Retribution (Secrets & Lies #3)(64)
There's rustling above us, and Melissa is in the window, her hands cuffed, reaching for Isis. “Please, Isis, take the offer. You treated me with respect, and saved me from Peter's abuse. Please, walk away.”
Isis' gun barrel drops, and she turns, her face going slack with surprise. “You... you don't hate me?”
“No,” Melissa says, reaching toward Isis. Her hands are a good two feet away, but even from where I am I can see the searching acceptance in Melissa's eyes, she's being totally honest. “No, I can forgive you for the kidnapping. I don't hate you. Just… just walk away.”
Isis sighs, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. “She’s a remarkable woman, Nathan.”
I nod, letting my rifle lower. “The most remarkable woman in the world. Come on, Isis. You've got a lot of life ahead of you, you could find your special person, too.”
She turns toward me, her face an expression I can't read, and I don't know what to make of it with her. “Special person...” she says softly, contemplatively. “Special person... I think I had that, at one point. I f*cked it up, of course, but I thought I had that.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I tell her honestly. She may be a semi-heartless bitch, but I can also remember the good times, too. If she walks away now, she's not completely irredeemable. I should know. “So how about it? Put the rifle down, I'll get on the line with Andrea right now, she can transfer the money anywhere you want it. It's already in escrow even.”
Isis blinks, and I swear there's a tear in her eye. “If only it were that easy. But if I can't be happy...”
Isis spins on her heel, trying to bring her rifle up to shoot Melissa, but I'm faster, and the burst of my MP7 catches her in the stomach and chest, blowing her backward, and she falls to the ground. I'm right behind, kicking the rifle away and making sure she doesn't have any other goodies. She had one grenade, I don't need her setting off a second.
“Why, Isis?” I ask, seeing that she's unarmed. I kneel down, far enough away that she can't reach me, just in case, but her eyes are still aware. “Why?”
“You...” Isis whispers, her mouth filling with blood and she coughs, a fine spray splattering on the dirt. “Special person... was... you...”
Her eyes roll back and her head drops, the damage too much. Even if we had a medical kit, there's no way we could stop the bleeding in time.
I reach forward and close her eyes with my fingertips, taking a moment to wish her soul some measure of peace. I can still wish that, at least.
I hear footsteps running down the stairs, and I stand up, turning and seeing Melissa come the last two steps, and I walk up, holding her tightly, both of us sobbing with no shame, no regret.
“You're being generous, Sergeant,” Major Munchak says. I'm on the phone with him, the sunset beautiful in the North Carolina mountains, but I'm still not totally at peace yet. “Payouts even though Buffy reports you were the one to make the shot on Isis, and Katrina took down Peter.”
“They deserved it, sir,” I say honestly. “If it hadn't been for your team, I never would have had the chance to make those shots, and for sure I would have lost members of my family. Besides, some of your people had family.”
Major Munchak hums, and I can hear him lean back in whatever chair he's using, he really needs to oil that thing. “Nobody was currently married, but Harold left behind two kids. They hadn't seen him in years, but you set them up well. By the way, I got word from Jim, the docs say he's going to make a full recovery. Might be walking with a limp for a little while, but he was thinking of getting out of this life anyway, or at least going more... pedestrian. I've still got plenty for him to do, so you don't have to worry about him. Buffy sends her regards too, she's taking a long-deserved vacation.”
“Good. She saved my ass, Major. She's a good asset.”
Major Munchak laughs for a moment, his laughter petering out. “About those assets... the bodies?”
“We put Isis and Peter in the bayou. Lots of gators out there, they'll never be found in the swamps. Your people... burial at sea. Thought it was the best we could do, even if it took a little doing.”
“Good enough. Oh, and Paul likes his new Porsche SUV. He says he knows some people who can help him get it a semi-legit plate. Are you worried about the rest?”
“No. We bleached the area where Peter was shot, there is no DNA left there, and the house was pretty much abandoned before he started using it again. I think... I think it’s over, Major.”
“I think so, too. So what now for you, Sergeant?”
I look back over my shoulder, where the lights of the house already glow invitingly. “Now sir... now we heal. I think from now on, I’m fully retired. I'm just going to help my family, wherever they need it.”
“That sounds nice, Sergeant. But even if you are, drop me a Christmas card.”
“I’ll do that, Major. Last thing, just to let you know. I'm getting married, and I hope... well, I'm thinking that maybe it’s not too late to become a father.”
The Major's silent for a moment, and when he comes back on, his voice is tight with emotion. He's a military man, he doesn't express it openly that much. “Congratulations, Nathan. With that, I hope you enjoy retirement. I hope you can be a dad.”