The Plan

Chapter 27

April 6, 2011 (8:00am)

“It’s your last chance, Kyla,” Tanaka told her before they left. She and Lawson would be tailing as escorts to wherever they’re taking her.

“I’m not saying anything when I’m not free,” she said.

“You can’t bargain for your freedom, you know that.”

“I know, that’s why you’re not going to get anything while I’m still in chains.”

“If that’s the case, then there’s no use talking. Let’s go,” Lawson said with etch of irritation.

They escorted her out of NYPD Headquarters and into an awaiting police car with one officer behind the wheel and another at the passenger seat.

“We’ll be behind you,” Lawson told the officer who would be driving.

Then they drove off.

They had been driving for almost an hour now, the city long gone behind them. The road was empty. Only trucks and buses passed by to meet them.

As what she had thought it would be.

There were no choppers and media guys following them like in the movies. Her arrest, as she had suspected, was kept silent along with her transfer.

The officer in the passenger seat had been eyeing her with a tinge of fear in his eyes. He must find it hard to believe that a woman so feminine could have taken and killed all those men.

But no one spoke to her. The only sound was the frequent cracking of the radio. She could hear Lawson’s voice giving off orders through it.

She glanced back and saw him and Tanaka tailing behind them with Lawson driving.

They reached a sharp turning point shaded by a lot of big trees.

She closed her eyes and dug her nails into her palm. It’s the closest thing she could get to praying.

And then it happened.

Though she knew it would, she was still surprised it happened.

The sudden appearance of the van startled the driving officer and their car screeched to a sudden stop to prevent any collision against the black van that blocked their path.

“What’s going on?” Lawson’s voice crackled through the radio.

“Uh…we have a problem—shit!” the officer shouted when he saw three armed men wearing black masks jumped out from the back of the van. “Shit! Call for back up!”

The other officer—the one riding shotgun—was frozen in spot as three more men joined the three others who were now running fast towards the direction of Lawson and Tanaka’s car.

Her heart began to hammer. Her escorts were outnumbered now. But her rescuers had to move fast. Two of them were now pointing their large guns at the officers sitting in front of her.

She glanced behind her and saw that Tanaka and Lawson had been unarmed and on their knees with guns pointed at them. One masked man walked up to her side and opened the door.

“Let’s go,” the deep voice ordered. “We don’t have much time.” She could hear the whirring sound of a chopper getting near. She followed, scrambling out of the car that had held her prisoner.

The man was leading her back to the van, but she stopped and turned towards the two detectives. She approached them.

“Don’t do this, Kyla. You’re only making things worse for you,” Lawson uttered.

“I told you I’m not saying a word about 1996 while I’m still prisoner,” she told them instead. “You’ll hear from me soon. But you have to keep it quiet. Don’t trust anyone.” And with that, she turned and ran towards the masked man waiting for her. The chopper had arrived and landed on clear ground just beyond the trees.

The man climbed up first, turned and held out his hand, “Climb on!” he shouted.

She looked up at him and smiled. With both hands still in handcuffs, she reached out and grabbed his hand.

Once on board, the chopper ascended up in the air and took them away.

“You scared me back there,” she shouted at the man.

He took off his mask and Sean’s handsome face grinned down at her. “I told you my plan will work!” he shouted back before claiming her mouth. “God, I was so scared we’ll fail!”

“Did you get it?” she asked.

He nodded. “We’ll watch it later!” he shouted and kissed her again.

Her plan had to change.

And his plan worked.