"Not Dead Yet" (closed)

[CutiePie1997]

THIS STORY IS COMPLETE,
IN CASE YOU WANTED TO READ SOMETHING WITH
A BEGINNING, A MIDDLE, AND AN END.



"Not Dead Yet"

(closed to BeachBum25)​

It had been the perfectly planned assassination, as always. And yet, here was Geri, hiding in the dark corner of a dark corner room of a dark corner building bleeding profusely from the thigh. She'd stuffed her ever present hankie into the wound as a plug, stripped off her bra and tied it tightly over the plug, then stripped off her belt and tied it around her upper thigh to slow the bleeding. And while these actions had slowed the bleeding significantly, Geri knew that if she didn't get help soon she would ultimately bleed out.

And Geri didn't want to bleed out.

She couldn't.

She had people yet to kill.

As she struggled to her feet again and hobbled through the abandoned warehouse's halls, Geri ran through her head the many possible scenarios that had led to her failure. There had been a great many variables in a hit as complex as this one, killing the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. But Geri had accounted for all of them in her perfectly planned hit.

All save one: betrayal.

Geri was suffering too much physical and mental stress right now to assess what had truly happened, though. Right now, she simply needed to find help. Medical help. Inconspicuous medical help that, if it became necessary, she could eliminate afterward to once again become the anonymous assassin she was.

Geri had work to do...

She had people to kill ... traitors...

Because, just like Geri herself, they had failed to kill their target...

Geri was forgiving of a great many things, but not of betrayal, and as long as she was alive, she had a new quest.

And Geri was not ... dead ... yet.



Geri's Description:

• Images: Portrait, with weapon; body, scantily dressed.
• 32 years old.
• 5'10", 135#; very fit, very strong (for a chick).
• 34B-24-34.
• Hair: light brunette, currently streaked blonde; often changed or covered by
  a wig.
• Eyes: pale blue; often changed with colored contacts.
• No permanent tattoos, but she often wears temporary ones if necessary to play a part.
• Body piercings in all the right places; she fills those holes when necessary to play a part.

 

[BeachBum25]

Tyler Manning https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c4/71/f5/c471f542241d02580ecf70c40f685f2e.jpg is a 31 year old widower with 2 young daughters, Kayley 5 and Taylor 3. He is an ER doctor whose mother takes care of the girls while he works long hours. He is 6'1".... 170 lbs.... brown hair...hazel eyes.

Tyler worked long hours in order to give his daughters whatever they wanted. Unfortunately, he couldn't give them the one thing that thy wanted the most.... their mother. She had been killed by a drunk driver as she jogged before work one morning. Tyler and his girls were still struggling to get over it.

Tyler drove to his mother's house. On the ride his mind drifted to something that had happened several years ago. He had no idea why he was thinking about it. A friend in medical school, Paul, had been mixed up in some things he shouldn't have been and asked Tyler for help. He was failed out of medical school, but the two had remained friendly. Paul owed a lot of money to some not very nice people. Paul asked Tyler for a favor. One of the not nice people had been stabbed, and needed medical attention, but it needed to stay out of any official report. If Tyler took care of the man, Paul's debt would be wiped clean. If he didn't........ Well, Tyler did it...reluctantly.

Tyler shook his head and tried to put it out of his mind. He pulled up to his mom's house, picked up the girls and headed home. He put them to bed, read them a story, and kissed them good night. Then, after showering and putting on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, he went downstairs, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, and put the tv on...looking for any typr of sporting event.

 

[CutiePie1997]

"Channel 134."

Geri lifted her silenced side arm and leveled it at the man who'd spun at the unexpected sound of someone in his home. She lifted the index finger of the other hand to cross her lips, saying with implied threat, "Your girls are beautiful. Would be a damn tragedy to wake them, don't you think?"

She repeated her entertainment request and told the man to increase the volume. After the Classic Rock video channel was filling the room with sound that would cover their voices, Geri continued her threat, this time lying. "My people know I'm here. And ... they expect you to save ... my life."

Geri had been getting weaker with ever passing moment. She continued with obvious difficulty, "And ... if you don't ... they'll pay you ... a visit ... just as I am now..."

The gun in her hand lowered slowly, then dropped to the floor ... and a moment later Geri fell face forward over the arm of the couch, then to the ground, unconscious.

 

[BeachBum25]

Tyler spun quickly and was shocked at what he saw. He looked first at the gun, and then at the leg that showed evidence of extreme blood loss. He followed her directions and turned on channel 134, and then turned the volume up....keeping it low enough to not wake up the girls but high enough to drown out any sounds the woman would make.

He watched her intently. All he could think about were his girls. He would do anything to protect them. His mind also went over what would happen to them if something happened to him. What could he do. He knew from the blood on her leg that she was losing strength, and when she collapsed onto the floor, he quickly jumped up. His instinct was to call 911, but then his mind flashed back to the situation with Paul, and he meshed it with what she had said about "her people" coming here, and he decided he had to deal with this on his own.

He picked her up and carried her into the downstairs bathroom. He laid her on the tile floor and then ran to get the medical bag he kept at home. He had it here in case something happened to one of the girls. Right now, it would serve to protect them from something happening to them.

he returned to the bathroom and did a quick assessment. Then, he cut the pants from the woman. His mind did not focus on what she had on underneath. He went into doctor mode. This was not the first beautiful woman that he had to cut th epants off, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. He removed the patchwork that someone, probably the woman herself, had applied to and stuffed in the wound. He left the tourniquet on while he did an exploratory and found the bullet. After removing the bullet and stitching her up, he undid the tourniquet to get blood flowing back into the limb. She had lost a lot of blood and he did not have any to give her. He sat her up and tried to get her to drink water. The hydration would help her body replenish the blood she had lost.

 

[CutiePie1997]

Geri was in and out of consciousness until she awoke with a start at the sound of young voices. Her eyes popped open, and she looked around quickly to assess her situation. She was in a bathtub with bedding and pillows behind and around her. If it hadn't been for the pain shooting through her leg, Geri might have found the tub quite comfortable.

She grimaced as she moved to rise from her make shift bed, freezing as someone jostled the door handle. A voice called out, "Daddy, why's the bathroom door locked?"

Geri didn't hear an answer, if there had been one, but after another jostling, little departing footsteps led to Geri sighing with relief. She exited the tub, containing her desire to cry out as she noted that the only clothes still on her body were her socks, her panties, and her white tee shirt, all stained to one degree or another with blood. She looked around and, despite some obvious clean up, could see evidence of her bleeding earlier. She dropped onto the toilet lid and looked to her leg. The first aid her savior had performed wasn't hospital quality but it was certainly more skilled than her own.

