Chapter 13
Sandi must have just heard Duncan's shout because she looked round at him, their eyes meeting, a split second before the car hit her. As the car slammed into her body, it sent her flying up the hood, smashing into the windshield. As her body slammed into the glass the rapier was ripped from her hand. The impact was so hard the momentum sent her over the roof before her body came crashing to the ground, with a sickening thud. Sandi's body then rolled another 6 feet before it finally came to a halt. The pink silk wrapped rapier landed in the gutter on the other side of the road.
As the car roared away the driver hadn't seen the woman and stroller start crossing the road, as he skidded the car around the corner the car slid sideways the rear end of the car hitting the stroller, ripping it from the woman's grasp as she was spun round and was flung against the kerb. The stroller spun across the road straight into the path of a truck, plumes of smoke came from the trucks wheels as the driver stood on the brakes but there was nothing he could do. A woman's frantic voice screamed out "NO".
Duncan had started to run towards Sandi when the squeal of brakes made him look further up the street.
"Oh my God" Richie exclaimed as followed Duncan across the road. As Duncan's attention returned to Sandi he saw a man dressed in a grey suit leap out of his red car and run over to her. When Duncan got a few steps from Sandi the man was already kneeling by her; he looked up at the people gathering around "Someone call 911. She's still alive".
"Is there anything I can do? I...I'm her friend."
The man looked up "Yes, I'm a doctor can someone get my bag it's in that car, the red dodge"
Duncan looked over at Richie "I'm on it"
The man then looked at Duncan "She drifting in and out of consciousness I need you to talk to her. What's her name?"
As Duncan knelt down beside Sandi's battered and bloodstained body he swallowed hard before answering "Sandi, Sandi Knight".
The doctor nodded "Sandi can you hear me? You've been in an accident but help is on its way. Now your friends are here so I need you to keep them calm. Can you do that?"
Sandi couldn't move much but Duncan was sure that he saw her nod her head slightly.
"Here you go Doc" Richie said as he handed the bag to the doctor who quickly opened it taking out what he needed "Talk to her".
"Sandi, it's Duncan" as he spoke Sandi's eyes fluttered open.
"Helps on its way. You just have to stay with me" As he spoke Duncan noticed that some young children were moving closer to the rapier lying in the gutter. He didn't have to say a word Richie followed his eyes "I'll get it".
As Richie crossed towards the pink silk Duncan called after him "Take it to the dojo."
"I think I'd better take that," Richie said as he reached the group of children, he could see that in the impact the blade had cut through the silk. Now that the rapier was safe Duncan turned his attention back to Sandi. The doctor got up, putting his hand on Duncan's shoulder. "I've done all I can. The ambulance should be here soon I've got to see if I can help the others."
"Thank you" Duncan said before he looked back to Sandi, her eyes were starting to close "Sandi, you can't go to sleep you have to talk to me".
Sandi slowly opened her eyes to look at him, her voice was quiet and her breathing laboured "Duncan, I'm sorry".
Duncan gently lay his hand onto her hair "Don't worry about that now. We'll deal with it later, together."
Sandi blinked her eyes and grimaced as she tried to nod. Duncan glanced over at the doctor who had just reached the scene at the other end of the street "You know I managed to get tickets to that show you said you wanted to see, you know Phantom of the Opera and then we are going to La Regata. I had to call in several favours for that table."
Duncan looked round as the sound of sirens heralded the arrival of the ambulances and the police, Sandi managed to reach up and grasp Duncan's arm bring his attention back to her.
"I...I think you...should tell them...not to hold our table" Sandi just managed to say before the paramedics arrived and moved Duncan away. As Duncan stood watching Richie walked up to his side "How's it look?"
Duncan half turned to him "I don't know Richie but I don't think it's good she took a hellva impact".
"Excuse me did either of you see what happened here?" Duncan turned to see a middle-aged policeman, his shirt straining at the buttons, walking up to them. Duncan gave them a description of the vehicle and what happened while keeping his eye on Sandi. As he saw the paramedics carefully lift Sandi onto the stretcher he took a step forward only to find the policeman hand on his arm.
