Mysterious Ambition

Mysterious Ambition
Chapter one
Virginian Sunset
“Danielle.” Antonio said in a quiet voice.
“Hey, Danielle, Danielle.” Still trying to get her attention from the ground he picked up three stones and threw them at her window. “You’re going to pay for that!” Answered an angry man coming to the front door.
“I’m sorry Mr. Travis; I didn’t mean to crack her window.”
A fourteen-year-old girl slid the window up. As she leaded out her thin blond hair leaned over her shoulders.
‘’Antonio?” Her voice raised in tone.
“You know this boy?” Asked her dad.
‘’Sadly, but yes. Dad may we have a minute.”
“I’ll be out here with a shot gun if he’s not gone in five.”
‘’Thanks dad. What are you doing here Antonio?”
“I had to see you again.” He answered.
“What? How did you find my house?”
“I followed you home from school.”
“You followed me? What are you a stalker or something?”
“No, listen! I need you to come with me tonight.”
‘’Are you kidding? No way! I couldn’t my dad would kill me.”
“Then sneak out, but come with me I want to show you something!”
“You want to show me something?”
“Yes, but hurry we’re running out of time!” He answered getting a little more frustrated.
“Ten minutes that’s it!” She agreed.
“I’ll meet you at the front door.”
“Don’t bother.” She sounded reassuring as she stepped out of her window she grabbed on to the rain pipe and let her self down. His eyes widen when her feet touched the ground.
“Well it’s not like I have sneaked out before.”
“All right come on.” Taking her hand he let her down the sidewalk and through the pitch-black forest.
“Wait here.” He whispered. Their breath showed in the cold night air.
She watched his tall figure of blue jeans and a sweatshirt disappear behind the bushes. His hair was fairly long, about to the end of his neck. A gold hoop earring in his left ear was all she wanted to argue about.
‘’Come here.” He said not showing his face.
She met with him half way.
“Close your eyes, I won’t let you trip.” A young man of fifteen placed his fairly large hands over her waist and led the rest of the way.
“What’s that noise? Where are you taking me?”
“It’s a surprise. Turn to your right.” He whispered.
“Open your eyes, Dan.”
The moment Dan did, she was in an awe wonder of what was before her. A Virginian sunset was like a palace waiting for its gates to open wide. Waiting for its master, the keeper that owned its walls and floors, and giving him and grand entry, by allowing the sky to turn purple, red and yellow all in stripes. Giving him and entry that made the crashing salt-water waves, sound like music.
“It’s beautiful!” She immediately exclaimed.
“No you’re beautiful.” He whispered gently in her ear as he ran his hands through her thin hair.
“Stop Antonio!” She commanded sifting her head.
“Stop what?” He planted his hands on her waist and began kissing the soft skin of her neck.
She closed her eyes at the felt of his soft gentle lips tracing over her neck.
“Please stop Antonio.” Her voice wasn’t as commanding, because she was melting. He was melting the shield of pride that was masticated over her heart.
“Do you really want me to stop?” He moved to her forehead then to her cheeks, but he didn’t kiss her mouth.
“Antonio you’re rushing. I only met you today!” She said trying to drag herself up from giving in to his wishes.
“Then maybe you’re not going fast enough.” His mouth was still buried on her neck and cheeks, but then he stopped; it was a screeching halt. She turned her head hesitantly but then she did the wrong thing. He captured just be looking in to his blue eyes. He placed his mouth gently over hers; kind of waiting for her to stop him, but when she responded he deepened his kiss. Like he was hungry for her lips. She pulled away at the felt of him persisting.
“Stop!” She commanded in a loud tone. Then she said it softer. “Stop, please.” She reached for his hand as it rested on her waist, peeled it off and broke through his embrace. She felt her hot red cheeks from embarrassment, and blushing.
“You’re blushing. What’s the matter Dan?”
“Antonio I don’t even know you!” She exclaimed.
“Do you trust me?” He asked taking her hand from her side and kissing the blue ring on her finger.
“Well… yeah… I guess. Trust you with what?”
“Your heart.” He took a step closer to her.
“Tell me you trust me, but if you do not then don’t say it.” He embraced her once again; this time he made it so she couldn’t get away. “Say it.” He whispered.
“I-I trust you with my heart, but never my love.” She spoke in a low whisper barely loud enough for him to hear. His brown fell between his wistful eyes blocking off her view.
“I’m sorry, Antonio.” He looked up his brown eyes looking sheepish. Then she looked past his brown circles into his thoughts like she could read his expression.
“Yeah, me too.” He was still wistful and sad sounding.
“Let me go, my dad’s going to kill me, I know the way.” She took off running with her blond hair flowing behind her.
Then he made a promise to himself then and there. And he swore he would keep it until the day he died.
It was still a vivid memory to the both of them as the years past. Jr. High was now over. High school past faster then a bullet. College came and went and now it will have been fifteen years since the night of the Virginian sunset.


Chapter Two
Kidnapped
“Morning Dan, I brought you your coffee.”
“Thanks Carter.”
Carter Evan’s to be exact. Dan had met him on the same day she met Antonio Wilson. But after Danielle left Antonio after ten years of marriage Carter has been there for her ever since.
“Two creams, one sugar.”
“Yeah thanks, oh Carter could you do me a quick favor?”
“Name it.”
“Could you run these x-rays up to Doctor Conroe please?”
“Sure thing.’’ He took them from her hand.
“Thanks you’re a doll.”
“Oh one more thing, Danielle.” He popped his head back into her office. “Our high school reunion is on Saturday.”
“Carter you know my answer, I’m not going.”
“Come on Dan, I’ll find you a baby sitter.”
She let out a heavy sigh then plopped down in her chair through up her long leggy legs. Now she was thirty two years of age. She had the same blonde hair and blue eyes that Carter remembered fifteen years ago.
“Baby sitters aren’t my problem, Carter! I don’t want to run into a bunch of people of my past. My past isn’t exactly exciting.”
“You met me in your past.”
“Carter!” She said looking over her coffee mug.
“That was your excuse last time, and you know you have never told me who exactly you don’t want to run into.” He uncrossed his arms and rested them on his waist.
“Him!” He looked lost. “You know.”
“Oh, him.” Finally he got a clue.
“Danielle you’re making a big deal out of nothing. He’s probably dead by now. What are the chances that he is going to be there.”
“Carter, I can’t take that kind of risk.” She slammed a folder of files on her desk.
“First of all he doesn’t know about Anna and that could very well come up.”
“Is there any thing I can do to make you change your mind?” He looked sheepishly trying to convince her in her rock stage.
“Nope, I’m not going to take a chance running into the exact same reason why I left. Carter that’s final, I’m not going.”
---
“May I take your coat, miss.” Asked the doorman.
He helped her slip her arms out of the black jacket so her red dazzling gown was showing.
“See it’s not so bad.” Carter answered behind her.
“If I see one inch of my past I’m out of here.” Carter laughed a bit, and nodded.
Carter had been her best friend ever since the eighth grade. He was standard height, and well-built in strength. The glasses he wore on his nose gave him an intellectual appearance. His sandy brown hair was styled in a short spiked way for the occasion. Along with hazel eyes to match. But his character was one of a kind.
“I see a table open over there.” He indicated offering his arm up to escort her.
“Excuse me, are these seats taken?”
“No go right ahead. Hey wait a minute I know you. Your Carter Evan’s.” The lady spoke with a hundred percent assurance in her voice.
“Yes, and you are.” He answered pulling the chair out for Dan. “Misty Thomas, I can’t believe you don’t remember me, Carter.” “Misty Thomas? Oh, I remember you now you were my secret admirer.” He shifted his eyebrows at her and smiled showing his straight teeth.
The flaky lady let out a small giggle along with her fellow cats that she hung out with back in high school. Danielle tried to shield in her roaring laughter. She remembered Misty too and laughing memories came back.
“And of course you remember Danielle Travis?” Carter indicated. “Danielle? No I don’t believe so?”
“Antonio Wilson.” Dan replied with sheepish eyes and an admitting voice.
“Oh! Now I remember!”
Misty was one of those go-getters! She had a huge crush on every good-looking guy in the high school. But she grew a nasty grudge when Antonio asked Danielle to go the pram rather then her. And her hating only grew worse once she knew they were in love.
“You took away both of the men I liked!” Misty answered with a little attitude in her voice.
“I didn’t take away anything, Misty.” She answered back. “Ladies lets remember this is all in the past no hard feelings.” Cut in Carter.
Misty’s gray eyes narrowed. She had always thought Danielle higher then her in beauty, and in magnetism. And anybody who thought Danielle wasn’t beautiful was a fool! She had thin silky blond hair, a pretty face, and a capturing personality, a capturing personality that had its ups and downs. Her body was thin and strong, and consisted of two long shoulders. But her eyes were like diamonds in a sea of blue water. And then there was Misty. Not exactly the most beautiful creature you’ve ever seen. Her hair had been bleached so many times that she couldn’t get it back to its normal color of brown. Instead it was stuck at an unnatural French red.
“Dan may I get you some thing to drink?” Asked Carter standing. “Just a glass of champagne would be fine.”
Carter had his doubts of leaving those two alone but he took his changes. Fears of a huge cat fight right then and there and he wasn’t exactly a fool for thinking so.
“So Dan, which is what people call you right?
“My friends call me that.’’ Misty smiled rudely then cleared her throat.
“Tell me what do you do for a living?”
“I’m a doctor at S.F Hospital.”
“A doctor!’’ She began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“I was expecting something like a pet keeper or a newspaper editor, but never a doctor.”
Dan gritted her teeth.
“What about you, what do you do for a living?”
The smile on her face was immediately wiped.
“I’m a waitress, at the cafe down the block.”
“Oh, well that’s nice.”
“I’m impressed I was able to squeeze that one of my throat.” She thought.
“Are you married?” Asked Misty.
“Hmm, well that’s a long story.”
“What not good enough for your perfect ways.”
“I have three daughters!”
And once again the smirk was wiped off Misty’s face.
“You married?”
“No, boy friend.”
“Been they’re done that.”
After a short silence Misty asked.
“You have pictures of your girls?”
“Yeah.” She dug them out of her purse and flung her hair out of her eyes.
“See that’s Adrian, Andrea and Anna.” She pointed to the blonde little girls as she handed her the small packet.
“Adrian is 15 Andrea is 12 and Anna will be six on December 10th.”
“Their beautiful.” She admitted. “They all starts with A’s.” She noted handing her back the booklet.
“Yeah, that wasn’t my idea.” Danielle confessed sticking them back in her purse.
“Whose idea was it.’’ She asked becoming snotty.
“Well who’s do you think!” Grabbing her purse she left the table and stepped outside.
---
The night air seemed to calm her anger at Misty.
“I never thought I’d see you again.” Said a voice with Italian ascent, but still held an American touch.
She froze almost in the dead. She knew that voice, even considering the fact that she hadn’t heard it in five years. She forced herself to turn.
“Antonio!” She exclaimed.
“I got to go!” She blurted.
“Least give me a chance to talk. You already wrecked my life by walking out on me and I’m not going to let you do that again!” “Wreck your life? Okay lets define that? Who wrecked whose life Antonio? Who was the one that had the drinking problem?”
“I haven’t touched a bottle in an over two years!”
“Yeah right! Not fallen for it Antonio!”
“Dan, please.” He grabbed her arm. “I didn’t come out here to discuss the past. I want to talk to you. For a half an hour that’s all I’m asking.”
“You ask for too much too soon, now let go of me!” But his grip only tightened.
“I’m not letting go of you until I’ve made my point! And I will do the impossible!” He stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistle loudly. “Get in!” He exclaimed pushing her into the back of the taxicab. “You remember the instructions, get on with it.” He told the driver.
A dark colored cloth went over the eyes, and she groaned at the felt of twine around her wrists binding them behind her. “Where are you taking me?” She screamed right before tape went over her and shielded her from words.
Pain struck her like a thousands knives. Pain; pain that felt almost unbearable. And she was out cold from the blow to the head. “Pull over!”


