Microsoft Word - RecklessBounty (41 page)

No matter what, you always escaped the hit men that I sent out after you.
Bravo
, my dear. But you still have to die! As soon as my treasures stop convulsing, there will be a sweet little treat waiting for you, your sister, and your friend. See you later! Oh, wait…no, I won’t,” he declared, RECKLESS BOUNTY Marly Mathews 168

grinning from ear to ear as he waved to them, and disappeared in a flash of light.

“
HOLY CRAP!!!
” Samantha exclaimed, moving closer toward Veronica and Johanna.

“Anybody hear anything ticking or any red lights?” Samantha asked, expecting the worst, as they looked around the room.

“No…but what about that?” Johanna wondered, pointing toward one of the clones, which didn’t seem to be a clone at all, but rather an Android. Veronica crossed the short distance to the Android, and leaned over it. After a split second, she straightened.

“I think he just set off his self-destruct sequence!” Veronica concluded, her eyes getting as round as saucers. “You still got that handy dandy little jet pack of yours?” Veronica asked, running toward Samantha. “Or can you walk on the wind?”

“Yeah. Grab on you two. We’re going for a ride!” Samantha tossed a grenade at the large window. It blew a hole in it large enough for them to escape through. “You know, one of these days I’m going to leave a building without part of it, or all of it going
ka boom!
No worries though, I doubt the resulting bomb blast will be big enough to wipe out the entire hotel. It will probably only take out the penthouse.”

“Yep, and we’re in that penthouse,
Queenie!
” Veronica snapped off angrily. Samantha sighed, and grabbed onto the two of them.

“Hold on tight!” She opened her communication channel to
Eleanor
, and then they fell out into open air, just as the penthouse exploded. “
Eleanor
, we’re going to need a quick getaway.
Get yourself prepared!!!
” Samantha ordered, flying toward the parking lot.

“This is ultra cool!” Veronica cried, staring around at her surroundings. “I have to get me one of these. They’re an absolute must in my books.”

“Shut up, Veronica! I can safely say that I prefer having four walls around me when I’m doing my flying!” Johanna gasped, just as Dylan’s voice blared out over the com link.

“What is it Dylan?” Samantha asked, lowering them to the ground outside of
Eleanor
.

“It’s Tyler. There’s something about the night of the murder that you guys don’t know about. I think you really should. It might give you the heads up you guys will need to help you solve the murder case,” Dylan said, obviously frustrated.

“What

is

it?
” Samantha asked cautiously, as her belly did another nosedive.

* * * *

“I’ve just had a little chat with my dearest brother, and he forgot to tell you something which is very relevant,” Dylan began, the strain carrying into his voice.

“
Lovely!
Remind me to chew him out the next time I see him,” Samantha murmured. She looked to where Johanna strapped herself into the driver’s seat.

“
Samantha
. Get your ass in here!” Johanna ordered. Samantha’s mouth fell open at her sister’s commanding tone. Silently, she climbed into
Eleanor
, and fastened her seatbelt.

“Yeah. Well, as much as you might feel like yelling at him, you can’t because he swore me to secrecy and now I’m blabbing to you lovely ladies,” Dylan muttered, the strain still evident in his voice.

“Fine. Tell me what it is already. We’ve just been up against one freaking android and a whole lot of Tyler drone clones. My patience is at the
max!
” Samantha snapped off.

“So I guess you’re having a normal day, huh?” Dylan concluded. Samantha balled her fists up and shook them in the air.

“Listen, monkey boy. Either you spill it, or I begin shouting.”

“Okay,” he said exasperated. “Here it is. Tyler told me that before he left Lady Devlin’s that night, he tried to get a good glimpse of the map on her back. So obviously, he had to charm RECKLESS BOUNTY Marly Mathews 169

her a little. She mistook his advances and even when he made it quite clear to her he didn’t want any hanky-panky, she was still adamant into jumping him. He said she kind of attacked him and pushed him down to the floor. He was trying to fight her off, but he’d had a lot of
New Monaco
ale, and he was feeling a bit tipsy, if you know what I mean. Anyway, he told me he didn’t want you to know, because then you’d know that Lady Devlin had her hands in his pants.”

