The sun shining down through the cascading trees of the wooded area, flashed its rays into the windshield of the speeding car; catching the unsuspecting driver by surprise. Julie pulled the sun visor down in front of her eyes quickly, trying to keep her concentration on the road and not on the man next to her. Her glistening orbs scanned once to the passenger to her right side to find him reaching for his forgotten sweatshirt in the vacant backseat with some difficulty. Blood seeped from the open wound in his shoulder and flowed down his useless arm at an alarming pace. Julie looked at the pool beginning to form just above his palm on the seat. It was too much blood, she thought with panic. She tried to look back at the road but found her eyes moving back to Adam with worry. He had tied the sweatshirt around the back of his shoulder to keep the blood inside his body but so far it was not working as he had planned. Julie's eyes continued to double back to Adam's crimson liquid flowing from his veins. How did Greg keep finding them? She wondered. How could this happen? How could she let this happen? She let Adam get hurt, she kept leading Greg to her somehow. She felt trapped and violated and squirmed in her seat with worry all this running wouldn't mean anything. The urge to search her body was overwhelming, Julie grabbing at her collar, her pockets anywhere something could be hidden. Could Greg have planted something on her in their last encounter? Was there something in her clothes? Julie's hands flew frantically in search when the car started to shake violently, sending a chill down her shine. This could not be happening, she thought.
"No, Not Now!" She yelled at the car, tightening her grip on the steering wheel and trying to ignore it as much as she could.
"Damn, we're out of gas..." He mumbled next to her, tightening the shirt he had around his shoulder to a bone breaking firmness. He felt the muscles left in his shoulder tighten and contract at the pressure, sending an unbelievable ache in his left side, his muscles spasming under the added weight. Julie coasted the car off the road and locked it in the parked position before turning to Adam, not sure what to do. Hs face was draining of blood, her lips turning unnaturally pale but he was still fighting to get his wound under control.
"We need to get you to a hospital. You've lost a lot of blood." She whispered, glaring again at the injured man next to her, her hands moving to her hair before she reached forward to try to help.
"It's a little late for that.." He tried to laugh to ease the tension of the situation. Julie didn't smile, she knew the consequences of the amount of blood he'd already lost. Adam tried to focus on her to keep himself awake but felt his head getting lighter with each passing second and each frantic heart beat. There was no way he would be able to make it through the woods to the next town and she definitely couldn't carry him so what would they do? He knew, deep down, this could be the end for him but he still tried to fight the pull behind his eyes.
"Adam, look at me!" She begged, trying to keep him focused on something and motivated to stay awake, if he fell unconscious it could very well be the last time she would see his blue eyes. She pushed on the sweatshirt against his skin to put pressure on the wound, receiving in return another gush of blood from the ugly opening. She cringed at the sight, trying to hold her gag reflex as she tried to examine the wound to see why it was bleeding so much. Adam took a deep breath, holding it in for a moment to steel himself from the pain as he looked down at her.
"Julie, do you know what you're doing?" He asked, suddenly taking in the soft scent of her hair that was so close to his nose. He took a small pleasure in being able to be this close to her if it was to be his last minutes. He wasn't used to her hair being brown but it still lingered with the same familiar scent he'd smelled so many times before. He tried to breath deep and enjoy this moment but the throbbing in his shoulder kept him distracted. It was good though, if he could feel pain that mean he was still alive.
"Adam, I was pre-med before I married Greg.." She reminded him, a hint of nervousness resounding in her voice. She wasn't confident in herself, let alone in things she studied years before to save Adam's life. Her hands shook slightly as she tried to control them with all her might to get a clear look at the wound and what she would need to do to treat it. The wound was nothing like the pictures she'd studied in her biology class. Trying to remember where things were, she felt his shoulder to trace the major body parts to try to figure out what was wrong. Her mind raced with words she hadn't heard in years and tried to put together what had happened in his shoulder.
