by Mike Gomes
“It’s me Falau.” he said turning his face to her. “You are ok! We are in London. You’re ok. Jim isn’t here.”
Falau wondered who Jim was and why she called for him but from what he knew about Gabriela was that her private life was her own and treading water in the Thames River he probably learned more about Gabriela the Mantis than the intelligence agency has ever known.
Chapter 23
Raising the glass to his lips he took a healthy sip of the beer that lived in the glass. It was room temperature as was the custom in England but none of that mattered to the man in the cowboy hat. He curled up his nose and placed it back down on the bar in disgust. Wyatt Houston understood that ice cold beer was not the normal thing to get in London, England but he expected that the lobby bar of the Marriott would cater more to an American audience.
Wyatt took the beer and moved to a seat that could not be seen from the door. He knew that when Duke arrived he would scurry like a cockroach when the lights came on if he saw him. His seat choice was tactic. He could not be seen but he could use the long mirror behind the bar to watch the front door. Guests entering the doorway would have their eyes naturally drawn to the ornate lobby and if they did look to the bar they were far more likely to look at the people sitting at the tables in view rather than looking at the mirror behind the bartender.
Wyatt knew that the cowboy hat was a dead giveaway but there were some things he was not willing to sacrifice for a mission. Despite being indoors he kept the hat on, something that his mother would never have approved of and he had been taught not to do. At a time like this it would have been wise to follow the teachings he grew up with to keep his cover but the hat was a symbol of his Texas life and he had proudly worn it on five continents. No rich boy brat was going to make that change.
Bursting through the front door a tattered and ragged Tristan Duke came breathing hard and red faced. He looked back over his shoulder and checked down the streets.
Wyatt held his position. Duke’s behavior was all wrong for a man who just came from the airport. He looked like a man being chased. Maybe it was the man from Duke’s house.
Wyatt stood up and moved closer to the door keeping a wall to his back to cut down the possibility that Duke could see him.
Getting to the front desk Duke pushed two women aside forcing his way to the counter.
“Excuse me, sir. I was next!” exclaimed one of the women with a thick French accent.
“I am in a hurry. Sorry. This will help.” said Duke pulling out his wallet and pulling a 50 pound note he handed it to the woman.
“I don’t need your money. Just say excuse me.”
“Whatever. Just take the money.” he said turning away to the clerk behind the check in station.
“Sir, you are not next.” said the young man behind the desk.
“I don’t care!” shouted Duke in frustration and looking back to the front door. He reached over the desk and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and started frantically writing on it. “My luggage is going to come here. Have it sent to this address and sent to the person by this name. They are their things not mine.”
The man nodded and took the slip of paper and Duke made a move to the door again. He ducked and shifted side to side looking like a mad man who thought everyone was after him.
Wyatt stayed standing in the bar watching Dukes’ behaviors and how he was becoming unraveled. He was attempting to be covert but was gathering more attention to where he was than anything. Every person in the lobby could have easily described the rowdy American that was yelling.
Wyatt held his ground sure that this was not the time or place to try to take the man down. He would have gone insane and drawn so much attention that it was not worth the trouble. Besides, Wyatt had heard every word of Duke’s conversation with the hotel employee. He knew that the young worker had a slip of paper with where Duke was going to stay and the fake name he was using. That was a far simpler approach.
Duke pushed his way out the front door and disappeared down the sidewalk.
The cowboy walked out of the bar leaving his beer behind on a table next to the entrance. He calmly and assuredly walked over to the line at the check in and waited ten minutes for the people in front of him to be serviced. His time came and he walked up to the young man behind the desk and flashed him a broad and friendly smile that was instantly reciprocated by the young man.
“Hello young man. My name is Wyatt.” said the cowboy reaching out his hand to shake and having it meet with gusto. “I saw Tristan Duke come in here and cause a scene with you just a few minutes ago. He gave you a piece of paper. I was wondering if I could get a look at it. See that boy stole all my luggage over at Heathrow. He grabbed his luggage off the roundabout and then popped his tags onto my stuff. Mostly camera equipment. The guy is nothing but a thief. I would like to get the police involved and maybe they can be there when my luggage gets to him.”
“I really shouldn’t. It is against policy.”
“I understand but I can’t have all my equipment stolen. Besides I will talk with your boss and tell him how you helped catch a criminal and have made me a customer for life as well as the other photographers in my company.”
The young man placed the paper on the desk and turned it so Wyatt could read it just by looking down. He didn’t give it to him but let him have the information so not to break the rules of his job.
Wyatt saw little on the paper just a name and a hotel but no other details. The name was David Churchill and the hotel was called the Van Gogh.
“Thank you young man. I sure do appreciate that.”
“My pleasure, sir.”
Wyatt turned and walked to the door.
Chapter 24
Racing the boat back to the dock it continued to take on water. Bit by bit the boat dropped deeper into the river. Tim kept the throttle down keeping the nose of the boat up. Gabriela sat slumped over in Falau’s arms trying to regain her breathing at the back of the boat. Each small wave caused the boat to jolt and Gabriela let out a small gasp.
