FIRST STEP MURDER

by H. R. Whidden

  Faxon laughed as he got into the ambulance and sat beside her. Harper’s eyes were nearly closed.

  “Shit I’m high, you ok?”

  “I’m fine, you’re hurt, damn miracle you’re not dead, I saw you go over and thought what the hell am I going to do with a crazy bitch like you?”

  “I can think of a few things, why don’t you shut those doors and we’ll see what comes up, it’s been a while.”

  “That’s the Demerol talking. You go to the hospital and as soon as I get the cars away from here I’ll be right there, your right foots pretty messed up. I’ll be waiting for you when their done.”

  The ambulance pulled away, and Faxon talked with John.

  “You’re gonna find that a lot of shipping containers on the Desert Sun has stolen goods, no telling how many have firearms.”

  “Yea I was looking at the guns those guys were carrying, your damn lucky you weren’t killed. I told Harper when she called not to go on board, and wait for us,” John said.

  “She doesn’t take instruction well, but it was a good thing she got aboard, she saved my life.”

  “There’s going to be an investigation into the death of Brantley. He wasn’t armed when they took him out of the water. Bad guy or not the authorities frown on vigilante’s outright committing murder. With my testimony about how he had tried to kill her before it shouldn’t be but a formality.”

  “Yea I don’t think the department would want the bad publicity when they try to prosecute someone like Harper Lewis. How about getting me some help with driving the SUV to the parking garage.”

  Faxon drove the old Jeep and John drove the SUV with an officer driving his unmarked Crown Vic behind them to the parking garage. John said he’d call tomorrow when the reports were written, Faxon would have to come in to give his official statement. He also told him that he would need to get a statement from Harper tomorrow as soon as the anesthetic wore off.

  Faxon drove the Porsche Cayenne to the hospital and called Aunt Rachel.

  “Hello, this better be good it’s 3:00 fucking am,” Rachel said.

  “Is it something in the Lewis family genetics or what,” Faxon said.

  “Did you and Harper find each other?”

  “Yea we did, and we found Benjamin Brantley too, he’s dead, Harper was hurt she’s in the hospital, she’ll be fine but she hurt her foot pretty bad. They have her in surgery now, she’ll be fine, but it’s a damn miracle, she fell more than a hundred feet into the water, it killed Brantley.”

  “You should know it’d take more than that to kill her, so she got Brantley?”

  “Yea, he’s dead,” Faxon said.

  “Good, maybe we can get back to some form of normalcy, and Linda can find some kind of happy ending with the girls,” Rachel said.

  “I’m not going to abandon them Rachel, I made a promise I mean to keep. I guess I let those girls get to me.”

  “I’m on my way to the hospital.”

  Faxon, Rachel and Conner sat in the waiting room and eventually a doctor came out, it was 6:00 am and they were all exhausted.

  “The surgery went fine she broke four metatarsals, the acicular, and the talus, she tore the ligaments and broke the lower Fibula. I repaired all the damage and despite that she’ll heal fine as long as she does as told. I put on a fiberglass cast, from the condition she’s in I presume she’s a very active young woman and the hardest part of her rehabilitation is going to be keeping her off of it to heal. She should be in a room soon, but probably won’t wake for a little while and she’ll have an IV drip with a low dose of Demerol for pain. A nurse will come out when they get her settled in.”

  “You guys don’t have to stick around,” Faxon said. “I’ll stay with her.”

  “We have to be at Landau’s at 10:00 am so we may as well stick around for a while,” Rachel said.

  It was about thirty minutes before a nurse came out to the waiting room, she explained Harper had been moved to a private room on the fourth floor, room 422, and that she was still unconscious from the antistatic. Rachel, Conner, and Faxon went up to the room. The private room was large but there was only one chair, it was a nice reclining chair where a family member, husband, or wife could stay in the room with a recovering loved one and be somewhat comfortable. Faxon went and got two straight back chairs and they all had a place to sit.

