Chapter 23: Chapter 23

After an hour had passed, Anna sat next to Jerome in the tiny Mazda that he had manufactured from who-knew-where while they had burritos from Taco Bell. The clouds were black and terrible looking, yet there was no precipitation despite the fact that the wind was howling wildly around the automobile. Jerome claimed that they were around ten minutes away from the boat after stopping to eat, and that after that they would get back to "fishing" for the truth. Jack in the process of being established. While she listened to his strategy to get Randy out in the open and establish Jack' guilt or innocence, she chewed the last of her food and finished the bite.

She stated this while wiping the sauce off of her palm and remarked that it sounded risky.

Jerome crumpled up a burrito wrapper and placed it in the bag before doing so. "Less risky than going public during the trial without addressing this issue."

She gave in, but she secretly wished that their time at the fantasy hotel could have been a little bit longer. There were no simple solutions to any of these problems. There is no avoiding the truth.

She took a breath in and then let it out. "Alright then. What do I do?"

"I sent Jack a prepaid phone in the mail"

"You're kidding! When? Will they be able to trace the package back to the address from which you mailed it?

He glared accusingly at her as he did so. "You'll never get to the point where you can trust me, will you? On the very first night of the trip, I went out and bought a phone for myself. I just threw some money at the clerk, and he took care of mailing it for me."

Her shoulders immediately released a wave of tension. "You actually planned everything out."

"You learn to do that when you live in a world where you have to fight for your life every day. Because I called Jack, I am certain that he possesses the phone.

She was taken aback by the information, so she questioned, "When?"

He felt about on the dashboard of the car. "While I was securing our transportation. He thinks that things are going really well between the two of us.

"However, that is not the situation." She had noticed the shadow that fell over his eyes whenever the man's name was mentioned, as well as the uncertainty that was present in his expression.

His teeth were tightened, and a muscle in his jaw tensed up. We won't have to wait long to find out. It appeared as though he had taken stock of his feelings, and he then adopted a tone that was more businesslike, rather than resentful, and stated, "Here's how this will play out. I'll give Jack a call and let him know that I'm in need of cash, that I'm unable to access my finances at the moment, but that I'll get back to him with the location of the drop off. You should call him as soon as I hang up the phone. Tell him I'm at a gas station convenience shop, and that I'm waiting for you to get the phone. You are frightened. Tell him I'm on a mission of revenge, that I'm looking for Randy, and that I intend to murder him. Tell him that you are in need of assistance, and then tell him where the boat is.

She gave the plan some thought. Do you believe that he will send Randy?

"If he's on their side, then yes," she replied.

"Following that, we bust Jack and arrest Randy," the narrator says.

“Right.” He lowered his head, took a long breath, and then allowed it to slowly escape his mouth as he closed his eyes. He did his best to avoid making eye contact. What other things was he trying to avoid? What's the truth? She had a hard time accepting that as true.

Even though they had only spent a short amount of time together, she liked to think that they had managed to reach some sort of agreement. They'd engaged in personal activities and conversations, as well as personal activities. To tell you the truth, she divulged information to him that she never would have shared with the man she referred to as her husband. pertaining to her father, her mother, and even her self-hatred regarding the events of her own history.

She put her hand on his arm. "Are you going to place him under arrest, or not? Or does the story I'm telling Jack have a greater basis in reality than it does in fantasy?

However, he did not glance at her at all. His mouth became more tight, and there was a distinct crackling sound in the air. When he finally looked at her, his lashes were lifted, and his gaze was level. I'll give it my best shot, Anna, but if it comes down to him escaping, he won't be able to. I won't let him go away."

Anna had the impression that she had been struck in the stomach. Because she wanted to know the truth, he told her everything that was going on. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't so certain that was a good thing. She did not want to be put in a position where she would have to answer questions in the future and be forced to choose Jerome over the truth.

When she did not respond, he reached into the container that was located between the chairs and took out a phone. He then proceeded to phone Jack in order to get Jack ready for Anna's call. At the conclusion of the call, Jerome extended an offer to give the phone to Anna.

She made an attempt to grab it, but he held on to it the whole time. "Anna, Randy is going to find us and kill us if he can." If he is allowed to go free, we will never be able to be free. He let go of the phone he had been holding.

Didn't he see? She wouldn't be free to go if she had any more blood on her hands, so she better be careful.

However, she did not state that. She changed her position so that she was facing forward instead of him. "What is the number?" (What is it?)

He didn't reply right away, but the weight of his look continued to bear down on her with increasing intensity like lead. “Anna—”

She tucked her hair behind her ears and gave him a sidelong glance while doing so. "What is the number?" (What is it?) If he had the audacity to tell her what to say once more, she would give up on the plan altogether.

