CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
J ULIAN
––––––––
M Y PI HAD GOTTEN BACK to me with information on Scott Pollard. Most of the stuff Aiden had picked up in his recordings of Scott in his father’s office were lies the bastard told investors, trying to get them to work with him.
The truth was that Scott Pollard was a bad seed and a thorn in his father’s side. Scott had racked up a lot of debt over the years, with creditors pursuing him long before his father's criminal investigation began.
Because of this, his father distanced himself from Scott and even stopped using him for dirty jobs after creditors began approaching the Clarks for money. That angered Scott so much that he actually kidnapped Junior for a few days just last month and held him for ransom until his father paid him off.
With both Senior and Junior dealing with their legal issues, Scott was trying to intimidate the family and the company to get money out of them to pay off his debts. He was desperate.
And with things not working out the way he’d hoped, he was starting to spiral. The cameras at Cattaneo Concrete Solutions had picked up on someone in a gray hoodie and ripped jeans loitering around the building.
The person had thrown a glass bottle at the front door, trying to break it. But our glass doors and windows were bulletproof. We’d been shot up before. We now had measures in place to protect our employees and clients.
However, striking the glass that hard had triggered the alarm. He’d run off once it blared. On the cameras, his face wasn’t shown. But Rashad had sent me photos of Scott, and in a few of them, he was wearing that same hoodie and jeans.
He was the one who’d tried to break into my company. He was the one I was after. And I was determined to find him. Tonight . He’d escaped me once a week ago, fleeing an alleyway once he saw my car. I wasn’t going to let him escape me again.
I turned onto a dirt road a block away from the latest address Rashad sent me. I cut the engine and killed the lights. I sat there in the dark, gun in my holster, waiting to see if my arrival, though a block away, had been detected.
I glanced out the windows, eyes scanning the forest around me, searching for movement. All was still. It was a clear and quiet night. The moon was out, and the stars shone brightly. Tonight would be a perfect night to lie on my back balcony and stare up at the stars with Stefanie.
But because of this motherfucker, I was pulling on my black gloves, preparing for a kill. If I weren’t in such a rush to get back to Stefanie, I’d let this Scott versus the Clarks shit play out. I’d let Aaron’s bastard son bring down their entire family and destroy their company.
However, I didn’t have time for that. I was ready to see Stefanie, to feel her. I was ready to stop writing love letters on paper and write them on her body. I was ready to whisper those words in her ear and see her response in real time.
I was desperate to feel her body against mine. And I couldn’t do that until Scott was no longer a threat. Ready to get this over with, I pulled my ski mask over my face and removed my gun from my holster.
I double-checked the clip. It was loaded. I pushed it back into my holster and exited my car. I didn’t follow the dirt road to the house. I walked through the bushes and trees, not wanting to be caught out in the open.
This house had been abandoned for years. With no upkeep to the grounds, the weeds and grass in the front yard were nearly as tall as I was. There were no lights on in the house, making the place almost blend in with the night, its silhouette barely visible.
According to Rashad's intel, Scott was holed up here, hiding from creditors and the mess he'd created with his estranged family and their company. Dressed in all black, I moved silently through the overgrown yard.
The car in the driveway was Scott’s. Rashad had taken some photos of him in it. It wasn’t registered to him, however. It was registered to a deceased woman from Maryland. I didn’t know what had happened there, nor did I care.
I crouched beside the car and pulled out my blade. I punctured the tires. There would be no easy escape for Scott tonight. I slid my blade back into the side of my boot. I kept low, moving around the side of the house with my gun drawn.
I peered into the grimy windows one by one, pausing at each to look for any sign of movement or light inside. Nothing. The place looked empty. But Scott had to be in there. The camera Rashad put up on the tree across from the house showed Scott entering but not leaving.
He was inside. He had to be. I crept up to one of the side windows with its grime-covered glass. I found the cleanest spot and stared inside, looking and listening for movement. At first, there was nothing.
Then I heard something, a muffled sound. A voice, maybe. I couldn’t make out what was being said. It could’ve been a radio. It could’ve been a TV. I stood still, listening. The sound repeated after about fifteen seconds, appearing to be on a loop.