She found some pain killers, on the counter and in the medicine cabinet, but she couldn't know how many she'd already taken. Geri had flashing memories of the man -- Tyler Manning, her information had been -- taking care of her during the night, so the last thing she wanted to do was overdose on pills.

Geri suddenly realized that the noise out in the apartment had ended. She moved to the door, listened for a couple of minutes, then cracked the door and peeked out. Out in the apartment, Geri found herself alone. She hadn't expected Tyler to leave her alone, but now that she thought about it, he had to deal with his girls. Geri couldn't know when Tyler would return: had he taken the girls to school, then gone to work to present the day as a normal one; or had he taken the girls to his mother, parked outside, or down to the corner to get on the bus? Was Tyler even on shift at the hospital today? She simply couldn't know.

Geri hobbled her way to the kitchen, snatched up some quick food from the fridge and counters, and searched for bottles of vitamins, hoping to revitalize some of what she'd lost bleeding across nine blocks of the city. She found some expired Iron supplements, probably from Tyler's deceased wife. As she downed some with a glass of orange juice, she wondered how long ago it had been since the man had been widowed. Was it long enough to have allowed him to find a new lover? A lover who might come walking in at any moment?

She made her way out to the living room, looking around for clues about the man who had saved her life. It was obvious that he was a dedicated father. Evidence of his little girls was every where. That was good for Geri, of course. People who had nothing to lose were shit as reluctant accomplices.

Geri hadn't planned on staying out here in the living room -- she'd been heading back for her make shift bed -- but instead she sat down on the couch for a moment ... and was passed out in no time at all...



She awoke with a start and looked up to see Tyler looking down at her, having no idea whether a minute, an hour, or a day had passed...

 

[BeachBum25]

The girls were up early. They jumped on Tyler and started asking why he was on the sofa. He just told them that he had fallen asleep while watching television. When they asked why the bathroom door was locked, he told them that there was a plumbing problem.

He got the girls ready for the play date they were having. It was a play date and then a birthday party. Their friend's mother agreed to take the girls for a play date and keep them for the birthday party, and told Tyler he did not need to come to the party. She understood that he would be uncomfortable with all of the moms, especially the ones who would end up flirting with him.

After dropping them off, he stopped at a pharmacy and picked up some gauze and some adhesive tape. He knew he would have to change the dressing on the woman's wound quite frequently. It was going to be a struggle, but he had to do it for Kayley and Taylor.

When he pulled up to his place, he sat in the car for a couple of minutes. Then, he took a deep breath and went inside. The woman, wearing only socks, panties and a white t-shirt was now on his sofa. He moved over to her and stood in front of the sofa. His eyes moved over her body, slowly, and then went to the wound. It was already seeping through the previous bandage he had applied. When she woke up, he would have to apply a fresh one.

Tyler started to look over her body again. Her long, toned legs led his eyes to her sheer panties that revealed that she was clean shaven. He couldn't believe that he was thinking about this woman in such a way, but his eyes continued to move over her body, and he could see her firm breasts pushing against her white t.

He moved his eyes to her face. She was beautiful. She was also dangerous, and he was glad that he had taken her weapon and hid it. He did not get rid of it because he was concerned about what would happen if her "friends" showed up.

He saw her eyes open. "Well, well. I see I have kept my streak of days in which I haven't lost a patient." He waited to see how she would respond to his comment, and the rest of her situation.

 

[CutiePie1997]

"Well, well. I see I have kept my streak of days in which I haven't lost a patient."

Geri smiled a bit, but it didn't last long. She'd tried to move at the same time, sending a shot of pain through her leg and causing her to grimace. She said meekly, "And I see I have kept my streak of days in which I woke up not dead."

She rose carefully, ready to shrug off any assistance as was her independent nature. But, once standing, Geri looked into her savior's eyes and said simply, "Thank you. I appreciate what you've done."



After Geri had verified that Tyler was who she thought he was, she'd followed him to the bathroom where he changed her bandages. The sight of the wound looked horrible, but it could have been worse. Just one look at the bullet Tyler had dug out of her told her that it had ricocheted. So, it had entered her already deformed, which was the reason there was so much surface damage; but it had already slowed a great deal before it struck, keeping it from ripping apart the inside of her thigh. She'd gotten damn fucking lucky, particularly since she could recall at least six bullets heading her way, anyone of which could have ended her life.

"Does anyone know I'm here?" she asked as he worked on the wound. When he looked to her, she clarified, "Did you call anyone about me? Do I have to worry about a Rapid Response Team bursting through the door?"

Geri listened to his response, flinched at his touch to her thigh, then -- realizing how closely the stranger was working to her most intimate of places -- asked with a softer, slightly humorous tone, "Do I have to worry about a girl friend walking through the door...? Boyfriend maybe?"

Again she listened Tyler's response, then let him finish up on her. She stood, testing her strength. Geri didn't like being less than able as she was now. It wasn't the first time she hadn't been at her best, of course. If Tyler ever got lucky enough to see her with her top off -- which wasn't going to happen, Geri told herself -- he would see on her back scars for both a knife wound and a second bullet. They were both from her beginning days in the business, before she'd gotten so much better at -- forgive the pun -- watching her back.

"Why don't you make me a cup of coffee, Tyler," she said politely in a tone that the ignorant might have thought indicated she was little more than a date or a new girl friend. She continued, "And I'll tell you how this is going to go down. But first ... do you have anything I could put on?"

She flapped the lower hem of her bloody tee shirt at Tyler. She didn't know whether he would get one of his own tees and a pair of shorts or sweats; or, possibly, something left over from his wife. She kind of doubted the latter, of course. Who would want to see an armed stranger with a bullet hole through them walking around their house in their dead wife's clothes. It didn't matter to Geri.

Anything was better than the bloodied clothes that were beginning to stink. Or, was that her? Geri needed to shower she realized, but that could wait. She took the clothes Tyler offered, sat with him in the kitchen, and began explaining her situation.

"I'm not a bad person, Tyler," she said, not clarifying on the fact that she killed people for a living. "I just ... I sometimes work outside the bounds of the law. Which brings me to your door. My threats against you and your daughters..."

She registered his response to that reminder, then continued, "So long as you help me get back on my feet and out the door safely, you never ... and I mean that ... never! ... have to worry about your daughters. Fix me ... make sure I don't suffer any infections ... and your life will go on as if I'd never been here. Okay?"

She listened to his reply, then enquired about his daughters' current location and their return.

"Questions?" she asked, her tone still casual. "I'll answer what I can ... as well as I can."

 

[BeachBum25]

"You don't have to worry about anyone coming through the door. I would never put my kids in danger that way." He continued to work on the dressing without looking up at her, however, his eyes did move over parts of her that had caught his attention. He finished with the last strips of tape and stood up in front of her.

