So finally I have managed to complete Chapter 10. I'm so sorry you had to wait so long for this. I lost my Dad on the 1st July and I realized chapters written while drunk do not make for good reading. I had to rewrite most of this so sorry for the delay. Hope this is OK, sorry to those who didn't like it. When I submitted this chapter it said Chapter 20 - why? I have no idea so please do not get confused. THIS IS CHAPTER 10 - THE WAIT.
Chapter 10 - The Wait
Elana was pacing holding her five month old tightly to her chest. Rubbing his back and rocking him gently. He had been miserable all morning, the result of two teeth that were trying to make an appearance. He could also have picked up on his mother's anxiety; she had been unable to relax since seeing the news report.
The loud knocking startled them both and her baby's crying intensified as she made her way to the front door.
Anna stood in front of her. She was crying and although it was a bitterly cold day, her face was red with beads of sweat dripping from her forehead.
Anna rushed passed Elana. Elana closed the door and followed her sister through to the kitchen, still holding Aiden, whose crying had now had become a whimper. Exhaustion finally taking over his tiny body.
"What did you do? How could you shoot that policeman?" Elana screamed at her.
Aiden began to cry again, Elana switched his position to over her shoulder, stroking him gently.
Anna turned to her sister "How…?"
Elana kept her voice low, not wishing to startle her young son again. "It's all over the news; someone recorded you, your face is everywhere. Anna what was you thinking - how could you have done that. My God Anna you killed a policeman?"
Elana followed her sister back to the lounge and Anna slumped down on the sofa and buried her head in her hands. Chocking sobs muffling her garbled explanation.
"I had to; Mikel said he would kill me if I didn't. I didn't want to Elana, I didn't want to do it. I didn't have a choice."
Elana sat on the sofa opposite her sister. Her baby had finally given in to the sleep and she laid him down gently next to her.
Anna, her older sister by three years, looked lost and desolate. Elana wanted to help her; she wanted to comfort her and make the hurt go away as she had done so many times in the past, but she couldn't help her this time; this time she had gone too far. She had her husband and child to think about now. She couldn't let her stay, she couldn't risk getting caught up in this mess.
"Where's Mikel?"
"I think he was arrested."
"Is he the sniper everyone's talking about?"
Anna didn't answer her sister, but she could see the shock written all over her face and she knew she didn't have to tell her sister that Mikel was the person who had been in every newspaper and on every news channel; he was the Toronto Sniper.
"You have to call the police Anna, you have to tell them what happened; that Mikel forced you to shoot the policeman."
Elana's life had been blissfully happy and uncomplicated until a little over a month ago, when her sister arrived unexpectedly from Russia with her boyfriend Mikel. Elana had a comfortable life. She had met and married Grant Bennett, a Canadian banker three years ago and she felt her life was complete when Aiden arrived.
Grant had initially been happy for Elana's sister and boyfriend to stay, but Mikel had a dark side and following a violent row one night between Anna and Mikel, he had asked them to find alternative living arrangements. They had moved out the following day and Elana had not seen her sister until the news report came on the TV and she saw her shoot a policeman dead.
"I can't. I will leave; I just need some money to get home. Please help me Elana, I'm scared, I don't want to go to prison."
Elana was torn. She loved her sister and didn't want anything to happen to her, but this was nothing like before. Anna had always been the one to get into trouble. She had dropped out of school at fifteen and mixed with the wrong crowd. At twenty she was taking drugs and drinking heavily. Elana helped her through and thought she had turned her life around. When Elana left Russia, Anna had a job, an apartment and her life was pretty much on track.
Elana knew what she had to do and hoped that one day her sister would forgive her.
She may have disappeared, but it didn't mean they wouldn't find her, it just meant it would take time. Ed had never been a patient man and Sophie would attest to that - sure he could sit on his sniper perch for hours, but give him an arrogant sonofabitch who had murdered three innocent people, then patience was definitely not one of Ed Lane's attributes.
Ed wasn't at the station by choice - he had wanted to go straight to the hospital to find out how Sam was doing but Stainton had asked for his help and he wanted to see this individual up close and personal; see what kind of human being could murder innocent people indiscriminately.
What Ed discovered about the individual wasn't much, except he was an arrogant, self-righteous individual with more than a few psychopathic tendencies.
He watched through the two way mirror his arms folded across his chest as serious crime detectives interviewed the man who had become infamous in just a short time, and labelled the Toronto sniper.
He wasn't saying anything - the interpreter relaying the detectives' questions to him in Russian.
He wasn't answering any of their questions and had asked for a Russian speaking laywer. He did not trust that the interpreter would be working in his best interests.
It was a slow, arduous process which was making Ed want to leap through the two way mirror and smash the Russian's head into a wall.