Chapter Three
Mistaken identity
Blood dripped off of her head and soaked into the white sheets. Bruises formed over her white arms from being handled so harshly. She awoke with a startle.
“Who are you!” She said for the blind fold was still over her head. “No one whom you should fear.” Said a deep voice.
“Where am I? Where’s Carter?”
“You’re in Washington.”
“Washington, I was in San Francisco an hour ago.” “You mean two days ago.”
“Two days?’’
‘’You have been out cold for two days. I didn’t mean to hit you so hard.” Said the voice.
“Who are you? Take this blind fold off.” He slid it down over her head, but the room was so dark she couldn’t see anything. All she could see was his broad figure but not his face.
“Stay away from the lamps.” He said.
“Who are you.” She asked again “What am I to call you.”
“My name is Jack Nicholas.”
“Why am I here?”
“Will you quit asking questions. I’ll tell you one thing it’s a good thing I got you out of there in time.”
“Got me out of where?”
“Tell me what do you remember before you awoke here?” He ignored her question.
“Carter was trying to get me to go to my high school reunion.” ‘’Did you go?”
‘’Yeah I, I think I did. Yes! I did. I remember talking to Misty Thomas. ‘’ “Is that all you remember.’’ His dark figure got up from his sitting chair.
“Yes, no wait! Antonio was there. And he dragged me into the….” She stopped dead in her sentence. The black figure could not be seen any longer. Just that black darkness before her. She breathed in deep, almost to scared to move.
“Antonio? Are you there? Anybody, Jack?” She threw back the thin blankets that were thrown across her legs, but when she tried to stand she let out a horrible scream and smashed face first into the floor. The handcuff edges cut into her ankle, but when she tried to get back on the bed the blade just cut deeper. Anguishing pain sliced through her as she lifted herself back upon the bed. “Danielle its not a real good idea to get out of bed before I unlock your foot.” The shades raised and the city lights shown through.
There he was the man that claimed to be Jack Nicholas. He was slouching but when he stood up straight he was a full six feet. He had slicked black hair that hung over his shirt collar. His eyes were dreamy pale browns with dark olive skin. He was wearing a pair of denim blue jeans with holes in the knees and a white cotton shirt with the tale hanging out.
“Why did you leave me?”
“I didn’t you just thought I did. Does that mean you don’t trust me?” “What?’’
“You don’t trust me?’’
“I don’t even know you how can I trust you?”
‘’You know me you just don’t know it.” He thought but he didn’t say it. “What did you say your name was?”
‘’Jack.”
“Antonio.” She whispered.
“What?” Jack questioned.
“Your Antonio!” She was almost hysteric.
“Look lady I don’t know who Antonio is.”
“Who pushed me into the taxi?” She blurted.
‘’I did.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Why?”
‘’You don’t know?” She shook her head.
“You’re a target of murder.”
“Murder! Just what are you saying?”
“I’m saying there’s someone out there to get you and they were at the reunion. Waiting to strike.”
“How do you know all of this?”
“I know more about you then you think. When I saw you go out side I knew your killer would try to attack.”
‘’My killer? Who?”
“I can’t tell you that, but it’s someone smart enough to know you wait for a clean shot if you have one bullet.”
“Why would they want to kill me?” She choked back her tears. “I’m not sure. I traced back you’re past a found no reason. So it’s got to be jealousy. Either something you have or had.”
“Who wants to kill me?”
‘’I said I couldn’t tell you that!” His voice became stern almost angry. “Where were you sitting at the reunion?”
‘’I wasn’t sitting I was taking coats, including your and Carter’s.” “Carter! Oh no I hope he’s all right!”
“He’s fine.”
‘’My girls, what about my children.”
“Children, there fine Carter’s with them.”
‘’How do you know?”
‘’Trust me, Dan, and breathe a little.”
---
“Will you take these cuffs off of me?”
“Do you promise not to run away?”
‘’Yes just take them off of me, its killing my ankle.” He arose from his chair and clicked the key into the slot.
“Oh that feels better thank you. When can I go home?’’ “Not until I set up a security system in your house.” “What for!”
“Protection! Do you know how easy it is for someone to…” He stopped dead in his sentence, and swiftly drew a small pistol from his shirt.
“Shh, don’t move, wait here until I give you a signal. Crawl out the window and I’ll meet you out back.”
“I can’t crawl out in this dress, or these shoes.” She protested in a whisper.
“Put these on.” He laid a pair of dark denim blue jeans and a light gray sweatshirt across her legs.
“Go barefoot until I can get you some shoes. After you change stay down until my signal.” Then his black figure disappeared.




Chapter Four
Escape
Several minutes had past and Danielle had been changed for quite awhile. “This is taking way to long.” She said to herself.
“If this is a joke I’m going to kill him.” Dan gasped at the sound of gunshots, but where was the window? The only thing that lay before her was darkness. Where was the window? A turn to your left and right but no window! There it was straight ahead; it was like spotting land on a maiden voyage.
“Jump I’ll catch you.” He said. “Trust me, just jump.” Every one of instincts told her not to but before she could think she jumped off twenty feet and landed safely in his arms.
“Run!” He shouted.
A loud blast of lightning swept the air, but not a raindrop fell. Debris and mettle sprang through the air as if they could fly, but neither had wings. Yellow and black flames kissed the night sky as the building that once stood ten stories fell into nothing but garbage.
They landed in an alley corner rolling on their shoulders. Then it was quiet, not a sound. Jack lifted his head from her stomach were he had last stopped landing.
“Are you all right.” He looked up at the shaking face. ‘’Get off me.” She said quietly.
‘’Sorry I didn’t mean to land on top of you.” He said in a half laugh. ‘’Come on we gotta run.’’
“Where are we going?” She said as she stood up.
‘’Over here come on.”
“I can’t climb that!” She exclaimed pointing at the alley wall. ‘’I’ll help you come here.” He climbed half way over the wall and leaned over on his ribs.
“Give me your hands.” She placed her soft hands into his and pulled herself up.
“Hang on, wait until I get down, jump.” She landed gently in his arms running her hand over his muscle.
‘’Come on get in the truck.” He said. A black Ford Pick-up truck lay parked inside the alley.
“I think we can out run them.” He said pushing his foot to the gas petal.
“Out run who?”
Jack looked up in the rear view mirror then answered,
‘‘Them.’’ He pointed at the mirror.
“Take the wheel.”
“What! Are you crazy?”
‘’Take the wheel now!” His voice became loud and angry. He rolled down his window and stuck his head out. One-two three shots fired from his pistol. The black car fired back hitting the side view mirror. “My truck!” Jack exclaimed.
He fired again hitting there windshield.
“Careful Dan I almost fell out of the car!” He shouted back. “Sorry I hit a trash can, and I hit a cat. Jack this isn’t easy why don’t you drive.”
“Move over!” He said getting back in the car.”
“You just drove into the sea gate there’s no way out.” She cried. “Trust me.” He replied stepping on the brake.
“Are you going to do what I think you’re going to do?” Asked Danielle looking straight ahead at the dock.
‘’You had better believe it. Come on just a little closer. Little more.” He said watching the men from the other car walk closer and closer. ‘’Five, four.”
“Jack this is crazy! Don’t do it.”
“Roll down you’re window. Three, two, one.”
He stepped as hard as he could on the gas and the car flew from its resting spot. “Jack I can’t hold my breath long!”
‘’Trust me I’m not going to let you die down there.”
Splash! Then everything was blurry. The ringing sound of his words pierced her ears. It repeated over and over again just the phrase ‘I’m not going to let you die down there.’ Why would Jack care anyway if she died?
A hand grabbed the hood of her sweatshirt and pulled her through the window. Then she felt something over her mouth. It was cold but soft. Somehow under water she was receiving air. Then she knew what it was. She ran her hand down Jack’s face as he continued to blow in her mouth gently
“Why was he doing this?” She thought. “Blowing the air he had held into my mouth so I wouldn’t drown. Why did he even care? Why would he do something like that for me? It’s like he’s kissing me goodbye for the last time. The last time he would ever see me again.’’
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a sleek of a blur pushing, making its way through the icy cold water. Bullets! She broke away from him and grabbed his hand. Up, up through the cold water they swam and right before the reached the top Jack pulled her back and swung her into him. Then he was leading her through the water. “What are you doing, Jack?” She wanted to scream. Why was leading her back the other way. “Jack, I’m going to pass out if I don’t get some air.” She thought. Her head began to feel the lightness of lack of oxygen as he continued to lead her. But then the light from the top shown through the water and she gasped for air under the dock.
“Are you crazy!” She shouted but his hand cupped her mouth and she bit her lip to the point of blood.
“Shh, look up.” He whispered. The shoe bottoms of the men in the black car stared down at them.

“They’re gone.” Said one of the men.
“They’ve been done there for several minutes.” Said another. “Chill boys, you know Jack, he’ll go to the outer limits if he has to.” Said the leader of the pack. There were five men all wearing black suits. Some were holding large rifles; others were holding small pistols.
“Keep your eyes open he’s got to come up any minute and when he does I own him a bullet in the head.” Said the leader.

“He’s not, Jack won’t ever kill himself to escape, he always got something up his sleeve.”
“He had a girl with him boss.” Said one of them.
“I know, the girl isn’t important its Jack I want dead.”

