“You’re a traitor,” I spit at him. “You are a traitor!” I scream it this time.
He says nothing. My father walks up to him and claps him on the back. “Well done, James. And the card? Did you find the card?”
James shakes his head. “No, sir. But I know where it is. I’m going there next.” He drags his eyes from me and stares at my father. I’m being carried away, my arms and legs again captured by the security guards, and some of his words get lost in the bustle.
But then I hear it.
“Ten days,” he says. “I’ll have your son and the card in ten days.”
He looks straight at me and lowers his sunglasses.
And that’s the last I see of James Fenici as I’m dragged into the interior of the ship.
Chapter Forty - Sasha
Don’t let anyone tell you getting shot is a piece of cake. I’m looking at you, James Fenici.
Of course, he’s not here. So I’m really just talking shit in my head.
I shiver as Harrison pilots the sailboat back to shore. My custom made-in-Colombia-for-drug-dealers’-kids bulletproof life vest is gone. Ceramic panels and layers of Kevlar tucked inside some Disney cartoon fabric is not exactly the best flotation device. I had to slip that thing off as soon as I hit the water or I’d sink straight to the bottom. So I’m pretty cold right now.
“You OK, kid?” Harrison asks.
“Do I look OK?” I ask back.
He shrugs. “You could be worse, I think.”
“I’m freezing. How much longer?”
“Well, we’re sailing, so the wind is our engine. We have a motor too, and we could speed off like we’re getting away from something, but it’s better to play it cool.”
He’s right. We came this far. I got shot, Harper is back on her fancy yacht, out of the way. And James is probably on his way to the meeting place. “Play it cool then,” I sigh.
It takes us another half an hour to get to shore, and by this time the sun is going down, the sailboat races are over, and the harbor is clearing out. I can still see Harper’s ship. It’s very hard to miss since that thing is as big as an apartment building, and I have to admit, I’d sorta like to be her right now.
I’d sorta like to be anyone but me.
We get to shore and Harrison ties up the boat and points to a rental car in the parking lot. “Go sit in there. Your gun’s under the passenger seat in the front.”
I do as I’m told. What choice do I have?
I wait for about ten minutes before Harrison comes back. He smiles at me as he starts the car and then we are on our way. The drive back out to Fullerton airport takes almost an hour. Accident on Harbor Boulevard. But when we get there and I see James leaning against the side of the building smoking a cigarette, my sadness melts away.
He grins and then holds up a stuffed dinosaur and shakes it at me.
Oh, James. You are such a surprise.
I get out as soon as the car stops and walk over to him. I do my best not to run, but I admit, I skip those last few yards. I hug him around the waist and start to cry.
“I’m so sorry, Smurf. Look, I got you a dinosaur, to make up for shooting you in the chest.”
I sniff and wipe my eyes as I pull away. I take the pink T-Rex toy and hug it close. “That’s not why I’m crying.”
“Does it hurt?” he asks, kneeling down to look me in the eye.
I nod, why lie. “It does,” I whine. “I feel like someone hit me with a baseball bat.”
Harrison whistles. “Let’s f**king go!”
James scoops me up in his arms and carries me over to the plane. “Fuck, kid. I’m really sorry you had to be part of this. I am. And Harper is never gonna forgive me. Even if we set things right. But I told Nick I’d keep her safe and this is the only way to do that while we take care of business. No one can get to her on the ship.”
He sets me down at the stairs to the plane and then takes my hand as we climb. “She will, James. She’ll forgive you. You know how I know?”
“How?” he asks as we enter the plane and take our seats across from each other.
“Because I’ve decided you were right. Ford is just like you.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, we’re both killers. I’m glad you finally got that straight.”
“No,” I say. “That’s not what I mean. I mean you are just like Ford.”
He tilts his head and gives me a funny look.
“Nice,” I say with a sigh. And even though he tries to pull it off. He tries to pretend my words don’t mean anything to him. I know they do.
He’s a killer, he’s an ass**le, and he’s one of the most dangerous guys on the planet. But he’s my partner now. And we’re gonna go kick some serious ass and save the world.
