The 15th Star (A Lisa Grace History - Mystery) (28 page)

Julian could not believe he had let this happen. He should have realized how unbalanced Benton was. He should have known. And now Keiko was in real danger. Julian for the first time understood fear. He was afraid of what Benton would do to Keiko.

“
I have it all worked out,” Benton continued, “I can explain the alarm went off at Claggett’s, my security guys didn’t realize you had permission to be there to look for the star. It’s unfortunate they died, but it was an accident based on a misunderstanding,” he nodded waiting on Julian’s agreement.

Julian played along,
“That could work, it sounds reasonable.”

“
But what about the chase and shooting the car up? How do we explain that?” Keiko asked.

Julian willed Keiko to shut up. It wasn
’t working.

“
Another misunderstanding. Two security guys are dead at Claggetts so the rest of the team followed what they
thought
were the bad guys. Look, we can spin this so it’s good for
you
and for
me
. If you don’t, I have nothing to lose at this point, so she dies. You know what happens when you’re stabbed in the gut? You’re intestines fall out on the floor in ribbons. You get ten minutes to live in agony, knowing no one can put you together again. Me? I get sent to a federal prison that has eighteen holes of golf, a gourmet chef, and meetings with a psychiatrist who treats me for my temporary insanity. Then I get out in five years and write a book about it. Everybody loses, but I get some of my life back in five years, while she’s gone forever. Is it worth it?”

He looked at Julian waiting for his answer.

“You’re right Benton, option one is a winner for everybody. Let’s go for that.” Security had to be listening in. Julian just wanted Keiko safe. Nothing else mattered. He had to get Benton to put the knife down. Julian picked up the package and went on talking, “Hold on! Let me get the letter. It’s tied inside the star. You would need both hands so I’ll do it. I guess they frisk Congressman when they come to the White House. How’d you get that knife in here?”

“
Not so hard. Half the idiots here know they’ve seen my face, but they can’t place it. You dress and act like secret service, flip your creds and you’re in. They have knives in the kitchen and on every room service tray. Nice sharp ones.”

“
Very clever I have to admit. Your plan worked out. Honestly, you got balls coming into the White House.” Julian laid the package on the bed and started to unwrap it. He kept working at the knots, slowly. “Is it possible you can point it somewhere else?” Julian tried to joke.

“
Just hurry and give me the letter and you won’t have to worry about the knife,” Benton said as he jammed it closer into Keiko’s side.

Keiko tried not to move. She could feel the point and it had already pierced her skin. Benton
’s description of being stabbed was enough to take away any bravado she might have felt.

Julian continued talking,
“Good plan Benton. Good plan. We could say Keiko called you here today. That
you
gave us the clue to look at Claggett’s from an old childhood letter you found. That would give you a reason for being here now.”

“
Good idea,” Benton said nodding his head in agreement.

Julian started unwrapping the flag lifting the points up. Julian was speaking slow and mellifluously, but Keiko could see his hand was moving furiously behind the star point. He was painting a picture with his voice lulling Benton into a trance just like the Indian chants around the fires of old.
“You can be up on that podium with us today. Just think what that would do for your run for the presidency. All the network news coverage.
You
congratulating Keiko on her discovery.
You
unfolding the star with the President.
You
holding the star. Running on every channel twenty-four-seven. You, Benton Rivers, involved in the discovery of a true American treasure. Just imagine. People will see you as the next President.” As Julian spoke, a letter slipped out of the flag and onto the floor, Julian glanced at the letter, slowly bent to pick it up while talking, “That image burned into their brains. Just ima-” Julian lunged at Benton mid-sentence. With one arm pulling Keiko away.

She heard Julian shouting,
“No!” flying at her. Her breath knocked out as her ribs hit the desk chair, then she fell to the floor. She felt the pain and saw the blood. Her blood. Julian was twisting Benton’s knife hand with the other as the door behind Benton burst open knocking Benton and Julian to the floor. She gasped and realized the wind had been knocked out of her. Keiko tried to speak, “Julian!” as Julian and Benton wrestled on the floor. A pool of blood spreading out.

Julian got up as the men surrounded Benton still on the floor.

“Julian!” It hurt to breathe.

He came towards her,
“I’m fine. It’s his blood.”

The look on his face one of concern.
“You’re hurt!” His voice filled with anguish.

Everything covered in blood. She looked down at her side and saw blood on her shirt and was afraid to look any closer at her mid-section. It hurt. She couldn
’t breathe. She felt tears running down her face. If this was the end, she would be joining history and there would be no future with Julian.

Julian gently lifted her as the men turned Benton over. She watched Julian
’s horror as he gently pulled up her shirt. She saw blood on her shirt, sliced. The edges stitched in blood. She could see the fear in his eyes as he looked at her side, “Keiko, you’re okay. You’ll be okay. You’re bleeding, but the knife just grazed you.”

He turned his head to the door and yelled,
“Medic!” He took the tail of her shirt and pressed it against her wound to slow the bleeding.

As she breathed, she felt a sharp pain in her side and let out a yelp. Now that the shock of being knocked out of breath had worn off, Keiko felt the pain in her side.

“I think I cracked a rib, too.”

Julian helped her to stand,
“Can you breathe? Is it getting harder to breathe?” he asked in concern, “I just want to make sure you haven’t punctured a lung.”

Keiko shook her head,
“No, it’s not getting worse. I just think it’s my rib.” Julian helped her to her feet.

“
Where’s the star?” Keiko asked.

Keiko looked by the bed The star lay crumpled on the floor, a bit of blood splatter on a point. Julian bent over to pick it up along with the letters.
“Here,” Julian carefully placed the letters back in the center, folded it in the leather wrapping, and gave it to Keiko.