"I haven't finished".
Duncan glared first at the policeman's hand and then into his eyes "For now you have. I'm going with her."
The policeman dropped his hand from Duncan's arm as the anger in his eyes bored into his own. "O...Ok but I'll need you to come in to make a statement".
Duncan only nodded before striding towards the ambulance. Richie followed but when they got to the back of the ambulance Duncan turned to him "Richie, lock up the dojo for me."
"Sure Mac" Richie said as he watched Duncan climb into the back of the ambulance sitting down opposite Sandi.
County Hospital
It seemed to Duncan that the ambulance had hardly rolled to a stop when the paramedics flung open the door, outside were several nurses who assisted as they rushed Sandi inside, Duncan climbed down and followed. Just as the doors to the ER were closing the other ambulance arrived and more nurses rushed past.
Duncan had to quicken his pace to catch up with the stretcher; he looked down at Sandi as they rushed through the halls, until a familiar voice made him look up.
"What have we got?"
"Hit and run victim, she has a broken leg, head injuries and there could be some internal bleeding. We've managed to stabilise her condition but her breathing is laboured and pulse erratic."
"Let's get her into the OR people"
"Anne?" In all the confusion Duncan hadn't thought that Anne might be on duty.
Anne turned around as the stretcher was rushed past her into the operating room "Duncan? Is she a friend of yours?"
"Yes, She is a friend her name is Sandi" Duncan replied. Anne could see the worry on her old friend's face; she gently squeezed his arm "We'll do everything we can. Try not to worry Duncan. I'll come and find you when I know more."
"Thanks" was all Duncan managed to say before Anne disappeared into the operating room and the doors swung shut.
A hotel room on the other side of the city
Helena lent against the side of the window, watching the street below, she only moved when she saw a white car pull into the parking lot across from the hotel. As she drew the curtains the room became lost in shadows, Helena sat in the chair in the darkest shadow to wait.
She pulled out her gun and slowly screwed on a silencer as she heard the sound of 2 male voices come closer to the room. Helena hid the gun in the folds of her black coat as the key was put into the lock. The 2 men walked into the room, the first one threw his jacket and holster onto the nearest bed. "I'm going to grab a shower".
"I don't remember leaving the curtains closed" the other man said as he flicked on the light.
"Must have been the..." the first man didn't finish what he was saying as he saw Helena sat in the chair by the wall "Helena what are you doing here?"
The man that had turned the light on moved cautiously closing the door and walking further into the room. "We were told you backed out of this one. Remember the money for this one is ours, after all we dealt with it without your 'expert' help".
"Oh you did, did you? Then how come the only person that is dead is a 3 year old child?"
"She can't have survived an impacted like that?"
Helena got to her feet making sure that the gun was ready but still hidden from view. "Well she did and you've broken 3 of the rules"
The man nearest to the door slowly moved his hand inside his jacket; the move wasn't lost on Helena "Rules what rules, there are no rules in this business other than making sure your mark dies."
"True, making sure the mark dies is very important but making sure it's done without one else dying, especially a child is just as important." Helena said as she tightened her grip on her gun and brought it out pointing towards the man nearest to the door "Not to mention that you have put me in a very awkward position."
The man nearest to the door pulled his gun but before he could fire, Helena had pulled the trigger hitting him in the hand shattering his bones, forcing him to drop his weapon. As the other man leapt towards the bed and his gun Helena fired again. The bullet hit him just below his armpit on his left side and it tore through his lungs exiting after it smashed its way through his rib cage on the other side, splattering the bedclothes and part of the wall with his blood and body tissue. Helena then turned her attention back to the man she had shot in the hand.
He was now cowering in the corner by the bed; Helena walked towards him "B...But you can't do this. Mr Lopez would never have agreed to this."
"No he didn't. The fact that having to rescue you from that dojo has exposed me I can live with but you had no right to kill that child" Helena said as she levelled the gun at the man's head. The gun let out a soft sound and the man's head jerked backwards as the bullet hit him between the eyes, Helena watched as his blood and brains dripped down the wall.
She then opened the door and looked back at the man "May you not make the same mistakes in your next life".