"It passed right through your shoulder Adam..."She said, certain there was no bullet still present in the wound. The exit wound on the back of his chest was also a clear indication that it had torn through his flesh. The blood kept obscuring her work. "I think it hit an artery. There's so much blood..." She mumbled more to herself then to him, trying to clear her view with her fingers. "I can't see anything clearly." If that was the case, he had a good chance of bleeding to death before they could find any form of civilization again. She hoped against hope she was wrong and that the bullet had hit superficial blood vessels. Combined with the fast pace of his heart, she prayed the blood would stop soon. She felt her eyes tear up as she couldn't do anything but wait. She looked up at him, her breath heavy with worry for the man sitting in front of her. His eyes met hers, looking deep in the blue orbs, a feeling of lost time came over him. His mind suddenly wished he could take back the last few years. He wished he could have spared her any pain she endured and for a moment he wished it had been him instead of her.
"Jules?" He whispered, reaching his good hand up to her face. He needed to make his peace if this was the end.
"Adam, just keep looking at me, okay?" She asked. "It will stop..." She thought herself. He could feel her worriedness as she avoided his stare and instead looked back at the opening in his skin, begging it to stop seeping.
"Julie, you can't do anything here. Look, just run, run as fast as you can until you can't run anymore. Get as far away from here as possible before he follows us." Adam said sternly, forcing her to look up at him.
"No, no, Adam. I will not leave you! Listen to me, I can't lose you again and know it's my fault I got you into this." She pleaded with him not to send her away. She grabbed his shirt in her grip before meeting his eyes with her own. She would not leave him until she knew for sure The car was silent for a long moment, all that existed in the world to him was her. She looked so frightened and scared of what was to come, her face could not hide the fact she was trying not to cry. He rubbed his thumb across her redden cheek with reassurance and opened his mouth to speak when an almost silent beep came from the car. Julie turned towards the dashboard at the same moment Adam's eyes grazed the car for any sign of the disturbance.
"What was that?" She asked, feeling her blood speed up in her veins, now knowing for sure their car was bugged. He was too weak to move but he managed to shush her all the same so he could listen for the noise again. Julie's eyes focused back on Adam's shoulder to keep it still and the bandage tight. She eyes scanned the car before she reached to wrap her forgotten scarf around the wound and usher him out of the car while she held his shoulder. For all their knew it could have been a bomb planted by one of Greg's hired men. With Adam leaning against the nearest tree, Julie turned her attention back to the vacant car to look for the source of the noise. The small chirp now sounded from the underside of the car as she circled it, she eyes scanning carefully each crevice within its construction. Could it be a bomb? She asked herself. Was Greg that sick that if he couldn't catch them, he'd blow them up instead. Many questions were running through her head as she ducked down to look under the front of the car, her hair brushing the against the dirt. Adam felt his head getting exponentially lighter, His face draining of all color. He couldn't stand any longer and he slid down the trunk of the tree to the ground at the base with a quick thump, catching Julie's attention.
"Adam?" Julie gasped, running over to him with a rush of energy. She gripped his ribs on each side in her hands to keep him sitting up straight and not toppling over like she felt him wanting to do. The beeping was now the farthest thing from her mind as she tried to make Adam focus on her and keep him with her. She needed him, to think she could do this on her own was absurd. She would have been back with Greg days ago if not for him.
"Adam, look at me?" She asked as he looked passed her and under the edge of the car. His eyes came back into focus and he could make out a small antenna coming from under the car. Julie put her hand on his cheek to make him look at her.
"Adam?" She questioned, worry in her voice that this could really be it if her diagnosis had been right.
"Jules, look?" He whispered, taking another deep breathe in and using all his energy to outstretch his hand. She turned to look back at the car and saw an antenna perched just behind the passenger's side front wheel, a small light beeping from it. Taking a glance back at Adam, she crawled to the tire and looked at the device with interest.
"Property of Rental One Rentals." She mumbled trying to piece together this new information and figure out how they had missed it.
"Adam, do you still have that rental agreement?" She asked, crawling back to him to help him search his pockets. There was blood on everything they touched but she looked for something that looked like the paper she had seen.
