“Of course. I leave nothing to chance,” Nathan said with a haughty gleam in his eyes.
“You got me. Isn’t that what you wanted? You still going to attack the American people and fill the sky with fire and brimstone?” Cody grimaced, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Call off your disciples. Do with me what you will.” Maybe Cody could avert global bloodshed if he sacrificed himself.
But Nathan chuckled and shook his head, cocking the firearm. “Where’s the real president?”
Cody stiffened, barely able to breathe, his focus on the gun.
“You think I wouldn’t recognize you under all that plaster? The make-up’s good but you don’t sound or act a thing like the real President.” He clucked his tongue. “Your conceit continues to amaze me, Richards--first, you thought you could steal my intended bride and hide her from me. Now you thought you could fool these yokels with such a poor facsimile.” He notched his arm higher so that the gun aimed at Cody’s heart. “You know, it occurs to me that you’ll let me shoot you, the noble hero, the martyr....” He reeled around and grabbed Melissa, putting the gun to her temple and cocked it. “But will you sacrifice your beloved lady love for the world?”
Melissa turned deathly pale, all blood draining from her face, but she didn’t make so much sound as a whimper. Her eyes implored him to do what he must, even if it meant sacrificing her--which Cody wasn’t about to let happen without a struggle.
“So what happens now? You’re going to shoot your own wife? The love of your life?”
A purely crazy smile lit Nathan’s face. “We’ll be together through eternity. These are but our earthly shells. Bullets or bombs can harm our eternal souls.”
“Then why should I be scared of your guns or your missiles, Reverend?”
“Ahhhh, my brother, why indeed? I can see in your eyes that your soul is not prepared as is mine. You don’t have one one-hundredth of my faith. You’re afraid to die.”
Unfortunately, Alexander was right. The thought of his world and all mankind exploding scared Cody to his core. Why should innocent children die because of this one man’s insanity?
“So what do you want me to do? As you said yourself, I’m not the President. I can’t make you ruler or emperor of anything.” He tried some of Melissa’s poker tactics. “Do you truly want to end the world?”
Nathan narrowed his eyes and seemed to ponder Cody’s question. Finally, he swiveled the gun toward him and snarled. “No, just you. You’ve been a thorn in my side ever since I hired you.”
“No!” Melissa bit Nathan’s hand, and stomped as hard as she could on his foot, just as the bullet exploded from his gun.
The gun jerked upward towards Cody’s head instead of at his heart.
Cody threw himself to the side, but felt a burning through his right shoulder, as he rolled to the ground. He couldn’t tell if the bullet had impacted him as his shoulder had been throbbing wildly already, his earlier wound raw and probably infected by all the abuse it had been through.
Nathan yelled, as he backhanded Melissa to the ground amid the sounds of bones crunching. “Launch at the US Eastern Seaboard.”
She hurtled backward, howling in rage and pain. Twin spots glowed in each cheek, almost nuclear red. “You’re not a man of God, a Lion of Judah. Men of God don’t hurt innocent people. They don’t enjoy power and degrading others. You’re a demon!”
“Women should be seen and not heard.” Nathan strode over to her, towered over her, and aimed a deadly foot at her face. “Learn your place, wife.”
“No!” Cody struggled to his knees and lunged for Nathan’s legs just as his steel booted toe almost connected with Melissa’s jaw.
She rolled out of the way just in time.
Teetering, Nathan kicked at him but Cody managed to roll and catch the other man’s leg in the process, flipping him to the floor. The gun tumbled out of Nathan’s hands; flame burst forth in mid air from the spiraling gun and a bullet ricocheted in the compound. A fist connected to Cody’s eye and pain flared out of control. Blood trickled down his cheek as shouts of rage roared in his ears.
Lt. Lamont said in a deadly voice above him, “Lie still, or I’ll blow your head across the room, suh.”
“Forget him,” Nathan puffed. “I’ve got this handled. Help Potter get that key turned.”
“Yessuh!” Lamont turned … and saw Devereaux, “Move away from the General or I’ll shoot.”
The elite task force burst into the silo, fanning out, before the lieutenant’s voice stopped echoing.
“Launch, Goddamn you!” Nathan shouted, pulling himself forward on his elbows toward General Potter who struggled to turn one of the keys, Devereaux fighting to get it out of his hands.
“Help Devereaux. If that key turns, the birds will fly.” Cody used the last of his waning strength to pull himself to his feet, and half limping, half running, made his way toward the agency director. Cody grimaced as blood stained his hand where he held his burning shoulder.
Nathan grabbed his arms more securely around Cody’s legs, his fingers biting into Cody’s flesh. “You think you can save the world?” He laughed maniacally. “Why bother? Satan’s loose and winning the war. The world doesn’t deserve to live.”
“You’re crazy. It’s not your decision.” Cody stared at him dumbfounded. “If God were going to choose a prophet, it sure wouldn’t be you.”
“Oh, but I am God’s mouthpiece. He speaks to me, only to me.” Nathan finally grabbed the gun on the floor and cocked it to Cody’s head again. “As you’ll soon see....”
Gunshots rang out; one so close Cody thought that his head was being ripped apart. If the blood splattering his face were anything to go by, it just had been.
Then a shadow fell over them.
“Crazy, sorry bastard.” Devereaux shook his head, his gaze inscrutable, his gun smoking. “Someone should’ve taken you out years ago.”
Cody pushed the Reverend’s petrified form off, his skin crawling. When the man’s head rolled to the floor with a thud, his lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling, Cody shuddered.
“You hurt?” Devereaux held out his hand to help Cody up. He had an amazingly strong grip for an old guy. He must be sixty-something at least. Wisdom shone from his sloe black eyes.
