by A. L Long
Why wasn’t I surprised that he would shut down my question? Just like every other man I knew; it was a famous line. Pushing from the table, I lost my appetite. Before I could stand, I was thrown an order from his majesty.
“Sit. Sabrina, I will not tolerate childlike behavior.”
His voice was so commanding it sent chills down my body. Before I could pull my chair back under me, his voice rang again. “Sit.” Only this time much louder.
Unable to speak, I took my place and gathered my napkin from the table and placed it over my lap. The daggered look he was giving me was one that I never wanted to see again. Lowering my eyes, I began filling my mouth full of food that I’m sure was wonderful, but I couldn’t taste. Sitting with him looking at me was worse than the silence between us. My nerves were having a heyday as my shaking hand reached for the crystal goblet filled with water and a slice of lemon. Taking a sip, I heard the weight of footsteps hitting the tile floor. Walt marched into the room with an urgency in his face.
“Sir, I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner, but we have a situation that needs your attention,” he said, just low enough that I could barely hear. But I could read his lips as he began to speak.
Years of being scared had taught me one thing: always be prepared for the worst. It was then that I decided to learn how to read lips. I was certain that by his hurried entrance, it was more than a situation that needed attending.
“Excuse me, sweetheart, but there is a matter that needs my immediate attention. Walt, please take Sabrina to her room.”
The last thing I wanted to do was to be taken to my room. I wanted to know exactly what was going on. Unfortunately, I had no other option but to listen to dear old dad. Pushing from the table, I placed my napkin over my plate and proceeded to walk in front of Walt. Hearing his footsteps behind me, I knew there was no way out of this situation. I could only hope that his presence was needed to take care of the ‘situation’ so that I would be able to investigate what was going on once he left.
~****~
I could hear the click of the lock as soon as I entered the room. I should have known that my escape was going to be close to impossible. Changing my clothes as quickly as I could, I put on a pair of jeans and a tank top. Rushing to the bathroom, I tried to find anything that I could use to remove the screws holding the knob on. I found a small barrette that would work, but only if the screws weren’t too tight. Next I needed something long that would allow me to turn the latch to the lock. The only item that might work was an eyelash curler that I requested when the first shipment of supplies came in. I only hoped it was strong enough to turn the latch. Placing my ear against the door jam, I tried to listen for any noise that may have been on the other side. When I didn’t hear anything, I lowered my body to a kneeling position and began working on the screws. With the doorknob off, I slipped the latch between the curler and clamped down on the metal. Whoever said, watching reruns of Macgyver was a waste of time because none of that stuff he did ever worked, was a fool. I pulled on the latch and the door swung open.
Peeking my head out, there was no one in sight, which meant I could at least get to the stairs. Padding my way down the hall, I listened for any voices. When I didn’t hear any, I looked over the staircase railing to see if anyone was wondering below. Looked to be all clear. Tiptoeing down the steps, I kept a look out for any of Lee’s men. “Something really must have them occupied,” I thought to myself has I continued down the stairs. I knew the best way out of the house was through the back door. I crept slowly against the wall, careful not to make a sound. Turning my body to the foyer, I began walking backwards, checking my surroundings. Just as I was about to turn back around, a large hand clasped around my mouth. I had been caught.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Cop
When Peter volunteered to cause a distraction, while I slipped into the house, I never thought that Brie would be standing right in front of me. I didn’t want her to give away our position, so I had to cover her mouth with my hand.
Feeling her body squirm, I needed to calm her uneasiness. Leaning over I softly whispered, “It’s me, baby.”
As she turned to face me, I could see the beginning of her tears start to fall. It broke my heart the minute the first one fell. Wiping her cheek with my hand, I lowered my head and took her lips and gave her a tender kiss. Her soft moans vibrated on my lips as she pulled me closer. More than anything I wanted to take her right there, but I knew we didn’t have much time before Lee’s men would be coming back.
Breaking the kiss I whispered, “We need to go, Brie.”
Looking up at me she said, “I missed you, Cop. I thought about you everyday. I knew you would find me.”
Giving her one last kiss, we headed down the hallway to the back door where I entered. Keeping her close behind me, I scanned the area to make sure I was ready for any surprises. Just when I thought we were in the clear, one of Lee’s men came crashing through the door, catching us off guard. He pulled his weapon, but he wasn’t quick enough. I fired a round, which hit him in his chest. His body hit the floor with a thud. I knew that we needed to get out of there quick before we got caught. Holding on to Brie’s hand, we headed out the back door and down the stone path. Our efforts were once again stopped, as two more men spotted us and began firing their weapons. Firing back, I kept Brie behind me as I ran for cover. Keeping our bodies low, we ran towards a small stone ledge separating the estate property from the beach. It wasn’t much protection, but it kept us from being out in the open.
Leaning our bodies against the stone wall, I reloaded my gun with the last clip I had on me. Looking over to Brie, I could see the terror in her eyes as the ringing of gunfire sounded just above our heads. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, I asked with concern, “You okay, baby?”
