******
Goose returns from Texas and helps Evelyn and
the kids get settled in the new house in Cody Wyoming. Evelyn is
nice to Goose but gives him no encouragement. She treats him like a
friend or big brother.
Goose is disappointed. He had hoped spending
time with Evelyn while they packed and traveled to Wyoming would
give him an opening to pursue a relationship with her, but she is
still adamant that she isn't going to depend on any man. Well,
he'll have to be patient.
When he returns to the ranch he finds a list
of instructions on the desk from Dylan. First on the list is to run
the fingerprint sent to him from Detective Long through the
databases. When he runs the fingerprint through their government
databases he is surprised to find it returns too different matches.
One match is to a Philip Jonas, and is not particularly disturbing.
He has a short rap sheet but nothing serious. When he pulls the
other match a cold chill runs down his back. It comes back as James
Philip Jones, professional hit man for the Las Vegas mob. He prints
off the information and goes in search of Barry and finds him in
his study.
"Barry, do you know why Scoot was trying to
match this fingerprint?" asks Goose.
"No, not really, why, what did you find?"
asks Barry.
"Well, I got two different matches. One is
relatively innocuous but the other is downright scary. The guy is a
professional hit man for the mob."
I am walking by the study and hear part of
the conversation so I ask, "Are you guys talking about the
fingerprint Detective Long sent to Dylan?"
"Yes, do you know anything about it?" ask
Barry.
"Well, the police pulled it off of the lock
on my storage unit in LA. Dylan thinks it belongs to the person
that broke in. Detective Long says it belongs to the man that was
our butler when my father died. Why? What did you find out?"
Barry and Goose look at each other and then
Barry says, "You better sit down Skye."
I sit in the chair next to the desk, a knot
of apprehension growing in my stomach.
Barry takes a deep breath and says, "Skye,
the print belongs to a professional hit man for the mob, James
Philip Jones. It also came back as belonging to Philip Jonas, your
former butler. Jones was thought to have died in a fire back in
1999 so he evidently reincarnated himself as Philip Jonas."
A cold chill runs down my back. "Oh God,
we've got to tell Dylan!"
Barry and Goose exchange another look and
Barry says, "Dylan is out of the country Skye. It may be a while
before he gets back and until he does we can't contact him."
Tears spring to my eyes. I know in my heart
that Dylan is on some dangerous mission for the government. I
mentally shake myself and say, "I see. Then I guess we better
contact Detective Long."
Barry says, "I think our first call needs to
be to the FBI. Evidently they haven't connected these dots yet.
Maybe they have more information on Philip Jonas."
******
It's been three weeks since Dylan left and I
am worried. I hate not knowing where he is and that he is safe. I
spoke to Detective Long two weeks ago telling him what Goose found
when he matched Philip Jonas' fingerprint. Detective Long was
doubtful until Barry got on the phone and assured him that what I
told him was true. He even had to explain to the detective his
connection to Dylan Drake before he would take them seriously. He
finally agreed to reopen the investigation into the death of
Benjamin Reynolds.
Word the police are reopening the
investigation reached the media and I am fascinated reading the
stories appearing all over the internet about me and my father.
The FBI is actively searching for Jonas but
so far they haven't located him.
******
Philip Jonas is furious. Why have the police
reopened that investigation? It has to be because of that bitch,
Skye Reynolds. As loony as she is he doesn't understand why anyone
would take her seriously. Last he heard she had disappeared. Well,
all he has to do is lay low. The Paparazzi will smoke her out then
he can take care of her too.
According to what he has read, she has only
been seen in public twice in the last four years and both of those
times were recent. Once down in Texas where she attended some guy's
trial with Barry Farrady and then a few weeks ago in LA. She was
with the guy that had been on trial in Texas, one Dylan Drake. He
must be her body guard or something. In the meantime he needs to
start planning his demise again.
******
Dylan will be glad when this assignment is
over. It's already been three weeks and there is no end in sight
yet. He is sick of sleeping on the ground and fighting the insects.
