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Epilogue

October 28, 2011 at 10:23 am (The Job)

Josie Rider walked through her apartment like a ghost. She’d not been functioning well at all, but couldn’t bring herself to care. She’d lost her job. After the three days bereavement leave she’d been granted, she hadn’t been able to face working in the same place where she’d lost her fiancé. Her boss at Wagner Pharmaceuticals had understood, to a point. After several more weeks of Josie refusing to come to work, refusing to even answer her phone to talk about coming back to work, they’d laid her off. To avoid a nasty lawsuit, they’d given her a year’s salary as severance.

Between the money she’d received from Gary’s death, from his estate and from her severance, Josie had no need to work for several years. She thought it might take that long to recover. Her heart had nearly shattered when she’d watched her fiancé die right in front of her. The things she’d suffered at Seth’s hands had pushed her over the edge.

It felt as though so little time had passed, but some part of her brain knew that almost two months of her life had disappeared. Her family was worried about her. She’d stopped bathing, stopped any sort of regular grooming. The house was clean simply because her mother had hired a maid service to see to it. They worked around Josie, trying not to stare at her as they worked. Josie wondered if they crossed themselves behind her back.

It was late now, dark outside and the traffic on her street had dwindled. Josie sat in the living room, staring at nothing in particular. She’d tried drinking to numb the pain, but often didn’t feel like going out to buy more wine. Drugs weren’t an option. She’d spent too long at the pharmaceutical company, seen too many horrific tests, to risk that.

She could still see the gorilla as it charged out of the lab. She could still see the woman who’d called herself Kelly Blatt firing at the enraged animal and then jumping on its back, knife in hand. She’d exuded the sort of toughness that Josie had always admired. A toughness she knew she didn’t possess.

“Hello, Josie,” Seth murmured from the doorway.

Josie felt the chill race through her at his voice. She’d heard it in her nightmares each night as she’d tried to sleep. She couldn’t face him. He was the reason she was alone. He was the reason she felt so helpless.

Seth was a bit of a mess. The RPG to the tree he was in had damn near fried him to a cinder. The fireball had climbed up the tree and in an effort to save himself, he’d been forced to leap to the ground. Tuck and roll didn’t work as well from thirty feet up. He’d wrenched his left shoulder and broken his right ankle. Still, it could have been a hell of a lot worse. His recovery had been hampered by his need to get back to his Josie. He should have stayed in the hospital longer, but he couldn’t risk Parker or Simon coming back to finish him off.

He’d been forced to hide out until he’d realized the agency hadn’t put a hit out on him. He didn’t think an unsanctioned hit would make a difference to Parker. He wouldn’t be surprised to find her or Simon on his ass very soon. He would have to take his lovely Josie and tuck her away somewhere. It was all he could think about during his convalescence. His beautiful Josie would heal him. She would save him.

“Come Josie, we have already lost too much time.” Seth stepped forward into the room, his partially healed ankle protesting every movement. The chair blocked her from his view and he’d waited far too long already to set eyes on her again. He stepped around the chair and stared in horror at the woman she had become. The ravages of grief were etched on her face. Her hair was lank and stringy. He wondered if anything was living in it. The stench coming off her in waves was revolting. He had to choke back the urge to gag.

Her eyes spooked him. They were so empty, so haunted. What had happened to her? Breathing through his mouth, he knelt on the floor in front of her and placed his hands on her knees. He tried to see the woman he knew in those eyes, but couldn’t. Could she have walled off that part of her so completely? Could he get it back?

Josie felt her skin crawl as he reached up and stroked the side of her face. She couldn’t seem to move. He’d stolen her will. The longer he touched her, the more her mind turned back to that day. The day her fiancé had died. The day Seth had ruined her life. And the day she had taken an axe to the lab door, freeing the trapped people inside. Josie felt the tiniest spark of pride remembering that. If she hadn’t gotten that door open they would have all become victims of the rage in that alpha male gorilla. If not for her, they would all be dead now.

Josie stared into Seth’s eyes and felt some of her old self returning. She tuned in to his words. How he wanted to take her away, somewhere they could be alone. It had always been a dream of hers, with Gary, to live on a tropical island and not have to work in an office every day. With that thought, she felt the rage building. He’d taken that dream from her and was trying to replace it with an inferior one. The anger started to course through her bloodstream, revving her up as nothing else ever had.

Seth watched as the fire came back into her eyes. There was his Josie. There was the woman he couldn’t get out of his mind. How he’d missed her! He would take her to a spa somewhere, maybe Geneva, so she could pamper herself and restore her appearance. And shower. Then they would disappear forever. He had enough money to live a simple life with her and never have to work again.

“Come with me Josie. We must leave this place.”

Josie stared at him and all of the revulsion she felt for him blazed in her eyes. Before he could comprehend the danger, Josie leaped forward and gripped his head, shoving her thumbs into his eye sockets. She pushed so hard that the pressure from her left thumb popped his eye and the viscous liquid inside started to drain down his face. She kicked him in his stomach and pushed him away so she could rise.

Seth screamed as she ruined his eye. The pain was horrific and he felt a great urge to vomit. The kick to his gut stole his breath and he started to choke and gasp for air that refused to fill his lungs. His mind couldn’t process his thoughts fast enough. He couldn’t resolve this treatment coming from his lovely Josie. He felt her hands on his face, cupping it gently. Then her words whispered in his ear.

“This is for taking Gary from me.” With a quick twist, Josie snapped his neck. Pulling her hands away, she allowed his body to drop to the floor. Casually wiping her hands on her robe, she stared down at the man who had destroyed everything for her. She’d destroyed him. Now he couldn’t hurt anyone, ever.

“I guess you don’t need my assistance,” Parker remarked from her position in the doorway. The trigger she’d set up several weeks ago had been tripped many times, but usually by the cleaners or Josie’s family and never this late at night. Parker had come quietly into the house once she’d realized that Seth was already inside. She’d moved stealthily toward the living room at the sound of voices. And she’d watched as Josie had snapped the fucker’s neck like a twig.

Josie glanced at the doorway, not fully understanding how the woman could be there. “Kelly?”

“Actually, my name is Parker Lynch.” She stepped into the room and approached the body. Though she didn’t doubt that she’d heard the crunch and pop of vertebra being yanked out of alignment, she needed to see his still form with her own eyes. He’d been as much a specter haunting her as he had been for Josie.

“Parker Lynch? So who was Kelly Blatt?”

“An alias. One of many I’ve used over the years.”

“What are you?” Josie asked.

“I’m an assassin.” It had to be the first time Parker had ever told anyone what she really did for a living. Her family didn’t know. They thought she was a consultant who traveled a lot.

“Like him?” she asked, motioning to Seth.

“Christ, I hope not. He was a sick bastard and the agency has a few more lurking in the shadows, I’m sorry to admit. But not all of us feel the need to play with our targets. He enjoyed his work on a level that just isn’t healthy.”

“The agency?”

“The company that pays me to do what I do. It’s all very organized, like the mob but without the accents.” She couldn’t have explained why she was telling Josie all of that. The agency wasn’t exactly covert. It had a business plan, shareholders, offices, and letterhead. How they defined what they did on their tax forms, Parker had no idea.

Parker gave Josie the once over, taking in the ratty robe, the greasy hair and the overall stink of the room. “So this is how you respect your fiancé’s memory?”

“What?” Josie choked out.

“He didn’t have a choice to live or die, but you do. Do you really think he’d be happy to see you living this way? It’s a slap in the face of everything he stood for.”

“How do you know what he stood for?” Josie demanded. She was already feeling quite grungy and didn’t need Parker remarking on it.

“He stood for you, didn’t he?” Parker asked. “I watched the tapes, Josie. He stood in front of you, to protect you from Seth. He took the bullets that would have gone through you.”

Josie felt the tears streaming down her face. It was true, he had died to save her. She looked down at Seth. Dead, he didn’t look half as terrifying as he’d looked when he’d been alive. Or half as terrifying as she’d made him in her head. She’d killed him. She’d imagined doing it, over and over, but had never thought that she would get the chance. A small part of her had always assumed he would overpower her again and she’d be helpless.

