was filled with the scent of expensive perfumes and cigars.

Van Wyk led him through the various rooms, each more grandiose than the last. They passed through a room filled with antique weapons, another with a collection of rare books and manuscripts, and yet another with an impressive array of fine wines and liquors.

Chalamet tried to appear impressed, nodding his head and making appropriate comments as they moved from room to room. But in truth, his thoughts were somewhere else entirely. He was looking at the walls and ceilings, trying to figure out the security systems. Van Wyk punched in a code at the door of each room they went in. And they all seemed to be different.

“This place… it’s just incredible,” Chalamet said. “You have an impressive collection. And an eye for beauty. None of these items I’ve seen have made it to auction?”

“Well, I am a dealer, but I am also a collector myself. There are some things that I feel a personal connection to. And many of the items at auction are dealing with third-parties where we’re just the middleman. These are all things that I have acquired myself.”

“I would love to see more.”

“Downstairs,” Van Wyk said. “That is what is going to interest you the most. You were most interested in the jewelry, yes?”

“That is my specialty.”

“Come with me.”

They went down the hallway until they reached the basement steps. They were talking and laughing the entire time. Morozova and the guards had long since disappeared. Everything was going as well as Chalamet could have hoped for.

As they descended into the basement, Chalamet couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation. This was where Van Wyk kept his most prized possessions, the items that were worth the most money and had the most historical significance.

Van Wyk flipped on a light switch, revealing a large room filled with glass display cases. Each case was filled with an array of jewels, diamonds, and precious gems. Chalamet's eyes widened as he took in the breathtaking sight. The light from the chandeliers above reflected off the glass, creating a dazzling display that left Chalamet breathless.

"Impressive," Chalamet said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Absolutely incredible."

It was an unbelievable array of jewelry on display. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings - each piece more exquisite than the last. Van Wyk smiled as he led Chalamet around the room, pointing out particular pieces of interest. One case in particular caught Chalamet's attention - it contained a necklace made of rare purple diamonds, each one larger than the next and set in a delicate gold chain.

"That is the prize," Van Wyk said, his voice low. "The centerpiece of my collection."

“May I hold it for a second?”

“Of course.”

Van Wyk took the necklace out of its case, delicately holding it up for Chalamet, who gently took it in his hands. He seemed genuinely awestruck as he stared at the piece.

“Magnificent. I don’t think I have ever seen something so beautiful before.”

Van Wyk grinned. “Yes. It’s certainly one of a kind.”

“I must have it.”

Van Wyk took the necklace from him and put it back in the case. “Let’s talk some numbers.”

Van Wyk put his arm around Chalamet and led him out of the room. Once they did, they were almost immediately greeted by Morozova, and the two guards, standing there. Chalamet almost instantly became worried. Rough-looking men standing there with guns pointed at him had a tendency to do that.

“Bono, what is this?”

Van Wyk walked away from him as Chalamet stood still. Finally, he turned around to face the con man.

“Did you really think you’d get away with this?”

Chalamet nervously smiled and laughed. “Get away with what? What do you mean?”

“This charade. You are not Mr. Brink.”

“What?! This is preposterous! You have checked out my credentials a dozen different times. I am who I say I am!”

“You are good. Very good. You did have me fooled for a while. Imagine my surprise when I called a contact of mine and mentioned that I was doing business with you. He expressed great surprise at the fact that Mr. Brink was here, considering he thought the man was in Singapore.”

“Obviously I am not.”

“And then when I did some digging and discovered that Mr. Brink, is in fact, in Singapore. Right at this very moment.”

Chalamet nervously laughed again, knowing he was in big trouble. “Can’t be. I’m right here.”

“And then I did some more digging. With the help of my beautiful daughter, who basically ran all this down for me, we discovered your real name is Antoine Chalamet.”

“Who?”

Van Wyk chuckled. “Don’t be so modest. You should be proud of who you are. A man with your reputation.”

“And what reputation is that?”

“One of the great con men of our generation. I always wondered if I would have the chance to meet you. And here you are, waltzing right into my home.”

“I think there has been a big misunderstanding here.”

“Yes, there has. By you. You thought you could target me and get away with it.”

“Listen, if you don’t want to do business, I can just leave.”

“I’m afraid that option is no longer on the table,” Van Wyk said. “I now have a special plan for you.”

Chalamet didn’t like the sound of that. He stared at the men with the guns. He couldn’t make a run for it. He wouldn’t even get five feet. He was now at their mercy.

