2 A Month of Mondays (6 page)

“You killed him! You…”

He never finished his statement. Hallie shot him in the neck.
She had seen the outline of the Kevlar vest he wore beneath his Bermuda shirt.

No wonder he had been sweating and laboring to keep up. He
must be carrying another ten pounds around his torso
, Hallie thought.

The man gurgled once, his hands grasping at the holes in his
neck, blood spurting out in all directions.

Hallie regretted the shot as soon as she made the decision.
She should have taken his knees out. It would have served better. She could
hear Macy screaming over the din. She could hear Violet running toward her.

Hallie groaned, knowing what she had to do. She had already
fired four rounds. She had six left.

She wheeled around and shot Violet in the thigh. Violet
spun, and lunged at her. Hallie simply brought the pistol down in a vicious arc.
It connected with Violet’s temple and she fell forward, limp, to the road.

Hallie grabbed Macy’s hand and dragged her to the passenger
side of the Expedition. She looked in the open door at a large man staring at
her curiously. He held a Beretta FS 9 mm pistol. He was aiming it at the floor.

“Are you Lars?” she asked. Macy stood at her knee, sobbing
and sniffling. Part of her hated them all for this.

“Of course I am, Hallie. We have met before. Perhaps you do
not remember. Violet was right. We need to talk. We...”

“Don’t presume to tell me what we need to do. I need to get
away from you all. Let us go or I swear to you I will put a bullet in both of
you,” Hallie said. She could feel the spittle on her lips. She knew she
probably looked crazy. It was fine with her. If crazy got the job done, then
she was prepared to be crazy.

“I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Mrs. Monday.” 
He released the magazine from the Beretta and set it on the seat beside him.

He opened the door and dropped the pistol to the pavement. He
stepped out. Hallie held the SIG Sauer steady. She picked Macy up quickly and
deposited her on the front seat. She was sobbing and staring ahead. Her eyes
were tinged with red. Hallie guessed she was in shock.

Children were resilient, but an ordeal like this would leave
a lasting effect. Macy’s mom had killed someone on the street beside their
house. She concentrated on the task at hand. Regrets and self-flagellation were
for later.

The vehicle was too tall, she realized. Going around it
would allow him to be out of her sight.

It was a risk she had to take. The pistol was on the ground.
She had heard it hit.

“Stay there. I will come around. Move and I will kill you,”
she said through clenched teeth.

“We are friends, Hallie. You need to trust us,” Lars said
softly. His voice grated on her nerves. His accent and the harsh rumble of his
words were like nails on a chalkboard.

“You need to shut up, Lars. Get around to the side of the
vehicle and put your hands on it,” she commanded. She glanced over at Violet,
struggling to get up. She did not hold a pistol. Only a phone. She was staring
at it. The screen was busted, the glass shattered on the pavement. Hallie heard
Violet curse softly.

“We will be back, Hallie. We cannot allow them to get to you.
We cannot allow them to get to Jake. If they get to Jake, it is all over,” he
said. He actually sounded desperate.

“Stop talking. Another word and you will not have to worry
about breathing through your mouth. I will make a hole through your chest to
breathe through,” she threatened. She did not really want to shoot him. She was
being tough because she was scared.

He nodded and put his hands against the Expedition. Hallie
came around the front of the vehicle and opened the door. She hopped in and
shut it.

She sat in the front seat for a moment with her eyes closed
and exhaled sharply through her nose. She had just killed two men. They might
just be CIA or FBI agents. She doubted it. It was more likely that they were
mercenaries. Regardless, they were dead. Macy had witnessed it all. Hallie
glanced over at the seat where her daughter sat, her bottom lip tucked out and
her nose running clear snot. Hallie resisted the urge to wipe her nose. Instead,
she reached across and put Macy’s seat belt on. She scooted the discarded 9mm
magazine onto the floorboard. She checked the side mirror and saw Lars putting
his hands on the rear bumper, his jaw working in anger and frustration.

She put the big SUV in gear and gunned it. She turned right
at the intersection and left the scene of the crime. She could hear sirens
coming closer. She slowed to the speed limit and pulled onto the Bronx River
Road. She followed it south, hoping to slip onto the Bronx River Parkway before
she was pulled over.

She stole a glance at Macy. Macy looked up at her.

“Mommy, I’m hungry,” she complained.

