Relentless Pursuit (24 page)

“They definitely weren't local guys, if you catch my drift.”

Remy's gut twisted at her words.  Were they the same two that passed through asking about them at the diner?  Or are a couple of different trackers hunting for Dubshenko's prey?

He thought about Ness's proposal.  A safe place to hole up for the night, plus an outlet to the media if things went south fast.  Contemplating the lengths Dubshenko had already gone to, chasing them halfway across the state for something they didn't even have?  Nothing was going to stop him short of full exposure.  If that meant going to the press he'd lose his job, his pension.  Hell, he'd probably end up in a cell next to Dubshenko.  But it would be worth it, if it meant keeping Jinx safe.

“Thanks, Ness.  I think we'll take you up on your offer.  Let your friend know we're heading his way.  We can make further plans once we're out of sight.”

Jinx sighed behind him, and without looking back, he reached between the seats and grasped her hand, squeezing gently.  Whatever it took he'd keep her safe from Dubshenko.  There was an ache deep inside when he thought about a future without Jinx in it.  He'd only known her such a short time, but she'd managed to wedge herself firmly inside his heart without him realizing it.  He was a man who loved easily.  Friends, family, they were all important to him, but what he was discovering about his feelings for this curvy blonde with the big blue eyes wove deeper, gripped him tighter than anything he'd experienced before.

When had it happened?  They'd been chased, shot at, running for their lives.  Yet through it all, she'd become as necessary to him as breathing.  He could only hope she felt the same about him.  When this was over and Dubshenko paid for his atrocities, maybe he'd be able to convince Jinx to give them a chance.

Still, he needed to start moving players into position.  This chess game was kicking into high gear.  Time to call Max and Captain Hilliard.  At all costs they needed to protect the queen.  Jinx held the key to ending the Russian's stranglehold on New Orleans.  Other than her brother, she alone knew the hiding place where he'd stashed something so important Dubshenko was ready to kill to get his hands on it.

Remy laced his fingers through Jinx's and she scooted forward, resting her head against his shoulder.  He'd take this solace, this few minutes of peace, because come morning all hell would break loose in his city.

The hypnotic thump, thump, thump of the wheels along the asphalt lulled him to sleep, dreaming about one more night with the woman of his dreams.

Chapter Twenty-Six

T
hey'd spent hours going over what they had so far with Hank, Ness's friend.  He was a reporter for a local affiliate, but had connections to the top brass, enough pull that if things broke wide open he could get it on the national broadcasts instantaneously.  Good to know, since heaven only knew what Carlo had hidden in their secret place.

Jinx brushed out her hair, grimacing at the texture of it.  The hair color hadn't been kind, drying it out and losing all the glossy shine.  Looking in the mirror was like looking at a stranger.  A natural honey blonde, seeing the red was strikingly different.  It looked okay, but she preferred her own color.  Plus, it felt strange not to have any makeup.  She'd been going without for days.  No moisturizer, no foundation, not even mascara.

Ugh!  I probably look like a gargoyle.  To say nothing about how my skin feels.

“You ready?”  Remy’s voice came from the other side of the bathroom door.  Was she ready?  She glanced down at the yoga pants she'd donned, the same pair she'd worn the first night they'd hit the streets.  The night everything in her life imploded.  For the thousandth time she wondered where Carlo was, how badly was he hurt?  A shiver ran down her spine when she pictured the bullet striking him in the center of his chest, his body falling backward, hitting the floor.

Running from Dubshenko.  Running from the bombing.  Always running, never stopping.  No—it ended now.  Whatever they found, whatever Carlo had hidden, it had to be something big enough to take down the biggest fish in the Russian mob.

She pulled open the door where Remy stood on the other side.  “I'm ready.”  Giving in to impulse she stepped into him, hugging herself close against him.  She needed to feel his warmth, the safety she felt close to him.  Her arms twined around him, and she rested her head against his shoulder, wrapped in the security of his embrace.  He smiled when his arms came around her, pulling her closer.  One brief moment out of time where there was no one else in the world except for them.

“We've gotta go.”

“Did you get hold of Max?”  Reluctantly she stepped back, already missing the warmth of his touch.  It was harder than she'd imagined, stepping away from this man who'd come to mean everything to her in the last few days.

