The Deadliest Secret (The Deadliest Series) (40 page)

             
They were a flurry of motions, arms and legs flailing attempting to knock the other one off balance. The loudest sound was their breathing followed by cries from Gwen. Darrien was a split second quicker than Kody, his years of working for the witness protection program on protection detail was on his side.  He gained his wits and straddled around Kody’s midsection and began to pummel him. Kody knocked Darrien in the jaw sending him to the side; Kody wormed his way from under Darrien, Darrien’s hand reached for the knife that spun from his hand after the powerful clock to the jaw. Kody scrambled to get the knife on the side of the bed that was lying next to Gwen. He used the bed to stand, he moved over Darrien. Darrien pretended to be more hurt than he actually was, opossum. Kody thought he had won. His sick sadistic smile crossed his face. Kody reached down and held Darrien’s head still by his hair; the knife was tracing Darrien’s cheekbone.

             
“You touched what is mine, you die now.”

             
“Go to hell.” Darrien said.

             
“You first.” Kody said and he started to dig the knife in.

             
The fight or flight reflex took over, Darrien brought his leg up hard, rocking his body up he kicked Kody hard and sent him into the wall, his knife stuck into his arm. Kody turned back towards Darrien and licked his blood off of the knife. Darrien flipped up again and connected with Kody’s face yet again. He flipped the knife out and quickly buried it into Kody’s side.  The knife plunged deep into the kidneys and Kody froze, blood bubbled from Kody’s purpled lips. Kody fought against Darrien to take a step towards Gwen’s crying body spread-eagled on the bed. Darrien pulled the knife out and plunged it into him again his arm pumped in and pulled out over and over his movements were frenzied he had to protect Gwen.

             
Darrien couldn’t stop himself. He was lost in a haze of fury. He saw red. There was blood spattering on the walls whenever he pulled the short blade out of Kody’s body. Darrien finally regained his composure his body was fading fast. He collapsed onto the bed; he felt his blood leak from his side. Kody had dealt him a blow that might prove deadly. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1.

             
“Agent Darrien Davis I found Gwen Bjorkman, and Kody McQueen, suspect is dead. I am wounded and so is Gwen, send a bus to the,” Darrien started to black out, darkness was closing in on him he recited the name and most of the address of the cabin, “hurry, federal agent down.”

             
The person’s response wasn’t important; Darrien dropped his phone and unclasped Gwen’s hands. She was still frozen in fear. Her eyes as wide as a doe caught in headlights. There had been so much death around her and Darrien just joined the ranks of killers she knew. She must find him so repugnant at this time. He tried to slow his breathing, he held onto the vision of her face; he needed to look at her to make him pull through.

              Gwen sat up despite her injuries. Darrien had just killed Kody in front of her and the only thing she felt was relief. She didn’t need to have more nightmares, she didn’t need to worry he was coming for her whenever she felt any happiness. She was free of him. She felt no remorse that a human life had been taken in the line of her protection. Her hands worked on the bindings around her ankles, she felt woozy. She had been frozen in fear while watching Kody and Darrien fight. She couldn’t move even if she possessed the strength. She doubted her dubious balance at the moment but she forced herself to move to the edge of the bed, she moved one bloodstained limb at a time. She tried to recall her first aid training not only for herself but also for Darrien. His eyes were open but they were glassy like he wasn’t truly awake.

             
“Shit, Darrien.” Her voice was several octaves too high.

             
He was lying on the bed holding his side but blood was leaking fast between the gaps in his fingers. “Don’t worry Gwen.”

             
His voice was too far-gone. It didn’t sound right for him.

             
“Darrien…” Gwen couldn’t complete the sentence, her voice hitched.

             
She left the bed using the wall and whatever stationary object she could to push herself along, she felt the warmth trickle down her body; she needed to make it to the bathroom. She crashed through the door; she slid on the tile, her own blood covering her feet slipped on the smooth white tile beneath them. She grabbed for the white towels and the robe. Gwen had heard Darrien call for the medics and they would be here soon. She slipped the robe on and took the towels back out; she got to Darrien’s side. His blood soaked the quilt beneath him. She touched his face to wake him and he was icy cold compared to his normal temperature. Gwen cursed and panic flooded her system pushing any pain left in her body away, she had to do something.

             
Gwen started pushing on Darrien’s wide chest; one, two, three, four, five compressions then she took a deep breath, tilted his head back, plugged his nose, and blew air into his lungs. His chest rose as she forced the air in but no other body response. She tried again; one, two, three, four, five, more air. Again, this time she checked for a pulse, she checked for any sign of life. Her head rested against Darrien’s chest. She kissed his heart and continued CPR. 

             
She started pushing harder and harder until a hand settled on her shoulder. Gwen managed to hear a faint thrum of his heartbeat before she was pulled away. She finally noticed the metallic taste of copper on her lips.  Gwen slumped back against the wall; she wasn’t connecting what was going on. There was movement around her. Three paramedics in pristine white collared shirts with black pants quickly took command over the scene of the crime. Her entire body was shaking.  The female paramedic stooped down to Gwen’s vision.

