Chapter Seventeen of the Story

“Elliot. Elliot. Open your eyes, Elliot.”
She slid one open and looked at her murder. Confused, she looked down at her chest. Nope, no blood. She glanced at Zann. “So, either your gun’s not working, I convinced you not the kill me, or you never planned to.”
He smiled sheepishly at her. “The latter, but I did shoot you.”
She rolled her eyes. “With a blank.”
Zann grinned. “Yeah, well.” He reached into one of the larger pockets and pulled out a second gun. Tossing it to her he asked, “Can you use this?”
She caught it. “Duh.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Let me rephrase that. If someone is coming at you with the intent to kill, could you shoot him?”
“Uh, theoretically.”
“That’ll have to do. Let’s go.”
“So, why are you helping me? I thought you are an assassin employed by Vang.”
“I was an assassin until a few months ago. Now, I’m a spy.”
“A spy on our side?”
He glanced back and grinned. “Yup.”
“Ha!” She said, rather loudly.
He clapped a hand over her mouth. “Ssssh! Quiet! We’re escaping, remember?”
She nodded. Once Zann removed his hand, she hissed, “I was so right! I told you that you aren’t evil!”
He winked. “Never judge a book by its cover. Speaking of cover, you nearly blew mine with your ‘one hundred and one reasons not to kill Elliot’ speech.”
“Glad it amused you,” she retorted dryly. “I wasn’t having much fun.”
He smiled slightly. “Right, so we might have an addition to our group.”
“Don’t tell me Vang is a good guy, too.”
Zann chuckled. “Nope. I had a feeling they were going to get rid of you soon, so I left a note for Jerin. Unless he didn’t trust it, he’ll be here about now.”
Just then, a dark blur shot around the corner and tackled Elliot. The woman let out a yell of surprise. She continued to make as much noise as possible as the creature attacked her with its pink tongue.
Zann groaned. “You really don’t get the meaning of ‘escaping,’ do you?”
Jerin came darting around the corner, gun raised. Seeing Zann, he fired. The Russian dropped to the ground just as the bullet wised over his head. Elliot kicked Sherlock off of her and leapt to her feet.
“Stop, Jer! He’s on our side!”
Jerin grabbed Elliot and pushed her behind him. “Oh yeah? I only trust Russians by the name of Chekov.”
Zann chuckled and stood slowly to his feet. “You watch too much Star Trek.”
“No really!” Elliot said, trying to push his gun-arm down.
“Zann Kolzak is one of the world’s most wanted assassins. I don’t think he is on our side. By the way, glad to see he didn’t shoot you yet.”
“Oh, he did.”
Jerin arched an eyebrow. “Oh, what’d he do, miss?”
Zann laughed. “No. Blanks. I was ordered to kill her. Glad you got my note, by the way.”
“You sent that?!”
“Oy! Enough chit-chat! We’re escaping, remember?” Both men turned to look at Elliot. “And here you were giving me this big lecture about escaping.” She wiggled a finger at Zann. Smirking, she spun around and strode off.
Jerin glanced at Zann and shrugged. “She does have a point. After you.”
The other rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to shoot you from behind.”
“Yeah, well what about when I was leaving the other night? You did then.”
“It wasn’t supposed to hit you. It’s your own fault for moving.”
“Look here, assassin-“
“Oy!” The argument stopped. “Jerin, don’t shoot Zann, he’s on our side. Zann, don’t shoot Jerin, he’s agreeable once you get to know him. Now, how do we get out the gate?”
All four stared across the open space to freedom. It was going to be tricky, that was for sure. Elliot was a little more optimistic. “Eh, piece of cake. We just sneak across and get out.”
Zann looked at Jerin. “She isn’t a field agent, is she?”
He shook his head. “No, but she’s promising.”
The other chuckled quietly. “Right, here’s the thing. The only reason they had me kill Elliot early was because she knows what they’re planning. We have to make sure she gets out so she can get the information to the Agency.”
Elliot held up her hands. “Wait, are you saying you don’t know?”
Zann shook his head. “I only know what they’re smuggling, not what they’re doing with it. Only Vang, Clearwater—if that is her real name—and you know that. So, even if we don’t get out alive, you have to.”
Jerin nodded, understanding, but Elliot didn’t like the sound of this. “Why wouldn’t you guys get out?! I could just tell you right now—“
“No time.” Jerin stood from where he was crouching. “We have to get out of here now. Soon, they’ll figure out Kolzak didn’t shoot you.”
