Free Marked Man by Jared Paul Page B

the driver’s side window slid down. A voice coming from the little machine was saying hello and is anyone there and asking to speak to Mr. Ross. Bollier took her hands off the steering wheel for a moment, snapped the phone in two, then tossed the pieces out the window.
    “You’re not thinking clearly. What have I just been telling you? Shirokov is going to find a way to get to you using anything and anyone anyway that he can. Christ. I don’t want to talk to you like a child because I respect what you’ve done in the service and I’m truly sorry for everything that’s happened to you, but if you don’t start paying attention right now you’re going to get us both killed. Your life as you know it is over, Mr. Ross. It ended the second you laid your hands on Askokov at the courthouse. Right now you are a ghost because that is the best thing for everybody. Assume that everyone you know, your neighbors, your family, your friends, your old buddies, they are all compromised. There is not a single human being who was in your life prior to the accident that you can trust. Do you understand?”
    Meekly, Jordan nodded his head and then asked where she was taking him.
    “We’re going to my girlfriend’s summer house in Connecticut. She’s an MD and can help patch you up. It’s a quiet little suburb full of wealthy people who all mind their own business. We can lie low and stay there for a while, maybe a few weeks, a couple months at most but that’s it, because no matter where we go at this point, I promise you that they are going to find us.”
    …
    Ernest Weisenhunt lived two houses down the block from the Ross family. Weisenhunt was retired and lived with his common law partner Marilyn and their pet corgi, Boomer.
    Weisenhunt looked at the phone funny and tried to get an answer.
    “Hello? Mr. Ross? Are you there? It’s Ernest can you hear me?”
    When nobody replied and the line went dead he furrowed his eyebrows. He looked up at the man looming over him.
    “I think he hung up. Or maybe he lost the signal or something.”
    “Call again, leave message if no answer.” The looming man in the designer suit sighed and commanded.
    Feebly, Ernest typed in Jordan Ross’s mobile number again, his liver spotted hands shaking. A ringing sound filtered in through his hearing aid and he waited with baited breath for an answer. His eyes darted to Marilyn who was holding Boomer in her lap across the kitchen table, stroking his ears and whispering that everything was going to be alright. Another large man was looming over her.
    The ringing continued for a minute, maybe two and then an automated voice message kicked in and told the caller to leave their name and number at the beep.
    “Mr. Ross? Hi. This is Ernest. Ernest Weisenhunt from down the block, say, Marilyn and I were over here playing bridge with some friends and we heard an awful racket over by your place. Anyway we just wanted to check and see if you were alright. If you could please give us a call back, we would sure like to hear from you, just in case you know? My number here in case you don’t have it is 555-9201. It’s Ernest. You have a good evening Mr. Ross, we just were a little concerned is all. Thanks!”
    From over him the looming man took the receiver from his ear and hung it up in its cradle mounted on the wall next to the clock that looked like a cat. Weisenhunt looked expectantly at his strange unannounced guests.
    “Is that it?”
    Boomer growled at the two looming men, who exchanged a sort of unspoken message.
    “Yes meester Ernest dank you very much. Dat is it.”
    Weisenhunt let out a breath that he had been holding in. Two loud pops echoed through the house.
    …
    By the time Bollier pulled in to the garage attached to the cottage in Connecticut Jordan was almost delirious. He needed to be given painkillers and anti-inflammatories in bulk. Gauze for the graze wound on his calf and a proper bandage to prevent infection wouldn’t hurt either. As