Chapter 18

 

Rebecca

 

I looked over at Michael, who was standing at the other end of the concert hall scoping out the guests, and nodded. The party was going on in full force as they celebrated the launching of Tanner’s new album. We had sent out the invitations, and made sure there were a few “leaks” strategically placed so that Alfonso and his men would know Beth was going to be here.

It’s been a couple of hours and I still haven’t caught sight of them, but I knew they weren’t going to miss this opportunity.

They were here. I could feel it.

“See anyone suspicious yet?” I asked through the lapel I had hidden in my enormous gown.

“Not yet. I’ll keep you posted. And the girl?” he asked.

“Still hanging with me,” I replied, looking down at Beth and squeezing her hand gently. As per her request, I did wear the gown inspired from her favorite Disney princess. She was wearing a similar gown too, albeit in blue, and I think she likes it that we match. “Is Chase even sure the guy is coming in here?”

“It’s highly likely,” Michael answered.

“Well, I hope he hurries up then. I’m getting bored,” I groaned, making him chuckle.

“You better hope Tanner didn’t hear that,” he warned, and I rolled my eyes.

“Oh, please. It’s not like he’s going to--,”

“Don’t say a word and follow me,” a raspy voice from behind me said. I felt the muzzle of a gun digging through my back, and I had no choice but to do what he said. “And take the kid, too.” he ordered harshly.

“Rebecca? Rebecca, are you there?” I heard Michael ask through my earpiece.

“Hey, where are we going?” I asked loudly.

“Just shut up and follow me!” he replied, completely agitated.

“Fuck! He’s got you, doesn’t he? Hang on, I’ll inform the others.” I heard Michael say.

I wrapped Beth up in my arms before following him towards the roof access, where he pulled a key from his pocket and opened the door.

We followed him outside, and I had to squint as the cold gust of air tried to slam me back into the wall. I heard Beth whimper against my neck at the harsh wind, so I wrapped her up more firmly with the blanket. I frowned as I noticed we were the only ones here on the roof.

“Where’s all your henchmen?” I asked him, and he narrowed his eyes at me.

“Don’t play dumb with me, you little bitch,” he snarled. “You know my men are down there trying to get past your partner and that fucking musician, so you better shut the fuck up now.”

“Look, man. You’ve got the wrong idea. This kid has nothing to do with that man or the money, or any--,” he cut me off, pointing the gun at my head.

“Stop with your excuses! I don’t want to hear any more from you,” he said. “Give me the child or I’ll kill you too!” he cried.

My eyes flared.

“That’s not going to happen.”

With Beth now behind me, I lunged for him with a duck and he fired, missing the top of my head by inches. I used the heel of my hand to slam his jaw up his nostrils before grabbing him by the arm and throwing him to the side.

His gun fell on the ground during the altercation, and we both stared at it, sitting right smack between us. I took a second glance at him before diving for the gun, wrapping my hand around the handle before getting back on my knees to aim at Alfonso, only to see him holding Beth in front of him like a human shield.

Damn it, so he dove for someone else.

“What are you going to do now, agent?” he said, cackling and tightening his arm around Beth’s neck, pinning her against him as he walked backwards toward the end of the building. “Are you going to try and shoot me while I have her?”

I clenched my jaw and took the safety off of the gun, aiming it true.

“Yes, because you forgot one thing,” I said, shrugging and making him wary with confusion. “She doesn’t want to die, either. Beth, now!” I cried, giving her the signal.

She opened her mouth wide and bit Alfonso’s arm hard, making him wail in pain and taking his hands off of her. I fired my gun but missed, and Alfonso started to walk backwards toward the ledge.

“Watch out!” I screamed, but it was too late. He fell off of, but not before gripping Beth’s ankle and then pulling her with him as he started to slide down the outer part of the ledge. I dove for the kid and miraculously caught her hand, keeping her from falling, but I started to slide off the ledge myself. I saw Alfonso lose his grip on Beth’s foot and the outer ledge, and he yelled as he slid down the rest of the ledge and fell to the ground with a resounding crack.

