As he walked down the street, still reeling from what he had just done, Jackson’s mental energies finally were able to focus on the one person he clearly saw as responsible for all of it.
LuAnn Tyler would experience the brunt of everything he was now feeling. The pain that slashed so viciously through him would be multiplied a hundredfold upon her until she would beg him to just finish her, make her stop breathing because every breath would be a hell, would be beyond what any person could endure. Even her.
And the grand part of it all was that he would not have to go looking for her. She would come to him. She would run to him with all the speed and strength her extraordinary physical specimen of a body could inspire. For he would have something that LuAnn would go anywhere, do anything for. He would hold something that LuAnn Tyler would die for. And so you will LuAnn Tyler slash Catherine Savage. As he disappeared down the street he swore this, over the mental image of a still-warm body whose dear face strongly resembled his own.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
For the tenth time Riggs looked around the Mall and then checked his watch. In cutting his deal with the FBI, he had just shimmied out onto the most fragile limb in the world and LuAnn was three hours late. If she never showed up, where did that leave him? Jackson was still out there, and Riggs doubted if the knife would miss its mark a second time. If he didn’t produce Jackson, fulfill his deal with his former employer, and have his cover reestablished, the cartel members who had sworn to kill him five years ago would soon learn that he was alive and they would surely try again. He couldn’t return to his house. His business was probably already going to hell, and to top it off, he had five bucks in his pocket and no car. If he could have screwed up his life to any greater degree he was at a loss as to how.
He slumped on a bench and stared up at the Washington Monument while the cold wind whipped up and down the flat, open space that stretched from the Lincoln Memorial to the United States Capitol. The sky was overcast; it would be raining again soon. You could smell it in the air. Just wonderful. And you’re right between a rock and a hard place, Mr. Riggs, he said to himself. His emotional barometer had dropped to its lowest point since finding out his wife had perished in the gang attack five years ago. Had it really been less than one week ago that he had been leading a relatively normal life? Building things for wealthy people, reading books by his woodstove, attending a few night classes at the university, thinking seriously about taking a real vacation for a change?
He blew on his cold fingers and stuffed them in his pockets. His injured shoulder ached. He was just about to leave when the hand touched his neck.
“I’m sorry.”
As he turned his head, his spirits soared with such swiftness that he felt dizzy. But he couldn’t help smiling. He needed desperately to smile.
“Sorry for what?”
He watched as LuAnn settled in beside him, slipping her arm through his. She didn’t answer right away. After staring off for a minute and then taking a heavy breath, she turned to him, stroked his hand with hers.
“I had some misgivings.”
“About me?”
“I shouldn’t have. After all you’ve done, I shouldn’t have any doubts left.”
He looked at her kindly. “Sure you should. Everybody has doubts. After the last ten years, you should have more than most.” He patted her hand, looked into her eyes, noted their moist edges, and then said, “But you’re here now. You came. So it must be okay, right? I passed the test?”
She simply nodded her head, unable to speak.
“I vote for finding a warm place where I can fill you in on developments and we can discuss our plan of attack. Sound good?”
“I’m all yours.” Her grip tightened on his hand as though she would never let go. And right now, that was just fine with him.