Page 76 of Retribution
A woman runs out of the trees, her long brown hair streaking behind her.
and forgive us our trespasses
“Charlotte!”
as we forgive those who
Chapter 43
Special Agent
Susannah Gerhardt
Putting the call in to my contact at the radio station was the only thing I could think to do to get Charlotte away safely. Now, as I stay hidden behind the trees, all I can do is hope that she’ll come.
And it’s a long fucking wait. I figured that she wouldn’t show up during the day—no one in their right mind would. Especially not if you’re cautious. Although I can’t say she’s been overly discreet so far, leaving prints and DNA behind at crime scenes.
That reminds me, I’m still going to need to find someone to help me make that evidence disappear.
A pang of guilt stabs through my chest, but I push it away. Family trumps duty. Leaning back against a tree trunk, I slide to the ground, keeping my eyes and ears open for any movement.
Thank God for the full moon. It’s creepy enough hanging out in a graveyard in the middle of the night without it being pitch black, too. Around four a.m., a car slides into the parking lot adjacent to the university’s apartments. Using my night vision binoculars, I’m able to make out a man and woman making their way over the fence and then start in my direction.
My hands shake as I lower the binoculars, placing them back in their bag. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her, hugged her, talked to her. Will she remember me? Will she even want to?
Pulling myself to my feet, I watch as she kneels by the grave, and I let her have her moment to say goodbye.
And then all hell breaks loose.
Shots ring out, and the man, who I assume is Trey Williams, drops to the ground. Charlotte cries out and a man runs out of the trees towards them. Betrayal stabs me in the heart. Hunching over, I vomit, devastation thick on my tongue as I retch over and over again.
That fucking bastard.
Wiping my mouth on my sleeve, I start jogging, fearfully watching as Charlotte tries to defend herself against him. I come to an abrupt stop, letting my heart settle, my breath even out. And then I take aim, waiting for the perfect moment, and deliver the kill shot that takes Chase down in a torrent of scarlet blood and brain matter. A small part of me revels in the act of taking down the mole, of destroying the man that used and lied to me.
In that moment, I feel that heady sensation Charlotte must, when she receives her justice.
“Charlotte!” I cry out as I run towards her, and she whips around to face me, her eyes going wide. She crashes to her knees as her eyes fill with tears.
“Auntie Sannah?”
Bang.
What the fuck now?
From the east—no, now the west. Shots ring out, bullets lodging in trees and gravestones. Hauling Charlotte to her feet, I drag her with me as she digs her heels in. “No! I’m not leaving him!” she screams, pulling against me, trying to turn back towards the man lying on the ground.
A bullet hits the ground mere feet from us, and my training goes out the window as I whirl about in fear. Who the fuck is shooting at us?
I risk a quick glance at the man. His eyes are closed, chest still. The moonlight reflects the blood around his mouth, covering his torso. If he’s still alive, he doesn’t look it, and several people are shooting at us. There’s no time.
Hauling Charlotte close to me, I grab her chin, forcing her to look into my eyes. I can see the heartbreak and devastation in them, and my own heart breaks for her. She obviously loved this man. “We have to go,” I tell her urgently. “We can’t help him now. I’ll phone it in, okay? We’ll phone an ambulance and the police once we’re in the car.”
A bullet whizzes past my head, far too close for comfort. I duck, pulling Charlotte down with me. “Now, Charlotte! Let’s go!”
She turns her head back one last time, then follows me, her shoulders slumped in grief and despair. Her steps faltering, slow, as if she is only reluctantly following me. As if she wants to turn back and join him in death.
I can’t let that happen, not now, not after I’ve finally gotten her back after eleven years. Opening the passenger door, I shove Charlotte inside, then jump in myself, tearing out of the parking lot as if demons are chasing us.
