1:55 a.m.
Kristy
It’s too late now to save them.
That’s what Kristy told herself as she reached for the exam room door. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what might be happening inside. She’d heard no screams, but that didn’t mean much. Rollins could be quietly efficient when he wanted to be.
When she entered the room though, the scene looked surprisingly unchanged. The only obvious difference was the surgical tray of syringes, which Rollins had wheeled into the middle of the room. Jessica Goodwin still sat motionless in the exam chair, while Jake remained curled in the corner where Rollins had left him, hands taped behind his back. Looking up now, the doctor shot her a desperate look.
“Kristy?” he asked in a hoarse voice. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because you’re just another job to her, dipshit.”
The harsh answer came from Rollins, who was sitting on a stool facing the wife. Still wearing that repulsive grin, he reached forward to stroke her cheek. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart? Why don’t you tell your man what’s been going on here? He’s a little slow on the uptake.”
Jess remained silent, her eyes burning with hatred.
“All right,” Rollins shrugged, rising from the stool. “Suit yourself then. I’ll tell him.” He turned to Jake. “You do realize you’ve been totally played, right Doc?”
This time, Kristy couldn’t avoid Jake’s eyes, or the pained expression she saw there.
“Don’t do this,” she told Rollins, turning away.
“Why? He deserves to know the truth, don’t ya think?”
“What’s there to tell?” Jake hissed. “You’re here to do Caulder’s dirty work for him.”
“All right!” Rollins pivoted toward him, sneering. “Gold star for Doctor Faggot! Now go on. Tell us more.”
“Jim,” Kristy pleaded. “Please stop.”
“Why, babe? This is wicked fun. We were about to learn how much your lover over here has figured out.” With that dig, he turned to Jess. “I mean, you saw the crazy sex these two had, right? You’ve gotta admit, that was pretty hot. Not that we couldn’t do better.”
Ignoring the taunt, Jess’s eyes cut to Jake. Desperately trying, Kristy realized, to communicate something.
“So anyways: why does Mr. Caulder want you dead?”
When Jake ignored the question, Rollins kicked him in the ribs. “Don’t be shy! We all wanna hear your brilliant theory.”
“Because,” Jake coughed out in pain. “He… found out I was sleeping with his wife.”
“Really? So you still think this is all about your little fling? Well…” Rollins gave Kristy a wink, then moved behind her to hook an arm around her waist. “What if I told you Mr. Caulder wanted you and lovely Bree over here to hook up? You see, he planned for it to happen. Bree was in on it, from the start.”
Kristy flinched when she saw the shock registering on Jake’s face. He was just starting to realize…
“I'll let you in on a little secret,” Rollins continued. “Bree and Caulder aren’t even married. She works for him, just like I do. We’re what you could call fixers. We fix problems for people, important people like Mr. Caulder. Bree and I... we're his little elves. Right, babe?”
Before Kristy could escape, he pulled her in for a kiss, tongue hungrily thrusting forward. She pushed him away in disgust, feeling naked. Humiliated.
“Roy won’t like this,” she hissed. “You’re supposed to be a professional.”
“Relax, angel. I’m just havin’ a little fun here. Listen up, Doc… here’s the deal.” He kneeled in front of Jake now, like a coach going over the game plan. “You’ve gotta give my girl credit. I mean, she knew how to play you perfect. Came in like an untouchable bitch, then turned it around with that damsel in distress routine. She’s really this innocent girl next door, trapped in some fucked up relationship. And who can save her from the big bad wolf?” His lips curled into a sadistic grin. “Why, it’s our hero in a white coat, come to save the day.”
“I…” Jake looked up at her, blinking away shock. “Is that true?”
“Course it is!” Rollins boomed. “Ever gone fly fishing, Doc? Trick is, you’ve gotta float that dry fly in there, just skim it over the surface, and then, when they bite…” He jerked his arms skyward, violently snaring an imaginary trout. “Ha! She had you by the friggin’ balls. Don’t feel bad though. My girl could take down the President of the United States if she wanted to. You’re like, I don’t know, batting practice.”
