The Swindler

FOURTEEN

Hearing gunshots, I dashed through the halls of Château Palissandre. I pulled out my standard issue Glock 19 and quickly switched off the safety. As I neared the source of the gunshots, I saw a closed door at the end of a now eerily quiet hall.

Taking a deep breath, I burst inside. Instantly, I saw her body on the ground and a growing pool of blood. Fury blazing in my eyes, I raised the barrel of my handgun with both hands. Francis Montaigne smirked at me, raising an eyebrow in pure amusement.

"I'm afraid you're still a bit too late, Agent Scott. Vivienne's already dead."

"Even if she is, she can rest assured that you will never come near our daughter ever again," I growled.

Without another thought, I pulled the trigger. Shock splashed all over the other man's face. Two more gunshots echoed. Montaigne collapsed with enough bullets in his head to kill him. I immediately rushed to Vivienne's side and pulled her into my arms.

"Vivienne. Viv."

No response.

Panic filled me. "Viv!"

Her eyes were closed, and her chest was seeping blood like a melting popsicle. I put my index and middle fingers to the side of her neck, checking for a pulse. When I couldn't feel one, it was if my world collapsed underneath me. I slumped and hung my head.

Taking a shuddering breath, I murmured, "Vivienne, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't get to you in time. I failed my promise to you. Please, forgive me."

My bottom lip quivered as I picked her up in my arms and headed back to the main foyer of the château. Agent Parker was there with his team, having already retrieved Luna. His eyes widened when he saw Vivienne in my arms.

Luna ran towards us, fresh tears brimming in her eyes. "Mummy! Mummy!"

I slowly shook my head. "Luna, love, I'm so sorry. But your Mummy isn't coming back."

She looked at me with a confused look and pointed at her. "Mummy right there."

"No, Mummy's gone to faraway place. Somewhere we can't reach just yet." Although I wasn't religious and didn't believe in God, I wanted nothing more than to reassure my daughter at this moment. I added, "Mummy's gone to Heaven. We'll meet her again some day, okay?"

But Luna, being three, couldn't truly understand the concept of death. "Uncle?"

I carefully knelt and looked down at Vivienne sadly before glancing up at my daughter. "Luna, my love, I'm not your uncle. I'm your daddy."

"Daddy?"

I nodded. "That's right."

I straightened and turned to look at Agent Parker.

"Montaigne's dead."

"The caretaker is too. She came at us with a kitchen knife. The guys had no choice but to fire."

I nodded solemnly and murmured, "If we had even been five minutes earlier, Vivienne might still be alive. This will forever be the greatest regret of my life."

He stepped forward and rested a hand on my shoulder. "We did the best we could. Although Ms Rousseau is gone, you still have Luna. She's the memory of her you must hold onto now."

I turned to watch my daughter who was wandering around the foyer. My heart clenched as I thought about the fact that she'd have to grow up without a mother. I took a deep breath.

Vivienne, I promise I won't let you down again. I'll make sure Luna grows up well and knows what a brave and strong woman her mother was.

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