Protect Me (35 page)

The van stopped a few hundred feet away from the building behind a large stone wall. They quietly left the van settling down onto the ground. For the first few minutes they took in their surroundings. Seven of them all together, they laid low in the shrubbery just on the edge of the large concrete lot outside of the building. There were three men outside brandishing weapons. One leaning against the building smoking a cigarette and the other two sitting at a small card table. Over the radio he heard the faint sound of the snipers voice. “Bluebird this is Baby Bird. I am in position.”

“Roger, keep it tight.” The lieutenant whispered into the mic.

Ryan didn’t hear, but rather saw the shot. First the man leaning on the wall was taken out, the burning end of his cigarette falling to the ground beside him. The next was the first of the two who leapt from his chair only to hit the ground next, followed by the last man who had remained sitting.

“Bluebird this is Baby Bird. You are clear.”

“Roger that, moving.”

The lieutenant tapped the shoulder of the man next to him who proceeded to move along the shrubbery towards the building. Ryan followed in pursuit behind him, followed by Jace and the rest of the team. As they approached the door to the building a Hispanic man came stumbling around the side of the wall, singing an off key version of a Spanish song.

“LT hold.” The sniper came across radio as the lead man held his hand up in signal to stop.

Without speaking the lieutenant pressed the mic button twice signaling for the sniper to take the shot. Just feet from them the man hit the ground with a thud. They proceeded to the side of the building. Ryan reached up and grasped the shoulder of the man in front of him signaling for him to open the door allowing Ryan to enter. He grabbed the handle and opened the door as Ryan pulled his tactical rifle up scanning the room. It was empty. The team followed suit behind him as he made his way down a small hallway to his left.

They came up to a stairwell as two Hispanic men came walking down, Ryan held up a signal for his men to hold as the two men came to the bottom just on the opposite side of where the team stood. Ryan reached down and grabbed the pistol secured with a silencer and held it ready. One of the men turned to head away from them as the other came walking towards the hallway they stood in. The man got two steps in before Ryan reached up and took him by the neck covering his mouth, sticking the pistol into his stomach and firing multiple shots. Quietly he laid the man’s body onto the floor. He felt the signal on his shoulder to proceed.

He stepped out into the hallway holding his rifle up scanning the hallway as the rest of the team made their way up the stairs. Just as they made it to the top landing all hell broke loose. Shots rang off of the walls as the team ran into the room, firing at the men gathered around. Ryan rushed up the stairs taking a man into his rifle sight and fired, following the body to the floor before he surveyed the room for another. The team stood ready, the bodies of the gunmen lay scattered around the floor.

“Baby Bird, this is Bluebird, request back-up. We will be making a hot extract. I repeat, we will be making a hot extract.”

“Roger that LT. Requesting back-up now.”

The men got back into formation and made their way down the hall. As they neared the room in which they believed held Abbi they were met by another group of hostiles attempting to barricade the door. The team executed them with precision as two SWAT members positioned themselves on the floor facing down the hallways in case someone came up from either side. Ryan and Jace made their way over to the door signaling to each other that Ryan would open and Jace would go in first.

Ryan flung the door open as Jace lead into the room, surveying from side to side before stopping. Bringing his rifle up he aimed his sights on the Hispanic man that stood above Abbi’s lifeless body, his pistol aimed directly at her head. Ryan’s heart stopped beating. It took everything in him to keep from reacting when he saw Abbi lying lifeless on the cold wet floor. Blood splattered across her arms and legs. He couldn’t see her face through the bag covering it but he knew it was her. He positioned himself down on one knee with his rifle sighted in on the man’s head.

“Ah, I see I have company tonight.” Jose Hernandez said from the middle of the room.

“Sir, take a step back from the woman and you can walk away from this.” Ryan heard the lieutenant say from behind him.

“You see I can’t do that. I have some debts that need to be repaid.”

“You don’t want to do that sir.”

“Oh, but I do.” Jose smirked.

Ryan’s body sang out, his ears ringing barely able to hear what was being said. He needed to protect Abbi at all costs. He didn’t think about what he did next, he only reacted. It wasn’t thought. It was pure instinct. He stood taking a step towards the Hispanic man.