“Perhaps I could bargain my sentence down in a plea deal?”

“I do not accept plea deals.”

“I do have a great talent for acquiring things,” Chalamet said. “Whatever you want, I can get it for you.”

“I started having some questions after you came back from the boat. It was remarkably clean.”

“I told you I cleaned it on the way back.”

“It was too good of a job,” Van Wyk said. “At the urging of Izzy, I had an expert examine the boat for blood residue. Imagine my surprise when he said he couldn’t find any.”

“I am efficient.”

“Not one drop.”

“All the blood went into the ocean.”

“So then I started investigating more and found out who you really were. And then it became a question of what would be the best way to get rid of you?”

“I’m guessing this is it?”

“A hotel, a restaurant, out in public, that’s no good. But if you were brought here, where no one knows who I am, and then you're chopped up into small pieces and fed to the sharks, there would be no one who knows.”

A lump went down Chalamet’s throat. He knew he was in trouble here. Big trouble.

26

Chalamet was led out of the basement and upstairs, his captors putting him in another room. It looked like a den. There was a chair in the corner of the room, with a floor lamp next to it, along with wall-to-wall bookshelves on the other side of the room. He was left to his own devices for a few minutes. He knew he was in a dangerous predicament, with no clear way out.

He looked around the room, but he knew they weren’t going to put him in a room that he could easily escape from. His thoughts turned to the necklace. He was so close to it. He shook his head, upset with himself for getting made. His only hope at this point was probably Bridge and Nicole. They did discuss beforehand this possibility, so he knew they were out there lurking. It was just a matter of whether he’d be able to hold out long enough for them to get in. Assuming they were even successful in doing so.

Finally, the door opened, with Van Wyk stepping inside.

“What is the meaning of this?” Chalamet forcefully asked. “I demand to be let go immediately. This is illegal, immoral, and inhumane.”

Van Wyk smirked. He didn’t care about any of that.

“You’re going nowhere. I suggest you sit tight and get comfortable.”

Not that Chalamet was upset that nothing seemed to be happening immediately to him, but it did throw him for a bit of a loop. He expected some sort of torture to start soon. Or they’d go straight to the death part. He was OK with not going through either scenario. But it did make him wonder why. He wasn’t sure what they would be waiting for.

“What are your plans for me?”

“Well, there are many different things at play here,” Van Wyk answered. “You’re ultimately going to die. But not just yet. First, we need you to help us lure in your friends.”

“My friends?”

“Yes, you know, the ones you did not kill in the boat.”

“I took care of them.”

“The lack of blood, and your deceitfulness, makes me think otherwise. I have a feeling they had a long swim after the boat charade. And something makes me think we might be seeing them again soon.”

“No one knows I’m here.”

“We will see about that. But regardless, you only have about six hours or so. If they haven’t shown up by then, your time will have run out.”

“There is no one coming for me.”

“That would be unfortunate for you. But either way, it won’t change the fate that awaits you.”

Chalamet gulped. He knew he was on borrowed time. He just had to hope Bridge and Nicole wouldn’t wait that long.

Bridge and Nicole were in their car, watching the property from a distance through binoculars.

“Something’s wrong,” Nicole said.

“Here we go.”

“No, I can feel it.”

“Intuition again, right?”

“I don’t care what you call it. Something’s wrong. It’s been three hours.”

“These types of meetings can sometimes go on a while.”

“A real meeting, yes. But this wasn’t that. This was just something for Antoine to get in there and look around for a bit. He could’ve agreed to just about anything and gotten out of there.”

“So what do you want to do?”

“I think he’s in trouble.”

Bridge sighed, already knowing what she had in mind. “We’re gonna breach, aren’t we?”

Nicole just looked at him and smiled.

“We need a plan,” Bridge said. “We can’t just go in here like the Battle of the Bulge.”

Nicole kept looking at the property and nodding her head. “I’m working on it.”

They observed every inch of the property, trying to figure out the best way to make an entry. There were two ways they could go. They could go in hot and heavy, with a lot of noise, or they could try to sneak in stealthily. Each had its pros and cons. And they both differed on how best to handle the situation. Nicole wanted to go in with a lot of noise, while Bridge wanted to get in as quietly as possible.

“Listen, we’re not getting in undetected,” Nicole said.

“Why not?”

“Because they know we’re coming.”

“And how do you figure that?”

“Look, if they have Antoine…”

“Which is still an if, by the way,” Bridge said. “We don’t know for sure they have him. They could just be having a grand old time.”