Chapter Five
The warehouse
“What was that all about?” Dan asked after the men in from the car were gone.
“Let’s just say you’re not the only one that’s has a hunter. There’s someone out there to get you and those men were out to get me.” Dan felt a shiver go down her spine as she continued to tread water.
“Darn it! I have to go back to the truck, wait here.” The last thing she saw was his feet kick then go under.
‘’Wait here, ha, it’s not like I can go anywhere.” She thought. Then all the rest of her thoughts kicked in. ‘’Why did Jack breathe into my mouth? Why does he care? There’s something awfully familiar about him. Its like I’ve met him before somewhere. He’s very handsome!” She shivered again at that thought.
“What’s taking so long?” She thought aloud.
She let out a horrid scream and hit her head on the top of the dock. “Ouch!” She exclaimed right before she was pulled underneath. She tired fighting what ever it was that was pulling on her. And if it was Jack he was being too rough! No what ever this is it out to kill her. She kicked and punched at what ever it was dressed in a black suit. A shiny piece of metal was drawn. A knife! He sliced at the water, but Dan dodged. He grew impatient with her and sliced the knife across her shoulder. Redness leaked into the water as her hand went to her shoulder. A high shrill pieced the water and redness flowed from the one in blacks shoulder. Then a hand grabbed her and led her up, farther and farther. Her head felt dizzy and light and when she reached the top of the water it felt like paradise.
“Are you all right?’’ Asked Jack.
“No I’m not all right!” She indicated her shoulder.
“I’m sorry Dan as soon as we find some place to stay I’ll take care of it.”
‘’Is that what you went back for?” She asked pointing to the black pistol in his hand.
“Yeah that’s most of it I wanted mainly to get the back pack.’’ “What backpack?”
Jack reached down while he treaded water and grabbed the black leather pack that hung on his foot.
“I thought those men weren’t after me.” She said.
“Those men will do anything to get me, and since your with me your a link to getting me. You have to be ready for everything. Anthony must have order one of his men to stay around encase something happens. He must have heard us talking and figured we were under the dock.”
‘’Anthony?’’
‘’Yeah, Carl Anthony, one of the biggest drug dealers in the U.S. You can bet your millions on in it.”
“What’s he want with you.”
“I hid his money. Come on lets swim to shore at I’ll explain everything.
---
“Jack make sure no body sees you.”
“Even if they did it’s not like I would care.” Dan shivered while Jack vigorously hit at the combination lock on the warehouse door. ‘’Open! Open!” Jack said becoming a little angry. The black and silver combination lock opened effortless. Jack smiled a bit at Dan’s chilled face that left her dumbfounded.
“Where did you learn how to do that?”
“When you grow up on the streets of Italy you learn all kinds of tricks.” He raised his leg and kicked in the two large doors. Then blackness appeared right before they’re plain eyes as Jack led her hand in hand through the dark warehouse.
“What are we looking for?” She whispered in front of her. “Shh.” Was all he said. Then the next thing she knew he grabbed her wet shirt collar and pulled her down.
“Get down and don’t say anything.” He whispered slapping harshly his hand over her mouth.
“Listen I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. But you are going to have to play along.” With that he took out a knife and slit a piece of his wet jeans off. He tied it painfully over her eyes. “I’ll explain it all later I promise. Here’s your instructions….” Then he raised up from under the warehouse boxes.
“Hey Tony!” He shouted. A man in beige, long jacket turned around. “Jack!” he exclaimed.
“I got something you want.” He harshly raised Dan from underneath the boxes.
“Isn’t your target Danielle Travis? Well guess what she’s mine now.’’ He put his black pistol to her throat, then he whispered. “Trust me.” In her ear.
“All right Jack you win, but your forgetting something. I’m never unprepared.” A rifle cocked above him and he looked up into a barrel of a shotgun.
“You think that’s actually going to stop me from shooting her?’’ He asked trying to get himself out of it.
“Well how about if you die too?” He pulled another pistol out of his long coat.
“Here’s your choice, hand over Danielle and we’ll let you go. But if not we’ll kill both of you.” He was quite for a moment. He looked up at the barrel the stared down at him, he look at Danielle, then he looked at Tony still holding his pistol up, ready to shoot.
Then fire broke out once Jack had shot the man holding the shotgun in the leg. He through Dan out of his arms and behind a pile of warehouse boxes. “Do what I told you!” He shouted to her answering Tony’s shots. She pealed the blind fold off of her eyes, and ran back to the offices.
“Where, where, where?” She thought aloud as she scrambled through the office.
“And what do you think you are doing?” She a loud voice behind her. She turned around and the first thing she saw was a pool of blood on the tile floor. The man that Jack had shot held up his rifle and aimed it at her.
“Now wait, just a second.” She was so scared she could barley move. What was there to grab and use as a weapon? Pen? Paper? Computer? Stapler! Her wet palms grab it and through it as hard as she could. It hit dead center in the forehead, and knocked him to the floor hitting his head on the tile. She grabbed the keys to her escape and ran out of the office.
“Wait!” She turned around and grabbed the rifle from the floor. The man groaned and tried to fight her.
“Go back to sleep!” She said hiding him in the head with the butt of the rifle.
“Jack?’’ She shouted out into the fist fight.
“Dan! You know what to do.”
“Sure of coarse I do.” She ran down to the third aisle. “How am I supposed to drive this thing.” She swung her leg over the seat then explored the gears on the handlebars
Jack spit out blood after being punched by Tony. Tony came again with another punch, and hit Jack in the stomach. He led out a groan of pain as he hit the floor hard with a thud. A pistol was drawn out of Tony’s coat and aimed at Jack head. Then a rumble shook the warehouse and took Tony’s attention from Jack. He kicked Tony in the knee with the bottom of his black boot. He yelled painfully and fell to his knees. Shots fired in to the dust that had been stirred, but the bullets only hit the walls. Then it was quite only a rumbling sound echoed throughout the warehouses plain walls.
“Hang on!” Jack’s voice sounded through the house as he climbed on in front of her. Tony fired more shots, but hit nothing that could bleed.
“Jack your not going to do what I think you are going to do?” Dan said nervously as the bike was led up a ramp of boxes. “Yes you are.” She answered. Then the motorcycle crashed through the side of the wall. Dust, dirt and wood flew through the night air. Tony shot the last bullet in his gun, but only hit the back light of the running motorcycle.




Chapter six
D.W.

“Are you crazy!” Dan yelled kicking in the motel door. “Ever since I’ve been with you I’ve been handled harshly, almost blown to bits, shot, drown, and stabbed!”
‘’And if you hadn’t been with me, you would’ve been blown to bits!” He protested shutting the motel door.
‘’Is this is way you do things? Do you always have to blow something up or crash through a wall?”
“You wine like a dog. Your still alive.” He through the backpack up on to the bed as he spoke.
“I wine like a dog! Well did it ever occur to you that maybe you don’t have to crash through a wall; you can just take the back door out? If I keep hanging around with you I’m going to be wanted in every city from here to Maine, or dead.”
“I told you to trust me Dan.” His voice was surprisingly calm and quite. “I said I won’t let anything happen to you, so take my word for it and quit wining.” She crossed her arms and plopped on the bed. “Get some sleep we’re out of here at the sign of first light. If you awake in the morning and I’m not here I have a few things I need to take care of.” He shut the bathroom door behind him after he walked in with a towel over his shoulder.
Dan exhaled then reached over and looked through the backpack that was lying next to her. In it she found a pair of damp jeans from the truck. Four white T-shirts, a black leather jacket, a pair of sunglasses, army fatigues, a baseball cap, and finally at the bottom of the bag black leather chain wallet. She scratched her head and glanced over to the closed bathroom door.
“I’ll take just a peek.” She thought.
In the bill fold there was a check for fourteen thousand dollars. She about consumed her tongue when she read the amount.
“Jack D. Nicholas.” She read out loud on the driver’s license. “Height six feet. Eyes brown. Hair Black. Weight 185 LBS.” Her eyes raised when she read the last part.
“Must be all muscle.” She said aloud.
“Would you hang those up for me, so they’ll dry?” Jack asked holding a towel around his neck.
Dan clapped the wallet shut and raised her head swiftly. She felt herself turn beat red. There he was standing before her naked to the waist. “Yep, it’s all muscle. Its just a chest and very nice looking, brown chest.” She thought.
“Dan?”
“What!” She looked to his face hoping he didn’t notice that she had been staring.
“Could you hang those up for me?”
“Oh, yeah sure.” She hung them all neatly over hangers, but the image of him kept popping back in too her mind.
“Yeah he was nice looking. Oh what am I thinking?” She thought, then she shivered.
“What’s this?” She thought aloud. She pulled out the item that bulged trough the wet jean pocket.
It was small, she thought it was a quarter or something but a quarter was not gold. A quarter didn’t have the initials D.W. engraved inside the band. And a quarter wasn’t in the shape of a wedding band that a man’s finger is supposed to go through.
“He’s married?” She thought out loud.
Jack opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the room. She palmed the ring then stuck it over her middle finger, but it was still too big.
‘’You can go ahead and sleep on the bed. I’ll take the floor.” He said making himself comfortable on the blue carpeted floor.
The motel wasn’t exactly what you would call nice living. It had one twin bed that had a sheet and an ugly brown blanket thrown across it. “Oh it really doesn’t matter.” He didn’t answer back instead he reached up and turned out the lamp.
---
“Jack?” Dan asked several hours later.
“What?”
“Are you awake?”
“Nope, I’m just talking in my sleep.’’
“I could hit you with a pillow and wake you up.”
“Don’t you dare.” His voice was calm and tired, but he chuckled afterward.
“Jack?” She asked again.
“Hm?”
“Is you first name Jackson?”
“Yes.”
“Jackson, what?”
“Jackson Dominic Nicholas. Why do you ask?”
“This ring.” She pulled it off her finger and handed it to him, and when their fingers touched she caught her breath.
“I found it in the pair of jeans I hung up to dry. The inscription says D.W.” “Oh that. I must’ve forgotten about it.”
“Who is D.W.?’’ She asked hoping she wasn’t prying.
Jackson turned his head and looked at her. Even through the darkness she could she his sun setting brown eyes. She hid her mouth under the misty smelling blanket and peeked over at him, batting her long eyelashes.
“D.W. was my wife.” He asked all most in a whisper.
“Your wife.” She repeated.
“Yes, Deanna Warner.” His position moved from looking at the ring to her face. “Please don’t ask me about her again.”
Dan rolled from her stomach on to her shoulder.
“Ouch!” She screamed sitting up in bed and almost giving Jack a heart attack.
“What’s a matter?’’ He jumped up letting the blanket that was over him fall to the floor. When he flipped on the lamp it pierced both of their eyes. She squinted then replied.
‘’My shoulder is bleeding.” He sat on the bed next to her and rolled up the red stained sleeve.
“It was one of Carl’s men.” She said in a blaming voice. He looked at the six-inch long cut that gushed out blood.
“I’m going to have to cut your sleeve off.”
‘’Fine, just don’t cut me!” The blade of the knife missed her skin as he cut the sleeve of the sweatshirt completely off. He washed it and did the best he could for a bandage.
“It’s okay Jack I can take care of the rest.” She said taking the wet cloth from his hand in the bathroom.
‘’Sure your okay?”
“Yes.” He reluctantly walked out of the bathroom even though his job was to take care of her.
“I’ll get some real bandages tomorrow morning.”
“All right.” She flipped off the bathroom light, and now the room was pitch black. She made her way through the room hoping not to step on any cockroaches but that wasn’t what she stepped on. Jack groaned Danielle screamed as her body hit Jack.
“That didn’t feel very good.” Jack said his voice still in a groan. “No it didn’t.’’ She agreed raising her head from her bare chest. “Sorry I didn’t mean to trip over you.” She said in a half laugh.
“That’s okay, but-you could get off of me now.”
“Oh, sorry.’’ She giggled like a teen-ager, and as she arose her hands traced over the flat planes in his stomach causing her to gasp. She cleared her throat hoping he hadn’t noticed her honest mistake. But she couldn’t help to smile.