“I know, honey. I know Macy-baby,” she said. A tear ran a
path down her cheek as she checked the rear view mirror. The morning sun glared
into her gaze but she could see no pursuit. Satisfied, she turned her attention
to getting her mad on.

Take One for the Team

“I will NOT calm down,” Hallie shouted. Her hair was matted
and her clothes clung to her. She was perspiring so much she tasted salt on her
lips. She had sprinted up the stairs carrying Macy with her to get to the
office. It was necessary because she had to bypass security. She did not have
proper identification. It did not matter that she had known Howard, the
security professional for the building, for months. He would not allow her to
go on the elevator, especially with a child in tow.

“Hallie, we will have Bronxville PD shut the case down. We
will call it a national security threat. We will handle that part. No one
blames you for protect--.” Kyle Evers stammered.

“Don’t placate me, Kyle. I discharged my weapon off duty. I
did it in a residential neighborhood in front of my own child!  I want these
bastards who are ruining our lives!  So don’t stand there patting me on the head.
Do your job or get out of my way!”

Kyle looked exasperated. He glanced over at Jake who sat on
a leather chair playing “Cut the Pickle” with Macy.

“Don’t look at him!  Look at me, Kyle,” Hallie said, her
anger getting the best of her.

“Hallie, calm down,” Kyle began, trying to sound gentle.

Hallie sprung at him, grabbing his shirt in her hand.

“Don’t tell me to calm down. First you endanger my family by
sending Jake off to one of the most dangerous assassin organizations in the
world and then you stand here doing nothing while a four man operation goes
directly to my house to kidnap me and my child. Don’t tell me to calm down,”
she said. With her anger spent, her voice dropped and she let go of Kyle.

Hallie figured that the Special Agent in Charge of the
Brooklyn field office of the Secret Service, Kyle Evers, was not used to being
bullied by an agent. He stepped back. Hallie was already sorry for her outburst.
She knew she had pushed him too far.

“Hallie. You are on leave as of this morning. I think you
need time to re-evaluate your career choice. Perhaps this is too much for you,”
he said, his voice level. He glanced over at Jake, who wore a look of
resignation. “Maybe it is too much for both of you,” Kyle said pointedly.

Jake looked up at that.

“Say what you mean, Kyle,” Jake said, allowing Macy to slice
his fingers. “Pow!” He exclaimed.

Macy giggled.

“Kyle, I am sorry. I have been through a lot...” Hallie
began. She regretted her actions. She had let her fear and her anger lead her
to this.

“Hallie. I am not firing you. You two need to get out of
town. I just happen to have an assignment in Washington that needs a delicate
hand. You two are welcome to accept it in lieu of the leave,” Kyle offered.

“That feels too much like you trying to manipulate us,
Kyle,” Jake accused. He set Macy on the carpet and got out of the chair.

Hallie noticed that Jake had lost weight since Galbraith. He
did not seem to be eating well. Hallie was not much of a cook, but even when
they ate together at a restaurant, he picked at his food.

“I merely want what is best for you. And for the Service. I
cannot have an incident where you and Macy are taken. That would compromise
this office, the Service, and more importantly, it would be a dereliction of my
duties, knowing what I know now,” Kyle explained.

Jake put his hands on his hips.

“What do you have in Washington that the Uniformed Division
isn’t able to handle?” Jake asked.

Kyle frown deepened.

“Like I said, this is a touchy assignment. It needs a
softer, less visible presence than UD personnel can provide. You two would make
a great team. You can even fly practically solo on this one. You can report
directly to Deputy Director Nance in Baltimore,” Kyle explained.

“I thought you said the assignment was in Washington,”
Hallie reminded him.

“Yes. The game is in Washington, but the Senator’s son plays
for the Orioles,” Kyle said.

“Wait. You want us assigned to Washington to protect a
baseball player?”

Kyle shrugged.

“Not just any baseball player. Todd Swane.”

Hallie watched Jake scratch his head. When it came to
baseball, he was clueless. Politics were even worse. She came to his rescue.

“You mean Senator Bob Swane’s son, the right fielder for the
Orioles who is in a slump?”

Kyle smirked. He knew Jake had no idea of either man, even
if his memory had not been wiped. Hallie’s father had worked for years as a
scout for the Cleveland Indians. She had learned to love the game as a kid.

