5PM (18 page)

“What, that you had sex in someone’s mansion? You probably wonder how I got into the Pellmont house and then convinced your office that I wanted YOU to see me at the appointment. I don’t have the time to go into the little details, but you’re fully aware of my charms. I can use them in a non-sexual way and gain access to poor Mrs Pellmont’s security codes. She thinks she’s giving money to cancer research each month now,” Lauren says.

“Did you kill her husband?” I ask.

“Only with… love.”

“At least, I didn’t get that task,” Brittany says.

“And my wife trusted you with our children after the recommendations of the agency.”

“What agency? Anyone with my smile and beauty can get a babysitting gig, especially if the client specifically chooses a particular person for the job.”

“But why would she purposely…”

“Think about it, Terry,” Talissa says. She gets to her feet and walks towards me. “You said it yourself, 5PM.”

I feel sick, and there’s no way it could be possible. “You? You’re the fifth member?”

“Yes, Terry. I was an active assassin a long time ago before I met you. I had been on a mission that went pear-shaped. I couldn’t be responsible for bringing the organisation down, so I had to go into hibernation. The best way to hide they say is in plain sight, but I had to find a husband and a regular job and neither proved hard. When I saw you at the club that night, and you were keen to see me even though we didn’t hook up and fuck on that night, I knew you had potential to fit what I needed.”

“So these past twelve years have been a lie?” I feel the wetness of a tear run down my face.

“Don’t think of it like that, Terry. We had many good times, and until this last week, you made me feel like a princess. I knew the day would come when I would have to get back into service, but I never thought it would be because of you. I’m so sorry…”

I cut her off. “We had two children together, a house and a solid future. Can’t you forget your previous life and come back with me? I still love you—that hasn’t changed.”

“No, Terry. I can’t even if I wanted to. If I resist, they’ll kill the kids in front of me. Then they’ll kill you slowly, and then I’m dead. But if I comply, they promised they would only kill you. It’s not personal, my love, but you have to understand I have no choice.”

“So this whole time I’ve been fucking all these other women, you were in on it? The guilt I carried, I carry it because of a lie I’ve lived my last twelve years and you were behind the machinations of it all? Why, Talissa? Why?”

“Don’t do this, Terry. Please don’t make this any harder than it already is.” She stops a metre away from me and kneels down next to me.

“What have I done to deserve all this?”

“You did something very bad a long time ago, Terry. So did Roger and your boss. I didn’t want to believe it when they first came to me, but facts are facts, and you’re a very bad man. And if you truly loved me, even with the power of those pills Emily gave you, you wouldn’t have strayed from your marriage vows.”

“Please, tell me what I did.” I wish I could touch her face one last time and wipe the tear away that I don’t think I was supposed to see.

“She can’t tell you, Terry, and if you don’t shut up about it, I’ll shut you up myself,” Emily says.

“But you’re gonna kill me anyway. What’s it matter?”

My right leg won’t move on its own, so I roll around propelling myself with my good leg. Sitting up rather than lying near the steps, I see Talissa’s handbag is less than a foot away from me. I stare into her eyes. “Can I have just one last kiss, for old time’s sake?”

“Geez, I think I’m going to puke,” Brittany says.

Talissa makes the move and pushes her handbag along as she slides her body up to mine. I put one hand on the floor and the other through her hair. I cover her mouth with my own tasting her tongue and kissing her deeply like we did the other night by the lake. She moans in satisfaction, my natural ability to produce panty-wetting kisses even prevails at this moment. She has no idea it’s my turn to play her. “Talissa, please tell the kids I was brave to the end.”

My hand darts into Talissa’s handbag. When I withdraw it, her handgun comes out in my grip, and I fire blindly. The one shot hits Lauren in the chest, and as I squeeze the trigger again, I hear a clicking sound. Emily and Brittany aim their weapons at me, and I can’t be sure which of them fires the bullet that rips through the flesh of my shoulder. The resulting pain forces a scream from inside, and I squeeze my eyes shut tight and wish for the burning sensation to die.