  Faxon explained what had happened from the time he had called Linda to checking in on her and the girls at Landau’s estate. He told them how Harper must have climbed across the mooring ropes and got aboard the Desert Sun, and how she had showed up just in time to save him from the man with the machinegun. He recounted seeing her follow Brantley up to the roof of the wheelhouse and how he had to kill the Captain, find the key then get up to the roof just in time to see Harper and Brantley go over the side, and how it made him sick to his stomach watching her hit the water at that height.

  Rachel and Conner had to leave to be at Landau’s home by 10:00 am for the girl’s lessons and Faxon promised to call when she woke. He moved the comfortable recliner close to the hospital bed and laid it back, he was able to hold her hand and soon fell asleep. He felt Harper pull her hand away and Faxon sat the chair up, then stood and pushed Harper’s hair away from her face. She opened her eyes and smiled.

  “Where am I? What happened? Oh ya, I remember seeing you in the ambulance, right?”

  “Ya, they operated on your foot and leg it was pretty messed up, but it’s all fixed up now the surgeon said you’ll be good as new.”

  “Sit me up,” Harper tried to sit up but she was still too sedated. Faxon used the bed control to elevate the bed until she was in a more sitting position. She looked down at her feet. “Why is one so big she slurred?” Faxon moved the covers so she could see the short fiberglass cast. “So no dancing I guess, what about my workouts? Shit what’s this?” Harper looked at the IV.”

  “Their giving you fluids, and something for the pain, you want some water?”

  “Ya, some water please.”

  Faxon went and got some ice and water and came back. He put some ice in a white foam cup then put some water in but just a little then held it for her to sip. Harper smiled again.

  “Is everything ok with us? I mean you forgive me for being such an ass? I had a dream that mom and dad were proud of me for seeing this thing through. I know it was more for me than them but I feel like that’s all behind me now. So are we ok? You’re not in love with Linda are you?”

  “No, I’m not in love with Linda, I do owe her and the kids, I promised I’d take care of them if she’d come and testify. And yes we’re ok.”

  “Kiss me,” Faxon gladly complied. “You want to get under the covers with me, she giggled?”

  “You’re still on Demerol.”

  He called Landau and Harper talked to Rachel even though she was still a little high. Faxon spent the day with her and feed her even though Harper was disgusted by the hospital food.

  After the girls lessons Rachel and Conner came back to the hospital and that gave Faxon time to go home, take a shower, and change clothes then he spent the night at the hospital in the reclining chair. The next day was much the same, only Faxon brought her food in, the second night he ordered eight pizzas from the best place in Boston, one for him and Harper and the rest for the floor nurses. They all teased Faxon warning him they would come in to check Harper’s vitals any time and he’d have to wait for sex until they got her home.

  Harper was off the IV and they talked about where they would live until her recovery, Faxon wanted her to go home and he would come and visit. Rachel told them Landau had offered for them both to stay at his estate where he’d have round the clock nursing care for Harper. They both turned that down it would have been to uncomfortable being so close to Linda, Harper was still jealous of the time her and Faxon had spent together. Harper had insisted that she be with him, if it was at the apartment then that was fine with her, they had lived there together before.

  The next
morning Faxon had the SUV pulled up in front of the hospital for Harper’s ride to the apartment. He went in and up to the fourth floor and she was dressed in a pair of jeans, the right leg split up the side to accommodate the cast. She wore a t-shirt and a dark blue button up shirt with a collar. She wore her hair back in a ponytail, and Faxon had promised to wash it for her when they got to the apartment. He carried her crutches and a nurse pushed Harper in a wheelchair.

  Down the elevator, then down the hall and through the sliding glass double doors where the Porsche SUV waited. The valet opened the passenger’s door and Harper stood up. Faxon put the crutches in the back and walked back around to help her in, they laughed about having to go upstairs once they got to Ned Devin’s, when a woman’s voice called his name from behind them.

  “Faxon my love I’m here, they’ve been trying to keep us apart, but I’m here now and we can finally be together.”

