The Irishman's Woman: Being Watched
by LUVINGJOVAN
Hayes parked his truck on the side of the road. The rain and hail now hitting his car echoed loudly irritating him. Reaching down he picked up the spilled contents of the folder and shuffled through the pages and pictures to find Jennifer's phone number. Dialing the number he looked at the little cottage home she resided in, and wondered if he should kill her there or the club. If he killed her at home it may take days before the body is discovered and McBain would already have dealt with the wedding and left.
He needed to leave her on display and spark an outrage. Reaching for his cell her called her.
"Hello"
"Ms. Vega?"
"Yes…"
"This is
Drake Fisher how are you this evening?"
"Who?"
"Mr.
Fisher. I am calling you about the Pleasure Palace"
"Okay"
"Well my company is buying the building on 5th Street in an
effort to clean up that community. I was wondering if you were
willing to sell?"
"No"
"Ms. Vega…I am willing to make
a very substantial offer."
"Really?"
"Really…" he
said smirking.
"Well how much are we talking?"
"Is it
possible we can meet?"
Pause
"When?"
"Today
as soon as possible."
Pause
"It's storming pretty
bad now."
"This will be well worth you getting a little wet.
Maybe we can meet at the Pleasure Palace."
"Okay…in an
hour?"
"An hour would be perfect"
"See you then Mr.
Fisher"
"Look forward to it" he said smiling hanging
up."
Sitting in the car he watched her house waiting patiently for her to leave. The torrential rain slamming at his window made it hard to see but he remained alert and patient. Today he would exact some justice and he couldn't wait.
"Come
out come out where ever you are my sweet Jennifer" he said smiling
evilly.
The Palace
Evangeline lay in bed watching her Irishman sleep. What was she doing? Spending this stormy day making love to him over and over was making her crave him more. He made her feel alive again. She was falling for this man she barely knew. Oh god.
She thought about the fight with Jason. She hated that they ended things so ugly but that was them now. Gone were the days of connecting and sharing. This undying loyalty to Sonny had torn them apart.
She couldn't stomach that life anymore and she wanted to be free, but as long as Jason needed her she wouldn't be. She begged him to let her go, let go of her heart and this hold he had over her. But he refused and remained more committed than ever to keeping her close. She'd done everything to try to break away over the past year to no avail.
She even left town in hopes that they both could move on, but no matter what she did he clung to her and she allowed it. God help her what will it take for her to move on?
Leaning back on the pillow she felt John stir and heard the thunder again. He slid his hand across her belly to her right breast and squeezed. She looked at him as he moaned and snuggled her but remained caught up in his sleep. Smiling she welcomed the comfort while listening to the storm. She loved storms they calmed her for some reason, it felt as if it was her releasing the violence and turmoil she's been exposed to over the years. It freed her somehow.
Scanning the room her eyes locked on the air-condition vent. Squinting she was sure she saw a red blinking light. Lifting slightly she looked hard and was sure of it. "What the hell?" she mumbled. Sitting up and leaning forward John's hand slid from her breast and rested in her lap. He moaned at her moving but she ignored it. Was he recording them? Turning she glared at him.
"Wake the hell up you bastard!" she shouted.
Hayes
Hayes pulled from the curb following Natalie as she left the house. He had to make sure she was alone. She drove expertly in the rain in her green Honda and he smiled at the shortcuts she took. He was just as anxious to get there too. Arriving at the club she pulled around back and he assumed it was to open up the bar. He hung back and looked at his watch. It was 11:30 and the place opened at 1 making it more than enough time.
Pulling into the parking lot after he was sure she had gone inside he went and parked behind her building so his truck wouldn't be spotted from the street. He smiled as he reached behind him and got all his tools. Placing his justice inside he pulled on a baseball cap and rushed into the storm. Rushing to his beloved Jennifer.
The Palace
John felt her hit him hard across the face and blinked surprised. Opening his eyes sleepily he saw her glaring at him. "What's wrong?"
"You know damn well what's wrong!" she snapped.
Sitting up he tried to understand what had her so upset.
"Was this a setup? Are you trying to get at Jason and Sonny and using me? You knew who I was all along you bastard!" she hissed.
John saw tears in her eyes and didn't understand what was happening. She turned to jump out of bed and he grabbed her. She started swinging at him screaming. "Let me go! Jason was right! You are setting him up! I was so fucking stupid!"
John threw her on to the bed pinning her down. "Wait a damn minute! What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?"
She snatched free her arm and pointed across the room. John looked to where she was pointing and didn't see anything. Frowning he looked at her. "What? Angel what is it?"
"The vent!" she hissed.