“I don’t ever want to feel that helpless again,” Josie whispered firmly.

“What are you going to do about it?” Parker demanded.

Josie turned toward Parker, her eyes fiercely determined.

“Train me.”

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Chapter 32

October 28, 2011 at 10:21 am (The Job)

Leinster had drawn out the meeting as long as he could. Leland wouldn’t complain, but the members of the board might. He’d have to wrap up his speech and get on with the reason for the meeting. He found he was having second thoughts about leaving Donovan out in the jungle on his own. And how little good did it do to have those thoughts now, he chided himself.

Leinster tucked away the cue cards he’d drafted for his presentation and then he turned off the projector. Pressing a button on the hidden console of his chair raised the screen from the window, providing them with the gorgeous view once again. Turning to address the board, he opened his mouth to announce the details of the vote when a knock sounded at the door.

He frowned, annoyed at the interruption. Pressing another button on his console to unlock the door, Leinster waited to see what could possibly be so important that his assistant would disobey his strict orders not to disrupt the meeting. The door opened and instead of his assistant standing there, Jack Tunn leaned in.

“Excuse me for interrupting, but there’s someone who belongs in here.” Jack stepped out of the way and Donovan walked into the room.

Donovan looked quite the worse for wear. He had blood and other unknown substances on him. His face was scratched and bleeding. He smelled, which Leinster didn’t appreciate, even knowing where he’d come from. Still, his rightful place was in Leland’s seat.

Leinster turned to stare at Leland. “I find it interesting that you’re here when Mr. Donovan is still alive. Care to explain?”

Before Leland could utter a peep, one of the members of the board jumped in. Frank Bellows, owner of a mid-sized computer chip manufacturing operation based out of Silicon Valley, had been a member for the past five years. Leinster wouldn’t have brought him on and hadn’t voted for him, but he’d been overruled. Since he’d joined, Bellows had done everything in his power to change the operational objectives of the agency.

“We asked Mr. Leland to come in Mr. Donovan’s stead, when Mr. Donovan couldn’t be contacted. It was merely a precautionary measure.”

Leinster accepted that for what it was, a bold-faced lie meant to save face. Whether they wanted to save face with Donovan or him was unclear. “Well, since Mr. Donovan has arrived, safe and sound, I’ll ask Mr. Leland to leave the room.”

Leland was both embarrassed and angry, but he couldn’t show either emotion in front of the board. He rose and graciously offered his chair to Donovan. He even shook the man’s hand. He couldn’t offer any false congratulations. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything at all. Leland walked out of the room without a backward glance.

“Mr. Donovan, welcome to the board. If you’re ready, we were just about to take the vote.”

“Thank you, Mr. Leinster. I am indeed ready to vote.”

“Very well,” Leinster approved, sensing that Donovan was a like-minded individual. “We’ll begin.”

Leland would have continued to walk down the hallway and straight out of the house, but Jack wouldn’t let him. Instead, Jack had several of his guards detain him, prepared to transfer him to the prison on the third floor. He could join Ingram until Donovan decided what was to be done with all of them.

“How did you hope to get away with it?” Jack asked.

“It was a sound plan,” Leland muttered. “If we’d managed to get to Donovan, it would have worked beautifully.”

“Then it’s a good thing one of the board members tipped him off.”

Leland’s jaw dropped at the news. He didn’t know the board members well, but he knew that half of them were on his side. They’d approached him. Still, that left four others to work their own plan to achieve the result they wanted. It’s amazing that with all of the resources that the agency had, one man could still fuck up the works. Technically, it was two people who had fucked up the works. Parker didn’t die when she should have, which led to her feeling compelled to assist Donovan.

Now, with Donovan in the room, the vote would likely be split and then they’d have to call on the new head of the agency to decide it. Leland assumed that position would be offered to Jack. The best that Leland figured he could hope for would be to get his walking papers and not be sanctioned for his part in the Wagner affair. He didn’t want to think about the worst case scenario.

Jack motioned for the guards to take Leland away. Accepting the coffee that Leinster’s assistant offered him, he seated himself on the couch outside the meeting room and prepared to wait for the result.

***

Parker had loitered too long in the infirmary. One of the nurses had inspected the spider bites and determined that she needed to be treated for them. The antivenin was working perfectly, but the bite wounds were still inflamed and oozing a puss-like substance. They refused to take Parker’s word for it that she was fine. Ordering her behind a curtain, they made her strip to her skin and don a hospital gown.

The bites on her neck and shoulders were bad, but the ones on her lower legs were disgusting. The spiders must have ganged up on her and bit her in places that already had bites. Some bites had swollen to twice the size of a quarter. When the nurse told her that the puss was actually the venom being forced out of her body, she almost gagged. After that, she let them do their work in peace.

Simon brought her some coffee when the nurse pulled the curtain back so she could see the room. She sipped it appreciatively, but decided she would kill someone if she didn’t get some real food soon. Simon reached into a pocket of his jacket and removed a wrapped chocolate chocolate chip muffin and handed it to her. He smiled when she snatched it from his hand and tore into it. Setting his coffee on the table next to her bed, he pulled another from his pocket and dug in.

Jack arrived an hour later. Meals had been served to the patients and Simon had requested extra food for the soldiers who were still able-bodied. It was surprisingly good. Steak, French fries, a side salad and a piece of raspberry cheesecake for dessert. Everyone tucked in with enthusiasm until Petrillo joked that it was gorilla meat. Parker chose to ignore him and believe that the cows were flown in specifically so she could have real beef.

“How did the meeting go?” Simon asked.

“Leland was a little shocked when Donovan walked into the room. I’ve since had him detained on level three, along with Ingram and all of the men he’d had guarding the exterior of the house. It seems he had plans to shoot anyone who came up via the outside elevator.”

“He must have been pissed to learn that this facility was kept secret from him,” Parker said, grinning.

“This complex was none of his business and no, I don’t think he took that knowledge well at all,” Jack agreed. “The vote was cast and the result is a 5-3 split in favour of changing the agency’s mandates on political assassinations.”

Parker choked on her steak. Simon pounded on her back to help dislodge the meat. When she could speak again she had to take a deep breath to keep from yelling at Jack. She could see from his expression that this wasn’t news to him. “You knew all along what his vote would be.”

“Yes, I knew.” He waited to see how she would take the news. He didn’t know her well enough yet to anticipate her reactions.

“Why does the board want this?” she asked, buying herself time to determine just what she felt.

“The agency needs to remain competitive. There are a lot of other organizations out there vying for the same work we are and if we can’t offer the clients everything they need, they’ll go elsewhere.”

Parker couldn’t decide if she felt used, or lied to. No one had actually told her how Donovan would vote and she wouldn’t have expected them to, but she admitted that she’d made the assumption he would vote it down.

“You’re angry,” Jack surmised.

“I don’t know what I am,” Parker confessed. “I’ll need some time to process all of this and then I’ll decide. What’s to be done with Ingram and Leland?”

“They’ll be stripped of their positions within the agency.”

“Sanctions?” she asked.

“None,” Jack replied.

“Ok, now I’m angry,” she muttered. Simon’s eyes had also narrowed with Jack’s words. “And Seth?”

“Same. He was following orders, as you were.” Jack could tell the news did not sit well. “Look Parker–”

She held up her hand for silence. “Spare me the corporate rhetoric. I’m fucking pissed that those two assholes basically get off Scott free after cooking up the assassination of one of the board members. I’m taking a leave of absence,” she announced.

Jack tried to placate her. “You’ve been through a worse hell than most people can ever expect to experience and you’re exhausted. You should definitely take some time to recuperate. When you’re ready, we can sit down and discuss this. But,” Jack said, “the agency will need your expertise. You’ve earned the fee for the Wagner job and it will be paid into your account by the end of the week. There’s no going back to the jobs you did before.”

