Page 192 of 5+Us Makes Seven

We both stood together within view of the camera. I had to duck slightly. The call rang for only a second.

“You said thirty mi….” His face unblurred as the connection improved. “Cruz! You… you’re there? What…?”

“I took care of them, Andrew,” I said. “Did what you paid me to do. Just had a bit of…trouble, back at the hotel. No big deal.”

“No big deal? Ha! No big deal, he says!” He sounded manic with relief. I couldn’t imagine the worry he had likely experienced when the call had dropped earlier. “You wonderful, beautiful man! I… I’m tripling your payment. No, quadrupling it! Fuck it, I’m buying you a yacht!”

I grinned. “No need, sir. I don’t like boats, anyway.” Alexandra laughed. “I got a contact in Prague. He helped me out earlier,” I said to Andrew, turning serious. “Said these guys were working for rogue government agents. They were planning some sort of cyber terrorist attack. That’s why they wanted your software. The money was irrelevant. I think our friend here wanted to retire.” I paused for a second, jerking my thumb back over my shoulder at the body visible on the corner of the screen. “Thing is, two of those rogue agents were dead already. An old friend of mine, a French dude, was onto the third. Knew where he was. When to hit him. I just gotta make a phone call, ya know, just to be sure.”

Andrew stared at me incredulously, while Alexandra stared with adoration.

“So, this is over. Ain’t no one left to take revenge,” I concluded.

“You need anything, Cruz, you let me know. I mean it. I owe you, big time,” Andrew said, smiling.

“I ain’t joking when I say I’ll remember that, Andrew. Never know when a favor might be useful, right?”

He nodded at me. “I’ll make a call to get a helicopter to you. I just need to know where you are.”

I gave him the location. He scribbled a few notes.

“Oh, Andrew,” I said, “there is one thing I’d like…”

He looked up, eyebrows raised.

I grabbed Alexandra by her waist, squeezing her against me. She kissed me on the cheek.

Andrew stared, mouth wide. “Oh. Oh, I see…” He shrugged. “Cruz, you have my blessing. Just keep her safe.” He laughed. “At least I don’t have to pay you now, anyway!”

We all laughed together.

His eyes watered wistfully. “You’d make a great son-in-law, anyway.”

Alexandra gasped. “Dad!” she shouted in indignation.

Alexandra

Cruz had checked that all of his victims were in fact dead, one-by-one. I saw how efficient he’d been on his approach at the house, arsenal of guns blazing. No one was left alive.

I tried to avoid looking at all the blood and the corpses strewn everywhere. I knew I should be feeling sick or in shock--something more than the pure relief and joy I felt. Maybe it would come in time. Then again, they’d all been horrible murderers, which made it easier, I guess.

Cruz grabbed a few guns and my hold-all and took us to the edge of a forest which was only a short jog away. We sat quietly, waiting for the sound of an approaching helicopter.

My stomach was a knot of emotion, and I longed for Cruz to take me into his big arms and hold me tight. To make love to me, gently. But he was antsy, eyes scanning the h

orizon for signs of movement. Listening out.

I folded my arms, smoldering with desire. My heart lurched in my chest as we heard the unmistakable sound of approaching rotor blades.

Nicely done, Dad.

Cruz grabbed my hand and we ran down into the farmland, waving wildly at the helicopter as it approached. The chopper descended slowly and landed gently in the field. My hair blew wildly as we approached. Cruz held the door open for me first, taking one last glance at the farmhouse before slipping into the seat next to me.

The pilot nodded at us and pointed to the helmets on the seats in front of us, with microphones attached.

The helicopter was rising already. I felt giddy with relief as the scene of destruction at the farmhouse started to fade into the distance.

We spoke to the pilot and co-pilot through the intercom. “You boys are a sight for sore eyes,” Cruz said, smiling. “Had a bit of trouble down there with some Russians. They ain’t gonna be causing any more trouble now, though.”