Gabrielle – you've found me out. My nephew thinks I tell the scariest stories. Hope this keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Lucy – When, you say? Well right now and just for you…
Thanks for the reviews. We denizens of Never Never Land need to stick together… Chianna
Chapter 3 – No Greater LoveFrank felt Olga's hesitant touch. It confirmed what he had sensed – she was far too close to the action. Slowly his hand swept back, guiding Olga behind him and to a relatively safe position. This nutcase would have to go through him to get to her. Actually, he was pretty sure that this guy would have to go through Donovan and Talmadge, too. They all were pretty protective of the petite Russian. Donovan treated her like an egghead version of a younger sister - protective yet respectful of her intellect. Talmadge looked at all of them like kids – with a benevolent smile and a shake of the head if they disappointed him.
Olga's movement behind Frank seemed to aggravate this guy. His eyes narrowed and it looked to Frank that he seemed to focus more intently on her. Frank felt the rush of adrenalin sweep though his body like a tsunami. If this yahoo intended to hurt Olga, he'd have Frank B. Parker to deal with. Frank rocked back on his heels and held his hands out palms up in what he hoped was an unthreatening stance.
Maybe some could be fooled by his loud, slightly oversized flaming red aloha shirt with giant white hibiscus flowers. Most in the bar were not. Of course, most of the people in the bar were off-duty military from the secret base where they all worked. One soldier could recognize another soldier - especially in a situation like this. Maybe it was in the eyes – rock hard and calculating - in a way that would discount the smile below as simple camouflage.
They'd never know if the man across the table bought Frank's act or some other external force set him off. They got so little warning.
Some people were rooted to where they sat or stood around the bar. Some were heading to the outermost edges, trying to make a quick and silent escape. No such luck for any of the party from Never Never Land. Tucked into a dark corner of the bar, there were a few pool tables and a whole lot of bar between the Back Step team and the closest exit.
The short, agitated man lurched forward. His face, a pasty white and covered with a sheen of sweat, caused him to swipe at his eyes as if to clear his vision.
Donovan thought it might work to try his luck at talking this guy down since he recognized him.
"Hey, you're Pete, right? In Research? I can tell you're upset. But we all work together. Why don't we head back to the base and talk about your problem."
Frank appreciated the assist. Getting this guy back to the base would contain the possibility of a security leak here at the bar. "Sounds like a plan to me. I'll pick up a six pack, and we'll…"
"No… no you don't. No more talk. He said you would try to trick me. Lie to me. What we do is wrong…evil." He pointed emphatically toward where Olga stood behind Frank. "She's the handmaiden of the science that defies all that is natural and holy." Even more on edge the man started to yell. "WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO CHANGE HIS PLAN…HIS DESIGN!
Frank's whole body coiled like a spring. Talking out of the side of his mouth, he hissed at Donovan, "Any other bright ideas?"
Before Donovan had the opportunity to answer, the Fates dealt them a hand that none of them were ready to play. Of course, the Fates never knew what to expect from Frank Parker.
"She has to die, " he yelled almost incoherently.
"Whoa there, pal…"
Deaf to any further reasoning, the man opposite Frank reached into his coat. Time seemed to screech to halt as the scene unfolded in front of the Back Step Team and the other bar patrons. Frank immediately abandoned reasoning and put a hand down on the green felt surface of the pool table, vaulting himself over the pool table.
His feet had barely hit the ground when Frank heard the report of a handgun and felt the violent tug of a bullet as it struck him in the shoulder and spun him to one side. He heard Olga scream his name. Adrenalin prevented him from feeling the pain immediately, but his left arm felt heavy and numb. With dawning horror, Frank realized that the gunman now had a clear shot at his friends.
Seeming to come to the same realization, the smaller man took shaking aim again. Donovan dove the short distance to knock Olga and Bradley out of the line of fire but Frank was certain that it would not be in time. Frank made his own dive to grab the shooter's gun arm.
The gunman's gaze stayed focused intently ahead towards Olga and Frank's friends, even while Frank grabbed his arm in an iron grip. Frank tried to force the gun up and safely into the air, but with his weakened left arm he couldn't seem to turn the guy around enough to ensure their safety.
With manic strength, the smaller man propelled the chrononaut into a table, almost causing Frank to loose his footing…and his grip on the gun. Distracted, Frank couldn't keep the gun from tipping down again. Another shot rang out. He heard screams of fear but looked up for a second and saw that the bullet had gone wide and hit the wall just above the restroom sign. Again, the gunman swung his aim to Donovan, Olga and Talmadge as they tried to take cover behind another pool table.
A mist had started to blur Frank's sight and he knew that he hand only one more chance. Using the table he'd been rammed up against as leverage, Frank pushed off and used all the upper body strength he had left to drag the gun down and knock the guy off his feet. The pair crashed to the floor. Olga, Donovan and Talmadge jumped to their feet. What they saw was the pair wrestling for control of the gun. They couldn't see the gun trapped between the two men. Donovan took only one step towards his friend when the pair rolled once again. Frank's injured shoulder struck the leg of a table and his head fell back and his eyes closed. Donovan saw his friends face go rigid with pain. Just a second later, a third shot rang out. Donovan froze for just a moment. The rabid researcher looked stunned. In that moment, Frank decked the guy with all his strength, sending him flying off the chrononaut. Thrown toward the door, the gunman scrambled out of the door with one final look thrown back at all of the shocked people in the bar.
