Chapter 25

 

Kate felt like she had been punched in the gut. The air was sucked from her lungs and the world around her spun out of control.

Ray was alive.

Ray was alive?

Jonathan Bragan stepped forward. He was a mammoth of a man. He towered over everyone there by at least two feet. Each hand was big enough to engulf a coconut and strong enough to crack one open. He had a wide frame that was draped in an expensive silk shirt and light Floridian-style pants. He looked perfectly at home in the tropical climate. His right hand was wrapped around the crystal clear handle of a cane, its top half carved out from an ivory elephant’s tusk. The cane was there for only style, it was hardly strong enough to support his weight. When he smiled it was a genially, friendly smile that said he wasn’t the head of a massive criminal organization. He was just an ordinary guy.

An ordinary guy surrounded by four heavily armed men.

“Kyle,” he said after a long silence peppered with tension, “my very own Judas.”

Every muscle in Archer’s body tensed. He was coiled up like a wild beast. Every instinct screamed to attack. To jump forward and tear Bragan apart like a vicious animal. End it all right then and there.

Santos gave him a gentle poke in his side with the muzzle of his gun. Archer took the hint and stepped forward.

“I may be your Judas,” he said in a strained voice, “but you’re no Jesus.”

Bragan tossed his head back and barked out a hearty laugh. It was a sharp sound that seemed to cut through the palpable tension.

“Right you are, Kyle, right you are,” when he stopped laughing he nodded at Kate. “Your companion seems a bit pale.”

“Must have something to do with seeing her dead partner standing behind you,” Archer said, casting a narrow look at Ray.

Ray shrugged, lighting up a cigarette. “Sorry. I couldn’t wait for retirement,” he said. “Besides, all they were going to give me was a watch and a pension that would barely cover my house payments,” he exhaled smoke and it billowed around him briefly before being carried away by the wind. “I won’t lie, kid, there’s a certain kind of lifestyle I want to become accustomed to.”

Kate started to jump forward, but Archer held her back with a firm hand. “So you sold us out to this animal?” she spat.

Ray shrugged again. “That’s the way of the world. If it helps any, it was never supposed to go this far. You turned out to be a lot more resourceful than I gave you credit for.”

“Lucky me,” Kate said, glaring daggers at him.

“Mr. Santos,” Bragan said, ignoring Kate’s outburst, “I believe I owe you something,” he snapped his fingers and one of his men stepped forward. He tossed a small manila envelope to Santos. “As promised, a hundred thousand dollars,” he caught the puzzled look on Kate’s face. “Oh, please, Ms. Sharpe, don’t be so naïve. I was able to crack the FBI’s undercover operations. Your brother may be an excellent spy, but you are not. Did you really think a novice such as yourself could travel anywhere without me knowing? Please, I almost feel insulted. Almost.”

Santos thumbed through the thick wad of cash. He gave Kate a lecherous smile. “Maybe you should have not been so mean to me after all, eh?”

“Maybe I should have shot you the moment I saw you,” Kate snapped, taking a step towards him.

Santos jumped back against his taxi.

Bragan waved his hand dismissively. “Enough of this. Kyle, let’s you and I talk.”

_____

 

Kate watched as Bragan and Archer walked away. A breeze blew in from the water, ruffling her hair.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Ray said, watching her.

“Ideas?” Kate turned to Ray. “What? Like killing you?”

Ray took a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled smiling. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. If you play your cards right, you might just get out of here alive.”

“Is that your personal guarantee?” Kate asked him bitterly. “You’ll forgive me if I doubt that. You don’t exactly have the best track with the truth. You’ve already faked your death once before. Does your family even know you’re alive?”

“No and it’s gonna stay that way,” Ray said sharply. “Bullings, however, is aware of my non-deceased status.”

Kate was shocked. Ray laughed at her expression.

“Oh, don’t worry, he’s not in Bragan’s pocket,” Ray said. “Took some fancy footwork to keep him from letting everyone know I was alive, especially you. Although, you did help matters considerably by going off the grid,” he paused. “You know, I had him half convinced that you were the leak. I should win an Oscar for that.”

“How could you do this?” Kate asked. “How could you betray everyone like this?”

Ray frowned. “Don’t go all holier-than-thou. Everyone’s got a price, even you,” he nodded at Archer. “Answer me this: why isn’t he in cuffs?”

Kate didn’t reply.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Ray said. “Everyone has a price and mine just happened to have a one with a lot of zeros behind it. Yours had a six-pack.”

“Don’t you even-” Kate began.

Ray cut her off. “We used to be partners. It’s the only reason you ain’t dead. Don’t push your luck.”

_____

 

Bragan pulled Archer aside down the near edge of the dock. The waves crashed against the support struts violently, as though the sea itself took umbrage against Bragan’s presence. Bragan’s men hung back, guarding Kate.

Bragan stared silently out at the ocean for a moment. When he finally spoke, he didn’t look at Archer.

“I won’t lie, Kyle, this betrayal doesn’t come as any great surprise. That doesn’t make it hurt any less, though,” almost reluctantly he turned away from the sea and faced Archer. He wore a somber expression. “I know you blame me for Sara’s death.”

“There’s a good reason for that,” Archer growled. “You killed her.”

“I might have pulled the trigger, yes, but I wasn’t the one who killed her. That dubious pleasure was all yours, Kyle. After all, you vouched for her, even though she was a cop,” there was a pause. Bragan searched Archer’s face, looking for a sign of something. “Did you know, I wonder? She did share her bed with you, was that the only thing she shared? Did you really not know she was FBI?” Again a pause, searching his face. “You know, lately, there have been some who have suggested that you yourself are FBI. Personally, I think it’s a ridiculous notion. You’ve damned your own soul twice over while working for me. There’s no way you could have been an undercover all these years. There are rules for these sorts of things and you, Kyle, have broken every one of them.”

Archer didn’t speak. His expression remained the same: barely restrained rage. His hands hung at his sides in tightly clenched fists.

Bragan leaned over and whispered, “Would you like to kill me? What if I gave you the opportunity? Would you take it?” he watched Archer’s eyes narrow and twitched. “No, you’re not a cop. You’ve got too much bloodlust in your eyes. You’re just a stupid thug.”

Bragan turned his back to Archer and started walking back to his men. “Good-bye, Kyle. Do keep a seat warm for me in Hell.”

Archer saw the opportunity and took it. He lunged for Bragan.

On cue, Bragan’s men opened fire.

The bullets streaked around Bragan and struck Archer.

Kate screamed and tried to run forward, but was held in place by Ray.

Archer’s body jerked with the impact of the bullets. His eyes widened with an abrupt sad knowledge filling them. He teetered for a moment, rocking on his heels, and then fell back into the water.

Bragan casually looked over his shoulder. “Tsk. No body. And I was so hoping for a souvenir,” he turned back to Kate. “And as for you. Ray here has made a weak argument for not killing you. It didn’t sell me and, honestly, I don’t think he was sold on the idea himself,” he tipped his head in her direction. “May you fare better in your next life, Ms. Sharpe,” to his men he said, “Dump her body in the water as well,” and then he got into his limo.