Authors Note: Thank you all for the reviews and follows. I'm very humbled by all of you. I wanted to respond to the editing comments. I am happy to report that I am not an English teacher. I have no editing abilities and in the past my stories have gone cold waiting for the beta to be done, so as a result I ask that you look past the errors.
"Annie, Annie wake up love." Simon called softly as he gently shook Annie's sleeping form. Annie began to stir and opened her eyes.
"Simon, what, what happened? Lena, you, she…" Annie stumbled.
"Shhh, everything is okay. Come away with me Annie. We will be so happy. They will never find us." Simon begged.
"Annie, stay with me. Come on Annie you have to fight. I can't lose you. Please Annie I can't lose you." Auggie called out.
"Auggie, Simon, I don't understand. What's happening?" Annie asked?
Annie looked down she was all dolled up in a beautiful red gown standing in the middle of grand ballroom. To her right stood Simon, the one she had fallen for in a dashing grey suit holding his hand out to her. To her left stood Auggie, her best friend in a black suit and a sparkle in his eye begging her to fight. This wasn't real. This couldn't be real.
Sirens blared in the background. Auggie stood frozen as tears poured down his face. How did they get here? Annie would never betray her country, she would never lie to him. Who did this? Time stood still, it seemed like hours had passed. He felt strong arms grab onto his shoulders and pull him away.
"Joan ride with Annie, I'll take Auggie." Arthur said.
"Sir she didn't do this! She couldn't have. How could you even think that after all she has done, how could you believe she would betray us, that she could have a hand in killing Jai?" Auggie yelled. His best friend was dying, she was bleeding to death and after all she had done, she would be remembered as a traitor! No that wouldn't happen."
"Auggie, I, I'm sorry about Annie. Lena came up with a rock hard case. I have no choice but to investigate this. Lets just hope she pulls through and can give us her side." Arthur replied.
He knew in his heart Auggie was right but he was stuck. Jai was dead, everything was coming down on him just as Henry Wilcox had predicted it would. Something felt off, Lena's case was a little too perfect but it was Annie or him, someone had to take the fall. Annie would die a traitor, her secrets would be buried with her.
The ride in the ambulance was the longest 10 minutes of Joan Cambell's life. She sat in the front seat watching the lights fly by as the Paramedics fought to stop the bleeding. Annie was pale, lifeless on the gurney. A tube had been placed down her throat and a young EMT was squeezing the bag that was keeping her alive. Her clothes had been cut off leaving her exposed, as blood trickled out of the layers of gauze covering her stomach and lung. She heard them say one of the bullets broke her rib which punctured her lung, the other was logged somewhere in her liver. The paramedics were on the radio now, 3 minutes out, 29 year old female with multiple GSWs, B/P dropping fast, intubated, blood loss, internal bleeding, CRASHING! Were losing her, I need the paddles now. Charge to 200, CLEAR. Joan turned her head and watched as the woman she came to respect, the woman who has become like a daughter loses her battle. BEEEEEPPPP. Again, charge to 250 come on! BEEP, BEEP…we got her back.
Suddenly the backdoors were thrown open and a team took Annie and raced into the hospital. Joan sat frozen in her seat, shaking as the sobs she had been holding back shook her body.
Ma'am, ma'am can I help you inside, the driver asked softly. Ma'am. Joan shook herself from his grasp. I'm fine. I'm fine. She quickly wiped away the traces of her broken guard and stormed into the hospital head held high.
"May I have this dance, Annie?" Simon asked as he stepped forward and brought Annie into his arms. They began to waltz around the room.
"Simon where are we? How did we get here?" Annie began to question.
"Annie, do you remember the day we met?" Simon asked.
"Of course", Annie replied smiling.
"Well I have a confession." Simon replied with a grin on his face.
"Oh really, and what might that be?" Annie replied.
"I saw you getting into your car and you took my breath away. The way your golden hair shone in the light of the sun, and your beautiful red lips curled up just the slightest bit, the sparkle in your eyes took all my pain away. One look from you and my heart was no longer mine. I bumped into your car, I caused the accident. It was my chance at get to know the person beneath the beauty." Simon declared.
"Simon…," Annie began but was silenced by Simon's lips pressing against hers. Soon she was lost in his passion, Swept away and ready to follow him to the ends of the earth.
A tap on her shoulder tore her from her fantasy.
"Auggie?" Annie asked.
"It's my turn Annie Walker. Auggie replied as he began to lead Annie in the tango. He held her arms out and whispered in her ear. Fight Annie Walker. You have to fight. You are my best friend. I can't do this without you. I need you, the agency needs you. Think about Danielle and the girls, you are so important Annie. You can't just walk away from this please."
Arthur had dropped Auggie off at the hospital. He knew he would watch out for her while he went back to Langley and did an investigation of his own, an investigation into the real traitor, Lena Smith.
Auggie and Joan sat quietly in the private waiting room of the hospital. Hours had passed and still no word. Both tried to stay positive, no news was good news. If she had died they would know by now. Or at least they thought.
From down the hall footsteps grew closer. "Auggie, Auggie wake up?" Joan said.
Let me know what you all think of this chapter. Any thoughts on who is coming down the hall? What do you think about the dream sequence with Annie and the men in her life? This is new for me, any advice or support is greatly appreciated. Thanks!