"Glove compartment.." He whispered, placing his uninjured hand over his shoulder to apply pressure and allow her to let go again. Julie opened the box with a bang and threw all the papers out on the seat, searching through the folds. The rental agreement was the only yellow paper in the mix and she plucked it from the pile, quickly scanning over it. Her eyes read quickly and she sighed, leaning against the car
"Adam, they install trackers on all their rentals in case of an emergency." Julie mumbled, wanting to kick the car in anger. "When we ran out of gas, it automatically kicked on." She said, balling up the agreement in her hands.
"Where's that on there?" Adam asked, reaching for the paper. She sighed again, smoothing out the edges she had crinkled. She didn't give it to him right away, instead she read the rest of the agreement with earnest. "This tracking device can be used in conjunction with local and national law enforcement agencies and in criminal proceedings." She mumbled before handing the paper over to him with a huff and turned towards the car to eye it with distain.
"We need to keep moving.." She whispered after a minute of contemplation. If the cops could track them then Greg could definitely find them. Grabbing anything she thought they'd need from the car, Julie packed a bag quickly, before searching the trunk. She found an emergency first aid kit in the trunk compartment and pocketed that in her bag. Pulling everything she didn't need out and dumping it on the ground, she began to load it with hers and Adam's stuff and her shoe box. In all actuality she didn't know what they would need but took whatever may have been of some usefulness. She slung the bag over her shoulder and closed the trunk with a bang. If there was ever a time for her to show Julie Gaffney again, now was the time. She had come this far. She had been shot at, she had been abused for how many years and they shot Adam, she was done with the helpless wife act. Opening the door once more, she grabbed the lost gun from the floor of the passenger's seat and placing it in her bag where she could grab it fast if need be. She's never shot one before but she would learn quickly.
"Come on.." She whispered, helping Adam up from the ground and beginning to move away from the car.
"Jules.." He whispered, his head falling to her shoulder from his lack of strength.
"I'm not leaving you!" She said firmly, wrapping her arm around his waist to support him against her. If anything the years of abuse had made her stronger. Adam didn't fight her but draped his good arm over her shoulder and pulled her close.
They walked for what seemed like hours until Adam's groans of pain became too much for Julie to ignore any longer.
"Adam, you have to help me here, okay? No falling asleep.." She reminded him. He tried to nod but couldn't keep his eyes open. His lids were just too heavy, his mind to distant from reality. He'd lost a lot of blood but at least he was still talking.
"We need to stop, I can't keep going?" He said, moving to the nearest tree to clumsily fall against it and take a few deep breaths.
"No, Adam. We need to keep going.." Julie said, trying to move him by herself. He was too heavy for her to carry on her own but she made a good show, inching him away from the tree before Adam shook his head no, reaching back for the bark.
"Julie, no, I need to rest. You keep going!" He whispered, leaning heavily against the pine and pushing her away to arms length.
"Adam, no, come on. You can't rest, we need to keep going and find someone to help you. I still don't know if the bleedings stopped." She tried to convey the importance of him seeking help. He only shook his head in response.
"No.." Adam whispered closing his eyes to the sun overhead. It was doing little to help in his struggle to stay upright. Julie sighed, tossing the bag she'd been carrying down on the ground and digging through it for the first aid kit. She hadn't wanted to do this out in the middle of the woods but it was apparent that Adam was not going to be able to continue until she at least cleaned up his wound and saw what was going on. Adam sighed, sitting down across from her and taking in a few deep breaths.
"What are you doing?" He asked, breathing heavy and trying to refocus his eyes on her.
"I'm going to try to at least stop the breeding until we can get out of these woods. I don't even know where we are since we can't follow the road." Julie mumbled, finally finding what she was looking for and pulling the box out. Adam watched every move she made as she laid out the gauze and tape from the bag on the soft grass next to his foot.
