Page 9 of Dirty Gambit

His mother continued to clutch at his father and sob.

“Take care of your sister, Jax,” his father said. “We’ll bring you both home soon.”

Lena moved then, coming to stand behind Jaxon. She scooped his top off the floor where he’d tossed it in what felt like a lifetime ago. With her free hand, she dug into the pocket of her trousers and fished out a set of silver keys. She held them up for his parents to see.

“He’ll come home in a tin box if I see a single cop car behind me before the three days are over, do you understand?”

His parents both nodded.

But Lena didn’t move. She met Jaxon’s steely gaze with a torn, frustrated frown of her own. Whatever inner war she was fighting had her jaw muscles grinding and her nostrils flaring. At least, when it seemed like she would stand there forever trying to decide, she turned to his parents.

“You need to leave,” she told them quietly. “Tonight. Pack a bag and just … leave. Your home isn’t safe anymore and if you stay, you will die.” Exhaling as if relieved to finally have that off her chest, she tossed the keys at his mother’s feet before turning to Jaxon and jabbing him in the back with the barrel of her gun. “Move.”

With a last glance at his parents, he followed the two out into the corridor and out the front door. A battered Nissan Skyline sat in the driveway, looking ghastly under the porch lights. The color must have been yellow at some point in its life, but it had faded to a puke hue checkered with rust.

Lena left Jax to run after her friend. “Put it down now! For God’s sakes, Pablo!”

Pablo turned and shook his head. “I want to get the fuck out of here, Lena. Get him in the car.”

Visibly agitated and anxious, Lena spun around and hurried back to Jaxon. She grabbed his arm and dragged him in the direction of the passenger’s seat.

“Great friends you have,” he muttered.

Barely paying him any attention, Lena opened the door and nudged him to get in. His top was pitched into his lap.

“Lock him in,” Pablo instructed.

Lena’s fingers were trembling as she reached into the front pocket of her pants and fished out the handcuff keys. They tinkled as she leaned into the cramped space with him, surrounding her with her soft, soapy scent and fumbled with his cuffs.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” she hissed in his ear. “If he hurts her, I will kill you myself.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have brought along a psychopath!” Jaxon said back over his shoulder.

Saying nothing, Lena undid the cuff on one wrist and dragged the still shackled one to the door. She snapped the second loop through the handlebar and straightened.

“He’s in.” She nervously dampened her lips. “Now, give her to me.”

Pablo smirked. He removed the gun off Jessie and turned it over so they could see the safety still in place. “How crazy do you think I am,chica?”

Lena ran to him and snatched Jessie out of his arms. “What’s wrong with you?”

Pablo said nothing as the baby was taken from him. He followed Lena to the car and stood back while she tucked Jessie into the car seat. Jaxon watched as Lena checked and double-checked everything before climbing out to face her friend.

“Get in.”

Pablo jumped into the back with Jessie as Lena took the driver’s seat. They were off, bumping down the road at speeds that the prehistoric monstrosity couldn’t hope to achieve. Jaxon kept an eye on the landscape, logging to memory every turn and marker while keeping a close eye on the clock. Neither Lena nor Pablo said a word throughout the entire escape. Even Jessie had gone suspiciously quiet. Jaxon peeked over at her every so often to make sure the asshole in the back hadn’t hurt her. But her little arms and legs kicked in the seat, oblivious to anything going on around her.

“Where are we going?” Jaxon asked after nearly an hour of nonstop driving.

No one answered him. Not that he was really expecting it.

Thirty minutes later, Lena pulled off the main road down a dirt path leading into farming territory. They rumbled into an old, abandoned building. The headlights washed over cubed stacks of hay and Jaxon guessed they were in a barn. The engine was cut and the two exited the car. A moment later, a flashlight flared to life. It bobbed in the darkness, spilling over the tarnished exterior of another car.

Pablo came for Jaxon as Lena moved Jessie from the first car into the second. Once satisfied that Jaxon was properly strapped to the door of the second car, Pablo slammed the door and turned to Lena.

“You going to be okay?” she asked him.

Pablo shrugged. “Yeah, Marie and I were thinking it was time we moved on anyway. This is as good a reason as any. Baja, if you can believe it. Thanks to you.”

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