Bloodlist - Chapter Eleven - Finale

[kalinara]

So last time, Jack got whacked in the head and had a chapter long flashback to how he died, and we learn that really, it's kind of a miracle he's as together as he is, because that was not pleasant.

Now we're on the last chapter. This should be fun!



So Jack comes to in the cabin of the Elvira. He hears a woman gasp and the first person he sees is Charles Escott in his stupid bathrobe. They exchange some post-concussion banter while Jack gets his bearings.

In the room now: Slick Morelli, Bobbi Smythe (who is taking the fact that her thought-to-be-dead suitor is actually not that dead pretty well, all things considered), Gordy the Mountain Man who is aiming his gun at Escott, and Lucky Lebredo.

There's a cute moment where Jack gives a pale, tense Bobbi a smile and a wink in order to reassure her, and surprisingly, it actually works a little.

Anyway, Lucky's description is pretty great:

"The fourth pair of eyes were sunk deep in gray hollows, studying me and missing nothing. They were eyes that should have belonged to a victim of starvation, but their owner was anything but underfed, chronically unsatisfied, perhaps, but not underfed. The brown bristle of the beard ringing his lower face camouflaged the spare chins and made his head look like it was growing straight from the shoulders without the convenience of a neck. The skin on his bald dome was dull and I wondered if he was unhealthy or just shaved too much. He alone looked almost relaxed, but then he apparently knew exactly what he was dealing with, in his hands and cocked with the wood bolt aimed at my heart, was a crossbow."

I love the bit about the chronically unsatisfied eyes. He'd gotten the crossbow from Escott's collection, which Escott is apologetic about. Lucky has apparently figured out a lot about Jack because he'd been having Escott followed since his almost-abduction.

The follower was apparently very good and had the opportunity to tail both Escott and Jack, even when the latter went to the Stockyards. After Jack (or Gerald) was reportedly killed, they searched his room. During the daytime. And were understandably curious as to why their dead body was now in a trunk in the hotel room.

Eventually they put the pieces together. Maybe it's just because Crystal Shard is so frustrating, but I really like that I'm dealing with a competent villain here.

Anyway, Lucky kidnapped Escott for leverage. He also stole Jack's trunk.

Jack glances at Bobbi again to see how she's holding up after hearing all this. Her mouth tightened. I think it was meant to be a smile, at least she wasn't afraid of me and that was something.

Anyway, Lucky wants the list, Jack mouths off, and Gordy gets to trickshot between Escott's fingers. Jack agrees to get the list.

There's some interplay between Morelli and Lucky here, as Morelli still doesn't quite understand what's going on. Lucky is impatient and we get a nice bit of misogyny:

"'"That's better. Your skepticism is understandable, but your boundless stupidity is not. If you still need more proof, look at the girl's neck. The marks there are small, but not invisible.'

Escort's eyebrows went up and his mouth popped open and shut before he blanked out his face, wisely deciding that my love life was my own business.

Morelli was not quite as liberal minded and he pulled at the neck of her wrap. Bobbi tried to shrug him off, but he forced her to hold still. When he saw them he let her go and crossed the room to get away from her. He even wiped his hands on his clothes. Bobbi glared at him—no woman likes that kind of rejection—then her eyes glazed at Lebredo.

'You fat, stinking bastard.' She got up and went to the door, stopping inches away from Gordy. Gordy looked at Lebredo for a cue, seemed relieved when he got one, and moved aside. She tore the door open and left. Morelli started to object, but Lebredo curtailed it.

'This is a boat, where can she go? Her faithlessness can be dealt with later, or need I remind you that you were the one to encourage it to start with? You have forgotten that women are very dangerous children and should not be trusted.'"

I have to admit, the scene did make me laugh. I just keep imagining Escott's face. Especially since Jack comes across pretty straight-laced, even prudish. It occurs to me that I don't actually remember what Escott's sexual orientation is. I feel like I remember him having a sexual or romantic relationship with a woman at some point in the series, but I could be completely wrong. I prefer to think of all three as bi or pan, since I can then have my OT3.

So Bobbi's exited, stage left, not pursued by a bear.

Morelli and Lucky continue their spat. We learn that Lucky sent Paco to get the list initially, because he didn't trust Morelli. Paco decided to throw in with Morelli. Morelli thinks he has some protection from "New York", but Lucky claims to have an agreement with Morelli's "New York friends" who apparently appreciate his ability to run a business.

While this is going on, Jack gets annoyed at Morelli lighting a cigar, so when Morelli refuses to put it out, he gets up, yanks the cigar out of Morelli's mouth and crushes it. Lucky doesn't bother stopping him. Morelli tries to punch him and regrets it.

Anyway, Jack tells them where the list is. Clever Gordy is suspicious, since Jack pulled the "I'll have to show you where" card before, but Jack notes that Gordy didn't have a gun to his friend's head then. Lucky's willing to give it a shot.

Morelli tries to get Gordy to shoot Lucky, but Gordy can't do it. (He does seem genuinely regretful). Morelli then tries to throw a knife at Lucky, but Lucky shoots him twice. And there goes Morelli.