A moment of stunned silence was broken, as everyone started in motion at once. Ramsey on the opposite side of the room started running out the door as the whine of an engine and the screech of tires on loose gravel announced the attacker's departure. Donovan looked down at Frank and reached out a hand to help his friend up.
"Come on Frank, let's get that arm looked at and take you home."
Frank's tried to raise his arm, but couldn't find the strength and let it fall back to his side.
"Think… Think I'll stay down here…for a bit."
A look of confusion passed over Donovan's face. He wouldn't put it past Frank to milk the injured hero thing for Olga's attention, but something didn't ring right. He looked more closely at Frank. And then it hit him. There were no white flowers on the right side of Frank's Hawaiian shirt – it was now a solid and very shiny red.
Throwing himself onto his knees next to Frank, Donovan yelled desperately, "Somebody call an ambulance." Looking around at the stunned faces, he yelled again, "For the love of God, somebody, please! Call an ambulance, now!" Talmadge was talking into his cell phone, whispering urgent orders before Donovan's knees had hit the ground.
Donovan stripped off his leather jacket and practically ripped off the shirt that he was wearing underneath. Before he had a chance to do anything with the shirt, small hands took it from him. Olga was kneeling on Frank's other side and had taken the shirt and placed the hem between her teeth and ripped it neatly in two.
Her calm voice belied her shaking hands.
"Mr. Parker. How is it you can take an evening's liberty and reduce it to a riot in record time?" As she spoke she pressed one of the halves of the ruined shirt into the chest wound. Donovan folded his jacket and gently placed it under Frank's head.
Frank tried to focus on Olga, but it seemed so hard. "Everyone has," Frank paused, his chest arching as she pressed the makeshift bandage to his right side. Panting, he added, "…their talents. You…you just discovered one of my many…"
A tear slipped down her cheek and splashed on his. "What were you thinking?"
"Not thinking…you know me." Olga smile ruefully as she giuided Donovan's hand onto the compress she'd just placed and started to work on the shoulder wound. "Lost you…so many times. Doesn't get easier…gets harder. Scares me more each time."
"You saved all of our lives again, Mr. Parker. Now it's our turn to save you. Don't talk. Save your strength."
"You requested…mood… lighting, Olga? Who's turned down the…lights?"
Olga looked to Donovan, who shook his head. The lights were the same. Olga stifled a sob. They were losing him.
"You keep trying to talk me into a candlelight dinner."
"Olga, honey. Don't think they'll authorize… back step for an ex –Seal, ex-nutcase."
Frank looked over at Donovan with affection. "This Boy Scout will do a fine job…saving the world…They know it. So I gotta…got to tell you…"
Leaning over and placing a finger gently to his lips, Olga scolded gently, "Shhhhh. There's nothing you have to tell me…except that you are going to get better."
"Not sure I can tell…you…that. Don't feel so hot. Please, Olga…listen."
Olga couldn't reply. The lump in her throat prevented her from saying a million things that she just realized she needed to tell him. Instead she nodded so that he could have his say.
"I know you think I'm…a goof." Olga shook her head. "Yeah…don't start lying to me… this late in our…relationship."
"I told you a time or two … that I loved ya. Course most of those you can't remember. Damn back steps. The other times, well maybe, I didn't even know if I meant it. But this one thing I know. Can't seem to imagine…how to live in a world…without you. That's what keeps me…doing this gig. Saving the world and …coming back to you."
Pain, like a white-hot knife cutting him in two, caused him to gasp. As his body stiffened, Olga's hand searched out his.
Finally, his body seemed to relax. Frank's face was grey with fatigue and pain.
"Donovan, you promise me… take care of her. Find this whack job and keep her safe."
"Stop getting all dramatic on me, Parker. You're going to be fine. You here me? Fine."
"Donovan…promise."
"Sure Frank. You don't even have to ask."
Frank's eyes seemed to loose focus. He was no longer seeing them, but he felt Olga's small, warm hand still in his.
"I love you Olga Vukavitch, and this…this is how you'll know it's true. I'd back step a million times to do exactly what…I…did tonight, even if I knew…this would go down the same way every…time."
Franks eyes closed and for a second, Olga and Donovan feared the worst. But Frank's chest rose with impossibly shallow breaths.
Olga felt a pain so deep in her chest that she knew that her heart was surely breaking.
"Don't you leave me Mr. Parker. Stay with me. Please God, keep him with us. I love you Mr. Parker. You hear me, I love you. Don't leave me now. You can't. Please stay." The last was barely a sobbed whisper.
Men in black suits slammed through the front doors of the bar and immediately Donovan knew Frank's only chance would be to get him back to the base. The hospital would be too far. Talmadge nodded to him. Knowing that Bradley agreed, Donovan gathered Frank into his arms as gently as he could and ran to one of the waiting cars outside.
Surprisingly, when someone took her hand, she looked up to see that it was Ramsey.
"He'll need you Miss Vukavitch, let's go home."
She nodded and let him lead her to another car. It sped them back to the place that helped them save the world time and again. Now she needed to save her world and she swore that she would, no matter what it took.
TBC…Are you hooked yet?