Chapter 2
Back at the hospital it has been hours since Jake was taken to surgery. Elaina and Sab had come back together. Sab was sitting with Allison and Maria went to sit with Frank and Elaina. The doctor came in to talk to Allison after the surgery.
"Allison I have some good news for you. Jake came through with little difficulty. He's a fighter. We found that out."
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Allison said with a frown.
"He scared us when his blood pressure dropped but we got it back up and he didn't give us anymore trouble." The doctor smiled. "Jake will have some paralysis until the swelling around his spinal cord goes down, we managed to get the bullet out with the least amount of trauma as we could. The x-ray was a little deceiving, it wasn't as bad as we thought."
"When can I see him?" Allison asked.
"I'll allow you to go into recovery, but no one else. He'll be moved after he wakes up."
"Doctor, I want to have someone protecting him until further notice," Frank said to the doctor.
"Only one agent will be allowed back there. When he's moved you can assign more if you want."
"I can take first watch," Maria volunteered.
"No. I think Alex will take first watch. You're too involved to be a guard," Elaina told her.
"Lainie, I can do it."
"What did I just say, Maria?" Elaina stared her down. "Alex, go on back with Allison."
"Fine. I'll wait." Maria went to sit back down.
Frank's cell phone rang. When he answered and listened to the person at the other end all the color seemed to drain from his face. He broke the connection and pulled Elaina over away from the others.
"Lady, we need to go home now!" Frank told her.
"Why what has happened?"
"There was a fire at the ranch. The kids are fine but we need to get there as soon as we can."
"Ok, we need to tell them what's going on, we just can't leave." They walked back over to tell the other what they were going to do.
"We have to leave, we have an emergency at the ranch," Frank told them.
"What happened, are the kids ok?" Sab asked in a panicked voice.
"There was a fire. They got out without injury," Frank told them.
"Go on, we will handle things here," Maria told them.
"I want to go. Please?" Sab asked.
"If you want to, come on," Elaina said, wanting to leave.
When they arrived at the ranch the fire trucks and ambulance were all sitting there. The house was damaged at the living room and kitchen area. Elaina looked for the kids and found them sitting in the deputy's squad car. Frank walked over to the fire chief as Elaina and Sab went over to the kids.
"Thank God the three of you were able to get out. What caused the fire?" Elaina was talking fast in her excitement. Derek handed Sarah to her.
"We were just getting Sarah dressed when we heard glass breaking. The alarm was still on and it went off, then the fire alarm went off. I ran down the hall and saw the fire; I also saw a figure throwing another Malakoff cocktail at the house. I went back and told Becky we had to get out of the house. Then we heard glass break in the kitchen." Derek stopped to catch his breath.
"Take your time, Derek," Sab told him.
"We couldn't get down the stairs, so we had to go out the hall window and onto the roof. I made Sarah sit down until I got Becky down and then I handed Sarah down to her. I jumped down and we went in the stables, until we heard the fire trucks." Derek finished explaining as Frank walked up and hugged him.
"I hear you're the hero. His idea to have sprinklers in the house paid off, they saved most of the house. We can salvage some things when they get done," Frank said, hugging Derek and giving Sarah a kiss.
"I have everything right here that I want saved," Elaina said hugging the kids.
"We all feel that way Mom," Derek said. "Dad the persons that did this were driving a black or dark green GMC truck. I saw it driving like hell after we got out."
"Are you sure it was them and not someone else?" Frank asked.
"I heard them take off. They must've watched for a bit after they set it," Derek reported to him.
"We've got to find out who's doing all of this. First Jake and now our house," Elaina said.
"I'm wondering who'll be next?" Sab stood with her arm around Becky.
"I'd like to know that, too," Frank said. "Elaina, why don't you take the kids back to the apartment, we'll have to stay there for a while."
"Dad if they knew about this place don't you think they'd know about the apartment too?" Derek asked.
"He's right. We should take them to a hotel and then get them to the Double D to be safe," Elaina said.
"Dad, I don't like us being separated," Derek said.
"We don't like it either but you're going back home as soon as we can arrange it," Frank told him, sternly.
"I'm really scared Mrs. Donovan. I've never been that close to fire before," Becky said to her.
"I know it can be terrifying to be in that situation but you did good in getting to safety." Elaina comforted her. "Sab you want to help me get them settled or do you want to stay with Frank and look around?"
"I'll go with you. What about the horses are they going to be ok with no one out here?"
"I'll make sure they are looked after don't worry," Frank told her. "I'll see you back at the hospital, take your time with them." Frank kissed Sarah and Elaina goodbye.