Maybe they would get lucky with the woman. Her face now on every news channel courtesy of the young man's recording of the incident on his cell phone. Her image was being put through facial recognition software in the hope she was in the system, somewhere, but that could take hours. Her photograph and description had been circulated to every airport, port, rail and subway station. They just needed a little luck.
And they were about to get the break everyone was so desperate for.
Ed's cell rang. It was Greg telling him he had received a call while at the Barn.
The call had been patched through via the 911 service from a woman claiming to be the sister of the woman everyone was looking for.
"Meet us there Ed; Wordy and I are riding along with Team 3. 420 Briar Hill Avenue."
"Copy, Leah's on her way to the hospital, shall I recall her?"
"Yes Ed, we need everyone on this, but leave Spike at the hospital."
Ed let Stainton know they had a possible break in the case and left feeling something was finally going their way.
It had been over an hour since Jules had struggled into the wheelchair and down to the trauma centre. Thirty eight minutes since the nurse came and told her Sam was alive and not one person had gone in or come out since. She shifted in the chair. A throbbing pain in her stomach had become unbearable but she would not leave, would not move from this position until someone let her see Sam.
A doctor walked through the doors and she held her breath. Spike held her hand as the doctor pulled up a chair and sat and faced her. Jules noticed his face looked sad - Oh God, she thought, he's dead; he's going to tell me Sam's gone.
"Julianna, I am so sorry I couldn't get to speak to you sooner. Your husband… Sam has suffered a serious head trauma. One bullet grazed the back on his head, which isn't too serious. However, a second bullet hit the right side of his head. We have managed to stabilize him and he will be going to surgery shortly. One of the best neurosurgeons in the city is going to perform the surgery but I have to warn you this is a very delicate procedure and you are looking at a very long wait."
"What are his chances, doc?" Spike asked.
The doctor looked at them both with genuine concern.
"I can't give you any percentages; this type of brain injury would normally be life ending, but your husband is one hell of a fighter. I understand you are refusing to go back to your room until you see him?" He was glad Jules hadn't asked any questions. He had kept things deliberately brief not wanting to worry her more than she already was. The truth would just cause more hurt. Even if he was to survive the surgery the chances of severe brain damage were high. This young woman who had suffered so much already may not get back the man she knows and loves and that could be worse than him dying on the table.
Jules nodded, she couldn't speak; she was desperately trying not to scream and the sobs at the back of her throat were making it hard for her to even breathe.
"OK, I'm going to let you see him for a minute before he is taken to surgery. Try not to be too alarmed when you see him, he doesn't look too good right now."
The doctor moved around to the back of the wheelchair and started to push Jules towards the double doors. Spike went in front and opened the doors making their access easier. Jules looked up at Spike and his heart almost broke as he saw the despair in her face. He had never seen her look that way before. Even when Sam was fighting for his life after being pushed off a three storey building, Jules had not looked like this. It was as if this had finally beaten her.
Ed had picked up Leah and both were heading for Forest Hill, an affluent suburb of Toronto.
"Any news on Sam Ed?" Leah had almost reached the hospital when Ed had called her.
"Spike called, they were still waiting for the doctor to speak to them, but what are the odds of him surviving this Leah? I just keep thinking this is my fault - I was the tactical officer, this was my responsibility. It was too dangerous, I should have stopped Sam and now he's probably going to die because of me. How the hell am I going to face Jules?
Leah could see the sadness in his eyes, Ed was suffering and she knew she wouldn't be able to alleviate the guilt he felt. Everyone was shouldering the burden of responsibility. It was a god-awful situation, and she had no idea how it was all going to turn out, but she prayed Sam would make it; for Jules and for the rest of the team.
"No one could have foreseen the sniper working with an accomplice Ed; this isn't your fault, it isn't anyone's fault except the sniper and the woman he was working with. Do we know anything about her yet?" Changing the subject so Ed could focus on what was important now; apprehending the woman who had ripped everyone's world apart.
"Just what Greg found out; Elana Bennett is her sister. Her name is Anna Lekova and she arrived from Russia with her sniper boyfriend about a month ago. Team Three's already here" Ed noticed as he gently brought the SUV to a stop behind the Command Truck, just out of sight of the large grey coloured house with its landscaped front garden A large maple tree dominated the space between the gates and the front of the house. Its fiery red leaves contrasting against the sumptuous green lawn. "Jeez, that's some house - Sophie would give my right arm to live here."
Donna Sabine was in conversation with Greg and Wordy as Ed and Leah approached.
Donna acknowledged their presence and continued with the plan to surround the house.
"There is a baby in the house so no tear gas or flash grenades. The subject is apparently distraught but let's not forgets she is still possibly armed and therefore considered dangerous. Ed, Leah cover the back, Greg do you want to take the lead?"
The telephone rang. Elana felt her heart race. Anna had no idea she had called the police and guilt suddenly took hold of her as she answered.
"Hello".
