“What do you want? Winona demanded. One of the three intruders raised his rifle to Winona’s face, but she stood firm. “I said ‘what do you want’ and I expect an answer.”
“A name,” the reply came from behind them from a man wearing an expensive suit.
“What name?” Winona turned to face the man in the suit and stared him straight in the eyes. “How about telling me yours first?”
The well-dressed man laughed. “Feisty, aren’t you?” He leaned against the edge of the table. “Lady, I ask the questions and you answer them. Or your boyfriend does. Makes no difference to me.”
Jason had managed to upright his fallen chair and seat himself at the table while Winona held everyone’s attention. He was taking a shot in the dark. He placed his hands on the table and concentrated on the man in the suit. Words slowly formed on the surface of the table.
“Listen, Nick. So far all you’ve managed to do is break my sliding glass door and threaten us with guns. You could have gotten further with a phone call.”
The man in the suit stood up and glared at Jason. “Who told you my name?” He looked at his cohorts. “Did any of you tell him my name?” They shook their heads. “Okay, smart guy, tell me what I want to know.”
“That you’re in the wrong house, for one. And that you’re an idiot.” Jason smiled, “oh, right, what you want to know, not what you need to know. I can’t help you,” Jason raised his voice to a shout, “because you’re in the wrong house!”
Infuriated by Jason’s shout, Nick grabbed Jason by his shirt and lifted him out of his chair. “Don’t get funny with me, Mr. Taggart!”
All eyes were on Nick and Jason. Winona grabbed the plank of driftwood and swung it at the neck of the armed man standing closest to her. His gun went off, wounding his cohorts, as he collapsed to the floor. Winona’s second swing connected with Nick’s back. Nick released Jason and turned to face Winona, who firmly kneed him in the groin.
The two FBI agents who were watching the house arrived minutes after the gunshots were heard. Winona was busy dialing 911 to report the two wounded men and to ask for police help in taking all four men into custody.
After the condo was cleared of thugs, police and FBI, Winona stayed awhile to talk to Jason out in the parking lot. “That’s quite a talent you have there. What else did you find out about Nick besides his name and that he was in the wrong house?”
“That he’s dyslexic. And that he would have killed us for that name.” Jason leaned back against her car with his hands in his pockets. “Apparently, the people he worked for know there is a mole in their gang and sent him out to get the name of the mole’s FBI contact.”
Winona smiled. “Good thing Nick is an idiot. Probably saved more than our lives back there,” she nodded toward the condo.
“Yeah, that’s what I do on a daily basis. I save lives.” Jason wondered if Winona got his little joke.
Winona stepped close to Jason. “You deserve a reward,” she said, before wrapping her arms around his neck and meeting his lips with a deeply passionate kiss.
An Off-Kilter Mind 