The brakes squealed as Rock came to a rolling stop in the old pick up truck, less than half a mile from his office. It was a place he knew would be watched by both the Delega Group and the Keepers of the Rose. The choice in coming here wasn’t the most logical but he was tired of running, tired of looking over his shoulder and most of all, tired of being the catalyst that put innocent people in harms way. He wanted out and this presented the quickest option to get all the cards on table.
Rock swung down from the truck, stretched briefly in the warm sunlight and began walking towards his office. The morning air was the coolest it would be all day, still humid but not nearly as suffocating as it would be in the coming hours.
With each step closer, his head swirled in doubt. Was he giving up? Was this decision making the lives already taken mean nothing? What about Brett, Nate, Wallace, did they die for this? Was he failing them by giving in?
“First instinct,” he said aloud. “Why are you doing this,” he questioned himself. “Why?” Answer the why, he always preached. Find out the real why and you can come to the real answer. So why was he doing this. What did he hope for?
He hoped to see Seth Delega. Then he could negotiate. Rock held copies of everything and was the only person with the new pages. With that kind of power, nothing would happen to him as long as he could convince Delega or the Keepers of the Rose that any harm to him would see the copies to the other side. That’s all he needed to do at this juncture. He would lay the foundation for what was to come. Nobody had to know all his leverage was sitting in a box in a simple hotel room a few miles away.
He approached the mostly vacant lot from the Southeast corner. The few places of business that remained were on the opposite side from his office and only one of those looked to be open. At the midway point, he felt very exposed. He knew by now, he’d been spotted.
They showed themselves as he stepped onto the curb, just a few feet from his front door. One man stepped out from inside his office. As usual these men tended to be a good deal larger than Rock. He also held a pistol by his side. From behind, Rock heard a car come to a stop and two doors open and shut.
“Which organization are you guys from,” he asked.
“Does it matter,” the man in front replied. “We have you and now you’ll be coming with us.”
“It does matter,” Rock said. “I have a feeling that both parties are watching this place and whoever showed their cards first is probably going to get killed.”
They didn’t have time to reply as shots silently sliced through the air. The shirt of the man in front of him exploded in red as three well placed rounds found their mark. Before he could turn around he heard the two men near the car collapse in much the same way. Rock threw up his hands and fell to his knees waiting for whatever was to come next.
He heard the feet and the vehicles moments later.
“Unarmed,” he yelled. “Unarmed.”
“We know,” a familiar voice answered. Rock quickly located Seth Delega. He stepped out in a dark suit and sunglasses. He appeared calm and under control. The tension he normally held in his face was loose and relaxed.
Rock also noted the men around weren’t his usual thugs. They looked military, with advanced weapons and gear he could only place as special ops. They didn’t wear uniforms but looked to be very well organized and aware of their surroundings. He was confused. “Where’d you dig up these guys,” Rock said putting down his hands and gaining his feet.
One of the military men departed and quickly ran inside the office. Two others ran behind the building, leaving only five individuals watching him.
“Stupid Rock,” Seth said casually. “Back to the office, really? How predictable.”
“Did it ever occur to you I might want to just talk?”
“It did.” Seth smiled. “That’s why I’m here. So let’s talk.”
“I want Anna. And I won’t say anymore unless you can assure me she is part of this deal. I know you nabbed her in Colorado, I want to know she’s ok and I want to see her.”
“Quite a few demands,” he frowned, “but I think we can arrange that. You do know what I want. The rose and everything you’ve found since. I think that would be a fair trade.”
“I don’t have the original, the Keepers stole it. I only have copies.”
“I want both,” Seth said.
“I just told you I don’t have both. I can’t do that.”
Seth pursed his lips as though he were in thought.
“Just spit it out Seth, no games. What will it take for me and Anna to walk away from this.”
“I want everything, and I don’t want the keepers to have anything. So here it is. You can have Anna, she walks away free, no harm. But you, I need you to set a meeting with the keepers and insist on negotiations with the head, Elias. We’ll set up an ambush and take him hostage and all those with him. Once that’s done, then you can go.”