"No girlfriend, no boyfriend. Why, do you want to date?" Yes, he was being a smartass, but he did not like the position that he was in. He didn't like not being in control, and it was starting to annoy him.

When he walked out of the bathroom, he went upstairs and grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts. "Here, they may be a little big on you." He then went into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. When she mentioned his daughters in a vague threat, he almost lost it. "Understand something very clearly. I know where your gun is, you don't. If you even think about threatening my daughters again, I will kill you and I will deal with the consequences of your "friends" later" He stared right at her.

"Don't give me the bullshit story that you are not a bad person. Threatening me is one thing. I can deal with that. Threaten my girls and we have a problem." He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"Don't worry about where the girls are. That is none of your business. I took them somewhere that they are safe. I will take care of you and get you healthy, and get you the fuck out of here. Then, my girls will return here...not before." He was glad he had asked his mother to pick up the girls at the party and keep them for a couple days. He told her he had to work a lot and it would be easier on them. He hoped that keeping the girls away would keep them safe, but he was pretty sure that these people knew where his mother lived and would know that was where the girls were.

"I will ask questions as I have them. For right now, you need to stay off that leg. I have some drugs being delivered. I wrote a scrip for it. Don't worry, I didn't use your name. After all, I have no idea who you are and why you came to me."

 

[CutiePie1997]

"...I have no idea who you are and why you came to me."

Geri was processing all Tyler had said, balancing his concern for his children with the possibilities that he'd turn her in. With the girls out of the house -- something Geri wouldn't have allowed had she not passed out from blood loss -- the only advantage she had over Tyler was his fear of the people for whom she worked.

Which, if you thought about it, was extremely ironic as Geri was pretty certain that it was those very same people who had betrayed her. It was the only thing that made sense. The target hadn't known or even suspected she'd been after him. And yet an ambushed had been skillfully in place for her arrival. It was only her experience and quick reactions that had gotten her out of a potentially fatal situation with only a bullet in her thigh.

"My name is Geri," she told him, reassuring him that it actually was her name. "And I came to you because I know I can trust you to do what you need ... then forget I was ever here."

She said the last with just a touch of continuing threat. But before he could respond, Geri smiled broadly, saying with a chipper attitude, "But enough of that. I need a bath--" She raised an arm and sniffed at her arm pit, making a face and finishing, "--badly!"

Geri spun, which caused her another shot of pain. Without really caring about his answer, she asked about using his bathroom again, "You don't mind, do you?"



Wiping a hand across the mirror to remove the condensation that had built up during a longer than normal shower, Geri looked over her body. She was very fit, which was her first thought. Then she smiled. Most men would not ogle her and say Oh, you're so fit! She turned left, then right, looking over her firm breasts, then turned fully around and twisted to look over her shoulder at her equally firm ass. You would never know she'd just celebrated her 32nd birthday by the youthful look of her figure.

Geri finished drying to dress, but when she lifted the tee shirt to pull it over her head, she caught the smell of her previously dirty body. She wrinkled her nose, tossed the shirt onto the counter, and wrapped a dry towel around her. The thick cotton covered her from just an inch north of her nipples to just an inch south of her ass cheeks. Emerging out into the living room again, Geri found Tyler and, shrugging playfully, told him, "Looks like I'm gonna need another set of clothes ... unless you like the scent of smelly women."

 

[BeachBum25]

"Before you get in the shower, I need to wrap something around your wound to keep it dry." Tyler went to the cabinet and returned with some plastic wrap. He knelt down in front of her and wrapped it around Geri's thigh.

While she was in the shower, Tyler thought about what he should do. His instincts told him to call 911 and deal with the fallout. The fallout could be awful and could involve his daughters. That would be unacceptable.

When she came out of the bathroom in just a towel, his thoughts stopped. He couldn't think of anything but imagining what she had on under that towel..... nothing. He heard her say something about getting her new clothes unless he liked the scent of smelly woman. "I like the smell of a woman...smelly, flowery... it doesn't matter. It just depends on the woman. If I don't get you any clothes, it will be hard for you to make any kind of escape. Maybe I should keep you wrapped in a towel, and call the authorities."

He got up and headed to his bedroom. He grabbed her another t-shirt and a pair of boxers. When he walked back into the room he tossed them to her. "Here, the choice is yours... these of the towel...or nothing." He sat down and put the television on and started to flip through the channels.

Before she returned he called to her, "what do you want for lunch? You should have some food. You need to build your strength so that you can get out of here." Without waiting for an answer, he opened the refrigerator, took out some meat and cheese and began to make sandwiches. He saw her come out of the bathroom. "Have a seat in the living room, I will serve you lunch."

 

[CutiePie1997]

"If I don't get you any clothes, it will be hard for you to make any kind of escape. Maybe I should keep you wrapped in a towel, and call the authorities."

Geri's lips spread slowly into a tight grin as Tyler went on. She was impressed with how he was handling the situation. She'd seen grown men literally piss their pants at the sight of her weapon pointing at their head. Once, when she'd had to stay over in a cabin, waiting for her target to arrive at the lake where she would not only kill him but would also sink him, Geri had had to listen to the cabin's owner weep himself to sleep six night straight.

To his comment about not being able to escape without clothes, Geri smiled again telling him, "My grant parents were streakers back in the 60's and 70's. They say it's in my blood ... so ... if I have to..."

She let the thought fade as she chuckled lightly and turned for the bathroom once again.

"What do you want for lunch?"

As he warned her about keeping her strength up, Geri closed the bathroom door most of the way, shed the towel, then donned the boxers. She didn't immediately don the tee shirt, though, instead leaning forward to look at a scratch she'd gotten during her flight the night before but only noticed now. It wasn't serious, nor was it likely to become infected, so Geri ignored it and donned the tee shirt.

It was only after she'd turned back toward the door that she realized it had slowly swung open, revealing her to the living room and kitchen beyond. She didn't see Tyler, but ... had he seen her? She stepped out into the living room, still not seeing him before heading over to the couch as he'd directed her. She found the remote and turned the television on, immediately going to the cable news.

"--according to sources close to the investigation who asked to remain anonymous," the reporter in the field was saying. Behind him, the Capital Building was lit up, with the last bits of the recent remodeling scaffolding still encircling its dome. "Senator Cramer's office did not respond to requests for an interview, but on Twitter--"

A graphic appeared with Howard Cramer's image and Twitter's blue bird logo as the words the reporter was dictating were emphasized, "--the Senator said The rumors of an assassination attempt are ludicrous. There was no such attempt. Who would want to kill me? And while the Secret Service won't comment on the shooting event near Carter Park, the FBI has said the incident had nothing to do with the Senator, who -- according to an Aide in the Cramer's office -- was at a restaurant near the Park but never in any danger. Back to you in the studio."

