The Revenge by Tijan

“I called them. Gave them all a body count of guys I thought were dead and who I thought was just injured,” Bailey said.

Bright nodded at her. “We know exactly where to go, but we still need to clear the building.” Her gaze fell over me, Chase, and Calhoun. Our grandfather wasn’t moving. “Is he dead?”

He coughed, but his head bounced once and went back to not moving. He was sitting up, but I had no idea how. “He needs medical attention if you want to take him alive.”

Two police were by him, checking him and cuffing him. Once the cuffs were on, Bright waved and two paramedics ran in. They had him loaded, working on him at the same time, and he was rolled out within seconds.

“We are highly motivated to take him alive. He knows a lot of powerful men and dictators, and he could be very useful to our government.”

“Fuck that,” Chase spit out. His anger was palpable.

Bright cocked her head. “You have a problem with that?”

“He should be dead. You don’t keep things like that alive.”

A slight glimmer of a grin hovered over her face, and then she let it vanish. “Yeah, well, you’d be surprised which pieces of shit turn out to be super helpful in the end. He’ll be singing like a canary, I’m sure.” She looked me over. “There’s an ambulance outside. You should let them take you in. I’m sure you could afford the charge.”

Bailey stepped in and I slid an arm around her shoulders.

I sagged, and she caught me, her hand going to my chest, but she hissed under her breath. “You are bleeding everywhere.”

“Bullets went through him, both of them. I watched,” Chase told her.

His gaze met mine. That last one wouldn’t have.

He had saved me.

I didn’t thank him. I would, but not yet, not today. He wouldn’t hear it. I had hurt him, taking a kill away from him, and he had saved my life in return. There wasn’t anything I could say to make that right.

“Come on.” Bailey sighed. “Surface wounds or not, I’ll sleep better knowing you were looked at by a doctor. I will also breathe easier right now if you let me grab two EMTs and let them put you on a stretcher, even though I know you can walk on your own.” She wasn’t asking. She was telling me.

I noted that with a small grin, but she didn’t see it. She was already stalking off to do just what she’d said.

Bright had stepped aside, having a word with another detective. She came back, looking both of us over. “Okay. Both of you go in, get yourselves looked at, and report to me tomorrow. I want full statements, and I’d send two police to sit outside your rooms, but I know you both will get pissed and probably vanish like fucking ghosts. So, since I don’t want my time wasted or yours, both of you promise to come down to my office tomorrow morning. We will need a full debrief from you, separately.”

Chase didn’t respond.

I nodded.

Bright skewered Chase with a look. “Don’t piss me off and make us look for you. My tech guys are already in my ear, telling me there is video of you trying to kill your grandfather. That’s a violation of our agreement. If you push me, I will put out an arrest warrant on you and we will hunt you down like a fugitive. Got it?”

He just glared at her.

She started to leave, but then wheeled around. “Get cleaned up, both of you. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

I saw an elevator open and a stretcher came out, holding Josh. Another elevator, with Drake. Scott. All of my men were accounted for. Bailey was coming back with a stretcher for me, and I had to wonder what kind of circus it must look like outside.

Then I remembered what Calhoun had said.

“You have a daughter?”

“Fuck you.”

He stalked off, his one good arm holding his bad one.

“Kash?”

I turned to Bailey, bending toward her. The EMTs were there, wanting to work on me, but I needed one touch from her. One beautiful touch in the midst of everything we just went through, and it was enough to tide me over. “I’m good.”

“Colello.”

Bright was coming back from one of the stairs.

She was looking at Bailey, and I stood, feeling the EMTs trying to get me to sit on the stretcher. “Don’t start with her,” I said. “You can get her statement, but not till tomorrow. You’ll have to send a detective to the house for her.”

“Colello!”

I cursed. She was going to fight this, but then she softened her voice. “We found a body.”





IN LOVING MEMORY, ANOTHER FRANCIS FRIEND VICTIM

A memorial service will happen this Saturday, at one in the afternoon.

Hoda Rai Mansour’s family will be gathering to share favorite memories and stories as they remember the great person Hoda was.

She will live on in our laughter and tears. Please join us, her family.

On behalf of Inside Daily Press, our staff sends their condolences.

We will remain vigilant in our coverage of the wrongful conviction of Quinn Callas. Her attorneys remain confident Miss Callas’s case will be appealed.

Click here to help support Quinn Callas and her innocence.

—Inside Daily Press





SIXTY-ONE

Bailey


I forgot about the footage until Matt brought out the latest Inside Daily Press article, and to say it was an article was being gracious. It was a local “news” website, and they were biased. Heavily biased. Case in point, the way they had been reporting on Quinn’s trial. It wasn’t all the time, but it was enough, and they got enough views to be a headache for my family’s publicist.