“Get real.”

“I’m just saying.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Anyway, if they have Antoine, that means they know he’s not actually Brink. They probably know who he really is.”

“And what’s that got to do with us?”

“Are you seriously this dense?” Nicole asked.

“Uh, sometimes?”

“If they know his identity is fake, then they’re going to question everything else he’s done too. Including his time on the boat with us.”

“They didn’t actually see the bodies, he’s not who he says he is, we might still be alive.”

“Exactly. So they’re going to assume we’re working together. So he’s going to assume we’re not dead and we’re still out there.”

“And we’d try to rescue Antoine.”

Nicole bobbed her head. “So there’s only one logical conclusion. He knows we’re coming.”

“So that leaves out a sneaky entrance.”

“It does.”

“You have anything in mind yet?”

She smiled. “Of course I do.”

“Oh, jeez. I almost hate to ask what’s going through that beautiful mind of yours.”

“Don’t worry about it. I got a plan.”

“Well, it might help if I actually knew what that plan was.”

“We’re gonna make some noise. A whole lot of noise.”

“I thought that was basically a given with you.”

“Stop.”

“Seriously, what are you thinking?”

“We’re going to have to split up,” Nicole replied.

Bridge was already hesitant. “I don’t know about that. Do you think that’s a good idea? Especially if they know we’re coming? I think it’s best to stick together here.”

“No, it won’t work otherwise.”

“What won’t?”

“My plan.”

“Maybe your plan stinks.”

Nicole gave him the eye. “It’s going to work. But it’s going to require us to split up.”

“Why?”

“Because once the explosions happen, all their focus is going to be on the one area. Then you’ll slip in through the other.”

“I knew there was going to be an explosion,” Bridge said.

“Probably multiple.”

“Nic, we can’t blow up half the country here.”

“This is a secluded area. There aren’t any neighbors nearby. Everything will be fine.”

Bridge raised his eyebrows. “Everything will be fine. You’re talking about starting D-Day here.”

“Would you stop crying? Do you want to rescue Antoine?”

“I guess?”

“Really? We need to get Antoine. He saved us. We owe it to him.”

“Fine, I guess you’re right.”

“And we still need to get that cross. We’ve got a fix on Van Wyk’s address. This is our best shot.”

“Probably our only shot. If we don’t get it here…”

“If we don’t get it here, it’s because we failed and we’re dead.”

“You didn’t have to be so blunt about it,” Bridge said. “When do you want to make an appearance?”

“No time like the present, right?”

“We need to get extra equipment and supplies?”

“Nope. The trunk is loaded up. Everything we need is in there.”

“Of course it is.”

Nicole smiled. “Let’s go make some noise.”

27

Nicole closed the trunk and picked up several bags.

“Got the plan straight?”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it,” Bridge replied. “Still not sure this is the best way.”

“We don’t have time to argue. Antoine’s life might be in the balance right now. We have to move. Just trust me.”

“And don’t move in until it’s time.”

“Are you sure about me going in the front?”

“Yes, it’s perfect. I’ll keep them busy in back. And nobody ever expects anyone to come in through the front door. It’s always the back. You’ll catch them by surprise. Especially with what I got cooked up back there.”

Bridge groaned. “That sounds a little scary.”

Their plan involved splitting up, with Bridge getting back in the car and waiting for Nicole’s signal. He would know what that was when he heard it. Nicole took her bags and started moving. She had to get to the ocean. Van Wyk had his boat parked nearby.

Nicole made her way swiftly towards the coastline, her heart pounding with a mix of determination and anxiety. She knew that every moment counted, that Antoine's life hung in the balance. As she approached the ocean, she could see Van Wyk's boat moored at the dock, a solitary figure standing guard.

Nicole crouched behind some rocks, her mind racing as she assessed the situation. She reached into one of her bags and pulled out a small device, a specialized tool she had acquired for precisely this kind of mission. With steady hands, she set up the device to emit a high-pitched sound that would distract and disorient anyone within its radius.

As the device activated with a soft hum, Nicole saw the guard flinch and stagger, clutching his ears in pain. Seizing the opportunity, she dashed towards the boat, her movements quick and agile. She knew she had to act fast before the guard recovered from the effects of the sound wave.

Instead of bypassing him altogether, with the guard slightly dazed, Nicole went to work on him, hitting him with several hard kicks and elbows, putting him down rather easily. She then leaped onto the boat, quickly scanning the large vessel for any other guards. She was relieved that there was no one.