The Secret Service men turned Benton on his back. Keiko could see the knife impaled in his stomach. As the door hit him in the back, the force of landing had twisted the knife doing further damage.

A Secret Service man kneeling to check on Benton, stood up, “Room secure. Medic!” He motioned out the door as two paramedics came through the door, carrying a backboard.

Benton groaned on the floor obviously in a tremendous amount of pain.

They had pulled back what was left of his shirt up. One paramedic was busy putting an I.V. into his arm. “On three. One, two, three.” They gently lifted him and put him on the backboard.

Benton groaned the whole time.

Julian asked, “How bad is it?”

“
We’ll take good care of him,” the one paramedic said.

They rushed him out as fast as they could. Another medic came in and treated Keiko
’s wound. He cleaned it and put a sterile bandage on the wound. He wrapped an ace lightly around her ribcage to support the cracked rib. “We’ll get a doctor down with a portable X-ray machine in a few minutes.”

“
Do you think he’ll live?” Keiko asked Julian.

Julian shrugged his shoulders,
“I don’t know. If the knife didn’t hit a major artery or anything critical, he might.”

Keiko looked at the blood. The metallic smell of it turned her stomach,
“Can we leave here, before I get sick?”

Julian held her shoulders and walked her slowly towards the door.

“Come on,” He took her back to his room where he helped her stretch out flat on the bed. Keiko laid the flag next to her on the bed.

Julian pulled over a chair.

“Today isn’t going the way I imagined,” Keiko said.

“
You know, I knew they were listening. I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner. I was waiting for the right moment. Keiko I am so sorry…I didn’t mean for you to get hurt. I’ve never felt so…” Julian buried his head in her hair.

She put her good arm on the back of his head, stroking his hair,
“I’m okay… It’s okay…Julian, we’re fine.” She held him, “Julian, you kept your cool. You helped me stay calm.” She waited for him, for his strength to return.

“
Do you really think he was buying it? That we would give him the letters and credit him for helping us find the flag?” Keiko asked.

Julian sat back next to her on the bed. He couldn
’t let go of her hand.

“
What were his options? He was desperate. As a politician, he thought he had a winnable solution. His ego couldn’t grasp the fact that he had made decisions he couldn’t escape the consequences of. Now he has bigger problems than running for President. He might not live.”

Keiko nodded her head. Breathing hurt. Any movement caused pain in her cracked rib. The scrape from the knife wound was throbbing. Sharp pain followed by throbbing, dictated by her breathing.

Julian noticed her wincing, “Let me take a look.” He gently lifted her shirt. The bleeding under the bandage had stopped and was surrounded by a purple bruise. Julian let her shirt back down then he picked up the phone, “Hi, can we get some pain medication and someone up here? Is there a doctor in the house?”

Keiko winced and let out a snort,
“Please do not make jokes right now. Laughing could kill me.”

“
I’m sorry,” he looked contrite, “It just slipped out.”

Ray came running into the room,
“I’m sorry, I was with Matt, giving him the low down on what happened at Claggett’s. I can’t believe I missed out on the action. They don’t tell the President these things until they’re over. Stupid protocol. Keiko, are you okay?”

“
Cracked rib,” Julian answered.

Agent Sumner knocked on the opened door and entered without waiting for a reply.
“A-Okay. News of the attack has been leaked to the press. The President has cancelled all morning meetings. You can eat your breakfast and then we will be having a press conference on the White House lawn to address the stabbing of Congressman Rivers and your historical find.”

Another knock was followed by the opening of the door
“I’m Special Agent Doctor Della Sparks. So you think you have a cracked rib?” announced an attractive woman who looked more like a model than a doctor. She pulled up a chair next to Keiko’s bed. A technician followed her in pushing a portable X-ray machine on wheels. “Gentlemen? Can we have some privacy please?” The men all looked at each other and excused themselves. Julian look worried. He gently squeezed Keiko’s hand. “I’ll be right outside the door.”

The technician took the X-ray and left the room with the machine. The doctor took out a stethoscope and listened to Keiko
’s breathing. “Good, let’s get you a tetanus shot and then wrapped back up.” After, Doctor Sparks opened her case and gave her some pain medication. “These are Naproxen. Take two for a total of eight hundred milligrams. They’ll take the edge off the pain. Take it every six to eight hours as needed. No drinking, no laughing, and no physical activity more strenuous than walking. Any questions?”

“
No. Thank you for the pills, Doctor.”

She smiled,
“Okay then. I’ll send your fan club back in.”

Julian, Ray, and Agent Sumner walked back in followed by a waiter pushing a cart full of sandwiches, salads, and drinks.

Ray said, “Excuse me. I think I’ll have the doctor check me out too,” he followed her out the door.

Julian groaned,
“He is going through his twenties all over again.”

“
You think he’s going to ask her out?”

“
Oh yeah.”

“
Good for him,” Keiko said.

They ate and then Keiko laid back to close her eyes. The pain medication was kicking in and breathing didn
’t hurt if she did it slow and shallow.

Knocking followed by,
“Housekeeping.”

Agent Sumner opened the door. The maid handed him a new shirt for Keiko. A plain white button down. Not exactly her style.

She got up easing herself to the edge of the bed with Julian’s help.

When she went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, she groaned.

Keiko looked as awful as she felt. Her hair had dried leaving odd ripples that would not lie flat. Dark circles from lack of sleep accentuated her pale skin. The stark white of the clean shirt emphasized how wrinkled and dirty her pants and shoes were.