Parker glared at him for pointing out what she’d already realized. Jack offered Simon a similar deal and then took his leave. Parker flopped back against the bed, steaming. She didn’t want to get into it here, with all of the wounded soldiers nearby. Still, she turned to Simon and whispered in his ear.

“I know exactly where I’m spending the first part of my convalescence.”

***

The agency had escorted Ingram back to the US and allowed him to clear any personal belongings from his office before seeing him to the door. He had his salary paid for one year as severance. He knew that getting another job would be a simple matter of going to the next organization and outlining his qualifications.

He was pissed that he’d not had the foresight to save the data he’d collected in each hitter’s personal file to a USB key. It would have proven valuable to the competition. What he could remember would still be worth a lot of money to them. Ingram was determined to make the agency pay for screwing him. He’d been following the board’s orders. Of course the actions hadn’t been sanctioned by the entire board and he knew that. The risks had seemed minimal given the strength of the plan.

Ingram sat at his desk in his home office and booted his laptop. Opening a new document, he began listing names of hitters and the details he could remember about their personal lives. Every hitter had a past. They had a real name, family, complications. The agency knew and kept track of every detail.

Ingram knew their agency names, the aliases they had access to and where they lived. He couldn’t remember the data on all of the hitters, but he had the top ten memorized. He’d added Parker to that list once they’d bumped her up the pay scale. He took great pleasure noting down all of her information. She had more complications than most.

Thirsty, Ingram padded barefoot into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He had several bottles of water he couldn’t remember buying, but then he hadn’t been home in several weeks. Everything else he’d kept in the fridge had grown mold long ago. Grabbing a bottle, he twisted off the cap and guzzled several mouthfuls before heading back into his office.

Several more entries and half the bottle of water later, Ingram started to feel uncomfortable. He was starting to sweat and it felt as though his throat was closing up. Never prone to allergic reactions, he assumed he had caught the flu on the flight home. Stumbling to his feet, he shambled down to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. Swallowing several cold pills hurt his throat. His knees felt watery and he had to lock them in place to remain standing. Using the wall as support to get to his bedroom, Ingram collapsed on his side, on the bed.

He started to hallucinate several minutes later. He thought he saw Parker standing over him. He felt her fingers on his neck, checking his pulse. She lounged on the edge of the bed, watching him. He tried to speak to her, but his voice wouldn’t come. His throat had almost completely closed over. Breath was getting harder to take in. His heart rate had accelerated and he felt as though he might faint, even though he was lying down.

It hit him in a moment of clarity. The autopsy had proven that the water had killed Wagner and Ingram didn’t remember buying bottled water. He stared at Parker, blinking furiously, but she didn’t disappear. He worked up what little spit he had left to speak.

“You’ve killed me,” his voice was barely a croak.

Parker nodded, but didn’t speak.

Ingram felt panic stab through him. It kicked up his heart rate, sending the spider venom racing through his bloodstream. His stomach cramped painfully and he coughed, spraying bloody phlegm onto the bed sheets. He felt the bed move and sensed more than saw Parker move away. He tried to roll toward the phone, but his body wouldn’t respond. He couldn’t turn his head, couldn’t blink his eyes. He was aware enough of what was happening to his body that he felt acute frustration and anxiety at not being able to move.

Parker knew that Ingram would live for several minutes before the venom would finish him off. Wandering through his house, she noticed that his laptop was on, though the screen was black. With a gloved finger she tapped the spacebar to bring the screen up. Reading the information about her that Ingram had listed made her want to finish him off, painfully.

She had no doubt he’d intended to use the information to blackmail her and the other hitters. Reading the words again caused an ache in her heart that she’d thought she’d suppressed. What would she have done if Ingram had tried to blackmail her? She’d have killed him, of course. Would he have kept a backup plan in case he disappeared? She doubted he’d have felt he could be outmaneuvered.

Closing the file without saving, she accessed an agency website and downloaded an app that, once run, would destroy the hard drive beyond any possible repair. One last check on Ingram confirmed that the venom had nearly done its job. His heartbeat was irregular and he panted for the tiniest bit of oxygen. Another ten minutes and his body sighed out its last breath.

Slipping from his house and leaving the area, Parker pulled out her cell phone and called Simon. He answered on the second ring.

“Mine is done,” she said.

“Yeah, mine too.” Simon had paid a similar visit to Leland.

“We may have another problem.” Parker made plans to meet with Simon later in the day. Jack Tunn had called her to provide some information on her mentor, Jacob. She was going to pay Jacob a visit and asked Simon to meet here there.

***

The cemetery was deserted. It was well kept, as most cemeteries were. The grass was neatly clipped and the headstones had been recently weed-wacked. She’d called the cemetery’s office to get the approximate location of Jacob’s grave. He’d been interred in a shady spot beneath a large maple tree. It was a lovely spot, if one cared to think about it.

She wondered if he was actually in there. Ingram had cleaned the site where Jacob had been killed. Normally, that meant disposal of the body by means not conducive to leaving anything behind for burial. It didn’t really matter if Jacob was in there or not. He wasn’t living and that was the main point.

He’d died because he’d taken the job they’d eventually given to her, but he’d asked too many questions. Jacob had drilled it into her that the less she knew about the reason for a targeted killing, the better. He’d not taken his own advice and it had gotten him killed. If he’d been smarter he would have been the one hunting Wagner and then trying to outsmart Seth. She’d still be in Vegas or wherever, doing low level jobs and wondering how long it would be before she’d died of boredom.

She’d brought flowers and placed them against the headstone. She had no words to say. Jacob knew them all anyway. She stepped back a foot and stared into the distance. Simon moved up beside her and dropped his own flowers next to hers.

“He asked me to keep an eye on you,” Simon admitted. “A few years ago. I would check in from time to time, but you were always doing the same jobs. Nothing particularly risky.”

Parker grimaced, though he’d not sounded accusing.

“He thought you were something special. He was proud of you. I wasn’t so sure about you, at first.”

Parker snorted in amusement. “When was that, back in Amsterdam when you had your face in my crotch?”

Simon smiled. “No, I’d already changed my mind by then. He was right, there is something special about you. I’m always going to be looking out for you.”

She took his hand and led him away from the cemetery. She didn’t want to spoil the mood, but he needed to know what she’d found. She spelled it out quickly, giving him as much information as she felt he needed to know. She’d not read the bio on him. Hers had been enough. She wouldn’t fill him in on her past. It wasn’t relevant to the conversation.

“I don’t know what to think,” she admitted. “Clearly the agency is keeping a file on each of us and it has details that could make things pretty ugly for us later. Proof of jobs we’ve done and evidence linking our real world personas with our agency identities. Can I trust them not to use that information?”

“No, you can’t,” Simon said. The news angered him, but it didn’t really surprise him. It made sense that the agency kept some sort of backup plan in place. If a hitter went rogue, it would be just as easy to put their name in the paper and supply a few nasty details about past jobs. Public opinion would do the rest. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t still do your job. The longer we go along as though we know nothing of this, the better chance we have of doing something about it.”

Parker immediately thought of Petrillo and wondered if he could access the file. She had no doubt that he could get to it, but whether or not he could actually alter it was another question. She knew that Simon was right. They needed the time to think of a solution. She wasn’t sure she was ready yet.

“Take the time they’ve given you,” Simon suggested. “But make the decision that’s right for you.”

Parker nodded and walked into the parking lot. At her car, she popped the locks but didn’t open her door. “Where are you going?” she asked.

“I have no desire to set foot on a tropical island anytime soon, but I need sun, sand and surf. I’m going to the French Riviera.”

Parker recalled her desire to go to Nice after she’d finished her last Vegas job. It seemed so long ago now. The idea appealed to her still. Perhaps the warmth of the sun would help ease her mind and allow her to finally think things through logically.

“You want some company?”