He misses Skye so much it is causing a physical hurt deep in his
soul. His arms ache to hold her and he has a perpetual ache in his
groin. Mentally shaking himself he refocuses on the mission. His
life depends on his concentration.
******
I am scheduled to go to LA to give a
deposition in the Richard Thomas rape case. The police did question
Thomas about his participation in the rape and he identified the
five other men. They are in custody and I will be required to
testify in their case. Of course, the lawyers of the defendants in
the case are taking full advantage of the media coverage having
press conferences almost daily. It is well known that I will be
travelling to LA for the deposition.
With Dylan still out of the country, Skye's
protection falls to Goose. He and Barry contacted Bear in Phoenix
and asked him to meet Goose in LA to help protect her. It will be a
one day trip.
Phillip Jonas is practically licking his lips
in anticipation. The bitch is coming to LA for a deposition. All he
has to do is kidnap her, kill her, and his troubles will be over.
Without her to push the investigation it will die a peaceful
death.
******
After the deposition is complete, a limousine
picks up Goose and I to carry us back to the airport. Bear has a
bad feeling from the minute they get in the car. It is the same
nervous itch that saved his life more than once in Vietnam. His
heart is racing by the time he sees them pull away.
Relying on his instincts he jumps into the
nearest news van and takes off after them. The reporter and
cameraman in the back are yelling for him to stop but he keeps
right on following the limousine. They know the guy driving was one
of Skye Reynolds' bodyguards. The reporter says, "Hey, what's going
on?"
Bear says, "I'm not sure, but something's
wrong. Sit back and get everything on film."
So, they do just as he suggests. One of the
reporters says, "I thought they were going to the airport. They are
going in the wrong direction. This highway leads up into the
mountains."
Goose knows something's wrong too. He and
Skye are trapped. The doors are locked, the glass is all
bulletproof and the guy is driving like some kind of maniac.
Because of the media coverage of the chase,
the police have joined. A police helicopter is flying overhead.
When the limousine tops a hill and Jonas sees the roadblock ahead
he pulls to the side of the road, sliding open the bulletproof
glass that separates the driver from the passengers he aims and
fires twice hitting Goose who was trying to protect Skye from the
bullets with his body.
Jonas then jerks open the back door and grabs
my arm dragging me up the hill into the woods.
Bear stops the van in the middle of the
highway and runs up the hill in pursuit of Jonas and Skye. I am
scared but not terrified as I once would have been. I was surprised
when I realized Philip Jonas was driving the limousine. I am
thinking unusually clearly to be so scared. My .45 is in my purse,
all I have to do is get to it.
The terrain is steep and the brush is thick
so Jonas is having difficulty making his way up the hill. On a
particularly steep incline, I dig in my heels and jerk backwards
pulling Jonas off balance. As he tumbles backwards he loses his
grip on my arm. Scrambling away, I start digging in my purse and
retrieve the pistol. When I look behind me I see him scrambling
back up the hill trying to catch me. Stopping, I turn, aim, and
fire.
I see his eyes widen when he sees the pistol.
The force of the bullet hitting him in the chest knocks him
backwards and he tumbles back down the hill and comes to a stop at
Bear's feet.
Bear quickly feels for a pulse in his neck
and determines Jonas is dead. He runs to me and enfolds me in his
big arms holding me as I cry. Bear says, "I'm proud of you girl.
You did the right thing."
Smiling through my tears, I nod.
The police are soon swarming all over the
area.
Once I answer all of their questions Bear and
I get the reporter in the van Bear commandeered to take us to the
hospital to check on Goose. Bear calls Barry to let him know what
has happened and to not expect us back at the ranch tonight.
Goose was flown by Care Flight to a local
hospital where he underwent surgery for a bullet wound to his
abdomen. A Kevlar vest stopped the first bullet which would have
pierced his heart. He is in stable condition but lost a lot of
blood and is still unconscious.
