Keeper of His Heart
Chapter 8
The situation had taken a 180 degree turn very quickly. Huddled behind a rock, Sam kept a tight clutch on Tim's trench coat sleeve. A small part of her was aware of how his left arm remained in a protective grip around her side. If it were any other situation, her senses would have been overwhelmed by the manly touch and scent. However, said senses were currently preoccupied by the alternative feelings of pain and numbness in her left shoulder.
She knew she had been shot, but from her own physical assessment of herself, it didn't look too bad. Not like she had time to worry about that, seeing as how there was a shooter on the loose. And it appeared that they were his targets.
Cold fear gripped her as her mind began to churn out possible scenarios of what would happen to her, but these were forcefully pushed to the recesses of her mind very quickly.
Sam watched with bated breath as Tim peered out and fired his shot quickly. Her intent listening caught no sound of bullet meeting flesh. The target must have darted away in the nick of time. Damn.
Within moments, the slow, controlled footsteps were audible again, a contrast to the frantic beating of her heart.
She was gob-smacked to hear a familiar voice carrying across the clearing, gaining in volume with every step he took towards them.
"Tsk tsk Samantha. I had suspected you were up to no good…But fraternizing with the enemy? My my, won't Terence be interested to hear about this." There was a conceited tone in his voice. Wayne's voice.
Too caught up in the situation, Tim barely registered the name of the Red Woman spewing out from Wayne Franklin's lips.
He's getting closer and closer. Desolated, Tim thought to himself. The Red Woman's eyes met his frantically as she noticed the same thing he did.
The O.R.A.I.C agent tried to make himself smaller and sink closer to the ground. But the large rock wasn't much help hiding both him and the Red Woman.
"Go to hell Wayne!" Her voice came out shaky at first but ended with a deadly edge as her shock evaporated. She schooled her expression to remain calm. However, on the inside, Sam's mind was running nineteen to a dozen.
Shit! Why is Wayne here? Did he follow me? But I was so careful! Sam gritted her teeth at the thought. She had taken double the amount of precautions in coming here! How on earth did Wayne managed to follow her unnoticed?
Another jolt of pain hit her left shoulder. The bullet only grazed her, but damn it still hurt!
There was a harsh chuckle at her words. "Me? Go to hell? More like you go to hell! And to think Terence saved you! Trained you. Gave you a roof over your head. And this is how you choose to repay him? By betraying him? He'll kill you when he finds out."
Suddenly, the footsteps stopped, barely a metre away from where Tim and the Red Woman were crouched at. Against the moonlight, it was hard not to notice the looming shadow above them.
Tim's grip tightened on his gun as he briefly closed his eyes. This is it. How am I going to get us out of this? She's injured, and we're sitting ducks! The O.R.A.I.C agent internally berated himself for not heeding to Jerry's suggestion in wearing an audio transmission device. His logic had been that he hadn't wanted to give the Red Woman any reason not to trust him. Now, Tim could only hope fervently that the gunshot sounds could be heard from where backup was at.
As if his wish had been granted, his cell phone rang. He hadn't place it on silent or vibrate mode, so his ringtone sounded loud and clear. The sound startled them all. That must be one of them…
Stealthily, Tim reached his hand towards his coat pocket.
"Don't you even dare to answer that." Wayne commanded harshly. "If you pick up, I'll shoot." He added.
Tim's hand stilled. Counting silently to three, he lifted both of his hands high in the air so that Wayne could see them.
The ringing sound went on for a while longer before the caller gave up.
"Good riddance." Wayne muttered darkly. "Now you two. Stand up and turn around slowly. One wrong move and O.R.A.I.C can collect some bodies."
Once again, Sam and Tim traded looks of alarm on processing the words. Trying to remain calm, Tim sent an almost unperceivable nod at her. The large hand that had been on her side found her clammy one and gave it a short squeeze.
"NOW!" Wayne barked.
Sam nodded and squeezed his hand back. Slowly, the unlikely pair rose from their crouching positions behind the rock, turning while they did so. Tim kept his gun poised and trained at Wayne, who mirrored his actions.