The news program's host continued with the story, but Geri muted the television, looking up to Tyler, who was standing over her with a plate full of food and a tall glass of milk. She suspected that he suspected her of being involved in the incident, and there really wasn't any reason to deny such involvement. But she wasn't ready to tell this man she'd only met that she was an assassin hired to take out a ranking American politician, so she told him, "Yes, I was there. But ... I wasn't trying to kill that Senator. I was ... how do I say this ... in the vicinity ... doing other things that are a bit ... out of bounds, from a legal stand point. I'm collateral damage, but ... if I go to a hospital, my alibi is that I was robbing a jewelry store. So ... you can see my dilemma."

She took the plate and glass not sure whether or not Tyler would believe her bullshit story. She didn't care, really. She just wanted to eat some food, get some sleep, and -- just as with Tyler -- get back out there in the world.

After she was done eating, Geri stood, asked Tyler where he wanted her to sleep, then after studying him for a moment, held her hand out. "I'd like my gun, please. Trust me. You'll be safer if I have it."

 

[BeachBum25]

"Oh, you come from a family of streakers. hmmm, I might like to see that. Maybe you should just stay that way." He winked at her. he knew he was being brazen, and he knew that he was probably pushing his luck. Then, he saw her go into the bathroom with the clothes.

Tyler watched Geri walk out of the bathroom. The new t-shirt fit her better than the previous one he had given her. By fit her better, he meant that it showed off her firm breasts better. "Do you want me to take a look at that scratch? If you don't know what scratched you, it could lead to a bad infection."

She walked in and sat on the sofa and did not respond to his question. Maybe she was pissed that he had seen her topless. Well, that wasn't his problem. She was the one who had left the door open. All of this started to get him thinking about whether she was using her body to keep him distracted and off balance.

He handed her the food and milk and went back into the kitchen. He finished making his and went in and stood behind her and watched the news report. There was no doubt in his mind that she was involved. When she told him some lame story about being in the vicinity but not involved, he smiled. No, it was more like a smirk. He knew she was bullshitting, and he didn't care that she knew that he knew.

"You can sleep here on the sofa, or back in the tub. The choice is yours. Oh, and the gun, it will be staying right where it is. Although you may be good with it, I know how to use it. I haven't had any guns in the house since the girls were born, but I know my way around a handgun."

He waited for her response. he knew that she would not be happy with what he said. Frankly, he didn't give a shit. She could be as unhappy as she wanted. He only wanted to keep her from gaining too much of an advantage.

 

[CutiePie1997]

"Oh, and the gun, it will be staying right where it is."

Geri left her hand out for a moment more, but it was obvious that her host had no intention of giving it back. She shrugged casually, dropping her hand as she said, "Fine. Keep it. Not like I need it now anyway."

They returned to watching television, but Geri fell asleep, spent...



A late night talk show was on when Geri awoke. Tyler was at the far end of the couch as he had been, either still or again she didn't know. She stood to pee, then raid his fridge of something -- anything -- alcoholic. When she returned to the living room, Geri paced slowly about the room for a couple of minutes, looking at this, looking at that, and occasionally glancing at her host, wondering.

"I'm sorry I am doing this to you," she said suddenly. She wasn't looking at Tyler, mostly because she didn't want to see his expression and know whether or not he believed her or not. She continued, "I promise you, it'll all be over in a day or two ... a day, just ... give me a day ... tomorrow ... I'll be out by tomorrow evening."

She gave Tyler a moment to respond or not, then turned to face him, saying bluntly, "I'm tired. I need to sleep ... please."



Geri's next interaction with Tyler was when -- hours after he'd gone to his own bed and fallen asleep -- she clasped a hand over his mouth in the near darkness and shushed him. She whispered, "We have company."

She was kneeling on the floor by his bed. After Geri shushed Tyler again and removed her hand from his mouth, she shifted her gun to that hand without explaining how she'd come to have it once again. She whispered again, "Two men inside looking for me, another in the hall just inside the door. They'll be armed, but they won't be looking to draw attention from the neighbors. Silenced pistols like my own, maybe close quarter assault weapons."

She shifted around to face the door, whispering, "We have a choice, Tyler. I can kill them all ... or you can call the cops ... but if you choose the latter ... they'll never be here in time."

Of course, there were probably other choices to be had, but it was in Geri's nature to shoot first and ask questions never. Her primary concern was that if it came down to running, she would be totally dependent upon Tyler assistance. Would he risk his life to save hers? To be honest, if the roles were reversed, she wouldn't for him. But then, she was a paid assassin.

 

[BeachBum25]

Tyler was mentally, physically and emotionally drained. He was worried about his daughters. Would he get to see them again? Was he putting them in danger by being a smartass, and by playing hardball with the location of Geri's gun? His mind was racing, and it had him worn out.

He fell asleep on the end of the sofa. He was so exhausted. When he awoke, Geri was talking about being out tomorrow. It was odd the way that she did not make eye contact with him. As she talked, he watched her closely. His eyes also drifted down along her wonderful body clad only in his t-shirt and a pair of his boxers.

He went up to his bedroom, grabbed sheets, pillows, and a blanket and took them back to Geri. He returned to his room, undressed, and got ready for bed. He climbed between the sheets and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

When she woke him up, he stared at her in the dark and listened to her intently. The choice was fight or flight, and he determined that the best course of action at this time was to stay and fight. He saw that Geri had found the gun. It did not surprise him. He had been naive to think it was a good idea not to give her the gun. Hell, it was downright stupid.

"Tell me what I can do to help. I don't have any other weapons in the house, but I will help you in any way that I can." He listened to see if he could hear anything or anybody. He slid out of the bed and onto the floor next to Geri. He was prepared to do whatever he had to do to survive this. He wanted to see his daughters again. He wanted to hold them.

Tyler looked at Geri and awaited her instructions. He could see a true professional kneeling on the floor next to him. Just as he calculated his actions in the ER, Geri was doing the same right now. He could tell she was trying to develop a plan to overcome what appeared to be insurmountable odds.

 

[CutiePie1997]

It took less than 30 seconds for Geri to explain the plan because, honestly, it was so simple and effective that it was used every where from the battle fields of Iraq to the paint ball fields of the Maryland suburbs. After she'd explained, then verified the timing with him, Geri looked into Tyler's eyes and whispered with a bit of a smirk, "Don't worry. You'll see your daughters again, really soon. Now ... start counting."

The pair of them split up just as they'd quickly discussed, with Geri snaking out of the bedroom and through the attached bathroom to wait at its door, counting. When she reached 15, she heard the sound of Tyler hitting the floor and in almost the same instant the sound of the bedroom door, which he'd thrown open quickly without care, slam against the dresser unit behind it.

