Hello readers - I know it has been a long time since anything has been posted for this story. It is hard to balance life and the love I have for writing, but I have finally been able to carve out some time. I hope you enjoy what you read. Please feel free to leave feedback and I hope to have a new chapter very soon. I truly appreciate each and every one of you taking the time to read this new chapter. ~WritingAngel
~ * ~~ * ~ CHAPTER 10 ~ * ~~ * ~
Lights flashing and blurry images of white coats filled Kira's vision. She tried to breathe, to make some sense of what was going on around her. She felt tears burn her cheeks as piercing pain radiated from her chest. She began to panic. Where is Randy? She tried to find a familiar face, but nothing would come in to focus and her head seemed secured. She willed the words from her mind to vocalize, but they fought against her and stayed in her own mind. It was torture.
"Get me prepped people," there was a masculine shout followed by more coats, but it wasn't a voice she recognized.
"She's awake," a woman was responding now, but Kira could only focus on the pain. She sounds friendly, Kira thought. "Hi sweetie, we will get you all taken care of, don't you worry," and like that the world around her faded to darkness.
"KIRA," Randy's voice called for her.
Kira tried to respond, to shout and let him know she'd heard, but nothing would happen. The scene melted away. Vlad stood before her, as menacing as always. "Not again," terror filled every crevice of her weak body. She couldn't move and everything hurt. She was powerless. A shot rang out and the world was black once again.
Randy held Kira's hand. She was sweating and her heart rate had accelerated. Nurses came rushing in and pushed him from the room. He grabbed his head in anguish. He should be out there with Lenny searching for the bastard that put her here. He had vanished in the chaos. Everything had been planned, there was FBI on site and they had still managed to lose him. Ace was gone and there was nothing he could do but wait.
"Randy, you should get some rest. It could be a while before she wakes up and when she does she will need you to be strong. Take a shower and clean up. She will need you to be your best." Dr. Brandford had only been forthcoming about her condition after Randy had shown his badge. "There is nothing you can do for her here."
"What if she wakes up and no one is here? Won't that be worse for her than if I stayed?"
"She is in good hands. We will take care of her, you have my word."
He knew there was nothing he could say at this point to convince the doctor to let him stay. He was right, but Randy didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to leave her side. He felt responsible for the entire mess. He'd told her to stay out of it and let him do his thing, but she had to stick around. He'd replayed the comments Ace had made a million times. "Does Randy know what you've been doing behind his back, Kira? He risked his life to come save you, yet you betrayed him over and over and over to me." Kira had told him that Ace was using her, but he didn't know the extent of it. For a while he'd questioned everything, until tonight. Whatever she'd done, he'd forgive. No one deserved the kind of torture and pain she'd been put through. He would find a way to make this right.
His phone broke the silence. He took another look in Kira's room and seeing the flurry of activity decided he would only be in the way and headed to the exit as the doctor suggested. "Hello," he didn't even bother with checking the caller ID.
"Hey man," Lenny's voice answered back. "How is she?"
"Restless. She hasn't woken up and I am getting ready to head to my place to clean up in case she wakes up. Have you found anything?"
"He's in the wind, but we won't give up. I am working with Perez. Chief has authorized a joint task force. He won't get far."
"Thanks man, keep me posted, but I have a feeling we will hear from him before we find him. The only reason we kept tabs on him this long was being on the inside. He won't be so stupid next time."
"You worry about Kira. We will pull you in if we get close." Lenny knew how important it was to find Ace. Randy wouldn't wait long for results. He only hoped that distracting him with Kira would keep him occupied long enough for them to do their jobs.
"Alright man, later," the call ended. Randy headed home. His phone rang about five minutes in to his drive. He checked the ID this time and saw Chance's name on the screen. "What the hell do you want?"
"I know how you can find Ace." The words hung in the air. Randy didn't know what to say. This could be his only chance, but he didn't want to risk Kira being alone for too long.
"How do I know this isn't a trap?"
"I will meet you at a place you choose and explain what I know. He isn't with me, I just have inside information. You aren't the only one with connections. You also aren't the only one that knows what went down. How's the broad?"
Randy could hear his mocking smile through the phone, "You leave her out of this. O'Malley's, 2 o'clock and don't be late," Randy was done taking chances. He ended the call and began a new one.
"Hello."
"Lenny, I need a wire and a squad ready to move." He would go home clean up and head to the station to get strapped up. He was done taking chances on his own. He'd been undercover for years. It was time to do things the normal way. Lenny had no time to warn Randy before the line was dead. There was no choice but to get the team assembled at this point.
Randy hurried through his house barely stopping to catch his breath. He ran from the house and headed to the station. "Let's get this show on the road boys." Randy was pumped with the prospect at a new lead.