Tim’s time in the SEALS had him see men who had lungs collapse after a blunt trauma like Gabriela faced and he was sure this had happened to her. It was all rather simple. Her lung just deflated and there was no way for her to pull air back into it. Each time she attempted to breath it would collapse on itself harder. Falau pushed air in and let it get back on track but the pain and desperation of the situation was undeniable. Her lung still struggled to fill to its normal size. Breath by breath it expanded ever so slightly.
“Hold on” called Tim looking back for a moment. Driving straight at the pier where they had got the boat he dropped the boat into neutral twenty feet away from the dock. Losing speed quick it slipped into its original spot like a foot into the perfect shoe. Tim threw a rope around a mooring and the boat took a hard jerk to stop. He hustled the few steps to do the same at the back of the boat and in moments it was secure and safe from dropping to the river floor.
“Get her out of here and to our hotel. I will go back and see if Duke went back to the hotel.” said Tim not waiting for an answer and rushing up the ladder.
Going up the walkway and onto the bridge Tim felt his adrenaline running like it had for so many years in the military. Being on a mission was what he loved best. Duke was the target but it almost didn’t seem to matter. He was feeling like the younger man he missed not the old man that looked like his dad he saw each day in the mirror. He was in the fight and nothing pleased him more.
Walking briskly through the crowd he realized he blended in without ever needing to put on a disguise. His neutral clothing looked like the standard 60 year old tourist from the United States. He kept his profile low and got to the far side of the bridge and stationed himself up where Gabriela had been just a short time ago. Duke had seen him and he knew that. The young billionaire looked back over and over during the chase and their eyes met several times. There was no excuse if he were to be seen by Duke. It would destroy the who
le mission.
A man rushed from the front of the Marriott hotel and hit directly into a young man. The two fell from the steps and hit the pavement hard. It was Duke he was moving quickly, obviously not thinking that the chase was over. He got to his feet and started a brisk walk that looked out of place with all the other people in the street. This time he avoided the bridge and walked the other way and flagged a cab.
Duke entered it and was gone.
“Shit!” snapped Tim at himself frustrated that Duke slipped away so easily. Rushing across the street he slapped the back of a cab with a vacancy sign and hopped in as it paused for traffic.
“Your anxious aren’t you.” said the scruffy cab driver that had neglected to put up an air freshener in quite some time. The cab smelled of stale beer and body odor. No doubt from endless nights of drunks hopping in and getting a lift home.
“I am. I don’t know the address but I can guide you.” said Tim trying to sound relaxed and keeping his eye on Duke’s cab getting further and further away.
“It’s your money. Want me to point out the sites?”
“No thank you, but can we get going. I am in a bit of a rush. Wife is waiting for me.”
The cab driver stepped on the gas and they started to move forward. “Oh! You don’t want trouble there. Me, I have been married thirty-five years and I have lived by one rule and that is just to say yes to her. I have avoided so many fights just by saying yes. Happy wife makes for a happy life.”
“That’s good advice.” said Tim seeing Duke’s cab taking a right hand turn three streets ahead. “It is that right hand turn just after the pub.”
“Yes sir, it is fine advice. Only time I might stray from it is if the football is on the tellie. I am a Manchester United man myself but the wife is from Liverpool so not good for mixing with the sports.”
Tim sighed and spied Duke taking another right. “That right up next to the bus stop. We are almost there.”
“We both love football but just can’t watch together. I tells her that Liverpool got the Beatles and that should be enough for her and I get football and all the championships I can handle.” the driver let out a robust laugh that felt like it could shake the car but seemed to only annoy Tim.
In and out of streets they continued and the stories from the cab driver continued like he was talking with a long lost relative until Tim saw Duke’s cab pull up in front of a hotel and Duke jumped out quickly and went inside.
“Yes! That’s my hotel there. The Van Gogh. Thank you.”
“Ah, the Van Gogh, very nice. Now let me give you some advice.” said the cab driver turning to face Tim. “You make up with your wife by going inside and giving her a good shagging like it is your wedding night and it’s new love. Put them stars in her eyes after all these years. Then you take her down the street to Harrods and just hand her the credit card. It’s all about just saying yes.” the cab driver gave a wink and clinched his fist and pulled it toward himself like he had just achieved a victory.
“Here is your fare and a little extra. Thanks for an informative trip.”
“All the best!” called the cab driver as Tim walked up to the Van Gogh and looked inside the front doors.
Chapter 25
Sliding the curtain slightly to the side he looked out on the street down below. Falau made sure to request a room on the front of the hotel so that he could take in the comings and goings on the street. He was sure not to fully expose himself, but it did not seem to matter. No cars were stopped and the people kept moving. There were no signs that anyone was putting surveillance on the building.
Gabriela laid flat in the bed taking deeper and deeper breaths expanding her lungs to the fullest with each breath. She now could breathe freely and her lungs were back to ninety percent of their full capacity. The deeper the breath the louder the wheeze.