“You shot Lauren,” Brittany says. “I thought you said your husband couldn’t shoot an elephant in a hallway.”

Talissa reclaims her weapon. “Lucky I had just the one bullet loaded. Terry, what were you thinking?”

All I can think about is this pain. I see Lauren wriggling on the floor, blood spurting from the chest wound I gave her. My mind isn’t ready to absorb the fact I’ve shot someone.

“What the fuck’s going on?” Ed storms into view, his pistol drawn. I see the shock form across his facial features as he catches sight of the woman I shot. “Oh, shit, she’s dying.”

Lauren looks over at me, blood now gurgling in her mouth. In her dying moments, I fear she’s trying to get to me, but even with my wounds, I would have the advantage over her.

“I can’t let her suffer,” Brittany says as she shoots Lauren through the head.

Ed points his pistol at my face and walks with vigour. “I don’t care who’s paying us.”

“No, Ed, you can’t do this. He’s not going anywhere and his right arm is useless to him now,” Emily says.

“He killed my sister!”

“And this is why we don’t normally hire siblings. You need to separate your emotions from this, Ed. There’s a big payday coming if we leave him for the one who hired us.” Emily glares in my direction. “There is another way you can really hurt him. Brittany, go get the kids.”

“No, leave them out of it,” Talissa pleads.

“What did you think was going to happen after all this? You can’t go back to your old life and cart those two little pests around,” Emily says.

“Do you people have a heart at all?” I ask. My weakening body exudes as much hate as possible through gritted teeth.

“But, of course. I love all sorts of things, like money, nice clothes and shoes, hot sex with well-hung inked up biker boys, and most of all, killing people. I’m the true embodiment of the praying mantis. I’ve even shot a man dead while he was still inside me, and, needless to say, I exploded sexually as his dead body squeezed the last of his essence deep in me.”

“You’re sick,” I say.

“You say sick—I say I’m a rich genius who anyone in their right mind doesn’t mess with.” She looks down past the kitchen to the hallway. “Brittany, would you hurry up.”

“Please, Em. Don’t make them pay just to upset Terry,” Talissa says.

“You’ve gone soft, haven’t you? All those stories I’ve heard about how great you were at your job all those years ago? I have to say, I’m disappointed to see what you’ve become. I might need to call this in.”

“Maybe we should shoot her, tell the boss she died in crossfire. They don’t need to know what really happened,” Ed points his weapon at my wife.

“Mummy! Daddy!” I hear Matilda’s high pitched voice scream out.

“Are you okay?” Isaac asks his mother and runs over to her as Brittany releases him.

Talissa looks over at me. “Yes Isaac, everything will be okay.”

I notice Ed smirking at them, and if it weren’t for my busted shoulder and leg, I would put every ounce of energy into taking him down. These last few days I thought Hannah had been the bad cop, I could never have been so wrong.

“I know what you’re thinking, Terry, and I don’t blame you, but this is a serious business. I can’t kill you, but I can kill the family you love so dear. Brittany, please bring the girl to me.”

“Don’t you fucking do this, Ed,” I yell.

Brittany pulls Matilda along and stands her a couple of feet in front of Ed, and then spins her around to face me. “Make sure you watch this, Terry.”

The tears come again. I can’t watch this, but I can’t turn away either. Ed lowers his gun and brings his aim down low in line with the back of my sweet daughter’s head. She bursts into tears, and I close my eyes for a split second as I hear a gunshot.

“You bitch,” I hear Brittany say as she jumps on Talissa’s back.

Matilda was shoved my way, and I see Ed lying on his back, not moving. His gun was in my wife’s hand. I roll over and put my own body in line with Emily as a shield for my little girl. Isaac has taken the initiative and runs down the steps.

Talissa flips Brittany off her back and slams her long frame onto the floorboards. She turns to Emily and swings around on her back foot and kicks the blonde assassin’s weapon from her hands.

