Chapter 05: A Cornered Snake

Alexa swiftly ducked behind a large plant sitting in the corner of the hall. “MELISSA!” Gavin cried in shock as he looked down at the unconscious body of his baby sister. Lifting her from the floor, he hurried her inside his apartment and shut the door.

Alexa let out a sigh of relief. As she turned for the stairs, she could hear two voices inside; one distinctly feminine. Alexa waited a moment longer before quietly exiting to the alley and Kasper’s awaiting car. “You get her squared away?” he asked with a hint of disdain.

“Yeah, all good. Let’s go.”

Kasper started towards the corner but suddenly stopped the car and turned towards Alexa. “A, I understand why you helped the girl. And whether you want to admit it or not I also know why you wanted to come here and not take her home, but we can’t risk exposing ourselves like this. I’m sorry. This job is done. It’s over and so are the people we met here. Cut the fucking cord and move on. Otherwise, your attachments really will get you killed.”

Kasper started the car with a jerk and drove in silence back to their hotel. Alexa gazed mournfully out of the window, letting his words sink in. He was right. It had been a little over two months since she’d last laid eyes on him and she knew she needed to let him go. It was what she’d been telling herself from the day they’d left St. Claire. However, saying the words and living by them were proving to be two very different things entirely. It didn’t matter anyway if what she’d heard coming from his apartment was to be believed. It would seem Gavin had already moved on.

The next morning Alexa awoke to the sound of Kasper’s fiercely pounded keystrokes. A quick glance at the clock showed it was a little before seven. Tossing the sheets to the side, she pulled herself up and started into the main room. Kasper sat behind his desk checking through their bugs, seeing if they had picked up anything new. With any luck, they’d soon have something useful that would point them towards the last two directors that had hired them for the Stark job. 

“When all of this is over, I swear I’m going to sleep for a week,” he said, shutting down the program before opening his browser to just surf the web. Alexa gently rubbed his shoulders before moving into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee as she turned to the maintenance of their weapons. “In other news, WET is faced with another unfortunate event as they mourn the loss of a beloved executive. Walter Ambrose was rushed to the ER late last night. Ambrose, who was unresponsive to EMTs on site at Club Surrender, was pronounced dead on arrival to Suffolk County Medical. Autopsy pending.”

“Wow. Good news really does travel fast.” 

Kasper closed out of the browser and stood from his computer. Leisurely, he started over to where Alexa sat, cleaning her gun. “So I was thinking,” he started, toying with his hands as he continued. “We’ve been working really hard these last few months, what do you say we take a day off and just relax?”

She eyed him curiously as a slow-forming smile crossed her lips. “You have something in mind, Kasper?”

“I don’t know. It’s a nice day out. We’re surrounded on two sides by beaches and I heard the boardwalk is quite the experience.”

“You heard that huh?”

“How about we see what it’s like to be normal for a change?” he asked, ignoring her comment.

“Normal?”

“Yes. No bullets flying at our heads, no high-speed chases, no dead bodies to hide and no talk of WET, just us.”

“Why, Kasper Grant, are you asking me out on a date?”

“Well, yeah, I guess I am,” he smirked.

“Hmm, well, I hate to disappoint you, Kas,” Alexa started after brief hesitation, “But, if we’re going to the beach, there may be conversation about getting wet.”

“That kind of wet is ok with me,” he said, grinning excitedly. “So you’re game?”

“Of course I am. Let’s be normal! Except, I don’t think I’ll be doing much swimming. It’s 40 degrees outside.”

“That’s ok. There are other things to do besides swim,” Kasper smirked.

While Alexa got ready, Kasper packed a few items into a small bag: towels, suntan lotion, shades, an extra pair of flip flops and a book for later. Afterwards, he made a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and packed away two apples and some bottled water. “I’m gonna run these things down to the car. Meet you in ten?”

“I’ll be right out!” Alexa shouted back. On the ride over, Kasper sang along with the radio and Alexa watched with a raised eyebrow as he danced behind the wheel of his Charger. “Wow, I should get you out from behind that computer more often,” she laughed as he sang louder and off-key.

The boardwalk was busy which didn’t come as a surprise. Families with lots of children ran between the Ferris wheel and bumper cars while teens congregated near the end of the dock, hiding what appeared to be an alcoholic beverage as they took turns stealing drinks.

“Ooh, Kas, you have $5? I wanna get some cotton candy!” Alexa said with an angelic smile on her face.

“You make three quarters of a million dollars on a single job and don’t have $5 in your pocket?”

“I don’t like carrying cash,” Alexa shrugged. “Besides, you asked ME out on a date, remember? So fork over the dough,” she replied, pouting her lips in a childish manner. “Come on, come on, come on!”

Kasper chuckled when she started dancing and he leaned down and snuck a quick kiss before searching his pocket for a ten. “I’d like one too.”

