Chapter XXVII: The Final Move Is Made

Being so far apart so many times, the couples hardly left each other's side now that they were together. Except for a few phone calls, Therese and Stephanie didn't talk to each other on Wednesday because they didn't step foot out of their respective rooms, barely making it out of bed to eat. Somehow, the two women found a way to peel themselves off of their men to arrive at the arena early Thursday afternoon.

Not surprisingly, the GM hadn't touched her work for two and a half days. She sat at her desk, papers and folders everywhere around her laptop and telephone. Therese was once again pouring over the blue-prints of the building and formulating a plan to which Stephanie would agree to lure out the stalker. The walkie-talkie, which she had taken to wearing about a month ago, was clipped to her belt and hummed static, except for the occasional question about parking or where the barricades where supposed to be set up.

"Miss Blair?" the deep voice over the radio called and startled her out of her study.

"This is Blair. Go ahead."

"This is Harrison. We have Code Purple People Eater."

"Is this related to Code Yellow Polka Dot Bikini?"

"That is an affirmative."

"I'm on my way." Stephanie was not stupid and knew that the codes meant that a man had been caught with the scant descriptions of her attacker. "Steph, I've got to—"

"I know. Please let me know as soon as possible if it's him." Therese shook her head at Stephanie for actually remembering the codes the one time she had mentioned them to her. "Get going."

"Locked door. No one comes in or goes out." Stephanie closed her eyes and nodded before returning to pecking away at the laptop. Therese rushed down the halls to the arena's security office.

Andrew Harrison, the head of security operations, met her at the door. "He was carrying this but claims he knows nothing," the man said and handed her an envelope with WWE's letterhead. She opened it and read, My dearest Stephanie: It won't be long now. I hope you're ready for me. Love, you know who. P. S. Therese, I know you're reading this. You'll be next. Get ready. "Does he know who you really are?"

She shook her head. "I don't think it's possible. But if that guy in there is him, he's going to find out now."

The handcuffed man was being held in one of the smaller offices guarded by two men. Therese strode in and began firing questions at him. He claimed that he was an employee of RAW who had been approached by another guy at the show and asked him to deliver a letter to Stephanie for a hefty sum. He continued to claim innocence of knowing the situation and even the guy's name.

The agent was out of questions to ask to prove that this guy was indeed the stalker. She called Aaron, who was at home eating supper. He was a bit irate until she explained the situation, detailing everything. "I don't think it's him," she sighed.

"Neither do I but we can't take any chances."

"Aaron, if it's not him, there's nothing we can do."

"I know. Let him sweat it out for a few hours and I'll call you back after the show. You can question him again then and we'll see what happens. Did he tell you what the guy looked like that gave him the letter?"

"No, I'll go ask." She returned to the small office. "Can you tell me what this man looked like that gave you the letter?"

"When am I getting out of here?"

"I can't tell you that. Can you answer the question please?"

The man sighed. "Yeah, he was my height, about my build. He had dark brown hair, looked like he was in his thirties maybe, had a tattoo on his neck but I don't remember what it was."

Damn, that describes three guys who work here. "Thank you," she said and turned on her heel. Therese would parade those men in here and have this guy identify which one had set him up. Stephanie was probably worried and the stalker was no doubt still around, so she chose to return to the woman instead of calling. On her way there, she debated on why the stalker would have another person deliver his letter and risk someone identifying him. Because it was diversion, her mind screamed. Therese sprinted to Stephanie's door where she noticed several tiny, pink flowers lying on the floor.

Stephanie wasn't sure how long it had been since Therese left but she thought it was a bit early for her to return when a knock sounded at the door. "Who is it?" she called.

"Flowers for Miss McMahon!"

"Who are they from?" she asked, standing on the other side of the door.

"Shawn Michaels."

How sweet, she thought, Shawn sending me flowers before he comes. Shawn and Kevin were supposed to arrive right before the show when things would be so busy that they would be able to get in easily. Therese had already left the information with the guard at the parking gate.