Brie nodded with a small “Yes,” before she looked away.
“We’re going to get out of this. The guys knew I went to the house and I’m sure they heard the gunfire,” I assured her.
Focusing only on her, I lifted her hand to my mouth and gave it a tender kiss. Peeking my head over the edge of the stone wall, the two men who were shooting at us were laying face down on the grass. My only conclusion was that one of the other guys must have taken them out. Seeing that the coast was clear. I helped Brie to her feet and began making my way up the wall with her close behind. Still on guard, we kept our bodies in a lower position as we made our way across the grass to the road leading to the airstrip. Once we reached the road, I breathed in a sigh of relief that we had escaped getting a bullet in us. I had spoken too soon, because three more men appeared, firing right at us. A couple of times I could feel the air move next to my head as the bullet barely missed me. We needed to find cover. Taking a chance. I pulled Brie to my side and head to the wooded area on the side of the road. My only hope was there wasn’t anyone waiting for us. Reaching the cluster of palm trees, I felt a sting to my left side. I knew that I needed to keep moving if I was going to get Brie to safety.
Running through the brush and trees, I could feel my body begin to shut down, but knew I needed to keep going. I could no longer hear the gunfire as we approached a clearing. The airstrip was up ahead. Holding on to Brie’s hand as tight as I could, we ran towards the other side of the hanger where I knew the helicopter would be waiting. Peter and Ash were approaching me from the other side. All I could think about was how glad I was to see them.
Meeting them by the hanger, Peter said with a drawn look, “The chopper is ready to go. I’m not sure how many men are still on this island, but we took out at least half a dozen,”
As I looked to Peter, he knew right away something was off. His eyes scanned my body, stopping at my left side where the blood was beginning to seep through my light ammunition vest. Nodding my head, I signaled him to keep quiet. The last thing I needed was for Brie to go into hysterics because I had been shot. I knew that it would be a matter of time before my blood loss would render me unconscious. The only obstacle no
w was getting to the chopper without getting shot. Trying to contain the pain in my side, I followed Peter, than Ash in the direction of the waiting helicopter. I made sure that Brie was in front of me as well. It was the only way that I could think of to keep her from seeing the blood stain, that was now twice the size it had been, seeping through my vest.
When the helicopter was in sight, I thanked God that we were finally able to leave this place. Ash had slowed his pace and dropped back to where I was struggling to even walk. Taking my arm, he wrapped it around his shoulder, giving me the added support to make it the rest of the way. I knew I was close to passing out as the blurred vision and dizziness began to set in. I knew that I needed to use all the strength I had to make it the hundred feet to the helicopter. Murphy's law took hold as Brie’s alleged father stepped out from behind a large tree. Had Brie been a little closer to me. I would have been able to stop him when his arm wrapped around her shoulder, pinning her body next to his. Getting to him wouldn’t have been a problem either other than the gun he had pushed into her side.
“One step closer and it will be the last you see of your precious fuck thing,” he began as I looked at him in confusion. “What, Mr. Coppoletti, you didn’t think I knew about your little indulgence? Always one step ahead. Being in the security business, you're getting a little sloppy. You should have been more attentive. Every room of your little fuck pad has been equipped with top-of-the-line cameras. It's amazing how tiny those things are these day,”
Just as I was ready to charge for him, Ash pulled me back, reminding me that at that moment Lee had the upper hand. “You fucking bastard. You would actually kill your own daughter,” I said with gritted teeth as Ash held me back. I wasn’t sure where my strength came from, but seeing Brie like that made me want to rip his heart out and jam it down his throat.
“Here’s the thing. It's amazing what money can buy. A couple of procedures, a little persuasion, and you can get anything you want. I’m no more her father than Boy George would ever become president.” he said with a chuckle. “ Her real father died years ago. He should never have crossed me. Him and that slutty girlfriend of his.”
“What do you want, Draper?” I seethed, barely holding back my intolerance for this man.
“I want the two million dollars that was taken from me. You get that and you can have your precious fuck thing back.”
“Take this, you motherfucker,” Hawk cursed, stepping behind Lee and hitting him with the butt of his assault rifle.
When Lee fell to the ground and the gun dropped out of his hand, Brie ran to me with her arms open. Leave it to Hawk to save the day. Taking her in my arms, I pressed my lips to hers for a moment before my short-lived adrenaline left and my body collapsed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Sabrina
I knew there was something going on with Cop the minute Ash fell behind us and assisted him. I just didn’t know what. When he collapsed, I saw the reason for his behavior. There was a large blood stain on his vest. He had been shot. My heart felt like someone took a hammer to it.
Ash was able to pull him from the ground with the assistance of Hawk. As they loaded him in the helicopter, I scrambled to get in myself. Taking a seat next to where they had laid him, I took hold of his hand and prayed that he would be okay, But the gray pale color of his face said it all. He was dying.
“We need to hurry, Peter,” I yelled, thinking Cop wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. “We can’t let him die.”