They were at a standstill.
"You should have let me answer that phone call Wayne. That was probably O.R.A.I.C. They must have heard the gunshots. Now that they know for sure that I'm in danger, backup is on the way." He said confidently.
"Pff…You're lying." Wayne shot back, but Sam could see how her associate's eyes twitched nervously
"Drop the gun Wayne." Tim stood firm on his ground.
"Or what? You'll shoot me?" Wayne mocked; his fear forgotten. "I thought that O.R.A.I.C agents don't go about shooting random civilians? Or did you choose to go back to your own ways Tim Scam?" Although they had never formally met, it was obvious that Wayne was privy to his shady past.
This time, Sam was the one to scoff. "But you're not some random civilian Wayne. I'm pretty sure an exception can be made in this case."
"Says the pot calling the kettle black." Wayne glared daggers at Sam. Sam returned the hostility in her own look but said nothing to refute his comment.
"Don't try me Wayne." Tim spoke up, attempting to steer the attention away from the injured woman. The red spot on her shoulder was beginning to worry him. She needed medical attention.
"Don't test me either." Wayne's eyes shifted back to him. "You wouldn't kill me." The criminal continued matter-of-factly.
"I told Terence where I was going. He'll know something bad will happen if I don't return. And he'll be spooked and go into hiding." The conceited man smirked.
Fear gripped Sam's heart as she observed the impasse. Either way she saw it, Terence would bolt and go into hiding. And since Wayne knew of her deflection, she would be rendered useless to O.R.A.I.C. What have I done...?
"Now. Drop your weapon." Abruptly, Wayne's hold on the gun shifted, and Sam found herself face to face with the muzzle of the gun.
"I won't hesitate to further injure the little traitor here…she deserves it. But let me be the first to let you know, you might want to keep her alive…I'm certain that once you discover her true identity, you'll regret it immensely if she gets hurt again…Poor little darling Samantha…" His voice dripped with sarcasm and heavy emphasis.
No…it couldn't be… Tim hadn't been paying much attention the first time when the name had been mentioned, but now it sent a shock wave coursing through his soul. He nearly stumbled. His mind reeled at the implications of those words as the breath left his lungs for several seconds.
I had wondered…But no…Impossible…Unable to string together a coherent idea, his thoughts were choppy and broken. He hardly dared to consider the possibility. If what Wayne was implying was true, then the stakes were higher than he had expected.
Samantha…Sam…My Sam…? He swallowed heavily.
Sam had semi-understood the implication behind Wayne's words, but what she hadn't expected was to see the raw disbelieve…and then awe that flashed across Tim Scam's face. Does he know? Did he know who I was?
The duo was shocked out of their reverie with Wayne's blatant clearing of his throat. The barrel was aimed at Tim again. "Lower your gun Tim Scam. I won't ask you again."
The O.R.A.I.C agent lowered his eyes, and turned to looked at Sam (is she really my Sam?) As reassuring eyes stared back at him, a fresh burst of adrenaline suddenly released itself into Tim's soul.
Whoever she is, she still deserves my help.
Even more so if she's really my Sam.
His sea-foamed eyes hardened as they locked with the emotionless ones belonging to Wayne Franklin.
Tim's grip noticeably slackened on his weapon, although his finger was still positioned on the trigger. Slowly and deliberately, he lowered the gun until it was almost to his side. The sides of Wayne's mouth curled into a smirk.
Without warning (and with reflexes that would put hunting cats to shame), Tim raised his gun quickly and fired. The bullet lodged itself in Wayne's hand, which grasped the gun.
Several things happened at once.
The gunshot wound caused Wayne to drop his gun as he howled in pain. It triggered Wayne's own gun to fire. The bullet ricocheted off the surface of the large rock and disappeared out of sight. Wayne cradled his hand, watching in horror as blood poured out of the wound.
Simultaneously, Tim flattened himself and Sam down on the ground as best he could for the second time that night. The moment the ringing sound in his ears lessened, he sprang into action.
Taking advantage of Wayne's momentary distraction, Tim kicked the gun on the floor out of reach.