"How can you be sure this is legit?" Randy tried to push past Lenny. Lenny strong armed him in to a side office. "Randy!" He pushed him to get his point across. "Would you listen to me for a minute?" Randy's jaw clenched. Lenny was wasting time. "Let's just say this is legit and there is nothing to worry about. Who is going to be waiting for Kira when she wakes up wondering what the hell happened to her?"
"We have been trying for years to get this guy and now we have an actual chance to do it. He is trying to pick us off one at a time and if we don't stop him, I have a hard time believing that any of us will be left."
Lenny's face was red and the vein in his neck was starting to throb. "Pull your head out of your ass Randy. Get back to the hospital and let us do this. Sketch can meet Chance."
"I should be a part of this," Randy was throwing his arms around and pacing like a caged animal.
"You are a liability." Lenny stopped to let the comment sink in with his partner. "If you go out in the field, your anger will control your actions. You can't do this." He stopped. "You know I'm right."
Randy quit pacing. He slumped in the chair of the office they'd taken over. "You already talked to Chief didn't you?"
"I had to. You left me no choice. Look man, I don't blame you for wanting to hurt him. Kira is already hurt, and you got shot even if it wasn't serious. One look at you and it will be open season all over your ass. We can't take that chance."
"Keep me posted." Randy got up and left the station. He kicked the trashcan on his way out. That's what I get for trying to follow the rules. He drove back to his house and fell on his sofa trying to catch a nap before sorting through his next move. The thought crossed his mind multiple times to go ahead and meet up with Chance in order to get the information. He couldn't get himself to stop thinking long enough to get rest. He got up and gathered a bag and headed to the hospital. No one had called, but maybe there will be change from the last time he was there. "This is all my fault." He beat himself up all the way to the hospital parking his motorcycle, he rushed inside.
The orage glow from the inhale on the cigar illuminated Ace's cold face as he watched Randy walk inside. The snarl evident as he exhaled the putrid smoke. Ace knew there was not getting inside, but that bitch couldn't hide forever. When she got out, he would be waiting to finish the job his stupid crew couldn't handle. He threw the cigar on the ground and disappeared further in to shadow.
The silence in the hospital didn't help Randy's mood. It felt cold and empty, just like every other hospital he'd been in, but this was worse. He slowly made his way to Kira's room. The only person with her was the police officer that stood guard at her room. "Have there been any visitors?"
"Just Sketch and Lenny, they checked on her a few times. No one has been here for a while though."
"Alright, thanks," Randy cautiously entered the room, not knowing what he'd find. "Kira?" He spoke quietly. She didn't move. His shoulders slumped as he listened to the monitors beep and hum. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I should have done more to keep you out of this." Randy had never been so torn. He now felt like the biggest pansie on the planet and all because of a chick. Before this he wouldn't have hesitated to meet Chance get the information and get to Ace. Now all he could think about was Kira and if she was going to recover from the gunshot. He needed to check in with the doctor. He instructed the officer to get the doctor for a report.
"Randy?" Her voice was weak but he was to the bed in no time.
"Kira, thank God. I'm here." He took her hand as her eyes fluttered open.
"Where am I?" she was so hoarse he could barely hear her words.
"Let me get you some water." He looked around the room and noticed a glass of water and a straw. He wondered if she'd woke before he'd arrived, and if so, who had been here to help her. He cursed himself for getting so wrapped up in Ace that he'd left her alone when she might have needed him most.
"Where were you?" Her voice was the weakest he'd ever heard it and his life shattered in that one sentence.
"I'm so sorry Kira. This is all my fault." Randy brushed the hair from her face. He cursed as tears burned his eyes. "I had to meet up with Lenny."
"What did you do?" Her voice was stronger and the anger was undeniable.
"Nothing Kira," he stood up and moved to the window. "Lenny wouldn't let me."
"Randy, don't leave me," Kira started crying. "I'm so scared." Randy was to her bed in a millisecond.
"I'm here Kira," he kissed her forehead. "I'm not leaving you. Lenny and Sketch are on Ace. They'll find him."
"No one will ever find him. Don't you see. He got away. He will always get away." She was almost in hysterics.
Nurses flew in. "You have to leave." A small woman was trying to push him from the room.
"I'm not leaving her." He fought his way back to the bed, grabbing her hand, but they were pushing him away and out.
"RANDY!" Kira clung to the tips of his fingers as they pulled them apart, her heart rate skyrocketed.