He then gave her the number while pressing his lips together. Smart man. She dialed the number and did her best to appear to be in a state of panic.

Jack questioned her while maintaining an air of skepticism in his tone of voice. "Where did you come up with that number?"

I overheard him address you by name. He made a brief stop, during which he abandoned the phone. I quickly flipped through the list of numbers. There was a brief pause. Oh, he's going to be here soon. The thirty-ninth pier. A boat called Adiós. We'll be there in approximately an hour at the most." She terminated the call and then took a moment to compose herself before handing Jerome the phone. "What's Next?"

He looked at her in a steady fashion. "You did good."

She resisted the temptation to question him why he would assume that she would act in a different manner. "What's Next?"

He readjusted his position in the seat and began the vehicle's engine. "Now that we have those goods, let's go find a place to wait, and see who turns up," she said.

They were silent for the little car ride that it took to get to the dock. Jerome was at a loss to explain to Anna why he felt the need to defend himself. She disliked it when people lied to her, and it was none of his business if she couldn't handle the truth. So why did he seem to think that it was his problem? He maneuvered the automobile with lightning speed into a parking position that provided a clear view of the boat. Additionally, it exposed them to danger. Not that he had any other choices.

Because of the impending storm, the parking garage that was directly across from the pier had been closed, and he did not have the luxury of wasting time looking for an other spot. Because Randy ran his business out of Padre, he would be nearby. This is the precise reason why they would come here in the first place. On his own soil, Randy would never have expected to see him there.

Jerome engaged in discussion. Should he leave Anna in the car, or should he bring her along? A disagreement that was resolved when he admitted that he couldn't put her in jeopardy by not being by her side when she was in peril.

He reached across Anna while gritting his teeth against the sweetness of Anna's thighs that were only slightly separated from one another. When he opened the glove box, he took out a gun, slammed the container back into place, and then handed the firearm to Anna.

She referred to the thin shorts and T-shirt that she was wearing and remarked, "Where am I expected to hide this?"

Excellent point. When everything else fails, improvise. He took the bag from Taco Bell and emptied the contents upon the floor. "Make use of this."

She couldn't believe what she was seeing, but she nevertheless took the bag. Her eyes widened. "A purse would be a lot more convenient option." Her eyes briefly swept down to his briefs. "And you?" (What about you?)

"Bag in the back," was the remark that he made. I don't want to spend more than ten minutes in the boat before getting off of it.

She nodded. "Got it. I was pondering something. How exactly do you know that Randy, himself, will be there today at this location? Couldn't Jack send someone else? It's possible that Randy isn't located close enough to make it in time.

The question that he had anticipated her asking earlier in the conversation. The response would be disappointing to her. "I'm a gambler, remember?"

"And I'm not a dope, remember that," she continued.

He grinned to himself quietly. Holy hell, she had some guts. "He will be in the neighborhood."

She faced him with a grimace and shifted her attention to him. "How could you possibly know that with absolute certainty?"

"I lived in his universe for a period of three years. I am aware of how to entice Randy.

He shut short further dialogue as he moved toward the entrance of his apartment. "We are squandering precious time that could end up costing our lives. Let's put an end to this and move on with our lives. Continue to be close to me. He was uncertain. "I don't want you to be out in the open for any longer than is absolutely necessary. Once you've heard the click of my door, count to ten. That'll buy me some time to get my stuff out of the car."

He rushed out of the car without waiting for her response, and the wind was rushing at him with such force that it would toss Anna around like a feather. Damn it. He was horrified at the thought of putting her in any kind of danger, but the concept of allowing her to leave his presence gave him the willies. Not a sensation that he was interested in dissecting at this time either. He chose to direct his attention to the horizon, where a dense bank of clouds was rapidly approaching.

He lowered himself to the ground next to Anna's seat, his eyes meeting hers. "Don't bother counting. Hold on a second. I'll come grab you. And don't bother with the rifle. The wind is too fierce for you to even attempt to keep the fire in your hands, let alone the fire itself.

Because the expression of understanding on her face indicated that she had grasped the situation, he forced himself to his feet, slammed the door, and examined the area. When he finally got around to retrieving the bag from the trunk, he had already completed the search of the surrounding area. There are a total of five vehicles parked in the lot. To his right stood a patrolman, a police officer from Padre Island, who engaged in animated conversation with a young couple who were taking photographs, obviously attempting to scare them away. Jerome frowned as he watched two other men struggle to secure a boat next to him on the pier. As it stood, the storm was prepared to consume them in its whole.

In order to assist Anna, he went around the back of the truck. She shoved open her door only a second before he would have reached for it, indicating that she was well aware of his location.