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Chapter 31

October 26, 2011 at 10:13 pm (The Job)

If Leland had thought the vote would take place directly at 1pm, he was sadly mistaken. Lunch was served first and everyone else in the room took the opportunity to lollygag. He’d have wolfed his lunch down if he’d thought it would get the others moving. Instead, he ate with ease and chatted as though he had all the time in the world. By the end of the meal, he had a bad case of indigestion.

The servants cleared the plates and removed all of the other paraphernalia that went with a 3-course meal. The drinks were all that remained of the lunch and now Leland thought things would really get rolling. A projector screen quietly rolled into place across the table from him and Leinster, who sat at the far left end of the table, cleared his throat. The stack of cue cards in his hands had to be an inch thick.

“We shall begin with the annual review,” Leinster said, and flashed up a pie chart showing the financials for the agency over the past year.

Leland groaned quietly and settled in for a long day.

***

“We got us a bunch of apes on our ass, man,” Kern called out as he hustled toward the rendezvous point. The RPG wasn’t useful anymore. It wasn’t a close contact weapon. Still, he hadn’t wanted to leave it behind.

The gorillas had scattered when the bombs and grenades had gone off. The females had corralled the young ones and huddled near the centre of the village. Some of the males had gone after Simon’s team and the remainder had started looking for Parker’s team. The male population of the gorilla village had been seriously decimated over the past day. Those that were still alive were tired and, in some cases, wounded.

“How close?” Parker called back.

“Maybe fifty yards and closing fast.”

Not enough distance to regroup at the rendezvous point. Parker called a halt to their sprint and set in for a close-in fight. She could see four of the great beasts bounding toward them. She grabbed a grenade from her supply and lobbed it. When it hit the ground it issued forth a thick white smoke. Parker cursed and looked down at her supply for a frag grenade.

“Sir, what did you fire at them?” Kern asked.

“It’s just a smoke grenade. I meant to grab the frag.”

“They’re afraid of it, man. Look,” Kern pointed.

Parker stared in surprise as the gorillas backed away from the smoke that crept slowly toward them. Picking out two other smoke bombs from her pack, Parker lobbed them, creating a wall of smoke that cut the gorillas off from them.

“Nice one, Kern. Let’s go!” Parker turned and started leaping jungle brush in an effort to make the rendezvous.

Simon’s team was a little outnumbered. He had five able-bodied soldiers and one who was assisting their wounded man. A quick glance to his right showed fifteen gorillas heading their way. To make matters worse, the crocs were starting to explore the gorilla village. They’d come down the trough and stepped over the bodies of their dead. They were further away, but crocs could move when they wanted to.

“Get ready, gentlemen, those gorillas are going to get here first, but the crocs won’t be far behind.” Simon checked the level on his mag and started shooting. Head shots worked for closer in, but at this distance he was hoping to take a few out at the knees.

Mule placed Preston’s shoulders on the ground and turned back to assess the crocs. Pulling a frag grenade from his webbing, he aimed for the lead croc and tossed it. The grenade landed at the croc’s front feet and exploded just as the animal was stepping over it. The shrapnel shredded the croc’s soft underbelly. Tossing a second one to land in the middle of a pack of crocs, he gained a little more devastation for his efforts.

The sound of gunfire kicked up as the rest of the team went after the gorillas. Simon knew the odds weren’t in his favour. He called to Mule to keep heading toward the east side and they would follow. He didn’t want to get separated from Mule or the gorillas would target him, but he didn’t want to stand there and fight either. He could walk and fight just as well.

With the crocs temporarily knocked back, Mule once again grabbed Preston by the armpits and started hauling him east. He picked up the pace a little, careful not to drag the wounded leg over anything that could snag the ties and cause more damage. He was thankful that Preston continued to sleep through the ordeal. He had to be adding insult to injury dragging him across the uneven ground this way.

They were closer to the east edge of the village than he’d thought. Simon tossed a frag and fired a few shots before taking a few seconds to assess the area beyond the village. A slight rustling from the east had him bringing his gun around.

“It’s me,” Parker called out, as she broke through the brush and added her firepower to their fight. Kern scrambled out after her and tossed several grenades at the pack of gorillas. The smoke from the bombs cut them off from view, but Simon expected them to walk straight through it. When they didn’t appear, he looked at Parker.

She shrugged. “Don’t question it, just go with it.”

Mule had already headed into the jungle where two men were just finishing up a quick and dirty litter for Preston. Mule strapped him down with extra bandages from his first aid kit and let the men haul the wounded soldier for a while.

Parker took the lead once again, with Kern bringing up the rear. He’d swiped a few extra smoke bombs from a couple of his teammates, just in case the gorillas broke through the last wall. He could hear them coming once again. The second smoke wall hadn’t held them nearly as long as the first had.

“King Kong’s posse is on the move again,” Kern called out. He tossed two of the smoke bombs and sprinted to make up some distance that he hadn’t noticed he’d left between him and the rest of the team. The gorillas came barreling straight through the smoke this time and they closed the distance until they were within twenty feet of him.

Parker came crashing through a particularly thick section of brush into a small open area completely clear of jungle brush. It ran in a ring to the right until it hit the cliff wall. To the left, it ended some fifty feet away where the jungle picked up again. Directly in front of her was a white wall of a different sort. Not made of smoke, this wall looked to be made of cobwebs. The trees were completely shrouded in spider’s webbing. It looked like a giant cocoon. She didn’t need to ask what the hell was in there. She’d already made their acquaintance at Wagner’s lab. The rest of her team, minus Kern who was still some distance away, came crashing out behind her.

“To the east!” she yelled, pointing toward the jungle. Kern’s yelling brought her up short. She turned back toward the sound and realized that he was the only one who hadn’t come out yet. Heading back in, she was almost mowed down by a gorilla coming out. He held Kern in his fists and headed straight for the cocoon. With a powerful toss, he threw Kern inside.

Caputo, Hinckley and two others all fired on full auto, their bullets striking the beast in his chest and legs. Buffeted about from the velocity of the rounds, the gorilla was knocked backward into the spider nest. The men turned their weapons back to the jungle, to head off several more gorillas.

“Simon, the antivenin,” Parker shouted as she tossed her pack on the ground. Diving head first into the web, she swatted and slapped her way through the thick fibres. She could hear Kern screaming. The spiders were already on him. Pushing through, she felt the spiders landing on her back and head. Their bites stung, but she wouldn’t let herself think about it. Another few feet in and she spotted Kern’s boots in front of her. Picking them up, she pulled him back out of the spider’s nest. The gorilla that had thrown him in was swallowed up by spiders. The bullets must have killed the beast because he wasn’t screaming.

Parker pulled him straight out into the open and Simon was waiting for her with the antivenin. He injected Kern and then assisted Parker in removing the spiders from his body. Stomping on them as she flicked them off, Parker could still feel them crawling on her. Donovan stepped up and knocked them off her back.

“Crocs to the west, spiders to the north and fucking angry gorillas to the south,” Caputo said. “What the hell is to the east?”

“Looks like we’re about to find out,” Simon replied, as he hauled Kern across his shoulders. The man was out cold.

With all due haste and some trepidation, the team plowed into the east jungle.

***

Chief had barely finished goggling at the TV as he’d watched Parker dive into the cocoon, before he was goggling again as she pulled a man out. The man wasn’t moving, but one of the others still injected him with something. Chief knew that if it wasn’t the correct antivenin, that soldier wouldn’t have a prayer.

When his men called out that they were prepped and ready to rock, Chief left his security console and joined them in the containment room. As they exited the room and then the cliff, he received updates from his assistant through his ear piece. He had the fence deactivated once again and his team was heading for the far end when his assistant told him that Parker’s team was almost to the beach.

“Where are the gorillas?” Chief asked him.

“Right behind them, sir.”

“Ok boys, these people are coming in hot and heavy. Let’s get down there and give them some assistance.” Since the incoming team only had two wounded, Chief hadn’t bothered with another flatbed. He had the gate open and his team fanning out as Parker’s team hit the beach and angled in toward the cliff.