  The nurse looked and her face turned white, and she backed away. The valet fell backwards. Harper turned to see who was talking but was so confused everything seemed to move in slow motion. Faxon’s face turned white. It was Amy Lindsey, aka stalker bitch, and she was raising a gun in her right hand and pointed it at Harper. Faxon stepped in front of her at the same time trying to reach for the semi-automatic hand gun. He saw the muzzle flash, and felt something hit him in the left shoulder. Then he saw it flash again and something hit him in the stomach and he went down.

  Harper screamed but she couldn’t get to the woman with the gun, Faxon was lying between them. The woman looked down at Faxon with a blank look on her face and saw blood everywhere.

  “I’m coming with you my love,” she said calmly.

  Harper watched her put the gun to the side of her head and then she saw the muzzle flash again and the woman’s head looked misshapen at first, as if in slow motion. Then a spray of blood from the other side of the woman’s head as the bullet exited. Harper heard more than one person scream and people were running everywhere. She fell to her knees and turned Faxon over onto his back and immediately put her hands over the wound in his stomach. Blood poured between her fingers. Faxon looked up at her grimacing in pain.

  “Don’t you dare die on me you son of a bitch, I’ll fucking kill you if you leave me now,” tears streamed down her cheeks.

  Four EMT’s were there moving her out of the way. They moved him onto a fold down gurney, raised it and began wheeling it into the emergency room with two surgeons right beside it working as it moved. Harper sat back in the wheelchair blood covered her hands, forearms, and the front of her shirt.

  Harper sat where she was with chaos going on around her. Faxon was still alive and the surgeons had been right there. The dead woman that had done the shooting was still where she fell, a sheet covering her. Police had showed up and the identification on the body said she was Amy Lindsey, as soon as Harper heard the name she knew who she was. Faxon had told her the story of the development of the first rule; never get involved with a client. Detective John Walker had showed up when he heard who had been shot. A quick search reviled she had just gotten out of the state mental hospital and apparently had been following the case on the news.

  After calling Rachel and Conner they showed up and Harper used a room. She showered and put on a clean set of clothes then she was pushed in her wheelchair down to the emergency waiting room.

  Rachel called Linda and Landau they decided not tell the girls until they knew Faxon was going to make it and Rachel promised to call as soon as he got out of surgery. Harper called Lew and he reluctantly told her he would come to the hospital when they moved Faxon to a room, maybe tomorrow. She used Faxon’s phone to get the number for James Cullen, Boston Herald reporter, Faxon and him had become good friends. She found numbers on his phone for Barbie, and called her. Then Shira Brennon, and Lisa Colman, all of them cried and said a prayer then told her they were on their way to the hospital.

  Harper looked through Faxon’s numbers and saw, mom and dad. She remembered him telling her he hadn’t seen them in years that they had retired to Florida. Harper dialed the number and a woman answered.

  “Hello, Faxon?” she must have seen the caller ID.

  “Hello, Mrs. Bennett, my names Harper Lewis, I’m afraid I have some bad news. Faxon was shot twice today, and he’s in surgery now.”

  “Oh my God,” Harper could tell she couldn’t catch her breath and she set to phone down. “Thomas, Thomas, come quick, it’s Faxon. Oh God Thomas he’s been shot.”

  “Hello, this is Thomas Bennett, who am I speaking with?”

  “My names Harper Lewis Mr. Bennett, Faxon was shot twice today and he’s still in the operating room. Mr. Bennett if you and your wife want to come to Boston I could call the airport where you are and arrange for a jet to fly you here.”

  “Well, I mean, I don’t think we could fly out that fast.”

  “Mr. Bennett I think if you were to ask your wife she’d want to be here when Faxon makes it out of surgery and intensive care. I can arrange for the flight and take care of the cost, I’ll have someone pick you up at the airport and take care of all you arrangements while you’re here and your return flight when you’re ready to leave.”

  “Well Ms. Lewis why would you do all that for people you don’t even know?”

  “Because I have the means Mr. Bennett and because I’m in love with your son.”

  Harper made all the arrangements they would board the next available flight and the tickets were waiting at the gate for them when they got there. Conner agreed to go pick them up when the flight came in.