“Jim…” Kristy forced a smile. “Why are you telling him all this? What’s the point?”
Rollins shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s just more fun that way, don’t ya think?” He pointed to the Colt on the floor. “Kinda like that switcheroo game you played with those blanks. Don’t tell me it doesn’t turn you on to fuck with people’s heads, ‘cause I know how much it does. You and me… deep down we’re the same, right babe?”
Instead of answering, she looked into his eyes. Cold, reptilian eyes, the kind of eyes she’d been staring into for most of her life.
Until three weeks ago.
Glancing away, she realized what she had to do.
“You’re sick,” she muttered, shaking her head in disgust before turning to leave.
“Hey!” Rollins called after her, laughing. “Where’re you going? The party’s just gettin' started!”
“I need to update Roy,” she answered, marching toward the door without looking back.
The path, though, took her right past Jake.
"Why?" he asked, blinking up at her through blood. "You and me. Why go to all that trouble?"
She shook her head sadly. Why tell him the truth? He wouldn't understand anyway. Her job had been simple: take the lawyer wife with powerful connections out of the picture. Make her hate him enough not to care. Not to help him.
They were only here now because she'd failed her mission.
“Don’t do this,” Jake pleaded. “Kristy, or whoever the hell you are. You can still save Jess. Please... my kids need their mother."
And with that, he gave her a look that tore right into her soul.
***
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Nicely done! Okay, I feel regret soaking into Kristi....Jake may be the one she actually started to care for in spite of her mission!! Great flip flop with the plot turning out to be about Jess and not Jake.
I think the soufflé turned out just fine.
~Ann
thanks, gray, for a truly enjoyable two hours of reading. Here I was thinking this had to do with driving down the selling price of the drug company. Now I'm wondering why Jess's environmental cause is a problem for roy. I'm betting Rollins doesn't know Kristy has Jake's weapon.
Came in like an untouchable bitch, then turned it around with that damsel in distress routine. She's/That she's really this innocent girl next door, trapped in some fucked(-)up relationship.
Trick is, you're gotta float that lure/fly in there... *flies aren't used referred to as lures. since you referred to it skimming over the water, you could use "dry fly".
take care, nathan
Excellent twist. Definitely unexpected. Jess was the key to this whole thing, which makes a lot more sense...you know how I kept wondering why they were working so hard on bringing Jake down once they already had him. And yet, it all worked in Roy's favour with the drug company anyway, so that's just a happy side-effect? Nicely done.
Rollins is really wonderfully creepy, and bringing him in definitely answered some earlier questions. All the pieces coming together.
Nice twist too, making Kristy/Bree human again. Will she pull out of this for Jake now. And of course, how will Jake and Jess for forward after this. You know, I love that you made Jess the target, I am seeing a series here, Jake and Jess novels, and their troubled marriage, going forward. Wow, even Emma, if you stick with these, she's definitely gonna grow into a trouble(some) teen, so many possibilities. Doctor and lawyer stories, great combination. Young kids. The impossible dream.
Anyway, back to the current story. Very very good. Poor Jake...you have to love him.
Simi
Hey Gray,
Read this last night but I'm only reviewing now. Go figure...
The story is totally engrossing. I definitely didn't expect K/B to have a different marital status..Whoa, nice twist!
But sheesh, why do the bad guys always reveal everything before they try to kill the good guy? I guess everyone needs a reveal scene. : p
Anyway, I got so tied up with the action last night, I didn't pay attention to the writing, so here goes (aside from POV!):
Oh. Before I forget, the last chapter had a cliche in the beginning-steel trap or something like that when you described the darkened office building.
This one, I still see no nits, no nothing. I only question the assumption that removing Jess was equal to removing someone who cared. Those guys should've done their research about j&js relationship, I.e., they want to seal the deal re divorce, twist Jake's head into a knot, etc.