Parker saw the soldiers up ahead, but didn’t stop. When they didn’t open fire, she assumed they were friendlies. When they directed their attention to the back of her pack, she knew the gorillas were once again right on her ass. Parker bolted past the row of soldiers and into the gates fence area. Stopping to catch her breath, she turned to watch the rest of her team’s progress.

Simon was bringing up the rear, Kern bouncing around on his shoulder. Mule wasn’t doing much better, once again hauling Preston who had finally woken up. He should have stayed unconscious, because the first thing Preston saw was several gorillas far too close for comfort.

Parker shouldered her rifle once more and got a bead on the closest gorilla. Several of Chief’s men fired at the same time she did, cutting down three of the apes at once. Several of her people were now within the confines of the fence area. Donovan streaked past her and stood at the edge, watching.

Chief called out for the smoke bombs and several of his grenadiers fired immediately. The bombs fell beyond the last of Parker’s team and exploded. The smoke dropped a few of the gorillas, but several had already been beyond their range. Chief nodded as Parker stepped from the fenced area and added her firepower to his men’s.

Simon loped past her, the last of her team to arrive. Parker kept her attention and her firepower on the apes. The lead gorilla, riddled with bullets but not dropping, grabbed one of Chief’s men and lifted him off his feet. The soldier ripped a smoke bomb from his webbing and shoved it into the gorilla’s mouth. Automatically chewing on the thing, the bomb exploded and filled the gorilla with paralyzing smoke. His grip loosened and he dropped the soldier as his body crashed to the ground.

Chief’s soldiers quickly re-entered the fenced area and the gate was closed. Several of the remaining gorillas were aggressively agitated and started banging against the fence. Chief ordered everyone into the cliff complex. When no one but his soldiers remained outside, they donned their masks and deployed the enormous smoke cannons positioned twenty feet up the cliff face, hidden behind the rock. The cannons poured a steady stream onto the gorillas until all had succumbed.

Chief and his men moved into the cliff and entered the containment room before removing their gas masks. The smoke from the cannons was ten times as concentrated as the smoke from their bombs. Without the mask, they wouldn’t have had enough time to pull anyone to safety before the smoke killed them. The smoke from the canons kills the gorillas, as well. They had a lot of cleanup work to see to once the smoke had dissipated.

Parker winced when Petrillo’s wife’s voice crashed out of the overhead speaker. It reminded her of her friend and, once again, she wondered what had happened to him. When she got off this freaking island she was going to determine what had happened to him.

“The man with the spider bites must be taken to the infirmary immediately,” Petrillo’s wife said. “His heartbeat is dangerously irregular.”

“Once he’s cleared, we’ll take him straight there,” Chief responded.

“The other wounded man will also need attention. His calf has been shattered and he has some nasty bites on his arm and leg.”

“Yes, computer,” Chief agreed.

“The woman is fine, though she’ll need something topical for those bites.”

“Yes, computer,” Chief agreed once again. He made a rolling motion with his hands as though wishing the computer would just get on with it and let them through.

“The others are suffering mild cases of dehydration and exhaustion. You are all clean and cleared for entry.”

The door opened allowing them access to the main complex. Chief ordered a gurney for Kern and Preston and saw that both men were immediately sent to the infirmary.

Jack Tunn stepped forward and offers his hand to Parker. “I have to say, I’m very impressed with your resourcefulness, Parker.”

Parker shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise. “Thanks. Sir, why is Petrillo’s wife’s voice used for the computer in there?” she asked, gesturing to the containment room.

“He apparently tried to get you to do it, but you refused.”

“That’s what he wanted it for?” she demanded.

Jack nodded.

“Jesus, I’m glad I said no.”

“I don’t know,” Simon disagreed. “I think your dulcet tones would be quite nice in there.”

“Fuck you,” she muttered.

“Exactly,” Simon said, raising an eyebrow at Jack.

Jack very nearly snorted. “I’m sorry they set Seth on you, Parker,” he said instead. “That wasn’t my call and beyond my level to correct.” It still galled him that he hadn’t been able to veto Leland’s orders.

Parker ignored the comment. It was done now.

Jack shook hands with Simon then clapped a hand to Donovan’s shoulder. “We need to get you upstairs so you can vote. I believe we have just enough time.”

When Parker moved in behind them, Jack shook his head. “He’ll be safe now, I assure you. Besides, there’s someone in the infirmary I think you need to see.”

Parker was torn, but figured if she couldn’t leave Donovan with the Head of Ops, who could she leave him with? Parker asked a soldier where the infirmary was and then headed over to the elevator. Simon stepped and the rest of her team stepped in after her.

Once on the infirmary level they had to ask a nurse where the patients were. She looked harried and glanced at all of the men piling out of the elevator with some annoyance. Since they were all mobile, she assumed they weren’t too badly hurt. That meant they could wait.

Parker grabbed her arm as the nurse tried to walk away. “Jack Tunn sent me up here. He said there was someone I ought to see. I don’t know who he meant, so you’ll have to point the way to the patients.” When the woman took a half a second to stab her finger down the hallway, Parker dropped her arm and walked away.

The first few doors on either side of the hallway appeared to be offices for the doctors. The infirmary was built like a large hospital room, capable of offering aide to forty patients at once. Damn near half the beds were full. The soldiers who had been hit by the smoke bombs were awake, but still taking oxygen. Those soldiers who hadn’t made it out of the jungle alive had been moved to the morgue to await transport back to the US. In a bed on the far wall lay a figure so bruised, Parker barely recognized him. When he raised his hand and waved to her, she stepped forward for a better look.

She was halfway across the room when she finally recognized Petrillo under all that black and purple mess. She carefully took his hands, worried that she’d hurt him. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied. “You look like you’ve been stung a thousand times.”

“Spider bites. Who beat the snot out of you?”

Petrillo tried to frown, but his face was still too puffy to react. “Willis.”

“Ingram’s man,” she muttered. It wasn’t a question. She was familiar with his work just as much as she was with Ingram’s. He’d been an assassin once. Willis hadn’t used his power to get the ladies. Willis liked to use his fists on them. She’d heard the rumours that Ingram had been forced to clean up a few of his messes before the agency had revoked Willis’ license. Ingram had somehow managed to get the man hired on as his assistant.

“I’ll see to him,” Parker promised.

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Chapter 30

October 26, 2011 at 1:55 pm (The Job)

The explosion rumbled through the ground. The sound of the blast almost blocked out the tremendous cracking sound that split the rock. Caputo watched as a third of it came apart from the whole. The larger half rolled over, out of the way of the cage. The smaller section crashed against the door of the pen.

“Shit, let’s get that thing off there,” Simon called out. The three men put their backs against the rock and used the side of the pen as leverage to get it moving. Calved from the larger boulder, it wasn’t as heavy, but it still took all three of them to budge it.

Gunfire from within the pen heralded the arrival of the three gorillas. They came clamoring around the bend, faces contorted with rage. The prisoners took out one, but the other two gorillas bounded forward, unharmed. One pushed against the smaller section of rock, trying to crush the men beneath it. The other gorilla jumped up onto the larger half of the rock, prepared to leap at them.

Scrambling out from underneath, Simon brought his rifle around and shot the gorilla on the rock. He didn’t have a head shot. He loosed a volley of shots aimed at the gorilla’s knee and blew the cartilage to dust. As the ape crashed down, Simon nailed him with several more shots aimed at the head this time. The rock hitting his arm screwed with his aim, but the job was already done.

The remaining gorilla pushed the rock toward the men, trying to catch them under it again. Caputo egged the beast on, letting him move the rock far enough away to get the door open. Meanwhile Donovan crouched in front of the rock, walking forward as the gorilla pushed. At Caputo’s signal, Donovan stepped out from under the lip of the rock and opened fire on the gorilla. Combined with the assault from the prisoners, the gorilla was shredded where he stood.