He says nothing. My father walks up to him and claps him on the back. “Well done, James. And the card? Did you find the card?”
James shakes his head. “No, sir. But I know where it is. I’m going there next.” He drags his eyes from me and stares at my father. I’m being carried away, my arms and legs again captured by the security guards, and some of his words get lost in the bustle.
But then I hear it.
“Ten days,” he says. “I’ll have your son and the card in ten days.”
He looks straight at me and lowers his sunglasses.
And that’s the last I see of James Fenici as I’m dragged into the interior of the ship.
Chapter Forty - Sasha
Don’t let anyone tell you getting shot is a piece of cake. I’m looking at you, James Fenici.
Of course, he’s not here. So I’m really just talking shit in my head.
I shiver as Harrison pilots the sailboat back to shore. My custom made-in-Colombia-for-drug-dealers’-kids bulletproof life vest is gone. Ceramic panels and layers of Kevlar tucked inside some Disney cartoon fabric is not exactly the best flotation device. I had to slip that thing off as soon as I hit the water or I’d sink straight to the bottom. So I’m pretty cold right now.
“You OK, kid?” Harrison asks.
“Do I look OK?” I ask back.
He shrugs. “You could be worse, I think.”
“I’m freezing. How much longer?”
“Well, we’re sailing, so the wind is our engine. We have a motor too, and we could speed off like we’re getting away from something, but it’s better to play it cool.”
He’s right. We came this far. I got shot, Harper is back on her fancy yacht, out of the way. And James is probably on his way to the meeting place. “Play it cool then,” I sigh.
It takes us another half an hour to get to shore, and by this time the sun is going down, the sailboat races are over, and the harbor is clearing out. I can still see Harper’s ship. It’s very hard to miss since that thing is as big as an apartment building, and I have to admit, I’d sorta like to be her right now.
I’d sorta like to be anyone but me.
We get to shore and Harrison ties up the boat and points to a rental car in the parking lot. “Go sit in there. Your gun’s under the passenger seat in the front.”
I do as I’m told. What choice do I have?
I wait for about ten minutes before Harrison comes back. He smiles at me as he starts the car and then we are on our way. The drive back out to Fullerton airport takes almost an hour. Accident on Harbor Boulevard. But when we get there and I see James leaning against the side of the building smoking a cigarette, my sadness melts away.
He grins and then holds up a stuffed dinosaur and shakes it at me.
Oh, James. You are such a surprise.
I get out as soon as the car stops and walk over to him. I do my best not to run, but I admit, I skip those last few yards. I hug him around the waist and start to cry.
“I’m so sorry, Smurf. Look, I got you a dinosaur, to make up for shooting you in the chest.”
I sniff and wipe my eyes as I pull away. I take the pink T-Rex toy and hug it close. “That’s not why I’m crying.”
“Does it hurt?” he asks, kneeling down to look me in the eye.
I nod, why lie. “It does,” I whine. “I feel like someone hit me with a baseball bat.”
Harrison whistles. “Let’s f**king go!”
James scoops me up in his arms and carries me over to the plane. “Fuck, kid. I’m really sorry you had to be part of this. I am. And Harper is never gonna forgive me. Even if we set things right. But I told Nick I’d keep her safe and this is the only way to do that while we take care of business. No one can get to her on the ship.”
He sets me down at the stairs to the plane and then takes my hand as we climb. “She will, James. She’ll forgive you. You know how I know?”
“How?” he asks as we enter the plane and take our seats across from each other.
“Because I’ve decided you were right. Ford is just like you.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, we’re both killers. I’m glad you finally got that straight.”
“No,” I say. “That’s not what I mean. I mean you are just like Ford.”
He tilts his head and gives me a funny look.
“Nice,” I say with a sigh. And even though he tries to pull it off. He tries to pretend my words don’t mean anything to him. I know they do.
He’s a killer, he’s an ass**le, and he’s one of the most dangerous guys on the planet. But he’s my partner now. And we’re gonna go kick some serious ass and save the world.