Chapter Seven
Round Two
“Dan,” he said in a whisper. “Danielle.” He shook her gentling trying to wake the sleeping dead.
“Hm, what.” She answered in a tired voice.
“Get up, we’re leaving.” She sat up in bed and looked out into the dark room.
“Don’t you people believe in sleeping through the night?” Her voice was a bit louder but still tired.
“Just get up.” She couldn’t see him, and when he threw a pair of pants and a shirt at her she jumped.
“Put these on.”
“What time is it.’’ She asked pulling the pair of pants off of her head.
“3:30 a.m. now get dressed.”
“3:30 a.m.! Are you kidding me?”
“No! Now get dressed!” His voice was becoming impatient with her.
“Can you see me?” She questioned back to the darkness raising the tone in her voice. There was a short silence before he answered.
“I’ll wait outside for you.”
“Yeah you had better wait outside for me.” She thought.
“What on earth did he give me to wear?” She flipped on the lamp. There they sat and pair of army fatigues, and a white T-shirt.
“This guy really doesn’t have much style does he?”
---
“What happen to the motorcycle.” She asked coming out the door, and closing it behind her.
‘’I traded it in, a car is easier to get around in.” He answered poking his head into the front seat of the white Honda Civic.
“I have shoes for you.’’ He poked his head back up and handed her the box.
‘’I hope they fit. I had to guess.”
Her eyebrows rose when she saw the pair of black leather combat boots. “Well, I really didn’t know.” He answered to her expression.
‘’It’s all right what I have is what I have, but next stop can you pick up a belt for me?’’ She pulled the army pants up before they dropped to her knees.
He chuckled a bit, as he tossed the black backpack into the trunk.
“Sure thing. How’s your shoulder?”
“A little sore but I’m all right.”
“I got some bandages if you need some.”
“I’m fine for now.”
“We had better get going. If we take the back roads we can be in San Francisco in a week tops.”
She slid into the front seat next to him looking down at her new boots. “Do they fit?”
“Yes, how did you know I was a nine?’’
“Lucky guess.’’ He started the engine and took off from the parking place.
“You remember your instructions, right, for today?” He asked keeping his eyes on the road.
‘Yes, but I’m not exactly excited about being shot.”
“Dan he can’t figure out that it’s a set up Carl isn’t smart enough for that. You did put it on under your shirt, right."
“Yes.”
“Once you’re dead, your home free.”
“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with it.”
“Do you trust me, Dan?”
“I-I- I trust you.”
“Danielle.” He slowed the car and pulled over to the side of the road. ‘’Do you trust me?”
“Trust you with what?”
“Your life.”
“Its not like I really have a choice weather or not I trust you. You’re going to put both of our lives in danger no matter what!”
“And yet, you sit next to me breathing the same air I breathe. I told you I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you.”
“Do you trust me?” He asked again.
“I guess I do.” He drew he pistol from under his coat and pulled back the hammer.
“What about now?” He asked pointing the barrel to her head. “This gun is loaded Dan. You can see the bullets looking at you from the chamber, can’t you? What is the logic that if I pulled the trigger that bullet would go right to your head?”
“V-V-Very logical, Jack have you gone crazy?”
‘’Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Right answer.’’ His finger squeezed around the trigger and pulled back suddenly, but the gun only clicked. Danielle exhaled when he took the gun away. “Don’t you ever do that again. I about wet my pants!” She slugged him across the chest. She didn’t think it was hard but he made a sound.
“I thought you said it was loaded?”
“It is, but only with empty shells.”
“So is that all you do? Be superman and protect people, and make them wet their pants? What are you an FBI agent?”
“Superman, no. FBI agent, yes.” She turned her head swiftly to look at his smiling face.
“Like I told you, I normally used to work for Carl Anthony. But when we all got arrested I was the youngest in the group, I was seventeen. Carl bailed out all of his men including him, but he couldn’t get me out because I was a minor. The FBI began asking me questions and wanting to know information about where Carl gets his crack. They said they would cancel my three-year term if I helped them. Carl didn’t help me he didn’t even make an effort to get me out of there when I turned eighteen. I accepted. They canceled my term and ever since then I’ve been working for the FBI.”
“Why were you working for Carl in the first place?” She asked hoping to be smart.
“Reasons that aren’t relevant, don’t ask again, please.” “Why are you protecting me?”
“I know who’s trying to kill you, and if you’re with me he won’t try anything.”
“Who was that man in the warehouse? You said his name was Tony?” “He claims his name is Tony?”
“Is he my killer?” There was a short silence and a small gleam in his eye.
“He’s one of them.”
‘’One of them!”
“Yes, one of them.”
“You said he claimed to be Tony?”
“Who really do you think he is?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Antonio.’’ She whispered.
“What?”
“Antonio! He’s my killer!”
“Who is this Antonio? You’ve been talking about him and I don’t know who he is.”
“My husband!”
“Husband!”
“My x-husband, but I never technically divorced him. Is he my killer?” “I don’t know who Tony really is. It very well could be.” He took one look into the rear view mirror and stepped on the gas almost giving Dan whiplash.
“What’s the matter, you almost gave me whiplash!”
“We got company. Time for round two.” He pressed his foot to the floor as gunshots began to fire.
She screamed as a bullet shrilled past her ear.
“Oh that was loud!” She said plugging her ear with her fingers. ‘’Oh boy now we’re in trouble.” Jack said starring at the car that cut him off.
“That can’t be good. I hope you have a back up plan.”
“Working on it.” Then the light bulb went on.
“Dan! You see that section up ahead in the road, were there’s trees on both sides.”
“When I say, I want you to open the door and roll out into the trees. Then run for it and make sure they don’t see you.”
“What are you going to do?” Dan asked choking back her nervousness.
“I’m not sure yet. Take the backpack. Ready… now!” Her body hit the hard pavement and took the wind from her lungs. Her arms were scraped and bruised as she continued to roll out of sight. Thunder kissed the air as a loud explosion rumbled through out the atmosphere. Fire burned in the distance, and there was the pile of debris Jack’s car crushed into nothing but a pile of metal.
“Was he in it when it burned.” A voice said in the distance. She ducked behind a tree a peeked over the group of men all in black suits. ‘’What happen?” Asked another one of the men.
“I don’t know. The next thing I knew was his car went off the road.” ‘’Was he in it.”
‘’I’m not sure.”
“Search, search everywhere. Jack’s always got a trick up his sleeve.” She knew that voice it was Carl, and he didn’t sound happy that he had lost him.
The men spread out on both sides of the trees.
“Please don’t see me.” Dan thought to herself as she made herself hidden in a pile of bushes.
“He’s not here Carl.” Said one of the men.
Her breathing grew louder as the men traveled over to her.
“Quite!” She thought to herself trying to breathe little. “Come on Carl lets get out of here before the police come and investigate.”
“He’s not dead I know it.” He snapped back to one of his men. “Get your rear over there and search those trees.”
She tried to gasp but her lungs ached from the tumble.
“What should I do? Run! Run!” She thought. She stood up without a second thought and ran out of the bushes.
“The girl! After her.” She heard the men shout.
She ran swiftly through the wet grass, the men chasing close behind her. She was breathing heavy now, and the black backpack wasn’t helping in weight wise.
“Come on don’t lose her!” Faster and faster she went jumping over trees, and bushes. Scrapping her arms on every single branch that she jumped. No! Trapped! Only the ragging river in front of her and the armed men in back of her. She had only one realistic choice. Splash! The freezing water cut through her like and knife. “Put your head under. They’ll see you! Put your head under!” She thought. The water paralyzed her from thinking straight, she couldn’t move. The water too cold, the backpack too heavy, but the risk of not going under was too big. She gasped for air and plunged under the icy surface.
“Where is she?”
“Disappeared just like Jack.” Replied another one of the men. “She in the river.” Said Carl bringing up the rear.
“And she’s going to meet Jack on the other side. We’ll be waiting for them. Let’s bail, the cops!”
---
A minute later she poked her head up a gasped for air that her lungs longed for. Struggling against the current she made it to shore and collapsed in the cold bushes. She shivered so hard her head hurt. Dan pulled the backpack off her aching shoulders and put it under her head.
“J-Jack?” She called.
“J-J-Jack!” She called again through pain in the muscles. Then her eyes closed and she went out cold.

