Free Altering Authority by Ashley Dooley Page B

the window free. She put a full round into it, shattering the glass. Helping Rick up first, he climbed out into the rocky parking lot behind the club. She took one last look behind her and climbed up and out herself.
    Just as her feet hit the gravel, Rick put his hand over her mouth. She looked around, trying to see what she was supposed to keep quiet for. When nothing appeared, she listened hard as she refilled her gun. She heard grunting and the sound of knuckles on flesh. Unable to run, her lungs being seized by the smoke, she and Rick walked clumsily toward the sound, just in time to see another man put his blade into Marcus’ neck. She screamed and ran towards them, launching herself at the man. He fended her off by punching her in the ribs. She fell back, sliding on the rocks, feeling them tear up her back. She knew something had been broken.
    As he walked toward her, she looked at Rick who was pulling Marcus’ body away from the burning building. With a renewed sense of purpose, she rose in time to dodge a kick to her stomach from the man. He was older, looking more of the wall-street type than that of a murderer. His white hair receded to somewhere around the crown of his head and his blue business suit screamed ‘Sears.’ She was glad to see that Marcus had gotten a couple good smacks on him, his eyebrow was split.
    Feeling her rage spread as the roof of her club completely caved in, she charged him. He wasn’t expecting it and she nailed him in the chest. He stumbled backward and Tatum kicked his ribs as hard as she could. She felt them give underneath her, her foot sinking more deeply into his flesh. He attempted to avert her last blow by grabbing her ankle. She tripped and fell on top of him. He managed to switch positions and get on top of her, but she was too quick and shot the butt of her hand up into his nose. Immediately, blood poured out and down over her, his hands flying to his face. With this momentary distraction she pulled her gun out from the waist of her pants and emptied the clip into the side of his head.
    Before the fire truck and police showed up, Tatum and Rick left. They headed to the veterinary clinic that Tatums friend worked at. He was their go to medical professional whenever things got messy. He was quiet and discreet and accepted cash.  He deemed that Tatum did in fact have a broken rib and Rick was concussed.
    “Do you have any idea who it was?” Gary asked Tatum when she’d finished telling them what had happened. She shook her head. She had lots of enemies. How could she not given her profession? “The only thing I can think of is that someone knows about…Phil. And me. Maybe they are making a play for my businesses?” When she thought about it, her plan was to be discreet about her paternity. She and Phil had been anything but. It dawned on her then that she hadn’t heard from Donna in sometime. She voiced her concerns to her father. Phil volunteered to head up to her cottage and check on her.
    The men dispersed then, making their own plans for revenge. Tatum, although feeling sore and battered, also felt a wave of gratitude for her new found family. She’d handled things herself for so long. It was nice to know that she had a group of insane hitmen on her side now.
    Jager stuck around for a while. Just sitting and watching TV with her. She could sense his mind was far away. He was distracted and she didn’t know if it was because he was worried about her or if he was thinking that he wished he’d kept his distance. All he needed was another woman to worry about.
    “I’m starving,” she said to him, breaking him from his daze, “let’s order a pizza or something.” Jager nodded and pulled out his cell phone, not saying anything. He looked up a number to the nearest delivery place and asked her what she wanted.
    When the pizza arrived, he answered the door, paid and brought it before her on the coffee table. He grabbed a bottle of beer and laid that in front of her