Three days later- Olympia, Washington-Shawn Marcus stepped out of his motel room and quietly closed the door behind him as not to wake Emily. He looked up and saw that Mount Rainer was visible in the skyline to the south. He smiled and continued to walk toward the motel lobby. It was early morning and he was in search of coffee. They had been on the road for over three days and it was like his batteries had completely recharged. He felt alive for the first time in as long as he could remember. There had been nothing but the two of them since their road trip began. He had been entertaining the thought of driving down to Las Vegas tomorrow and seeing if he could get Emily to make an honest man out of him. Maybe a themed wedding at one of the hotels?
He reached the lobby and walked over to a small breakfast nook that served pastries and hot coffee. He was stopped cold when he casually looked over at the local paper sitting on the table next to the beverages.
Botched Arrest of recently acquitted ‘Gang Boss’
Leaves 8 police officers dead in San Francisco.
His cell phone buzzed in his jacket pocket, nearly making him drop the empty styrofoam cup in his hand. He sat the cup down and opened up his phone to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Good god almighty Marcus. Where have you been? Did you know about this?” The voice of Shawn’s boss Geoff, from the public defenders office, yelled through the phone.
“I went out of town. I left word with Cynthia that…”
“I don’t care. You get the hell back here now!”
Still staring down at the paper Shawn was slow to respond. “I…I can’t sir I am out of town and I…”
“Can’t? You sure as hell better find a way and fast! You have one helluva a mess to clean up after what went down here yesterday.”
“I have a mess?” Shawn began to squeeze his phone tightly while trying to keep his voice down. “Sir, I have been at your office for over four years now! I think I am done cleaning up your messes.”
“Marcus I think you better stop and think about what…”
“Oh I have done plenty of that sir! I think that I am tired of working for an office that would bend over so far that every gang-banger and thug could screw it sideways!” Shawn yelled, no longer concerned at the volume of his voice. “Eight officers are dead because no one was willing to do the job that needed done in the first place!”
“You son-of-a-bitch! You’re the reason the San Fran PD went in there to arrest Yu! I will not only fire you but I will see to personally it that you are disbarred for this! So help me…”
Shawn Marcus slammed the phone shut. He was out of breath and sat down in the nearest seat he could find. He half waited for someone to come in the small room to see what the outburst was about but no one came. After a few minutes he stood up and walked over to the cart and poured himself a cup of coffee. He took a sip and headed toward the door.
Once outside he felt like screaming but found he no longer had the nerve to. He was scared. He thought that he had done the right thing. How could everything go so wrong? Why was Geoff so quick to link him to the arrest warrant for Ren Sai Yu? If he knew, then did someone tip-off Yu? How did it turn into such a massacre?
Shawn turned back around and headed inside the motel lobby again. He had to find out what else they had reported in the newspaper. He was startled again when his phone buzzed for a second time. This time he hesitated as he pulled it out of his pocket. There wasn’t a number listed on the caller ID. He slowly opened the phone.
“Mr. Marcus.” The voice instantly froze Shawn where he stood just in front of the lobby exit. It was Ren Sai Yu. “I fell like I owe you an apology.”
“Yu, before you go any farther, let me explain…”
“You have nothing to explain. It is I who must explain how wrong I was about you. I am usually a better judge of character then I was with you. I was certain that you were a man of great strength and honor. But you are weak.”
“Yu, please listen to me…”
“Do not say another word or the man across the street will pull the trigger and blow your head clean off.”
Shawn panicked, as he barely was able to make out the snipers laser that danced across his chest and then disappeared.
“Good. Now that I have your attention, let me continue. I am going to give you one chance and one chance only to redeem your honor in my eyes. Slowly step outside and move along the outside wall about ten feet and then stop.”
Unable to speak Shawn did what he was told. As he walked he looked around him but saw no one. It was a weekday and too early in the morning for anyone else to be up and about. Even if there were, what would it matter? No one could help him now.
“Stop.” Yu said through the phone, “Now stand against the wall and face the street. Now I have instructed the sniper to fire one shot and one shot only…”
“Please you have to understand I…”
“Do not interrupt me again or you will be shot through the throat and left to die a slow painful death.” Yu paused before continuing, “One shot. One chance at redeeming your honor. If you stand still the sniper will take you out quickly and it will be painless. If you choose to flee you will live, but there will be consequences. You have but a few seconds to decided. Will you die better then you lived your life?”
The phone went silent in Shawn’s hand. He frantically looked around him for the snipers laser. He couldn’t see it. Was it pointed at his head? Was he really willing to die because of a scum like Ren Sai Yu? He decided the answer was no and he fall face first onto the sidewalk.
He lay there shaking unable to move until a single thought entered his mind, Emily! He jumped up and ran around the side of the motel and didn’t stop until he reached the door to his room. He began to fumble in his pocket for the room key and then began to bang on the door. She wasn’t answering. He finally found the card and slid it across the lock.
The door swung open as dust and daylight entered the dark room. He glanced over at the bed. It was empty. He ran toward the bathroom and stopped at the doorway when he saw her naked, lifeless body hanging in the shower. He fell to knees and cried. Shawn felt the cell phone buzz again. He opened it up and held it to his ear.
“You bastard!” He yelled into the mouthpiece. “I will see to it you rot in hell for this. I will take you down so hard and destroy…” Shawn began to sob uncontrollably.
“You are a man without honor Mr. Marcus. Always remember that you choose her death over yours.”
The phone went silent.