CHAPTER 20

Michael shifted around on the hard bed to get a comfortable position, but it felt worse. The buzzing of voices forced his eyes to slowly open. He grimaced from the glare of bright lights. He blinked a few times to adjust his eyes, and he soon found himself staring at a skylight, high above him. What's going on? He tried to lift his head, but it was annoyingly pounding and dizzying. He took a deep breath, and looked around him. He was in a small gray room. Dusty and bare. As he tried to move again, he suddenly realized his hands were tied with a rope behind him. A vaguely familiar woman, was standing by the doorway, holding a gun. Michael frowned, trying to recall her name. Young. Special Agent Young. FBI.

"Oh, you've woken up," she remarked curtly when he started to shake his head as if to get rid of the dizziness.

"Where am I?"

"The last place you'll be before you die," she replied simply.

"Don't I get to know? It's not that I'm going anywhere else."

"You're in a warehouse in Long Island - in fact this used to be Rodriguez's operation HQ."

"Speaking of Rodriguez... you're his wife. Right?" He looked at her steadily.

"How did you know? Rodriguez had erased our marriage record at the Statistics Office."

"The ring was a dead giveaway. You should have removed it when you're in disguise," Michael said, recalling Manda's cryptic message. Maybe the 'Someone else has been wearing it already' in her message meant someone else besides Rodriguez. But how did she know? Had Manda met her before?

Agent Young aka Mrs. Rodriguez rubbed at the ruby ring on her ring finger. "So, you think you're so smart, do you? The ring's custom made. My husband and I made a vow never to part from it ever since we married."

"Of course," Michael snorted in disgust. He hated to be judgmental, but he was unable to believe that someone like them were capable of doing a noble thing such as keeping a vow. "You're really not planning to release Manda, did you? I guess I should not be surprised," he said sarcastically. "You're planning to kill all of us to avoid witnesses. Now that Pavlov is gone, there will be no case against your husband."

"That's right. We're planning to go out of the country once we get rid of you two. We've already eliminated Agent Rider. Now, Thorn's going to bring over Manda to me, and we'll finish you two at the same time."

Michael felt cold all over. Manda's father is dead? He tried to stifle his grief, and concentrate on his anger and hate toward Rodriguez. "That's very clever of you. But why did you have to kill him?" he asked. A little compliment wouldn't hurt.

"Killing him would be the end of everything. He shouldn't have been poking into Rodriguez's business in the first place."

"How would you get out of the country if the authorities are going to check the airports for Rodriguez?"

"We have a private plane. And nothing's going to stop us. You two had been very meddlesome." She glanced at her watch with impatience. Michael wondered if the police had captured Thorn by now, or if they had escaped. He tried not to think about that, and decided to concentrate on Agent Young and her gun.

Apparently, Young was starting to get restless as she tapped her foot impatiently. A couple of men in dark clothes entered the room. One was blond and the other dark haired.

"We've got the boat," the blond one said.

"And Thorn?"

"Not here, yet," he replied.

"Fuel up the boat," she snapped.

When both men had gone out, she turned to Michael. "Well, if Thorn isn't showing up, yet, I guess, I should have to kill you sooner than expected. I'll be back."

Without waiting for his reply, she walked out the door and slammed it shut behind her. He heard the turn of the lock and the sound of fading footsteps. Michael struggled to loosen the rope that was binding his wrists together. He tried to find anything that he could use to cut it, but the room was bare, saved for dusts and cobwebs. He bent his knees toward his chest, and tried to move his bounded hands to the back of his knees. After a lot of struggling and stretching, he finally had brought his tied hands in front of him. He didn't bother trying to find something to cut off the ropes. Instead, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out his cell phone. He turned it on, and noticed he had a few unanswered calls. Three of them were from Chief Buchanan. He hit the reply button.

"Chief Buchanan, Greenwood PD," a familiar voice answered after a few moments.

"Chief, Michael here."

