I sat there dumbly, staring at the hospital. I couldn't believe what I'd just found out. She was gone. Trina was gone.
My phone started to ring. Slowly, I reached down and picked it up. "…"
"Well, that's rude. When someone calls you, you're supposed to say 'hello', you know." It was Benjamin.
"…Where is she." I spoke quietly but firmly.
"Safe, for now. And as long as you be a good little girl and do as you are told, it'll stay that way." I frowned. "Now, if I'm not mistaken… You have a job to do. Make sure it's done by this time next week, or sooner as you see fit."
I growled. "…If you hurt even one hair-"
"You know how to stop it, and how long you have. Best stop wasting time now." With a click, the call dropped.
I sat there glaring at my phone for a minute, before tears started dripping down my face and I doubled over, crying into my hands.
After Ben had originally called me about an hour ago, I'd rushed to the hospital. However, Trina wasn't there, and marry could only tell me that some men had just brought in documents to 'relocate' her but couldn't tell me where. After calling every hospital and medical facility with 300 miles, I realized what had happened.
They'd taken her. They'd taken her because I hadn't killed Brock. And now I was alone. Brock's face popped into my head, maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought…
…
'This is crazy' Brock thought to himself as he reread the letter. It was either proof that his and Tanner's enemies were making a move, or a hoax started by some random teenagers.
'Addressed to Brock Orion Lee. Your life is on the line. I know this isn't something someone like you would do, but I must ask regardless. I ask that on your press conference this weekend you follow the enclosed instructions, and fake your death.
This is a lot to ask, I know. But they have my sister. And they will kill her if I don't kill you at precisely 12:03. Please act as if you got shot, and dragged into the building. I'll have a white van waiting for you in the alley at the back door.
If you can't do this, my second shot won't miss.
-sincerely, MM.'
He glanced at his security guard, who had both read the letter and been a good friend of him and Tanner. "So, what are your thoughts?"
Eric glanced over. "My thoughts, they wouldn't go through this much effort to get you alone to kill you, and if this person is serious, they'll find a way to kill you if you choose not to show up. So, if the van is there, then we go with it and hope for the best. If it's not, then there's no reason to concern ourselves with it."
Brock nodded in thought. "A fair point. Hopefully this… MM is the type of person to follow through with their word."
…
I had my shot lined up, watching the proceedings carefully. Brock was there, as well as Ben who glanced briefly up at the building I was in. He made it clear that if I failed again, Trina was dead and someone else was gonna finish the job before coming after me.
I was looking for that person now. They would be the target for one of my shots if they made a move.
'there' it was the girl with the flowing dress next to Ben. It had only been a moment, but I had caught a glimpse of the P90 rifle leaned against the back of her chair.
And Brock was standing right between us. Theoretically, if I shot Brock, the shot would go right between Ben and the woman. But if I missed, I'd hit one of them. Which worked out for me, cause I could incapacitate her while at the same time sending Brock toward the safe house.
I glanced at my watch. 12:02:49
Well. Let's hope Brock actually did it. I took aim. And fired. The round went through the front of his jacket and out the side, nailing the woman in the arm. Brock twisted and fell, blood dripping from his midsection as his bodyguard quickly dragged him inside as I sent a second round into the doorframe.
To say the scene down there was chaotic was probably an understatement. Ben was crouched down with the woman, keeping his hand on her arm as he discreetly gave her a shot. Yes, the rounds they'd given me were coated in a toxin. But as long as I hadn't actually put the bullet through Brock, he'd be fine.
I quickly packed the rifle, and practically jumped off the fire escape on the backside of the parking garage I was in and jumped onto the bike I'd parked there before taking off. I got to the back of the City council building just in time to see Brock and Eric charge out and jump into the van.
I fell on their tail instantly as they raced across town, just like I'd asked in the note I'd left in it. They plowed through a road closed sign into a tunnel that was getting roadwork done. I could hear sirens getting closer. The van stopped a few feet from a utility access Door, the one I had specified as I charged up. They held the door as I drove through, and closed it just before the van exploded.
I glanced at them as I tossed them flashlights. "Mr. Lee, did I hit you?"
He lifted his shirt, pulling out a nearly empty bag. "no, but you did go through this."
"Good. Let's get moving before they think to look in here." I jumped off the bike, leaving the helmet I'd hastily thrown on with it before beginning the process of descending into the deeper tunnel.
"You're Jasmine, aren't you." I glanced back questioningly. I wasn't surprised. Being the daughter of one Tanner Moon, and the first heir to a multi-trillion dollar company tended to make one a fairly well-known individual. "…Now this is personal."
I stopped and turned to him. "what?"
He looked slightly up. "I was a good friend of Tanner's. He was… a very inspiring man. If one of his daughters is in danger, then it's personal."
I blinked as I stared at him. "You… knew my father."
He nodded, turning to me with a sad smile. "I sure did. Eric too." He gestured to Eric while my jaw felt like it was trying to fall off. "And from the day you were born, there wasn't a day he didn't speak of you or Trina." I felt my heart clench as tears threatened to drip down my face.
I turned and slowly continued down the tunnel as I processed this. "...My father never mentioned you." I stated, finally.
He chuckled. "Perhaps he referred to me as Broccoli or Cabbage." I blinked, realizing my father had mentioned his companion 'Brown Cabbage' in a joking fasion a few times.
"That... Would explain a lot." I shifted the case slung over my back slightly. "I think I can understand why he liked you."
Before he could respond, my phone rang. I stopped as I glanced at the caller ID. "What do you want." I spat through it.
"My my, such hostility." His voice dripped with amusement, before dropping. "Where are you."
"Making sure the job is finished. Where else." I didn't bother to hide the hostility in my voice.
"Is it?"
I sighed. "Obviously. I'm not the type to leave a task half-done. ...You'll probably hear about it on the news sooner or later."
He sighed, his tone loosing it's edge. "At least there's that... Are you aware you hit one of my men?"
"If you mean the woman next to you with a P90, then yes I am aware. Not my fault you put her behind my target. ...From my angle, it made it hard to tell if I actually hit him, or just put him in shock."
"Fair enough, although I thought I had the angle right... Well, not much harm done as long as Brock is dead, but the bill will come out of your payment regardless."
"Is that all Ben?" I snapped slightly at him.
His voice darkened. "Don't use those names, you idiot." He turned almost cheerful. "You have somewhere to lay low for a while?"
I rolled my eyes. "I got a place."
"Alright then, Miss M. I'll be in touch."