“You are good,” Emily says and stands in a defensive mode, bouncing on the balls of her feet ready to take on her opponent. “I’ve got this, Brit. Go get that boy.”

“Run, Isaac. Go to that hiding place,” Talissa yells.

“You traitor,” Emily sneers and throws a punch at Talissa.

Talissa ducks her head and watches the swinging fist travel above her. Throwing a counter-punch of her own, she hits Emily in the ribs, drawing a groan from her target. I wish I could do something to help, the blood leaving my shoulder wound starts to discolour my daughter’s light brown hair. It reminds me my favoured right arm is useless until I can get medical attention.

The two women continue to trade blows, the majority of them blocked by the other, and the ones that land don’t appear to be taking a toll on either of them. Although Talissa has a few years on Emily, they seem a good match for each other.

“I agreed to come back, and I agreed to turn Terry over, but I never agreed to have my children killed, you psychotic bitch.” Talissa takes a step back and lowers herself. Spinning on her front foot, she brings her rear leg around and hits Emily in the ribs, bringing her to the ground.

A single gunshot rings outside, and I fear the worse for little Isaac, who took off on foot to the cubby house my father originally built for my siblings and me when we were children.

Emily takes advantage of Talissa’s split-second attention lapse and kicks upwards at the woman standing over her, striking her between the legs and bringing her to her knees. The blonde woman rolls over, regains possession of her pistol and stands over her opponent and aims. “You had your chance, Talissa.”

No one sees the shooter who fires the bullet that hits Emily in the forehead, but the one who appeared to be the leader of the group slumps to the ground, never to hurt another person again. I look up at Talissa’s face and search for any sign of compassion in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Terry.” She gets to her feet, grabbing Emily’s discarded weapon and aiming it at me.

“Mummy, what are you doing?” Matilda asks. She starts walking over to Talissa.

“Daddy’s been a very bad man, and he has to go away and not come back. Isn’t that right, Mummy?” I look Talissa in the eyes.

Talissa can’t fight the tears that fall, even though she nods in agreement with me.

“Matilda, make sure Mummy always has your love, no matter what happens.” My eyes stay on my wife.

“Mummy will always love you, Matilda. Please turn away.” Talissa holds our daughter tight against her and covers her eyes with an arm while keeping her eyes directed at me. “It will be quicker this way, Terry.”

“I just want to know who sent you.”

Talissa shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter,” and I see her finger pull back on the trigger.

The gunshot booms through the air, and instead of feeling the impact I expect, I see her drop her gun as a bullet passes through her wrist and immediately draws blood. I look over at the still open double door entrance as Isaac comes bouncing off the top step and into the room where the survivors remain. “Mummy, Daddy! Are you okay?” he asks.

Before either of us can answer, the source of the shot that hit Talissa enters the room and looks over at me. “Are you okay, Terry?”

I nod at the police officer, Hannah, who still has her police-issued weapon directed at Talissa’s mass. “I thought you were dead.”

“I knew they were onto me, so I had a bullet-proof vest and hoped to hell they didn’t take a head shot.” She turns her attention to Talissa. “Shauna Logan, you are under arrest for multiple counts of homicide between the years 1998 to 2002. You have the right to remain silent…” I zone out as I see the mother of my children restrained in handcuffs and led outside, blood pouring from her wound.

“Talissa, is there anyone else coming?” I ask her just as she disappears from sight.

“No, Terry. The threat has been neutralised,” she calls out. Hannah turns around and looks at me before she follows her new prisoner descending the steps down to the outside world. Both of my children come running up to me and embrace me tight as if they haven’t seen me for days.

“Is Grandma okay?” I ask Isaac.

“I think so, Daddy. Brittany hit her though and made her fall down.”

“Can you please go and tell her it’s all okay now?”

Isaac nods and leaves the room. My body feels heavier and I feel more tired. I blame the two gunshot wounds and lack of sleep for my dire condition.