Threading his fingers between hers, he tugged her along towards the vendor. Another group of excited children ran past them, hurrying towards the arcade. And as she and Kasper moved through the crowds, she took in the sights and sounds of the midway, enjoying the scent of the salt water as the waves crested against the pilings. Kasper had made a good call. It was nice to get out of their old habits and enjoy themselves every now and again and today was a good day for it. One of the unusually warmer winter days, the sun was shining and there was barely a chill in the air. If not for the barren trees one would think it was spring.

“So what do you want to do first?” he asked, watching as she finished off the last of her cotton candy. 

With a devilish glint in her eyes, Alexa tossed her paper stick into the trash and snatched Kasper’s hand. Before he had the chance to protest, she pushed him into the photo booth and hopped into his lap. “We need before and after pics.”

“Before and after what?”

“You’ll see,” she said and pressed the button after he inserted the required $4. 

Her laughter was infectious and even though he didn’t know the reason behind it, Kasper found himself laughing too. She was happy. It was a good look on her. And as they stood in line for the roller coaster, he couldn’t help but stare. The excited look on her face as she watched the coaster zoom over their heads with its screaming victims before plunging down through a cave and circling back to the gate warmed him. “You’re beautiful,” he said, leaning into her ear to ensure she heard him over the roar of the ride.

Alexa turned to look at him and as she did, she noticed the blush that shaded his cheeks with his confession. Leaning into him, Kasper wrapped her up in his arms and crashed his lips to hers. God they were so soft and as sweet as honey. Their lips moved in unison and she moaned against his mouth making him react just the same. The sounds she made were having an effect on him, making his cock harden to a point that he could carve his name in stone with it. Alexa’s soft hands rolled up his back and into his hair as he feverishly kissed along her jaw and down her neck, pausing only at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

“Are you two riding?” The scrawny teen standing in front of the gate asked. Alexa and Kasper exchanged a look and burst into laughter as she led him through the gates and into the lead car. They rode twice more before Alexa carted Kasper off to another ride.

“Hey, hey, wait a second,” he said, pulling her against him as she started towards the bumper cars. “You chose the first ride, it’s my turn,” he said with a smile.

“Fine,” she huffed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “What do you want to do, Kasper?” He nodded behind her and Alexa turned to look. “The Ferris wheel?”

“Yeah. You, me alone in a cart, sitting on top of the world,” he said, wriggling his eyebrows for emphasis.

“Hmm, well, when you put it like that how can I refuse?” Kasper grinned as he took her hand. This time it was his turn to drag her playfully along. Handing the operator the required amount of tickets, Kasper allowed Alexa to hop in first before sliding onto the bench beside her. 

“Here we go,” Kasper smiled, tossing his arm around Alexa. Just as their cart reached the top of the Ferris wheel, a loud explosion erupted and frantic screaming could be heard below. “What was that? Please tell me this thing is not about to come off the track.”

“I don’t think so, Kasper. That sounded like gunfire,” Alexa said, glancing over the railing to view more of the park. More screaming, and Alexa’s eyes turned in the direction of a crowd dispersing near the food court. Several armed men were making their way towards the Ferris wheel and Alexa felt her heart drop to her stomach as one of them appeared to stare right at her. “Kas, we have a problem.”

Looking in the direction Alexa pointed, his eyes fell on the gunmen making a fast approach to their position. “They can’t be here for us, right? How would they have known? They can’t know what we look like!”

Kasper’s first question was answered as the man below them took aim and fired at their cart. “HOLY SHIT, A!” he shouted and crouched to the floor of their cart.

“Hang on, Kasper, I got this,” she said, reaching into her boot to retrieve her own firearm. Alexa returned fire, causing the gunman to quickly dive for cover but, they weren’t out of the woods for long. The shooter brought friends and they quickly joined the fray.

“You brought a gun to an amusement park?” Kasper asked, ducking lower in his seat as another bullet ricocheted off the pole above him.

“Yes! Aren’t you glad I did?” she asked, firing at the man standing beside the bumper cars. 

“The midway, A! Three more incoming.” More people screamed as another shooter began firing near the arcade.

“Shit, this isn’t going to work. We need to get down from here.”

“How? They are shooting at us from every direction. We’re completely pinned down!”

Alexa thought for a moment, ducking beside Kasper as the gun fire seemed to dull for a moment. Sirens wailed in the distance and she suspected the gunmen were very close to fleeing. “Take this,” she said, handing Kasper her firearm.

“Wait, what are you going to do?”

“Climb down and restart the ride so you can get out too. If the police are close, it’ll be best if we’re not around when they get here. Watch my back, Kas.” He nodded and Alexa poked her head up, checking the known positions for the shooters before she began her descent.

She made it to the ground without incident and hurried towards the ride’s console. Reaching for the start button, Alexa froze as the distinct sound of a weapon being readied echoed behind her.

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