  It was thirteen hours from the time they wheeled Faxon away until a surgeon came out, he looked exhausted. He walked out and sat down in a chair across from Harper, she still sat in a wheel chair and her right leg was propped up in front of her. Rachel and Conner sat beside the doctor and Barbie, Lisa, and Shira stood around them.

  “Well he’ll live,” the surgeon said. “One bullet went through his left shoulder it missed any vital arteries but did some serious damage. It was the bullet that went through his abdomen that caused us so many problems. It missed his spine but there was a lot of damage to his intestines, and he lost a kidney, it was a lot of work patching him up. He’ll be out for hours we want to keep him that way for a while so he’ll be in intensive care, you may as well go home and get some rest.”

  Rachel and Conner went home for a while they’d have to be at the airport in a few hours to meet Faxon’s parents when their flight arrived at Logan International airport. Barbie, Lisa, and Shira offered to help but Harper refused, the three women that had come to consider Faxon a good friend went home. She agreed to call as soon as he woke and could have visitors which might be a day or so. The closest hotel was a Residence Inn Marriott and Harper had a cab take her there after making sure the head floor nurse in the ICU ward would call her if Faxon woke or if there was any problems. She got a ground floor room with wheel chair access and a female attendant helped her. She had her crutches but hadn’t used them yet, while she was at the desk she arranged for a room next to hers for Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. Harper set her alarm for four hours and lay down on the bed quickly falling to sleep.

  Conner stood with Rachel near the escalator where travelers would come down to baggage, he held a sign that said Bennett’s. It wasn’t long before a tall man with salt and pepper hair in very good physical condition walked up to them with a pretty lady. She was tall, five foot ten, and slender, she reminded Rachel of Harpers mother.

  “We’re the Bennett’s, I’m Thomas and this is my wife Karen.” He extended his hand and they shook.

  “I’m Harper’s Aunt Rachel this is my friend Conner, let’s get your bags and we’ll go to the hospital and I can explain on the way.”

  It wasn’t a long drive from the airport to the hospital but Rachel was able to explain about Harper’s parents being killed, and the death of Harper’s husband. Then the explanation about the plot and illegal activities of Benjamin Brantley, and the attempted murder
of Harper and the murders of other businessmen in the Boston Area. The drug operations, the theft operations, the sale of fire arms to Saudi Nationals that were being given to Islamic radicals all trained by ex-marines under Brantley’s organization. Rachel explained how the FBI, NSA, the DA, and the State Department had all given credit publicly to Faxon for his work on the case, and Brantley had made the top wanted list because of Faxon. Then she told the story of Faxon and Harper on board the Desert Sun and how he had kept the ship from slipping away with Brantley, the illegal shipment of arms, the hundreds of millions in stolen goods, and ex-marines involved in training radicals that were killing American service men and Diplomats overseas.

  Last of all Rachel told the story of how Harper and Faxon had become so close. Faxon protected Harper while they both investigated, at the time not knowing who was behind the murders. They had lived together in the small apartment, sharing a bed but not physically together for months. Rachel told how they had finally fallen in love, and she left out the time or reason they were apart.

  At the hospital Harper stood up when she saw Rachel and Conner come in with a man and woman that were obviously Faxon’s parents. She was able to put a little weight on her walking short cast. Karen Bennett was first to Harper and hugged her as introductions were made.

  “How’s my son,” she asked?

  “He’s still unconscious, and still in intensive care, they tell me it’s not uncommon for him to not have woken yet after such a long surgery. The surgeon assured me he’d make a complete recovery.”

  “What the hell has my son done to have had such a beautiful woman fall in love with him, Thomas asked?

  “You’re too kind Mr. Bennett, it’s me that’s the lucky one, you and Mrs. Bennett have raised a rare honorable, kind, respected, and incredibly handsome man. You’re going to meet some people that really love him, you should be very proud.”

  Landau, Linda, and the girls came into the waiting room, and the girls went straight to Rachel their teacher. Introductions were made and Harper gave them the same update that she had given Faxon’s parents. Only when the head nurse of the intensive care unit walked up did they talking stop.