With a relentless resolve, she started the boat and made her way towards the back of Van Wyk’s residence. It would only take a minute to get there. And then the fun would begin. She didn’t want to get too close to the shoreline, but she also needed to be within range. Once she got to a fair distance, she stopped the engines, and went over to the one bag she brought with her. The other she left on dry land. She’d need that shortly.

She took out the pieces she needed, then assembled the small RPG she had. She knelt down, taking careful aim at the house. Without knowing where Chalamet was, she couldn’t tear up the house like she really wanted to. But she was reasonably sure he’d be kept in a basement or an extra room. Not the back of the house. And definitely not upstairs. Nobody ever kept a prisoner upstairs anywhere. It just wasn’t done.

With a twitch of her finger, the RPG fired, quickly delivering the strike she was hoping for. The second floor on the back of the house splintered in multiple directions from the blast. Nicole smirked as she looked at the damage.

“That should start something.”

Within moments, she saw several people running out of the house. They were guards. And they were pointing at the boat. Nicole still had two more shots with the RPG. She fired again, this time aiming for the lawn. She didn’t see the guards anymore. But there was more activity at the back of the house, with more people running out of the building. They were scrambling. Nicole was about to take aim with her last shot, but then heard something. It sounded like a helicopter. She looked up at the sky, waiting for it to come into view. She assumed it was Van Wyk’s personal chopper. They were probably getting it in the air to take a run at her.

Nicole ducked as bullets started ripping through the water, some of them hitting the boat. Some of the men from the house started firing their assault rifles at her. She took cover, the noise from the helicopter started to grow louder. It was close. She looked up and saw it. It was approaching.

A man leaned out the side of the helicopter and started firing at the boat. She quickly took cover as bullets tore through the boat. It was starting to take on water. That was OK, though. She didn’t have any plans for it after this, anyway.

As the helicopter turned around to make another run at her, Nicole knew this was her chance. She stood up, putting the RPG on her shoulder, taking aim at the chopper. She fired. It was a direct hit, with the helicopter flying into what seemed like a million pieces. She took cover as large chunks of metal and plastic descended on top of her.

With that part of the plan done, Nicole was ready to disembark the vessel. In her original plan, she was going to leave a grenade on board, letting the thing explode after she was done. But the thing was sinking now. It wasn’t necessary. She hopped off the boat and into the water, starting her swim back to shore.

Upon hearing the initial blasts from Nicole’s RPG, which tore a significant piece of the house off, that was Bridge’s cue that it was time. It was a plan that made sense, though he worried about Nicole taking on the brunt of Van Wyk’s firepower. Hopefully, as Nicole hoped, everyone would be so distracted by her, that Bridge would be able to slip in relatively unscathed. That was still to be determined.

With the sound of gunfire reverberating through the air, punctuated by the roar of explosions, Bridge could see the smoke as it billowed up through the air. The air immediately began to get hazy. It seemed to be chaos. Exactly what they wanted.

He started the engine of the car and sped towards the front of the house. As he neared the property, he spotted a couple of guards milling about, their focus split between Nicole's ongoing attack on the house and the unidentified threat approaching them. But Bridge wasn’t about to slow down. He hit the gas pedal and barreled towards the unsuspecting guards. They started firing at him, bullets piercing through the window, and deflecting off the metal exterior. Bridge slightly moved his head as he plowed right through them, their bodies being thrown into the distance.

As he heard the crunch of their bodies hitting the ground, Bridge sped past them, with a single-minded determination to get inside the house as soon as he could. He jammed on the brakes, parking the car in front of the house, quickly exiting it and running towards the main entrance. The place was ablaze with chaos, with guards scurrying around, unsure of what to do next. They weren’t used to being attacked in this manner.

Just as he was about to figure out his method of entry, and whether the front door was locked, it opened up. A guard burst out of it, not suspecting Bridge was even there. He was about to go around the side of the house to get back there from a different angle. Bridge quickly mowed him down. Bridge stepped over his lifeless body as he went inside.

“Thanks for the assist.”

As soon as he was inside, Bridge was on high alert. He was ready to duck, take cover, or return fire, whatever was needed. He was somewhat surprised to not have to do any of that. It was eerily quiet. At least in that part of the house. He could still hear the destruction that was happening outside.

Bridge started creeping through the mansion, his footsteps barely making a sound against the polished floor. He soon found himself in a hallway, with several doors leading off of it. There was also a guard sitting on a chair in front of one of the doors. That had to be where they were keeping Chalamet. The guard seemed nervous. Probably wondering what was happening with all the chaos going on outside. Without hesitation, Bridge took aim and fired a shot at the guard. The sound of gunfire echoed through the hallway as the man fell to the ground, lifeless.