"Adam, can you take your shirt off?" She asked, trying not to look him in the eye as she asked the question. She was still feeling uncomfortable with intimate situations but she was trying to not think about it so she could help him. He slowly nodded, pulling the tank top over his head with his one good hand. He groaned with pain as it left his shoulder last. She finished laying out the items she would need from the kit, there wasn't much she could use but it would have to do and she looked up at the man in front of her. Her eyes worried she wouldn't remember her classes. It had been so long since Julie had seen Adam without a shirt on, she felt her heart almost stop at the sight in front of her. He was still the same, well defined man she remembered from high school. She had to look down at what she was doing to keep her mind straight. She could do this, she didn't want him to touch her anyway, she wouldn't be able to handle it. Yet, her mind kept drifting the a night long ago that was fogged over with the mist of time in her mind. Valentine's night in the cabin by the lake. The Valentine's day they had spent together. The way Adam had held her. The way he had made love to her with all the love he possessed for the entire night. She moved closer to him, trying to focus on his shoulder instead of on his bare chest. Taking a deep breath, she reached for his shoulder and began to clean the wound with the alcohol from the box and a bandage she had unwrapped.
"Ow..." He whispered, trying not to pull back but the pain was evident on his face. The stinging had fully awoken him and he looked down at her, her brown hair fell around her face as she blew on the alcohol to make it dry faster and ease his suffering. Her eyes glanced up at his for a brief moment before refocusing on her task.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." She mumbled, looking up in his eyes again. Adam didn't say anything but lifted his hand to her cheek to cup her face. A small hiss escaped her lips as her eyes shut to the touch. Her mind was already conflicted and he had to go and touch her.
"Adam, don't." She mumbled, pulling away fast. He looked away with embarrassment of his actions.
"I didn't mean to..."
"Adam, just let me fix your shoulder. I can't deal with us right now." She murmured, returning to his shoulder to look at the opening that was now exposed to her eyes. Adam nodded,
"I'm sorry.." He mumbled. Julie didn't say anything but continued her work in silence. She couldn't handle him touching her now. He was only trying to be like they use to be but they could never get back there. It would never be the same for them, Greg would always be in the back of her mind, ruining any chance they ever had to be completely one again. The feeling of his body near hers sent a drawling feeling down her arm and she closed her mind to remind herself she was far away from Greg and he couldn't hurt her. She couldn't admit this to him now, when she was begging him to hold on and fight to get through this. She couldn't admit her doubts that they'd ever find what they had again. She couldn't admit that she would probably never be the same again after what she'd gone through. She quickly examined the wound, finding that the bleeding had stopped on its own and the bullet had in fact went through more muscle tissue than veins but had broken his collar bone in the process. Julie cringed at the sight and began to bandage it as best she could with what she had. She finished and turned away from Adam,
"You... you can put your shirt back on, I'm done. it was just superficial bleeding, like I thought." She mumbled, not looking at him. "You have a broken bone and some muscle damage. It will probably take some physical therapy to be able to use that shoulder and arm again and you'll defiantly need stitches but I think we can keep moving." She quickly rinsed her hands with the alcohol and packed up everything else, still not meeting his eyes. Adam threw his shirt back on with a groan and rested his head back against the tree trunk. At least he wasn't dying today. Julie remained turned away from him, staring out into the wilderness, her mind wandering from topic to topic.
"Julie.." Adam mumbled, she turned quickly to look at the man on the ground, her mind still elsewhere.
"Yeah?" She asked, coming to kneel next to him.
"What do you know about Greg's job?" He asked, straining to move to his side to look at her. She looked down at the ground, a little relived to be on to another topic and not their relationship or lack thereof.
"I...I don't know much. He told me he was a sports agent. He was always gone on business trips, sometimes a week at a time. It was like a vacation when he'd go away so I really didn't look into it too much." She admitted. Adam nodded in response.
"Does any of this mean anything to you?" Adam asked, dropping the lighter, pack of matches, ID card, pack of cigarettes and sun glasses to the ground. Julie looked them over with questioning eyes.
"Where did you get this stuff?" Julie asked, looking over the contents of Adam's pocket and randomly picking stuff up now.