Swiping at the blood dripping from his nose with the back of his hand, Cody met Devereaux’s gaze. The latex lay askew on his face, a piece ripped and hanging off. Tearing it off in pieces, he said, “I’ll live.” Glancing at the key, he added grimly, “You turned off the key?”
They stepped over a number of handcuffed soldiers lying face down on the floor to get to the key. Melissa had run to the protection of a number of Devereaux’s soldiers. “Not a second too soon. One moment more and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“You’re hurt!” Melissa cupped Cody’s face in her hands, gently exploring his bruises and cuts.
“So are you,” Cody said, swearing under his breath. Good thing the bastard was dead or he’d murder him with his bare hands for hurting a woman, especially his woman. “Don’t you care you’re a widow again?”
Shudders ripped through her and she squeezed her eyes tightly. “I suppose I should care that a man is dead, but all I feel is relief. We’re finally free of him. And since I didn’t sign marriage papers, was I officially married to him?” She wrapped her arms around Cody’s middle and buried her face in his chest. Almost as quickly, her head snapped back, and she ripped his shirt away from his shoulder. “Oh God, your wound’s reopened. Medics! He’s injured.”
Cody’s breathing grew increasingly shallow and he could barely stand, his knees wobbly. “I’ve survived thus far....” He slumped, despite his words, into Melissa and Devereaux’s arms.
“Over here!” Devereaux’s authority rang out sharply. “Man down.”
“Don’t die on me now, not after everything we’ve been through. I need to talk to you....” Melissa swiped at a tear that had the audacity to trickle down her cheek.
His heart flipped in his chest and he reached for her as strong hands lifted him and put him on a stretcher. “Don’t leave me, now. I love you.”
This time she let the tears flow. “I love you, too. I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you, that I could have ever thought you would work with Nathan knowing what he was.”
“Think you could marry a poor man, Princess? One who loves you with all his heart and soul?” Cody squeezed her hand as she walked by his side as he was being wheeled out. Behind her, he saw a sheet being pulled over Nathan’s form.
“You mean marry the savior of the world? Am I worthy of you?” She chewed her lower lip and stared up and over him at Devereaux. “We’re not up on charges, are we? Either of us?”
Cody looked up through a fuzzy haze, seeing two Devereauxs. Feverish, his head pounding, his shoulder burning as if on fire, he tried to stay awake.
Devereaux winked at Melissa and nodded to Cody. “I think we can work something out under these extenuating circumstances for you and our Mr. President. You’ve had a ringside seat to the biggest adventure of your lives.”
The man obviously didn’t know Melissa. Cody suspected this was just one of many big adventures he’d have, if she agreed to spend the rest of her life with him; although he hoped this would be the last adventure of this magnitude and danger.
Cody tried to smile but the teasing note in his voice would have to be enough. His cheek felt as if it was crushed and the muscles didn’t respond correctly either, refusing to pull his lips up on command. “I’ll take notes for the book I’m writing: ‘I was the President.’ ” The remaining latex itched like crazy as he tried to peel it off.
He saw Brother Larry and the other Lions being escorted away in handcuffs. “I hope they lost their roar now that their leader is dead.” He lifted a silent prayer that all the megalomaniacs would be nullified.
“I hope so.” Melissa squeezed his hand, rubbing his knuckles with her thumb.
“Don’t worry. We’ll make sure of it. You could write that book, you know. I bet it would be a bestseller.” Devereaux winked. “Spell my name right.” An enigmatic smile played about his lips. “And name your first son after me.” Saluting smartly, Devereaux spun on the ball of his heel and marched into the melee, shouting orders.
“What’s your first name?” Melissa called out, her hands cupped around her mouth. Mirth danced in her jade eyes.
Cody prayed it would be something normal and manly like Robert or William or Steve.
Devereaux turned back, grinning. “Melvin.”
“Melvin?” Cody scowled, instantly sorry when fireworks exploded underneath his face. “You’d saddle my son with a sissy name like Melvin?” Then the impact of her words hit him square in the heart. He struggled to sit up, commanding the pain to get lost. “You’ll marry me?”
“Just try to stop me, mister.” She coaxed him to lie back down with angel soft kisses. Against his lips, she said, “Two million women in America will disagree with you.”
He racked his brain trying to figure out what she meant but had no clue. Never, as long as he lived, would he understand the workings of the female mind.
“About what? They should be kissing my feet for saving baseball, apple pie, and keeping our skies pretty and blue.”
“Mel Gibson is no sissy.” Her laughter tinkled in his ears and her smile lit up his soul. “You think you had problems with the Lions of Judah, just wait till they find out you think Mel is a sissy name.”
He rolled his eyes. “How about I cut you a deal? We’ll name our firstborn son ‘Cody Melvin’ and only call him Mel when his Uncle Melvin comes around.”
She pressed her lips to his, and spread her palm over his heart. “You got it and you got me.”
Cody’s heart almost exploded with joy and pride. He was the luckiest man on earth, luckier than Mel Gibson.
As soon as Cody’s gurney wheeled outdoors, the sun nearly blinded him. Or was it about a thousand cameras flashing at them? Microphones were shoved in their faces and about a thousand questions shot at them in unison.
“Tell us how you saved the world.”
“What was it like to be President?”
“Did you kill Jesse Dalton?”
“Are you going to jail for life?”
“Is your husband headed for the White House?”
Voices blended and grated, making it impossible to tell who said what.
Melissa lifted her chin in that regal manner that Cody had once despised but was quickly coming to appreciate.
“No comment, except I’d like to announce our wedding,” she purred. “And Mel will be our best man.”
The End
Deadly Love Page 18