Not to be left out, Sam let out a warrior cry as she sent a flying kick aimed at Wayne's behind. The man howled as he stumbled onto the ground, regaining his senses as he moved to attack Sam. Fists and legs went flying, but the height difference between her and Wayne meant that she could counter virtually almost all his attacks.
The scuffle lasted less than a minute. While Sam kept Wayne distracted, Tim snuck up behind the man. Swiftly, Tim rammed the barrel of his gun against Wayne's skull.
It effectively knocked him out cold. Wayne slumped onto the ground.
"Come on! This won't keep him back for long." Tim rasped out through heavy breaths. Without a second thought, he took Sam's hand in his and pulled her along with him.
Go! Go! Go! The voice in her head screamed. It took a few jerky tugs before her legs caught up with her mind and she began moving. But a glint of silver stopped her in her tracks.
"Wait!" Sam stopped to crouch down at Wayne's still form. Wayne's cell phone was peeking out innocently from the man's jacket pocket. Sam niftily took her associate's cell phone without a second thought.
"That should hopefully buy us some time with Terence." She declared, pocketing it. A groan that escaped from Wayne's lips caused her to stumble a few steps back in fright.
"Come on!" Tim urged.
With another strong kick delivered (this time in Wayne's gut) for good measure, the duo fled the scene.
They never stopped running.
Aware of the critical need to put some distance between them and the threat, Sam pushed herself to run as fast as she could. However, Tim's legs were longer than hers. More often than not, she found herself half-running, half being dragged along by the large hand intertwined with hers.
Despite herself, Sam couldn't help but marvel at the way her small hand fitted perfectly in his larger one. The warmth it provided was so comforting and empowering that Sam felt as if she could take on the world with him by her side.
In no time, they left the open clearing and darted into an empty alley. Slowing down slightly, Tim paused to put a call through to Alex.
"Tim, where are you? We heard gun shots. Hang in there, we're around the bend!" Alex shouted. He could hear the roar of a car engine in the background.
He ignored her question and spewed out several short and succinct sentences. But it was enough to give Alex the Cliff notes version of what had transpired. "Back up to the clearing pronto. Wayne Franklin's there with a gun. Shot him in the right hand. Will reconvene later." He barked, before hanging up.
Sam was silent the whole time Tim was on the phone, but she couldn't resist speaking up after he had pocketed his phone. "Shouldn't we meet up with your…colleagues? They might need help capturing Wayne." Since his colleagues weren't on the scene yet, Sam was still fearing the worst. Wayne could be devious when he wanted to be. And he had been stirring when they left him back in the clearing. It was very much possible that he had already escaped.
The pair slowed to a jog. "That's not necessary." Tim answered crisply. "Clover and Alex can handle him."
"But-" Sam stopped short as they rounded the bend.
Tim turned around to throw her an exasperated look. "They can handle it. Trust me. We need to get your wound checked out."
Up ahead, there was a lone, black car parked along the street. Still keeping a firm hold on her hand, Tim stalked over to the vehicle.
"Get in." He popped the passenger door open for her.
Sam stopped in front of him, giving him a questioning look.
"Where are we going?" Sam asked.
"Hospital." Was the only reply she got.
"Wait what?" Tim took her momentary shock to help her into the car, careful not to touch her wound.
"You're injured." He said simply.
"I'm fine! It's just a graze!" The passenger door slamming shut was the only response she got.
"No hospital." She said stubbornly, as the door opened with a click on the other side.
Tim squared his jaw and climbed into the driver's seat. "This is not the time for an argument." He hissed. "Buckle up."
"I can't go to the hospital!" She answered hotly, standing firm on her ground. "Wanted criminal remember?" Her dark eyes were wide open as she glared pointedly at him.
Tim pushed the gear to 'reverse' and thought about it. She was right, as much as he hated to admit. They couldn't go to the hospital. The Red Woman was a wanted criminal, which meant that she would be arrested the moment her wound was treated. That would render her practically useless in their fight to stop Terence.
