Chapter Twelve: Cat and Mouse
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"Looks caught, doesn't he?" Keller remarked with a chuckle as both he and Ed watched Danny's actions on a monitor. For the moment, Ed ignored the monochrome tree on the screen and glared up at Keller. He tried yet again to escape the restraints on his wrists, but it was to no avail. Amused, Keller watched him before turning back to the monitor. "Wonder where the others went."
Casually, the dark haired man grabbed Ed's cell phone, which was lying on the desk near him. Dialing in a number, Keller put the phone to his ear and turned his eyes back towards the monitor.
"Reyes," he greeted as the other party picked up. "What's the status on the Montecito group?" Reyes said something garbled to Ed's ear and Deline didn't like the smile fast appearing on Keller's face. "No, keep them there alive for the time being." Keller frowned as Reyes said something else. "No, I'll deal with McCoy personally. Just keep the others were they are for now, and don't kill them yet."
Hanging up, Keller chuckled slightly as he sat on the desk in front of Ed. The monochrome tree still present on the monitor.
"Don't worry, Ed." Keller taunted, looking at his former mentor. "I'm sure their deaths will be quick, albeit not exactly painless." He frowned slightly as he looked at the monitor. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same for you or McCoy."
"This is between me and you, Jack." Ed said, staring at Keller. He shook his head slightly. "Leave Danny out of it."
"Don't think that I've lost sight of our history, old man." Keller said, mockingly patting Ed's shoulder. He shrugged slightly. "But the kid's pissed me off by sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong." He picked up Ed's phone again. "Speaking of which, I need to make one more call."
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"What the hell?" Danny asked as his cell phone started going off. He wondered who could be calling him at a time like this! Not wanting to blow his cover, he quickly answered it. "Danny McCoy."
"Hide and seek was never one of my favorite games." Keller remarked casually. Danny felt his anger rise at the mere sound of the other man's voice. However, he could also feel his stomach sink. Keller knew he was there, and knew that he was coming. The element of surprise had been lost. "So, you going to come out, Danny boy?"
Hanging up, Danny felt his other hand reach for the pistol tucked in his belt. Not stopping to think, he came out from behind the tree and fired at the security camera. As it broke, Danny tucked the pistol away and took a deep breath. He slowly put his hand on the fence in front of him, and smiled. It wasn't electric.
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"He's got guts." Keller remarked as the bullet was shown hitting the camera. "I'll give him that." The dark haired man smiled widely as he hung Ed's phone up.
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As he landed on the other side of the fence, Danny looked around. There were none of Keller's men there to greet him, which gave him an uneasy feeling. If they weren't there, they had to be in the jungle, looking for the others. McCoy contemplated turning back, but he felt himself go forward. He had to get to Ed before the other man's time ran out.
Reaching a door to the inside, Danny paused for a moment and took out the pistol again. After wiping the sweat off of his brow, he wished now that he hadn't given away all of the water bottles. The nervousness he now felt was making his throat feel as dry as the deserts back home. Gathering his will, he looked at the door in front of him. There was no going back now!
After slowly pushing the door in front of him open, Danny looked around before going inside. Again, there was no one here to greet him, which caused him to feel even more nervous about the outcome of the others. As he looked around, he realized that there didn't seem to be anyone else inside the factory at all. Wondering if he had been lied to, he let his pistol drop slightly. Suddenly, he noticed that a light was on in the overseer's office above the factory floor. The mini-blinds were closed, but Danny could see the shadow of man sitting in a chair cast upon them. Not stopping to consider that it might be a trap, the ex-Marine hurried up the nearby stairs.
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"We should have never left Vegas." Mike remarked dejectedly as he sat down against the rock wall. After hearing the sound of jeeps, Nessa had made the trio hide in a small cave she had found. The entrance was nothing more than a hole under an outcropping of rocks. Unfortunately, from the sounds they could hear, it seemed like the enemy knew they were in there and were only waiting for some sort of signal to finish them off.
"I'm starting to agree with that." Sam nodded before gasping. She turend to the others. "Oh my God! Do you think they got Danny?"
"They couldn't have." Mike replied as if the mere thought was impossible. "Danny's too fast and too smart for them." He smiled at the ladies. "He'll be here with Ed in no time, and they'll take care of those creeps out front."
"Yeah." Sam smiled, believing him. "Yeah! Danny and Ed will save us."
"Oh, don't lie to yourselves." Nessa advised from where she sat on a rock. Both Sam and Mike looked at her. "They may both already be dead." She sighed heavily. "Or close to it. That sick bastard Keller may want to have them watch us die first."
As gunfire erupted from out front, all three took cover on the floor. Sam tried to scream, but Nessa put a hand over her mouth. The so-called Ice Queen nodded at Mike as silence descended again. Nodding back, the African American man slowly crawled over to the entrance and looked out. A shadow fell upon him, and a look of fear appeared on the usual jovial man's face. Upon noticing what was happening, Nessa and Sam also had similar reactions.