The reporter whose van was commandeered by
Bear is thrilled. He now has the story of a lifetime and scooped
all of the other Paparazzi. To make things even better, I agreed to
an exclusive interview.
Detective Long finds me sitting by Goose's
bed late that night. He escorts me out of the ICU to the waiting
room where he updates Bear and I on the police investigation.
"Ms. Reynolds, I wanted to tell you
everything we have learned from our investigation. We found the
original limousine driver's body in the trunk. James Philip Jones,
more recently known as Philip Jonas was evidently a vain person. In
his apartment we found a trophy case where he kept news stories of
all of his "kills". Stories about the death of your father,
Benjamin Reynolds, as well as another man he had worked for as
butler, Samuel Williams, were included in the display. We believe
we'll be able to solve several other unsolved cases thanks to the
stories in his display. With the new evidence, the medical
examiner's report on your father's death will be changed to
indicate he was murdered. The police will notify the insurance
company of the change and you should be hearing from them soon.
I also want to say that I think you are a
very brave young woman, not to mention a very good shot. You have
done the world a great service by killing Jones."
I blush at his praise. Then I thank the
detective for his help and return to the bedside of my friend,
Reginald "Goose" Willingham. I spend the entire night at the
bedside praying for his recovery and for the safety of Dylan,
Pinky, and Stump.
Early the next morning I am surprised but
pleased when Evelyn enters Goose's hospital room. He still hasn't
regained consciousness and I am getting worried. Evelyn walks over
to the side of the bed. She leans over placing her hand on his
chest and gently kisses him on the lips.
She lays her head on his chest and with tears
streaming from her eyes and pooling on his chest, Evelyn says,
"Reggie, don't leave me. I need you. I'm sorry I've been so
stubborn. Please don't leave me."
I quietly watch the scene play out before me.
Evelyn is distraught and sobbing. For almost a half an hour she
begs Goose not to leave her. I am surprised when finally I see a
small smile tugging at the corners of Goose's lips. He slowly opens
his eyes and says, "Evelyn, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Do
you mean it? Do you need me?"
"Yes, Reggie. I mean it. I'm so sorry," says
Evelyn, her heart pounding with relief.
I rise from my chair and leave the room
giving them privacy. My heart warms knowing they are finally
working out their issues and that Goose is going to be all right.
My heart aches for Dylan. When is he coming back to her?
I think back to the dream I had the night
before Goose and I left for LA and cold chills run down my spine.
The dream was horrible. Dylan was lying in a pool of blood with
life slowly seeping from his body. I screamed and woke up shaking
uncontrollably. I cried for hours and begged him not to leave me. I
wasn't able to go back to sleep or erase the vision from my
mind.
Three months have passed and I am preparing
to testify in the rape trials scheduled for next week. Bear and
Goose will once again accompany me to LA. Barry is also testifying
and will be coming to LA after jury selection is complete.
Dylan, Pinky, and Stump still haven't
returned and Barry is telling me they are still out of the country.
Goose and Evelyn are madly in love and spend every moment together.
They are planning a wedding for as soon as Dylan and the others
return.
I have spent a lot of time with Damian since
Dylan left almost five months ago and he and I have become very
close. Damian asks me frequently when his father will return and I
feel guilty when I tell him soon, because I really don't know. I
pray Dylan is safe and I am haunted by the memory of the dream.
******
Damian is playing Little League baseball in
Cody and I have been taking him to and from practice. His first
game is scheduled for Friday night. He is very excited. Venturing
out regularly with the boy, I have learned how to avoid the press
and they seem to have backed off some since the story about me
killing Philip Jonas hit the newsstand.
Evelyn, Goose, and her children are meeting
Damian and me at the game. Damian is playing first base and is one
of the best players on the team. Goose has spent a lot of time
playing ball with Damian, Eric, and Jeff and they have all improved
their skills.
Damian plays an outstanding game and hits a
home run to score the winning run. I am so proud of him. When the
game is over he runs off the field and throws his arms around me. I
lift him up and swing him around. As I set him on the ground I
hear, "Great game, Sport."