“Yes. Those are the Swanes.”

“You want us to protect Todd Swane?  For how long?  Why, and
who from?”

“Well, first of all, this is off the books, officially. It
is a favor we are extending to Senator Swane as part of our agreement. We were
assigned to Bob during his campaign. Our inspectors allowed a package through that
turned out to have explosives.” He shrugged; his smirk served to be both
self-effacing, and ironic. “They failed to ignite. We risked a black eye. Senator
Swane knew that there was not much we could have done differently outside of
opening the package ourselves, but he had us over a bad press barrel. We agreed
to provide protective services for him during his term as a demonstration of
good faith,” Kyle said.

“So, his son is getting death threats from angry fans?”
Hallie guessed.

Kyle nodded.

“I am afraid so. They aren’t happy with his production.”

Hallie put her hands on her hips.

“Fans are so fickle. They were clamoring for the Orioles to
fork out the cash to keep him in Baltimore and then when he goes through a
slump, and now they want the bum out of there,” Hallie complained.

“They have a short memory,” Kyle agreed.

“So, a crazy fan wants Todd dead, the Senator has called in
his favor, and you want us to babysit this jock for how long?” Jake asked. Hallie
knew he was uncomfortable enough just trying to piece back his memory. He had
always hated spectator sports.

“Just this one game in D.C. The Nats have a double header
scheduled with the Orioles this Tuesday. I have your tickets ready for tomorrow
and hotel accommodations. I only got one room, so…”

Hallie waved him off.

“Don’t worry, Kyle, Jake and I are fine in a single. But
what about Macy?  She can’t go with us.”

“I was hoping you would leave her here with your Aunt Mary,”
Kyle admitted.

“Mary?  She hasn’t seen her since she was born,” Hallie
pointed out.

“It is better that way. No one will make the connection. No
one will expect you to be in Washington. I booked the rooms under TSD auspices,
different names of course.” 

“If they are actively searching for us, they will find us,”
Jake reminded.

Kyle nodded.

“I know. But, if you stay here, the risk of that happening
is even more likely,” Kyle reasoned.

Hallie furrowed her brow. Although it sounded as though Kyle
was trying to help them, he had already booked their flight, had already
reserved the room. He was assuming they would not refuse. In his mind, he had
planned this out before she had blown up at him, had set the plan in motion
before they had been threatened.

“Just a second, Kyle. You are saying that all this is ready
for us. How did you do that on such short notice?” Hallie asked.

Kyle squirmed.

“He had this planned since Wednesday, haven’t you Kyle?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t protect us. That is the truth. You knew they
would make a move on us. You put this assignment together to get us out of
danger.”

Kyle swallowed and nodded.

“I wanted to present it to you earlier but I had not spoken
to the Senator to confirm. You understand, right?”

“You are protecting your own backside. Yeah, I understand,”
Hallie chided.

“You don’t have to take the assignment. It is open for you,
it is perfect for you, but we can re-arrange some things here and get the local
police to assist us,” Kyle offered.

Macy sat on the chair, her feet dangling in the air. Hallie
watched Jake look down at her and smirk.

“We will take it,” he said.

Kyle looked relieved. He became animated.

“Great. I am glad you see things the same way I do…” Kyle
began.

“No, we don’t, Kyle,” Jake challenged. “I see things
completely different than you.”  Hallie saw a gleam in Jake’s eyes that she had
not seen since he had discovered Galbraith’s organization.

Kyle’s back stiffened. That had hurt him. Hallie looked at
him curiously.

“Fine. I will fill you in with more details in the dossier. I
have sent it to the location. You will have two days to do your pre-scouting
and your surveillance,” Kyle said.

“Wait. We have to do our own surveillance?” Hallie asked.

Kyle sighed.

“The information will be in the dossier,” Kyle insisted.

Hallie went to Macy and picked her up. She squirmed.

“You get to see Auntie Mary,” Hallie said in a cheery voice.

Macy made a face and shrugged; her eyes were saucers.

“I don’t know Auntie Mary,” Macy said in a small voice.

“It’s ok, Macy. I didn’t know you until six days ago,” Kyle
said, tickling her.

Macy giggled.

Kyle came around the desk and handed Jake a folder and some
tickets.

“Play ball, guys,” Kyle said, a smile playing at his lips.