The Pleasure Palace
Natalie came inside turning on the lights. She called her brother Rex to come and meet this Fisher too. If he offered enough she could finally be free of this place and this town. She was tired of prostituting herself to keep the damn bar open. She was tired of this town sucking the life out of her. Going around the bar, she turned on the neon lights and the fountains for the beer on tap. Then she heard the back door open and closed.
Smiling she looked up "Rex?"
She didn't hear anything, she shrugged
figuring he went to the office looking for her.
"Rex?" she
said stepping out from around the bar walking toward her office. "Rex
I'm in here."
The Palace
John focused his eyes on the vent and saw a red blinking light. His mouth dropped open. Letting go of Evangeline he slowly got out of bed and went to it. Evangeline sat up and covered herself. "How could you!"
He
turned and looked at her "I didn't!"
She frowned
"What?"
Grabbing a chair he pulled it over to the vent and
stood on it. Climbing it he looked inside. There was a high tech pen
camera with supersensitive microphone attachment. They were being
recorded. Pulling on the vent he popped it out. The camera and
microphone was remoteless with no wiring. Who ever was doing this was
close and had to be in the same hotel. Sticking his hand inside he
pulled it out and held it to his face inspecting it.
"What
on earth is that? Is it a camera?" she asked
He looked down at
her. "Yeah one of the most expensive in spy ware. I'm being
watched?" he said frowning.
The Pleasure Palace
"Rex?"
Coming down the back of the bar into the dark she walked confidently looking for the light switch. Her eyes focused on someone stepping in front of her in the shadows. She tried to focus on the figure who wore all black and a cap but before she could he delivered a crushing slap to her face. Falling backward, she screamed and blinked as she hit the ground.
The person remained over her and made no movement. She didn't wait to figure out why. Feeling an overwhelming since of panic she jumped to her feet and started to run away but felt her assailant grab her long red mane yanking her back.
"Owe!" she shouted in pain from the pull, it caused her head to throb instantly.
Turning she threw up her hand in a defensive Tai move and delivered a crushing chop to his throat. The person let her go and squealed as she fled into the bar pushing chairs out her way. Looking back she saw a man in his 30's dressed in all black with a baseball cap now coming after her. She ran around the bar to where she kept her piece but he cowboy jumped onto the bar and over it landing inside with her. Grabbing a liquor bottle she slammed it against the counter quick holding the neck and pointed the broken glass edge at him.
"Back the fuck up!" she screamed.
Hayes smiled at how feisty
Jennifer was. She was as hot as her fire red hair. "Calm down
Jennifer, don't worry this will hurt a lot." He said raising his
hands walking toward her.
"Who the hell are you…you freak! I
ain't no damn Jennifer!" she hissed.
"Shut up bitch! You are
Jennifer if I want you to be Jennifer!" he growled.
Natalie took a step back unsure of herself. She didn't know what to do. Why was this man here and who was Jennifer? "What do you want? The safe is in the back!" she said stalling hoping Rex hurried up.
"I don't want your fucking money. I want to see you bleed" he snarled baring his teeth at her. Natalie eyes stung with tears of fear. She saw the malevolence in his eyes. He was here to kill her and she knew it.
The Palace
"I don't understand who would be taping you? Is it your agency?" Evangeline asked looking back at the bed and remembering the 100 times they made love since she arrived here yesterday. My god someone was watching her the entire time.
"I don't know but I plan to find out!" he said going over to the bed and retrieving his phone dialing he twirled the little spy camera in his fingers.
"This
is Wess"
"Wess what's up McBain"
"Hey bro…how's
the vacation?"
"I don't know man you tell me? Who the fuck
put a tag on me?"
"What?"
"You heard me who put a tag
on me?"
"Bro I don't know what you are….."
"I found
a X-234 in my vent and it's remote. Someone is monitoring me and
close!"
The line grew quiet. "You found it in the vent…"
"Yeah
now I want some damn answers."
Evangeline held the sheet to her body and paced the room. She remembered what she told him about her attack and Sonny and Jason's involvement. She felt sick. What if the Feds looked it up and found out what Jason did. What if it gave them the ammunition to destroy him and Sonny? It would be all her fault. Oh god she was stupid Jason told her not to trust him. Even if he didn't do it she had unknowingly put her life and his in great danger. If Sonny found out about this Jason couldn't protect her.
Feeling sick she fled to the bathroom and vomited.
John looked up seeing her run to the bathroom and hearing her vomit. He knew that she must be playing this out in her head and thinking that he set her up. He had to get things straight with her. Hearing thunder clap in the background he looked round the room to see if there were anymore ventilators with red blinking lights.
"Is
your laptop tagged too?"
"My what? I don't know…."
"Log
into it"
"Hold on…"
John went to his laptop pulling
it out of the bag. Turning it on immediately he waited for the
Windows prompt to go away. Logging in he connected to his wire less
connection into his network.
"Okay Wess I'm in"
"Hold
on"
"Wess what is going on?"
