Double Cross #2
Joel spit in Johnny’s face and forced the gag back into his mouth with a laugh. “You should have stayed in your little prison cell; you might have lived.”
Joel turned and grinned at them all. “Harding! Plans have changed! Stubbs, gag that bitch!” He pointed at Halo. Stubbs spun Halo to him and grabbed the gag as she moved her head back and forth, glaring with pure hatred at Joel.
“Oh, Halo, looks don't kill. Fucking open your mouth, or I will have Alabama shoot Athena right in front of you.”
Halo gave him a pleading look and slowly opened her mouth as Stubbs inserted the gag.
“Get used to it, bitch. That's not the only thing that's going to be in your mouth!” Joel laughed. As he brought up his hand to slap Halo, Johnny ripped himself free again and lunged at him, making him miss Halo’s face.
Harding grabbed Johnny while Joel was cursing obscenities.
Joel spun around and kicked Johnny so hard in his crotch that he crumpled in a heap at their feet choking for air.
Joel delivered another kick to Johnny’s unconscious body, then pointed at Stubbs. “Take her to the car and deliver her to where we planned. Your money is there, in a black briefcase.”
Lee spoke out. “What the hell, sir! Why are we deviating from the plan? We are supposed to take you and Halo to the airport and get out of the country! Where the fuck does that leave us?”
Harding bellowed, “Shut the fuck up, Lee!”
Joel snickered. “Oh, don't get your panties in a knot! Halo is going to be taught a lesson! Which is… NO ONE FUCKS WITH ME!” Joel screeched, laughing.
“Goddammit, I didn’t sign up for killing Halo Raines. The shitstorm that comes of this is going to land us in prison for fucking life,” Lee spat.
Joel laughed and bobbed his head back and forth.
“If you must know, Halo is going to make her very last movie with actors of my choosing. No one ever again is going to want to fuck that tainted bitch! You and the world will be able to see it all on pay-per-view! I bet I can make a shit ton of cash before they shut that shit down!”
Halo's eyes widened with fear. Lee moved close to Halo and Stubbs, then directed his anger at Joel. “The plan was for you to take her with us and get out of the country. What's with this 'tainted' shit? I thought you wanted her.”
“Because she will be tainted soon! Ain’t no coming back from that shit.” He pointed his finger in Halo’s face. “You fight this? Athena and JJ both get gut-shot after I’m done.” He leered at Halo and shook his finger in warning at her.
Everyone went quiet and turned to Halo, who looked on in abject horror, crying through her gag.
Lee shook his head in shock at Joel. “Sir, that is some really sick shit…”
Joel laughed. “Isn't it, though? Make me look stupid on TV?
I'm going to make her look like the whore she is, worldwide!” He turned to Halo with an evil smile.
“Those guys who are going to fuck you? There's no cure for what they have!” Joel pointed at Halo and laughed. “Get her the fuck out of here, Stubbs.”
“Got it.” Stubbs wrenched Halo’s arm, jerked her to her feet, and easily flipped her over his stocky shoulder.
Lee shot an angry look at his boss. “This is fucking shit, Major…”
Alabama pulled Athena into Halo’s closet and spun her around. He uncuffed her and started to remove her gag. Her eyes suddenly shifted past him, going wide.
A cold, deadly voice spoke from behind him. “Don’t even twitch. Hands up.”
“Daddy!” Athena whispered.
“Back away from him. Now.”
Athena nodded, moved away, and then ran straight into her father’s arms.
Alabama slowly raised his hands. “Hey, Simo told me to tell you, if I ever ran into y’all, to stay fucking calm. I’m the one who contacted him about them trying to grab your daughter…”
“Keep talking,” Xander whispered harshly. “And don’t move.”
“I was gonna put her in that safe room right in front of us. Keep her away from that asshole downstairs.”
“Like hell I’m trusting you.”
“Listen, man, if I don’t get my ass back down there, shit’s gonna rain down on all y’all up here.”
“What’s the code?” Xander demanded quietly.
“One-two-zero-three,” Alabama hissed. “Lee and I, we’re on your side, man.”
Xander pulled Athena close, never lowering the gun. “Very carefully open the door, or you catch a bullet with your brain.”
Athena hugged him hard and whispered, “Dad… I heard Eleni talking to Halo. I think… it’s ok, something about a plan.”
The shelving slid free. Alabama pulled it out and opened the door.
“So now what, Xander?” Alabama asked.
“Face the shelving. Hands up. Sidestep away from the door.”
“Ok.”
“Koukla,” Xander said softly. “Get inside and lock it. If anyone you don’t know comes to that door, you hit the alarm. Understand?”
“Yes, Daddy. I love you. Be careful, please.”
“I will, baby. I love you, too. Now go.”
He pushed her forward, shut the door, and slid the shelving back into place. Then he turned the gun fully on Alabama.
“Don’t move. What is Joel planning to do with Halo?”
