Chapter 38
Saturday night, still in the storage closet
F ran slammed against the wall with a thud. Gabby went for her gun arm, pinning it against the wall for just a second.
But Fran wriggled free. “Ha! Nice try, rookie.”
For a split second, Gabby thought it was all over. She’d started it, and Fran was about to finish it. About to die, she had nothing to lose. Even if Fran didn’t make good on Smirnov’s threat to kill the kids, Kyle and Lucas would be raised by Phil alone, or Phil and his latest bimbo. Fuck no.
Gabby leaned away from Fran, called deep within herself, and pulled out her inner Billy Blanks from when she did his workout video for two months straight in 2010. Her foot smacked into Fran’s midsection with an “ooof” of expelled air. While Fran was out of breath, Gabby kicked her again, and the gun dropped and skittered across the floor well out of reach.
While the gun fidget-spun its way to a stop, Fran took her chance. Middle school bathroom–style, Fran grabbed Gabby’s hair and whispered in a low, sinister voice, “I’m going to kill your family very, very slowly.”
Through the pain, Gabby said, “I spent my last five dollars on a scone for you.”
Fran laughed. “I don’t even like scones.”
Gabby gasped. What an ungrateful bitch. “It came with clotted crea—!”
A kick to the gut cut off Gabby’s outrage, and she doubled over in pain. It wasn’t like in the movies where she spit some blood and then kept going. As a girl who had never even played sports, she’d never taken a hit before or tested her physical limits. How much pain was tolerable? What kind of discomfort could she fight through? Was this normal?
“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Fran said, a little too happy about it.
“I think I might have broken something.” If she survived this, she was going to google WebMD for broken ribs immediately. Couldn’t they puncture a lung?
Fran laughed as Gabby was still clutching her stomach.
Markus yelled, “You got her, Gabby.”
At that, Fran swept her foot under Gabby, causing her to drop to the floor and land on her ass with a massive thud.
“I was trying to be your friend,” Gabby said.
Fran kicked her in the ribs again.
“What would your kid think of this?”
“Tuition is expensive, Gabby. You know that. And my ex doesn’t pay child support.”
“Did you think about hiring a lawyer?”
Fran laughed in her face. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m broke.”
If Gabby walked out of here, Kyle and Lucas were going to some summer camps that promised enhanced learning in natural environments with gentle encouragement. If Fran won, her kid was going to Waldorf School. These kids were going to fulfill their potential, but at what cost to the mothers?
“Mother to mother,” Gabby said, “maybe we’re trying too hard.”
“You can never try too hard. Kids are fucking expensive,” Fran said, standing on Gabby’s hand until she squealed.
“What is the matter with you, Fran?” Gabby said. “You’re not really killing me for your kid’s sake. Come off it.”
“And you’re not here for your kids’ sake?”
Gabby was one hundred percent here for her kids, to keep custody, to satisfy that stupid seek work order. Gabby was breathing hard. Each and every breath hurt.
“What is the matter with you, Gabby?” Fran taunted. “I didn’t think you’d give up so fast. This is pathetic.”
She didn’t want to give up, but she was broken. On the floor with what she believed to be several cracked ribs, a messed-up hand, and a bruised ass. Stay-at-home-mom life had been for the kids, but it was also safe. She didn’t have to test her limits; she didn’t have to change or push herself. Gabby wasn’t qualified for this.
She heard Markus’s voice. “Gabby, remember what I taught you. You can do this. You are strong.”
Tears must have been shining in her eyes, because Markus said, “Toughen up, Agent Greene. Put your feelings in a box and get out there.”
He was right. Gabby took a breath and gathered her strength. She staggered to her feet like the boxer who looked like he was almost finished off and could barely see through a swollen eye.
Fran laughed.
Gabby centered herself. It might not be much, but she did two days’ worth of training, and it was now or never. Just like Markus had taught her, she stomped on Fran’s foot and jammed her elbow up into her nose. Something snapped, and blood gushed. This time it was Fran’s turn to stagger. She didn’t hit the floor, but Gabby had one last move. Markus’s advice, “Kick ’em in the balls,” sounded in her mind. Gabby pushed down on Fran’s shoulders and jammed her knee into Fran’s crotch as hard as she could.
At this moment, Valentina burst into the room, Fran collapsed on the floor with Gabby battered but still standing. Her eyes flicked from Gabby and Fran to the restrained agents. In between ragged breaths, Gabby explained, “Fran was working for the Mafia. I’ll explain the rest later.”
Alice nodded her head. “Give her a hand, Val.”
Valentina unholstered her gun. Instead of pointing it at Fran or any of the bad guys, she handed it to Gabby. “It looks like you already have it covered, but here you go.”
Tears pricked at the back of Gabby’s eyes. “Thank you.”
“You earned it.” Concern in her voice, Valentina said, “You’re not going to shoot anyone, right?”
Gabby looked at the gun in her hands. Now that she had it, she realized that she really didn’t want it. She didn’t want to shoot Fran. She’d prefer Fran in jail. “No, but I really appreciate the gesture.”
“I mean, a gun isn’t really a gesture,” said Valentina. “It’s a tool. Now, go ahead and wrap this up. I’ll block the door.”
Gabby kept the gun aimed at Fran while she walked across the room to collect the nonlethal version. Valentina had been right earlier—a dart gun was all she needed. Like a nineties action hero, she trained the dart gun on Fran.
Markus interrupted. “Don’t forget your tagline, Agent Greene.”
“Compartmentalize this,” Gabby said, committing fully.
“What?” Fran looked confused.
“What I mean is that, in the future, you will have to put the feelings from this trauma in a box and try to move past them.” That was probably too much explanation for a tagline. It was no “Hasta la vista, baby.”
From the sideline, the EOD agents were cheering. “You got her, Gabs.”
When she looked uncertain, Markus said, “It’s a little cerebral, but I like it. It made me really uncomfortable the other day. That’s the point, right?”
“Thanks, Markus.” She smiled big at him.
“Sorry about this, Fran, but you’ve been a real pain in the ass.” She aimed the dart at Fran’s ass and fired.