The moon was high, a bright silver crescent against the black sky. Stars were shining bright, barely a cloud in the night sky. A cool breeze rolled off Lake Michigan. The parking lot of the Shedd Aquarium was empty, except for a lone car. Jazz music could be heard coming from the radio. Two shadows could be seen moving slowly next to the car.
"How did you know I like Jazz music?" Nicole asked laying her head on Cody's shoulder.
"I learned a lot about you today." Cody smirked, "What music you like, what foods you like to eat. Does Donovan know you smoke?"
Nicole raised her head and stared at Cody. "How did you know that? I keep those hidden in my…" Nicole started to say, "Why are you laughing? You went through my drawers!"
Cody started to laugh even harder at Nicole's reaction. "Do you know how cute you look when mad?" Cody laughed, leaning against his car, "You left them out on your dresser."
"I quit a few years ago," Nicole explained wrapping her arms around Cody, "The stress from the past couple months has played hell on my nerves."
"And I'm part of the stress." Cody said hugging her.
Nicole sighed and looked Cody in the eyes. "You're the reason I'm staying sane." Nicole leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Come home with me."
"Not tonight." Cody pouted, "I don't feel like having our every move monitored by big brother. I'm surprised we don't have an escort."
"Can I go home with you?" Nicole smiled.
Across the street sat a car watching them.
"Is everything going to plan?" he asked into the phone.
"They have this placed wired. It'll take me a few minutes to bypass it. Give me ten minutes and I should have the plate." his partner replied.
"They're leaving now. ETA is twenty minutes."
"Plenty of time. Are they alone?" his partner asked.
"No, they have a tail." he replied, "Are you sure about Nicole?"
"Yes." he replied.
"Then it'll be done. I'll dispose of the tail and bring Nicole to you."
He started the car up and drove past the car that was watching Cody and Nicole. He parked a couple blocks over and walked towards the car.
" 'Cuse me mates," he said walking up to them, "I seem to be a little lost. Could ya tell me how to get to the pier?"
As the one Agent leaned over to give directions, the stranger extended his arm and shot him. Before the other Agent could register what had happened, he was shot also.
He quickly walked back to his car and dialed his cell phone. "It's me. The tail has been taken care of. I'll have Nicole within a half hour." he stated pulling his car out behind Cody's.
"Good, I'll be waiting. Someone's at the door." he hung up the phone and took out his knife. The knocking became more insistent.
He looked out the peephole and smiled. His luck was getting better. He slowly unlocked the door and opened it.
"I know I should've called first, but I have to tell someone or I'll explode." Morgan said walking into the apartment.
She walked into the living room and saw the room was trashed. "Nicole, is everything okay?" she asked turning to face Nicole. She jumped when the door slammed shut and heard the lock. Morgan felt the blood drain from her face as she faced the stranger. "Oh my God." she whispered.
He walked up to Morgan, knocking her purse out of her hand and pressed the knife to her throat. He smiled at her and it sent a chill down her spine.
"Hello Cousin," he sneered.
Cody stopped at a red light a mile from Nicole's apartment. From behind a car hits him from behind. "Great, just what I need tonight." Cody mumbles getting out of the car, "I'll be right back."
Nicole watched Cody walk behind his car to examine the damage. He shook his head and turned to talk to the driver. Nicole could hear them talking as they walked towards the front of the car.
"Can you go into the glove box and get me a pen?" Cody asked Nicole. When he leaned into the car to retrieve it, he was hit from behind. Nicole screamed as she watched the stranger raise a gun and shoot Cody.
She tried to get out of the car when the stranger leaned in the window aiming the gun at her.
"Hello Miss Hillard, you can call me Mr. Messina," he smiled, "I have someone who's dying to meet you."
"How did you know I like Jazz music?" Nicole asked laying her head on Cody's shoulder.
"I learned a lot about you today." Cody smirked, "What music you like, what foods you like to eat. Does Donovan know you smoke?"
Nicole raised her head and stared at Cody. "How did you know that? I keep those hidden in my…" Nicole started to say, "Why are you laughing? You went through my drawers!"
Cody started to laugh even harder at Nicole's reaction. "Do you know how cute you look when mad?" Cody laughed, leaning against his car, "You left them out on your dresser."
"I quit a few years ago," Nicole explained wrapping her arms around Cody, "The stress from the past couple months has played hell on my nerves."
"And I'm part of the stress." Cody said hugging her.
Nicole sighed and looked Cody in the eyes. "You're the reason I'm staying sane." Nicole leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Come home with me."
"Not tonight." Cody pouted, "I don't feel like having our every move monitored by big brother. I'm surprised we don't have an escort."
"Can I go home with you?" Nicole smiled.
Across the street sat a car watching them.
"Is everything going to plan?" he asked into the phone.
"They have this placed wired. It'll take me a few minutes to bypass it. Give me ten minutes and I should have the plate." his partner replied.
"They're leaving now. ETA is twenty minutes."
"Plenty of time. Are they alone?" his partner asked.
"No, they have a tail." he replied, "Are you sure about Nicole?"
"Yes." he replied.
"Then it'll be done. I'll dispose of the tail and bring Nicole to you."
He started the car up and drove past the car that was watching Cody and Nicole. He parked a couple blocks over and walked towards the car.
" 'Cuse me mates," he said walking up to them, "I seem to be a little lost. Could ya tell me how to get to the pier?"
As the one Agent leaned over to give directions, the stranger extended his arm and shot him. Before the other Agent could register what had happened, he was shot also.
He quickly walked back to his car and dialed his cell phone. "It's me. The tail has been taken care of. I'll have Nicole within a half hour." he stated pulling his car out behind Cody's.
"Good, I'll be waiting. Someone's at the door." he hung up the phone and took out his knife. The knocking became more insistent.
He looked out the peephole and smiled. His luck was getting better. He slowly unlocked the door and opened it.
"I know I should've called first, but I have to tell someone or I'll explode." Morgan said walking into the apartment.
She walked into the living room and saw the room was trashed. "Nicole, is everything okay?" she asked turning to face Nicole. She jumped when the door slammed shut and heard the lock. Morgan felt the blood drain from her face as she faced the stranger. "Oh my God." she whispered.
He walked up to Morgan, knocking her purse out of her hand and pressed the knife to her throat. He smiled at her and it sent a chill down her spine.
"Hello Cousin," he sneered.
Cody stopped at a red light a mile from Nicole's apartment. From behind a car hits him from behind. "Great, just what I need tonight." Cody mumbles getting out of the car, "I'll be right back."
Nicole watched Cody walk behind his car to examine the damage. He shook his head and turned to talk to the driver. Nicole could hear them talking as they walked towards the front of the car.
"Can you go into the glove box and get me a pen?" Cody asked Nicole. When he leaned into the car to retrieve it, he was hit from behind. Nicole screamed as she watched the stranger raise a gun and shoot Cody.
She tried to get out of the car when the stranger leaned in the window aiming the gun at her.
"Hello Miss Hillard, you can call me Mr. Messina," he smiled, "I have someone who's dying to meet you."