“She was supposed to go to his plane. We were gonna leave the country… or so he thought. Simo’s got resources there. Like I said, Lee’s with me. We want nothing to do with hurting Halo or your daughter. Harding’s all in with Joel. Same with Stubbs and the others. Simo’s got a plan.”
“How can I trust you?”
“Shit—fuck—they’re calling me,” Alabama urged.
“Answer,” Xander said. “Tell them you’re tying Athena up. Now.”
Alabama slowly lowered one hand and keyed his radio. “Yeah. The little bitch had to pee. I’m tying her shit up now. Be right there.”
Xander watched him closely, weighing his options: incapacitate, shoot, or trust.
“Fuck,” Alabama whispered. “Joel’s coming up here with JJ.”
“Good,” Xander said coldly. “Stay in front of me and meet him at the door. Hand me the cuffs.”
“Simo is so gonna be pissed off…” Alabama muttered. “Fine.”
Xander slipped into the shadows behind the bathroom door, gun trained on Alabama’s back.
“What the fuck took so fucking long?” Joel shouted as he shoved JJ toward Halo’s bed.
“Like I said, Sir,” Alabama replied evenly. “The little bitch gave me grief. Said she had to pee. I tied her up in the closet. What now?”
“Go downstairs. Get ready to kill those fuckers and burn this house down when I’m done with this bitch. Then we’re out.”
“Please hurry, sir. I don’t like waiting.”
“Don’t tell me to fucking hurry!” Joel snarled, shoving Alabama out the door. He slammed it shut and locked it.
Joel turned and laughed at JJ.
Xander watched, fury coiling tight in his chest, as Joel slapped JJ and shoved her onto the bed.
“I should’ve hit your fucking head harder with that ELT,” Joel sneered.
“What?” JJ yelled.
“Oh yeah,” Joel laughed. “Why the fuck do you think your head was so bad and Sarah’s wasn’t?”
He reached behind his back…
Suddenly, JJ kicked him hard in the gut.
Her cuffs snapped as she ripped free. In one fluid motion, a black-bladed knife flashed into her hand as she launched herself at him.
JJ nearly screamed as Joel was ripped out of her grasp.
She saw a man’s hand clamp over his ugly mouth, then she recognized the voice that spoke.
She watched Joel’s eyes widen as he tried to climb up thin air.
Her gaze dropped between his legs, where a long, shiny knife protruded, threatening to split him in two.
“Hello, Joel. I’m here to make good on my promise,” Xander said casually, a wicked grin on his face. “You scream, I slice your dick in half as a starter.”
Joel gasped for air, scrambling onto his tiptoes to keep distance from the blade as Xander’s hand slipped away long enough to strip Joel of his gun.
“JJ, you ok?”
“Thank God it’s you, Xander. I’m good.”
“How did you get out of your cuffs? Never mind. Go get into the safe room with Athena. I’ll handle things.”
“Xander! Simo said to tell you to stay calm. This is all planned. You’ve got Joel, just let them handle the rest.”
“Got it. Now go and take care of my daughter,” Xander ordered.
JJ backed away toward the closet, casting one last worried look at Xander holding the knife. She shivered, then turned and slipped into the safe room.
Xander dragged Joel toward the bathroom. “So, Joel. You gonna tell me where Halo is?”
“Fuck you, you fucking bastard! What the hell is going on?” Joel snarled.
Xander sighed. “You told me to come on over, so here I am. That is what is going on.” He pulled the knife from between Joel’s legs and waved it slowly in front of his face.
Joel’s eyes tracked the blade. Without warning, Xander punched him square in the face, caught him before he fell, and snapped the cuffs onto his wrists.
“New move. Like it, Joel?” Xander smirked, jerking him around.
“I ain’t telling you shit,” Joel sneered, trying to spit blood at him.
Xander shut that down with a short, sharp punch to Joel’s diaphragm. He spun him again and slammed his back against the counter, yanked Joel’s waistband out, and slid the knife down the front of his pants.
Joel gasped, scrambling up on his toes. “What the fuck!”
“Ah, there’s gotta be something important down there,” Xander said mildly. “Did your dick shrivel and hide?”
Joel tried harder to climb the vanity as Xander held him in place.
“Now, Joel. You will tell me what I want to know. Oops, that was the flat side of the blade.” Xander rotated the knife slowly, the sharpened edge catching the light. “Or I twitch and you start bleeding. Let’s see what I cut first: beans or weenie.”
“She—she’s headed to San Fernando!”
“Call them off. Bring her back.” The knife began moving again, slow and deliberate.
“Shit! I—I can’t. I didn’t get their number or give them mine. Just in case. She’s gonna get what’s coming to her.”
Xander felt the rage burn hot and steady. “If anything happens to her, Joel, I will start amputating pieces of you. You know by now I’m good at amputating limbs. And… I keep my promises.”
“Fuck you.”