********
After Elaina and Sab got the kids settled at a hotel they went the hospital to see Jake and to meet up with Frank and Cody. Maria was in with Jake as Sab and Elaina walked in.
"Hi ladies. I'll let you visit him a while I need to go home and change," Maria said.
"What are you going to change into cousin a rat?" Elaina teased her.
"No I think maybe a snake so a can slither around and choke you." Maria played along with her making Jake laugh a little.
"Hey come on I'm not suppose to laugh it hurts," Jake said trying not to laugh.
"Sorry sweetie we have to banter occasionally or our week just isn't complete," Maria told him. "I'll be back in a hour or so. Glad to see you out and about Sabrina."
"Thanks," Sab said.
After Maria went out Elaina sat in the chair next to Jake's bed and Sab sat on the foot of the bed. "So are you being treated ok here?" Elaina asked.
"Yeah, Mom and Maria are seeing to it that I am," Jake told her.
"I can imagine." Sab giggled.
"How are you Sab, feeling better I hope?" Jake asked.
"I'm doing ok. I decided I wasn't the only one in the world with a problem." Sabrina smiled at Elaina.
"Nope, we all have a big one right now and that is trying to figure out who did this," Elaina said.
"I already told Frank, I don't remember what happened. I saw Mom in the window and then waking up in the hospital," Jake told them.
"We'll question the target and see where he was when it happened," Elaina said.
"How are you going to manage that with out blowing our covers if they haven't been?" Jake wondered.
"I'll use your UC name when I question him," Elaina informed him.
"You're going to handle this alone?" Jake asked.
"We're all taking a part in the investigation. Alex and Monica are back at the nest now going over cases and seeing if anyone has slipped under our radar and out to get you," Elaina explained.
"Who's going to be my bodyguard until Maria gets back?" Jake wondered.
"I can arrange for Heather and Paula to come over if you want?" Elaina teased him.
"Please don't do that, anyone but them," Jake begged.
"I'll do it," Sab volunteered.
"Are you my only choice?" Jake asked.
"What's wrong with me guarding you?" Sabrina asked a bit ticked.
"Nothing. I just didn't think you'd want to do it with how you feel about Maria."
"I'm not guarding Maria. I'm guarding you until she gets back. I think I can handle that," Sab told him.
"Well, if you two are through discussing your safety I think I'll leave and take my husband out to eat."
"You wouldn't want to bring me back something would you?" Jake asked.
"Sorry, you have to eat hospital chow for a while until you heal up some." Elaina laughed.
"Since when are you a mind reader? I could've wanted something else."
"Since I ate the food here." Elaina smiled and went out the door. She went to the waiting room and found Frank asleep in one of the chairs. She walked over to Cody and Allison. "How long has he been out?"
"Since you went in to see Jake he was out like a light," Allison told her.
"I'll let him sleep. I have something to do, I'll be back in a bit to take him out of here," Elaina told them.
"Where are you going, in case he asks?" Cody wondered.
"I'm going to go ask Mr. Taggart where he was last night when Jake was shot."
"Don't you think you should take someone with you?" Cody asked.
"Are you volunteering?" Elaina wondered.
"Have you ever known me to volunteer?" Cody jeered.
"No, I guess not. I'll be fine. It's just a simple interview and I can handle it on my own," Elaina told him.
"Call when you get there and when you leave so we know you are ok?" Cody suggested.
"Gee Cody, you act like you really care about me."
"I just know if anything happens to you and he knows that I could've gone with you he'll kill me," Cody said looking over at Frank.
"I can see your point. Ok I will call you the minute I get there." Elaina left to go to the interview.
*******
Jake had been dosing off and on while Sab was sitting in the room with him. "Sab could you go get Mom I want to talk to her?"
"I'm not supposed to leave you alone remember? But I'll see if the nurse will." Sab stepped out the door to the nurse's station across the hall. When she came back in Jake was trying to move. "Hey stop that! You can't be moving around, you'll pull your stitches out," Sab reprimanded him.
"I want to sit up?" Jake asked.
"You still shouldn't be trying that, so stop," Sab said as Allison came in.
"What are you doing? You know better than that. The doctor said you'd need help to move for a while, until the swelling goes down," Allison told him.
"I'm not going to wait on a nurse every time I want to sit up. I need to learn to do it on my own," Jake snapped at her.
"They will show you but it hasn't been that long since your surgery so stop moving before you open the incision," Allison said, forcing him to lie back down.