Chapter eight
50763

‘’Jack.” She whispered.
“Shh, just go back to sleep, Danielle.”
‘’But Jack.’’
“Sleep Danielle.” A hand rested on her head and she fell back asleep. Several hours later she awoke again, this time she stayed awake. “Hello.” Said a male voice as she sat up in a soft feather bed.
“Where am I?”
“My father’s cabin.” Said the voice. That voice she knew that voice. “Who are you?”
“Oh, where are my manner’s my name is Anthony, Carl Anthony.” She gasped as the shades went up and the lights switched on.
“And I believe that you know where my money is at.” Carl pulled a gun from under his coat as his men pulled in Jack by his clothes. “We got him boss.” Said the men struggling to keep there hold on him.
“Why Jack how nice of you to join us.” Answered Carl. “What do you want Carl?” Jack asked. Carl took him by his neck and lifted him off of his feet.
“You know exactly what I want. Don’t play dumb with me!” Carl through Jack on the floor then kicked him in the ribs.
“Don’t ask me for that. Don’t ask me for the impossible.” “I’m going to count to three then your going to tell me wear my money is, and if you don’t I’ll shoot her.” He pointed the pistol at Dan who was being held by one of his men.
“Put me down!” She exclaimed. He slammed her down on her knees right in front of Carl’s barrel.
‘’One, two…”
“You honestly think that if you shoot her it’s going to have an effect on me?’’ Jack asked. His hands began to bleed as he cut the rope around his wrists with a small piece of glass from the car wreck.
“You want me to shoot her?”
“Kill her, she means nothing to me.”
“Oh really?” He pulled the trigger three times and three bullets went into her side. She screamed then hit the floor holding her side. Jack jumped to his feet, but Carl’s fist caught him right in the jaw.
“Your turn Jack. One- two-.” He began pressing the barrel to his neck.
“If you shoot me you’ll never find out were your money is.” “And if you don’t tell me worse things then death can happen to you. Tell me Jack!” He took him by the shirt collar a pulled out a knife from his sheath placing the blade to his throat.
Jack glanced over at Danielle lying motionless on the floor. “Why should I tell you, either way I die?” Carl stepped back slipping the knife back into his sheath.
“All right Jack you give me no other choice. Beat him.”
“Safety deposit box number 50763.” Jack blurted.
“What if he’s lying.” Said one of the men holding a pistol to Jack’s head.
“I have the key. It’s on the chain around my neck.” Carl yanked the chain off his neck and took the key, inscribed on the key read 50763. ‘’I was wrong about you Jack, you are a coward. Afraid to die.”
“Well I only learn from the best Carl.” Carl grew angry, raised his pistol, and fired every single last shot at Jack’s stomach, and ribs. “Burn the cabin down.” They drenched the cabin floor and furniture with gasoline. Then it wet up in flames.
“Danielle get up!” Jack picked her up and through her over his shoulders then grabbed the backpack as he headed for the window. His hand covered her nose and mouth after she let out a horrid cough. Glass shattered everywhere as the two bodies jumped feet first out of the fiery window right into the rushing river.
“Dan?” He whispered. “Danielle? Open your eyes.” He said lying her on her back on the cold grass.
“Dan?” He asked again.
“Come on Dan stay with me.” He said putting his fingers to her pulse. He checked her pulse again but it still came out the same. “Dan, wake up.” He hit her checks softly. Then he saw the leaking blood all over her wet white shirt. Slipping her shirt over her shoulders he saw that one bullet missed the bulletproof vest and cut her side. She groaned when he pressed her shirt to it trying to stop the blood.
‘’That hurts!” She tried to say but it came out slurred. “Oh thank goodness your awake. I thought they killed you.” Her arms wrapped around his neck as tears of pain streaked down her face. Her skin was soft but frozen and his arms were strong but cold. She ran her fingers through his wet thick hair, as he whispered the next instructions in her ear.





Chapter nine
50762
“Why did I know you were going to blow something up again?” Danielle asked shivering in a sleeping bag that night.
“I didn’t blow it up they did.” He answered back throwing a piece of wood on the fire.
“Doesn’t really matter anymore through. Where dead, now. They won’t be coming after us until they find out that I gave them the wrong safety deposit box number.”
“You gave them the wrong one?” She asked pushing her hair back behind her ears.
“Yes. Carl’s money is in safety deposit box number 50762. 50763 and 50762 are both mine.”
“How much money are we talking about?”
“About fifty million dollars.”
“Fifty million!”
“Yes, all in drug money.”
“What do we plan to do?”
“We have four days to get to Los Angeles before they do. We get there and you’ll go in and get the money out of the safety deposit box. I’ll guard your back out side with my gun. You’ll get the money and bring it out to me. Carl shows up, we call the police, they bust Carl and we have the evidence to prove it.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“The easy part is when we have the money the hard part is getting the money. If Carl walks in the room when you’re in there you’re going to have to shoot him and run.”
“What! No! How come you can’t shoot him.”
“They’ll see where the bullet came from and find me.”
“Well they all ready have a head start.”
“No they don’t.’’ He smiled throwing another piece of wood on the fire. “What did you do.”
“While you decided to go swimming in the river I twisted the wires together under the stirring wheel in the cars.” He smiled cunningly and giggled wickedly.
“I thought it was interesting that we did plan B first then did plan A.” She said changing the subject.
“You went into shock when you got out of the water, you should have stayed in the water. I saw you lying they’re in the bushes then I heard them coming, several of them chased me for hours and the others brought you into the fishers cabin.”
“Is because you stole Carl’s money the only reason he want’s to kill you?”
“That and I joined the FBI. He feels double-crossed. At one point he looked at me as if I was his son. Since my father died when I was twelve and my mother died two years later. What was a fourteen-year-old boy supposed to do? I lived on the streets of Italy until I was fifteen that’s when I met Carl and went to the United States richer then a king on drug money.”
“You said Carl though of you as a son? If so why did he not even make an attempt to get you out of jail when you turned eighteen.” “I was supposed to be executed for all of the murdering I did. Carl didn’t come back to see if I had severed my sentence, just assumed.” She shivered a bit a wrapped the blanket tighter around her bare shoulders.
“Cold?” He asked almost in a whisper.
She sheepishly nodded. Jack stepped out of his blanket and walked toward her. Dan’s face began to blush when her blanket fell from her shoulders and all that was covering her was a dinky undershirt. She caught he breath when his arms reached around her with a warm blanket.
“Your face is red.” He whispered holding the blanket in front of her. Then he noticed that he wasn’t wearing a shirt and he knew why her face was red.
“I’m cold, remember?”
“Nice cover up.” He chuckled a bit and sat beside her. “Jack?”
“Yes?” Slipping his arms around her shoulder trying to keep her warm. “When you crashed your truck off of the dock in Washington you breathed into my mouth, why?”
“I said I wasn’t going to let you die down there, and I meant it.” He whispered gently in her ear.
“What if you died down there.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered.”
“Wouldn’t have mattered?”
“If I would’ve died down there, I’m glad that last thing I would’ve saw was you.” He looked right into her blue eyes, and watched her face turn beat rad. Scanning over her like a snake.
“Don’t look at me like that.” She whispered.
“And don’t say things you don’t mean.” She continued also in a whisper.
“If I didn’t mean it I would’ve said it.” Her wet hair fell in front of her face as she bowed her head from looking at him. With the knuckle of his finger he raised her chin and pushed back her hair out of her eyes.
“Do you trust me Danielle?” He asked.
“I trust you, Jack.” She answered without hesitation. Her face still was beat red as the butterflies in her stomach had a field day. She pushed away his hand off of her chin and pulled her blankets over her shoulders.
“I think your clothes are dry.” He stood trying to move on without embarrassment, but it didn’t work.
“You probably don’t want to wear this T-shirt.” He asked chuckling. “Not exactly, considering its soaked in blood.”
He tossed it in the fire then checked the army fatigues and other wet clothes hung over the fire.
“Do we need to change the bandage? It’s been about four hours.” He drew another bandage out of the damp box and walked over to her as she lifted up her undershirt. He gently pulled the bloody bandage off of the cut, and she let out a deep groan when he wiped the excess blood from her side. His hands glided gently over her being careful not to hurt her.
“Better?” He asked leaning over her. His chain that he put back together dangled with his wedding band at the end of it.
“Yes, thank you.” Dan tangled her fingers around the chain and outlined the wedding band with her thumb.
‘’She must’ve been beautiful?’’ She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean too.” He sat up next to her and wiggled into the extra blanket.
“Get some sleep Dan. We have along day ahead of us tomorrow.” He acted as if he didn’t hear her, but she knew he did.
---
The next morning Jack awoke with a startle. The fire had desisted into nothing but one way smoke. The sun had not yet risen so the morning was very cold. He looked at his black banded watch that read a quarter after four. He stretched and rolled over that’s when he noticed Danielle snuggled against him trying to stay warm. With only the thin materiel of the blanket separating him from her. It looked as if Dan had been there the whole night and it took all of his control not to touch her and take her into his arms at that moment. He stood up against his will and covered her up with his blanket.
“If I do what I want to do she’ll wake up.’’ He thought wrestling with his need and his plan.
“No I won’t.” He said stepping back from almost giving in. “It would spoil my whole plan if I did. Not yet.”
“I will not take advantage of her.” He glanced back at her still nestled as if he had never left.
“I cannot. She’s to good for me anyway.” He turned his back from her a slipped into a smoky dry T-shirt.
Then glanced back at her, still she hadn’t moved. He tiptoed gently in the grass over to her; knelt on his knees and leaned over her about to do something he would regret. Suddenly she began to stir, only one thought crossed Jack’s mind.

“She waking up!” It thought. He rolled headfirst through the bushes and dirt to get away from her. Splash! That was when she woke up. “What was that!” She asked Jack who came out of the water shivering.
“Went for a-a-a sw-swim.”
“Did you fall in?” She asked grabbing the army pants and slipping them on under the blankets.
“Y-yes. T-tripped over those rocks.”
“Here.” Dan brought him the blankets and wrapped them around his shoulders after she was dressed.
“Thank you.”
“How are we going to get to Los Angeles without a car?” “I got another trick up my sleeve.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” She chuckled a bit and brought him a pair of dry jeans and a T-shirt. Then put herself into a T-shirt.
‘’I have a friend that lives about three miles from here. I’ll ask him if he’ll help us.”
“And if not you’ll probably steel his car anyway.”
“Steel? That’s a naughty word I never steel. I just short of take without asking.” Dan turned and gave him the look.
“Okay fine.” He admitted stripping out of his wet T-shirt and grabbing the dry one.
“How do you figure he’ll help us.” She asked turning her back from him so her face won’t blush.
“Well I’ve known the guy for awhile. I’m hoping that he’ll return a favor for a favor.”
“He owes you one?” She asked sitting on a bolder towards the river. Dan made a face when she saw her reflection. Her hair was greasy enough the wax a car. Dirt streaks, scrapes, and a deep open cut above her left eyebrow.
“You look gorgeous.” She glanced behind her and looked at his sly smile.
“You don’t look that bad yourself. Come take a look.” “I think the river just broke.” He laughed looking himself.
“I guess I could use a shave.” He joked stroking his bristly face. “You guess?” Dan questioned standing.
“Do we need to change your bandage?” Dan lifted up her T-shirt. “I think the bleeding stopped.”
“We probably should change it one more time.” The red light went on in his head. Selfish fool you just want to touch her again and use changing her bandage as an excuse. She’ll see right through it. She’s not stupid, no this girl is different. She watches everything she notices everything. Like the way she blushes at you shirtless. Or how she melts when she looks into your eyes. You can’t use her like this to get what you want she’s too good to be used and to be tricked.
“Here.” Dan took the bandage from his hand.
“Can you manage?” He asked kicking dirt over the smoke

