Table for Two Ch. 01: First Blood

"You see, Mr. Jacobs, we have photographic evidence of your infidelity," she said. "We also have video. My client has asked me to inform you that if you don't sign those papers, she will see to it those photos and the videos they came from get delivered to everyone you know. Your boss, as well as your family and friends."

"That's extortion," I told her. "A felony in this state. And the fact that you're a participant in that act makes you an accessory in Samantha's crime." Allison smirked as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Extortion - that's just another name for family law. Trust me, Mr. Jacobs, there's a lot more we can do to you," she quipped. Seeing the look on my face, Allison softened her tone. "My client isn't completely unreasonable, however. She is willing to let you come to the house long enough to get what you need for a few days. I've been asked to accompany you."

"Well, isn't that just fucking magnanimous of her," I quipped sarcastically. Allison recoiled at my words and my tone but said nothing. I decided to play it cool for the time being, grabbed the packet of photos and the divorce paperwork, and stood up. "Follow me if you must."

I hadn't ordered anything, so I left the flowers and $20 for the waitress for her trouble and angrily strode out of the restaurant as fast as my cane would allow. Even so, Allison had difficulty keeping up. I got into my car, ended the video app, and sped out of the parking lot, not caring if Allison was behind me.

I got to the house and parked in front of the garage. I opened the garage door and saw the empty space where Samantha usually parked. I took a deep breath and looked at the house. Then I remembered my time on the task force. I recalled the numerous times unsuspecting husbands were ambushed in their own homes by MMAS operatives, who drugged, then abused, and tortured the men.

"Is that what you have in store for me, Sam?" I asked no one in particular. "Well, guess what, bitch? Ain't happening today." I unlocked my glove box, pulled out the holstered 9 mm semiautomatic pistol I kept there, made sure a round was in the chamber and attached it to my belt. As Allison parked by the curb, I got out of the car and went to the front door.

I unlocked the door but didn't open it completely. Putting the keys back in my pocket, I drew the pistol out of its holster. Allison's face went white at the sight of my firearm.

"It's alright, I have a concealed carry permit," I told her. "And I know how to use this."

"Th... that's not necessary, Mr. Jacobs," Allison stammered, her eyes on the pistol.

"I'll be the judge of what's necessary or not. Ladies first. Keep your hands where I can see them at all times, and don't even think of reaching for anything. Give me cause and I'll drop you so fast you'll be dead before you know it. Understand?"

"Uh, yeah, I understand," she said. I motioned for her to enter first with the gun.

"Good. Go on. Open the door. I'll be right behind you." Allison eyed the pistol as she crept up the stairs to the front door. "OPEN IT," I commanded. She nervously opened the door and went inside the house. I followed behind, pistol in my right hand while using my cane to support myself with my left.

My training kicked in as I quickly turned off the security alarm and looked around to ensure no one was inside. I motioned for Allison to stand in the center of the room.

"Toss your purse on the couch," I ordered. After Allison obeyed, I instructed her to put her hands on her head and stay put, and I nodded when she complied. "And remember what I said. Follow my orders to the letter, and you'll walk out of here in one piece."

I slowly walked around the ground floor and ensured no one else was there. I opened the door to the basement and turned on the light. I looked around and saw no one there, so I went back into the front room where Allison was standing.

"Upstairs. Now," I ordered. Allison started for her purse, but I stopped her. "Leave it." She obeyed and headed for the stairs. After she got up a couple steps, I sat down in the stair lift, something I had installed after my discharge. Allison looked at me as we slowly made our way to the second floor.

"What are you looking for, anyway?" she asked.

"Just making sure you and Samantha didn't leave any nasty surprises for me."

"You think we would do something like that?" Allison asked.

"Been known to happen before," I told her. "After your threat at the restaurant, I'm just being careful." We got to the top of the stairs, and I got back on my feet. "Stay here. Don't move," I said before checking the rooms on the second floor. Once I was certain no one else was in the house, I directed Allison into the master bedroom and holstered my pistol.

"What's this?" I asked, seeing a clothing bag and an overnight bag on the bed.

"Samantha took the liberty of putting some of your things together to speed things up." I looked through both bags, not sure what to expect anymore. Satisfied that nothing had been sabotaged and no bugs were placed in my things, I went into the closet and pulled a few more items out. Then I pushed several hanging items to one side, revealing my built-in fireproof safe.

I opened the outer door, ensuring Allison couldn't see what I was doing and placed my hand on the black plate underneath. The scanner verified my fingerprints, and the inner door was unlatched. I saw the strap of 100-dollar bills and pulled it out. I figured the $10,000 in the strap would be enough to hold me over for a bit. While there, I grabbed some critical papers and flipped a switch in the back of the safe, activating the whole house surveillance system.

From this time forward, everything that happened in the house would be recorded and saved to a cloud server - every motion, every word, and both sides of every phone call on the land-line. I could watch and listen anytime I wanted, and if I chose, I could monitor everything in real-time.

This was a system I had installed while in the task force, and I hadn't used it since before my wedding. Even though the technology had been updated since the system was first installed, I knew it would work and would capture whatever evidence I needed.

I closed and locked the safe, then returned to the bedroom where Allison was waiting for me. I put everything in the overnight bag. Then I pulled my wedding ring off and tossed it on the dresser.

"Are you ready now?" Allison asked.

"Yeah," I told her.

"Good. I'll carry your clothing bag down if you want. I know you need your left hand."

"Thank you," I said coldly. We walked downstairs, and I went into my home office. "I need to take care of a few things before I go. Wait here," I told her.

I went into my office - my inner sanctum. Samantha rarely ever came into this room as she had her own office. But I wasn't about to take any chances. I changed the primary boot-up password on my computer just in case Samantha tried to access it. Then I disconnected the external backup drive and set it aside to take with me.

I flipped a switch in the closet that activated my emergency file destruction system. Like the video surveillance system, it had been installed while I was in the task force but had remained off for the last seven years. If anyone broke in and tried to take any of my files, they would find only ashes by the time the incendiary devices finished their job.

I changed the security code on the door to the office and double-locked it - something I hadn't done in years. Taking one last look around, I closed the door and went back into the front room, where Allison was waiting for me.

"Ready now?" she asked.

"Let's go," I said flatly.

I locked the front door and reset the alarm system before closing it. Allison turned to me after putting the clothing bag in the trunk of my car.

"Just so you know, your joint account has been frozen. Samantha has already taken out her share. Don't wait too long to sign the papers. I hope to hear from your lawyer soon," she said.

"Trust me. I don't know what the hell kind of game you and Samantha are playing, but I promise you this. I WILL get to the bottom of it, and I promise you heads will roll. Just so you know, you and your client have declared war," I hissed. Allison's face turned white as she took in my words. "You're now my enemies. You drew first blood. And I don't like to lose an argument."

...

To be continued...

Notes: Oscar Warren and the Task Force were first mentioned in my series, "Revenge in Advance: A Sequel. Frank Michaels is a central character in "The Warren Files 03: George and Alice."