Chapter Sixty-One

MacKenzie had showered before Jon had even stirred. It had been a wonderful night in the face of their greatest challenge yet. Not only were they putting themselves in danger today but also her partners Davids. While the water beads drizzled down her she couldn't help but feel guilty for the mess that the two closest people in her life were now tangled up in. Jon had kids, David had a pregnant fiancée who MacKenzie had been informed that thought David was away on work. She figured it was the best thing to keep it that way until she had an outcome as it wasn't unusual for David to go on assignment for days in their household.

Their flight back to Jersey left within the hour and they'd have just under an hour to make the ten am appointment to meet Blackwatch in Camden. She dressed, tied her hair up and walked back into the bedroom where Jon lay face down asleep into a pillow. She perched herself on the edge of the bed and lazily stroked his hair. It was game-day, no matter how you looked at it, Brian would have looked at it this way and Jon almost certainly did. She'd avoided the football field for so long but now she drew on the philosophy of it, you trained hard to win and at the end of the day there could only be one winner and this time it was going to be her. She'd win it all for them, the rights for Jon to see his children again, the rights for David to walk free and the rights to their freedom to live a long and happy life together. There was no other choice.

The odds were stacked against them but the payoff was worth the risk.

"What's the time?" The voice from the pillow mumbled.

"A little after five, we've got to get going." They'd barely been asleep all that long but MacKenzie felt more relaxed and more rested than she had in the past few weeks. She picked out a pair of jeans and long-sleeved top for Jon from her bag."

He rolled over onto his back and draped his arm across his eyes. "I still can't get over that you had a go-bag packed for us."

She chuckled as she unearthed two guns from the extra clothes in the bag. "I'm always prepared, weren't you ever a boy-scout?"

He groaned as he stretched and rubbed his face. "Yes but I didn't think I'd ever have to make a quick get away from bad-guys, I'm Jon Bongiovi not John Wayne."

"Well there's enough swagger in your voice for a start." She paused. "Would you object to carrying a gun today?"

Jon sat up immediately in the bed and stared at her, a lock of his hair sticking up on end. "Do you think that's even a good idea?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "They'll be expecting me to carry one and I'm going to as he never said I couldn't but I'd like to know I have back up if they take it off me."

"Gee Kenz. I don't know, won't they just check me for one as well? And the last time I even operated one of those things was in a movie decades ago if you don't count the toy ones Jakey and Romeo have."

The scenarios blasted through her head, one after the other. They'd grab her, thinking he'd be helpless...or they'd grab him and make her decide who she'd take over Jon or David. "OK, if it's uncomfortable I don't want to put you in that position and you're right it will be too dangerous if you had to actually use it." Damn it, she needed back up.

The lines of his face deepened with worry. "Do you think we'll have to use one?"

"I honestly don't know. I don't understand what he's meeting us for, he hasn't asked for money and he hasn't alluded to a swap of any sort. He's been very unpredictable. I just want to be prepared for any scenario which we'll discuss on the plane." She patted his thigh and took a deep breath. "Sorry, I'm thinking out-loud. You need to get ready babe."

The reassurance wasn't great on her end but Jon took it as a cue to get moving and it gave her a little more time to think things through. The ironically stupid thing was she usually had David to talk this out with or he'd offer her a back-up solution but because this was so not by the book no one else in her firm knew what they were doing. So it's just you kiddo.

They arrived at the airport without a fuss and boarded the jet. She slouched into the plush over-sized airplane chair next to him and slid on her shades as the rising winter sun was like a beacon through the windows. Blackwatch may have been prepared to come un-armed but she had to be wary about the possibility of a sniper crew watching over them so if any attempt was made on his life, they'd be dead in seconds. She knew how to move fast in those situations but the problem was Jon didn't.

"You're freaking me out."

"Huh?" She turned to Jon as he buckled his belt.

"You've been lost in MacKenzie-land all morning. I thought I was the only one that did that."

She blew out her breath and reached for the coffee they'd picked up on-route to the airport. "I know, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to come up with ways in my head how this is going to work and if anything goes wrong." The kick of hazelnut in the creamer was a good as a hard shot of whiskey.

"Are you regretting not telling the police?"

She flipped the lid off, licked it and nudged her sunglasses up her nose. "God no, we can't. That would be the worse thing we could do. Sorry babes, this is probably very un-nerving for you when I'm not saying much but I'm about to so settle in."

"Good. I trust you Kenz. I feel like I'm about to throw up but I do trust you so know that."

His confidence in her was complimenting, if not strengthening. It's what she needed and if this was even remotely going to have a chance of success, they had to be in this together. Boots and all. She reached for the complementary notepad and pen and slid out the tray table. "I know, and that's why it's time for your training." She wiggled her eyebrows and began drawing diagrams. It wasn't the silliest idea she'd had in the world, definitely not as silly as meeting the leader of a gang unprepared.

He leaned forward and bit his thumb nail. "Do I need to sign some release saying I won't expose these secrets?"

She nudged her elbow into his side. "Careful mister." He was trying to keep it light but the nervousness in his laugh wasn't convincing though.

"Listen up...hey!" She dropped the pen as his fingers cupped her chin and he dragged her in for a kiss. It was slow and sweet, a little like their ascent into the day waiting outside.

"Last one, I promise. I'm just nervous, I'll stop being an idiot now."

She sighed and palmed his cheek, took a moment and swiped her tongue along his bottom lip. "I know, just relax but that is the last one. I've got to go back to being kick-ass Kenz now."

They snuck in one more kiss before she started her basic training, if only they could see her now trying to give Jon a lesson in self defense, gun-play and negotiation in less than two hours. She'd never be able to live with herself if he got into a situation she could have easily given him a better chance of getting out of with a little knowledge. Granted he had to remember this and with anything packed into two hours she doubt he'd retain most of it, but it was still more than worth the shot.

As they landed into Jersey, she covered his hand with hers and linked her fingers through his.

"Ready?"

He nodded, "you know if this works out we could go into business. Jon and MacKenzie's ass-kicking service." It was one last joke but she needed the smile to dissolve her nerves. He was being amazing so it was all the more reason to slap her game-face on and go and save his family, her family.