lowered his gun. “Okay, I won’t shoot her. But the next person they send after her will.”
“You tell your rogues to leave her alone. She’s going to have a procedure done and won’t be able to see you anymore. She’s not a threat. You hurt her and you’re going to have to answer to DOSA.”
Denzel laughed. “You don’t get it, do you? You always were naive, Marshall. Who the hell do you think sent me here? Your own precious organization. Oh, don’t look so surprised. They use us corrupt rogues when they don’t want to sully their own hands with dirty work. You were going to be given the honor but I guess they decided to let a real professional do the job.”
“Why do they want Tara dead? Dr. Freeman said…”
“The doc is full of shit. He lied to you. There’s no way to fix her, other than a bullet to her pretty head. Come on Marshall, relax. This is not the first person you’ve killed to protect DOSA and it won’t be the last.”
“No, there has to be a way to reverse whatever happened to her brain.”
“Maybe there is, but it’s not worth the time to find out. I shoot her, she goes missing, drowns in a tragic boating accident, an easy solution to the problem.”
“Since when did DOSA start solving problems that way?” Marshall asked. “They’ve already threatened her with dire consequences if she talks about them. She’s promised to cooperate.”
Even in the dim light, Tara saw his features distorted with rage.
“Since long before you and I came on board, trust me. This is the sure, easy way out for them. Why take any chances on an unimportant human? DOSA is not the fine, upstanding organization you think it is, and if you have any sense, you’ll quit them and come join me.”
“I don’t kill innocent people for money.”
“You kill people DOSA tells you to. How do you know who’s innocent?”
Tara tried to move and Denzel tightened his grip and brought his gun back up to her head.
“Let’s just get this over with now,” he said.
“No one will believe I was in a boating accident. I hate boats,” Tara said, struggling to keep calm. Looking into Denzel’s cold gray eyes, icy fingers danced along her spine.
“Okay, so you didn’t get on a boat, you decided to go for a swim. You had a few too many drinks, insisted on going out in these rough waters. I’ll pay a few witnesses to corroborate. Your body will never be found.”
“There’ll be an investigation…” Her voice shook.
“You watch too much television, little girl. There won’t be much of an investigation and what there is, DOSA will be in charge of. The right people will be paid off and no one will care about you.”
“Someone
will
care about me, you shithead,” Tara said, hot anger replacing the fear as she pictured her mother and sister crying over her coffin. Recalling a move Marshall had shown her from their tai chi lesson, she stomped on the top of his foot with her heel and jerked out of his grasp. Marshall grabbed her and pulled her in to his body, wrapping his free arm around her. She whimpered and hugged him tight.
“Oh, I see, that’s the way it is.” Denzel chuckled. “Come on, man. You’ve had your fun with her, it’s time to get down to business.”
“Why did you kill the Hendersons?” Marshall asked, his gun still trained on Denzel.
“They were supposed to be helping me out with this assignment, but they changed their minds at the last minute. I guess they liked your little friend, too. They were going to tell you what was going on and shoot me. How rude. Now let her go and let’s finish this. The boat’s coming by in the morning to pick me up. I’m going to be on it. What about you?”
“That’s all I needed to know.”
Before she realized what was happening, Marshall shoved her to the side, swung a kick at Denzel and knocked the gun from his hand. With a roar and a surge of heat, his body transformed into a large wolf.
“Holy shit,” Tara muttered under her breath,
“You tell your rogues to leave her alone. She’s going to have a procedure done and won’t be able to see you anymore. She’s not a threat. You hurt her and you’re going to have to answer to DOSA.”
Denzel laughed. “You don’t get it, do you? You always were naive, Marshall. Who the hell do you think sent me here? Your own precious organization. Oh, don’t look so surprised. They use us corrupt rogues when they don’t want to sully their own hands with dirty work. You were going to be given the honor but I guess they decided to let a real professional do the job.”
“Why do they want Tara dead? Dr. Freeman said…”
“The doc is full of shit. He lied to you. There’s no way to fix her, other than a bullet to her pretty head. Come on Marshall, relax. This is not the first person you’ve killed to protect DOSA and it won’t be the last.”
“No, there has to be a way to reverse whatever happened to her brain.”
“Maybe there is, but it’s not worth the time to find out. I shoot her, she goes missing, drowns in a tragic boating accident, an easy solution to the problem.”
“Since when did DOSA start solving problems that way?” Marshall asked. “They’ve already threatened her with dire consequences if she talks about them. She’s promised to cooperate.”
Even in the dim light, Tara saw his features distorted with rage.
“Since long before you and I came on board, trust me. This is the sure, easy way out for them. Why take any chances on an unimportant human? DOSA is not the fine, upstanding organization you think it is, and if you have any sense, you’ll quit them and come join me.”
“I don’t kill innocent people for money.”
“You kill people DOSA tells you to. How do you know who’s innocent?”
Tara tried to move and Denzel tightened his grip and brought his gun back up to her head.
“Let’s just get this over with now,” he said.
“No one will believe I was in a boating accident. I hate boats,” Tara said, struggling to keep calm. Looking into Denzel’s cold gray eyes, icy fingers danced along her spine.
“Okay, so you didn’t get on a boat, you decided to go for a swim. You had a few too many drinks, insisted on going out in these rough waters. I’ll pay a few witnesses to corroborate. Your body will never be found.”
“There’ll be an investigation…” Her voice shook.
“You watch too much television, little girl. There won’t be much of an investigation and what there is, DOSA will be in charge of. The right people will be paid off and no one will care about you.”
“Someone
will
care about me, you shithead,” Tara said, hot anger replacing the fear as she pictured her mother and sister crying over her coffin. Recalling a move Marshall had shown her from their tai chi lesson, she stomped on the top of his foot with her heel and jerked out of his grasp. Marshall grabbed her and pulled her in to his body, wrapping his free arm around her. She whimpered and hugged him tight.
“Oh, I see, that’s the way it is.” Denzel chuckled. “Come on, man. You’ve had your fun with her, it’s time to get down to business.”
“Why did you kill the Hendersons?” Marshall asked, his gun still trained on Denzel.
“They were supposed to be helping me out with this assignment, but they changed their minds at the last minute. I guess they liked your little friend, too. They were going to tell you what was going on and shoot me. How rude. Now let her go and let’s finish this. The boat’s coming by in the morning to pick me up. I’m going to be on it. What about you?”
“That’s all I needed to know.”
Before she realized what was happening, Marshall shoved her to the side, swung a kick at Denzel and knocked the gun from his hand. With a roar and a surge of heat, his body transformed into a large wolf.
“Holy shit,” Tara muttered under her breath,
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