Even if O.R.A.I.C stepped in from preventing her arrest, there was no telling what the FBI or CIA thought. The Red Woman had become a notable person of interest by those organizations as well. To go to the hospital now would only serve to put Jerry on the spot.
Way to almost let your emotions overrule your own judgement. Tim's conscious chided himself. He'd normally kept a cool head, but things were different that night. If Wayne was right, the woman before him was… Questions later. He wasn't about to go down that path, not without being absolutely sure. There was no way he was going to blindly hope for something that may not be true in the first place.
Besides, Tim wanted to be in a private space when he found out. He didn't trust himself not to break down if Wayne's implications were true.
He sighed. "Fine. No hospital." The man tried hard not to smile at the triumph grin that came on the woman's face.
"But you do need to get that wound cleaned and bandaged."
"I said it was only a graze!" Sam huffed, leaning back against the backrest. She winced as the tender flesh hit the leather seat. Gritting her teeth, turned to check the wound as best she could. The bleeding appeared to have stopped, but she couldn't be sure. The wound was an ugly mixture of dark red, pink, and yellow. Pain would flare up on occasion.
"A graze she said." Tim commented pointedly.
He sighed. "Sit tight. We're about ten minutes from my house."
A short while later, Sam was perched on a bar chair of Tim Scam's apartment. She was leaning half of her weight on the marble island table next to her. The adrenaline had completely left her system, leaving her feeling weak. Uncomfortable pain shot up her left shoulder every time she moved. Tim had gone to retrieve his medical supplies, so she was alone.
She sipped a glass of water and surveyed the room intently. Tim Scam's home was surprisingly neat and tidy. She had been expecting something more like a bachelor's pad.
The woes of living with three men… She privately thought, recalling the instances when their underground headquarters looked as if a hurricane had torn through it. If it weren't for her slight cleanliness compulsion (and bossy attitude), her housemates wouldn't even have bothered about cleaning up after themselves.
She thought that the wooden floor of the apartment she was currently in contrasted well with the white furniture. There were some mismatched furniture and knickknacks, but Sam felt that it showcased the character of its' owner. Her gaze wondered to the armchair, obviously a favourite by the man. She could almost picture Tim sitting there after a long day of work, massaging the kinks out of his neck, or and indulging in a glass of wine…
Feeling her face heating up at the (increasingly inappropriate) thoughts, Sam zeroed in on the stack of books instead. The titles on the spines weren't too clear at the distance. However, being an avid reader herself, she recognized a few of the books. They were all thriller novels and ranged from latest best-sellers to classics.
How typical…She couldn't resist a smile, craning her neck a little more. A sudden jolt of pain in her left shoulder left her wincing and gasping. What was taking that man so long?
Tim had in fact, found his first aid kit easily. He had always had it stored in the bottom cabinet in the bathroom. However, he had been delayed first by ensuring that his hands and face were washed thoroughly (don't want to cause any new infections while tending to the Red Woman's wound), then by his inventory of his first aid kit to make sure he had all the items he needed.
Just as he had been about to exit his bathroom however, he was interrupted once again: by an incoming call.
It was Clover.
Setting the first aid box to the side without hesitation, Tim picked up the phone.
"What's the situation?"
"Looks like Wayne Franklin managed to give us the slip Tim." Clover reported. Judging from the tone of voice, Tim could almost imagine the despondent look on his friend's face right now.
"What? How?" He could not hold back his surprise and shock. Hadn't they left him out cold (okay, granted he had been on the verge of regaining consciousness). And didn't Alex tell him that they had been round the bend? It had to only be a few short minutes!
Before Clover could reply, Tim butted in again. "Any clues?" Despite his internal frustration at the situation, he was aware that this wasn't the right time to play the blame game. They had to track Wayne Franklin down, and fast.
"We found several pools of blood. One of them left a trail leading away from the clearing. Alex's following up on that now. Jerry and I are fanning out the perimeter in search of him. He couldn't have gone far…You say that Wayne Franklin is injured?"
"Yeah. Shot in the wrist. Heads up though. If you found any blood behind a large rock facing away from the trekking trail, it's not Wayne's."