"You wanted to talk to your mom, so I'll leave now. I'll be right outside," Sab told them walking out.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"Are they sure that the paralysis is only temporary? I will be able to go back to work won't I?"
"Of course you will, the bullet didn't damage your spinal cord, it just cause the tissue in the area to swell. That's putting pressure on the cord to cause the paralysis. You have nothing to worry about you'll be fine as soon as it goes down."
"You wouldn't lie to me to protect my feeling would you?" Jake was worried she was hiding something.
"No! I'd never keep something that serious from you," Allison promised him.
"I'm so glad you moved here to be closer to me. I don't know what I would've done, if I didn't have you here."
"I'm glad I moved too. We have really become close over the past few months. I never thought we would be this close." Allison said with tears in her eyes.
"Don't go crying, Mom. I never doubted that we would become close. We are too much alike." Jake took her hand and held it tight.
"Too much a like, I never realized that but I do like the sound of that," Allison said, smiling.
*********
Elaina made her phone call to Cody as she promised. Elaina walked into the small jewelry shop looking around while Taggart was with another customer. The team was investigating him because he had been suspected of trading fine gems for money to be sent overseas to terrorist organizations. The customer left and Elaina went over to talk to him.
"May I help you find something Madame?" Taggart said.
"Are you Jerome Taggart, the owner?" Elaina asked.
"Yes I am."
"I'm Special Agent Elaina Blakely, I would like to ask you about a customer of yours. Antonio Montega." Elaina showed him her badge and ID.
"I pride myself in keeping all transactions confidential for the privacy of my customers."
"I understand that but this customer was shot last night and we would like to know where you were last night between 2 and 3am," Elaina said, getting straight to the point.
"Just because I sell jewelry to a person, doesn't mean I have a reason to be involved in a shooting."
"We're questioning everyone he's in contact with even his barber and dog groomer." Elaina said to him hoping to avoid causing him to be suspicious.
"Why if the FBI investigating this shooting?" Taggart asked.
"Anthony Montega and his lady friend, Elise Ahman, have been under investigation for a few weeks now. We have photos of Mr. Montega coming to your shop."
"I am a very reputable dealer in fine jewelry. I'd never do anything illegal. I assure you."
"Well you may be but Mr. Montega isn't reputable in his activities."
"He bought a necklace for his lady friend and then returned to my shop when the clasp broke on it. That's the only contact I've had with Mr. Montega," Taggart said as another customer came in.
"You haven't answered my question? Do that and I'll leave you to your customers."
"I was with someone. I'd rather not bring into this," Taggart said, quietly.
"You either tell me who it was or you'll be arrested, for impeding a federal investigation until you give me the information I need," Elaina told him.
"That won't be necessary. I'll give you the information but will you please be discrete the lady is married."
"Imagine that, isn't that a wedding ring on your finger Mr. Taggart?" Elaina said, looking at his hand.
Taggart wrote down the name and address of the woman and gave it to Elaina. "Here you go, Agent Blakely. May I ask, is Mr. Montega going to be alright?"
"Yes, his chances are very good. Thank you. We'll be in touch, especially, if this alibi is false." Elaina went out to the car and called Cody to tell him the name so he could run a check on her. When she had given him the info he put Frank on the phone.
"Why did you do this alone? I told you, I'd go there with you." Frank wondered.
"You needed to rest so I went and I did it all by my lonesome. I know how to question people, Frank. I don't need someone with me," Elaina said getting defensive.
"I know but we don't know exactly what's happening around here. Jake being shot and our house burning all in the same day it's suspicious to say the least."
"I see your point. How about I pick you up and take you to eat like I was, before I saw you sleeping?"
"Best offer I've had today. I'll be waiting for you." Frank hung up and gave Cody his phone back.
*******
"Hey Becky where are you going in such a hurry?" a young man asked her. She turned to see who it was.
"Oh. Hi Todd. I'm really late meeting Derek for lunch." Becky told him as he walked up to her.
"Are you two still dating? I wish you would dump him for just a day. I could show you a much better time than he ever could. We would be really good together." Todd gave her a devilish smile.
"I'm really late. So good bye Todd." Becky went to walk past him but he grabbed her arm.
"Why won't you go out with me just once? I'm sure Derek wouldn't mind." Todd said coyly.
"Todd please let go of me. I have to go, leave me alone." Becky pulled free temporarily. He turned her around and kissed her.
Derek saw what was happening and ran over from the café to help her. "Let her go Todd, she wants nothing to do with you."
"This is between Becky and me Donovan, get away from us." Todd still had hold of Becky.
"I said let her go." Derek slammed his fist into Todd's nose.