Stephanie considered the stalker caught and wondered what harm could come in accepting the delivery. She opened the door to a dark-haired man holding a large vase of a variety of flowers. She recognized him as one of the crewman. "Thank you, uh, Colin, isn't it? Colin Jenkins?" He nodded and that was when she remembered that Therese had pointed him out as one to be wary of.

"Good, you know my name. That way you can scream it," he maliciously said as a gun protruded from the mass of flowers. "For now, shut up," he added at seeing Stephanie's horror-stricken face.

Stephanie couldn't say a word if she wanted. She managed to will her body to back up as Jenkins barged his way in and slammed the door behind him.

Therese's stomach dropped to her feet. She had left Stephanie with strict instruction to keep the door locked and to not answer to anyone, and, if she did, what delivery person would let that many flowers fall from an arrangement? To feel out the situation, she knocked on the door.

By now, Stephanie was shaking so badly she could hardly move. Her mind was a complete blank and every part of her body was numb, except for her stomach that seemed to twist into knots at every word from Jenkins. "Get rid of whoever it is," he growled and shoved her up against the wall with the pistol to her head.

"Who is it?" Stephanie's wavering voice called.

From the sound of her voice, Therese instantly knew the stalker was in there with her. "Renee," she called back.

Her stomach flipped at the possibility that now Therese was there to save her when she recognized the voice and her middle name. She debated on what to say next to give her the hint of what was going on. "I can't come to the door right now. I'm at my desk with a ton of stuff in my lap.

She's near the desk, Therese thought. "I've got a package."

"Just leave it with the front security guard and I'll have Therese get it later."

"I'll have it there in five seconds," Therese replied. Does that mean she's coming in five seconds? Stephanie thought as the man eased off her.

Counting to five, the security agent checked to see if the door was locked by barely twisting the knob. With practiced silence, she drew her 9mm and burst inside the door, which swung back closed on itself. The sight before her made her falter in her steps.

The man she recognized to be Colin Jenkins, also matching the other man's description perfectly, held Stephanie by her throat against the wall with a gun up to her temple. He was one of top suspects in her list of staff and crew. Stephanie's blouse was torn open and tears were streaming down her face. Her watery blue eyes were pleading with Therese to help her as she trembled in fear. Therese immediately jerked her gun back up and trained it on the man's forehead. "Drop your weapon and move away from Miss McMahon," she demanded.

The man stared back at her before busting out in laughter. "You first," he drawled.

"I am not joking."

"Have you ever shot a gun?" he grinned wickedly, the corners around his dark eyes turning up.

Stupid fool, Therese thought and answered,"You don't want to know what I'm capable of in being able to hit a target."

"If you fire, Stephanie dies," he slowly enunciated each word. A barely audible whimper came from the GM but he didn't look at her.

"I will put a bullet in your head before your finger even pulls the trigger," Therese replied in the same mocking tone.

"Then we'll just have to see who pulls the trigger first."

They were at an impasse, so Therese had to keep him talking. "You can't hide in here forever with the both of us. If you do anything to her, I'll shoot you."

"And I'll shoot her."

"So, either way, you die. Now what?"

She could tell Jenkins was searching his mind for his next move. "You wouldn't dare kill her by trying anything with me. I'm getting out of here and taking her with me. Remember, you shoot and I shoot."

The stalker slowly dragged Stephanie across the room and forced her to open the office door. He continued out into the hallway, his gun alternating between her temple and Therese's head. The tears began rolling fresh down the brunette's face. Therese was proud of the fact that Stephanie was holding it together well and not panicking. Her captor yelled at Therese to drop her weapon again but Therese stared him down. She would not bend. If she stayed focused on him, he would panic and let Stephanie go in order to save his own life.

Everyone in the hallway scattered when they heard the stalker yell at Therese. She could have easily handled the situation if people hadn't created such a commotion. Most ran in the opposite direction but a woman stumbled into Jenkins, knocking Stephanie out of his grasp and into a pile of equipment. His gun went off and Therese dropped to the ground on one knee. Seeing her fall, he turned around and began running.