On the other side of the village, as Caputo was pressing the detonator on his bomb, Kern let the RPG fly. There was a knot of gorillas fifty feet away and he targeted one that had its back to them. The RPG exploded on impact, roasting several of the gorillas on the spot. The concussive force of the blast threw the remaining gorillas backward ten yards. Flames caught fur. The acrid smell of burning hair soon filled the air.

Several grenades were tossed into smaller pockets of apes. A lone gorilla fell from a tree straight down to the ground after Parker shot it. She scanned the neighbouring trees for movement. Two more gorillas fell from the trees before some sort of signal was passed and the remaining gorillas turned to the south, staring straight at Parker and her team.

“Oh shit,” Kern whispered. “They fucking spotted us, man.”

“Look sharp people, here they come,” Parker called out. She stood tall and began firing at the roaring pack of apes as they charged forward. Palming one of her grenades, Parker judged the distance, waited an extra few seconds and then tossed it. Her timing had been dead on. The ground churned up and all but buried a few of the gorillas. Several were badly wounded. They tried to pull their bodies along, but made no headway. She fired several rounds and put them out of their misery.

“I got a group to the north of us,” Kern called into the radio. “I’m taking the shot.” Pulling the trigger, he launched the RPG.

The prisoners freed, Simon’s group headed across the village toward the eastern edge. Kern’s warning came in just as they were nearing the northern most point of the village. They ducked as the rocket shot past them and broke into a run to avoid the backlash.

The rocket struck the ground next to a group of female apes and their young ones. The explosion ripped the land apart and sent a fireball roaring back over the gorillas. The momentum from the rocket carried it ten feet beyond the edge of the village, digging a large trough into the dirt. Water immediately started trickling down the trough into the village. The trickle quickly turned into a gushing stream as the lake found new territory to claim.

Simon’s team had to cross the stream before they could continue heading for the east edge. The gorillas that had been in the path of the rocket had been obliterated or incinerated. The water had Simon thinking of a new threat and he turned toward the lake to confirm his suspicions. A crocodile came splashing down the trough into the village. Several more were right behind it.

Simon had just crossed the stream with Caputo when the crocs entered the village. Donovan, Hinckley and two of the other three prisoners moved quickly, but Preston wasn’t as lucky. The first crocodile started running the minute his slide ended and grabbed Preston’s leg in its massive jaws. Clamping down, the croc began shaking its head back and forth. Preston lost his balance and hit the ground. The croc, sensing victory, moved in for the kill.

Simon opened fire on the beast. The high-powered rounds had no trouble penetrating the tough exoskeleton and reaching the soft innards beneath. He walked closer, shooting near the crocs brain. He shot an eye out before the croc’s brain registered that it was dying. It tried to snap its jaws closed over Preston’s head, but only managed to grasp his arm as Preston blocked the move. The powerful jaws snapped his forearm before its body relaxed in death.

Screaming in agony, Preston tried to wrench his arm free. The excruciating pain was too intense and he blacked out. Simon gripped the upper jaw and pulled it open. Carefully, he removed Preston’s broken arm. Mule came over to see to Preston’s wounds. Another of the team’s junior medics, he was twelve hours of practical experience and one test away from getting his full status. If he lived through this mess, he promised himself that he’d have that status before he left on his next mission. And maybe he’d take some of those exotic upgrades that the agency offered. Who knew dealing with crocodile bites would be useful in the field?

Mule strapped Preston’s wounded leg to the other leg to keep it immobile. Using the barrel of Preston’s rifle as a splint, he carefully bound the broken arm to it. Mule strapped the rifle to Preston’s body so that it wouldn’t jostle the arm around. When he was finished he grabbed Preston by the armpits and started hauling him east. Caputo and the others had dealt with the remaining crocodiles. No others had come down the trough yet, but they weren’t going to wait around for new arrivals.

“We’re on the move, heading east,” Simon whispered over the radio.

“Roger that,” Parker responded. “We’re working our way to the rendezvous point.”

***

Leinster left his office and headed for the western meeting room. He had several tasks to see to before the other members of the board would present themselves for the vote. Leinster’s staff was efficient, as always, but he liked to confirm that all of the details were taken care of. A light meal would be served once everyone had taken their assigned seats. Leinster analyzed the table settings as intensely as a general did his troops in battle.

Name cards had been placed ahead of the side plates and Leinster confirmed that all names had indeed been spelled correctly. The room was spotless, the bar was fully stocked and his staff was awaiting orders to begin serving. Satisfied, Leinster took his seat at the head of the table and reviewed his notes for the presentation.

Leland didn’t want to be late for the meeting, but he also didn’t want to be the first to arrive. He had hoped to strike up a conversation with one of the other members just before they were called inside, but the men refused to be drawn in. An hour ago they were cavorting by the pool, openly having sex and striding around the deck area naked. Now they were properly dressed in business suits and looked as stuffy as old men could. They weren’t ignoring Leland. The men weren’t talking amongst themselves, either.

Leland was a little annoyed with Ingram. He’d promised to give an update on the situation in the jungle. When last he’d talked to Ingram, Donovan had still been very much alive. If that had changed, Leland wanted to know about it before he went into the meeting. It would give him a certain amount of comfort knowing that there was no way Donovan could screw with his plans to get on the board.

Leland couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the outcome of the vote. The few members who had put his name forward had told him to vote the way they wanted, which was to vote yes for expanding the agency’s agenda. Wagner, who had been a member of the board for twenty years before his untimely death at Parker’s hands, had been quite adamant in his determination to keep the agency’s current policies intact. Those views had sparked the plan to kill him and replace him with someone who could be convinced to vote a certain way. That person was not Donovan. His views were not known and he was not a man to be swayed. If he’d voted against, there would have been a two-year wait before the board could broach the subject again.

Leland had no trouble telling the board members who had approached him that he would vote yes if that’s what they wanted. All he cared about was getting in. Once he was in, he would be a part of the money circle. He’d sell his own mother to get into that circle, if she wasn’t already dead. He tried not to fidget as he waited for the clock to tick over to 1pm.

***

Graff could see the electrified fence and the gate just up ahead. The gate was closed, which meant the fence would be active. He would have to call from the gatehouse and request that the gate be opened for his men. He was about to send Bruner ahead to get it done when the bushes next to them exploded outward. Snarling with rage, the gorillas thundered toward them.

Inside the cliff, Jack Tunn received a phone call from his chief of security. “Tunn here.”

“Sir, the group heading up the beach has just been attacked by gorillas again. What would you like us to do?” There was an edge to Chief’s voice as he expected to be ordered to sit and watch the slaughter once again.

Jack looked at his watch. He knew Leinster’s wishes, but he also knew the man’s habits. It was 12:50 and Leinster would be cloistered in the meeting room, not to be disturbed for any but the direst of reasons. The meeting room was devoid of security TVs. If he disagreed with Jack’s orders, it would all be after the fact.

“Send a patrol out and bring those men in, Chief,” Jack ordered.

“Yes, sir.” Chief fired out orders left and right, gathered his men and left the cliff in less time than it took people to place an order at McDonalds. He had been monitoring the TVs since the previous evening and each time the gorillas had attacked, he’d itched to get out there and help. It was galling to sit back and watch those men take a beating for nothing. The weapons he had at his disposal had ensured that no security personnel had been killed in the five years he’d been stationed on the island.

The electrified fence was deactivated and the gate was opened. His team sprinted down the road and took the turn at the end to head for the battle on the beach. When they were within range, Chief ordered his grenadier to deploy the smoke bombs. Three loud blasts preceded the deployment of the bombs. As the canisters hit the ground around the combatants, the smoke quickly created a dense cloud too thick to see through.

Donning their protective masks, the soldiers tromped right into the middle of the smoke. Each man they came to, they hauled out of the smoke and fitted with an oxygen mask. They had to be quick about it. The smoke was not healthy for humans if exposed to it for any length of time. It wasn’t lethal for the gorillas, but it knocked them out for several hours, which usually served Chief’s purposes.