As she feared, Geri heard the sound of a silenced automatic assault weapon and, of course, the accompanying sound of rounds tearing through the door, door frame, and foot board of the bed beyond. Even as the man was still firing, she cracked open the bathroom door, aimed, and fired one at the man's silhouette. His head jerked back a couple of inches, and a moment later he fell to the floor.

The normal person with normal concern for her fellow man probably would have rushed to the bedroom to see if Tyler was okay, but Geri knew it wasn't over. She crawled on hands and knees, ignoring the pain exploding in her thigh until she reached the dead man to quickly strip off the night vision goggles she knew he'd be wearing. Holding them to her face, Geri looked down through the uprights of the staircase railing and found the second man, carefully picking his way through the furniture toward the ruckus he'd heard.

One more shot from Geri, and the man was falling back, clutching at his neck as blood sprayed out over the furniture and carpet. One more, she thought as she dropped the goggles, turned, and hurried back up the hall from whence she'd come. As expected, automatic fire sprayed from down near the apartment's entrance. The third man knew by now that all was not going well upstairs, and he really had no reason to spare the home from damage.

Geri listened until a pause told her the man's clip was empty, then grabbed the hand railing and threw herself over it. Her landing was worthy of an Olympic gold medal: she landed with her feet near one end of the couch but with her weight back a bit; the combination caused her weight to fall back to the pads, then fling her in a back flip somersault over the arm rest to the floor, where she rolled again back into the hallway ... directly behind the last assailant, who quickly spun, searching the dark through less-than-perfect night vision and already beginning to empty his reloaded gun into the walls, door, and floor.

This time Geri had no reason to hide her location by limiting her shots. She unloaded the gun rapidly into the man as the pain from her fall caused her to scream like a banshee. The man was dead and on the ground even as Geri was continuing to empty the pistol. Shen the slide remained back, she laid it beside her and began crying in a combination of pain and fury.

She'd instructed Tyler that under no circumstances was he to get up off the floor after he'd flung himself to it unless she called him. When she did, and when he finally got to her, she pleaded to him, "Get us out ... get us out of here ... anywhere ... we need to go..."

She was wracked with pain, and she could feel Tyler holding her, but other than that Geri was lost in the fog...



When she came to ... they were at anywhere...

 

[BeachBum25]

He followed Geri's instructions to the letter. After flinging open the door, he hugged the floor. He could hear his house being torn apart by bullets. He could hear it, but he didn't worry about it. all he was focused on was listening for Geri to call him.

When he heard her yell for him, he was down the stairs in 2 jumps. He picked her up, grabbed his keys and ran to his car. He laid her limp body across the back seat and jumped into the driver's seat. As he drove off, his mind started to slow down and he started to think about what he needed to do.

The first order of business was to find an all night pharmacy. He knew that her leg would need attention. fortunately, his wallet was in the glove compartment of his car. when he pulled up to the pharmacy, he took a blanket that he kept in the car for the girls and covered Geri. Then, he ran in, grabbed the items he needed and paid for them. When he pulled away from the pharmacy, he drove in an erratic pattern. He wanted to see if he could notice someone following them.

Tyler finally settled on a hotel near the airport. He went in and got a room near the back of the property. It was a dive hotel, but he didn't care...it offered some privacy. He drove around and parked in front of the room. He looked around and carried Geri into the room and laid her on the bed.

he looked her over and saw that the wound from her leg was bleeding profusely. She had probably ripped the stitches open. His boxers that she was wearing were soaked in her blood. He took them off of her, and then took off the blood-soaked bandage. He inspected the wound. It wasn't as bad as he thought, so, he decided to re-dress the wound.

Before addressing the wound itself, he went to the bathroom, grabbed a washcloth and soaked it with hot water. He went back to the bed and started to clean the blood from Geri's body. He wiped down her thigh, her hip and across her pelvic region. He came in very close proximity to some very personal, private female body parts.

When he was finished cleaning her off, he put a fresh bandage on her thigh. He couldn't help but let his eyes drift as he worked on her. He fought the urge to look at her private parts, but it was a struggle. despite everything that she had put him through already, Geri was an extremely sexy, attractive woman.

When he finished with the bandage, he covered Geri up, providing her with a modicum of decency. He would need to get her some clothes, but that would have to wait for now. They just needed to lay low.

Tyler wondered if he watched too many spy movies, but he started to wonder if he should move his car. If someone was looking for them, they would obviously know what he was driving. He decided that he would move the car. He drove it to a shopping center parking lot about a mile away, and then walked back to the hotel; making sure to stay away from the curb, and constantly looking around.

When he got back to the room, he checked on Geri. The new bandage had a little blood, but it seemed like the bleeding had been controlled. He went over and sat in the chair by the window. He looked over at Geri laying on the bed and wondered what he had done to deserve this. He also wondered why he had not called the police yet. Hell, what could happen that was worse than having his house shot up, and three dead men laying in it. At least, he assumed they were dead.

He had no loyalty to this woman. Why was he doing so much to protect her? It made no sense. He decided that once she woke up, he would give her an ultimatum. He had to get on with his life.

 

[CutiePie1997]

It was hard to know how long she'd been out this time around. Normally the condition of her body would tell Geri whether they'd been laying down for a few hours, a day, a few days. But she'd gone through quite a bit since the assassination attempt: getting shot, nearly dying, throwing herself off the second floor walkway of an apartment to play gymnast, and then nearly dying yet again.

When she did come to, Tyler tried talking to her about the mayhem she'd brought into his life, but her mind was so battling between the agony of pain and the anger of betrayal that, although she was listening, Geri wasn't hearing.

She struggled to rise to a sitting position, then realized that below the tee shirt she was naked. She couldn't help but smirk a bit, then glance Tyler's way with tired eyes as she asked, "Do we have to get married now ... you know ... for my honor?"

Without concern that she was indecent, Geri rose slowly, letting the sheet fall away, and padded herself across the nasty old carpet to the bathroom. She lowered herself onto the toilet to pee, then simply sat there for the longest time wondering the same thing Tyler had: why is this happening to me?

She was in the bathroom for quite a while, but when she exited -- now with a towel wrapped around her waist -- she sat on the edge of the bed and said quietly, "You were saying...?"

 

[BeachBum25]

"You don't strike me as the marrying kind," he said to her, and then watched as she walked to the bathroom. His eyes were fixed on her tight ass. He didn't think it was right to be checking her out this way, but he couldn't help himself.

While she was in the bathroom, he got up and peeked out the window; barely parting the curtains. It wasn't like he believed he would see anyone, if they were out there. he just wanted to check things out.

When Geri came out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around her, he chuckled. "Oh, such modesty." When she sat down, he looked at her and said, "I don't know why I didn't call the police last night. There is nothing more that can happen to me... other than death. Your "friends" have already paid my place a visit. I am sure I am never going back there, but what I don't understand is why I continue to protect you."