So they go to shore (Jack's still having some PTSD issues regarding the water), and Morelli drives them to the library. Jack goes to look for the list and has a moment of panic when it's not on the shelf, but fortunately, the library has a lost and found and it's there. He gives the list to Lucky, who then orders Jack to drive to Paco's house. Jack knows this is going to be an infamous one way trip, and tries to protest, but Lucky asks if he'd rather he kill both of them now or later, and thinks Jack would prefer a little more time.

Jack could probably escape, even given the crossbow, but Escott definitely can't, so Jack's going along.

Jack attempts to convince Lucky that he can be useful to him, but Lucky is too smart for that. He only has Escott, and maybe Bobbi, as a means to control Jack, and that creates a dynamic that's too complicated for Lucky's taste. He likes to control completely or not bother. Lucky fires the crossbow.

But THIS time, Jack's not above running water or ten seconds away from a PTSD flashback, so he vanishes. He hears a gunshot and quickly grabs the gun from an unresisting Gordy. Jack throws Gordy into Lebredo and runs to Escott. Escott is surprisingly unharmed.

Lucky is not. He's been shot.

'Hey—somebody got Lucky.'

I truly believe he never meant it as a joke, but outside someone laughed. Bobbi walked stiffly into the room, both her small hands held together clutching a gun. Her lips were knife thin, her face hard with hate. We all stepped away from her, except for Lebredo, who was gaping and glaring in sheer disbelief.

He'd forgotten to take his own advice about women.

Bobbi fucking Smythe, Ladies and Gentlemen. Bobbi fucking Smythe.

Gordy is distressed, because Lucky still has something on him, but Bobbi tells him that she knows how to take care of it. She's holding back tears. But also, she is badass.

Jack unties Escott, who goes to check on Lucky. Bobbi yells at him to keep away from him. She says that she heard him in the car, telling Gordy what they were going to do with Jack, and how they were going to get rid of Morelli's body. Lucky, still alive, tries to order Gordy to take Bobbi's gun away. Bobbi shoots him again in the shoulder. Then in the side. When he calls her a dirty little whore, she shoots him in the face.

Bobbi fucking Smythe.

Escott reclaims the list and offers it to Jack. Jack tells him to keep it, then goes out to talk to Bobbi.

"Her hair was a tangled, damp mess and her makeup had been smeared by a good cry. She was just beautiful.

I was hesitant to approach her, but she looked up and smiled wanly.

'I was afraid I'd be too late, I thought he'd gotten you.'

'How did you get here?'

'The minute I was out of the cabin I rolled my shoes up in this robe and went overboard. It's not a long swim to the pier, and a person swims better naked." Feeling modest now, she pulled the wrapper more tightly around her shoulders. "I knew he'd use the car sometime, so I hid in the trunk.'

'Are you all right?'

She nodded. 'Now I am. I didn't think I could do anything… but when I heard him talking—it doesn't seem like I did it now, it's like it happened to someone else.'

'He made it easy.'

'I wanted to help you and to get back for Slick. He was a roughhouse, but sometimes he was good to me. I guess it's not just bodies after all.'"

Bobbi fucking Smythe.

Anyway, the gun was Morelli's, a spare he'd kept in the glove compartment. But let's just take a moment to bask in the sheer awesomeness of Bobbi Smythe.

For the record, I don't think I mentioned it last chapter, but there's a point where Jack (having just been brought aboard the Elvira) notes that it's too far to swim to shore. Bobbi is just that badass.

Anyway, Bobbi continues her badassery with more of a plan: she thinks they can get Gordy to help collect Morelli's body from the Elvira and set it up so that it looks like Morelli and Lucky killed each other. Bobbi figures that whatever Lucky has on Gordy is with his lawyer, and that Lucky's lawyer is probably as crooked as he is and they can buy it back from him. And if that doesn't work:

'Then you can burgle the place. From what I heard you've got a real talent for it.'

'You don't mind what I am?'

'I don't care about that. You are what you are. You don't judge me, I don't judge you. But could you tell me how you got this way?'

'Because of a woman.'

She shook her head and laughed a little. 'I guess we're starting even. I'm the way I am because of a man.' She went tiptoe and kissed me. 'Come on, let's get this mess out of the way. I'm tired.'"

So Bobbi does convince Gordy to help, and we learn that Lucky never actually stole Jack's trunk. It was too big and cumbersome. He just said he did in case Escott wasn't leverage enough to control Jack. He is a poker player after all.

We end the chapter and the book with a chat between Escott and Jack. Escott notes that they're accessories after the fact, but he agrees Bobbi should not go to jail for a single hour.

Jack tells Escott what Benny had said about substitution (re: the list), and Escott figures it shouldn't be too difficult to solve. He then notes "You'll have to hurry, the dawn does not wait." Jack thinks that should be his line, but Escott notes that he's more melodramatic than Jack is. A bit more banter ends the chapter and the book.

Now that was a TREMENDOUSLY SATISFYING ENDING, and if Ms. Elrod made no other book in the series, I think I could be content with it. Now I want to reread all of them. And read the ones that I missed. My verdict probably won't be a surprise, but I'll tackle that in another post.

But how great is it that of all of the major characters, it's the human woman who gets to kill the villain and save the day? I haven't been this thrilled since we saw Lessa terrorize a small kingdom. Bobbi fucking Smythe.