To be continued....
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"Looks caught, doesn't he?" Keller remarked with a chuckle as both he and Ed watched Danny's actions on a monitor. For the moment, Ed ignored the monochrome tree on the screen and glared up at Keller. He tried yet again to escape the restraints on his wrists, but it was to no avail. Amused, Keller watched him before turning back to the monitor. "Wonder where the others went."
Casually, the dark haired man grabbed Ed's cell phone, which was lying on the desk near him. Dialing in a number, Keller put the phone to his ear and turned his eyes back towards the monitor.
"Reyes," he greeted as the other party picked up. "What's the status on the Montecito group?" Reyes said something garbled to Ed's ear and Deline didn't like the smile fast appearing on Keller's face. "No, keep them there alive for the time being." Keller frowned as Reyes said something else. "No, I'll deal with McCoy personally. Just keep the others were they are for now, and don't kill them yet."
Hanging up, Keller chuckled slightly as he sat on the desk in front of Ed. The monochrome tree still present on the monitor.
"Don't worry, Ed." Keller taunted, looking at his former mentor. "I'm sure their deaths will be quick, albeit not exactly painless." He frowned slightly as he looked at the monitor. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same for you or McCoy."
"This is between me and you, Jack." Ed said, staring at Keller. He shook his head slightly. "Leave Danny out of it."
"Don't think that I've lost sight of our history, old man." Keller said, mockingly patting Ed's shoulder. He shrugged slightly. "But the kid's pissed me off by sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong." He picked up Ed's phone again. "Speaking of which, I need to make one more call."
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"What the hell?" Danny asked as his cell phone started going off. He wondered who could be calling him at a time like this! Not wanting to blow his cover, he quickly answered it. "Danny McCoy."
"Hide and seek was never one of my favorite games." Keller remarked casually. Danny felt his anger rise at the mere sound of the other man's voice. However, he could also feel his stomach sink. Keller knew he was there, and knew that he was coming. The element of surprise had been lost. "So, you going to come out, Danny boy?"
Hanging up, Danny felt his other hand reach for the pistol tucked in his belt. Not stopping to think, he came out from behind the tree and fired at the security camera. As it broke, Danny tucked the pistol away and took a deep breath. He slowly put his hand on the fence in front of him, and smiled. It wasn't electric.
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"He's got guts." Keller remarked as the bullet was shown hitting the camera. "I'll give him that." The dark haired man smiled widely as he hung Ed's phone up.
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As he landed on the other side of the fence, Danny looked around. There were none of Keller's men there to greet him, which gave him an uneasy feeling. If they weren't there, they had to be in the jungle, looking for the others. McCoy contemplated turning back, but he felt himself go forward. He had to get to Ed before the other man's time ran out.
Reaching a door to the inside, Danny paused for a moment and took out the pistol again. After wiping the sweat off of his brow, he wished now that he hadn't given away all of the water bottles. The nervousness he now felt was making his throat feel as dry as the deserts back home. Gathering his will, he looked at the door in front of him. There was no going back now!
After slowly pushing the door in front of him open, Danny looked around before going inside. Again, there was no one here to greet him, which caused him to feel even more nervous about the outcome of the others. As he looked around, he realized that there didn't seem to be anyone else inside the factory at all. Wondering if he had been lied to, he let his pistol drop slightly. Suddenly, he noticed that a light was on in the overseer's office above the factory floor. The mini-blinds were closed, but Danny could see the shadow of man sitting in a chair cast upon them. Not stopping to consider that it might be a trap, the ex-Marine hurried up the nearby stairs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"We should have never left Vegas." Mike remarked dejectedly as he sat down against the rock wall. After hearing the sound of jeeps, Nessa had made the trio hide in a small cave she had found. The entrance was nothing more than a hole under an outcropping of rocks. Unfortunately, from the sounds they could hear, it seemed like the enemy knew they were in there and were only waiting for some sort of signal to finish them off.
"I'm starting to agree with that." Sam nodded before gasping. She turend to the others. "Oh my God! Do you think they got Danny?"
"They couldn't have." Mike replied as if the mere thought was impossible. "Danny's too fast and too smart for them." He smiled at the ladies. "He'll be here with Ed in no time, and they'll take care of those creeps out front."
"Yeah." Sam smiled, believing him. "Yeah! Danny and Ed will save us."
"Oh, don't lie to yourselves." Nessa advised from where she sat on a rock. Both Sam and Mike looked at her. "They may both already be dead." She sighed heavily. "Or close to it. That sick bastard Keller may want to have them watch us die first."
As gunfire erupted from out front, all three took cover on the floor. Sam tried to scream, but Nessa put a hand over her mouth. The so-called Ice Queen nodded at Mike as silence descended again. Nodding back, the African American man slowly crawled over to the entrance and looked out. A shadow fell upon him, and a look of fear appeared on the usual jovial man's face. Upon noticing what was happening, Nessa and Sam also had similar reactions.
To be continued....