“All clear out there.” said Falau turning back to Gabriela. “I can’t believe the police didn’t catch up to us.”
“We were lucky they were not waiting. People must have thought we were just fooling around and not cared. until the crash.”
“Doesn’t matter much anymore.”
“No.” agreed Gabriela pulling herself up to a sitting position with a grunt. “I think he broke my ribs.”
She ran her hand over her left side and gingerly touched her skin though her shirt. “I can feel the broken ones. It’s two of them.”
“Do you need the hospital?” questioned Falau sitting on the edge of the bed.
“No time. We need to be ready to move on Duke soon. He knows we are here. My cover, your cover, and Tim’s cover is blown. We no longer have the element of surprise. We have to take him fast before he leaves the country or that cowboy debt collector gets him first.”
Falau nodded in agreement. He was impressed with the resolve Gabriela had to keep moving forward in the mission. Not a collapsed lung or broken ribs would slow her down. She had a singular focus on achieving her mission and pain was just another obstacle to overcome.
“Now is the fun part. While Tim is gone you can help me with something.” said Gabriela, her eyes looking down to her chest and back up to Falau. Her hands slowly slid up the center of her shirt and she moved one hand to hold the sleeve of the other arm. She slid the arm in the sleeve and out the bottom of the shirt bringing the bottom up to her neck. Using the same hand she pulled the neck hole over her head with a slight grunt. She smiled a coy smile at Falau as the big man sat motionless. She slid the concert shirt the rest of her way down her arm and let it drop to the floor.
Falau could not help himself. His eyes ran over her body as she sat motionless looking out the top of her eyes with her head slightly down. She had a smirk poking up at the corners of her lips. She slightly bit her lower lip and looked him in the eye. Her body was smooth and hard with muscle at the same time. Her belly was tough and firm. No roll resting on the top of her jeans despite sitting down. She wore a black bra that had lace workings on the edges. Feminine and seductive. She smoldered with sexuality and temptation without even trying. There was just something about her that cornered the animal instincts inside of Falau and raised his desires to new levels.
Gabriela reached out her hand and took Falau’s in hers. She pulled the hand closer and gently pressed it on the bear skin of her chest. “Can you feel the broken ribs?” she asked not taking her hand off of his.
“Yes.”
“That’s what I need you for. I need you to help place them back in their spots and then tape them.”
Falau felt much of the passion run from his mind realizing she had no intention of sex or a relationship with him. She needed him to medically help her. But she must in some way have known about the looks and the vibe she was giving off.
“Of course... I have... I mean...” stammered Falau pulling back his hand from hers. “This will be my first time setting a rib. I am not sure how good a job I will do.”
“I can talk you through it. I am not a first timer.” replied Gabriela with a wink. “I have had my ribs broken a lot. Started as a girl riding horses. Get tossed and break a rib. Just the way things were.”
“Where did you grow up?” questioned Falau.
Gabriela disregarded the question and took hold of Falau’s hand again and laid the palm on top of the broken ribs. “This will get a little nasty but don’t stop until the job is done. If you stop I have to deal with the pain again and I don’t want that. Rub until you feel each one drop into place.”
She guided his hand up and down and back and forth pressing it harder against the broken ribs. She grunted and held her breath.
“Push hard and take over. Get them in there.” she spat out fighting off the pain.
Falau took his free hand and placed it on the opposite side of her body to keep her from pulling away and he started to apply stronger pressure. He felt the ribs moving from their location under the skin. They caught the inside of her skin and pulled it before ripping small chucks away from the inside of her body.
With her pain from the broken ribs she grabbed the sheet off the bed and jammed some of it into her mouth. She bit down hard and stifled her grunts of pain and anguish effectively gagging herself.
He pressed again hard and moved up pulling the rib and then no resistance came from under it. He pressed down and it snapped into place like a Lego connecting to another .
Gabriela thrashed and pulled away. She was screaming into the sheet, her hands pulled at the blankets and her eyes widened looking at Falau. He stopped and looked at her wondering if the pain was too much for her.
A muffled “go” came from her mouth and she nodded her head.
Falau did not hesitate. He pushed in hard and took the rib in the center of his palm. Sliding it back and forth with the confidence of placing the other rib he disregarded her pain. He had to get it in or all of it would have been for not. Pulling down he found the spot and pushed in and it clicked into place.
The woman kicked her leg and punched down on the bed but kept her upper body from moving. Sweat glistened off her chest and ran down her stomach. Her eyes closed as she attempted to catch her breath. Opening her mouth the sheet fell to the bed and her gag was released. Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession. The woman opened her eyes and looked at Falau who sat with a quizzical look on his face.
“Was it as good for you as it was for me.” said Gabriela cracking a smile through the pain.
“You’re crazy.” said Falau. “No. You’re not crazy. Your hard core in every way. I don’t know many people who could do that.”
“That’s high praise from a guy who took a gunshot and had the wound cauterized only twenty-four hours ago.”