CaughtInTheTrap (22 page)

Carla looked down at Tonya, who hadn’t moved.  Wanting to stay and grieve her friend, she couldn’t; she had to go.  She took off for the river as bullets skipped in the grass under her feet.

She heard a grunt and turned around in time to see Zach fall to the ground.  She stopped in her tracks. “Zach!” She yelled.

“Keep going, Carla.  I’m okay, go.” He yelled back to her.

A bright light beamed down from the bottom of a helicopter scanning the open field.  The swirling blades kicked up dry hay tossing it around in the air.  Carla covered her eyes to keep the dirt and debris from blinding her. Gunfire rang from the helicopter and more came from within the woods.  She saw flashes of white light that blasted from the barrels of guns.

Carla found refuge behind a metal water trough used for horses.  She watched the action unfold wondering what was going on.  There were only three men with Yezhov yet there seemed like a full war taking place now. Then she saw it.  She stood up and yelled, but the noise from the helicopter drowned her out.

*****

Zach felt the butt of the gun come down on his shoulder.  He quickly scrambled to his feet and faced the man holding the Uzi to his head.

“I’ve waited a long time for this,” the man said grinning.

Zach rolled his neck to ease the stinging pain from where the gun hit him. The man was Ivan; the head of Yezhov’s security and his personal bodyguard.  He was one hell of a fighter too.  They had crossed paths before only to have Ivan escape before he could take him out once and for all.  He ignored the pain radiating up his arm from the gunshot wound. He wiggled his finger motioning for the man to come forward. “Put down the gun and fight me like a man, asshole.”

Ivan arrogantly shrugged his shoulders. “We do it your way.”  He dropped the gun and took off his suit jacket carefully placing it on the ground.  He lunged for Zach grabbing him round the waist and throwing him to the ground.

Zach rebounded, jumping to his feet.  In the distance, he heard the gunfire going off and the chopper hovering above him. The wind from it whipped his jacket up his back.  Ivan leaped and pushed Zach down again, sitting on his chest.  He bucked his powerful legs until he was able to roll him over.  As they rolled around on the ground fighting, Zach felt the strength seeping from his injured arm.  He managed to throw a punch landing it on Ivan’s face; the blow sent him backward.

As Ivan lay on the ground, Zach stood over him, his breathing heavy and ragged. Thinking Ivan was out cold, he turned around to pick up his gun to secure it.  He heard a loud bang and felt his face hit the dirt. 

Stunned for a few seconds that he was still alive, Zach shoved the heavy body off him and sat up.

Carla was standing over Ivan with the smoking gun in her hand.  A zombie-like look was pasted on her face.  She looked up at him.  Her eyes were big, her face dirty with streaked blood. He got off the ground slowly and went to her.

“He was going to kill you.  I couldn’t let that happen,” she said in a deadpan voice.

Zach took the gun from her as Rodney and ATF members ran over to them. He motioned for them to stay back. “Carla… it’s okay. I got you.” He managed to catch her before she hit the ground fainting.

Three days had passed since the bloodbath on the private farm in Port Clinton.  He didn’t realize how close to neighboring houses they were until the daylight hours came, and people flooded the area.  News crews from around the world had settled in the area looking to get a piece of the hottest story to hit the airwaves in years.  Zach and Rodney disappeared to avoid exposure on national television.  They didn’t need the world knowing who they were.  Since Lowes was the SAC, he stepped in to handle the media.  He had no problem talking to reporters and recounting the events of what happened, even though he wasn’t there.  Zach refused to ignore his suspicions about him but had to put it on the backburner for now.

The early morning sunlight and birds chirping caused Zach to stir.  He rolled over in bed and pulled Carla close to him.  She had tossed and turned the majority of the night sometimes screaming out from a nightmare.  While her physical injuries weren’t severe, her emotional trauma would take time to heal.  Once briefed by authorities and released from the hospital, Carla was free to go about her life. He and Rodney escorted her home, but she refused to go inside. Rodney suggested he stay with her until funeral arrangements were made for Tonya.