"Hold on…."
John waited. Why would the agency follow him on vacation? To his brothers wedding no less. It made no sense.
The Pleasure Palace
Natalie lunged at him with the broken bottle as he sidestepped her grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back. The fierce hold on her arm caused her to drop the bottle and scream in pain. "Please no….don't do this!"
"Shut up!" he screamed circling her neck with his black gloved hand and squeezing gently. He sniffed her hair and smelled her peach shampoo. Smiling he forced her face back with his gloved hand now squeezing her jaw. She began to whimper in fright. He slowly licked the side of her face. And she squeezed her eyes shut at the disgusting feel of his tongue on her.
Gripping her throat again he dragged her backward from behind the bar. "Mr. you have it wrong I am not Jennifer. Please let me go…." she said hoarsely through his choke hold."
"I know who you are!" he said chuckling and dragging her back into to the darkness at the back of the club. "We are going to have some fun!"
Natalie struggled but he tightened his grip on her arm and neck. He was making her submit whether she wanted too or not. "Jennifer, Jennifer you thought you were so smart you skanky little tart. Teasing me with those boobs and laughing at me with those fools. Jennifer, Jennifer how dumb you are, don't worry though I'll kill you slow leaving plenty of scars!"
He laughed and Natalie shook her head and struggling "Noooooo!"
The Palace
"You there?" Wess asked after several minutes of silence.
John saw Evangeline appear looking a shade of green.
"Yeah man what do you have?"
"Looks like your laptop
is wired and it's some expensive shit too. This ain't the bureau.
I know we are buds but the equipment you are calling out we wish we
had"
"The what the hell is going on?" John said
confused.
"Hayes…" they both said together.
Evangeline frowned. "Who is Hayes?" she asked.
The Pleasure Palace
Now in the darkness Hayes threw Natalie to the ground causing her to fall awkwardly on her arm twisting it. She howled in pain and tried to crawl away. He swiftly delivered a kick to her abdomen sending her flailing over to her side a couple of feet away. She blinked at the mind numbing pain and tried again to get out from under his reach but he landed on top of her wrapping his hands around her throat.
He saw Jennifer looking up at him pleadingly as her eyes bulged. He licked his lips and squeezed some more. Her face turned as red as her hair and he chuckled watching her life slip away. She tried to say something but her larynx was crushing under his grip, her neck snapped while her eyes rolled into her head and she went limp. Letting go of her neck he slowly lowered his head to hers and kissed her blood stained lips. "Good night Jennifer" he said reaching for his bag. Pulling out justice and some other knives he laughed loudly. He would carve her like a Christmas turkey after he used justice to slit her throat. McBain would have no doubt that he's here.
The Palace
"I need some guys down here pronto to protect my brother and his bride. I want a sweep of my room and vehicle. Call it in!" he snapped closing the phone.
"Who is Hayes John?" Evangeline asked leaning against the wall near the bathroom scared to come in.
"Come
here Angel" he said extending his hand.
"No…" she
whimpered still terrified of what this all meant.
He got up and went to her. She couldn't stop shaking. She was desperate to get out of this mess before it got back to Jason that she betrayed him. "Who is Hayes?" she asked again now crying sadly.
He pulled her to his chest. "This has nothing to do with you baby. Hayes is the serial killer known as the Slasher."
She let go of him and looked up. "The Slasher? That's your case?"
"Yes,
five years ago he killed my fiancé in front of me. I've been
hunting him ever since. But it looks like he's been hunting me."
"Oh my god John….he saw us."
John looked back at the
bed. His mind raced over everything he did since he arrived here. He
thought about the information he pulled up on her on his computer.
She was in danger. Immediate danger.
"Can you leave town?"
he asked lifting her head.
"No! Marcie's getting married, I'm
the maid of honor."
"Then you can't leave my side."
"What? I can't stay with you. I have too much to do and
Jason…"
"Evangeline, he knows you this is serious. I can't
let something happen to you"
"Oh god I need to call
Jason….." She said pulling away from him.
John flinched at her
breaking away and evoking that thugs name. "No…don't involve
more people."
"Jason will protect me!" she said looking
for her clothes.
"Evangeline I said NO!" he snapped
She
turned and looked at him. "John…."
"No! I will protect
you. Now get dressed. A unit will be here soon"
She nodded and grabbed her clothes. She was in something deep and had no idea what. The fear of what surrounded them made her sick. More violence, even with her beloved Irishman, she would never be free of it.
The Pleasure Palace
After carving up Jennifer he used the rope he brought to string her up in the middle of the bar. As he was finishing tying her together he heard the door open and close.
"Natalie!" Rex said walking into the bar. He was closing his umbrella, stopping in his tracks to see the macabre scene with the Devil himself standing there smiling.
