Chapter 7
"Good morning, this is the Darling Channel 4 news and I'm Greg Mendel. New information in regards to the pandemonium that took place yesterday at the Darling Convention Centre during their second annual comic-con has been reported to our newsroom just minutes ago. Since the incident, reports have been pouring into the news room of how Emma Swan from the hit TV series Pen and Coop was injured in yesterday's shooting at the Darling Comic-Con. News is that Emma Swan was the target of the mad man who began shouting obscenities then attacked the star with a knife and then tried to shoot her. Channel 4 has obtained a video of the attack; it not only shows the man running towards Ms. Swan but also an unidentified woman who stopped him. The video we will be showing was recorded by a participant of the convention who was able to take this video of the attack. Please note that what you are about to see may be offensive, disturbing and may be unsuitable for children. Viewer's discretion is advised."
He snarled as he watched the video of his failed attempt and the way she fought him, taking his focus away from his target. "I'm going to enjoy killing her, slow and painful like she deserves."
After a nice hot shower, food and clean bandages the hit man decided it was time to figure out where the Swan woman was staying and find out who the brunette was. He turned on the motel's decrepit TV to see if the news had done his work for him and named the brunette. Watching the encounter he became more enraged as he watched her come up from behind, stabbing him before the shot got off missing his target, only grazing her face. Swinging back and clocking the brunette in the head put a small smile on his face though.
"I should have killed her when I had the chance!" He yelled and kicked the TV off the table, it crashed to the floor. "Goddamn cops showing up that fast, DAMN HER!"
Shaking off the anger the woman provoked, he opened up the laptop he purchased before coming to Darling. Normally he would have disposed of it by now but he had not finished the mission yet. Tapping into the Wi-Fi of the liquor store next door, he typed in a few codes and creating a duplicate path to mask the breech he continued to break into the hospital's system. It didn't take as long as he thought before he bypassed the hospitals archaic firewall and began searching the admission records.
After they had shown the video, the news reported that Emma Swan had been released from the hospital with minor injuries with no word of her whereabouts. But he knew better and that she was most likely still in the hospital and the Feds were providing protection.
Biting into the chocolate chip muffin he purchased when he went for a coffee and a local paper, he finally broke into the hospital admin records for Saturday to find his brunette. He located a Jane Doe but she was released the same day. As he perused the files, he didn't see any other patients that could be her. They probably ghosted her files somehow. Going back to the Jane Doe, he knew it couldn't be her because he knew her injury would require possible surgery and more than a day at the hospital. "She's there but they've changed the information."
Finding nothing interesting in the records, he began breaking into the security footage. Waiting for a program to upload he finished his muffin and coffee. He already knew where the blonde was staying before the attack and what room number she was in but it was a sure bet she wouldn't be going back there. With this in mind, he began pacing the room to plan his next move once he found the Swan woman and the brunette.
When Zelena came back to Regina's room, she was alone. The FBI finally let Sean go and he drove home with Ashley taking Belle with them. They were given strict instructions by the FBI and Zelena to keep up the story of the three not attending the comic-con to keep Regina safe.
Regina too was alone, Emma having been actually released went to her hotel room to shower and change and gather her things and come back to the hospital to stay with Regina until the next day when she was to be released.
"Hey there Sis, how are you feeling? Today seems worse than yesterday if you can believe that."
"I'm good, really. They've decreased the pain medication, it was making me sleepy, and I need to be more alert now that I'm being released tomorrow. I'm really glad that you're here. I need you to do a few things."
"You're being released tomorrow? What are you going to do after that? What do you need me to do?"
"Come and sit." She said then handed her sister the hospital provided note pad and pen from the table next to her bed, "You're going to need to write this down and then you will need to go home and get most of the things and come back here tomorrow. You will need Mike from the Auto Shop to help you out but you cannot tell anyone why you are doing this."
"Wow, okay, you seem to have things sorted. What are you planning?" Zelena asked she took the pen and pad then rolled the hospital table over, lowered it, and rested the pad on top.
"Don't say anything but Emma and I agreed to refuse the FBI's protection and go it alone. I know that seems crazy and it is a little but we have no guarantees that we will be fully protected or if we'll ever get home again." Regina began. "Neither one of us trusts them to keep us safe. And to keep us separated just seems a little more than we can handle right now."
"You really like her don't you? I mean it's easy to see that she has it bad for you." Hinted Zelena then gave her a wicked grin.
"She's married and has a son. Nothing is going to happen. We're fighting to stay alive we don't have time to fraternize. Please Zelena we need to focus here."