"Elana Bennett?"
"Yes" Elana replied. She looked over to her sister - she hoped her sister would one day forgive her.
"My name is Greg Parker; I am from the Strategic Response Unit. Is your sister still with you in the house?"
"Yes".
"Is she armed? Is she showing any hostility towards you or your son at the present time?"
"No".
"Can you please put her on the phone so I can talk to her?"
"Anna, it is the police, they want to talk to you". Elana held out the phone to her sister.
"You called the police, Elana I trusted you. How could you do this to me, you are my sister". The line went dead.
"Ed, Leah aggressive entry now" Greg ordered as he Wordy and Donna raced to the front of the house.
A sobbing Elana opened the door. Ed and Leah were already in the house and had subdued the woman who was now crying hysterically on the floor.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to kill him. I'm sorry. Elana forgive me please." Anna screamed as Ed and Leah led her away.
Greg sat Elana down on the sofa; she was in shock and none of this had been her fault. Greg sat with her while they waited for uniformed officers to bring her husband home.
"You did the right thing Elana. I know you feel guilty now but in time you will see you have done the best thing for your sister. With your help we have managed to end this peacefully, with no more lives lost."
The bed Sam was lying on was high, too high for Jules to see him properly from the wheelchair. With the nurse's help she managed to lift herself out of the chair. She almost wished she hadn't.
She gasped when she saw him. She had been here before, too many times, but this time was different. This time it wasn't broken bones or internal injuries, this time he had a bullet lodged in his brain. This time might be the last time she would ever see him alive.
Hi Sam, it's me, Jules." She stroked his hand gently. "We're going to get through this Sam, but you have to fight; you have to come back to me. Don't leave me Sam, please don't leave me." Her tears falling onto the crisp white sheet covering Sam's lifeless body. Every fiber in her body wanted to throw herself over him; to wrap herself around him and make everything go away. All the pain she had felt did not come close to the pain she was feeling now. Her life was laying on that table with him, naked, raw emotions. He was it for her; there would never be anyone who could ever replace him. Why did love hurt so much?
"We have to go now." The doctor motioned to the nurse to help Jules back into the wheelchair.
She was back with Spike and Sam was wheeled to the Operating Theatre. Now they had to wait and pray.
"You OK Jules?"
"I need some air Spike; can you wheel me outside?"
"Jules it's freezing."
"Please Spike, just for a little while."
"If we see that nurse again, she will kill me for sure this time." Spike said as he wheeled her towards the entrance doors. "Only for a minute Jules, then straight back to your room, promise?"
"I promise". Jules replied as she took hold of his hand. She honestly did not know how she would have coped without Spike today.
It had started to rain, a fine drizzle. The kind of rain that sticks to your skin and before you realize it has saturated every inch of you. If it was going to rain it should be proper rain, she thought, not some poor excuse for rain. Not that she was a fan of any rain with the exception of a summer shower following a long hot day, then and only then did she love the rain. She would run into the garden barefoot and feel the wet grass between her toes, watching as the rain drops danced on the bright yellow hollyhocks and the vibrant red roses enhancing their already intense bouquet. Sam would laugh at her "You know you're totally nuts right?"
"It's lovely. Come on Sam live a little, take your shoes off and come and stand in the rain with me." And he did, laughing as he swung her around. Jules wondered if she would ever have days like that again. Would Sam ever swing her around in the garden in the rain?
Jules couldn't bear the memory, it was too painful. "Take me in Spike, please."
Jules curled up on her bed and wished the world would disappear. She had been grateful to Spike for staying with her but right at that moment she wanted to be alone. She wanted to scream and cry and didn't want anyone witnessing her heart break in to a thousand pieces.
"Haven't you got to pick up Natalie?"
"I've still got a couple of hours; her plane lands at ten."
"This is going to destroy her."
"She's stronger than she appears; she's like Sam like that… Sam's gonna be OK Jules, you have to believe he will get through this."
"I don't think I believe in anything anymore Spike. I just know this is it for me now, I can't keep doing this."
Spike wanted Jules to explain what she meant but his cell phone buzzed in his pocket and when he looked at the screen he saw it was the Boss calling. He stepped outside and into the corridor. He told Greg Sam had been taken to surgery and there wouldn't be any news for some time. He then listened intently as Greg relayed the events of the day. Greg would fill in the details later. Wordy and Leah were on their way to the hospital but he and Ed had to stay and Spike understood.
As Spike turned to enter the room he could hear Jules sobbing. He placed his hand on the door handle but changed his mind. He knew Jules and he knew right at that moment she needed to be alone. Instead he sat down on the floor outside her room. It hurt so much that he couldn't take her pain away. He wished he could make everything right again, but he knew nothing was going to be right ever again and he still had to tell Natalie. He fumbled in his pocket for the small velvet box. He opened it and looked at the five diamond platinum ring.