She glanced at Zann in desperation, hoping he would assure they’d all get out alive, but he was too busy screwing a silencer to his gun. “You take the guard on the right, and I’ll get the one on he left?” he asked. When Jerin nodded, the Russian shrugged off his vest and draped it on her shoulders.
“Woah! That’s heavy!” she said, buckling slightly under its weight.”
“ Sssh!” he hissed, helping her zip it up. “It’s bullet proof. It will protect you from any stray bullets.”
Jerin raised his eyebrows. “Wow, they’re really making stylish vests, these days.”
The other noddd. “Yeah, it’s great. Most people here don’t know it’s bullet-proof.”
“But don’t you need it?” Elliot asked, interrupting their fashion discussion.
He shook his head. “No. I’ll be fine.” Looking to Jerin, he asked, “Ready?”
Jerin nodded and aimed. The two guns fired simultaneously, and both guards slumped to the ground. She couldn’t help being surprised how calmly they killed the men. Jerin and Zann gave her a push.
“Go now!”
She darted across the open space to the gate with the two men and a dog at her heels. With Sherlock alerting them to the presence of enemies, they carefully shot anyone who took aim at them. After what seemed like a football field—but was really no more than thirty feet—Elliot and Sherlock arrived at the cover of the guardhouse and the gate. She turned just in time to see Zann trip over a gash in the pavement. She wanted to ran back and help him, but Jerin had already turned. He helped the Russian up and aided him to safety.
“Thanks.” Zann said, wincing slightly.
Jerin looked away. “Don’t mention it.”
Elliot looked concerned. “Are you alright?”
He nodded. “Thanks to your friend. I think I sprained my ankle, though.”
Jerin sighed. “We need some form of transportation. We’ll never get far with a sprained ankle.”
“Leave me. You need to get Elliot out of here.”
“No, Jerin I’m not—“
Jerin held up his hand. “I’m not about to leave him here, either, so chill out.” He poked his head out for a second. “We’re near the garage.”
“I happen to have the keys to the Mercedes.”
He grinned at Zann. “Do you, now? Well, then, let’s slink along the fence to the garage, why don’t we?”
After several painstaking moments of sneaking along the outer wall and making sure Zann didn’t injure himself further, they reached the garage. They fumbled in the dark for a few minutes before Jerin found the car they were looking for.
“Oh, shiny,” Elliot said with a grin.
“This is the car you were brought in, Elliot,” Zann commented. “It’s great for an escape vehicle, don’t you think?”
“I’m driving!” Jerin announced.
“Shotgun!”
“No,” the Russian said. “I think its best you lay down in the back—you and Sherlock. I’ll sit in the front with Jerin.”
Elliot pouted for a few seconds, but climbed in the back seat. She buckled her seat belt and lay down across the seat, her head resting on her dog’s fluffy back. Zann eased himself into the passenger’s side as Jerin hit the garage door opener. Once it was high enough for the car to fit under, he stomped on the gas. The car darted forward and out the garage.
Zann clung to the arm rest. “Who taught you how to drive?!”
Jerin grinned mischievously at him. “A New York taxi driver.”
The car shot across the yard. People yelled and screamed, but Jerin kept going, swerving around anyone who was dumb enough to walk out in front of him. Elliot poked her head up just in time to see Lisa Clearwater standing to the side with her mouth open and eyes furious. Just as they burst out of the compound, she grinned and waved, noticing Zann was doing the same thing.

----

Yaaaaaay!! Elliot's not dead, and Zann's a good guy! He was originally a bad guy, but I kept on having dreams where he was trying to convince me he was a good guy. Holly said, "Well, just make him a good guy, then." after I had gone on and on about it. I'm very happy, yes I am. Yay, Zann!
So, everything seems honky-dory, now, right? They get out, no prob, and drive off in a spiffy car that's not theirs. Now all they gotta do is tell the Agency, and everything will be fine, right? RIIIIIIGHT? I feel so evil, hahaha!!! My pooooooooor characters. (feel the suspense!)
See ya'll next week!

P.S. I'd like to promote two blogs.
The first is my dear Foaly's: http://www.bachaelwyd.net She has a story there, but there's only 52 pages, and I'm addicted! (this is your cue to write more!)
The second is the property of my dear/annoying Holly/Babs, respectively: http://www.randombrainworks.webs.com She hardly EVER posts--jk; hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge--but they are always insightful and deep.
Go read them!