Allison Brennan - If I Should Die

“Jon, stop,” Lucy said, not wanting to antagonize Bobbie further.

“I’m sorry, Lucy.”

Bobbie fumed. “You disgust me, you fucking traitor. I don’t need you anymore, I know these tunnels better than anyone.”

Lucy shouted, “No! Bobbie, Jon rigged the mine to explode. We’ll all die!”

But Bobbie pressed the gun’s trigger and Jon’s chest exploded. His thumb hit the switch. Lucy screamed.

Sean had the last blasting cap in his hand when it exploded, burning the tips of his fingers. He dropped it and shook out the pain.

The mine stood. An echo of a feminine scream haunted him. Lucy.

“Fuck, that was too close!” Omar exclaimed.

There had been twelve blasting caps embedded in the C-4. C-4 was very stable and needed a spark to detonate; not even a bullet could set it off on its own. As soon as Bobbie disappeared down the tunnel, Omar ran up and tried to disarm the detonation device, but simultaneously the others pulled the blasting caps.

That quick plan had saved their lives.

“I’m going in.” Sean had retrieved his gun from Carl Browne, and now shoved it in his belt. “I heard a gunshot.” They all had, seconds before the blasting caps popped.

“You need me to guide you,” Ricky said.

“Hold it,” Noah said. “No way in hell I’m letting you walk in there unprotected.”

“You can’t stop me,” Sean said, his voice low and calm, but his eyes burned with pain and anger.

“I have equipment,” Omar said. “Wait one minute.” He bolted toward his truck.

Sean didn’t want to wait. The longer they waited, the more danger Lucy was in-if she wasn’t already dead.

Patrick said, “Sean, think. You need a flashlight, rope, a radio. And Ricky, you’re not going in.”

“I know this mine. So does Jon. Bobbie thinks she does, but she hasn’t been down here for years. Jon told her the money was where Victoria’s body had been, but he didn’t really put it there. He stashed it in Joe’s house.”

“Which means when Bobbie gets there and sees the money is missing, she’ll lash out at Lucy,” Sean said. “We have to beat her there, go in through the ventilation shaft.”

“It’ll take you twenty minutes minimum to drive over there-there’s no straight path,” Ricky said. “We have to follow. And quickly.”

“I’m not letting you risk yourself, Ricky.”

“This is my fault. I helped Jon. I knew I shouldn’t have, but Bobbie killed everyone who ever mattered to me.”

“She’s a sick psycho,” Sean agreed, “and I’m not letting her get Lucy. Or you.”

Omar drove up, his headlights illuminating the entire entrance. He jumped out. “I have a plan.”

Sean’s frustration hit overload. He didn’t know if Lucy was dead or alive, and he didn’t want to wait another minute.

Noah grabbed him and stared him down. “If that bullet was for Lucy, she’s dead. If it wasn’t, then she needs you to think smart. Or so help me, I’ll cuff you and get her myself.”

Sean’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Tell me the plan, Agent Lewis-fast.”

Lucy fell to her knees when Jon hit the switch, her arms covering her head.

Nothing happened.

She heard voices from the entrance. Judging from their steps, they were about thirty feet in.

Jon was on the ground next to her. She took his hand. “Jon-”

“I–I’m sorry. I didn’t w-w-want to hurt you.” His voice was labored and raspy. It sounded like Bobbie’s bullet had punctured a lung. He struggled for another breath.

“It was an accident. You didn’t mean to press the button.” She wanted to believe it, but wasn’t certain she could. “I’ll get help.”

“S-Stay left.”

Bobbie grabbed Jon’s flashlight and kicked him in his stomach.

“Don’t!” Lucy shouted.

Bobbie kicked him again. “You blew up my warehouses!” Kick. “Stole my money!” Double kick. “Ruined everything!” Jon fell to his side. Blood dripped from his mouth.

“I w-w-would do it again,” Jon gasped out. “Lucy. Be. Careful. W-what …”

She could barely hear him and leaned down. “What did you say?”

He whispered, “Not. There.”

“He’s going into shock.” Lucy glanced over her shoulder at Bobbie. “If we get him out, we can keep him warm and put in a tube to help him breathe-”

Bobbie shot Jon in the head without hesitation, so quickly Lucy almost didn’t register what had happened, even though his blood hit her face and chest. Then Bobbie aimed the gun at Lucy. “You’re lucky I don’t shoot you, too. You’re an idiot to think I’d lift a finger to help that traitor. And besides, I need a shield in case your buddies follow us in.”

Lucy barely heard Bobbie, didn’t have time to fear for her own life. She hadn’t expected her to shoot Jon so coldly. Her hands were covered in Jon’s blood and half his head was now gone.

“Get up, Lucy. It’s Lucy, right?”

Lucy slowly rose to her feet. She had one flashlight and no gun.

“Don’t be stupid, and you get to be my hostage. You might even be reunited with your lover, who’s tied up in my truck. I’ll let you die together. Move. Stay to the left. Follow the tracks. But mostly, just keep moving. There is no way out but through me, and I guarantee if you run, you’ll die. Either my gun or the mine will kill you.”

Lucy stepped over Jon’s body, her hand on the wall.

She needed to talk to Bobbie, establish a connection, an understanding, but she was at a complete loss. She couldn’t reason with someone so impulsive and violent.

Something brushed by her face and she jumped, stifling a scream.

Bobbie laughed. “You’re so funny! It’s just a bat.”

Bobbie’s tone changed. She’d gone from serious to humorous in less than a minute. But as Lucy thought back to what she’d said, even her threat had a hint of humor. She enjoyed it. She was in charge and she enjoyed Lucy’s fear. She’d shot Jon because she wanted him dead-but she also enjoyed how the violence scared Lucy. It relaxed Bobbie. Put her in control.

It was all about control. When Bobbie felt things were out of control, she was rash and dangerous. When she was in control, she was still dangerous, but not rash. Methodical and calculating. She could change plans on a dime, and as long as she controlled the situation, she was happy.

Lucy said, “Sorry.” She moved slowly down the tunnel. They were going at a downward angle-just steep enough that Lucy had to be careful where she stepped so she didn’t slip.

Bobbie laughed. “I wish we had time to get to know each other. We’re smarter than men. I always have been, at any rate. Smarter and sharper and more willing to do what it takes to get what I want.”

“It’s because people don’t expect women to be ruthless and in complete control of our lives.”

Bobbie pondered that as she poked Lucy with the barrel of the gun. “You might be right. Being looked at as soft and weak just because I’m a woman does give me a certain advantage.”

“I heard about your grand performance when you turned over your brother to the FBI.” Lucy’s foot slipped and she grabbed the wall. It was cold and damp. Her whole body felt frozen, and the only thing that kept her moving was the adrenaline of fear.

“Like you said, being a woman has certain advantages.”

“When I found out your brother had something on you that kept you from going after his son, I thought it might be the tape of your FBI interview where you lied about your dead husband and what happened, but this is something that he had on you six years ago, and Agent Sheffield stole the disk in December.”

“No more talking. Just walking. Hey, I made a rhyme.”

“Paul had already spilled the beans. Are you afraid someone else knows?”