Sandi must have just heard Duncan's shout because she looked round at him, their eyes meeting, a split second before the car hit her. As the car slammed into her body, it sent her flying up the hood, smashing into the windshield. As her body slammed into the glass the rapier was ripped from her hand. The impact was so hard the momentum sent her over the roof before her body came crashing to the ground, with a sickening thud. Sandi's body then rolled another 6 feet before it finally came to a halt. The pink silk wrapped rapier landed in the gutter on the other side of the road.
As the car roared away the driver hadn't seen the woman and stroller start crossing the road, as he skidded the car around the corner the car slid sideways the rear end of the car hitting the stroller, ripping it from the woman's grasp as she was spun round and was flung against the kerb. The stroller spun across the road straight into the path of a truck, plumes of smoke came from the trucks wheels as the driver stood on the brakes but there was nothing he could do. A woman's frantic voice screamed out "NO".
Duncan had started to run towards Sandi when the squeal of brakes made him look further up the street.
"Oh my God" Richie exclaimed as followed Duncan across the road. As Duncan's attention returned to Sandi he saw a man dressed in a grey suit leap out of his red car and run over to her. When Duncan got a few steps from Sandi the man was already kneeling by her; he looked up at the people gathering around "Someone call 911. She's still alive".
"Is there anything I can do? I...I'm her friend."
The man looked up "Yes, I'm a doctor can someone get my bag it's in that car, the red dodge"
Duncan looked over at Richie "I'm on it"
The man then looked at Duncan "She drifting in and out of consciousness I need you to talk to her. What's her name?"
As Duncan knelt down beside Sandi's battered and bloodstained body he swallowed hard before answering "Sandi, Sandi Knight".
The doctor nodded "Sandi can you hear me? You've been in an accident but help is on its way. Now your friends are here so I need you to keep them calm. Can you do that?"
Sandi couldn't move much but Duncan was sure that he saw her nod her head slightly.
"Here you go Doc" Richie said as he handed the bag to the doctor who quickly opened it taking out what he needed "Talk to her".
"Sandi, it's Duncan" as he spoke Sandi's eyes fluttered open.
"Helps on its way. You just have to stay with me" As he spoke Duncan noticed that some young children were moving closer to the rapier lying in the gutter. He didn't have to say a word Richie followed his eyes "I'll get it".
As Richie crossed towards the pink silk Duncan called after him "Take it to the dojo."
"I think I'd better take that," Richie said as he reached the group of children, he could see that in the impact the blade had cut through the silk. Now that the rapier was safe Duncan turned his attention back to Sandi. The doctor got up, putting his hand on Duncan's shoulder. "I've done all I can. The ambulance should be here soon I've got to see if I can help the others."
"Thank you" Duncan said before he looked back to Sandi, her eyes were starting to close "Sandi, you can't go to sleep you have to talk to me".
Sandi slowly opened her eyes to look at him, her voice was quiet and her breathing laboured "Duncan, I'm sorry".
Duncan gently lay his hand onto her hair "Don't worry about that now. We'll deal with it later, together."
Sandi blinked her eyes and grimaced as she tried to nod. Duncan glanced over at the doctor who had just reached the scene at the other end of the street "You know I managed to get tickets to that show you said you wanted to see, you know Phantom of the Opera and then we are going to La Regata. I had to call in several favours for that table."
Duncan looked round as the sound of sirens heralded the arrival of the ambulances and the police, Sandi managed to reach up and grasp Duncan's arm bring his attention back to her.
"I...I think you...should tell them...not to hold our table" Sandi just managed to say before the paramedics arrived and moved Duncan away. As Duncan stood watching Richie walked up to his side "How's it look?"
Duncan half turned to him "I don't know Richie but I don't think it's good she took a hellva impact".
"Excuse me did either of you see what happened here?" Duncan turned to see a middle-aged policeman, his shirt straining at the buttons, walking up to them. Duncan gave them a description of the vehicle and what happened while keeping his eye on Sandi. As he saw the paramedics carefully lift Sandi onto the stretcher he took a step forward only to find the policeman hand on his arm.