“Yes, thanks.” Then the right light went on in her head. I wonder if he was just using that as an excuse. Even thought I would rather have him put it on me. Theirs something about him that so familiar. The way he looks at me, the way he touches me. It’s like I’ve known him all of my life.
“Dan?”
“What!” He startled her.
“Let’s move out.”
---
“My dogs are killing me.” Complained Jack as they hiked along side of the empty road.
“Jack, sorry I can’t move another step.”
“I’ll carry you. Climb on my back.”
“Don’t drop me!” She said climbing one. It wasn’t exactly what she had in mind she’d rather been carried in his arms.
‘’Do you trust me?”
“You know I do.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and wove her fingers together.
“I thought so.” He grinned then began walking.
“Why do you keep asking me?”
“If I would’ve asked you two days ago you would’ve vacillated. I need to positively sure that you trust me, before anything else.”
“Why?”
“Reason’s that are unessential to you.” It almost sounded as if he was angry with her. But then his voice sounded soft and meek.
“One thing that I don’t ever want to lose from you would be your trust. I worked to get it and I’m not going to let it slip.” Jack had stopped walking and she slit down off of him in front of the white fence.
---
“Jonathan? You home?” Jack asked pounding on the screen door of the old farmhouse.
“Jonathan?” He pounded on the door three more times.
“Jack?” Asked a male voice inside.
“Jack is it you? Marry Jack is here!”
“Good to see you Jonathan.”
“Do come in. My wife, Marry and I were just having some breakfast. Perhaps you two who like to stay for delicious ham and scrambled eggs?’’
“Oh were are my manners. Jonathan this is Danielle Travis. Danielle this is Jonathan Warner.”
“Nice to meet you, Danielle. And this is my wife, Marry.” Answered Jonathan as his wife came from the other room.
“Nice to meet you.” Danielle replied. That was when she noticed what Jonathan was wearing. A pair of dirty denim blue jeans, a white T-shirt with a checkered unbuttoned flannel shirt. Not to mention dirty work boots. “Well you two be staying for breakfast? Ham and eggs.” Asked Marry wrapping her arm around her husband’s shoulder.
The sound of ham and eggs made Dan’s mouth water until she was drooling. It also reminded her of the headache she had from not eating in two days. The smell of ham and eggs sounded like heaven.
“No we can’t we have to keep moving.”
That put a dagger in her heart then and there.
“Listen I need a favor.”
“How about a shave.”
“This is no joking matter as much as you would want it to be. I need your car.”
Jonathan shook his head.
“No way out of the question you’re not taking my Cadillac because once I give to you I’ll never see it again.
Jonathan was no fool. He knew what kind of a person Jack was and he wasn’t going to take a chance.
“Then what about the old Ford pick up. I need to get to Los Angeles in less then four days. Please Jonathan, you owe me anyway.’’
“I can’t argue with that. I do owe you. I’ll give you the truck, but every man knows you can’t may it to Los Angeles in the less then four days. I’m helping you not because I want to but because you married my daughter and I feel that since you’re my son in law I should help you.” Dan’s eyes widened. Jack turned his head slowly over to her and smiled sheepishly.
“And since your not going to stay for breakfast at least take some snacks for the road.” Danielle took the bag of fruit and snacks from her, and she couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into a juicy apple.
“Thank you, Marry.” Replied Jack taking the keys from Jonathan. “Oh one more thing Jack. I keep trying to mail this to you but I can’t ever get your address.” She dug through the old fashion oak desk and pulled out a portrait.
“Here it is your favorite picture of Deanna.”
“I can’t take this.”
She looked at him with kind and gentle eyes then pressed the picture to his chest.
“She would want you to have it.”
“I miss her.” Replied Jonathan.
“Yeah I miss her too.’’ He looked at the picture that he had ignored for years. Danielle looked from the side at the young woman in the picture. Short brown hair to her shoulders, high cheekbones, straight white teeth, and beautiful green eyes. Danielle almost thought she was seeing things; she chafed her eyes and glanced again. A spear went through Jacks compassion as he dedicated to memory what went wrong that day.
---
Night had fallen over the neglected roads. No boulevard lights on the side only headlights of the truck and lights of the few cars that past. Jack sat wordlessly gazing at the road in front of him. He hadn’t said a word since they were at the Warner’s. Danielle glanced over at the picture, which laid face down on the dashboard. Deanna, no suspicion of any doubt, had hurt him. But by what? It seemed like she was dead, psychologically to Jack but not physically. He told her not to ask of Deanna, and she wasn’t going to pry, but like every person she had this utilization that was eating her.
“You want something to eat.” She asked bringing up the bag of half-eaten snacks.
“No thanks.” Was all he said.
She let the bag of snacks fall to the ground where it was.
“Jack?” She asked it a low soft voice, almost in a whisper. “What.”
“Do you think we can actually pull this off?” She hadn’t noticed that he had pulled over to the side of the road and turned the lights off.
“Perhaps?” He said yawning then journeying into the back seat. “That doesn’t sound to good.”
“I don’t know. There’s only one way to find out.”
“I’m not sure if I can’t do it.” She spread her legs out across the front seat a put the backpack under her head.
“Sure you can, and I’ll be right there beside you. I promise. Nothing is going to happen to you I won’t let it.”
“I know, I know trust you. Which I do, but you can’t blame me for being nervous.”
“I don’t blame you for being nervous!” He popped his head up swiftly from the seat, about giving her a cardiac arrest.
“Don’t do that! I almost leaped out of my skin!” She proclaimed. “Sorry.” He let out his laughter.
“Stop laughing that wasn’t funny!” She turned her back from him. “You should’ve seen the look on your face!” He continued laughing.
Then he impersonated and she started laughing frenziedly until her stomach hurt.
“I didn’t look like that I hope!’’ She cried out in between giggles of roaring laughter.
“Yes, you did.” He giggled more, and then all that was left on his face was a plastered beam.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You mean everything to me.” He whispered.
She rotated over and stared up at his dark numeral.
“I thought you said I meant nothing to you?” She whispered back almost too breathless to speak.
“I’ll let you decided from what you know.’’
She rolled over again giving him her back.
“Don’t say thing you don’t mean.” He stood and leaned over her back. She felt her heart omit a beat when she felt him slide in the front seat next to her.
“If I didn’t mean it I won’t have said it.” He whispered in her ear. Jack turned her so Dan face him. He apprehended her arms in front of her like he was holding her down so she couldn’t break away.
“You speak like any other man, why should it mean something?” “Does every man tell you you’re beautiful?”
“Does every woman ask you if you’re a lair, if you’re telling the truth? Don’t say things you don’t signify, or you’ll end up like the rest of them. A player!”
“What are your reasons for doubting me?’’ He held her closely almost to the boarder of pain.
“What are your reasons for saying things you don’t mean?” “How do you know I don’t mean it? You have no reasons for doubting me. You know I won’t hurt you, or let anything harm you. And it can’t be the fact that I’m a man, who’s in love with woman!” She drew in a sharp breath that almost hurt her lungs.
“What did you say?” She whispered.
“It doesn’t matter what I said, you wouldn’t think I meant it.” He unconfined her arms and sat up into the driver’s seat.
“I thought you said you trusted me?” He asked his back turned. “I do trust you.’’
“But you don’t trust what I say?”
“Depends on what you say.”
“If I said I love you, would you believe me?”
“No.” She whispered.
“Why not?”
“Because that’s the same thing Antonio said.” She whispered in a painful voice.
“Your not the only one whose been hurt by there lover. Until today I haven’t looked a picture of Deanna in four years. They say your soul is supposed to heal over time when you’re burned, but how come it’s been four years and still feel the same way? As if it were on the day I woke up and she was gone.” He hit the truck door in frustration hard enough to rub his hand afterwards.
Dan couldn’t think of anything to say, so sat up behind him and rested her hand on his shoulder. He twisted into her and looked at the incandescent face that the moon hit. Without thinking he wrapped his arms around her back a pulled her into him fully. She rested her head on his chest hearing his heavy breath in a deep hug. He wanted her! More then anything else and the inducement of not doing anything shook him to his toes.
“I want you.” He whispered in her ear. “Right now.”
Dan exhaled her forever breath; he had said it in a voice that made her cry so soft so gentle, so wanting. Almost like he could live without her, or she couldn’t live without him.
“Please.” She buried her face in his T-shirt. “Don’t say that.” Tears streamed down her face and soaked into his shirt, but he did care. He wanted her there, wanted to kiss her, but wouldn’t for she was not fully his.
“I love you.” He said again but that only made her cry harder.
“Don’t say that, please oh please, don’t say that.”
“But I do.” She looked up to him even though it was dark he could see the redness in her cheeks.
“Love is such a physically powerful word. So you can’t love me.” He drew her down on to the full seat and leaned over her.
“Please don’t!” She sounded panicky as if he was going to sensually hurt her heart.
“Shh, I’m not going to hurt you, I’m not even going to kiss you. But I have to know weather or not you love me?”
It was like he was taking a knife and stabbing her through the heart because of what he asked of her.
“Don’t ask me that.” She begged. “Please don’t ask me that.”
“I have to know. Tell me you love me.”
Tears streamed down her face from his begging voice. She hesitated not really wanting to answer him.
“Then you don’t?” He asked in a whisper.
She sheepishly shook her head, and turned her eyes from his. It would’ve hard less if she wouldn’t shot him in the foot. His body would heal, but his heart would have one more scar to deal with.
“I don’t love you.’’ She whispered. It seemed like the hardest thing she ever admitted or what she thought she admitted. He had touched her sensually, looked into her eyes, and she knew the deep desire in him to kiss her mouth, caress her in his arms and never let go.
“I’ve known you for a week, Jack so can you really blame me?” Her continued tears streaked down her face and soaked into Jack shoulder, which she laid her head, as he held her in an embrace. Danielle died inside, after she realized what she had done. She had lied! She was afraid of love a four lettered word. In thinking only of herself, only of her fear she puts Jack through heartache and tells him a lie.
“I sorry Jack. I’m so very sorry.” He raised his head from her. Taking his fingers he wiped the tear streaks from her cheek. He didn’t kiss her, but passion called to the very fullest to take her in his arms even if she proclaimed not to love him. His head bowed on her chest. Even if he wasn’t physically crying she knew of the pain that tore inside of him. She had been through heartache and so had he, but why didn’t he understand. Dan breathed in a sharp breath and ran her fingers through his thick greasy hair.
“Oh, Jack please understand.” She begged almost bursting into tears again. “You can say your sorry all you want, but you’ll never be as sorry as I am!”
---
Danielle awoke first that morning. She stroked the leather seats expecting them to put there arms around her and hold her. She giggled a bit when she realized she wasn’t stroking Jack’s chest. Jack had rolled off the front seat that night and landed uncomfortably on the floor. And she wasn’t even going to ask how he managed since she was originally sleeping across his chest. He stirred then groaned and rolled over.