The gorillas, once again, had ignored the men who were either dead or seriously wounded. Their attack had centered on one man, the guy who had been leading the troop down the beach. Chief thought his name was Bruner. He’d watched the earlier attack where Bruner had evaded a gorilla in the water, headed back into the jungle to save a few other men and discovered one of the gorillas hunting techniques. Chief felt he was a fit warrior and would make a nice addition to his team, if Bruner was interested in a change.

Chief had requested a flatbed trailer be attached to an ATV to secure the wounded soldiers. It arrived with several guards hanging off the sides, flanking it from attack. Chief kept a watch on the edge of the jungle while the soldiers were transferred to the flatbed, wounded and non alike. The gorillas were left where they fell.

Once the ATV was underway, Chief ordered his men to follow at a distance. If the gorillas came again, they would go for the live bait. Chief shut the gate to the electrified fence. Once it auto-locked in place the circuit was closed and the fence could be electrified once again. Chief waited until all of his men had passed through the fence on the far side and moved into the cliff through a much wider entrance that allowed for the passage of the vehicle before calling for the fence to be amped up again.

In the containment room, the computer spent several minutes observing the wounded men. It informed Chief that several of the men were dead, which he already knew. He was relieved to note that none of those who had been alive before the last attack had since died. He requested a special assessment of Bruner, since they were there anyway. It would save the man the hassle later.

Chief approached Tunn as the rest of his team assisted the wounded onto gurneys that were transported to the infirmary. “Containment says we got there in time, sir.”

“Nice work, chief. Once your men get the wounded settled in the infirmary, send out another patrol. I want Donovan in here, alive.”

“Aye, sir,” Chief replied with a grin. It made his damn day getting to do his job as intended.

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Chapter 29

October 25, 2011 at 4:47 pm (The Job)

Petrillo ached in every joint, muscle and tendon. At first he couldn’t recall what the hell had happened to him. Then it hit him. They’d taken him from his desk. Snuck up behind him and grabbed him right out of his chair. He’d fought them. It had been mostly a stupid idea, him against trained soldiers. But testosterone had ruled his body that day. Christ, he has no idea what day it was.

He attempted to open his eyes, but they were sealed shut. It hurt to move his hands far enough to feel his face. When his fingers brushed against his jaw, he would have screamed in agony but it hurt too much. The pain robbed him of breath. He tried to be gentle as he brushed his fingers over his eyes, but his hands felt as though they were three sizes too big. Or was it is face that felt that way?

He tasted dirt and realized that his tongue was hanging out of his mouth. His face was pressed against the cold dirt floor. It felt rather soothing against his cheek. He tried to lift his head and the fierce pain made the tears leak from his eyes. The moisture helped loosen whatever was gluing them shut. After a minute he was able to pry one open.

It didn’t help. Everything around him was dark. He thought maybe it was night time, but had no way to know. He attempted to assess the damage to his body by slowly moving each limb. His right leg was completely numb. He’d been lying on it for who knows how long. His left leg worked. He rolled slightly sideways, to settle on his back. Then his right leg came alive as though thousands of tiny electrodes had been jabbed into his skin. He knew the pain meant that everything was working, but fuck it hurt!

His ears pricked at the sound of a dog sniffing about. Scanning the darkness with his one eye, Petrillo thought he could see some light now. It came from far away and steadily got closer, bobbing up and down. It made him dizzy and he had to look away. The dog was gone and had been replaced by the sound of feet shuffling in the dirt.

Petrillo tried to use the pain to propel himself into a proper seated position. His back burned and his stomach muscles felt as though they’d been ripped apart. Sweat poured down his face and the salty moisture stung the open cuts on his face. He gritted his teeth, but that made his jaw throb. To test if it was broken, he opened his mouth to speak.

“Damn, I could really use a drink,” he muttered. It hurt, but he didn’t think the jaw was broken, just bruised significantly.

The shuffling feet had stopped when he’d spoken. Then it sounded as though they pivoted and headed straight for him. If they were coming back for round two, Petrillo didn’t doubt that his chances of survival were pretty damn slim.

“Petrillo?” a voice called out of the dark.

The light flashed across his face and his one good eye winced. “Christ, that hurts.”

“Your face looks like hamburger.”

“Thanks, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy right now. Who are you?” he demanded.

The light changed angle and shone on the face of the man standing before him. Petrillo cocked his eye upward in an effort to identify him. It didn’t take long.

“Jack? What the fuck?” Petrillo wasn’t quite sure what he was asking the man.

Jack Tunn squatted down in front of Petrillo and grimaced at the close up view of Ingram’s handy-work. In truth, he doubted that Ingram had lifted a finger. He preferred to let others do the messy stuff. He cleaned up after them.

“Let me get you out of here and get you cleaned up and then we’ll chat.”

“Where is here?” Petrillo asked.

“You’re in the back of the stables, which aren’t used anymore. It’s on the lower level of the island, but thankfully not inhabited by anything from the island.”

“Which island?” Petrillo said.

“The island,” Jack replied, emphasizing the first word.

“Oh Jesus, get me out of here!” Petrillo shrieked. He knew what was on the island. He’d set up the security consoles for Leinster. He’d seen the gorilla village and the crocodile pond and everything else. He started to thrash about in an attempt to get off the floor.

“Easy, Petrillo. We’ll take care of you.” Jack motioned two men over with the stretcher. As carefully as they could, they loaded Petrillo onto it and strapped him down. Lifting it between them, they followed Jack out of the stables and back toward the cliff. They had an armed guard consisting of fifteen men. They had rifles, grenades and specially crafted smoke bombs that could knock out a gorilla in five seconds flat. It wasn’t wise to take chances when coming out to the lower island.

They didn’t head for the elevator shaft. They had no need to use that route. Instead they continued along a crevice in the cliff until it dead ended twenty-five feet back. Flipping up a panel covered by faux rock, Jack punched in his entry code. With a soft, pneumatic hiss, a door popped open several inches. Jack opened it wide and gestured for the men with the stretcher to head in first. Jack followed and the guards brought up the rear.

The first level of the cliff was containment and storage. Jack and his group entered a large room that lit up the minute the door sealed behind them. There was no getting into the lab complex without going through one of these containment units. They were scanned, x-rayed and fumed to make certain no illegal foreign particulates had come in with them.

“Mr. Petrillo is wounded,” a computerized voice floated down to them from speakers in the ceiling. It wasn’t a shrill voice, but it was harsh and always sounded slightly accusing. Petrillo had set up the computer systems inside the lab. Everything that could be automated, was. Consequently, the lab was very familiar with his DNA strings and recognized him easily.

“Yes, he is,” Jack confirmed, rolling his eyes.

“He is bleeding from several locations. He has a fractured right arm and severe swelling over most of his body. There are many other injuries. Would you like me to list them for you, Mr. Tunn?”

“Not at this time,” Jack replied.

“What would you like us to do with Mr. Petrillo, Mr. Tunn?” the computer asked him.

“I would like you to clear him for lab entry and then we’ll take care of him.”

“Everyone has been cleared and approved for lab entry, Mr. Tunn.”

“Thank you,” Jack said, heading for the door.

“You are welcome, Mr. Tunn.”

Once they’d left the containment room Jack led them toward the elevator. He’d get Petrillo into the infirmary and let them patch the man up. Loaded into the elevator, he saw that Petrillo’s good eye was open and aware.

“Why couldn’t you have given the computer a sexier voice?” Jack asked.

“I tried to get Parker to do the recordings, but she refused. Said she didn’t have the time or the interest. I ended up using my wife’s voice.” And he cringed every time he heard it.

Jack laughed at the sour expression on Petrillo’s face. He could well imagine what the woman would say if she saw her husband right now. He’d met her only a handful of times, but she intimidated him like no other woman had ever done.

The infirmary was starting to fill up. The two men who had been guarding the elevator were there. They’d been drugged when Leinster’s guards had come out of the crack in the crevice. Ingram’s men hadn’t heard their approach. They’d felt the tiny sting of a dart and then they’d hit the ground. The guards weren’t prisoners, but Tunn didn’t want them running to Ingram with news of the lab, either. They would be released once this whole vote business was over.