“I don’t think you want to do that.” The man looked up at Ryan and then brought his pistol up towards Ryan’s chest, just as Ryan had hoped.

It wasn’t thought, it was instinct. Ryan threw up his rifle and fired, directly between the man’s eyes, but not before he returned a shot. Ryan felt the force of the bullet hit his chest biting away at his skin. It felt like he had been kicked directly in the chest by a horse. The force so hard his body flew back against the wall.

“No! Shit!” He heard Jace cry out.

“Target has been acquired. I repeat. Target has been acquired.”

A flurry of movement happened around the room as other officers from the department came flooding in. One of the men from the team grabbed Abbi’s lifeless body and ran her down towards the awaiting ambulance. Ryan’s head spun in circles, the room blurred in and out around him as distant gun fire rang out throughout the building.

“Boss! Hey, look at me boss.” Jace came up grabbing his hand.

“Where is Abbi?” The room snapped back into view.

“Bluebird main, this is Assault two be advised. All threats are neutralized. I repeat. All threats are neutralized. Officer down. Requesting medical attention.” Ryan heard the words coming through the headset.

“Help me up.” He reached up towards Jace’s hand.

As he sat up he saw three other officers around him. He looked down and saw the bullet lodged into the front of his Kevlar vest.

“You have always been a stupid son of a bitch, haven’t you?” Jace asked as Ryan picked the round out from the vest.

“Where is Abbi?” Ryan stood shakily as Jace and the other officer’s caught him, helping him up the rest of the way.

“They are taking her to Cedars-Sinai, she didn’t look good. Come on, we’ll go now. Are you good?” Jace took Ryan’s arm around his neck as he helped him out of the room down to the awaiting police car.

“Yeah, just get me to Abbi.” Ryan fought back the pain that pierced through his chest, not just from the bullet, but from his heart ripping into a thousand pieces. They had hurt her.

It was black and her body felt light, like a snowflake drifting along with the breeze. She would go down and then get blown back up. She had the urge to open her eyes but she couldn’t, just like she couldn’t seem to move her hands. Frustration settled in as she tried to get her body to respond. Is this what it’s like to die? This must be what it’s like, wanting to open your eyes and tell everyone you’re ok but you can’t. She focused on the faint sound in the back of her mind.
Breathe, just breathe. Abbi, you have to breathe.
Slowly the room began to light up, spinning above her as people came in and out of focus.

“Abbi, breathe for me! Please Baby!” She could hear Ryan screaming from the other side of the room.

She wanted to scream out to him and tell him she was ok but she couldn’t.

“Sir, she’s crashing! We are going to need you to wait outside.” An unfamiliar voice came from the side of her bed. No! She didn’t want him to leave. Please let him stay!

“Abbi, please baby! Don’t leave me!” There was a crash and chaos before the room was filled with unfamiliar voices and faces.

Beep, beep, beep, beeeeeeeeep. She was trying desperately to hold onto the rope she was dangling from but she was slowly slipping. Her fingers losing grip as the darkness spread back through her vision, as everything became peaceful again. Pictures of Ryan flittered through her mind. The time at the ball park when they had gone to watch a game, he had to explain everything to Abbi since she didn’t know anything about baseball. The night he had proposed. The look in his eye, he had been the first person in her life to never leave and vow to stay. She had to fight to do the same for him. She couldn’t leave him this way.

It felt like days, coming in and out of the darkness. She could hear distant noises but could never seem to get close enough to the light to comprehend them. But with each time she became aware that she could hear what was going on in the room she felt herself pushing closer.

“Sir, she is stable but…” The voice trailed off.

“The what?” She could hear Ryan, he was here with her. She willed herself to open her eyes.

Open damnit! Open up! Nothing. She tried again to move her hand but no response came from her body. She felt tired, like her body had been overworked and in return just wanted to sleep.

“Looks like a little over six weeks.”

“Are you serious?” She could hear Ryan gasp.

What? What were they talking about? Please, body. Please work! She could feel her heart beating a few beats faster as she pushed and pushed towards the light.

“Abbi, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me baby.” Ryan was close, his voice deep with concern.