“You awake. Danielle?”
“Yes.” He stirred the groaned some more.
‘’What time is it?” She asked.
“Five thirty.” He said in a groan. She moved her legs back as he crawled up into he driver’s seat. He groaned when he sat down.
“Jack? What’s the matter.”
Jack looked over at her through the greasy hairstreaks in front of him. “I rolled out from under you last night. Don’t ask me how. I slept the whole night with that parking break shoved up my rear.”
Danielle tried not to laugh, but she couldn’t help it. She started laughing so hard tears streamed down her face.
“What you think that’s funny? How would you like to take the floor tonight and sleep soundly with the barking break just having the time of its life every time you move?” But that only made her laugh harder.
“Never mind. It’s a lost cause.”
“I’m sorry Jack.” She replied in between giggles.
“Yeah, I bet you are. Lets get going.” He stuck the key in the ignition and turned.
“Oh boy, that’s not good.”
“What.”
“The truck won’t start!” He proclaimed.
“I got a good idea why too.” He stepped out of the car a lifted the hood up. “I thought so.”
“What’s wrong Jack?”
“I over headed it last night. We hitchhike from here.’’
“Great.’’ She said grabbing the black backpack and shoving the food into it.
‘’Danielle come here I got an idea, hurry!”
‘’You see that semi truck coming your way? Here’s what your going to do.”
---
“Excuse me sir.” Danielle asked the driver.
‘’I was on my way the Los Angeles and my truck over heated. I was wondering if you could give me a lift.”
“Well.” He spoke with a heavy Texan accent, which explained the black cowboy hat.
“I’m not headed to Los Angeles, Lady. But I can take you to the nearest gas station. Otherwise it’s a thirty-mile walk. Jump in.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jack climbing on to the back of the semi truck holding his black pistol in his belt.
“Well they ain’t no state like Texas, no there ain’t no state like Texas.” He driver began singing in a terrible off key voice and his voice sounded full of heavy whisky.
“I hope you like cowboy music cause I can’t get enough of it.”
Danielle just smiled at him then looked out her side view mirror. The driver pressed his cowboy boot to the petal speeding up to seventy. Jack’s body hit against the metal door before he lost his balance. He groaned, then groaned again when they hit a bump.
‘’You like beer?” Asked the driver opening a can and with an out stretched arm and spilling it all over her.
“Watch the road!” She grabbed the wheel as the truck began to swerve. “Now you let go if this truck wheel!” The driver said back to her. “Watch out for that car!”
‘’Road hog!” The driver shouted out the window taking the wheel back. “I can’t imagine how Jack’s doing.” She thought to herself.
“I think I’m going throw up!” He said aloud holding on by one hand. ‘’Danielle must be driving.” He said making his way to the top of the truck.
“You sure you don’t want a beer?’’ He asked again.
“Yes I’m sure. Watch the road.” She said grabbing the wheel again. “Lady there’s only one driver to this truck and that me!” The driver snapped, and pressed the speed up to seventy-five over three bumps.
“That’s it, this drivers going down.” Jack said drawing the pistol from his belt.
“There ain’t no state like Texas.’’ He continued singing; out of the whole song that was the only line he knew.
“What the devil is that.” Cried the driver looking at Jack’s smashed face on the windshield.
“Get off the windshield!” The cowboy yelled turning on the wipers. “Ouch! Finger! Ouch! Other fingers!” He cried as the wipers went in there normal fashion. Jack spit out wiper fluid as it was sprayed of the windshield at him. “That’s it!’’ Without a second thought Jack punched his fist through the window and grabbed onto the driver’s shirt.
“Take the wheel woman.” Danielle went to grab the wheel but Jack’s foot came through the front windshield and knocked her right in the jaw out cold.
“Opus.’’ Said Jack wrestling with the driver, as the truck swerved off the road into the dust.
The driver pulled out it knife from his belt and tried to do damage but more damage was done to him once Jack opened the door and through him out headfirst.
“Stupid cowboy.” He wiped his mouth on his sleeve then noticed his bleeding fist.
“That wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be.”
---
“What happen.’’ Danielle said holding her jaw, now that it was night. “Sorry Dan. I didn’t mean to kick you.”
“Kick me?”
“Yes, I kicked through the windshield and hit you right in the jaw. I’m sorry.”
‘’It’s all right. How long was I out cold?”
“Let’s just say several hours. It’s always in that one spot right below your right jaw.”
“I know it’s been like that ever since I was fourteen.” She sat up on the back bed where Jack had laid her.
“What?”
“It’s kind of a long story.”
“That’s all right I’m interested.”
“When I was fourteen….” Then it went into a flashback.
[Flashback]
“I thought I’d find you up here.” Answered Antonio.
“You weren’t in school to day I was worried.”
“Go away.’’ Said Danielle her back still turned from Antonio.
“Danielle, what’s the matter?”
“Go away!” She shrugged his hand off her shoulder.
‘’Danielle, please tell me what’s wrong.” She turned around and showed her tear dropped face. She struggled to keep her composer against her crying. “Why are you crying Dan.” He brushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed her cheeks softy and tenderly.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
‘’My father found out about this. And he’s making me change schools. He doesn’t want me to be with you. He doesn’t want me talking to you.” “Why?” He asked.
“Because he’s afraid you’ll hurt me emotionally.”
“I won’t ever hurt you, Danielle. I love you.’’ He said then he placed his lips over her and kissed her softly.
“You love me?” Dan asked almost shocked by his words.
“So much.’’ He whispered then kissed her again.
She seemed shocked, almost as if he electrocuted her with a thousand volts. “You hardly know me.” She whispered. She broke out of his embrace and stepped backwards.
“Dan, watch out!” Yelled Antonio, but it was too late. Her feet came out from under her when she stepped on the loose wet rock. She fell face first off the side of the cliff and landed in the water.
‘’Danielle!” He shouted after her. With a small running start he ran off the side and dove in after her. The water was extra cold since it was in the middle of April.
“Dan?’’ He looked through the water the dove under again. Nothing only dark cold waters.
‘’Dan?’’ He yelled again. “Danielle!” A streak of red gleamed across his eye. Her sweatshirt! He put her limp body over his shoulders and struggled to shore.
“Danielle?” He asked plying his fingers to her pulse.
“Come on Dan! Stay with me! Breathe!” He said giving her CPR. “Don’t give up on me Dan stay with me!” He said giving her three more breaths. She stirred opening her eyes. He rolled her over on her side as she through up the salt water she had swallowed.
“Danielle. I thought I killed you. Please, please don’t cry.” He kissed her frozen cheeks, as the tears ran down them. She wove her fingers into his wet hair and held him as his lips went over hers. He picked her up in his arms and carried her home to meet the wrath of her father.
---
“You were in love with him when you were fourteen. Weren’t you?” Jack asked almost sounding angry.
“What makes that your business. You almost sound like your jealous.” She pulled her legs up on the bed.
“So let me get this right. You went into shock and you hit your head on a rock and every time you get into freezing cold water or hit in the side of the neck you go out cold?”
“Right.”
“Did he make you cry!” Jack asked suddenly.
“Some times. He never knew about it though.” She sighed being a little annoyed.
“Why did you marry him?” He asked.
“Why else to do marry someone? Why are you asking me this? I don’t think it’s fair that you ask me anything about Antonio and I can’t even breathe the word Deanna.”
He cleared his throat and sloughed in his seat.
‘’What do you want to know.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is she dead?”
“She might be. I don’t think so.”
“What happened between you two?”
“I married her when I began working for Carl.”
“You were fifteen?”
“That’s when I met her. I married her when I was sixteen. We were married for two years we had two children. Then when I was arrested. I was in jail for one weak, and she sent me the divorce papers. She wiped out everything from my life my children everything.”
“Haven’t you ever tried to track her down?” She asked.
“Yes, but its not like she would even let me come near her.”
“Why did she leave you in the first place?”
“She was afraid, afraid for her children and afraid for me.” He admitted almost sounding as if a sword went through his abdomen.
“You’d give anything for another chance won’t you?’’ She asked in a whisper.
“I’d do the impossible.’’ He looked from the ground to her face and traced over her with his eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that.” She said stretching across the bottom bunk in the back of the semi truck.
“She didn’t catch on.’’ He thought.
‘’Sorry I forgot.” Jack answered cunningly.
She rolled over on her shoulder and turned her back from him as he striped out of his T-shirt.
“Good night Dan.” Jack replied climbing onto the top bunk. “Night Jack.”
“I love you.’’ He said.
“Whatever Jack.’’ She said rolling her eyes.
---
Danielle didn’t sleep well that night she tossed and turned and rolled over and over. Jack probably thought she was dreaming of him. Jack opened his eye against his will as Dan tossed and turned some more.
“What are you doing, Dan?” He asked poking his head down to her. “Trying to get comfortable.”
“I thought you were sleeping with an elephant. Because it sure feels like it.” “I can’t sleep.” She proclaimed throwing her head back on the pillow. “Really I ever would’ve guessed.” He joked.
“Come here.” He said. To his surprise he she willingly through back her blankets then froze.
“You won’t do anything?” She asked looking up at him.
“I promise. Besides I’m only worried about pushed off because of your wiggling.” She laughed and jumped onto the top bunk next to him. He smiled when she wrapped her arms around his chest.
“And you say you don’t love me.” He joked then was pinched. She stroked his chest and laid her head on his shoulder.
“I want you.’’ He whispered in her ear.
“Please don’t say that. Don’t say things you don’t mean!” She whispered back. “I told you Dan, if I didn’t mean it I would’ve said it.”
‘’Promise me something, Jack.” She lifted herself on one elbow then had to bow her head from his eyes.
“Promise, promise me, you won’t say that ever again, not that or you love me.”
‘’Why?”
“Reason that are unessential to you. Promise!” Dan replied being smart.
“I can’t make that promise, Danielle, because if I did I’d end up like you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She punched her fists into his chest. “I’d end up lying to myself.” He paused seeing her temper rise in the look in her eyes.
“I’ll only make that promise on one condition.”
“Name it.”
“Tell me you love me.”
“Not that anything but that, Jack.”
‘’Take it or leave it.”
She sat up and let her legs hang over the side of the bed with her back turned from him.
“Then you do love me?” He whispered in her ear, making the redness in her cheeks more noticed. His hands stroked her soft cheeks then stroked her arms.
“Tell me you love me.” He repeated himself becoming impatient with her. “How can you even ask me to tell you that? I’ve known you for eight days!” She jumped off the top bunk and crawled into the wadded up blankets on the bottom bunk.
“We’ll be in Los Angeles tomorrow, so get some rest.” Was the last thing he said to her that night. She figured she had made him angry and was going to ignore her from now on. Dan really didn’t blame him if he did so, but how could he claim to be in love with her after knowing her for eight days? That’s the craziest thing she ever heard. She didn’t love him! That was what she kept telling herself. That was the bottom line. She didn’t want to be hurt. Not again, not because she was blinded by love and couldn’t see it coming. She promised herself that she wasn’t ever going to be that foolish again. She wasn’t ever going to fall in love with superman that she had known for eight days. And that was something she planned on keeping until the day love proved her wrong.