Todd let go of Becky and she ran away from him. "Derek, come on. Don't fight anymore." Becky called to him.
"I'm not going to". Derek told her. "Stay away from both of us." Derek said as he turned and walked to the café with Becky.
"I'll get you both for this. I'm not through with you yet Donovan." Todd shouted as they walked off.
************
Derek was sleeping next to Becky as they sit on the couch. Becky was thinking of what had happened a few days before. Derek had yet to say anything to his parents about it and Becky thought they should know. She heard the door open as Elaina and Frank came in. She quietly got up, trying not to wake Derek.
"Hi. How's Jake doing?" Becky asked walking over to them.
"He's doing fine. I see my son is keeping himself occupied," Elaina reported.
"He fell asleep watching a movie. Sarah is in the bedroom. I checked on her a while ago, she was ok."
"You look like you could've used a nap yourself," Frank observed.
"I need to tell you something that Derek doesn't think is very important but I do."
"What is it? You seem to be upset about it?" Elaina said.
"Derek was in a fight the other day and the other person threatened us."
"Who was it, he fought with?" Frank asked.
"It was Todd Brannigan. You might remember him from this past spring when he and Derek got in a yelling match at the baseball diamond and they were both thrown out of the game," Becky reminded them.
"I remember him,." Frank said. "I told Derek then to walk away if he ever taunted him again."
"He has been walking away, but this time Todd was being physical with me and Derek was just helping me."
"Just how far did it escalate this time?" Elaina asked.
"Derek punched him in the nose so he would let go of me," Becky told them. "Then as we were walking away he said he wasn't through with us."
Elaina walked over and woke up Derek up taking his feet off the coffee table. "We need to talk young man."
"What? What did I do now?" Derek asked a little confused.
"Becky told us you were in a fight and that you didn't see the need to tell us," Elaina said.
"I handled it there was nothing to tell you." Derek got up off the couch.
"The boy threatened the two of you. You should have told us about that." Elaina scolded him, following him to the kitchen.
"Mom, I didn't take him seriously. He's all blow and no show," Derek insisted.
"Derek, I don't care if you think he was serious or not. Any time you're threatened, we want to know about it," Elaina stressed to him.
"I'll have him checked out and see if he has a police record. It could be as Derek said, just him blowing his mouth off," Frank said. "Your Mom is right though, we want to know when you're threatened. You can never be too sure when that sort of thing happens now."
"I understand. I promise to tell you if it happens again."
"Make sure you do," Frank told him. "Both of you get ready. We're going over to the apartment and pick up some clothes for you two and Sarah, and then we're going to get you three on the plane to the Double D."
"I don't have any clothes there. All of mine were at the ranch," Becky said with sadness in her voice.
"We'll get you some things, don't worry. I have some things stored there that should fit you." Elaina put her arm around her to comfort her.
"We can't go to the Double D," Derek told them.
"Why the hell not?" Frank asked.
"We have a job. We can't just up and leave." Derek saw that they were surprised.
"So that's where you've been going. You told me you were volunteering at the homeless shelter."
"I was, until I got the job. I still do when I have time," Derek told her.
"Why did you keep the job a secret?" Frank asked.
"I wanted to surprise you when I got my first paycheck. Which will be tomorrow, so you would've found out then."
"I'm happy you have a job but I want you, Sarah and Becky to be safe until we sort out what's going on," Elaina told him.
"Can't we just stay here with a bodyguard? I really don't want to lose this job."
Frank sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He looked at Elaina, who was feeling just as he was. "Well, what do you want to do about this?" Frank asked her.
"Where is this job you have?" Elaina asked.
"Maria hired our band to sing twice a week. Since she's been working with you, she doesn't have the time to sing as often," Derek explained.
"Alright the Songbird seems safe enough but I'll see to it, that you have someone watching you at all times. You'll go no where without the body guard got that?" Elaina stressed to him.
"Yes Mom I know to stay close to the guards you give me."
"Do you think it's safe to go to the apartment now?" Becky asked.
"We have the apartment being watched. It will be safe enough, just to pick up our clothes. We'll stay here for a few days," Frank told them.
Elaina went in to get Sarah, when she came back Sarah was rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Daddy. Me hungry," Sarah said, reaching over to hug Frank.
"I think we're going to take care of that. We're going to go eat at the Songbird, how's that?" Frank asked her.
"Ok." Sarah laid her head on his shoulder and fell asleep again.
"She's had a rough day being in different surroundings and the trauma of the fire," Elaina said, rubbing Sarah's back. "Let's go. I'm hungry too."