Black Pawn (Michael Cailen Book 1) (6 page)

As he peeled out, the two men chasing him emerged from the
building.  Spotting him in the car, they started shooting.  Glass shattered all
around him, but he kept driving.

He turned down a few streets and noticed a black SUV gaining
on him.  He stepped on the gas and flew through a red light.  He made it
through, but the SUV wasn't so lucky.  It got slammed by another car.   He
ditched the car a few blocks away and continued on foot.  Police were bound to
be all over the place.

“So your friend set you up?” Jessica asked.

“No.  He was killed in a mugging on his way to meet me.”

“A mugging?”

“Well, that's what they said in the newspaper.”  He looked
at her.  “But you've seen how reliable the news is.”  Sadness washed over him
and he made no attempt to hide it. “Charlie is dead because of me.  And I
almost got myself killed.  If I die, Shaun can never come back, never see his
parents again.  He'll have to remain in hiding forever ...  And now you.”  He
looked in her eyes.  “I can't afford to be careless.  In the years I've spent
on the run, I've learned you have to still live.  You need to take time to
relax, do things you enjoy.  Otherwise you'll drive yourself mad.  You stop
thinking clearly.”

“Are you trying to warn me that I may be on the run a long
time?”

“Yeah, I am,” he said solemnly.

Unsure how to handle what he just told her, she was trying
to come to grips with this being a long-term situation.  Michael had been on
the run over three years.  Would it be another three years?  Four?

Michael was watching her reaction.  She looked distressed. 
He didn't know what to say to comfort her.  It was a bad situation and nothing
he said would change that.

“I picked up a couple movies.”  His voice cut through the
quiet tension. “An action and a comedy.”

“I could use a distraction right now,” she admitted.

Jessica cleaned off the table as Michael put in the action
movie, then they both settled on the futon.  Jessica curled up with the
blankets and hugged her pillow while Michael sat with his back against the wall. 
During the intense parts of the movie he noticed Jessica would inch her way
closer to him.  He thought it was cute.  Halfway through the movie, she was
practically in his lap.  He refrained from putting his arm around her.  The
hero prevailed and the movie was over.

“You gonna be okay?” he asked her as he made a show of
looking at her close proximity.

She looked embarrassed.  “Sorry. I get scared during
movies.”  She moved away.

He just grinned. “Well it's getting late.  We can watch the
other movie tomorrow.”

“What are we doing tomorrow?” she asked.

“Laying low.  I need some downtime.  We're just going to
stay in tomorrow.  So go ahead and sleep in, I intend to.”

“Okay.  Goodnight then I guess.”

“Goodnight, Jessica.”  He smiled at her then climbed off the
futon and walked into his bedroom.

The next day was uneventful.  Michael worked out again while
Jessica watched TV most of the day and then sat on the dock to watch the
sunset.  Michael joined her, quietly enjoying the sound of the water and
beautiful colors that filled the sky.  Jessica seemed a little sad.  The sun
set and it grew dark.

“Would you like to go out to eat tonight?” he asked.

“What? Like at a restaurant?”

He smiled. “Yeah, a restaurant.  They serve a mean steak.”

“I thought we were supposed to keep a low profile?”

“We won't have to worry about that there.  You want to go?”

“Sure.  Better than eating here again.”

If she had known where they were headed, she might have
answered him differently.  They pulled into a dark parking lot.  She stared at
the drab building surrounded by motorcycles.

“A biker bar?” she said nervously. “I don't want to eat
here.”

“The food is good.  Believe it or not, the place is actually
pretty clean.  And the best part is we don't have to worry about police or
CIA.”

“Yeah, that's probably where the steaks come from,” she
retorted.

He laughed.  “You're with me, remember?”

“I think they outnumber you,” she said, trying to count the
bikes.

He turned off the truck and got out.  She reluctantly
followed.

A waitress seated them in a corner booth just opposite the
bar.  The décor was what you would expect in a biker bar.  Dim, lots of wood,
and not much decorating the walls.  The bar looked rustic to say the least. 
Tall wooden bar stools that looked terribly uncomfortable surrounded it.  Next
to the bar was a hallway above which were an EXIT sign and a wooden sign that
said “Restrooms”.  Booths lined the walls of the dining area with a few wooden
tables scattered in the middle.  It was not upscale like she was used to, but
Michael was right.  It was clean at least.