The four guards who had gone for the boats were a little the worse for wear. They had interrupted a gorilla training session. An adult male had taken several younger males into the jungle to teach them how to hunt. They didn’t hunt for game; there wasn’t any on the island. They usually hunted crocodiles, but with men on the lower island, the gorillas had determined that they were easier prey. The guards would be dead if one of the guys manning the security console hadn’t noticed the pack moving in and ordered a patrol group to reroute to the gate to offer assistance. The doctors in the infirmary had patched up several bites and one shattered ankle.

Petrillo’s stretcher was placed on an empty bed. A nurse immediately took over, removing the straps and cutting his clothing away. He was rolled onto his side to remove the stretcher and then settled back against the bed. The nurse had the printout from the containment room, listing every cut, contusion and fracture on his body.

A second nurse used a sponge with warm water to remove most of the surface blood. Once the caked on mess had been cleaned from his closed eye, Petrillo was able to open it and see clearly. He was relieved to realize it hadn’t been damaged. The first nurse brought over a needle and jabbed it in his arm before he could think to protest.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Morphine.”

Petrillo thought he could already feel it working, rolling through his body like an ocean wave, soothing the aches as it went. He tried to sit up and immediately felt light-headed.

“Remain lying down, Mr. Petrillo,” the nurse ordered. She didn’t push him back, per se, but she nudged him with definite purpose.

Petrillo gave in and leaned back. He saw Jack’s face swimming above him. He smiled and his jaw didn’t hurt a bit.

“Petrillo, was it Ingram who came for you?”

“No, Ingram doesn’t have the balls for up front work, you know that. It was Willis.” He’d hoped that the morphine would make him sleep, but he wasn’t the least bit tired.

“Willis is Ingram’s main spy, correct?”

“Yes he is. He thinks he’s really slick and clever, but he’s not.”

“Then how did he get the drop on you?” Jack couldn’t resist teasing him.

“The drop on me? Hell, this is all a part of my plan,” Petrillo mumbled.

“And what plan is that?” Jack asked. Petrillo, though drugged, had still sounded sincere.

“To get you guys in the upper echelon to realize what a worm Ingram is and that it’s long past time for him to go. Willis didn’t find me. I left enough clues for a blind bear to follow. Hadn’t counted on the beating though, must admit.” Petrillo’s head lolled to one side and a small stream of drool slipped down onto the pillow next to him. “Ingram needs to be locked in a room with Parker for five minutes. She won’t even need the whole five.” His eyes slid closed as sleep claimed him.

Jack agreed with that last statement. Parker wouldn’t need the whole five and if he had the chance, Jack would see that she got that time. He pulled out his cell phone intending to call his chief of security when it rang. Seeing Leinster’s office number, he flipped it open immediately.

“Sir?” Jack answered.

“Jack, it looks as though Ingram is going to take a few men down to the stables to retrieve Mr. Petrillo. Would you mind rounding him up and seeing that he doesn’t bother these proceedings any further?”

Though Leinster’s voice was moderate, Jack could hear the annoyance behind the words. Ingram and Leland had manipulated things long enough.

“What shall we do with Leland, sir?”

“We’ll leave him where he is. Donovan still has to make it through the jungle. If he fails, then perhaps we’ll see what Leland has to offer.”

Jack ground his teeth at that. He’d wanted to send a patrol into the jungle to get Donovan, but Leinster was a man who liked to see what the fates would deliver. If Donovan was meant to survive the jungle, he would. Jack didn’t give a shit about fate. Smoke bombs to knock the gorillas into a deep sleep were as much a part of fate as good tactics and an excellent shot.

Smothering his annoyance, Jack called together a team of security officers to assist him with Ingram. Leaving Petrillo to the care of the doctors and nurses, Jack descended to the ground floor and strode toward the containment room. His team was already assembled inside.

Once cleared, he exited the cliff through the door in the crevice and made his way back to the stables. He’d ordered his men to bring lanterns to brighten the area. He didn’t want Ingram and his men to use the darkness to slip away once they realized their change in status. Not that they could go far. Jack doubted that Ingram would be willing to head into the jungle, knowing what was in there.

They didn’t have long to wait. They sat in the dark, Jack stationed near where they’d dumped Petrillo and his men spread out around the rest of the main stable area. They would surround Ingram before turning the lights on.

The stable door creaked as it opened. Ingram motioned for Willis to go first. He looked furtively over his shoulder, but didn’t see anything of concern. Still, he followed quickly after Willis. The remaining guards trailed in behind him, shutting the door up tight after them.

“Where did you put him?” Ingram asked Willis.

“He’s down at the far end, in one of the empty stalls.” Willis turned on his flashlight and led the way.

Willis had come to Ingram earlier to report what his guards on the lower island were planning. Either Graff had forgotten that there were other guards who used the radio channel, or he hadn’t cared. Willis had been intrigued to learn that Graff’s plan was to ignore Ingram’s direct orders. If Graff’s men weren’t going to take care of Donovan then he would have to distract them long enough for the jungle to kill the man. And Ingram would enjoy unleashing this distraction.

“You check on him recently?”

“Yes, I checked on him earlier this morning. He was still out cold.” In truth, Petrillo had been coming around, so Willis had put him out again. One more bruise added to so many would go unnoticed on his face. “He’s in this stall,” Willis said, motioning to a gate directly in front of them.

Ingram pulled the gate open and Willis flashed his light on the ground inside. He didn’t see Petrillo where he’d expected to find him. Searching the entire floor, Willis aimed his light a little higher and immediately the light flashed over Jack leaning against the back wall.

“Now,” Jack called out and the stable was flooded with lights. Several guards came forward and removed the weapons from Ingram’s men. They moved to pat Ingram down, but the he slapped the hands away.

“What the fuck is this, Jack?” Ingram demanded.

“This is you, Ingram, no longer being a welcomed guest of the island, per Leinster’s orders.” Jack raised the gun he’d held tucked against his leg and motioned to Willis. “Take your hand very slowly from your coat.” He stepped away from the wall as Willis removed his hand. He motioned with the gun for Willis to step closer to the guards.

Ingram was subjected to a pat down and relieved of his pistol, which wouldn’t have done him much good in the jungle, but it was more than enough to ruin Jack’s day. “Were you coming down here to shoot Petrillo?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ingram muttered.

“We removed him just after your man Willis here punched him in the face. It wasn’t a particularly strong blow, because Petrillo was already coming around when we arrived. Don’t worry, he’s being well cared for inside.”

Ingram frowned, trying to understand how Jack could have gotten Petrillo into the house without his men knowing about it. For that matter, where the hell had Jack come from?

Jack led the way back toward the elevator and then carried on to the crevice. Leinster wanted Ingram right out of the way and the best place for him was inside the lab complex. They had the best jail facilities in the world. They needed it with some of the experiments carried out there.

Accessing the hidden door, Jack once again entered the containment room and listened to Petrillo’s wife accuse them of being clean and cleared for entry. The jail made use of the entire third floor of the lab. Half of it was another containment room, this one designed to keep people in rather than processing them through. The large room was sectioned off into cells for individuals. The most violent of the specimens were kept there.

Jack used his entry code to access the floor and led Ingram and his cronies to the standard cells. He opened the door to one and his guards hustled the men inside. Slamming the door shut, it auto locked in place. Jack turned away without giving Ingram another glance and stepped back onto the elevator.

Pulling out his cell phone, Jack called Leinster. “It’s done, sir. Ingram and a few of his guards are in the cells on three.”

“Perfect, Jack. Thank you. Now, what shall we do about those men standing guard outside of the house?”

“Leave it to me, sir,” Jack replied. He knew that some were loyal to Ingram and others were not. To make things easier, he would assume that all were loyal to Ingram. With Ingram now persona non grata, his guards were no longer welcome either. “There are plenty of cells down here next to Ingram’s.

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