Bridge went over to the door, but it was locked. He tried getting it open without having much luck. He saw the keypad on the wall, figuring the door opened electronically. He took a step back and instantly fired a few rounds. Smoke and sparks rose out of the device.

Bridge went back to the door and tried to open it again. It slid right open. He raised his arms, ready to fire again should the need arise. As he stepped inside, his eyes immediately found the man sitting in the chair in the corner of the room. Bridge lowered his weapon.

“It certainly took you long enough,” Chalamet said. “I was beginning to wonder.”

“I was beginning to wonder, myself.”

Chalamet stood up. “Where’s Nicole?”

“Keeping them busy out back.”

“Divide and conquer. Nice.”

“Won’t be if we don’t hurry up and get out of here.”

“We need to get downstairs into the basement. He showed me his collection. It’s magnificent.”

“I dunno. Right now, I’m inclined to just get out of here with our lives intact. Worry about material objects later.”

“We’re right here. If you could have seen what he showed me. Awe-inspiring.”

“You know what else is awe-inspiring? Breathing. And I have a feeling we’re close to running out.”

“Much closer than you realize,” a voice said from behind.

Bridge spun around, ready to battle, but quickly thought better of it when he saw the gun pointed straight at his face. It was Isabella Morozova. He wasn’t in a good enough position to fire. Not without her firing first. And at that range, she wouldn’t miss.

“I’m somewhat disappointed.”

“Not as much as I am,” Bridge replied.

“It was all so predictable. Have your girlfriend out back, keeping us distracted, while you sneak in the front and rescue your friend.”

“We’re not really friends. Not really.”

“Hurtful,” Chalamet said. “After all we’ve been through together.”

“Really hasn’t been that much.”

“Drop your weapon,” Morozova said. “Slowly. Or you will have a new hole in your face.”

Bridge nervously grinned, but did slowly drop his gun on the ground. “So what now?”

“You both will walk outside with me and we will put this nonsense to rest.”

“Oh? How’s that gonna work?”

“Once your girlfriend sees that we have you both, she will give herself up.”

Bridge chuckled. “Got news for you, honey. That ain’t happening.”

“Then you both will die. Quickly.”

Bridge sighed, hoping to come to an agreement that would end the conflict, without anyone else getting hurt, and everyone getting something out of it.

“How about this? You give us the cross that was stolen, since it’s not rightfully yours, and we’ll all walk away from this without the possibility of anyone else getting killed?”

“What about the necklace?” Chalamet asked.

“I don’t care about a necklace,” Bridge loudly whispered. “Let’s just get out of here still standing upright.”

Morozova didn’t think about it very long. “No. There are no deals to be made with you.”

“Let’s just charge her,” Chalamet said.

“What?!” Bridge replied.

“There’s two of us, one of her. We can take her.”

“She’s also holding the gun. On me.”

“If something happens, I promise to take care of Nicole for you. After we grieve for you, of course.”

Bridge glared at him. “No!”

“I can hear you, you know,” Morozova said.

Suddenly, three more guards appeared next to her. They also had guns pointed at them.

“Uh, I think my plan is no longer valid,” Chalamet said.

“No kidding.”

Morozova waved her gun at them. “Let’s move.”

“What now?” the con man asked.

Bridge shrugged. “Do what the lady says.”

She didn’t have much patience left. “The deal can be offered with one just as well as it can with two.”

Bridge nodded. “Understood. Lead the way.” Morozova stepped aside, though the guards still remained. “Oh, OK. I guess we’re leading the way.”

“One wrong move and there will be no deal. We’ll just fire.”

“No worries. No wrong moves here.”

As Bridge walked in front, Chalamet quickly caught up with him.

“What are we going to do?”

“Beats me,” Bridge answered.

“That’s not a plan.”

“Didn’t say it was.”

“We need a plan.”

“I’m all out of plans today.”

“You came in here without a backup plan? You didn’t know this was a possibility?”

“What can I say? Sometimes I’m impetuous.”

“What are we going to do when we get out there?”

“Hope Nicole’s out there somewhere.”

“But what if she’s not?!”

“Like I said, beats me. We’ll just have to wing it.”

“Wing it,” Chalamet said. “Wing it. OK. Maybe that can work.”

“Probably won’t.”

“What? Why would you tell me that?”