He sat quietly in the chair for a few moments; staring at Geri. "You need to figure out a way to make sure my daughters are safe. You brought them into this, and you need to get them out of it...safely. I am not playing. I know you could kill me, but I know that isn't going to happen. You need me, and if you want to continue to receive my help, you need to make sure that nothing happens to the girls."

After a few more minutes of quiet, he stood up. "I need to go get you some clothes. There are a couple of shopping centers just down the road. I saw them when I moved the car last night. What do you want me to get for you?"

He walked to the door and waited for her answer. "I will also pick up some food while I am out. Do you have any requests for what you would like me to get you to eat?" He awaited her answer as he put his hand on the door knob.... he was also contemplating whether he should contact the police while he was out.

 

[CutiePie1997]

"Oh, such modesty."

Geri smiled just a bit at the humor, reaching down to part the towel just enough to show some thigh before saying, "I'm shy ... really."

Tyler informed, warned, begged, and chastised her, all seemingly at the same time. Geri did, in fact, feel horrible for what she'd gotten him into. If he'd been a mob doctor that would have been different, but Tyler was just a guy who had fallen into the good deeds never go unpunished trap. Of course, Geri didn't know anything about his friend Paul, who had been at the starting point of this race against tragedy. She only knew that he'd been available for her to drop in on.

But that reluctant welcome was wearing thin. As Tyler headed for the door, Geri stopped him with, "I'm an assassin."

When he looked to her, Geri continued bluntly, "I kill people for money. Bad people ... for good money. Senator Cramer ... you saw the report about him on the news last night. I took a contract on him. He's been peddling classified information to foreign governments, as well as to multi-national corporations that profit off ... well, off a great many things related to national security issues."

She stood, grimacing again, and headed for the bathroom for a cup of coffee from the pot she'd begun brewing while she'd been postponing coming out to face Tyler. She knew it wouldn't be the best of coffees, but right now she just needed to wake up and think, and even the worse source of caffeine was good for that.

"But I was set up." she continued as she poured herself a paper cup full and asked her savior if he, too, wanted some. "It's the only thing that makes sense. And if I was set up, it was by my employers. I wasn't certain of it initially. But as I was searching for my handgun and the sedan pulled up outside ... I knew."

She moved a couple of steps closer to the man as if to emphasize how important this was for him to hear. "Tyler, if they knew where to find me, they know who you are. And if they know who you are, it won't take them long to find your daughters. Right now, the safest place--"

She hesitated, fearful that he wouldn't believe her. She continued, "The safest place for your little girls right now ... is with me. With me and you ... their father. You need to get them to a public place with multiple access points, such as a mall or amusement park ... Rubaker Park down on the waterfront is good, do you know it?"

She gave him a moment to respond, then continued, "Just like we worked together last night to get out of your apartment, we can work together to get your girls safely to you ... and out of the city. Once I know you three are safe..."

She hesitated again, fearful again. Why should Tyler believe for a moment that she cared what happened to him and his daughters. "I will help you get out of the city ... to a safe house my employers don't know about. Then, I'll help you set up a new life somewhere safe. New IDs ... good school for the girls ... maybe a puppy or a kitten."

At this point she was trying to use humor to give levity to what was a tragic situation. She felt her eyes glaze a bit, which was uncommon for Geri. She wasn't typically the sensitive, sentimental type. Without hesitation or regret, Geri had once walked up to a target -- a woman who was the head of an international sex slave ring -- and put a bullet through her throat while her children watched from the family car. So, why was she tearing up over Tyler and his little girls?

Simple, really. This was her fault.

 

[BeachBum25]

Tyler saw red. It really wasn't surprising to him. In fact, the thought had already run through his head. He already knew that his girls were in danger. He just didn't want to admit it to himself. Hearing Geri verbalize it made it real.

He punched the door, which wasn't a real good idea considering his line of work. Of course, what kind of work would he be involved in now. The police were probably hunting for him, and Geri's enemies obviously were already on his tail.

"How the fuck can you guarantee me a new life. According to your own story, your most recent story anyway, your employers tried to have you killed... oh, and yea... me too. How am I supposed to believe that you are going to get me a new life with new identities and a fucking puppy?"

He opened the door and left the room when Geri went back into the bathroom. He walked over to a shopping center and went into a big box store and bought Geri a pair of jeans, a pair of sweat pants, a couple of t-shirts and a sweatshirt. He got a couple of items for himself, and then, on the way back to the hotel he stopped at a fast food joint and got a couple of burger, fries and sodas.... yep a fucking breakfast of champions.

After getting the food, and before leaving the fast food place, he called his mom. He told her to meet him, with the girls, at Rubaker Park in 90 minutes. "Mom, don't ask a lot of questions, please. Just do as I ask you. Meet me at the gazebo. No, mom, everything isn't okay, but I don't have time to explain. Just trust me when I say this is in everybody's best interest."

He hung up and walked back to the hotel. He looked around as he walked trying to see if he recognized a face he might notice. He wasn't sure what he would do if he recognized a face, but he wanted to have an idea of whether he was being followed or not.

When Tyler walked into the room, he tossed the bag of clothes to Geri.. followed closely by the bag of food. He sat the sodas down on the broken table and looked at her. "We have 90 minutes to get to Rubaker Park. Don't fuck this up. A lot of innocent people are counting on you."

 

[CutiePie1997]

"I don't expect this to make you feel better, Tyler," Geri told him, "But ... despite the bullet hole in my leg ... I'm very good at what I do. If I say I'll keep you and the girls safe ... I will." She hesitated a moment before continuing, wanting to be certain that she really meant it before saying it. "I'll keep your girls safe ... or die trying."

They finished their meal, discussing her plan for the meet as they did. It was really quite simple, actually. Geri was quite certain her people were already watching Tyler's mother, but they wouldn't make a move on them until they had Geri. Their assumption would be that if she suspected a tail, Geri would simply split and leave Tyler and the girls behind. That assumption was wrong.

"You park the first car we borrow here," she showed Tyler on his smart phone's map. The location was two blocks from the park, hidden from neighboring homes by huge elms. She pointed to a location a block away, around the corner. "And the second one here. If the girls ask, it's a game. Make something up."

She pointed to a spot on the map that his phone only identified as a square structure. "I'll be here, covering you. Don't hurry. Stroll ... look at the flowers. Pet a puppy."

They discussed the little details, but it was obvious Geri was hiding something. "We need to make a stop on the way." Out behind the motel, Geri smashed the window out of the first car she found without an alarm. Thirty seconds later, Tyler was driving the hot wired vehicle to Geri's stop, a Secure Lock storage facility.