“Hang on, kid! I’ve got you!” I said, trying to reassure the little girl as she held on as tightly as she could. I gritted my teeth and forced my eyes to concentrate on Beth’s face instead of the hundred foot drop down below. The sight of it wasn’t going to help me keep this child from going splat.

“Becca, I’m scared,” she cried, pools of unshed tears forming in her eyes, her lower lip trembling violently. I shook my head, trying to reassure her and hoping the panic beatings of my heart weren’t as loud as I thought.

“Everything is going to be okay, kiddo,” I assured her. I tried to smile but my pathetic attempt just resulted in a slight grimace. “Everything is gonna--,”

My words turned into a cry of surprise as I felt the metal platform’s hinges snapped off the wall, shaking off slightly and making Beth scream with fright. The movement caused me to slide down a little bit, and I held my other hand out for some purchase.

Miraculously enough, the puffy skirt of the gown I was wearing snagged onto the base of a pointy metal beam, and stopped me from sliding to my death. I grabbed onto the metal bar to steady myself.

Beth was holding my hand with all the strength a six year old kid could summon, her eyes screwed shut as she whimpered in fright. I didn’t need her to see what I looked like after that, because I was sure I was white as a sheet.

“It’s going to be okay,” I reassured her again, the words starting to taste like a lie. How was I going to guarantee her safety when I didn’t know how we were going to get out of here? It was too unstable to pull her up, but we were too high up, and there was nothing down there but stupid spectators and concrete pavements.

And my strength was also starting to fail me, as my arm was nearly reaching its limit. I could not hold her for very long.

THINK, DAMN IT! THINK!

I could feel my gown ripping to its last stitches, and I was starting to lose hope, half dangling on the precipice when something down below caught my eye. I blinked once, twice, making sure I wasn’t merely hallucinating.

Yes. I thought, my confidence rebuilding. This could work.

I looked at Beth again, the little girl taking note of the determined look on my face. I steeled my voice and asked her a question.

“Do you trust me?” I asked.

Beth nodded immediately and without hesitation.

“I trust you,” she voiced out.

I smiled at her and took one more glance at the ground below. I looked back at her again, the smile still on my face.

And then…I let her go.

I almost felt my heart stop as the time slowed around me, my eyes refusing to blink as I watched the little girl I risked my life to protect, the kid I’ve grown to love these past few months, fall until she was only a few feet away from the ground. The lump stuck in my throat disappeared as Michael dashed towards Beth, his arms extended as he caught her just in the nick of time.

My relief was short lived as I finally felt my skirt tear completely, and I closed my eyes, the gravity pulling me down…

Something grabbed me around my waist and yanked me back up, flipping me 180 degrees until my back hit something that groaned. I quickly got up on my knees and turned to look at my savior, who was wincing and clutching his ribs in pain… it was Tanner!

He coughed and tried to give me a big smile, but instead it looked more like a grimace. He crawled over to the ledge and looked down where Michael and Beth were staring up at us.

“Did you catch my daughter?” Tanner yelled.

Michael raised thumbs up in reply, Beth waving her hand wildly at her father.

“Great!” Tanner yelled. He leaned back on his heels and looked at me again. “I’ve got my future wife,” he said softly.

I couldn’t help myself and threw my arms around him, squeezing him tightly and promising myself I would never let this man go.

 

***

 

The police had sealed off Arc Light Theater with yellow tape as they proceeded with their investigation, Tanner’s and Veronica’s PR team helping the cops control the crowd and paparazzi from taking any more photos of the crime scene. I shuddered as the paramedics placed Alfonso in a body bag and hefted him into the van going to the morgue.

I wrapped the orange trauma blanket tighter around myself, blocking the winter chill from my back and shoulders exposed due to my gown.

“I still can’t believe everything went full circle,” Chase marveled as he stopped right next to me and watched everything happen around us. “It feels sort of fitting that we closed the case here.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, not following.

“Well, to be honest, this is where our security firm really took off,” Chase admitted. “The first time I was here in Arc Light, I was new to the security business, and Veronica almost got kidnapped. It’s basically the reason we all got to meet.”