“Don’t wanna get your hopes up.”

“Really?!”

“Just want you to be prepared,” Bridge said.

“What if Nicole is out there? Let’s just suppose.”

“In that case, be ready to move, and move fast.”

“What will she do?”

“I can tell you what she won’t do. Surrender. So if she’s out there, this thing could go in just about any direction. So just be ready. For anything.”

28

Morozova, along with her two guards, marched Bridge and Chalamet out to the lawn in the back of the house. The wind was picking up. There were five other guards already out there, though they were mostly milling around, not sure what to do next. Morozova didn’t like everyone just standing around not doing anything.

“Where is she?!”

“She might be dead,” one of the guards answered. “It’s been quiet for a few minutes. And the boat she was on sank.”

As Bridge heard the words, a shiver went down his spine. Though he knew it was a possibility, he couldn’t believe it. Not yet. Not without some kind of physical proof. Until then, he had to believe that Nicole was still alive. Morozova was thinking along the same lines. She didn’t believe anything without evidence.

“She’s not dead! Find her!”

“Where?” the guard asked.

“Look for her body. Once you find it, then I’ll believe she’s dead. Not before.”

“How are we supposed to find her body in the ocean? She took the boat. And it’s sunk.”

Nicole had just crawled onto shore, and rushed over to the bag she had previously placed there. She knew there wasn’t a lot of time. She put the strap over her shoulder and started hustling towards the house. After a few minutes, she came upon some trees that surrounded the property, giving her some cover as she contemplated her next move.

She moved some of the branches to peer through the leaves, seeing everyone huddled together on the lawn in back of the house. She watched Morozova barking orders; the guards looking around aimlessly, and her two companions standing under guard. She knew she had to act quickly, but also cautiously. She observed Morozova's impatience and the guards' uncertainty, sensing an opportunity in the chaos.

Nicole reached into her bag and got ready. She put a pistol on each side of her leg, removed an assault rifle, and took hold of a couple grenades. This was going to be one wild party. There were eight guards out there, plus Morozova. And Bridge and Chalamet had no weapons. If she just started firing, she would be able to take a bunch of them out for sure. But where did that leave Bridge and Chalamet? Would they get caught in the crossfire? Would Morozova kill them immediately? They were defenseless. At least to start with.

Nicole had to create enough noise and chaos to allow them to move and get away without taking a bullet or two. She looked down at her grenades. That should create a temporary diversion. Nicole raised her rifle, picking out the two guards who were closest to Bridge and Chalamet. If she got them first, that’d give them a little more time.

Nicole took a deep breath, steadied her aim, and fired. The gunfire erupted with sudden intensity, echoing through the trees as chaos erupted on the lawn. The guards scrambled for cover, shouting orders and trying to pinpoint where the shots were coming from. She then tossed a grenade towards the group of guards standing further away. The explosion sent them diving for cover, creating the distraction they needed. Bridge and Chalamet seized the opportunity to make a run for it, darting back towards the house. Nicole noticed them running, and continued to provide cover fire, taking down any guard who got too close to them.

Morozova shouted orders, trying to regain control of the situation, but the sudden turn of events had caught her off guard. And her men were dropping like flies. Nicole continued her assault, skillfully picking off more guards with precision shots. By the time they realized where the shots were coming from, half of them were gone.

Now, with Bridge and Chalamet safely away, Nicole didn’t have to worry about them being too close. She grabbed her last grenade and chucked it, hoping it would land right in the middle of the masses. It was close enough.

Morozova and a few others managed to dive for cover, shielding themselves from the blast. As the smoke cleared, the scene was one of devastation. Bodies lay strewn across the lawn, some groaning in pain while others were completely still. Morozova emerged from her cover, her face contorted with rage, strokes of blood falling down her cheeks.

Nicole took advantage of the chaos, sprinting towards them with her gun trained on Morozova. The groaning had stopped, as whoever it was had now perished. It was only Morozova and one guard remaining. Bridge and Chalamet were inside the house, but as they saw Nicole emerge from the trees, they started coming outside to meet her.

“Drop your weapons!” Nicole yelled, her voice cutting through the aftermath of the explosion.

Morozova hesitated for a split second before making eye contact with Nicole. There was hatred in her eyes.

“You'll pay for this.”

Nicole clenched her jaw. She took nothing that woman said lightly. Bridge and Chalamet hurried over to join her, standing next to her. Nicole never took her eyes off Morozova, though.