“He's ready to meet us.  They're going to be at the park, waiting.  Close enough to help, but they won't interfere unless…”

“Nothing bad's going to happen, Remy.  We're going to go, pick up whatever Carlo hid and get back to a safe place to check it out.  Easy as pie.”

Remy laughed.  “Honey, ain't nothing easy about pie.  If you've ever made one, it's a whole lotta work.”

Jinx rolled her eyes, but the corners of her lips tilted upward.

“Let's roll, folks. Daylight's wasting.”  Ness's voice boomed from the living room.  Jinx watched Remy, saw his whole demeanor shift.  No longer the joking, fun-loving man she'd spent hours and hours with, laughing even in the midst of danger.  In his place stood a predator, lethal and deadly.  Everything about him screamed danger.

“Remy?”

“Let's go.”  His hand cupping her elbow, they walked out to the car.  Hank begrudgingly loaned them his, amidst protests he didn't want to be left out of all the action.  He didn't get his way, though, since Remy wasn't about to have any more civilians in the line of fire.  They still had one more battle line to cross, though, because they hadn't told Ness she wasn't coming with them.

She stood beside the shiny black sedan, keys in hand.  The welcoming smile on her face faded at her first glimpse of Remy.  He held out his hands without saying a word.  Ness glanced over at Jinx.  She looked at the ground not wanting to meet her new friend's gaze.  She wasn't any happier about telling her she wasn't coming as Ness was at finding out, but she agreed with Remy.  Nobody else needed to place themselves in Dubshenko's sights.  Too many people who cross him ended up in the swamp with their throats cut.

Ness tossed the keys to Remy, gave Jinx a hug and stomped back into Hank's apartment.  They climbed into the car, and headed toward the park.  Just outside the city proper, Jinx had fond memories of her grandfather bringing all the kids to play while the adults handled
business
.  Now she was older, knew what that business really was, and why they always left the city right afterward.  Still, this was a special place from her youth.

It took about fifteen minutes to get from Hank's apartment to the outskirts of town.  Hurricane Katrina had devastated the area.  Nothing looked like her memories.  Gone were the lush grassy areas where kids played soccer.  Uprooted trees lay on their sides, covered with lichen and moss.  Rusted out swing sets and slides, abandoned.  No children's cries of joy rose from the playground area anymore.  Instead, a visual reminder of devastation and hopelessness pervaded.

“This the place, hon?”  Remy pulled the car to the side of the road, leaving the engine idling.   Jinx watched his keen eyes scanning, searching for hidden dangers.  He, more than most, would understand the loss of places like this from the fabric of New Orleans during its hay day, the changes a catastrophic event wrought even on the children.

“I had no idea…it's so desolate.  When we came, everything was bright.  Filled with kids.  Now…” Her voice trailed off, fighting back tears.  Another memory from her youth, destroyed by the realities of adulthood.

“Where is this secret hiding place?  We've got to move quickly.”  Remy opened the door and got out, coming around to her side of the car, opening her door.  Her eyes immediately strayed to the gun tucked into the waistband of his pants.  That, more than anything else, seemed to enforce the gravity of what they were doing.  People wound up dead when they crossed Dubshenko.  For all she knew, Carlo was dead.  Now she'd put Remy in the crosshairs, too.  This had to end, and it had to end today.

“It's over there.”  With a wave, she pointed toward a stone bridge crossing over a stream that meandered along the side of the deserted park.  Ornate in design with small pillars, the concrete and brick structure arched across the water.  Trees flanked either side, covered in Spanish moss which writhing and undulating in the breeze.   Algae floated in a green, slimy film across the top of the stream.  What had once been a feature of beauty and tranquility now stood as a stone reminder of better days. A bygone era of children racing across it, cries of laugher and joy now silenced.

“The bridge?  That's where Carlo hid something?  Please tell me I don't have to crawl underneath that thing.  Who knows what's in the water under there.”   Remy gave an exaggerated shudder.

“It was our special place.  We'd leave secret messages there for each other.  Or a special treat.   Then we'd leave for a while.  When we came back, sometimes months later, our things were still there, so nobody had discovered our hidey-hole.”