---
“Danielle. Wake up.’’ Jack said shaking her lightly.
“Hm? What.”
“Wake up were here.”
“Where?”
“Los Angeles.’’
“What time is it?” She tripped over her boots as she made her way to the front she.
“Eleven thirty in the morning.”
“You didn’t go to bed last night, did you.’’
He shook his head then admitted the truth.
“No, I couldn’t stop thinking of you.’’ He smiled at her in the rear view mirror but kept his eyes on the road.
‘’By tonight we should be in San Francisco.” He changed the subject.
“Is it all right if I change into this jeans and T-shirt?” She asked. “Sure, just pull the certain over.”
“No looking in that mirror.” She shook her finger at him as if he were a two-year-old.
“I won’t.”
She pulled the certain over and made sure it wasn’t see through.
“What are you doing back there? Sounds like your wrestling a cheetah.” He said looking in the rear view mirror.
“It’s not exactly easy to change in two feet of space and not fall forward.” Jack slammed on the breaks with both feet before he rear-ended the red car in front of him. That was when Danielle screamed and fell forward only she took the certain down with her.
“You look in that mirror buster and I’ll…’’
‘’I’m not looking! I’m not looking!” He covered his eyes with his hand. She stood and wiggled into her half down jeans and put her T-shirt on. “That was a little embarrassing.” Jack said as she joined him in the front seat tying her boots.
“You weren’t exactly the one in there bra and panties in the back of the truck, buster.”
“I didn’t see anything.”
“Yeah right.”
“Fine all I saw was a black bra.” He admitted. She opened her mouth in astonish as he began to laugh like an immature teenager. Dan slugged him in the shoulder, but he only laughed harder.
“At least I don’t wear Dr. Love boxers.” She snapped back. Then he stopped laughing, with screeching halt. In a genuine manner he cleared his throat and pressed his foot to the gas petal. Now it was her turn to laugh like a giggly teenager.
“There it is Los Angeles county bank. You remember the plan?’’ “Yes, I think so.”
“Put this ear piece in your left ear. Take down your hair so it covers it. Put this ring on your right middle finger, there’s a tiny microphone inside of it. Anytime you talk, talk into the ring put don’t make it obvious. Be careful it’s really sensitive.” She slipped the ring over her finger but it was still too big.
“Few more things.” He drew a small, six shot revolver from the bag. She shook her head when she saw it.
“No.’’ She said.
“You know how to use a gun?”
‘’I know how to but I don’t want to.”
“At least take it just in case.’’ Dan reluctantly took it from his hand. “Wear it underneath this black leather jacket.” He helped her slip her arms into the jacket and she stuck the gun in her inside jacket pocket. “Two more things. Wear these sunglasses so they can’t see your eye color. If anyone asks you why you’re wearing them inside just say you have allergies. And here’s a fake I.D, you’re my sister, Joanna Nicholas. Ready I got your back. Make sure no one sees you empty the money into the sack.”
“I’m not sure if ready is the correct word. All right here I go.’’ She stepped out the truck and walked across with the black backpack slung across her shoulders.
“Test, test, can you hear me.” She asked.
“Loud and clear baby doll.” She could tell he was smiling a cunning smirk. A light bulb went on and she snipped the ring with her fingers. She didn’t know if Jack yelled “Ouch” because he tripped or because of all the back up he got in his ear.
‘’That was for looking in the rear view mirror.” She said into it then giggled at her cleverness.
“May I help you?” Asked the women behind the desk. She was an older woman, Dan could tell but the wrinkles by her eyes and the gray hairs over her ears going every which way from her natural brown color. Her name, Catheryn Hunter the desk name tag read. She was wearing a green; black lined dress and a white ruffled collar.
“Yes.” Dan folded her hands together on the counter having the right one on top. “I would like to get into safety deposit box number, 50763.”
“50763?” The lady put on her glasses and typed into the computer. “Yes.’’
“That box belongs to Jackson Nicholas. I afraid I can’t let you to it unless your family.”
“I’m Jack’s sister. Joanna Nicholas.’’ She pulled out her fake I.D from her jacket pocket.
The lady seemed to be skeptical when she looked at ID.
“Take your sunglasses off.” The lady asked.
“I would but I have horrible allgeries.”
“Red alert! Black car pulling up out front.” Jack said.
“Now which way are the boxes?” She asked.
Catheryn exhaled and looked and Dan over the rim of her glasses. “Right back through there.” She said sounding a little reluctant. “Thank you.”
“Hurry up Dan. The clerk is on to you.’’ Said Jack through the microphone. Her palms became wet and sweet dripped down her forehead as she fumbled with the key she had grabbed from the warehouse desk. “We got company, Dan! Get out of there!”
“What? Jack? Come in Jack. Dang!” She ripped the dead earpiece from her ear and opened the door to the box. She had never seen so much money in her life, fifty million dollars all in new crisp Ben Franklin’s.
“Dan? Get out of there!” Jack shouted. “Its dead!” He through across the truck and grabbed his pistol.
“All right boys you know what to do.’’ That voice she knew whom it belonged to. She slammed the box closed twisted the key and ripped it out breaking every fingernail on that hand.
Trying to look casually she walked right past two of Carl’s men who had been coming her way. The men froze and pivoted around but Dan kept walking. The men started walking faster as she sped up. She began jog hoping she could lose them, but they were only a few steps behind her. Her jog turned into a run her run turned into a sprint and her sprint turned into a game of unfriendly tag. She ran down the hallways of bank past the three thousands and down the two thousands. The elevator! It was just about to close. She threw the backpack off of her back and straight into the elevator doors. The door clamped the bag then opened back up. Dan ran full force into the wall of the elevator four steps a head of the men. She gasped for air as the small box made it’s way the top office floor. Now it was time for the game of switch. Standing on the railing of the elevator she pushed back the ceiling and lifted herself on top of the elevator. ‘’Jack? Can you hear me, now?” She said after she put the earpiece back in. “I can hear you now. The radio station is messing around with our reception.” “Jack I’m on top of the elevator. I had to do plan B.”
“Carl walked in on you?”
“Two of his men did.”
“All right then, you know what to do. Plant the four hundred and I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She jumped down from the elevator just as the door was opening.
“Got ya!” The men shouted grabbing her from both sides and ripping the backpack and the pistol from her coat.
“Some one wants a word with you.”
They walked her down the hall and into one of the private offices.
“How many times do I have to kill you, Danielle?” Said Carl as the men brought her in and threw her on the couch.
“Spread out, Jack’s around here somewhere find him and bring him to me.’’ He told his men.
“This time, I’ll make sure he’s dead.’’
‘’I’m right here Carl.’’ Said Jack from the other side of the room holding his pistol.
“What took you so long?” She scolded him.
“The elevators were full.”
“All right Jack. You’ve made your point. But your too late all I have to do is press this little button and this building is gone.” Carl held the bomb remote in his hand as he spoke.
“You’re forgetting something Carl. What about your money.’’
“You mean this money.’’ He padded the backpack slipping the remote into his pocket.
“Yeah I mean this money.” Jack pulled a pile of hundreds from the backpack in his hand.
‘’The only thing in that bag is newspaper clippings.” Jack continued. Carl pulled Danielle into him and put his pistol to her throat.
“What if I shoot the girl?” Asked Carl. “In the throat where there’s no bullet proof vest?” Dan exhaled and starred at the barrel to her neck. Her hands became shaky and if she weren’t careful that would blow her cover of pickpocket. “What you don’t know Carl is this backpack is drowned is gasoline.” He threw the backpack face down on the carpet and pulled out a cigarette lighter. “If you harm a hair on her head I’ll burn it, will go up in flames in three seconds. I’ll make a deal with you hand over the girl and you can have your money. But you shoot her, your money is as good as gone.’’
There was a short silence in the room Carl let go of Danielle and pushed her into the middle of the room.
“Throw the money in the middle of the room.” Said Carl.
“One more thing. I hope you have a wonderful time in prison and this time your not going to have the money to bail yourself out. Now!” Jack yelled as he through the lighter on to the backpack. It went up in flames blocking off Carl’s view of Jack. Danielle felt shots from Carl’s gun whiz by her as she grabbed the other backpack and ran down the hall with Jack right behind her.
“You fools after them.” Carl shouted at his men who were just standing there. “Quick the back stairs.” Jack yelled as the men shot at them. “Pull that fire alarm so people will get out the building.” She pulled it down as she pasted it running down the steps.
“Get out of the building, bomb!” Yelled Jack running into the service area. “Get out, get out.” A mob people scrambled for the front doors and windows. “You go, Dan! I’ll be right behind you.’’
“No I’m staying with you.” She clung on to his T-shirt.
“My first priority is you Danielle. Get out of here while you can.’’ “No not without you.’’ She spoke in between her teeth clenching on to his arms.
“I’m right behind you.” He whispered. He pushed her back from his arms. “Promise I’ll see you again.” He turned her head and whispered the next instructions in her ear. She jumped behind the clerk’s desk and behind a file cabinet.
“All right Carl, you win.” Jack said turning around to face five angry men holding guns.
“Where’s the girl?” He asked.
“I don’t know.’’ One of the men threw their fist into Jack’s face knocking him the floor.
“Don’t play with me. I’m not going to be as nice as I was at the fishers cabin.” Carl pressed his pistol barrel to Jack forehead as he spit out blood from his lip. Bulls eye! Right on Carl’s shoe.
‘’You’d be setting yourself up for the chair, you really going to shoot me with all of those people watching you? And all of those coppers waiting to cuff you.” Carl glanced to the front windows of the bank. There were helicopters waiting with men in them. A troop sanding by with machine guns, the bomb squad and the LAPD with police offers standing behind car doors armed.
“This is the LADP we’ve got you surrounded.” Said the police. “Either way Carl, you don’t collect the two hundred dollars for passing go, you go straight to jail.” Carl glanced back at Jack who saw the anger in Carl’s eyes. His finger curled around the tiger, tighter and tighter.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Asked Danielle standing on the clerks’ desk. There men raised the guns swiftly and her.
“You fire one shot, and I’ll blow the bank up.” She said raising the remote she had grabbed from Carl’s pocket.
Carl drove his hand into his pocket, nothing. She had pickpocket him when she was held with a pistol to her throat. Everyone looked at each other blankly. Then the sudden moves were made.
“No!” Jack yelled grabbing Carl’s arm before he shot her. The bullet went through the window making it shatter completely into little bits.
“Now Dan!” Jack yelled. Dan clenched the remote and pressed the red button down as hard as she could. Fire and smoke came bursting through the windows as the building began to crumble from top to bottom. Carl’s men were first to jump through the windows and meet the destiny in the back seat of a police car. Five four three two one, two bodies came crashing headfirst through the back windows right as the bottom floor began to crumble.
{now read part II}