Samantha groaned, feeling a pounding headache coming on. “So, she wanted to get amorous with him. Why should I be surprised at that? Tyler’s one hell of a good looking man.”

“Yes. Anyway, he managed to get her off of him, despite the fact that she was going at him like a cat in heat,” Dylan muttered, as Samantha imagined Dylan running his hands impatiently through his curly mop. “You still haven’t heard the punch line,” he continued. “My brilliant brother forgot to tell you that though he remembers leaving the house, and remembers feeling groggy and wobbly, when he was walking down the staircase. He said that his knees felt like they were made of jelly and that he had to hold onto the railing for support. Then he slipped out of the house and just made it to the surrounding woods when he collapsed. He woke up two hours later and heard they were gunning for his ass, so he decided it would be wise to get his butt moving.”

Samantha could feel the heat rising to her cheeks and barely took in the look of concern that Johanna sent her.

“
Cripes!
” Veronica said from the back seat. “Guess you can’t say that you’re married to a super smart scientist.” Samantha let out a loud groan.

“Why did he think that he had murdered Lady Devlin? I’m going to kill him. He just bloody well made our job harder!” Samantha rushed out, clenching her hands together tightly.

“Cut him a break, Samantha,” Dylan muttered. “He thought he was protecting all of us, he couldn’t lose you. They would have kept coming after you, and despite what you may think to the contrary, he was petrified Rodgers would finally succeed in killing you. And since he’s missing a few hours, Tyler knew it was quite possible he might have been the
real
murderer.”

“
Bullshit!!!
” Samantha muttered, sighing. She put her index finger to her temple.

“Johanna, you got anything for a headache?” Dylan’s voice cut off Johanna’s reply.

“But I questioned him further. You know as well as I do, Tyler’s gotten as drunk as a skunk before, but he has never ever passed out. I got to thinking that maybe, he was drugged with something so the real culprit could murder Lady Devlin,” Dylan explained.

“Oh, hell!” Samantha muttered, as it all began to make sense. “Rodgers is a master at using all of the new and improved
magic drugs.
”

“The murderer could have been feeding an odorless, colorless, and tasteless drug into the air, which debilitated Tyler, and made Lady Devlin so sluggish that she didn’t have a hope in hell of fighting off her attacker,” Johanna concluded, using her analytical mind that Samantha envied her for.

“Thank you, Johanna.” Samantha muttered, popping a painkiller into her mouth, to counteract her pulsing headache.

“Good thing I brought along a pack of nifty gadgets, because if we’re going to confront Rodgers, we’re going to need some insurance. He doesn’t play nice, and I’m not about to believe he’s reconsidered. I want us to be prepared for
anything!
” Johanna stressed, gesturing to a white box, which was nestled between her and Samantha. As Samantha recognized the medical box, she turned to Johanna, and smiled.

“I could kiss you right now,” Samantha muttered, opening the box.

“Any ideas where Rodgers is?” Veronica asked, leaning forward, and sticking her head RECKLESS BOUNTY Marly Mathews 170

between Samantha and Johanna.

“Yes, and I think we’re going on a bit of a journey, if you get my meaning,” Samantha said, winking at the both of them. “Dylan, I’m going to need your help. I want you to set up a channel between the Red Falcon and Devlin. Make sure the two of them hear everything that’s going down between Rodgers and me.”

“You got it. But I hope you know what a sacrifice it is for me, to be so near to Devlin.

He makes me want to punch him!”

“Oh, Dylan,” Johanna sighed, weaving her way through the traffic. “I take it we’re going to
Gynnis Harbor
then?” Johanna assumed. Samantha nodded her head in confirmation.

“I know it’s hard for you, Dylan. But right now, Tyler’s life is hanging in the balance.

Once I nab Rodgers, and Devlin gets the evidence he wants, all bets are off, and if you still want to, you can lambaste him one,” Samantha promised, completely sympathizing with Dylan’s situation.

“
Thanks
. Just make sure you get Rodgers. I’ll behave until that time, I won’t do anything to jeopardize Tyler’s safety, you can count on that,” Dylan vowed. The com frequency fell silent. Samantha turned her head to look at Johanna when she let out a huge sigh.

“I’ve been thinking,” Johanna remarked, glancing at Samantha when she snorted.