Nothing. Sadness crept into her veins chilling her body. She had never experienced this before. As she started to relax her body drifted back off into the darkness, she accepted it allowing it to take her over. For now she would give into the darkness and hope this nightmare would all be over soon.

Abbi, you have to wake up. I can’t do this without you. Please, if you can hear me baby wake up.
She became overly aware of her body, almost as if all of her veins had suddenly been re-inflated, snapping back to life. She tried first to wiggle her toes, they moved. Without another thought she opened her eyes, blinking back the light coming from the large TV screen at the foot of her bed. She looked to her right, no one. She scanned the room until she saw a black shape to her left. Ryan’s head was resting on the bed, sitting on the top of her hand. He looked asleep, as she gently squeezed his hand. She jumped as his head shot up, his eyes red and bloodshot. Dark bags under each eye as if he hadn’t slept in days. He blinked rapidly, as if to make sure he was in reality and not just a dream.

“Baby, it’s ok. You’re in the hospital.” Tears glistening at the corners of his eyes as he pushed the call button for the nurse’s station.

All she could do was nod. Her throat felt so dry that she could barely swallow let alone speak. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the swelling on her face. Slowly she opened her mouth and grimaced at the pain coming from her right jaw.

“Easy baby. You got hit pretty hard. Your jaw is fractured so it may be hard to open your mouth all the way.” He stared back at her as if afraid to touch her and hurt her any more than she already had been. He reached up taking her hand and brought it up to his lips. She could feel the warmth on her skin as he kissed her hand. Slowly he reached into his pocket and pulled out her ring, slipping it back onto her finger. “They had to take it off because they thought they were going to have to do surgery. I have kept it with me ever since.”

The lump in her throat was growing bigger. She could feel the burning in her eyes but had no tears to fall. She felt so thirsty like a sponge that had been wrung out to much.

“Oh baby, I prayed and prayed that you would wake up. It has been the longest four days of my entire life. I knew somehow that you would hear me and come back to me.” He held her hand back up to his lips. Breathing in her scent and kissing her skin.

“Well good evening, Ms. Hastings.” A lady dressed in a long white coat with bright pink scrubs underneath stood at the door. “I hoped that the call was because you had awoken.”

“Hello.” Abbi’s voice was scratchy.

“Sounds like you could use some water. I have your nurse coming in to bring you some.” She flipped the dim lights on above Abbi’s head. “I am Doctor Carol Miller, I’d like to do a quick assessment of how you’re feeling and check a few things before I leave you to rest.”

Abbi blinked away from the lights, trying to keep the pounding in her head from erupting.

“I am sure that your fiancé has probably been able to tell you a little about your condition. You have a fractured jaw, so for the next couple of weeks you are going to be on a soft food diet. Foods like pudding, jello, yogurt, and nothing harder than cooked pasta. You will be drinking through a straw, just try not to suck to hard. Your spleen was ruptured, however it was able to repair itself without us having to do surgery.” The doctor scanned her body up and down, flashing a bright light in each eye. “Tell me if you hear this.” She snapped in Abbi’s left ear, Abbi nodded. She snapped in her right ear, and again she acknowledged the doctor. “You look like you’re responding well. You are healing remarkably well, as a lot of the swelling around your face has gone down.” The doctor took a step back looking her over before stopping on her stomach. “There is just one other thing we need to talk about.” A brilliant smile formed across her face. “Mr. Dixon, would you like to take the honor or should I?”

Abbi looked at the doctor confused before she turned her gaze to Ryan. What on earth were they talking about?

“Baby, you’re pregnant. The doctors found out after they did some blood work.” She could see caution in his eyes. He didn’t want to upset her, given her condition.

Abbi was stunned. She looked down at her stomach as Ryan’s hand reached up and gently rubbed circles around it. Holy shit, they were having a baby! Her eyes wide she looked back up at Ryan’s face. The look now of a man whose world had just been completed. She was healthy, she was back to him and they were having a baby. Fright shot through Abbi as she wondered if anything had happened to the baby throughout the ordeal. She couldn’t remember much but from the way her body felt she had received quite a beating.