“Don’t worry, Sabrina, We’ll get there. Hawk radioed for assistance and the medics are on standby. He’s a strong man,” Peter said, taking hold of my hand and giving it a tender squeeze.
The tears began to fall as I watched Cop get even more pale. He had to hold on. I hadn’t even told him that I loved him. Leaning over, I kissed his forehead and whispered, “Don’t leave me, Cop, I love you so much, please don’t leave me.”
As the helicopter rotors sounded, my heart beat kept time with each swish of the blades. Every second of every minute, I felt my heart bleed for this man.
~****~
The chopper landed on the heli-pad forty-five minutes later, and just like Hawk said, the medics were ready. As they gently put Cop’s frail body on the gurney, a shallow groan escaped, giving me the hope I needed that he would be okay. As they wheeled him through the double doors, I could hear them, “We need to get him to Emergency One Stat.”
My heart began to race. All I wanted to do was crawl inside him and take away everything he was feeling. The pain, the despair, the confusion. Everything that I was feeling at this very moment I felt for him. Wheeling him in the elevator, I was stopped abruptly before I was able to join them before being told, “You will need to wait for the next ride, miss. We need all the room we can have in case we need to take action.”
“Take action, what does that even mean?” I asked, confused.
“Ma’am. Please, we need to get him to surgery ASAP,” the medic stated.
Before I could ask where they were taking him, the doors shut. I contemplated just running down the stairs to get to him, but I knew that it would be quicker to be patient and wait for the next elevator to arrive. I pushed the down button and waited. In the meantime, Hawk and Peter came up behind me.
“He’s in good hands, Sabrina. He is a survivor,” Hawk assured me as he gave me a comforting hug.
Looking at the guys, I noticed that Ash wasn’t around. “Where’s Ash? He should be here,” I queried.
“He will be as soon as he can. The hospital CEO of Operations advised us that the helicopter had to be moved,” Peter said.
As soon as the elevator door opened we were all inside within seconds. As we descended, I stared at the LED display as each floor past by. I hoped that we would be able to find where they took Cop. All I knew was Emergency One. The elevator stopped on the lobby floor, and we all rushed to the administration desk to see if they had any information on Cop.
“We were told that Cop… Excuse me, Vince Coppoletti, was taken to Emergency One. Can you tell us where that may be?” Peter asked in a calm voice.
The volunteer at the desk began typing on the computer to pull up any information she had. “You are correct, sir. He is on the fourth floor. You won’t be able to enter the restricted area, but there is a waiting room there that is quite comfortable where you can wait.”
Peter thanked the volunteer as we all headed in the direction of the elevator that we just exited. As we stepped inside the open door, my chest once again began to tighten. Taking a deep breath in and letting it out, I used the technique that my psychologist had taught me so many years ago. I hung back as Peter and Hawk exited the elevator. My chest was so tight, I could hardly breathe. Both of them looked at me with concern.
“Sabrina, are you okay?” I could hear Hawk’s voice, even though I couldn’t respond.
“Sabrina,” he said, reaching out to me.
It was only after he took me in his arms that I acknowledged his presence. “I just need a minute,” I said softly.
“Take all the time you need, sweetheart,” he said, still comforting me.
I held him close like he was some sort of security blanket. He was the best comfort I had. I only wished it was Cop holding me instead of fighting for his life. Pushing from the elevator wall, I exited the elevator with Hawk holding on to my hand. Moments later we were at the restricted doors, where yet another volunteer sat behind a small desk.
As we approached her, it was Hawk, who said, “We are here for Vince Coppoletti. He was just brought in.”
Once again, she entered the information on the screen and waited for it to load. “Yes, I see that he is still in surgery. If you would like, you may take a seat in the waiting area. I will let the attending physician know that he has family inquiring about his condition.”
Walking to the waiting area was telltale of how I felt. It was an agonizing pain not knowing what was going on with Cop. Waiting rooms were like the before and after just waiti
ng to crash down on you. As we sat, my anxiety got the best of me. I couldn’t just sit and wait for the news that he was gone forever. Standing, I paced the hard linoleum floor. It was a good thing that they were covered in layers and layers of wax because the way I was pacing, there would be nothing left of the shine on the sterile floor.
Peter walked up to me, taking me away from my thoughts as he grabbed my hand. “Brie, you are going to kill yourself with worry. It isn’t helping you or Cop. Trust me, he is in good hands.”
“I’m so scared for him, Peter. What if he doesn’t make it? I never even told him how I felt about him,” I choked.
“He knows, believe me, he knows. That’s why, if for any reason, he is in there fighting for you,” Peter confirmed.
Walking me back to where Hawk was sitting so calmly, I took a seat, took in a deep breath and waited for the inevitable. The quietness was killing me. “How could they be looking at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, while Cop was fighting for his life?” I thought to myself. I would never believe that they could be that shallow, looking at half-naked women. Maybe it was their way of dealing with this shit storm. I couldn’t even image how hard this was on them. I knew they were close and that they all served together. That is a bond that can never be broken. While I was lost in my thoughts, Ash walked into the room with a concerned look on his face.