CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

 

“Yes, doctor,” John said.

From first incision to close, Troy’s wound absorbed John’s entire focus. He didn’t notice the paramedics run through the house, and then assist under Emily’s instruction. At some point, Troy was hooked up to monitors for his heart and blood pressure. John didn’t hear Samantha arguing with the Denver Police. He didn’t notice when they took Alex, and Max of course, to the hospital.

He only heard Larry’s leg pressure updates and the steady count for the air bag.

“Do you see anything else?” John asked Emily.

“No, I think that’s it.”

“Do we have our instruments?”

“Yes, John. Would you like me to close?” Emily asked.

“I’ve got it.”

He began the work of putting Troy’s leg back together. Troy would never know about the delicate stitching along his artery. He wouldn’t understand the way the stitches held his muscle and tissue together so they could heal. But he would certainly complain if it looked bad. Tying the last stitch, John leaned back on his heals and pushed off his magnifying glasses.

Looking up, he blushed. He was surrounded by a crowd of people from Denver Policemen and paramedics to Alex’s entire team, everyone watched in silent fascination.

“When can we move him, doctor?” the paramedic asked.

“If you’re very careful, you can take him on a stretcher. Do NOT move his leg. These guys will help.”

The paramedics hooked Troy up to oxygen and slipped a back board under him. Matthew, Vince, Joseph, and Larry lifted Troy to the stretcher. They carried the stretcher through the house and down the stairs.

When John turned, White Boy was crying into his gloved hands. John hugged the huge man.

“That’s the coolest thing I’ve done. Ever. In my entire life.”

John patted the giant man’s back. He was taking off his sterile gown and gloves when the Denver Police moved to speak with him. Samantha stepped between him and the police.

Yes, Dr. Drayson would be available for questioning. Yes, Dr. Drayson was happy to cooperate with the police. He was going to get cleaned up then go to his wife. Of course, he will be available this afternoon. Sam’s smile and strong presence worked wonders on the police. She and John would go to the downtown Denver Police station for questioning around 1 P.M. that afternoon. She walked the police to the door then hugged John.

“Alex told me about this file,” Samantha said. She held John Kelly’s intelligence file. “I had a chance to skim it before the police arrived. I didn’t know about… you.”

Sam’s baby blue eyes scanned his face. She hugged him again.

“We need to talk. Alex taped her review of the journal on something she calls the map phone. What is that?”

“It’s a phone and video message line the intelligence center set up so soldiers can call in map issues,” John said.

“Well, Raz is downloading a copy right now. The video cam shows the entire interaction between her and that woman.”

“Really?”

“There’s a lot of yellow pencil tapping and humming… like an hour… of humming and yellow pencil tapping. She plays with her Magic 8 ball for another half hour.”

Samantha wrinkled her nose at John. He smiled at her sarcasm.

“And the conversation with the assassin is there as well. She felt like reviewing the small journal needed to be documented.”

“You’re one lucky sod,” James said.

“Why don’t you get cleaned up? We can go see Alex, get some breakfast, and talk,” Samantha said. “This kind of thing takes some time, maybe six months, to clear up, but I think you should be all right. The woman is very clear on the tape. She was going to kill, Alex.”

“Can you recommend a solicitor for me?”

“I thought I was your attorney.” Samantha batted her lovely eyes as if she was offended. “I was even going to give you a family discount.”

“But you don’t have time for this. Your Senator is running for office.”

“Well, that’s a weird thing.” Sam’s face flushed with emotion. “The Senator called me last night and apologized for taking so much of my time. He’s decided to withdraw from the race. He gave me six months pay. I… I’m free. For the first time in a long, long time, I’m free to do what I like. I’m moving home. As soon as I can pack, I’m moving home.”

Sam’s eyes welled with tears. Her hands bat at her tears.

“Alex didn’t say anything to you, did she?” Samantha asked.

“No. Why?”

“The Senator was at the party for Troy’s father. He called me while he was waiting in the line to get in. He barked orders for about fifteen minutes then hung up on me. I mean thirty-five items I was supposed to do first thing today. When he left the party, he was withdrawing from the race.”

John worked to keep his face neutral.

“Yes, that’s what I thought too,” she said with a shrug. “So I have lots of time now. And money. I’d love to represent you. Does that work for you?”

“Of course Samantha. Thank you,” John said.

“Come on, brother,” James said. “Let’s get cleaned up and visit the wife.”

Looking from James to Sam, John started to laugh. James joined in while Samantha looked at the brothers as if they had lost their minds.

Stepping into the shower, John said a silent prayer of thanks: for Alex’s safety, for the operation that went well, for his brothers’ return in his life and for this weird trip he called life.

FFFFFF

The cruel wind that brought all of this pain and misfortune into Alex’s life shifted.

The Denver Police Department dropped their charges against her. The police detectives spent a day at her bedside gathering her evidence against the Boy Scout. Two days later, an unmarked envelope with a map inside arrived on the Denver Police detective’s desk. The next day, James Kelly extradited the Boy Scout to England.

The day she was released from the hospital, Perses dropped by to tell her the contract on her life had been canceled. In fact, someone had put a bounty on anyone who attempted to kill her. The word was someone high up in the US government was pissed off. They made bets as to whether it was the Admiral or her father. Alex suspected it was both.

Max negotiated with Homeland Security for a lump sum settlement for over ten years of back pay. In return, they wouldn’t go to the press or ask for interest. She accepted the large check, which Max and John had all ready spent. She agreed to take Ben’s job and his salary. Raz would technically be her ass-istant, which they thought was hilarious.

Cee Cee Joiner beat up another prostitute in the Virgin Islands. Somehow, he disappeared from a jail cell before the Feds could move in. While the Feds assured her it was a matter of time before they picked up Cee Cee Joiner, Alex knew they would never find him. The only way to catch him was to figure out what he was up to. And if she didn’t know, no one knew.

The FBI was on the trail of the kidnappers. They were confident they would find the men responsible for killing Daniel, David and Marvin Joiner. Alex was on their update and notify list. After a flood of information, the notices dwindled to almost nothing. With Sue Ann near death, and Marvin’s mother not talking, there was no one to push the FBI to find the kidnappers. Like Joiner, the kidnappers slipped out of sight and mind.

To her chagrin, her video of fighting the Boy Scout was voted ‘Best viral video’ and ‘Best video taken with an iPhone’ for the month of March. The video was in the running for ‘Best video of the year.’ There was no killing the video. Sergeant Larry Flagg came up with the idea of creating the Alex the Fey video channel on YouTube. He and Helene were working out the final details.

Around the time the Jakker went back to flying Dragon Ladies over Afghanistan, Trece and White Boy were reassigned to their security detail. Trece cried when he and Alex parted. Ten minutes later, Alex’s phone rang. Trece wanted her to know that his allergies were acting up. Alex assured him that he, and his allergies, would return the moment she needed him. This launched such a severe allergic reaction that Trece had to get off the phone.

After her hip was replaced, Alex joined Troy in a private hospital room. Soon they shared baby holding duties as Patrick Michael Hargreaves arrived the day after her surgery. The gorgeous blue eyed black haired baby was less than a day old when he picked up the name Paddie.

And things returned to an Alex kind of normal.

F