"You didn't deny that you like her, I mean like, like her. She may be married but she fancies you. Don't you see it? I mean the way she looks at you and she's always touching you when she can. She wants you there's no denying that."
"Enough Zelena, she's married and I'm not that person who helps someone cheat. I know how it feels and I wouldn't want to do that to anyone."
"Sorry, I get that. So what do I need to do?" Zelena asked getting back to business.
"Well first you'll need to go to Mike's Auto shop and ask him to get old Betsy running, he'll know what you mean, and fill up with extra gas in cans to be loaded in back. Drop it off at the Motor Mart just outside Darling; we passed it on our way here. You'll need to take out some money from the bank for me. I have some cash at the house in the safe; I'll give you the combination but maybe withdraw more from the bank. Your name is on the account so you can do this."
"Wow, okay, you've really thought about this. Where will you go?"
"I can't tell you that Zee, I'm sorry but the less you know the better. I'm thinking that maybe you should go on a trip as well, get away for a while in case this hitman finds out who I am and links us." Regina suggested as she bit her lip, worried now for her sister.
"He won't find out who you are. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me just stay hidden and hopefully the FBI will find this guy and we can all go back to our lives." Zelena placated as she gave Regina's hand a squeeze. "Now what else goes on the list?"
Sydney came into Emma's room when she was given the okay by the doctor to be released. The drug had worn off enough that the dizziness and fatigued had lessened.
"All right, sign this here, here and here." Sydney said as he handed Emma a clipboard with a few papers on it.
"What am I signing now, Syd? I swear that's all you have me do is sign papers. I really should read some of these."
"I do not, well okay I have, but today, if you want to leave this hospital then you will sign, here, here and here."
"Fine," she conceded and signed in the appropriate places and handed Sydney the clipboard back.
"Great, I'll give this to the nurse and we can go back to the hotel. Is Barney Fife coming along?" Sydney asked as he put the pen back in the clip part and gesture towards the door.
"Barney who?" Emma asked staring at her manager as if he had lost his marbles.
Sighing, he then mumbled, "young ones today."
Emma smirked as she followed behind knowing full well who he was referring to but she loved to get him riled up. Behind her, the officer followed and she looked back, smiled, and told him his new name was Barney Fife. He then gave her a questioning look. "Ah crap he's actually too young to know."
Sydney opened the rental door for her but the officer explained that she was to ride in the police car in the back and was to be driven to and from this way. The reporters were out front waiting and paparazzi could be anywhere as well as the man who was after her. She agreed and both she and Sydney sat in the back of the police cruiser. Ducking down when they passed the reporters out front.
When they arrived at the hotel and walked to her room, the officer took the key card and asked them to stand back so to clear the room before she entered.
What was waiting for them was devastating. Someone had been in her room and trashed it. The officer quickly took her to Sydney's room two doors down and called his superiors to let them know what he found.
It wasn't long before Detective Prince and Knight along with Agents De Vil and Heller arrive at the hotel, the agents going straight to security and the detectives to the ninth floor where the officer was guarding Emma in Sydney's room.
"Ms. Swan, are you all right?" Detective Knight asked as he saw her lying on a bed pale as a ghost.
"Oh yeah, I'm just fine. I have a man trying to kill me and found it fun to trash my room. I'm doing just great."
"Emma," Sydney began but quickly quieted after receiving fierceness from his client he had never seen before.
"Look, I just want to get out of here and back to the hospital. I'm not taking my things any longer so why am I still here?"
"You're right you won't be able to go back into your room nor collect your things, they'll need to process them. I'll take you back to the hospital myself but would you like to purchase some items before we go back?"
"Yeah, yeah I guess I do. Let's go Prince."
Sydney got up and followed but Emma turned around and stopped him. "I think this is where we part ways, Syd. When I get back to the hospital we'll be in protective custody, you won't be able to get near me any longer."
It was her idea to let most people think that they were accepting the protective custody the FBI was providing until the very last moment. The less people knew what they were doing the better it was for them to stay safe and hidden.
"What? Really, I didn't think you were going to do that. I guess this is so long for now, Emma." Sydney said then gave her a quick hug and patted her back. "Make sure you stay safe, okay?"
"I will; the FBI should know what they're doing. I hope."
Once Emma and Detective Prince left the room, Agent Heller walked back towards Emma's room. "So what do we have here?"
Detective Knight glanced back at the agent but ignored him and continued to search for clues while a team of technicians were processing and bagging the articles left behind.
"This doesn't seem like something a hit man would waste time on. There is nothing here for him to find." The detective said aloud to the agent.
