Chapter 14,
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Fiona's eyes flew open. She wasn't dead, she was sure she had been shot. She tried to move, and felt blood run down her side, she couldn't free herself. On the edge of panic, she took a deep breath, calming herself. The was someone on top of her, it was his blood that ran over her. Using all her strength she tried to move the body but it wouldn't budge. She could make out Michael lying on his back, eyes open but unseeing. The handcuffs were still in place, a gun still clenched in his hand. The man in charge, she never got his name was crawling away, his other bodyguard was coming round making moaning noises. He was only a foot or so away from Michael's gun. She kept trying to get herself free, she didn't have enough air in her lungs to shout a warning.
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Michael was concentrating on breathing, his ribs and stomach were hurting with every breath. He turned onto his side trying to see what had happened to Fiona. He could barely make her out, he tried to push back the thought that he had got her killed. A movement caught his eye as a hand made a grab for his gun, he fired on instinct.
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"What the hell!" Quinn gasped, as he surveyed the damage.
Pieces of smouldering helicopter were strewn all over the front of his house. Six bodies lay amongst the wreckage, most of them bloody. Not all of them moving.
Sam shook himself, a feeling of dread sending him running for the stairs. "We need to get out there now!" He didn't wait to see if he was being followed.
"I have a medic with me." Quinn ran after him. "Let him go. He can help."
"Did you see that?" Seymour enthused. His eyes wide, he threw his arms apart. "Kaboom!" He grinned at Sam, then turned to Quinn. "What have you got up there?"
"Seymour, shut up." Sam growled. "It wasn't us. We need to find out whose out there." He handed Quinn a knife to cut his people free.
A shot rang out. For a second everybody froze expecting more gunfire. None came. "Ok let's go." Sam opened the door.
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Fiona stared over at Michael, the shot had broken through to her protective instincts. "Michael!" The word came out as a croak. She kept struggling to move until a hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Steady there Fi, let me look you over." It was Sam and Seymour, they moved the body off her, and tried to keep her still.
"Michael." She said again, worried that neither he or the bodyguard had moved since the shot was fired.
Michael came round as a hand touched his throat. He raised the gun pressing the barrel against the forehead of the figure above him.
Quinn stared into red rimmed unfocussed eyes. "Sam. Mind telling your friend here we're on the same side?"
"Mikey, how are ya doing buddy?" He called out. "Let the nice man help you." Quinn breathed a sigh of relief as Michael's shackled arms dropped down and his eyes shut.
"How is he?" Sam asked.
"Alive, lots of bruises, that ankle is well and truly busted now. How about Pete, he dead?" He already knew the answer, but had to ask.
He quickly looked over at Pete, grimacing at the wound in his back. "Sorry, if it's any consolation it would have been quick."
He turned back to Fiona. "See Mike's gonna be fine. Let's get you both back inside. The Fed's will be here soon." He carefully picked her up, trying not to listen to the language coming from her mouth.
Seymour let out a yell, then stood mouth opening, and shutting several times as if he was doing an imitation of a fish. He pointed to behind the burnt out helicopter, a big grin plastered his face. Sam looked to see what Seymour was creating about, and he nearly dropped Fiona onto the ground.
Walking towards them, the RPG balanced on his shoulder was Seymour's bodyguard. As he got closer he began to explain. He spoke in a rush.
"Sorry it took so long it took ages to find the rocket launcher and Seymour man you'd moved the manual. Then by the time I found it and worked out the set up, Mike and Fi were in the way. But when they went down I figured I should just shoot-" He stopped as Seymour grabbed the him into a big hug. On releasing him he gave him a hard slap on the back. "Badass or what man. You, are getting a pay rise. We get back-"
Seymour stopped, something suddenly registered, he turned to Sam a horrified look on his face. "Feds? You called the Feds?"
"Hey, international criminal, with connections to terrorism. They're not going to care about you." Sam pointed out. He looked down on Martouk who lay cable tied on the ground as he spoke.
"I have a reputation Sam. If it gets out I've been seen with FBI-"
"Seymour. Look where we are. Who is going to see you?" He started walking to the house, Fiona cradled in his arms.
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As soon as he placed her down, the medic got straight to work on assessing Fiona's injuries. Sam moved away, hoping to be able to catch a breath. But it seemed his friend had other ideas.
"Sam!" It was Michael, frustration very plain in his voice.
"For crying out loud." This was from Quinn. "See if you can get him to sit still? I'm going to bring my brother's body inside and check on Martouk."
"So where doesn't it hurt?" Sam joked. Taking a seat facing his friend, hoping to distract him.
"Funny Sam," Michael managed to groan. He looked around the room, his eyes settling on Fiona. "How is she?"
" She's gotta nasty head wound, and her left leg is injured, also it looks like a bullet grazed her side, she'll be fine. How about you?"
"I'll live." Was the short reply. "Get me over to her."
"That medic of Quinn's is taking care of her, we'll be in the way Mike."
Standing up, balancing on one leg. "I don't trust him. Why aren't you looking after her?" He demanded.
Sam knew the was no point arguing, an injured Michael was basically a pain in the ass. So with a sigh he slipped his shoulder under Michael's arm to support him and picked up a chair in the other hand. He placed the chair on the righthand side of the table, hoping it would be out of the way. Then dropped Michael down on the chair.
"Happy?" Sam asked.
"Estatic." Came the sarcastic reply. "So what happened?" He had managed to lace his fingers with Fiona's, gently squeezing her hand.
"Seymour's bodyguard saved the day. I'm gonna have to find out his name. Buy him a drink or three as soon as we get home."
"Martouk?"
"He's outside, ready for the Fed's to swoop up and save the day. What did you say to him. He nearly killed you on the spot."
Michael ran a hand over his eyes. "Remember Fi's Libyan friend? Helped me put the screws to Cowan? Well I gave him a piece of intelligence, of no interest to our side." He added hurriedly. "But it mattered to the Libyans, pointed them in the right direction to close a terror cell that had blown an oil pipeline and killed a lot of people."
"Martouk involved?"
"His kids."
"Ah." Was Sam's only comment.
Once Fiona was patched up as well as could be done on a kitchen table. The medic turned to Michael.
"Can I look at your injuries now?"
Michael gave him a toothy smile, which didn't reach his eyes. "As long as you don't try to stick me with anything." He stayed as still as he could while he was poked and prodded. Wishing that Sam hadn't taken the gun off him when he removed the handcuffs, as his ankle was examined.
"Any chance you two could go to hospital when the FBI turn up?" The medic wanted to know.
Michael shook his head. He had no intention of being interviewed by the FBI over his involvement with Martouk. Fiona was probably still on a couple of most wanted lists and even if she wasn't, she had no legal right to be in the country.
"Ok I'll strap your ankle and ribs up. She's definitely got a concussion, I've cleaned and glued the head wound and you should have her hip X-rayed. Apart from that they both need rest." He aimed the last part at Sam. Privately adding, Good luck with that.
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"Helicopter coming in and a whole load of SUVs!" The shout came from upstairs.
Sam was on his feet. "Shit." He had his phone to his ear. He made the call just in time as the SUVs came to a stop. He had nearly blown up a FBI strikeforce with a load of highly illegal grenades.
"O.k, I'm going to try and run some damage control. Mike, you, Fi and Seymour need to be out of sight."