For three days she cried.  Unable to accept Tonya’s death and the fact she’d taken a life.  Ivan survived the gunshot wound she inflicted upon him, but doctors were confident he’d never regain the use of his lower body.  The bullet severed his spinal cord.

Carla molded next to Zach and latched onto his arm clutching it tightly around her. “Thank you for staying with me.”

“You saved my life—I owe you. Although, we should get up and get dressed.  Tonya’s services are later this morning.  Are you sure you’re going to be able to sing?  No one would blame you for backing out, Carla.”

She tugged on his arms tighter. “I don’t know if I can do it, Zach, but I have to try. I’ll have to watch them bury my best friend. It’s not fair! I hate my life and what it has done to me and the people I love.”

“You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”

“I do, blame myself.  Tonya should not be dead.  How will I face her family? They will point the finger at me.”

He nestled his chin on the top of her head. “Carla, when Rodney and ATF agents stormed the shack and killed Yezhov, I thought it would end there for you.  I misjudged how all this would affect you in the long run.”

“It’ll never end for me, Zach.  I’m a freaking mess. There is no way I’ll be able to face those people ever again.”

He turned her over gently to face him.  Tiny scabs covered the cuts on her face and the bruise around her eye had turned a dark purple with hints of blue and red weaving through it.  He grew angry every time he saw the scars and bruises that covered her body.  Boris got what he deserved.  If he had got to him first, the results would’ve been the same, only Carla wouldn’t be carrying the burden.

He brushed curls away from her face. “I’ll be your strength for you, today. If there is anything else I can do to help you get through this, let me know.”

“You being there will help me. Other than that, it will be an awkward day for everyone involved.  Myron’s in jail for attempted kidnapping, and Tonya died because I couldn’t save her life.  I didn’t know how bad her injuries were.”  She leaned her head down and began to cry on his chest. “I can’t believe this, how am I supposed to stay here and know she’ll never come home again?”

Zach felt her emotions seep into him. She was slowly weakening him to have feelings of sorrow for other people. Years of being alone had taught him how to detach from what she was feeling.  He hadn’t been to a funeral since his grandfather died, and he had not shed a tear since then.  He was ten years old at the time.

He cuddled her in his arms. She was hurting, and he couldn’t take away her pain and the overwhelming need to take care of her was scaring the hell out of him.  Maybe Rodney was right—he had fallen for her.

“We’ll worry about that later, Carla.  Let’s try to make it through the services for now.”

Later that morning he managed to get her out of bed.  They showered and dressed.

Preparing to leave the apartment, Zach checked his reflection in the mirror one last time.  He didn’t like wearing suits.  He found them confining and uncomfortable.  But he had to admit he cleaned up well.  The black suit was basic and not a designer label.  However, the crisp white shirt, black pinstriped tie, and gold cufflinks dressed it up. His size 12 feet felt snug in the black dress shoes. He scrubbed a hand down his clean-shaven face, thinking he didn’t look like an undercover FBI agent but one that sat behind a desk.  He also had to shake off the uncomfortableness of attending a funeral that would be heartbreaking to everyone attending.

Carla came from the bedroom.  She walked slow and with a slight a limp due to her injured ankle and knee. He wanted to tell how beautiful she looked in the soft black sleeveless dress that rested below the knees. She had pulled her hair into a tight bun to the back of her head but left a swooping bang to cover her black eye. Small loop gold earrings graced her ears.

She sat on the sofa to put on black low-heel sandals, and stuffed wads of tissue inside her beaded black handbag.  Tonya’s family asked her to ride with them in the limo, but Zach had her nix the idea. He felt it would be better to escort her himself.

He walked over to the chair and removed her jacket that was hanging on the back of it. He helped her slip it on looking at her sad face.  The glow was gone from her beautiful brown eyes, the flippant responses that flew from her mouth silenced. Drawing in a deep breath his heart shattered into a million pieces. 

Zach took her hand and quietly they left the apartment.  Carla slowed as they came to Tonya’s apartment.  She touched the door with her fingertips. He put an arm around her waist letting her grieve for a brief moment but not longer than that. “Come, Carla, we have to go.”

She nodded and squeezed his hand. “Zach, I appreciate the effort you’re making to help me through this.  I’ll always remember this side of you.”