“Didn’t T4 say there were six Tyler drone clones created? And, we know for sure one of them was an android. What about the others?”

“The two I took down, were both bleeding,” Samantha thinned her lips. The painkillers still hadn’t kicked in. She felt like throwing up.

“Yeah, both of my clones felt the pain I inflicted on them!” Veronica agreed. “But now that I think of it, the one that Johanna shot, fell like a lifeless twig and she blasted a bloody hole through the other one. Johanna, I think there was only one that wasn’t real.”

“So that means T1, the actual murderer is still wandering around out there. Oh, freaking terrific!” Samantha mumbled.

“Sounds as if you three have a problem on your hands,”
Eleanor
muttered. “Boy, I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.”

They came into viewing distance of Gynniss Harbor. “Well. Ladies, I think it’s show time!” Johanna descended to a landing, and Samantha tried to ignore the butterflies that were in her stomach.

Samantha was going to nail Rodgers to the wall. And when she was done with him, he’d be begging for mercy.
Only thing was she wasn’t in a merciful mood today

* * * *

They walked toward Rodgers’s docked yacht, and Samantha felt her stomach muscles tighten as she read the name.
The Journey’s Prize III
. Well, for one thing it was going to be Rodgers’s last journey and she was going to give him the send off. They met no resistance, and since Samantha was quite familiar with the plan of the yacht she led them in unhindered.

Two of Rodgers’s goons met them and Samantha easily took down one with a roundhouse kick to the face, while Veronica dealt with the other. Johanna watched their rear and Samantha was yet again grateful for the leather gloves she wore because her palms were sticky and sweaty.

“Let me do all of the talking,” Samantha said, as Johanna and Veronica each let out synchronized snorts.

“Yeah. Like that’s going to
happen!
” Johanna scoffed. They walked slowly into Rodgers’s mahogany paneled office.

RECKLESS BOUNTY Marly Mathews 171

“This guy sure as hell, spares no expense,” Veronica concluded, closely inspecting the richly decorated office.

“Where the hell is he?” Samantha demanded. Her eyes scanned the full expanse of the office. Intuition drove her, and she settled her eyes on the massive high backed leather office chair. The chair slowly turned. Acid welled in Samantha’s stomach. She groaned.

“Hello, beautiful!” Rodgers drawled. Samantha stared at Rodgers and nearly lost her cookies.

“Hello, asshole.” she muttered, swaggering toward the desk. “Why don’t you give it up, and just confess to the murder of Lady Devlin? Then I won’t have to beat the crap out of you for the confession, because I’ll be getting one, one way or the other,” Samantha promised, deliberately resting her hands on her pistols.

“I don’t think you’ve quite understood the full scheme of things, Samantha,” Rodgers purred, dragging on his New Cuban cigar. She narrowed her eyes, and leaned forward. Then she wrinkled her nose at the revolting smell and turned her head at the sound of a door sliding open.

“May I introduce you to my
silent
business partner?” Rodgers asked, motioning dramatically to the woman that stood in the doorway.

“Oh, bloody hell,” Samantha cursed. She touched shoulders with Johanna and felt the tension rippling through her sister’s body. Both Johanna and Veronica gasped at the same time.

“This is one mad world, I think I’ve seen enough crazy shit for one day!” Veronica muttered. The woman smiled at them, and Samantha closed her eyes briefly in disbelief.

“Samantha, isn’t it?” Lady Devlin asked, extending her manicured hand.

RECKLESS BOUNTY Marly Mathews 172

Samantha’s head was full of questions. She was so damn angry, and if she wasn’t careful she was going to lose control before she got the confession she wanted so badly. “You know what, Rodgers, I’ve just about had it up to here, with your bloody clones. It’s getting old, why don’t you try to reinvent yourself?” she demanded angrily, staring down the clone of Lady Devlin. “Not only did you murder the poor woman but you made a freaking drone clone of her also. You are one
sick dude!
” Samantha decided, wrinkling her nose.

“Oh, Samantha! Jarrod was right, when he said you were entertaining. You’ve positively outdone yourself this time. I’m no drone clone, you silly woman. I’m the real McCoy,” Lady Devlin said, chuckling as she pressed a scented handkerchief up to her nose.