"I picked it off that guy from the bar, along with the gun." He mumbled. Julie sat back on her heels looking over the items with interest.
"Adam, they look like common things for a guy to carry, except maybe this..." She mumbled picking up the ID barcode from the pile to inspect it. Sudden movement behind them cause them to hear a twig snap a few feet back. They both looked up at that moment, waiting to see someone standing there waiting to kill them. They remained silent for a long moment, not moving or making any noise before a squirrel appeared from behind a nearby tree. Julie took a deep breath.
"Adam, I think we should keep moving.." She mumbled, picking up the items and putting them in her bag before lifting it again over her shoulder. She reached her hand out to help Adam up but he managed to use the tree to help himself up, suddenly feeling a little better. His shoulder was still killing him but the lack of blood loss gave him just enough energy to move with her as she guided him away from the tree.
Back on the road, a black Dodge Durango pulled up next to the abandoned car with a squeak of the tires to stop quickly. Greg Williams jumped out of the passengers side door to look over the car with anguish. Spying that no one was inside, he kicked the door in frustration and broke the driver's side window.
"Damn it! Can't you two do anything right!" He gritted out between clenched teeth. "Not only have you managed to lose them but you, Smith have managed to lose the only form of identity you have left." Greg yelled at the younger man that had been in the bar. The man cowered away from the raging brunette man in front of him.
"Sorry, Sir. He knocked me out. I will obtain a new one at headquarters asap." He confirmed in a military like voice, trying to not look directly at him.
"Well, that's not good enough. I cannot risk them figuring out who we are and exactly what they have." Greg mumbled, pulling a gun and shooting the younger man in the head at point blank range without so much as a blink. He would have his badge turned off immediately. A small amount of blood collected on his forehead before he fell to the ground on his back, his eyes forever open in shock. Greg didn't take a second glance, continuing his search of the car, hoping against hope she'd left that stupid box in her race to leave. The other man began to help, not only out of duty but fear for his own life.
"Sir, there's blood on the passenger's seat!" He reported, standing up straight where he stood. Greg walked around the car and looked inside at the traces of blood dripping from the seat belt and cushion and unto the floor.
"Murphy!" He yelled standing up. The man stood up straighter, trying to impress his superior.
"Yes, sir."
"Get a sample of that blood to run for a DNA match. I want to know which one of them in injured, they can't have gotten far if one of them is bleeding this bad. Also, clean up this mess." Greg motioned, stepping over the dead body of the man he shot and heading around the back of the car to get back in the truck. He immediately opened his ringing phone, as it vibrated in his pocket, the moment the door to the truck was shut.
"Williams, sir." He answered.
"Williams, where are you? I need you and your team in Paris first thing in the morning to take care of a national security threat." The man on the other end yelled at him with anger dripping from his voice.
"Understood, sir. We'll be there, just finishing up a job." Greg smiled to himself, he couldn't wait to tell his man off and see his face.
"Williams, you better not be still chasing your wife on company time, using company men! You hear me!" The man on the line yelled. "You get your ass to Paris!"
"No, sir. We're on a private job now, free lance contractor needed someone disposed of, won't take longer than a day." He lied easily now, internally groaning.
"It better not, Williams or I'll be putting out a job on you!" The man yelled before hanging up the phone in Greg's ear with a slam of the receiver. Greg's face heated up with anger but he closed the phone and opened the window to his fellow companion.
"Hurry up, the Captain wants us in Paris by the morning. We need to wrap this up and tie up the loose ends before someone ID's us. Leave Smith, they wouldn't be able to identify him anyway without his badge." He reassured the man as he entered the truck from the opposite side and got behind the wheel. Greg put the window back up and rested a pair of black ray-bans on his nose before opening a laptop computer in front of him and closing out the tracking menu for the rental car. Instead he brought up a profile of Adam in front of him.
"Adam Banks, you're going to be sorry you ever messed with me and my wife." He whispered, the truck pulling back out on the road to chart the next town.