“I’d be as good as dead if I agreed to that,” Rock eyed him. “And you know it.”
“That’s the only option if you want Anna, alive.”
“You have nothing, Seth. Nothing. No copies, no original. How do you think you can make demands of me? Kill me and you get nothing. I don’t get Anna, you get nothing.” This was a game of inches. Seth Delega knew this game better than he did but Rock couldn’t cave to unreasonable demands. He also knew Delega couldn’t kill him. They were at a stalemate.
Suddenly, Rock heard guns being shifted. “We have company,” one of Delega’s men relayed to the group. They turned into a defensive formation as three cars rolled into the lot.
“Hold your fire,” Seth said. “I know who this is.”
Rock felt his muscles involuntarily start to twitch. He felt the urge to be ready to run but to where he didn’t know. It was a long distance to any sort of shelter. If the men arriving were members of the Keepers of the Rose, this situation could easily end in more violence. Rock would have no sway if it came to that particular battle, he’d be caught in the middle.
“Hold,” Seth Delega repeated so they all could hear. He held his hands out to the side.
The vehicles parked and the doors spread open letting a dozen men fan out. They weren’t military but positioned safely behind the open doors gave them a far superior position. That was unless Delega’s original sniper unit still held their ground. Then Rock couldn’t guess who would win the shootout.
The last person to exit from the vehicles was an old man. Rock had never seen him before but he could tell he was in charge. He didn’t look the least bit intimidated or uncomfortable with the situation.
“Rock Tilton,” he looked in his direction first. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vitori Delega.”
Rock was now even more confused. He knew about Vitori Delega through Anna but his son Seth and he were supposed to be on the same side. “Sorry to be so blunt but what the fuck is going on,” he replied.
“What has my idiot of a son told you,” he asked, walking forward.
“One more fucking step and I’ll open fire old man,” Seth interrupted.
Vitori retreated and stayed near the car. “I wouldn’t be making threats in your position.”
“Nor I in yours, your backs are completely exposed to the rest of my team. And they are very well trained. You won’t even see them before you’re put down.”
The situation was escalating. One wrong word or even a sweaty finger letting loose an accidental bullet would set off an explosion. The longer they lingered the more likely this would end badly. Rock had to step in.
“I just want Anna,” he said.
“That, is something I can provide,” Vitori remarked. “My son cannot. He has chosen a different path, as you can see.”
Rock glanced to Seth. His face boiled red in anger. His ruse was torn apart and his eyes were starting to regain their wild, trapped appearance. He didn’t so much as look in
Rock’s direction anymore but intently stared at his father. This could only end one way. They were balanced on a fine edge and one breath would push them over.
Rock needed to try and diffuse this situation or he’d become a casualty in the aftermath. “I would like to speak with both of you, alone, one at a time, in my office.” If he could just separate them, it might be enough to cool the entire situation.
“He has nothing to offer,” Vitori called out. “He is a selfish individual who wants the rose for personal gain. Nothing more!”
“Let’s regroup Seth,” Rock heard one of the military men whisper. “We are wide open here, we need to back off to some cover and regroup. This isn’t where we need to be.” Rock felt the urgency in the man’s voice.
“We’re not leaving,” Seth Delega snapped back. “Not without him.” He started walking towards Rock.
“Don’t get near him,” Vitori called out. Rock started backing away, retreating from Seth Delega. But the man came ever faster.
“Don’t do it Seth!” Vitori yelled, his rough voice strained as it grew with intensity.
Seth Delega heeded no words. He kept advancing.
Rock couldn’t say what happened next. He heard the first shot ring out and fell immediately to his stomach. The lot erupted in gunfire. He heard the screams of those hit by the first wave and the orders shouted to those still functioning. He looked up from the ground, freezing for an instant when a car squealed into motion and sped directly for him. Rock rolled out of the way as the tire scraped against his arm peeling away the top layer of skin. It screeched to a halt as it passed and Rock grabbed at the bumper and tried to use it as cover. Bullets careened off the car’s frame spraying fragments of hot metal and sharp chips of paint over his exposed areas.