"Where are you? Do you know how long we've been trying to reach you?" he exploded.

Michael winced. "I can't talk long. I've been kidnapped," he said hastily and described as best as he could about the location he was in.

"I'll have to notify the FBI to find you. That's out of my jurisdiction, I'm afraid."

"Okay, but hurry."

"Oh, by the way, we've got Thorn."

"And Manda?"

"She's here with me. And she wants to speak with you."

A moment later Manda's clear voice came over the line. She sounded anxious. "Michael, are you all right?"

"So far," he replied dryly.

"Who kidnapped you?" she asked.

"You won't believe it. It's -" The sound of incoming footsteps became louder. "She's back! I've got to go." He turned the phone off and slid it into his pocket.

"Looks like someone's been busy," Young said when she walked in, and pointed at Michael's tied wrists at the front. Her two assistants stood behind her. "Nevertheless, it won't do you any good, Mackenzie." She turned toward her men. "Put him on the boat."

Manda had gone straight to the hospital after she had received Michael's call. Chief Buchanan had sent her there after he had talked to Agent Daniels on the phone. A young man about thirty was standing in front of Mr. Rider's room when she arrived.

"Manda Rider?" the lanky man inquired when she stopped before him.

"Yeah, I am. You're Agent Daniels?" she asked after shaking hands with him. The man had light chocolate skin, and had a boyish look on him.

"That's right. I recognize you right away. You have your mother's eyes."

"You know my mom?"

"Your father had introduced her to me when we started working together," he explained.

"How's my Dad doing?" she asked, glancing at the door of her father's room in apprehension.

He shook his head. "Not too good. The doctor wouldn't know how long he would be like this. Anyway, we should be going to Long Island now. We've got a chopper on the roof, ready to take us there. It'll take us about fifteen minutes."

"You know where Michael is exactly?"

"There is only one warehouse there that belongs to Rodriguez."

A middle-aged man in dark suit walked toward them, carrying a manila folder. "Agent Daniels, I think you should take a look at this." He handed the folder to Agent Daniels.

"It's the file on the dead woman's body - Cherry Young," the man said as Daniels looked through it.

"There must be some kind of mistake." Daniels frowned.

"What is it?" Manda asked curiously.

He showed her the front page, and she saw a photo of the woman.

"That's not Cherry Young!" she exclaimed.

"You've met her?" Daniels looked at her sharply.

"Uh... Not the one in the picture. A different woman. She claimed she's Cherry Young. She came to my house just last week."

"But this is the file the DC office sent us," the middle-aged man told them. "It can't be fake!"

"If this was the real Cherry Young, who was the woman that you and I have met?" Daniels asked.

"According to this file, Cherry Young was unmarried," Manda read the dossier. "I remember there wasn't any wedding band on her finger when I discovered the body. I believe the woman we've met recently is Rodriguez's wife."

"How did you know?" Daniels asked in surprise.

Manda told them her theory about the ring with studded rubies. Both Rodriguez and the mystery woman had the same ring. "Mrs. Rodriguez must have murdered Cherry Young when the woman had arrived here from DC. Then she took Cherry's identity and buried the body in that old stable."

"But for what purpose?"

"To get at my dad. He's the one who has hidden Pavlov's evidence. Rodriguez must have lots of spies working for him. And with my dad out of the way, there would be nothing against Rodriguez," she said as her mind continued going through the facts. She frowned again, feeling uneasy. "Now, she's got Michael as prisoner."

Daniels nodded. "That's why we need to get going now."

Manda stood shakily on the roof after climbing out of the chopper. That was the first time she was flying in a chopper, and boy, did her stomach feel queasy. The rotor of the blade was still moving, sending dust spiraling around them.

"Are you all right, Miss Rider?" Agent Daniels asked above the noise of the chopper.

She nodded, afraid to say a word.

"You look a little green," he commented as he led her to the exit door on the roof. "Maybe you should stay out of it. It's dangerous. You might get caught in the line of fire."