"Kira, hold on." He spun on the staff. "Let me go, you idiots are making it worse." he screamed. He broke through the crowd once more and threw his arms around Kira. She was frantic. He did the only thing he could think and kissed her. Not because of the heat of the moment, or afraid of losing her, or love, but she needed to calm down and it was all he could think of to keep them away. He felt her relax and released her lips kissing them softly. "I'm not leaving you," salty tears stained his cheeks. It wasn't until then that he realized the cops had entered the room and were standing beside him. "Go back to the door, everything is fine here." The monitor returned to normal. "Get out," he calmly told everyone. The ice in his voice sent chills down her spine.
"Randy," she cried and lay her head on his chest as he cradled her, rocking her gently stroking her back.
Ace paced back and forth at the designated safe house. Vlad was dead and that bitch had stabbed him in the back. "Is there no one left I can trust," he screamed, sending a chair flying across the room. Randy had made a fool of him and now his options were slim. He didn't have a full delivery and he didn't have any leverage to use against Randy. To make things worse, the FBI was now running around the country probably looking for him. "That's it, if you want something done right you have to do it yourself." He turned to his new head cronie. "Get Randy on the phone, I want to talk." The smile of the devil himself leered at the mob.
Randy was caught off guard as his phone rang. "I'll be right back Kira." He stepped out leaving explicit instructions that no one was to enter that room unless they were himself or medical staff. "Hello," he took the call just before it went to voice mail.
"Well, well Randy does live."
"Ace," venom dripped from the very name as it was spoken.
"Is that any way to speak to an old friend. I've gotta hand it to you Randy. You had me fooled. It would seem that even your plan to involve the FBI couldn't bring about the desired results. Tell me, how is Kira holding up?"
"You leave her out of this you bastard."
"Temper, temper," Ace was smiling at the struck nerve. They'd made up just as he'd hoped. "If you recall I'd spent time with her too. It was never my intent to see her hurt. She simply pushed too hard. We aren't here to talk about that. We are going to meet, Randy. Alone, and you aren't going to try anything."
Randy cut him off, "I don't think you're in any position..."
"I'll kill her, Randy." Silence descended. "That's right Randy. Now you will meet me back where this all began. Midnight in the alley."
"This will end." Randy's blood boiled. He ended the call and began pacing. How am I going to keep this from Kira?
"Randy!" He heard Kira calling for him and desperately needed to calm down.
"I'll be right there, Kira." His breathing was shallow and he couldn't get it under control. He had to protect her, but how could he do that with this madman on the loose. This was the only answer. He called Lenny. "Lenny, you have to listen to me."
"Randy, what's the matter, please tell me you are still with Kira."
"Of course I am, why?"
"We are watching Ace. Chance was right. He led us straight to him. You have to stay there Randy."
"He called me Lenny. He told me the terms. I have to go."
"Randy if you do this he will kill her anyway, you have to know that."
Damn it! Randy hadn't even thought of that. He was going to walk in on blind faith. "How could I be so stupid?"
"Shut up Randy. Pull yourself together. You aren't thinking clearly and this is exactly why I told you to stay away. Let us handle Ace the right way."
"The system won't stop him Lenny. He won't stop until he's dead."
"Randy you can't do this."
"You have to promise me no matter what happens that you will keep her safe. Tell Sketch to get back here and not leave her side. If I am not back at the hospital by 2am, you are to get her out of here and somewhere safe. No one is to ever know where you take her."
"Randy..."
"Promise me Lenny! You've been my partner for 10 years, now promise me."
"Shit, I promise Randy, but you better get back. I'm not explaining your death."
"You won't have to." Randy hung up knowing he'd done everything he could to keep her safe until this last stand, now the hard part. He walked back in to her room, tears slowly escaping.
"What's wrong?" Kira knew these weren't tears for her. Something was wrong and she had to know. "You tell me what the hell is going on right now Randy!"
"I have to go. Sketch is coming to stay with you."
"No," Kira shook her head.
"It's the only way to keep you safe, Kira."
"NO!" She shouted between sobs. Randy sat on the bed and Kira began punching. Randy took it until finally capturing her arms with his hands. He kissed her beautiful fingers one by one. "Don't do this," she was sobbing and desperate to get through to him.
"Midnight, back where it all began. Tonight I am going in to that alley."
Kira hung her head pulling her hands back wringing them in her lap. She pulled her hair to one side playing with the ends pooling on her shoulder. "If you walk out that door, you'd better kill him," she held his gaze, no blinking or faultering. "Or don't come back." Randy's eyes widened. "He will kill me Randy." Randy kissed her hoping it wouldn't be their last.
"Sketch is coming to stay here with you. He has his instructions."
"What instructions?"
"To keep you safe." Randy gently pushed the hair from her face gently caressing her soft skin. Kira closed her eyes tears flowing freely.