He caressed her cheek. “Anything for you,” he whispered.

“Huh?” she asked looking at him confused.

“I mean I’m only doing it since your family isn’t here yet. Once we get to the church, they can take over.”

“Oh, I see.  Well, after the funeral, I’m going to stay with Paula for a while.  I don’t know if I’ll come back to Cleveland.”

“You’re going to give up your life here?”

She nodded. “I have nothing here anymore.  Tonya is gone, and I need to be with my mom and sister.  I’ll figure out what to do with my life later.”

“That is your decision to make.  Who knows, a start over in a new place could be good for you.”

Outside, the warm morning sun kissed them on the face.  Zach unlocked the car door and helped Carla inside. The scent of her perfume drifted under his nose.  He snapped her seatbelt just to linger next to her.

“Thank you, again.  Should I introduce you to people as Agent Murphy?”

He rested his arm on the edge of the car door. “Well, for this occasion I guess that would be proper.  How else would you explain me being there?”

“I’m sure you know the church will be packed with black people.  But, Tonya was an outgoing person and had all types of friends. No one would think differently of you being there.  I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

“Don’t worry about me, Carla; I’m a big boy.  Rodney’s attending with other representatives from the FBI and ATF to pay their respects to the family.”

“Good.  I’ll get to say goodbye to him.”

He didn’t answer and closed the door softly and walked to the driver’s side of the car.

Once the funeral was over, Zach stood outside the church with Rodney.  “Man, that was painful and never again will I do that,” Zach said loosening his tie.

“You can say that again.  I’ve been to my share of funerals, but this one was hard.  I have to tip my hat off to Carla for being able to sing.  She had me tearing up. I can’t have a macho face with tears in my eyes.”

He put on his sunglasses to cut the glaring sunlight. “Her tribute to Tonya was touching and I get it now.”

“Get what?”

“That true friends are for life.  You and I have our differences, and we give each other shit, but I got your back, Rodney.  I can count on you in dangerous situations and you can count on me; that for damn sure.”

Rodney smiled. “Damn, was she that good?  She has done something that no other person has been able to do.”

Zach rolled his head. “Don’t start on that again. I’m not interested in Carla. I feel for what she’s going through, but that’s it.”

“You’re going to stand in front of a church and lie to me? You’re good, dude. But, I’m gonna step over this way, so the lightening won’t bounce off you and strike me.”

“I don’t know what I have to do to convince you.  Anyhow, she’s going to Michigan to stay with family. I’m thinking about a trip to Arizona to see Patty.  I’m entitled to a leave of absence to recover from my injury.

He had not been ordered to take a leave of absence for his gunshot wound. Generally, he would refuse to take time off, but he needed to get away from the job to think about his future and to get Carla off his mind.

“You have been stabbed, shot and thrown off the roof of a building and came to work the next day.  You ain’t fooling me, Zach.  You’re in love with her and you think putting distance between you two will make it go away.”

He heard the church doors open and saw people filing out to get to their cars for the funeral procession to the cemetery. “Can we not talk about it right now?”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure to bring it up later.  I’m not going to the cemetery; I’ll meet up with you later,” Rodney said walking away.

Zach wished he could leave, but he was Carla’s ride.  He spotted her standing on the steps talking with a man about her age.  He cringed when the man hugged her, and she returned it.  Watching them interact, he saw a small smile cross her face when the man held her hand and spoke to her.  It was a sad day, and he could be giving her words of encouragement or complimenting her singing.  It could be anything. However, the jealousy Zach felt was uncalled for.  She was not his, and he had no right to feel jealous.

Carla walked down the stairs assisted by her sister and the man.  She came over to him. “Agent Murphy, I want you to meet my sister Paula and Reverend Mike Downs; he’s the youth minister and a very good friend of mine.  Tonya, he and I went to school together and obviously took different paths in life.”

Agent Murphy
. She chose to keep it professional, but it still stung when she called him that. Zach extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet both of you,” he said forcing a smile.

Paula bypassed his hand and gave him a hug.  “Thank you so much for saving my sister, Agent Murphy. There is no way to repay you for what’ve you done.”