"What…? You're injured Tim? Where? Is it serious? Where are you?!" Although Clover had drawn the wrong conclusion, the burst of mother-hen concern she expressed was nonetheless touching.
"It's not me Clover…It's the Red Woman. Wayne shot her, but the bullet only grazed her shoulder…Don't worry, she's on our side now. We're at my apartment." He hurriedly reassured Clover, sensing that she was about to protest.
"I trust your judgement…But be careful Tim…It's suspicious that Wayne Franklin showed up tonight of all nights. If all goes well, we might drop by in an hour or so."
"Let's keep one another informed." Tim told her.
"Alright. Talk to you later." Clover hung up the call.
Tim strode out of the bathroom moments later with a mixture of disappointment and worry. The news of that Wayne Franklin had managed to slip through the grasp of O.R.A.I.C (with a concussion and a hand injury no doubt) rankled. Looks like he had underestimated the man. Despite what things appeared, Tim was still holding on to hope.
Spotting the young woman still perched on his bar chair (although she appeared to be more of leaning against the island table rather than sitting), Tim forced himself to clear his mind. Alex, Clover and Jerry can handle it… Right now, there are things I need to focus on.
"Sorry I took so long." Sam snapped out of her private thoughts when Tim Scam's voice echoed across the room. "Clover just called."
"Any news?" Sam shifted on the bar chair to look at the man fully as he gently placed the first aid kit on the table.
Tim sighed, wondering how to best break the news. "Wayne Franklin gave them the slip." He proceeded to give her the shorten version of the contents of the call.
"Oh…" Sam trailed off. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault." Her shoulders slumped dejectedly.
"How so?" Tim asked cautiously as he sat down on the bar chair next to hers. She wasn't implying that she had deliberately set him up right?
Sam's contact-coloured eyes were dull and dejected as she spoke. "I swear I didn't see anyone following me on the way here, but I should have been more careful! If I had taken more precautions, none of this would have happened!"
"None of it is your fault." The answer from the man was immediate. "Besides, I think you've redeemed any mistake if you had made any." A pointed glance at her injured shoulder. "You saved my life."
The final sentence was spoken in a hush whisper. Sea-foamed eyes locked with hers. The gesture was so intimate that Sam gulped, feeling the mood in the room shift.
"You saved my life too. Which still means that I owe you." She replied just as quietly and as seriously.
A wild thought suddenly flashed through her mind. "And speaking of which…" Sam reached over and deftly delivered a smack onto Tim's bicep.
"Hey! What was that for?!" Although it didn't hurt, Tim was still indignant. The mild sexual tension growing between them dissipated with her actions.
"You nearly gave me a mini-heart attack back there! Wayne had his gun pointed at you, and you still played hero and shoot him! What if his reflexes had been faster and he had shot you? Or me? Or both of us?" She was ranting so quickly that it took seconds before his brain could catch up.
"What was I to do? Let him continue gloating like that? If I hadn't taken the chance, the both of us could be captives right now. Or worse, dead! He was threatening you…Heck he was threatening the both of us!"
"I can take care of myself." Fire in her eyes returned as she insisted.
"And look how that turned out." His comeback was valid. Sam huffed, glaring at him with as much contempt as possible.
An awkward silence followed. "Perhaps we should start over." Tim concluded grudgingly. This argument was getting nowhere.
"You're right. I'm sorry." Sam raked her fingers through her wavy brown wig. "I don't know what came upon me." It had been a roller-coaster ride of a day, and her emotions were everywhere.
"Tim Scam." The hand was offered to her again.
"My name's Samantha. But people normally call me Sam." She finally introduced herself, shaking his hand firmly.
It's coming everyone! The little reunion and revelation we've all been waiting for! *excites*
Thank you Sammi, Guest, Musin and Cresenta for your reviews on the previous chapter! ^^ And thank you everyone for your support (hits, favs, follows) thus far~
We're halfway into the story! The second half is going to be another roller-coaster of drama and emotions, so stay tuned!
Until next chapter,
TrixieNancy124