"Maybe he was expecting her to be here and in a fit of rage tore the place apart." Heller suggested as he moved a pair of jeans aside on the dresser before opening it.
"Possibly, but highly doubtful," Detective Knight replied before opening the closet door. "I think this was done to continue the ruse of the guy being a stalker. Is Agent De Vil checking out the security footage? Because this could have happened before the comic-con even started."
"Yes she is, hopefully from that we can see who came in here. Do we know who has the room between this one and the managers and the one on the other side of Swan's?"
"The one in between this and the managers was booked for the weekend but no one showed up; the desk said it hasn't been occupied the entire time." Knight replied and walked towards Heller. "The other one was the same. Why, what are you thinking?"
"Nothing really, until we see the security footage there's nothing here for me. So I'll leave you to it, I'm going back to Agent De Vil."
"Okay Sis, I think I've got it all. We've gone over it three times now. I'm good to go, really."
"I'm sorry I just need everything to be perfect to make it work. It's Emma's and my life we're playing with here, and her families. I can't imagine what she's going through right now not being able to be with her son."
"I know I get it and I won't let you down. I promise." Zelena vowed as she put away her list and got up to get her coat. Then turning back to face Regina, "I'm glad you felt that you could trust me with this Regina, I know you think that I'm immature and too carefree which is partially true. I know it seems like I can be flippant and not take things seriously but I can when I want to and right now, I really want to Regina. You can trust me with this and with the café and Mother's firm."
"Thank you Zee, I know I haven't been the greatest sister and that I criticize you a lot. I'm sorry that I make you feel less important than you are. When this is all over, I would like to start over and work on our relationship. I want to be better with us, with everything really."
"I'd like that Regina, you are a great sister, I've never thought otherwise, truly. And yes when this is over let's work on being closer. I would really like to help you with Mother's and your Father's businesses. You need to lessen the load and I want to help with that."
"Thank you." Regina replied softly feeling a little overwhelmed with what had happened and what the future held. "I love you Zelena, I'm sorry I've never told you before but I do and I'm so glad you're in my life."
Zelena walked back to the bed, sat down and hugged her sister, "You listen to me Regina, you and Emma are going to get through this and you'll be back home running everything the way you do. Don't even think that this man will get you; you beat him once you'll beat him again because you are strong, resilient and a huge pain in the ass. You are Regina Mills and you will win."
"Yes we will." Emma confirmed as she walked through the door overhearing the sisters' conversation. "We will get through this together."
"That we will, and with that I am going to go and get the things on the list and I'll be back tomorrow to get you." Zelena replied and went towards the door putting her hand on Emma's shoulder she whispered, "take care of her," and then left the room.
"Hey," Emma greeted and sat at the end of the bed.
"Hey yourself, you look worse than you did earlier, did something happen?" Regina asked looking worriedly at the blonde.
"Nothing gets past you does it?" Emma jested then combed her fingers through her hair.
"Yeah my hotel room was trashed when we got there. My clothes were ripped and thrown about. Prince took me to a store to pick up some new clothes and things. I'm tired of this Regina; I really don't know what I'm doing anymore. Are we doing the right thing here?" Emma said dejectedly.
"Emma, come up here," Regina compelled the woman towards her, having Emma lay next to her putting her good arm around her. "If you want to take the protection from the FBI and not do this on our own then I'll do the same. I don't want you to do something that you're not comfortable with. I don't know how long we'll be hiding or what we're going to do to get our lives back. I don't know what is the right or wrong thing here, I can't give you those answers, and I'm sorry."
"I know, and I'm just so tired and I miss my son and I want this to be over and done with. I want you to be able to live your life again. I just feel so responsible yet I have no idea why this is happening."
"Its okay, Emma none of this is your fault. Please stop blaming yourself it's not going to change what has happened but it will affect what we're planning to do. You need to focus your attention on the present and your future. If we go into this with doubt then it's not going to work." Regina encouraged the younger woman.
Stroking the blonde woman's hair, Regina continued. "Don't make any decisions right now, we have until tomorrow, and there's still an officer outside the door. We're safe now. Just rest and we'll discuss this when you wake up, okay? Whatever we do decide, the detectives and FBI will still be searching for this man, and no one will stop doing that."
"Thank you Regina, I don't know if I could handle any of this if you weren't here with me. It's only been a couple of days yet it feels like I've known you forever and it settles me, you somehow keep me calm even through all this stress. I look to you and I feel like I can relax. So thank you for doing that for me."
"Rest, Emma. Close your eyes and sleep. I'll be right here when you wake. I promise." Regina told her.