The familiar pain quickly spread through her leg like liquid fire, but this time it had caught just enough of her thigh to rip out a good chunk of flesh. She knew she had to get up, to finish her job. Her leg almost buckled beneath her but, with a sharp intake of breath, she quickly walked to Stephanie to test her weight. She knew she could make it if she could mentally block out the pain and focus. Stephanie was righting herself and seemed to be physically okay. "Stay here," she ordered as she pulled the disoriented woman to her feet. "Call an officer and get in another room with a lock."

With another big breath, Therese began running down the hall. The pain shot up her thigh but became more bearable with each step as the blood trickled down her leg. The corridors were clear from all those that the stalker's path had crossed. She whipped out the walkie-talkie, shouting, "This is Blair. Seal all exits." She quickly described the stalker, not missing the important fact of his name. "Whatever you do, do not let him into the audience." Therese called out to anyone that was listening to point her in the direction the man had gone. One brave stagehand pointed down another hallway. Therese took off at breakneck speed. After another intersection, another helpful hand sent her down a corridor.

Jenkins had slowed down, assuming he had made it out. She had an open shot and aimed for his knee. Just as she squeezed the trigger, a form came from out of nowhere and speared her to the ground. The shot ricocheted off the wall and sent the stalker running. She kicked out at her assailant and connected. The man pinned her down by her shoulders and she kneed him in the stomach. She rolled away, fresh pain shooting up her leg. Pushing up from the floor, she clambered for her gun that had been knocked out of her hands. The other person got there first.

Stephanie pulled her blouse tight over her and rushed back in her office to grab her suit jacket. She buttoned it up over the torn shirt as she pressed the extension on the phone for the security office. Therese's announcement had reached the guard stationed there seconds before Stephanie's call came in. The guard assured her that a policeman would meet her at the room she designated. This was another office two doors down and she called Shawn as she hurried there. "Where are you?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Just got here," he replied. "This place is absolute chaos. What is going on?"

"Is Kevin with you?" she asked.

"No, he went looking for catering. Said he didn't feel well and needed to pick up a bite. What's going on?"

She sighed heavily. "I'm in a different office," she said and explained the change. "I'll tell you as soon as you get here." A knock sounded at the door and a male voice identified himself as the officer that was sent. "I've got to go." She hesitated to answer the door after what had happened the last time but she had to trust security. The policeman stated that he would stand guard at her door. She thanked him and explained that Shawn was to be let in.

As Stephanie shut the door, she heard Shawn shout her name and she rushed back outside, never more relieved to see him. The officer stepped between them and drew his gun. Stephanie explained who Shawn was and the man moved away. "What is going on?" he demanded. Her answer was to fling herself on him and burst into tears. He pulled her inside the room and tried to calm her down.

When she could speak again, she quickly explained who Therese Blair really was and what had happened earlier in the evening. "It all makes sense now," he said, nodding.

"What makes sense?"

"We'll talk about that another time. Kevin doesn't know about her." Stephanie shook her head. "So she's out there right now looking for this Jenkins guy?"

"Yeah," she replied and then her eyes grew large. "Shawn, you've got to go make sure she's okay. Make her come back. Tell her to let those other guys take care of it."

"I don't want to leave you."

"Please, go find her. I'll call Kevin and get him to help too."

"Alright," he said and kissed her long and hard. "Be safe. I'll be back."

The man couldn't help but hear her audible gasp. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Kevin Nash said, getting to his feet. The curse rang from her mouth. "That's right. You're in it up to your eyes."

"No, listen. I haven't got time," she heavily breathed. "Just trust me. I'm a security specialist undercover as Stephanie's assistant. You just managed to help her stalker get away."

A thousand conflicting emotions ran across his face. "You're what? I thought…but…you're…tell me the truth."

"Please, I am telling the truth. Why would I make this up? Someone is trying to kill Stephanie and it's my job to stop him." Several images ran through his mind. He remembered the shoulder holster half hidden under a blanket. Then he thought about how Stephanie was always accompanied by Therese, about the awkwardness between the two even though they were close friends, about when she acted as a bodyguard at the hockey game, about her ability to fight, and about the leather strap sticking out from under the cover that he now realized was a holster. "Listen. I will explain everything later. Just give me the gun. If you want to help, the man went that way and turned left. We can split up from there."