I remained frozen, wanting to confirm that. Yep. It repeated every fifteen seconds. It had to be Scott's phone playing a video on repeat, which meant wherever Scott was in the house, he was asleep. Perfect .
I reached up and tested the window latch. It wasn’t locked. I pushed it up slowly, bit by bit, stopping when the wood frame creaked. I waited. Listened. Nothing. No footsteps. No new voices. No doors creaking open.
I kept going, inch by inch, until the opening was wide enough for me to fit through. I climbed through the window, landing softly on the hardwood floor. I crouched low, back to the wall, gun pointed at the open door across the room.
The house smelled of old wood, dust and piss. You’d have to be in a bad situation to hole up in a place like this. I sat still for about ten seconds, eyes scanning the empty room, waiting to see if my entrance had been detected.
All I heard was the muffled sound coming from Scott’s phone. I stood slowly and followed the sound, walking cautiously, testing each of the old floorboards before putting my full weight on them.
I stepped into the hallway and stared left, then right. Facing right, I stared down the long hallway. The front door was just in front of me. Good to know. The muffled sound playing on a loop was coming from the room next to me.
I moved in that direction. The bedroom door was slightly ajar. I peered inside. There he was. Scott Pollard. He was asleep atop a dirty mattress on the floor. This was my chance to end this bullshit once and for all.
The door was open just enough for me to fit my gun inside. This had to be fate lining things up for me to get back to Stefanie. I slid my weapon through the opening and trained it on Scott’s skull.
A sharp clap split the silence. The wall in front of me exploded into splinters. I jerked back, guarding my face and ducking low just as a second bullet tore through the drywall where my head had been.
What the fuck?
Gunfire lit up the front of the house. Whoever was out there wasn’t aiming for me. They were lighting up the front door like they were trying to smoke someone out. Someone had to be at the back door, in case Scott ran.
Shit. I wasn’t the only one here to kill Scott Pollard!
My eyes snapped to the slightly ajar door before me when I heard movement inside the bedroom. Scott was awake, and he wasn’t wasting time trying to escape. The front door blasted open with a crash.
I sprinted across the hall, gun up, heart pounding in my ears. I burst into the bedroom in time to see Scott rushing through another door, ducking low as he ran. I chased after him, racing across the room, heading for the door he’d disappeared through.
A bullet sliced past my shoulder. I felt the heat of it a second before it struck the wall in front of me. I pivoted mid-stride, spinning just enough to take aim at the shadow in the doorway. Another shot rang out. Mine .
The target tried to move out of the way. I’d aimed for his chest, but ended up striking him in the shoulder. Fuck . The intruder stumbled out of view, cursing loudly. I took off after Scott, my boots thudding against the floor as I raced through the same door he’d gone through.
The door only led to another fucking bedroom. Every room in this damn house connected to another. Inside, I found Scott fighting off another guy in dark clothing. I guess the guy guarding the back door had grown impatient.
The guy had his back to me, shielding Scott from me. I fired, striking the man in the neck, his blood spurting onto Scott. As soon as the man’s grip on him eased up, Scott took off toward the hallway. I fired again.
Scott nearly slipped down. My bullet struck the far wall. Lucky motherfucker! Clutching his throat, the other intruder dropped to his knees. I approached him cautiously, looking for a weapon. I didn’t see one.
“Please,” he whispered, staring up at me.
I put a bullet in his chest. He was going to bleed out anyway. It was better to die quickly than suffer. I strode toward the hallway, stopping just short of venturing into it. I peeked out, looking left, then right, searching for the first intruder.
I didn’t see him or Scott. But I knew what direction Scott had gone in, and I was pretty sure he was heading for the back door. I stepped into the hallway, gun raised, listening for any sound of movement.
I heard it just ahead of me and to my right. I peered around the corner to see Scott slamming against the back door, trying to get it open. It wouldn’t budge. The second intruder must’ve put something against it before entering the house through a window. Smart .
I raised my weapon and aimed at Scott’s head. A shot rang out, kicking up wood near my foot. Mother. Fucking. Bull. Shit . I turned and fired at the shadowy figure that was ducking off into a bedroom.