Morozova glared at her, defiance still present in her eyes despite being outnumbered and outgunned. “You made a big mistake coming after us. This isn’t over.”

“It is as far as we’re concerned,” Bridge said.

Nicole’s grip on her gun tightened. Thoughts raced through her head on what to do now. She knew what she should do. And that was put a bullet through Morozova’s head. End this once and for all. If she didn’t, it was likely this wasn’t the last they’d see of her. But she wasn’t armed. She wasn’t a threat at the moment. Killing her like this, in this manner, was against the code that they lived by. It didn’t make them any better than the people they were going against.

Nicole glanced at Bridge and Chalamet, the conflict evident on her face. “You should go. Get what we came here for.”

“You sure?” Bridge asked. He could see she was struggling.

“I’m good. I can handle it out here. Just get what we need so we can get out of here.”

Then a realization suddenly came to Bridge. His head started swirling in every direction as he looked for someone.

“Hey, where’s Van Wyk? I haven’t seen him anywhere.”

“Maybe he’s hiding,” Chalamet said.

Morozova quickly squashed that theory. “My father is dead. He was on the helicopter that exploded.”

Nicole wasn’t swayed. “Well, we only have your word for that, don’t we? And I’m not sure you’d be what we call a credible source.”

“My father is dead. And soon, you will be too.”

“I’m the one holding the gun,” Nicole tersely replied.

Morozova didn’t look worried. For someone whose life was hanging in the balance, she seemed oddly confident. Like she had an ace in the hole or something. The behavior wasn’t lost on Nicole. Her eyes quickly glanced around the property, trying to see if there was something she missed. But there was nothing obvious. Maybe Morozova was just playing mind games. It wouldn’t have been surprising if that was the case.

Nicole locked eyes with her adversary again. There was something different about them. It was almost like Nicole was looking straight through her. Like Morozova’s humanity had all but packed up and left. It was an eerie feeling. Nicole glanced around again, feeling like there was something else going on. She just didn’t see what it was yet. But it sure felt like Morozova had something else in mind for a finale. Something big. Something they weren’t prepared for.

29

Bridge and Chalamet continued standing there, not quite liking what they were hearing from Morozova. But without a clear threat staring them in the face, Nicole didn’t want them worrying about that.

“You guys go get what we’re here for,” she told them. “I got her.”

Bridge wasn’t sure about leaving her alone. “Nic…”

“I’ve got her. Really. It’s OK. Get the cross so we can get out of here. Just don’t take too long.”

Bridge sighed, still not liking it, but also knew they couldn’t stay there forever. They had to get moving. He turned around and tapped Chalamet on the arm. They then hurried inside the house and made their way to the basement. Nicole stayed put, her gun focused on the two prisoners she had in front of her.

Once Bridge and Chalamet descended into the basement, they quickly tried to round up what they were looking for. Chalamet punched in the codes that he saw while overlooking Van Wyk’s shoulder. There was a bag on the table, which Chalamet grabbed while he went in for the necklace he was enchanted by, along with whatever else he could fit in there.

Bridge, on the other hand, wasn’t concerned with anything other than the cross. He looked past everything until he found it. Once he did, he was ready to go.

“Just a few more minutes,” Chalamet said. “There is too much here to leave behind.”

“We don’t have time. Or a truck to haul all of this out of here. We have to go.”

Chalamet grimaced, but knew he was right. “It’s a travesty. Someone else will wander into this fortune for themselves.”

“What do you care? You’ve got enough there to set you up for life. And then some.”

“Is there ever truly enough?”

“Spoken like a true villain.”

Chalamet glanced at him, knowing how he must have sounded. He nodded in agreement.

“My apologies. You are correct, of course. My bag is full. It’s all I need.”

“Let’s go,” Bridge said. He was eager to leave and rejoin his girlfriend. “I have a feeling Morozova isn’t as helpless as it seems up there.”

“Agreed.”

As they came up the steps, Bridge noticed a figure standing there as he turned the corner. It was Van Wyk. And he had a gun in his hand. Bridge instinctively, and immediately, dropped to the ground. Chalamet noticed it a little too late, though. Van Wyk fired. Chalamet tried to escape back onto the stairs, but let out a groan as he got hit.

While on the ground, Bridge quickly removed his gun and returned fire before Van Wyk was able to turn the tables on him. Bridge fired three rounds, all of which hit their target. Van Wyk stumbled back into the wall, in an obvious amount of pain. Bridge got back to his feet as Van Wyk disappeared from the hallway. Bridge checked on Chalamet, who was holding his arm.

