Chapter 30

Case systematically swept through the entire place and executed everyone she met. It took her almost an hour, but she'd killed everyone she knew would be in the household, as well as several new faces she'd never seen before.

She couldn't say she was very upset to see them die. At this point, she wasn't sure she'd even be upset if she found Rain dead. She couldn't feel anything, except the most basic need to stay alive. It was what kept her moving through the house until she was sure she'd emptied it of everyone except herself, Rain, and Carlotti.

Finally, she entered the security room. There were several workstations and one wall full of monitors that showed every room of the mansion, except Carlotti's office. It included the surrounding countryside and the main front gate. She hadn't expected to see anyone at the guard station, since she'd shot Rick as he was coming into the entryway of the main lobby, and thankfully, she didn't.

She double-checked the grounds to make sure she hadn't missed anyone and then stepped back into the doorway. She removed the silencer from her gun and started shooting. She emptied the clip and several more after that until every single piece of equipment had at lease several bullet holes in it.

She looked over the destroyed closed-circuit TVs and computers, including the two backup systems, and nodded in satisfaction. Antonio had gone digital shortly after the technology had been invented, so once she'd destroyed the computers, all records of the events in the mansion had been destroyed as well. She did one last sweep of the room to make sure she hadn't missed additional backups and then left.

It was a quick trip back to Antonio's office, and she made sure to yell out a quick identifier before entering the room. Antonio was awake and in his chair, and she calmly walked over to him. She raised her gun.

"Wait, you gave me your word," Antonio reminded her as he brought up his arms to shield his face, though he knew it was useless.

"I said I would let you go, not let you live," Case said and was about to shoot him point blank, but Rain's voice stopped her.

"Don't do it, Case," Rain said and was unprepared when Case whirled on her and pointed the gun at her instead.

"Don't think I won't kill you, Rebecca, because I will," Case said, her voice devoid of emotion.

It was a strange moment for both of them. Déjà vu didn't quite describe it, though there was definitely a feeling of having been in that particular situation before. Of course, any feelings of familiarity were quickly pushed aside as Rain realized two things. One, this was the first time she'd heard her name spoken, and liked it, since her mother had last called her Rebecca. And two, Case knew her real name.

"How long have you known?" Rain asked calmly.

"Since the night before your hit."

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"I already... I just didn't want to," Case said, as she faltered for a moment.

"What's going on?" Carlotti asked.

His voice broke the tension, and Case laughed, as she glanced at him for a moment, but not long enough for Rain to take advantage.

"The replacement you chose for me is an agent for the FBI, you idiot," she grinned sardonically.

His face registered surprise and then rage. Case turning traitor was one thing, but an FBI agent? He almost stood up to go after her, but the pain in his knee made him rethink that move, and he sat in impotent fury.

Case ignored him as she returned her attention to Rain. She took a gamble and slowly lowered her gun. The truth was, she could shoot Rain faster than Rain could get to her, but it was still a risk, and Case was trying to show that she trusted Rain, if only a little under these circumstances.

"So. What do you plan to do now?" Rain asked, trying to buy herself some time to think.

"Kill him, then kill the rest. Then get the fuck out of the country," Case said.

"What about me?"

"I won't kill you unless I don't have any other choice," Case said matter-of-factly.

"How comforting," Rain said sarcastically.

Case wanted to look away as Rain's eyes showed the betrayal she felt, but Case couldn't take the chance that Rain might try something and get herself killed.

"I'm sorry. But I can't just walk away from this."

"Neither can I," Rain replied.

Case turned her head to see Carlotti attempting to slowly inch his way back using his good leg to push the chair along the carpet. He'd been hoping they were so engrossed in their conversation that they wouldn't notice. Case pointed her gun at him again.

"Stop," she ordered.

"Or what, you'll shoot me?" Carlotti asked half-hysterically.

She was already going to kill him; what did he have to lose?

"Case, I could take you into custody. The FBI would protect you until the trial. You could get a new identity..." Rain broke in.

Case looked back over at Rain, ignoring Carlotti since in his current state he really couldn't get very far. She interrupted Rain before the woman could continue any further.

"Now who's insane? You really think they'd just let me go after the things I've done? I've killed a senator. I've killed cops. I've killed women and children. They don't let people like me start over," Case argued.

As much as Rain wanted to disagree, there wasn't anything she could say. She'd already thought of those things herself.

"This is my last job, Rain, and then I'm gone," Case said quietly, trying to make the agent understand. "I just want my life back."

Rain felt like she was being pulled in half a dozen different directions. Her duty was to the FBI. But she was in love with Case. Case was a killer, and Rain should have arrested her. But Case wasn't like most of the people in the upper echelons of the mafia. She didn't want to be part of the organization. She wasn't interested in gaining more status or power or wealth. She was just trying to find her way out and doing it the only way she knew how.

Whether it was right or not, in Rain's mind, the balance of Carlotti's life and the lives of the other men who helped him never even came close to tipping the scales against Case's life.

Rain thought she was probably going to go to hell for even considering letting Case go through with her plans, but she'd already felt that way after her first year of working undercover. She'd always tried to tell herself the things she'd done had been for a higher purpose, and the government had sanctioned it all as a necessary part of Rain's job, which supposedly took away Rain's responsibility for her actions. Of course, the Nazis in Germany had tried to say the same thing after the Holocaust. They'd just been "following orders," which was exactly what she and Case had been doing, though they'd been on opposite sides of the law.

But Case had been right when she'd said killing was killing whether it was in self-defense or not; the ends didn't justify the means no matter what the reasons. It was simply one person deciding that their rights were more important than another's. It just depended on whose side you decided to take because the argument could be turned around and used for either side of this particular situation.

Was it worth all the lives that had been lost and corrupted just so that the government could proclaim its version of justice on all the people that had been involved in Carlotti's organization? Especially when Case had the means to bring the whole thing down in a single night. On the other hand, was it worth sacrificing Case's and Rain's souls, their honor and self-respect, and violating the sacred trust that the public had in the law, just so that Case could carry out her plans and basically get away with murder?

Rain's mind raced as she tried to sort through all the thoughts running around in her head. But they all looped back to one point. The people Case intended to kill were killers themselves, and while Case would probably never even so much as shoplift if she got the chance to live her life in peace, those men would continue to hurt people every chance they got. It was the only equation that mattered to Rain.

After what felt like an eternity, but was really only a few seconds, Rain nodded in agreement.

Case turned without a second thought and shot Antonio in the chest, and then several more times in the stomach and chest again, and then one last time in the head. She put her gun away and walked over to Rain.

They stared at each other for a long moment, both knowing that something had changed between them, but not quite knowing what. Case was the first one to shake off the bizarre feeling, and she gestured toward the two large doors.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Case said, and they headed for the exit.