My bullet struck the doorway. I was tired of that motherfucker. I turned to find Scott’s bitch ass racing into another room of this maze of a house. I followed him. It shouldn’t be this damn hard to kill one man.
He ducked into the next room and slammed the door shut behind him. I fired off a shot right before it closed. His cry of pain let me know he was hit. I heard the lock click as I raced toward the room.
I didn’t slow down. I slammed into the door with my shoulder. The whole thing shook, the hinges groaned. I was about to ram into the door again when I heard footsteps behind me. I didn’t hesitate. I ducked and spun around, firing two rounds.
A bullet grazed my ear as the gunman dropped his weapon, hand bleeding, a finger on the floor. I fired again, striking him in the stomach. He fell to the ground. Ear stinging, I turned back and rammed my shoulder into the door again.
It rattled louder this time, loosened but still holding. Another shoulder ram into the door sent it crashing in. I stumbled forward, falling on top of the door. I quickly rolled to the side and raised my weapon, eyes scanning the room. It was empty, and the window was open.
Fuck! I got up, dusting myself off, and walked over to the window. Shit! He was gone. He would’ve tried to leave in his vehicle. I turned and raced through the house, down the hall, and out the front door.
I stood on the porch, listening, waiting to see if I spotted any movement. The light inside the car was on. The door was open. But Scott was long gone on foot. I clenched my teeth, pissed the hell off. I strode back into the house, walking over the front door that was now on the floor.
When I reached the first intruder, I found him clutching his stomach. I approached and stood over him, gun pointed at his head. Why? I didn’t know. I was out of bullets. Even so, I wanted to put some fear in the bastard.
Because of him, I’d lost my target. Because of him, I had to wait even longer to get back to Stefanie. Because of him, a threat to my family was still on the loose.
"Who sent you after Scott?" I demanded.
He looked dazed as the moonlight drifted through the dirty windows, illuminating his pale face in the dark house. He mumbled something I couldn’t decipher. I kicked his shoulder. He groaned in pain.
“Speak clearly,” I insisted.
He whispered, "Aaron Clark... sent me... to kill his... mistake."
I stared at him, disgusted. Aaron Senior was willing to cover up and even kill for one son, but he treated the other like trash. I almost felt sorry for Scott. But the fact that my PI told me Scott tried to hire him to investigate me meant I had no choice but to kill the bastard.
I couldn’t let Scott live. I also couldn’t allow this hired gun to live. Out of bullets, I had no choice but to get my hands dirty. I went to my knees next to him and placed my hand over his nose and mouth, pressing down.
He struggled against me but was too weak to fight much. He’d already lost a lot of blood. This was actually a mercy killing. It was better for him to die now than burn alive when I burned this place down.
I couldn’t have Scott returning here. I needed him to try to hole up at the other places my PI told me about. That would narrow my search. The gunman had tears flowing down the side of his face as his body convulsed.
I looked away. I hated this. But he’d been dead the moment he entered this home. No loose ends. I had to finish this well so that no one came after Stefanie, India, or my family later. For them, I held firm.
Eventually, he stopped moving. I checked his pulse. Nothing. He was gone. I found myself wondering if he had a family, a wife, and kids. I quickly ended that thought process. Focusing on that would drive me crazy.
Plus, he hadn’t worried about my family when he’d fired at me. One of us had to die. That’s just how it was. I picked up both guns from the floor and stood up. It was time to pick up my bullet casings, then burn this place to the ground.
I’d hoped to end things tonight. I’d hoped to send Stefanie a letter tomorrow, asking if I could take her out to dinner. Unfortunately, that would have to wait. The dinner part. Not the letter. I was definitely sending her a letter.
I thought of what I’d say to her in the letter as I strode back to my car and got my container of gasoline. I smiled as I poured gas around the property, thinking of how she’d respond to some of the things I wanted to say to her.
And as the house burned, I pictured Stefanie’s cheeks heating in embarrassment as she read about all the nasty things I wanted to do to her. And now I was on hard. Fuck! I was tired of jacking off. I vowed right then and there never to let Scott escape me again.
The next time I saw him, I would kill him.