TWENTY-FIVE
Kaylan
The drive to Danbury unfolded with a quiet beauty. Spring was in full bloom, and the roads were framed by lush trees that formed a natural canopy above us. Our destination was a secluded white brick house nestled north of Upper Kohanza Lake, shielded by a dense thicket of forest with a quaint guest house situated midway between the main house and the lake.
The car’s engine quieted as we pulled up to the house. Stepping out, I was greeted by the crisp, refreshing air of the lakeside—a welcome escape from the constant tension of the city. Leora, after a quick stretch, ducked back into the car to discreetly check her handgun and magazines.
Zarek shared a brief, tender kiss with Leora before signaling for us to proceed. Despite their couple status, their professionalism never waned, and I never felt out of place. The soft rustle of leaves underfoot was oddly comforting as we approached the main door.
Zarek knocked a couple of times, but there was no response. With no answer forthcoming, he walked over to a window to peer inside the house.
“Maybe he’s at the guest house,” I suggested.
Zarek and Leora exchanged nods. “I’ll stay with the car, see if he shows up. You two check it out,” Leora said, settling into a watchful stance.
Zarek glanced at me, waiting for my nod before we started towards the guest house. The path, now overgrown and faint, meandered through the thick woods, the solitude punctuated by the occasional rustle that had us instinctively reaching for our weapons.
As we approached the deteriorating guest house, its dilapidated state was apparent. The wood was sodden and swollen from the elements, the structure barely holding itself together. It was hard to imagine anyone living there.
At Zarek’s knock, there was a brief shuffle inside. Suddenly, a face appeared at one of the grimy windows—a man peering out beneath a blue baseball cap pushed comically high on his forehead. After a moment, he vanished from the window and reappeared at the door, swinging it open with a creak and a look of annoyance plastered across his face.
“Derek Cramer?” Zarek asked cautiously. The man stiffened and slightly shielded himself with the door. Both Zarek and I were wearing casual clothes, with him in a polo shirt and jeans while I wore a white t-shirt with denim shorts.
“Who’s asking?” Derek ventured, his voice gruff and heavy.
Zarek stepped forward and pushed the door gently to open it further, “Mr. Cramer. Can we talk? We’re looking for someone you know.”
“Who are you people?” He eyed us suspiciously.
“I’m Theo and this is my friend Jenna. We’re from the police department.”
The lie rolled off Zarek’s tongue pretty comfortably. I smiled at the man, as his gaze settled for a bit longer on my bare legs.
Zarek must have noticed that because he shifted to shield me from him. “Can we come in for five minutes?”
Derek processed his options and caved in. He shifted to the side to let us in. The house was as battered on the inside as it was outside. The beat up coffee table was surrounded by an L shaped fading couch that might have been red in color in its hay day.
We both sat on the larger end of the couch as Derek positioned himself on the armchair in front of us. The grimy stickiness of the couch clung to my bare thighs, but it didn’t bother me. My tolerance scale for filth had been broken a while ago.
“How did you find out my real name?” Derek’s tone was edgy. “I haven’t used it in over a year.”
“Ever heard of Ravenrock Hall, Mr. Cramer?” I kept my voice even, watching him closely.
His reaction was immediate, his complexion turning pale. “How the hell did you find me?”
Zarek leaned forward, his voice low. “We found your details left behind at Ravenrock. Garret Tyson abandoned the place.”
“Shit. Shit . Fucking shit!” He gritted his teeth as he stood up and paced the space.
Zarek and I exchanged puzzled glances.
“You stupid fuckers! Garret never accidentally leaves anything behind if he’s moving operations. You… you led them right to me.” His eyes widened, panic taking over.
Shit .
He was right. What if this was a trap?
That’s when the gunfire started, echoing from the main house. Zarek and I exchanged a look of dread. His face twisted with terror.
Leora .
Without hesitation, we were on our feet, weapons drawn, rushing towards the commotion. As we bolted out the door, I saw Derek arming himself with a rifle, frantically loading it.
Ignoring him, we sprinted towards the main house, adrenaline surging. The front door was ajar, two bodies lay motionless by the entrance.
It was an ambush.
The sound of more gunfire from inside the house prompted Zarek to dash towards the commotion at the rear. I followed close behind, my gun ready. Abruptly, a figure in a black balaclava barreled into me, knocking us both to the ground. We grappled fiercely, each of us vying for control of my gun. In the chaos, the gun discharged, and pain shot through me. Regaining control, I aimed and fired directly into his chest. Pushing his lifeless body off, I quickly assessed my injuries: some minor cuts on my hands and a bullet graze on my left side near the stomach. Nothing critical.
As Zarek and Leora descended from the upper floor, returning fire, I provided cover, shooting down another assailant who was rushing down the stairs towards us.
“Let’s move.” Zarek said.
Once the immediate threat was neutralized, we sprinted back to the SUV. Derek was still firing at a group of assailants near his property as we peeled away from the scene.
“We’re clear. No one followed us.” Zarek informed after a few minutes.
The drive was tense as we transitioned from the quiet forest road to the bustling city streets. “Everyone okay?” I asked, my voice still unsteady from the adrenaline rush.
Leora looked back grinning, “That was such a rush. And yeah we’re fine!”
Zarek shook his head smiling and that’s when Leora gasped. I saw that she was eyeing my bloody hand that I had pressed against my bullet graze.
“Shit! Were you shot?” She asked, her worry evident.
“What?” Zarek snapped.
Puzzled by their exaggerated response I shrugged, “Just a nick. It’s fine. I don’t think I’m even bleeding anymore.”
They exchanged dreadful looks.
“It’s fine, guys!” I repeated and Zarek cursed under his breath.
Leora dialed a number on her phone and waited. Her eyes scared like a little kid who was about to be scolded.
“This is Doc. Yeah… so… can you get the medical team on standby?” She paused, “Kaylan. GSW.” Another pause. “No, no, she’s fine. Awake, responsive, chatting about—”
“Whoever it is, I’m fine!” I interrupted from the back seat.
“—see she’s fine. Okay… yep… thanks. Also, can you keep this to yourself? Just don’t tell Logan.”
I frowned. What the hell did Logan have to do with this?
Leora hung up and an awkward silence fell over.
Finally, I asked out of curiosity, “Why shouldn’t Logan know?”
Zarek hesitated before finally responding, “He’d bust my balls knowing I allowed you to get hurt.”
An eye roll should have been enough. But it really wasn’t. Besides, a small… okay big… part of me felt giddy at the thought of Logan losing his shit on Zarek.