SECRET AGENT DAWSON
Chapter Forty
Jack dressed in his tux and
carried a fluffy white kitten in his hands. He hoped it was an appropriate gift
for his daughter. He didn't even know what his first words were going to be
when he met her. Since she was his only child, he would make sure she was taken
care of. He would do everything in his power to protect her, but he couldn't be
with her. That was the only thing he regretted.
He looked in the mirror for the
last time. He looked over at Tobey, who was eating now and fully dressed.
"Tobey, how do I look?"
"Perfect. You’re gonna
brighten her eyes." He smiled at him.
"Thanks. That's the look I
was going for." Jack smiled.
"So, how are you gonna
explain that you’re there to kill her grandfather?" Tobey asked.
"I'm not. I'm going as a
guest. If what I know is true I will deal with it, but if the information is
wrong and someone else is behind this, then I will get to the bottom of
it." Jack promised himself not to jump to conclusions.
"I pray you’re wrong."
Tobey looked at him.
"So do I, for Emma's
sake." Jack grinned.
"Hey, wouldn't it be funny
if it was someone close to you?" Tobey began to speculate.
"No, it wouldn't, Tobey. But
it could be true. You finished?" Jack didn't even want to think about
that.
"Yeah. Ready to go. All
equipment is ready to go." Tobey got up and cleaned his chin with a
napkin.
"Great. Here we come, ready
or not," Jack said, and closed the door behind him, Tobey in tow.
A few minutes later, he was
standing outside where the party was being held. He saw a lot of women in
elegant dresses and men in tuxedos. He approached the front door.
"Your name, sir?" the
man asked.
"Alexander Smith and Vincent
Holt," Jack said.
"Sorry. I don't see those
names here." The man looked at his list.
"Try Jack Dawson and Tobey
Maguire," Tobey said.
"Yeah, you’re here. You may
go in." He smiled at them and let them through.
Jack went in nervously, holding a
small carrier for the kitten. It meowed several times. He passed by several
people, but didn't see Chloe. He sat back in the corner as he surveyed the
room. Nothing looked suspicious, but it was early.
He spotted someone coming down
the stairs. A blonde. He knew it was Chloe. He ran over to her. "Jack,
you’re here." She ran to hug him.
"I told you I would. I
bought a gift for Emma. Where is she?" Jack was nervous. His stomach began
to get butterflies.
"She's upstairs, waiting for
you." Chloe walked up the stairs with Jack.
When they entered the room, Emma
saw Jack. "Daddy!"
"Hello, Emma." She ran
to him and he hugged her tightly. He began to cry.
"Daddy, why are you
crying?" Emma pulled away.
"I'm just so happy to
finally see you." Jack wiped his eyes.
"What's that you’re
carrying?" Emma asked, curious as to what he was holding.
"Oh, it's for you."
Jack gave her the carrier.
She opened the carrier to
discover what she had been asking her mom for. "A kitten! Oh, Daddy, she's
beautiful. Thank you." She went to hug him again and kissed him on the
cheek.
"You’re welcome,
sweetpea." He kissed her forehead.
"Oh, Daddy, this is for you.
I’ve been saving everything I could from the day I was able to know about you.
I mean…well…you know. To remember about you. Mommy said we couldn't visit you
because we would endanger your life." Emma looked up at him, wondering why
he was just staring at her.
"I guess that was true, but
not anymore. Today I put a stop to that." He sat on the couch as he began
to shuffle through the scrapbook. He saw newborn pics, her bracelet from her
wrist when she was in the hospital, and a photo of him. It brought tears to his
eyes.
"Really, Daddy? Are we gonna
be together forever?" She looked at him, holding her kitten.
"I hope so, love." He
patted her head and stroked the kitten.
"Honey, Jack and I are gonna
talk to your grandfather now. So you play with your kitty and tell Natla to
help you find it some food and a litter box," Chloe said, wanting to
finish what Jack was looking forward to.
"Okay, Mommy." She
smiled.
Chloe took Jack by the hand and
headed to an office at the end of the corridor. "She's beautiful,
Chloe," Jack said.
"It's in the genes, honey.
Come on. Father is waiting." Chloe wanted to prove to him that her father
was not the one who took his memory away.
When Chloe opened the door, her
father stood at his desk. "Ah…Mr. Dawson." Jason put down his cigar.
"Mr. Montgomery. Are you
behind all this shit that's been happening?" Jack asked frankly.
"Well, you’re in luck. It
isn't me. But I know who it is." Jason smiled.
"Who?" Jack asked.
"She was very close to you
once." He let him know as much as he knew.
"She?" Jack just looked
at him.
"Hello, Jack." Someone
popped out of the shadows in the corner behind him.
"Veronica? You’re alive?
God, I swear, who isn't dead anymore nowadays?" Jack found himself in a
confusing situation.
"I told John to give you the
serum," she confessed.
"Why?" He held her by
the shoulders.
"Because, Jack, you left me
for dead. All I wanted was a little fun, but you couldn't take it. You had to
run to big brother to help you with your little problem--while the men took
their turns, Jack. You left me. That's why I haven't forgiven you." She
pulled out of his grasp.
"You blame your drug problem
on me." Jack looked at her, mad.
"No. I blame you for leaving
me while I was raped." She hated remembering that night. He had left her
for dead.
"I had no idea. I thought
you overdosed." He had been sure she was dead.
"I did, but I was still
alive." She had woken up when a man grabbed her. She closed her eyes.
"Who found you alive?"
Jack asked.
"Your friend, John. I asked
him for some help and he came through. I wanted to make your life a living hell
for what you had done," Veronica explained.
"If leaving you was the best
thing I ever did for myself, I should have done it a long time ago." Jack
turned his back on her.
"You did, and now it's time
to die, Jack. Remember carpe diem?" She held a gun to his head.
"Always." He turned
around and smiled at her.
"Well, today is the day,
Jack." She pulled back the trigger.
"I'm ready whenever you are,
but not here. Not tonight. Tomorrow say, noon. Here's my number. Tell me when
and where and I will be there." Jack didn't want to fight tonight. He just
wanted to spend some time with his daughter.
"You and I alone will have a
duel." Veronica took the gun, uncocked it, and put it back wherever she
had taken it out of before.
"Veronica, you won't last a
second." Jack acted sarcastic.
"Don't be so sure, Jack.
I've learned a lot since then," she sneered at him. He wasn't going to get
away that easily. Tomorrow was a new day, and time for Jack Dawson to take a
dirt nap for all eternity. He was going to sleep with the fishes.