             
“Miss, miss are you okay?” She asked.

             
Gwen didn’t answer she couldn’t speak.

             
“Miss I fear you are going into shock, you have wounds I am going to treat them.” She prompted again for an answer from Gwen.

             
The woman pulled on the robe lightly, her movements were slow and deliberate in case Gwen began to panic. The knife wounds were bleeding ruby red against the white of the cheap robe she found. Gwen’s fingers had a death grip on the tie of the robe, when the paramedic touched her hands Gwen pulled away her startled eyes pegged the paramedic.

             
“Ma’am are you alright? It’s okay I’m here to help.” The paramedic repeated herself.

             
“Go help him.” Gwen aimed a weak push against the other female’s shoulder; she was still fighting to stay upright.

             
“My partners are helping him. I am here to take care of you.”             

             
“NO,” Gwen managed to scream, “go help him I need you to help him.”

             
The paramedic looked over at her partners who were working to get Darrien up, only seconds had passed. She looked back at Gwen and offered her hand, attempting to smooth things over with an olive branch.

             
“Miss please, we need to get you and him to a hospital.”

             
Gwen nodded; the shakes had taken over completely. Again she couldn’t speak. Her eyes were trained on Darrien’s massive body. The other two paramedics lifted him onto the gurney and Gwen’s eyes followed. She fought to stand up, the pain rushed back to her body. She fought through it and kept walking towards the ambulance waiting outside. Her knuckles where white from the grip she still had on the robe. She slipped in after they loaded Darrien. She tried to stay out of the way by his head, she tried to rub his head the way they had the night before.  The two male paramedics climbed into the back and slammed the doors, Gwen jumped at the sound. One male held up his hands slowly to make Gwen calm down.

             
The medical jargon started flying around. One male was working on getting an IV started before the ambulance started on it’s way towards the hospital. Gwen was still stroking Darrien’s head when they started working more and more frantically. His blood loss was staggering. He was barely surviving. The radio was scratchy but they seemed to know what the operator on the other side was saying.

             
“White male, approximately mid thirties, multiple knife wounds to the abdomen, possible internal bleeding, cuts, and faint heartbeat, a civilian was doing CPR when we arrived on scene.”

             
Another gargle came from the other side somewhat loudly, the male that was operating the radio responded with what sounded like a very weak pulse. Gwen leaned down and kissed Darrien’s cold clammy head.  She was starting to close her eyes, allowing herself to black out after all the adrenaline that she lost through the day when she heard the words that made her heart sink to the pit of her stomach.

             
“Fuck he’s coding!”

Chapter thirty-three

She had succumbed to the darkness. Hearing that Darrien had coded was too much for her system to take. Gwen’s hearing came back on first she heard mechanical noises. She flexed her fingers and soreness screamed from her muscles to the point her entire body jerked which caused more pain. Her eyes sprang open and she saw she was in a hospital room, panic immediately set in. Gwen tried to breathe deep but the pain was too intense and her hand came up to her side to hold herself together. She looked at the machines she was attached to, a heart monitor chimed that her heart rate was climbing so she took off the finger clamp and reached to turn off the machine before a crash team came in. She shifted on the bed and uncovered her legs, she saw the damage Kody inflicted and she looked away but she kept trying to move.

              “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” It was a female’s voice that came from the corner of the room and she sounded exhausted.

             
“Who are you?” Gwen asked the stranger startled.

“I am one of the EMT
that found you and your special agent in that sleaze bag cabin.” The woman stood and came closer; she pushed Gwen’s hair back gently.

             
“Who are you though, I want your name.” Gwen was still hesitant about anyone.

             
“My name is Kaysi Groves you’re safe.”

             
Gwen rubbed her forehead and she finally started to remember the ride to the hospital, Darrien had coded. “Where is he?”

             
“Who?”

             
“Darrien, where is Darrien.” She was getting frantic.

             
“I am not sure, he got moved to the recovery wing this morning.” Kaysi said.

             
“I need to see him.” Gwen started to get up, she reached for the stand that was holding her medicine and she began to pull herself up.

             
“You’re a stubborn patient aren’t you?” Kaysi laughed softly but came up to Gwen with her arms out in case Gwen needed any help.

             
“I don’t take to being told what to do very well. It is best to learn that early Kaysi,” Gwen’s body struggled and shook, “how long have I been out?”

             
“Just under three days.”

             
“What?”

             
“Yeah, you passed out in the bus I guess you needed to recover.” Kaysi said.

             
“How? How could I be out that long?” Gwen held onto the cool metal pole for dear life.

             
“Want me to get you a chair? Your muscles need to wake up after being still for that long.” Kaysi sounded worried for the virtual stranger she met days ago.

             
“Yes, please. I need to go see him.” Gwen’s voice was strong; she would not waver from her need to see Darrien.

             
“We can go look for him, here sit down and I will go get a wheel chair and we can wheel you around till we find him,” Kaysi lowered Gwen back onto the bed, “you stay down until I get back I don’t need you falling I’d get in some trouble for that. Got it?”

             
“Yes ma’am.” Gwen said mockingly, her sarcasm was returning quickly.