Inside, she led him -- limping and occasionally grimacing -- to a storage unit that she unlocked then opened. With both of the inside, she closed the door and turned on the light.

The 15 by 15 space looked like a Special Ops weapons stash, with dozens of fire arms, bullet proof vests, climbing equipment, even an open case filled with smoke and fragmentation grenades and 2 blocks of C4.

Geri retrieved a satchel and set it before Tyler, opening it to show him bundles of used bills, mostly small denominations.

"There's just short of a million dollars in here," she told him, zipping it closed again and pushing it at him. "If this goes shit fuck bat crazy ... you take your daughters ... your mother ... and you disappear. You don't worry about me. Got it?"

She turned and pulled a sniper rifle -- already fitted with a sound suppression device -- down from a rack before turning to face him. The part she'd been keeping back was her part ... sitting in the third floor of that non descript building ... inconspicuously hunting anyone who might be following the little girls.

 

[BeachBum25]

He looked at the money that Geri dumped in front of him, and then he looked back up at her. "Not too confident in your plan, I see." He smiled at her. "I would prefer that you were a little more confident and didn't let me know about the money, but I guess it is too late for that.

Tyler was amazed by the arsenal that Geri had at her disposal; guns, grenades, explosives, bullet proof vests. She was prepared for war. He hoped it didn't come to that, but, based on what he had seen so far, he was not sure that a war was avoidable.

He parked the car exactly where she instructed him to. He got out and walked slowly to the park. He looked around as he entered the park; taking his time going in, just as he would on his way back out. It was a beautiful day to be in the park. Well, it would have been great if he didn't have to deal with his current situation.

As Tyler approached the gazebo, he stopped and looked around. He didn't see anyone watching his mom and the girls, but he knew they were out there....somewhere. He took a deep breath. He looked at his girls and his heart sunk. They were about to have their world turned upside down.

Tyler walked up to the girls and crouched down to hug them. It was rare for him to spend this much time away from them and they were full of questions. "I am sorry ladies, but work has been really busy the last couple of days, and to show you how much I have missed you, we are going to spend a lot of time together for a while."

He stood up and hugged his mom. "I am so sorry you got mixed up in this, but you have to understand that what we are about to do is the only way that I can be sure that the girls are going to be safe. We are going to walk back to a car. I want you to get in the back seat with the girls. Make sure you buckle them in, because there are no booster or car seats in it. There will be a woman who will join us shortly after we get there. Don't ask her any questions. Just do as she says, and, trust me, she is one of the good guys."

Slowly the four of them walked out of the park. Tyler bought popcorn and juice for the girls and they took their time going out. Tyler looked for a puppy to pet, and then chuckled to himself thinking that he was following her instructions in an almost robot manner.

They exited the park and walked to the car, still in no hurry. Once they got there, the girls and his mother got into the back seat, and Tyler got behind the wheel. For a second he considered taking off without Geri. He had the money in the trunk, and he owed her nothing. However, he just couldn't do it, and he had no idea why not.

Tyler tried not to look around, but his eyes darted from the side view mirror to the rear view mirror and all around without moving his head. He was not sure what Geri was doing, but based on the arsenal she had, and the fact that she said she would be covering them, he had a feeling Geri would be coming out of a nearby building.

 

[CutiePie1997]

By the time she got to the third floor of the abandoned warehouse, the pain in Geri's leg was excruciating. She toughed it out, though, dreaming of the pain killers she'd pocketed in the storage unit but was yet to take because they would affect her clarity. Crossing to the far side of the floor and arranging some empty crates on top of one another, Geri set up the sniper rifle and found she had a clear view of the road and sidewalks Tyler and his three girls would be traveling.

By the time they ambled into view, Geri had forgotten about her leg. She watched them through a 6x spotter's scope for a couple of blocks, peeking over it occasionally to look for a tail. There were a great many people walking the street, to and from the park, but there wasn't anyone of interest to Geri.

But the moment the four arrived at and began getting into the first car Tyler and Geri had stolen, the tail became obvious. A man who had been walking his dog the opposite direction slowed to a stop, peeking back. He hesitated, awkwardly and very unprofessionally lifted his free hand up toward his face to speak into the mike Geri knew he had hid in his cuff, then turned back Tyler's direction. He slung the dog's leash over a random fence post and just left the borrowedcanine there for someone to rescue later.

Geri picked up three more suspicious types over the next moments. She reached to the burner cell phone sitting near her and pressed the speed dial number to the second burner sitting in the console of the car. A moment later, through the bluetooth head set she was wearing, Geri heard Tyler answer.

"There's no need to panic," she told him calmly, positioning herself behind the sniper rifle, "But you have company. I'll deal with them. You just do as we discussed ... and keep this phone on you."

She reached out and terminated the call even as Tyler was responding. Geri was afraid he might try to talk her out of what she had to do. The plan for if his tail had been clear was for him to simply drive away to the backside of the building in which she now was and retrieve her. The alternative plan -- for company -- was for him to speed away as if heading for the highway, then circle back to the second car. Geri knew her people wouldn't expect a swap so close, and Tyler could then get his children, his mother, and his bag of cash out of the city. She'd told him she would meet him at the safe house down on the Coopers River, but she'd seen in his face a questioning expression, as if wondering whether she might instead just disappear.

Geri flicked off the safety of the .30-06 and found her first target. The weapon was generally thought of as a deer hunting rifle, but because of the excellent ballistics and ease at which she could inconspicuously purchase ammo, it had become Geri's favorite weapon for short range people hunting. And at just a little more than 200 yards, this was for her short range.

As she watched Tyler pull the car out, two of those shadowing Tyler stepped out into the street just as a fast moving black SUV flew around a corner, heading for them. Geri waited until the vehicle practically skidded to a rapid stop, then squeezed the trigger. The round hit right where she was aiming ... the dog walker's thigh. It seemed appropriate considering where they'd shot her, plus if he wasn't dead, the others would feel obligated to spend time saving his life, rather trying to end her's. The man dropped to the ground as Geri shifted her aim to the right. The bullet penetrated the van's windshield, hitting the driver in the windpipe. The van jerked, then began rolling forward.

But Geri was already panning the crosshairs across to the far sidewalk, where she put a third and final bullet into yet another thigh, dropping the lone female in the hit team. Suddenly, a half dozen people -- even more than Geri had seen or expected -- were flying toward their injured, pulling them to safety and scanning the area for the shooter.

Quickly breaking down the rifle and storing it inside a saxophone case, Geri hustled out of the warehouse, knowing her people would know it was her up here, doing this damage. Two minutes later, dress in the local university's marching band uniform, Geri was on the street and merging into a wad of people anxiously waiting for a city bus.