He was dizzy and time seemed to slow down. His eyes blurred. He looked around realizing there was nowhere to go. The lot was so large and he would be struck or caught by the time he could make it to the edge. Then from the side he heard another motor cutting through the chaos and a red shape spun by him and skidded to a halt.
Sayla sat on her motorcycle with just enough room for him to slide on the back. He jumped on without thinking and she hit the gas thrusting them forward toward the edge of the lot. He dare not look behind as more bullets were fired in their direction. They spun onto the nearest street and sped away from the scene.
Rock tried to stay calm but he never liked motorcycles and the speed at which she rode was beyond reckless. She darted in and out of traffic and soon came to the freeway entrance. She sped by cars so fast they appeared as blurred lines of color blending into one another. He tried to yell at her to ask where she was going but she either didn’t hear or didn’t respond.
When he looked back, he knew why. Two cars tailed them, moving at intense speeds as they tried to catch up. He saw the vehicles had already been in multiple collisions, their front ends were dented and lights cracked. They obviously didn’t care what they hit long as they kept Sayla in sight. Suddenly she swerved and Rock barely held on as she split between two cars. One of the side mirrors of an old green Camry broke off as his elbow slammed into it. They passed the next tunnel and Rock saw two police cars screaming down the on-ramp, lights blaring and sirens flashing as they joined the chase. Rock peered back to the front trying to keep his eyes open through the battering wind. Ahead of them, the highway opened up and Sayla flicked her wrist and the bike further increased its speed outdistancing both the police cruisers and the cars that gave chase.
A minute later she cut off the highway without warning and slid onto an off ramp, not taking much time to slow down before turning into a city neighborhood and cruising down the streets. Rock checked their tail and it appeared clear. She turned again and then once more. Rock was completely lost. She skidded to a stop and pulled into a driveway and into an empty garage that immediately shut and closed them in darkness. She turned off the motor and removed her helmet as the light came on. A boy stood at the step to the house entrance looking sheepish. Rock didn’t recognize him.
“You’re lucky I’m home,” he said.
“I agree,” she replied. “But thanks for your help.”
He nodded and shut the door, leaving them alone.
Rock finally remembered to breath. He let his feet hit the floor and found them to be shaky. He slowly lifted himself off the bike, fell to a squat position and threw up.
“Gross,” Sayla said. “But thanks for not doing that on me.”
“Sorry,” he wiped his mouth and gradually came to a standing position. “And thanks. You saved my life back there.”
“It’s the least I could do.”
“How did you know?”
“I didn’t,” she said. “But I didn’t know what else to do so I’ve been hanging nearby the office for awhile. I didn’t think that would happen, holy shit. But are you ok?”
“I’m fine,” he patted himself down. “You?”
“I’m ok.”
“Where are we?”
“A friends house. It’s safe here.”
“Good.” It was all he could say. The situation felt a little awkward. He didn’t understand how everything could have gone so wrong.
“What were you doing there,” she asked him.
“Trying to find a way to get Anna back. I don’t even know what the fuck is going on anymore.”
“I know how to get in touch with Anna,” she said.
“You do?” Rock stood up and grabbed her arm. “How? All I want is to find a way to get us all out of this. That’s it. I want out.”
“She’s with the older Delega, I have a number. They tried to get me to meet up with them.”
“He could be dead after the shootout,” Rock replied. “I don’t know who all got hit back there.”
“Well it wasn’t us.”
“Thanks to you.”
Sayla shuffled in her pack and brought out a cell phone. She hit a few buttons and handed it over to Rock. “Hit call if you want to talk with them. I’m pretty sure they’ll answer.”
Chapter 42
Florida, August 2012