CHAPTER 24

 It worked so far. The plan had not gone off perfectly but then what plan ever did? The security guards went to where he figured they would. Jack had always been, or at least his gene donor was, good at figuring out the other guys moves. Little Jack was happy to see the trait was adequately transferred to him. The security had assumed they took the freight elevator and suit clad goons ran down several floors only to find it empty. Then they figured that somehow Jack and Cassie had gotten off on another floor. Since they were tired of running up and down stairs they took the elevator. That was when Cassie pulled the plug on the entire casino. The security goons remained in the elevator, now, stuck between floors.

Jack grabbed Cassie by the hand and squeezed hard as he led her down to the parking garage. As they reached the door she stopped and almost pulled his arm out of the socket. Jack exclaimed in response, “what! Geez! Will you give me a warning next time before you do that?" She pulled him back and slung her arms around his neck and began kissing him. When Little Jack tried to catch his breath he noted, “course you don’t have to warn me about that you know. In fact…”

“Oh shut up,” she kissed him some more.

“Hey, hey,” he said pushing himself away. Then he changed his mind and kissed her some more. Finally duty called, “we got to get out of here first. Then we can celebrate.”

Cassie giggled, “I can see that life with you is….”

Before she could finish the sentence the door to the parking garage swung open. The pair of hands that grabbed little Jack was quick. They pulled him into the parking lot and slammed him up against a brick wall. Little Jack relaxed, only a little, when he saw who the hands belonged too, “Hi Jack.”

Big Jack was not smiling, “don’t you hi jack me you little…”

Cassie grabbed Big Jack’s arm and shook him, “Colonel! Do you mind letting him go! He rescued me! He…”

“He’s going to die,” Big Jack growled. After a few quick breaths to control his temper, Big Jack let go.

Little Jack quickly straightened his jacket out, “watch the threads will you. Look it’s not like we planned on her getting kidnapped or anything. Besides I just did… Hey!” It suddenly occurred to Little Jack, “how did you know where to find us?”

“Doesn’t take a genius to figure out the play here,” Big Jack told him.

Cassie groaned, “Colonel, do you even realize what you just called yourself?”

 “I’m not…” Big Jack had to stop and think, “what did I just call myself?” Before she could answer he figured he did not want to know and blew up again, “I don’t care about all of that. What I want to know is did you two do what I think you did! Because if you did he’s dead and you’re going to a nunnery little lady.”

Little Jack slid away from his older counterpart and put his arm over Cassie’s shoulder, “you already know.”

“Wait a minute,” Cassie’s face suddenly turned red as she confronted Little Jack with, “you told me… Oh please don’t tell me that…”

Looking into the boy’s eyes Big Jack could see the weak spot now. He used it, “oh yes. Me and Sarah eloped here too. Tell me kid, does the Chapel of Love still have that funny looking fountain out back with the…”

Cassie slapped Little Jack in the face, “you rat! You said I was the only one that…” She was so angry that it made finishing her sentence impossible.

As the girl stomped back towards the door Little Jack got in his big counterparts face, “you just had to go and tell her didn’t you? Well I know one or two secrets about you buddy boy!”

This was naturally a threat to the larger Jack who responded, “and don’t think that’s the only thing she doesn’t know. Besides we’re going to be lucky if her mother doesn’t kill us both.”

“Uh guys,” came a nervous and cracking voice. Both Jack’s looked towards the door that Cassie was backing out of, with her hands raised, “I don’t think Mom’s going to get the chance.” 

There was a gun waiving around in her face. There was a short guy, with a dark rug for hair, holding the gun. He had on a shinning black leather jacket with the pants to match. He had sort of a Brooklyn Italian accent along with a nasal high pitch, “well now. Three for the price of one. You know, I probably wouldn’t do this accept for maybe…” The man held up his baseball bat and nodded to it, “it’s just so much fun.”

Both Jacks simultaneously slapped their foreheads, “doh!!!”