 

[BeachBum25]

His mind started racing at first, but then he settled down. He knew what he had to do. His children's lives depended on him remaining calm and following the plan that Geri had set out. She had allowed Tyler to think that he had contributed, but he knew he had no say. The only thing he had a say in was whether or not he went to the safe house, or if he just got out of Dodge.

Tyler raced away from the curb and maneuvered his way off the street. He did as instructed... pretended to be heading for the highway, and then doubled back. When he got to the switch car, he got everyone out and moving into the second car. Once they were all situated in the back, Tyler drove away.... this time much slower than before.

Driving in a long, circuitous route, Tyler headed to the safe house. He had no idea why he was going there. He was unsure of why he didn't just drive to a police station and tell them what was going on. Then again, he could just head out of town, and use the money to start over somewhere else. But, no... he headed to the safe house. He had to be able to check on Geri.

Once they arrived at the river, he parked the car a distance away, but close enough that they could walk quickly to the house. He grabbed the bag of money and they headed to the house. When they went in the house, Tyler took the girls into a bedroom and talked to them for a couple of minutes. He apologized for messing things up, and he tried to avoid all of the questions they had. He told them it would be over soon, and things would be better.

Tyler then went out and sat his mother down in the kitchen. Once again, he apologized to her for getting her involved. He explained to her that everything he was doing was to protect the girls. He promised her that he had done nothing wrong. His mom went into the room with the girls and they played games on his mom's cell phone.

Rummaging through the cabinets and the refrigerator, Tyler was able to put some things together to start making dinner. He had to try to make things seem relatively normal to the girls. He had to sit with them and eat a decent meal. While he was cooking, he got several text messages on the burner phone from Geri. Each one of them told him to wait for her to get to the cabin.

When dinner was ready, he brought the girls and his mom out to the kitchen and they sat around the table and tried to have a "normal" meal. The girls continued with their questions about what was going on. He tried to play it off by telling them it was just a vacation they were on. Tyler told the girls to eat all of their dinner and he had a special surprise for them.

Tyler had seen mallards outside the cabin while he was cooking. When everyone was finished eating, he grabbed several slices of bread and took the girls by the hand and led them out the back door and down toward the river. When the girls saw the ducks, they started screaming, which startled the ducks and several of them flew off. Most of them came back, however, as the girls started throwing bread into the river. He was glad to see them so happy. He had to make sure they stayed this way.

They played with the ducks for a while and then walked along the river for a little while. Tyler entertained the girls by skipping rocks over the surface of the water. The girls tried it and, when they couldn't do it, asked him to teach them the right way. After trying, unsuccessfully, to help the young girls learn how to skip rocks, Tyler took the girls back to the cabin and got them ready for bed. Once they were in bed, he sat out on the back porch with his mom. Fortunately, she didn't ask him any questions. They sat quietly until they were both ready for bed.

Geri didn't show up that night, or the next day either. Tyler and the girls occupied their time by feeding the ducks, walking along the river, and trying to skip rocks. Things continued like this for several more days. It actually felt like a vacation, but Tyler always had in the back of his mind that they were all still in danger.

He was getting texts from Geri telling him to wait for him, but there was no sign of her. He was starting to wonder if she had abandoned them. On several occasions, he almost loaded them into the car and headed out, but he didn't... he stayed, and waited.

On one of their walks on their fifth day in the cabin, Tyler noticed a store on the other side of the river. There was a bridge about a half mile down river, so, after taking the girls back to the cabin, he told mom and them he would be back in a little bit.

Tyler had grabbed some cash out of the bag and walked over to the store. It was a general store, and Tyler bought food to stock up and some treats for the girls. he would like to have bought some clothes for the girls to change into, but he wouldn't have been able to carry them back to the cabin.

On his way back to the cabin, Tyler saw several people walking around. He went out of his way to avoid coming in close proximity to them just in case they were some of Geri's "friends." He saw a man walking around the back of another cabin, and Tyler watched him closely as he continued to walk, but the man used a key to enter, so, Tyler relaxed.

Then, he saw a woman walking along the riverbank who looked familiar. He couldn't tell where he knew her from at the distance they were apart, but he refused to get any closer. He continued toward the safe house, but his mind was on the woman and why he would think anyone out here looked familiar.

 

[CutiePie1997]

"I must be slipping."

Geri watched Tyler spin in place on the trail, nearly dropping his handfuls of purchases. She smiled as she approached him slowly, her limp almost vanished. She stopped just out of reach of him, studying him for a moment before saying, "Let's walk. And ... maybe talk."

She turned him away from the cabin, though, heading back toward the store. She stayed outside, fearing that even out here in the middle of nowhere there might be a security camera, possibly even saving to the cloud, which her employers could access via their contacts in the FBI. When he emerged with a six pack of a locally bottled micro brew, they headed down to the dock to talk for a while.

"I'm sorry about putting you through this, Tyler," she finally said after finishing most of her beer. She knew she'd already apologized for this days earlier, but she simply couldn't get beyond the fact that she was responsible for the uprooting of his family and the danger she'd put them in. "If I had known..."

She let the thought fade away, hesitated a moment, then explained to Tyler that for nearly a week she'd been looking into her situation, which indirectly had become his situation. "I still don't know everything about what went wrong ... but I know it was an act of a betrayal. By whom, I don't know specifically. And why ... well, I don't know that either."

She pulled a second bottle from the six pack, skillfully brought the neck of it down against the edge of the dock, and popped the cap off into the water, where it splashed with a soft sound and sunk out of sight into the blue-green water.

"Concerning you," Geri continued, glancing to Tyler before taking a draw on the bottle, "the bad news you already know. The people responsible for this know who you are. The good news is that I can now say they knew who you were ... not are. You're dead, Tyler."

Geri took another long drink as she pulled a folded section of a newspaper from her jacket pocket, handing it to him. She paraphrased as he read, "They found your body in a burnt out car ... a single bullet to the back of the head."

The article went on to tell that a scorched briefcase found otherwise unharmed in the trunk of the car included, among other things, almost $40,000 US, an additional $15,000 Canadian, and a receipt for five passport pictures.

"Since the only passport found was yours ... on your crispy critter corpse," she said, pointing toward the bottom of the article, "the FBI -- which is heading the investigation -- is presuming that your mother and daughters got to Canada with a fourth party ... but that you stayed behind for one reason or another, long enough to get caught and killed. The FBI hasn't made the connection between you and I ... but my people have, of course. They will assume that I'm up north, too."

She stood and looked out upon the lake as Tyler continued to read, and once he looked up at her, Geri said, "So ... you're clear. I would still stay here for a while, but ... in a week or two--"

She pulled a manila envelope and tossed it to Tyler, in which were four clean passports that only needed pictures. She continued, "I'll get you some pics ... and ... you can go where ever you want."