The place was packed and smoky, in spite of the law barring
smoking in public buildings.  Most everyone hovered around the bar.  They all
looked like scary bikers to Jessica even though they were laughing and
smiling.  There weren't many women there, Jessica could only count about seven,
including the waitresses.  Rock music poured out of the jukebox.   The waitress
handed them two menus and asked what they wanted to drink.  Michael ordered a
beer and Jessica ordered a glass of red wine.

The waitress came back with their drinks and they both
ordered steak with mashed potatoes. They made casual chit chat about food and
restaurants they've eaten in.  They liked a lot of the same things.

Their food arrived and again Michael was right.  They made a
mean steak.  He declined another beer, but Jessica ordered a second glass of
wine.  She wasn't driving and she wanted to get a little tipsy.  They finished
their meals and Jessica finished her second glass of wine.  She was feeling it
and had started to act silly, much to Michael's amusement.  She was really
quite funny when she was relaxed.

“I ... have to go to the bathroom,” she declared as if she
were making a formal announcement.

He chuckled and told her he'd be waiting with baited breath
for her return.  He watched her as she walked past the bar towards the
hallway.  She stumbled a little but managed to keep going.  A combination of
the alcohol and a bum ankle made the trip to the ladies' room challenging.

She walked into the hallway and saw the men's room door on
the left.  The hallway was even darker than the dining area.  She could barely
make out the signs on the doors.  She walked a little further down and found
the women's room door on the right.

The bathroom was clean and bright, much to her relief. 
There were bare spots on the wooden stalls where the paint had peeled off.  The
tile floor looked very old, but fairly clean.  The laminate had chipped off in
areas around the edge of the counter where the sinks were, but still everything
was clean, even if it was a bit run down.

Michael noticed a few men watching Jessica from the bar as
she passed.  Then he saw six or seven of them tapping each other and talking. 
They all started towards the hallway.  It didn't look good.  They could be
going to the men's room or leaving out the back door, but he worried it was
something else.

He threw some money on the table and started towards the
hall.  A man was leaning against the wall just past the men's room.  Michael
walked into the men's room.  Finding it empty, he cursed.  He calmly left the
men's room and started walking towards the exit.  He smiled and nodded at the
guy as he approached.  The guy just stared at him.  He could now hear men's
voices inside the women's bathroom.  He kept his composure and as soon as he
was within arm's reach of the man in the hallway he punched him square in the
face, then swung his arm around the man's neck, quickly dragging him into the
men's room before he could make a sound.  Michael squeezed his neck so hard, he
couldn't breathe.  After a few more seconds, he went limp.  Michael dumped him
in a stall and sprinted out of the men's room.

JESSICA WAS
washing her hands when the door to the
bathroom opened and six men piled in.  Her legs went weak.  At the same time,
she felt a surge of adrenaline.  She backed away from the door, staring in
horror at the men in the restroom with her.  They ranged in size from a short,
skinny man to one that had to be at least two inches taller than Michael and
triple his weight.

“We couldn't help but notice your pretty little behind as
you walked by,” the largest man said. “So my friends and I thought we'd get
together and invite you to a party.”

She felt her body go numb.  This couldn't be happening.

“What's the matter, little girl?  Never been to a party
before?” the large man spoke again.  “Well don't you worry, sweet thing, we'll
show you how it's done,” he said as he reached out to touch her face.  The rest
of the men laughed and a few of them started to unbutton their pants.

That's when the door opened and Michael stepped in.  She had
never been so happy to see someone in all her life.  Though she didn't think it
would matter.  He was outnumbered and that one guy was so huge.  There was no
way he could take them all on.

“How sweet, your boyfriend came to watch,” the big guy
jeered.

Unfazed, Michael looked around at the lot and then at
Jessica.  “Anyone that wants to leave had better do it now.”

Laughter filled the room. “What do you think you're gonna do,
tough guy?” said the man standing next to the big guy.  They all laughed
again.  This time Michael laughed, too.  Jessica wasn't sure what to think. 
She was terrified.  Michael kept smiling as the laughter died and just nodded
his head.  All eyes were fixated on him now.

“Okay ... okay,” he said, still smiling.