"I haven't finished".
Duncan glared first at the policeman's hand and then into his eyes "For now you have. I'm going with her."
The policeman dropped his hand from Duncan's arm as the anger in his eyes bored into his own. "O...Ok but I'll need you to come in to make a statement".
Duncan only nodded before striding towards the ambulance. Richie followed but when they got to the back of the ambulance Duncan turned to him "Richie, lock up the dojo for me."
"Sure Mac" Richie said as he watched Duncan climb into the back of the ambulance sitting down opposite Sandi.
County Hospital
It seemed to Duncan that the ambulance had hardly rolled to a stop when the paramedics flung open the door, outside were several nurses who assisted as they rushed Sandi inside, Duncan climbed down and followed. Just as the doors to the ER were closing the other ambulance arrived and more nurses rushed past.
Duncan had to quicken his pace to catch up with the stretcher; he looked down at Sandi as they rushed through the halls, until a familiar voice made him look up.
"What have we got?"
"Hit and run victim, she has a broken leg, head injuries and there could be some internal bleeding. We've managed to stabilise her condition but her breathing is laboured and pulse erratic."
"Let's get her into the OR people"
"Anne?" In all the confusion Duncan hadn't thought that Anne might be on duty.
Anne turned around as the stretcher was rushed past her into the operating room "Duncan? Is she a friend of yours?"
"Yes, She is a friend her name is Sandi" Duncan replied. Anne could see the worry on her old friend's face; she gently squeezed his arm "We'll do everything we can. Try not to worry Duncan. I'll come and find you when I know more."
"Thanks" was all Duncan managed to say before Anne disappeared into the operating room and the doors swung shut.
A hotel room on the other side of the city
Helena lent against the side of the window, watching the street below, she only moved when she saw a white car pull into the parking lot across from the hotel. As she drew the curtains the room became lost in shadows, Helena sat in the chair in the darkest shadow to wait.
She pulled out her gun and slowly screwed on a silencer as she heard the sound of 2 male voices come closer to the room. Helena hid the gun in the folds of her black coat as the key was put into the lock. The 2 men walked into the room, the first one threw his jacket and holster onto the nearest bed. "I'm going to grab a shower".
"I don't remember leaving the curtains closed" the other man said as he flicked on the light.
"Must have been the..." the first man didn't finish what he was saying as he saw Helena sat in the chair by the wall "Helena what are you doing here?"
The man that had turned the light on moved cautiously closing the door and walking further into the room. "We were told you backed out of this one. Remember the money for this one is ours, after all we dealt with it without your 'expert' help".
"Oh you did, did you? Then how come the only person that is dead is a 3 year old child?"
"She can't have survived an impacted like that?"
Helena got to her feet making sure that the gun was ready but still hidden from view. "Well she did and you've broken 3 of the rules"
The man nearest to the door slowly moved his hand inside his jacket; the move wasn't lost on Helena "Rules what rules, there are no rules in this business other than making sure your mark dies."
"True, making sure the mark dies is very important but making sure it's done without one else dying, especially a child is just as important." Helena said as she tightened her grip on her gun and brought it out pointing towards the man nearest to the door "Not to mention that you have put me in a very awkward position."
The man nearest to the door pulled his gun but before he could fire, Helena had pulled the trigger hitting him in the hand shattering his bones, forcing him to drop his weapon. As the other man leapt towards the bed and his gun Helena fired again. The bullet hit him just below his armpit on his left side and it tore through his lungs exiting after it smashed its way through his rib cage on the other side, splattering the bedclothes and part of the wall with his blood and body tissue. Helena then turned her attention back to the man she had shot in the hand.
He was now cowering in the corner by the bed; Helena walked towards him "B...But you can't do this. Mr Lopez would never have agreed to this."
"No he didn't. The fact that having to rescue you from that dojo has exposed me I can live with but you had no right to kill that child" Helena said as she levelled the gun at the man's head. The gun let out a soft sound and the man's head jerked backwards as the bullet hit him between the eyes, Helena watched as his blood and brains dripped down the wall.
She then opened the door and looked back at the man "May you not make the same mistakes in your next life".