That's it, my friend - great job! And now' onto the next!
: )
Terri
Hey Gray,
I just keep thinking Kristy, in the end, will save the day, or at least help... I think you gave a lot of answers, but still there is mystery going on... As they say, 'it ain't over til it's over'...! No flat souffle for me... Well done...
Happy Writing * Keep Smilin'... Jax
Hey, Gray - They aren't even married! Perfect! And Kristy is now having some remorse. Will she save the day?
Okay, I was wrong about both Rollins and Caulder being in the building - but it's your fault! :) Rollins brought Jess into the clinic via the parking garage, yet Jake sees a car in the parking lot. Did Rollins move it? And then Jake gets clobbered from behind - by whom? He was talking to Kristy, who stood in the doorway, and had just looked at the "dead" man on the floor, so who hit him and how?
- {I was confused by the opening. Why would Kristy be coming into the exam room if she was already there? Had she left?}
- ...sitting on a stool facing [the] (my) wife.
Can't stop now!
Take care,
Jack
Hello Gray, I found the beginning of this chapter confusing. After reading it twice I realize this starts some minutes after the end of the previous chapter and Briana is coming back into the examination room after going out for some reason. Maybe you should put in something that explains she is reentering the room after running some errand.
At the end of the chapter two insights: Main target was Jess to get her out of the picture. I'm not convinced it would have been necessary but I'll buy it for now, Roy could have been worried about Jess and her father starting an investigation if he tried to pin the drug scam on Jake.
Second insight was that Briana was finally showing some humanity and sympathy for Jake.
I really enjoyed this chapter. I like it when some of the pieces fall into place. I still have to questions but that's okay because you still have some chapters.
Gray….Nice…Perfect amount of sleazy dialogue with Rollins. You depicted his badness and Kristy's repulsion to it, or at least her repulsion to the truth that she is being forced to listen to. And with her repulsion are we to think that she just might save the day? No nits, just a possible POV slip “Because,” Jake coughed out in pain." But maybe not, since she would def be able to see his pain….So disregard. Again nice job and thanks for sharing…..Denise
Hello, Gray. I'm wondering about Caulder's Big Plan, but that didn't keep from being on top of this installment. So Kristy...scheesh! She's complicated, I'd say...lol. But of course we know that are degrees to criminal thinking and behavior. Obviously, not all of them are full-scale sociopaths. K certainly has some of the personality features, but...
Yes, I was pretty sure Caulder was not the jogger. Even in the early going, that wouldn't have seemed quite copacetic...a power-hitter like Caulder tells others what's what, what to do; he would not do much "grunt work"...
Anyway, like your story, Founders, this one too features "sidewinder plotting" :-)
Great guns, Gray!!
Peace,
Mike
Author
Reply
Glad to hear you think Kristy's complicated, since that's exactly what I was aiming for. It's hard to make all your characters multi-dimensional, but I certainly wanted to accomplish that with her. Like I said, your intuition was on target with Caulder not being the Jogger. I tried to give you a hint when you met Caulder in one of the early chapters, up in his penthouse scheming and looking down on the world. He'd never dirty his hands, which is why he thinks he'll get away with it...
Okay, so let me see if I got this. Bulldog face pretended to be Rollins to get close to the wife. Kristy and Bulldog work for Roy. Still not sure if Kristy was the one who changed the syringes. Definitely not sure if you even need this particular POV because she's not the one I care about, no matter how bad she feels. The con and her emotions could be revealed in Jake POV easily. But the "can she be trusted or not" is a good story hook. Cool twist that they're not even married too.
Moving on!
Lauren
Author
Reply
You figured this out earlier than most! The fact they're not married is indeed supposed to be one of the big twists, so I hope this isn't obvious too early on in the story. I agree this could probably be told just as well through Jake's POV, especially if I change his chapters to third person.
Gray
No
Ann Everett