He turned toward the door.  The men started giving each
other victory glances until they heard the click of the lock on the door.  
Before anyone knew what was happening, Michael's foot
slammed
against the head of the guy closest to him.  It was lights out for him as he
fell to the floor.  Michael's moves were so quick and fluid, she never even saw
him hit the second little guy.  She just saw the guy clutch his chest and fall
to the floor.  A powerful punch had knocked the wind out of him as well as
broken a few ribs.  Another blow to the head and he too was on the ground
unconscious.
 In one swift motion Michael took out the third man before
he even knew what hit him.  The fourth guy tried to run toward the door, but a
powerful kick in his back sent him flying face first into a wall and he fell to
the floor unconscious.  The fifth man tried to defend himself by taking a swing
at Michael which he easily blocked.   Michael returned the punch, but didn't
miss.  The man dropped to the floor out cold.

Finally only the large man with his big mouth remained.  He
pulled a knife from his pocket, intending to get back at Michael for what he
had just done to his friends.  Michael shook his head in disapproval.

Unintimidated, Michael sprung forward as the man swung the
knife out.  The man soon found himself weaponless and in utter shock over the
ease at which he was overtaken.  He stood shaking and trembling as he looked at
his knife now in Michael's hand.  Michael wanted him to feel fear, to feel
terror.  The way he had just terrorized Jessica.

“Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” the man pleaded.

“Are you really?”  Michael asked rhetorically.

Without mercy, he lunged forward and slipped the knife into
his side.  The man was in a stupor as he couldn't believe what just happened. 
He clutched his wound and dropped to his knees speechless.  During the whole
event, Jessica hadn't moved.  She was frozen, terrified.  The bathroom floor
was littered with the lifeless bodies of the men who had planned on raping her.

Michael saw the horrified look on her face after he stabbed
the man.  “He'll live,” he assured her.  “We have to go.”

He took her hand, pulling her through the restroom.  They
went out the backdoor and hurried to the truck.  Jessica fought back the urge
to vomit.  Michael helped her in, then hopped in the driver's seat.  She
started hyperventilating.  She was shaking worse than before and began crying.

“Jessica.  You're okay.  We're out of there.  You're safe. 
Try to calm your breathing,”  he tried to comfort her.  He started the truck
and peeled out of the parking lot.  “Jessica, you're going to pass out if you
don't slow your breathing ...  Jessica, do you hear me?”

She nodded yes while struggling to take slower breaths.  She
didn't stop shaking and crying the entire ride home.  Michael felt sick over
it.  He should have known better than to take her there.  He couldn't help
think of how many times her life had been put at risk because of him.  The
cafe, almost drowning her, and now this.  He was beginning to think she was
safer without him.

They got to the hideout and Michael came around to her
door.  He put his arm around her and helped her walk.  She was shaking like a
leaf.  He brought her inside and sat her on the futon.  He put a blanket around
her and sat next to her, not sure what to do next.  She sat trembling, staring
at the floor as Michael did the same.

“You killed them?”  Her words barely audible.

He looked at her.  “No.  With what they had in store for you,
I should have.  They'll need medical attention, but they'll live.”

She nodded, her eyes still glued to the floor.  “I want to
stay with you tonight.”

“Okay ... Do you want to go to bed now?”

She nodded her head yes.

“Do you want to change first?”

She nodded again.

He brought her pajamas out and set them next to her.  She
didn't move.  He crouched in front of her and lifted her chin until she looked
in his eyes.  “Change your clothes and I'll be waiting for you in the other
room. Okay?”

She nodded.

He walked back into the bedroom and quickly changed his own
clothes.  He waited a few minutes wondering if he should check on her.  He was
about to when she appeared in the doorway, still shaking and seeming afraid to
enter his room.  He walked to her and took her in his arms.  She buried her
face in his chest and he squeezed her tight.

“I'm sorry,” he said.

She started crying and he held her tighter.  After a few
minutes, she calmed.

“Let's go to bed,” he said as he released his grip on her.

He walked her to the bed and held the covers up as she got
in.  He climbed in on the other side and turned off the light.  She curled up
on her side.  He moved in close behind her, wrapping his arm around her.  She
took his hand in her own and held it close to her.  Her breathing was heavy,
but she was starting to calm.  He squeezed her hand and pulled her tight to his
chest.  She squeezed back.