Free The Memory Agent & Fool Me Once by Joany Kane Page A

fight Duke just as Haley leaps up off of the floor and
jumps on Claire's back.    Haley pounds Claire in the head with her fist while Claire slugs Haley
with the pillow trying to get the skank off of her
back.
    At the same time, Duke and Riker engage in a fist
fight .   Duke, certainly not
at one hundred percent, takes a pummeling from his big brother.
    Riker shoves Duke through the plate glass window.   Duke lands on the deck.
    Claire weakening under the weight of the feisty Haley still on her back, rolls on the couch and then elbows Haley in the gut to
free herself.
    Haley jumps up and starts throwing every thing she can find at
Claire.  
    Claire admirably defends herself as Haley backs her up to the wall.   Claire notices the logger equipment
hanging on the wall.  
    Haley grabs the gun on the floor and is about to shoot Claire at close
range when...
    Claire grabs the hand saw hanging on the wall, whips around and slices
through Haley's throat so adeptly that Haley didn't even have time to cock the
gun.   Haley, blood splattering out
of her throat, falls dead to the floor.
    Claire hurries to help Duke who has been thrown off of the deck by
Riker.   Duke has taken a serious
beating from his brother.
    Riker now holds a gun on Duke.   “Adios, baby brother.”   Riker is about to shoot Duke…
    When Claire dives off of the deck, landing in front of Duke, taking the
bullet that was meant for Duke in her gut.  
    She falls to the ground, looking like she's dead or close to it.
    “No !!!” Duke cries out.
    Duke rushes his brother.   Riker tries to shoot but Duke has pushed the gun out of his hand.
    Riker, stumbling, grabs a stick of firewood from a nearby wood pile and
slugs Duke in the side of the head, the side where he had been shot and had
surgery.
    Duke falls to the ground, looking like he's dead or close to it.
    Riker hears a helicopter flying above.  
    He runs into the cabin, grabs his velvet bag of jewels, hurries to an
all-terrain vehicle and drives off into the woods.
    Duke and Claire lay lifeless on the ground.  
    Until Duke stirs.   He stumbles over to Claire.
    He cradles her.   She is not
in good shape, bleeding from the gut, nearing unconsciousness.
    “Don't you dare die on me! ” He cries out.
    Claire manages a smile.   “Funny.   I said the same
thing to you when we first met in the alleyway after you had been shot.   I added "you bastard,"
though.”
    The comment makes Duke chuckle, they lock eyes for a long moment, both
silently saying I love you.   “Who
do I call?” He asks.
    “There's a cell-phone in the glove compartment.   Dial 414-555-2222, ext. 2.”   Claire responds, fighting to stay
conscious.
    Duke hurries to the jag, grabs the phone, makes the call, rushes back to
Claire, cradling her again.
    “Hold on.   Please Jasmine,
hold on,” he pleads.
    The sound of a helicopter and police cars approaching relieves
Duke.  
    “I hear the cavalry,” Claire states.
    Duke kisses Claire's forehead.   “I'm going to go get my brother.   He needs to pay.”
    Duke leaves Claire at the moment where help has arrived yet he can still
make an escape.

 
    *****

 
    Whitmore is seated in a chair next to a hospital bed watching over
Claire.   She stirs, opens her eyes, sees Whitmore.
    He manages a smile. “I bet you never figured you'd be back in this room
so soon.”
    “I'm surprised I'm not handcuffed,” she responds.
    “You should be.   That was a
foolish stunt.”
    “How'd it end?”
    “We lost both brothers.   They're gone.”  
    Claire processes the information, hearing Duke's words in her mind ‘I'm
going to go get my brother.’
    “Hold off on the ‘I told you so,’ okay, I might bust a stitch,” she
attempts to quip.
    Whitmore respond in all seriousness.   “You better get some rest.   I'll do what I can to cover your ass.”
    “I take full responsibility for my actions, Whit.”   Claire turns over as if she's planning
on falling asleep.
    Whitmore