"I'm fine!" she said, hoping it sounded convincing.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!"

"Good. Let's go!"

Manda stopped for a moment to watch the scene below. The chopper had landed on top of the roof of Rodriguez's old warehouse. From the top, Manda could see running figures, and a couple of men hauling Michael onto a large boat. Another few men were coming out of the warehouse. The two men, who were with Michael, seemed to have a hard time getting him onto the deck. Michael was putting up a fight, and it looked like Michael could take care of them. She was elated to see him using the karate moves they had learned during their practice.

Manda followed Agent Daniels and his colleagues down the emergency stairs. She had arrived a little late at the dock. Agent Daniels had ordered his men to surround the boat before raiding it. When he noticed Manda, he told her to hide behind the Dumpster, much to her disappointment. Thinking about her safety, and that she was unarmed, she decided to do what he said.

"FBI!" Daniels shouted, pointing a gun at the men who were holding Michael. One of them had bloody nose. The men froze and released Michael. Manda could see the other FBI agents had raided the boat, capturing more Rodriguez's men.

It was an easy arrest, and the men, knowing they couldn't run anywhere in the boat, surrendered. After reading their rights, the men were brought toward the front of the warehouse, and Daniels called for more squad cars from his cell phone. Manda stepped away from the Dumpster and went straight toward Michael, who was the last person to step out of the boat. He was rubbing his wrists. She could see raw red marks on them.

"Manda! You're all right!" He gave her a fierce hug when he saw her immediately.

"I should ask you the same thing," she murmured against his shirt, comforted by his familiar scent. The exhaustion from the past few days had taken its toll, and she was tired.

"Though you stink, I've never been glad to see you," he told her with a teasing hint in his voice.

Her face burned. She shoved him away, giving him a mock scowl.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he suggested. She nodded and both of them walked slowly toward the front of the warehouse. Blue and red lights from the squad cars blinked like tiny dots. Most of the FBI agents were already ahead of them, grouping together at the front of the warehouse.

Manda suddenly stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" Michael looked at her in concern.

"The woman. Did you see the FBI arrest her?"

"You mean Young?" he asked, describing the woman.

"That's the fake Cherry Young, all right," she murmured.

"You know Cherry Young?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later. But I believe she's Rodriguez's wife."

"I know. She told me herself," he said and told her what had happened while he was kidnapped. "But you're right, I didn't see her among the people arrested. I was too busy fighting with her men to notice her whereabouts."

"I hate to think if she's escaped," Manda told him, feeling her gut wrenching at the thought.

"Nice of you two to remember me," a female voice suddenly said from behind.

Manda and Michael turned, and saw Young standing behind them with a gun pointed straight at Manda. She was drenched with water from head to toe. Manda figured the woman had jumped into the sea during the commotion.

"Give it up, Young. The FBI has arrested all of your men," Michael told her.

"Not as long as you two are dead. How lovely of you to drop by, Manda. Killing two birds with one stone. Very convenient," Young replied with a twisted smile. She raised her gun, slowly pulling the trigger.

"Stay back, Manda," Michael told her, shielding her against Young's line of fire.

"Michael. Don't!" Manda hissed, but he didn't listen as he slowly backed her away from Young.

"Oh, puh-leez! You two are making me sick," Young retorted. Without warning, she pulled the trigger. The sound of gunshot was deafening, and Manda instantly felt a hot searing pain... somewhere on her body. Her hand instinctively clutched her right thigh.

"Michael..." she gasped, losing her balance and fell to the ground.

"Manda!" He turned to look at her, horrified at the sight of crimson blood spurting out of her jeans. His fists clenched, glaring at Young. "You won't get away for this!" He went after her.

"Goodbye, Mackenzie!" Young laughed before she pulled the trigger again. Manda tried to scream but her voice seemed stuck. She could only watch helplessly as Michael crumpled to the ground.