"You're not going anywhere. You're bleeding," he said, pointing at the wound.

Yeah, thanks for that news update, she sarcastically thought and touched her pants where the bullet tore through and the area was soaked in blood. The floor was smeared where she had gone down and slid across it. "I will be fine. I know what I'm doing. Just give it back and let's go. Please trust me." She took the weapon from him as he stared at her in shock, the disappointment in her beginning to register on his face. Finally the severity of the issue hit home and he acknowledged her with a nod. After a quick description of the man, she jogged on with a limp and he followed. The two split at the end of the hall.

Therese met up several security guards and police officers now that the place was swarming with them. After a briefing of where they had been, she continued down another hall that no one remembered checking. After another turn, the corridor was a dead-end. The small hall that broke off from it was the only place that the stalker could be if he had hid here. Each of the four doors was locked but a light shown out from under one. This was nothing but a storage area that no one in WWE would have need of.

Busting in would only get her killed. Therese stood next to the door and loudly said, "This corridor's empty too. I'll rejoin you in the catering area." She switched off the walkie-talkie, clipping it to her belt, and stomped down the small hall until she rejoined the longer dead-end corridor. She turned the corner and walked in place, her steps getting lighter. She plastered herself against the wall and began the hard part, waiting.

The door finally creaked open and the man's steps slowly approached. When he appeared, gun held out, Therese kicked out and sent the weapon across the hallway. She punched his face and then lashed out with her leg again, hitting his stomach and bringing him to his knees. His arm caught a barrel of miscellaneous sporting equipment, turning it over and sending bats, baseballs, basketballs, and more across the floor. She dropped an ax-handle on his back and stood back up to pull her gun out of its holster. Before she could aim, Jenkins jerked her ankle out from under her, sending her backward. Her head cracked against the hard floor, the Beretta clattered away, and her vision swam. She tried to move but was immediately nauseated. The blurry sight of the stalker rose and he stood over her, his gun pointed at her head. She had nothing, which mattered not because she could barely think.

"Well, well, who would have thought that Stephanie's secretary could fight. Sure as hell can't shoot a gun."

"Administrative assistant," she bit out, attempting to buy some time.

"Oh, Miss Femi-nazi!"

"Chauvinist pig!"

"That's enough," he bit out. "I've been wanting to get my hands on you ever since you screwed up my plans in Rochester. So, what should it be? I could easily blow your brains out, but then if I got caught, I would have murder on my list." He sighted the bloodstain on her pants. "Or maybe just assault with a deadly weapon is more my game. Let's add to what I started." The bullet ripped through the flesh of her thigh and she screamed, reaching out to grab onto something to weather the pain. Her fingers brushed hard wood but couldn't latch on. "Shut up," Jenkins commanded. "Scream one more time and I will kill you." The tears were streaming down her face. He pointed the gun at her head again. "I will let you go if you get me out of here. Create a diversion while—"

He never finished the sentence as her fingers finally caught hold of the wood—a hockey stick, her specialty. Therese swung from her supine position and landing a blow on Jenkins' neck. His dropped his gun, clutching his neck and throat, couching and fighting for breath. Finding her balance on one knee, she hit him in the back and he fell to the ground, the stick splintering over his body. She glanced around and found her gun, not far from where she had lain. Crawling across the floor on one knee, she reached it and immediately aimed it at the stalker who was groaning from where he lay in the hall. Slowly edging back, she picked a place to settle against the wall. The man blinked as he looked around, first at her and then at his gun a yard away.

"Now I give orders," she barked. "Before you reach that gun, you will be dead. I may not be James Bond, but I do have a license to kill. Who are you working for?"

"Myself," he growled.

"I don't believe you. Who set you up to do this?" she harshly asked. He said nothing. "I will shoot. Who are you working for?" He turned his head away from her. "Tell me now," she said slowly, enunciating each word carefully, and aimed the 9mm right above his head at a plywood box, firing off a shot. "Who!" she shouted.

TBC…

Author's Notes: I only told you that I would reveal the stalker but not who he's working for. ;) Don't hate me, please.