“You OK?”

He was in some discomfort, but Chalamet seemed to escape any serious injury. His hand had some blood on it, as he was covering the wound on his left arm with it. Bridge took a quick look.

“You got off lucky.”

“Go after him,” Chalamet said. “I’ll be OK.”

Bridge started running after Van Wyk, but it wouldn’t be long until he found him. Except that Nicole found him first. Van Wyk was not in his right mind, and stumbled out of the back of the house. He was holding his stomach, slightly hunched over as he stepped outside.

“In the chopper, huh?” Nicole said.

Nicole swung her rifle around and took aim at Van Wyk. He seemed to be wandering aimlessly, and not much of a threat at the moment, so Nicole hesitated, not yet pulling the trigger. The guard jumped up from the ground and hurled himself into her, knocking them both onto the ground.

As Nicole struggled with him, Morozova got to her feet. She was about to run over to her father to help him, when Bridge appeared in the frame of the door.

“Bono!” Bridge yelled.

Upon hearing his name, Van Wyk turned around, the gun still in his hand. Bridge fired three more times. Van Wyk instantly went down. Morozova froze, as she watched in horror, her father being killed. She stood there for a moment, staring at his lifeless body. Rage quickly overtook her.

Morozova finally came to her wits and looked around, finding a gun on the ground that used to belong to one of her guards. She ran for it and picked it up. Bridge saw her and was ready. Before Morozova was able to fire at him, Bridge squeezed the trigger on his weapon one more time. It was a direct hit. Morozova went down. Gasping for breath, she started crawling away.

Bridge noticed Nicole struggling with the other guard, and jogged over there to help her. It wasn’t needed. Before he got halfway, he jumped, slightly startled, as another shot rang out. Nicole had removed the pistol from her left side, and fired it into the stomach of the man on top of her. As the life drained out of his body, Nicole pushed the guy off her. Bridge went over to Nicole and helped her up.

“You all right?”

Nicole nodded, brushing herself off. “Yeah. I got sloppy.”

“You’re alive. Nothing sloppy about that.”

She then turned her head and noticed Morozova crawling away. She had just made it to some sand, about to head into the ocean. Nicole started to raise her gun arm, but Bridge gently lowered it.

“She’s getting away.”

“She won’t last much longer,” Bridge said. “I hit her pretty good.”

“We shouldn’t take chances.”

“She’ll be dead in an hour. We got what we came for. Let’s just be satisfied with that and go.”

Though she still wasn’t sure, Nicole finally nodded in agreement. Morozova finally made it to the ocean, though it didn’t look like she was moving any longer. Nicole stared at her body for a minute. It seemed as if she were gone. They both looked toward the house as they noticed Chalamet appear. Nicole noticed his arm.

“What happened to you?”

“Slipped,” Chalamet answered.

Chalamet had the one bag slung over his shoulder, then handed the cross to Bridge.

“It looks like our work here is done.”

Bridge and Nicole took a second to admire the cross.

“Yeah, I’d say it is,” Bridge replied.

“A little too hairy for my liking,” Nicole said.

“I agree with that. But now it’s done. We all got what we came for. And we don’t have to worry about The Dealer any longer.”

“We make a pretty good team,” Chalamet cheerfully said. “We should do this more often.”

Bridge gave him a look. “Yeah… no. Besides, don’t you have enough to retire?”

“Probably. But it is not always about money. It’s about the thrill. It’s about the game.”

“Yeah, well, this game’s over. I’m retiring.”

“What?”

Nicole also had a look of confusion. “Yeah. What?!”

Bridge smiled. “For a few weeks, anyway. Then we’ll get back on the horse.” He then put his arm around his girlfriend. “But for now, what do you say about you and me, a hotel, a bath, and bubbles. Lots and lots of bubbles.”

Nicole’s face lit up. “I’d say you were reading my mind.”

ALSO BY MIKE RYAN

Continue reading The Extractor Series with the next book in the series

Other Books:

The Silencer Series

The Aaron Holt Series

The Nate Thrower Series

The Cari Porter Series

The Cain Series

The Eliminator Series

The Ghost Series

The Brandon Hall Series

A Dangerous Man

The Last Job

The Crew

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Ryan is a USA Today Bestselling Author. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, and four children. He’s the author of the bestselling Silencer Series, as well as many others. Visit his website at www.mikeryanbooks.com to find out more about his books, and sign up for his newsletter. You can also interact with Mike via Facebook, and Instagram.