“Wonder if it's still there, though?”  Remy asked as they strolled through the devastated landscape toward the bridge.  She knew it'd be best if they looked like two lovers out for a cozy morning stroll, so she didn't say a word when he wrapped his left arm around her shoulder.  He kept his right hand free, she noted, so he'd be able to get his weapon if he needed it. 
Please don’t need it.

“I think it's still there if Carlo hid something.”

“That's true.”

They'd reached the foot of the bridge.  Jinx looked at the stone edifice, struck again by the effects wrought by Mother Nature.  The stone façade had worn in place. The carefully crafted design work with its etched swirls and flowery patterns, cobblestone bricks, broken pillars. They were abraded, falling away with erosion and the wear and tear caused by years of weather and neglect.

Stop wasting time, she told herself.  Find whatever Carlo hid, it’s important.  She moved to the left-hand pillar near the opening of the bridge.  Dropping to her knees, she began digging around the stone base.  Grass and mud gave way beneath her hands as she dug, searching for the grooved opening in the rock.

“Ah, there's something here.”

Wiggling her fingers into the hole, she felt plastic wrapped around something hard.  It wasn't very big, and she easily pulled it free and held it up to Remy.

“A cell phone?”  He snatched it from her, shoving it in his pocket, before pulling her to her feet.

“What's wrong?”

“We're being watched.  We've gotta get out of here.”

“Do you think it's Dubshenko?”

“Don't know, don't care.  Let's go.”  Grabbing her hand, he hauled her toward the car, and she stumbled trying to keep up, her knees hitting the dirt and grass.  Her hand slipped free and he spun, frozen in his tracks when he spotted the three men behind her, guns pointed at her head.

Jinx stayed on her knees, her heart racing.  How were they going to get out of this?  Dubshenko's men had found them!  They'd been so careful, hadn't told anyone, yet here they were, guns drawn.

“Took you long enough.”  Remy relaxed, although the scowl on his face didn't make her feel better.

Wait, he knew these guys?

He reached forward, helping her to her feet.  Mud and clumps of dirt clung to the knees of her black yoga pants, but her hands were shaking too much to reach down and brush it off.  Remy pulled her close against his side, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

“Jennifer Marucci, meet my brother, Max.”  The tall dark-haired, gray-eyed man on the right smiled and winked.  His brother?  That meant these were the good guys.  She slumped against Remy, relief flooding her.

“The other two are Stan Jennings and Mark Wilson, two guys I trust from the N.O.P.D.”

“They've been watching us the whole time?”

“Well, we skirted the park first, since we didn't know exactly where your hiding place was, other than the name of the park.”  Max chuckled.  “Next time a few more details would be nice.  It's a damn big place.”

“Shut it, bro.”

Jinx elbowed Remy in the ribs, and he let out an exaggerated oomph.  It looked like he had the kind of relationship with his brother that she had with Carlo.  Nice.   Whether you agree with everything they do or not, family is family.  You gotta love 'em.

“We need to get off the streets.  You got a safe place?”  Max turned his attention to Remy.  “Might be best to give me whatever you've got.  I'll get it to Hilliard so they can start…”

The sound of a gunshot split the air, and Jennings body hit the dirt.  Jinx spun toward Remy and he jerked his head toward the car, parked on the street.  The single shot came from behind Max and the two cops, so the shooter had been facing them.  Meaning the shot fired should have taken out either Remy or her.  Her gut told her the bullet had her name on it.

Max and Wilson knelt over the fallen officer, guns pointed toward where the shot had emanated, ready to provide cover while Remy and Jinx sprinted for their car. 
Damn it, Carlo, what is on this phone Dubshenko wants enough to kill you or me to get his hands on it?

“Run.”  The words had barely left Remy's mouth when he grabbed her and half-led, half dragged her to the car and shoved her inside.  He slammed the keys into the ignition, gunned the engine, and the tires spun, squealing as they tore down the street.

“What about your brother?  We can't just leave them there.  Dubshenko will kill them.”

“Max can take care of himself.  I don't think that bullet was meant for him.”

“No, it was meant for me.”  Jinx wrapped her arms around herself, fighting the chill spreading through her.  All the running and hiding and they'd managed to stay one step ahead of the hunters.  Back in New Orleans less than ten hours and they'd already been found and shot at.  Damn it, Dubshenko was never going to give up.