“Is that why Jason suggested this place to set the trap?” I asked. “Because you already had a layout?”

“Kind of. We didn’t expect the bastard to plant a surprise of his own, though,” he answered. “If it weren’t for Daniel’s lead, we wouldn’t have been able to find and disable the explosive they had set up to trap us all in there.”

“Hey, you’re breathing, and the kid’s fine, so I say it was a job well done,” he countered. I rolled my eyes and grinned, shaking my head. I was never going to understand the positivity of this man.

“By the way, if you’re done looking like an orange, there’s a little girl inside the car that’s been asking you,” he said, pointing towards his Toyota, where Beth was sitting at the edge of the passenger seat with her feet dangling outside, her chubby little hands holding an ice cream cone as she looked up and talked to Tanner, who had his arm propped up on the open door.

I got off the stretcher and folded the blanket over it before walking over to them, the father and daughter smiling at me as they waited for me to approach.

“Are you okay Becca?” Beth asked, her innocent wide eyes looking up at me.

“I should be the one asking you that,” I said. “I’m sorry I let you fall.”

She shook her head vigorously, her ringlet curls swaying from side to side as she did so.

“I’m okay! You saved me!” she replied and then sticking her pink tongue to lick at her ice cream. I’m actually amazed she could tolerate eating ice cream when it was so cold right here, and Tanner seemed to be thinking the same because he flicked his daughter’s shoulder.

“And who told you to eat that, little lady? It’s freaking freezing out here,” Tanner nagged.

“Michael gave it to me.,” Beth answered, shrugging. “And you said a bad word,” she mumbled accusingly.

Tanner stuck his tongue out at her before shaking his head.

“If you get sick, don’t come crying to me,” Tanner said, and I giggled as they continued to bicker more like siblings. “And you,” he said all of a sudden, pointing at me with his index finger. “You’re not much better, either.”

I was about to ask him what he meant when he took off his suit jacket and draped it around my shoulders.

“You’re not allowed to get a cold,” he muttered, fixing the jacket on me. “How are you supposed to protect my daughter if you’re sick?” I scrunched my eyebrows at him.

“Don’t you mean ‘protect me and my daughter’?” I corrected, but he shook his head.

“No way. I’m releasing you from your services regarding my protection,” he replied. I opened my mouth to protest, but he placed a finger on top of my lips, preventing me from speaking. “From now on, I’ll be the one protecting you.”

I raised my eyebrow at him and crossed my arms, challenging him.

“Oh, really? Are you sure you can handle that?” I asked, and he smirked confidently.

“Baby, I can handle anything...” he whispered, leaning his head towards me, his lips inching closer and closer to mine until I closed my eyes from the feeling of his breath brushing across my face.

“Ahem.”

We sprang apart from each other at the sound of someone clearing their throat, and Tanner glared at Michael, who was standing there looking at the both of us with an unfathomable expression.

“First, not in front of the kid,” he admonished, Beth giggling beside him. “Second, Rebecca, can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked, and I nodded, following after him.

He led me next to a police patrol car parked a few meters away and well without Tanner’s earshot. He stopped and just stood there for a while, his hands on his hips, and occasionally looking down on the ground or tilting his head up towards the sky, silently contemplating his words. I waited patiently for him to start, already having an inkling about what he wanted to talk about, though nowhere near ready to discuss it.

He finally looked up at me and spoke.

“You’ve made up your mind?” he asked, though his tone sounded more like he was stating it for a fact rather than a question. I nodded, regardless.

“Yes,” I said my voice barely louder than a whisper.

He nodded, looking away once more.

“I guess I really was too late,” he mumbled.

“I’m sorry, Michael.”

“No, I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head and his eyes drowning in regret. “I shouldn’t have left you all alone back then. If I didn’t, we would be together, and everything would have ended up being completely different.”

“Probably,” I said, shrugging a little. “But I’m happy where I am now.”

He screwed his eyes shut, and I knew I had wounded him, not intentionally, but he deserved the truth.

I’ve moved on, and so should he.

I gave him one last smile before walking back to my new family.