Marking Time (WeHo Series Book 4)

by Sherryl D. Hancock

  Sierra closed her eyes, trying not to think about what would happen if Kashena was gone. This was the sum of all her fears coming to fruition; it was as if she’d brought it upon Kashena herself.

  In the driver’s seat Sebastian was doing his best not to lose it altogether. Was this it? What she’d seen? But she’d been shot, not knifed, and what about the bloody eagles? Did it all happen at the same time? But that wasn’t how they usually worked. It was maddening not to know what was happening. He’d been getting sketchy reports, he had no real idea what was happening, he hadn’t been watering it down for Sierra. It frustrated the hell out of him that he was no longer Kashena’s back up, if he’d been there…

  The Hummer hurtled down the road, both occupants praying to their own Gods that Kashena was okay.

  Kashena lay in the hospital bed, her side bandaged. She was awake and she was stressing out. The man had said “this is for Jason” as plain as day. Was Jason in Los Angeles? Was he going after Sierra? What was happening? On top of that, how was Sierra going to react to this? Another injury? A more serious one this time.

  She hadn’t told Sierra about the vision, knowing it would only make things worse. She was at a complete loss as to how to fix what was wrong between them. She couldn’t stop being a cop, and that meant she would keep getting hurt. Was this how it was meant to be? Was she meant to lose Sierra? Was losing Sierra what let her give up and die? She fully believed the vision she’d had, that at the end of whatever was happening, she’d be dead. She knew she needed to make plans, she’d already started, taking out a life insurance policy for $2,000,000 that would cover the house and any other bills that were left. Kashena had also contacted a lawyer to get her Will in order, she knew it was morbid, but she felt that the vision had been sent for a reason. Hopefully it had been so she could get her affairs in order before it was over.

  She was waiting to see if the man she’d shot and killed had indeed been a Marine, if that was the case, then it was likely the first part of the vision. He’d died bloody and she’d bled a great deal from the side wound. Since the Marine symbol was an eagle, it would be the picture she’d seen.

  Sebastian stepped into the room, relieved to see Kashena awake, and looking general well, Sierra rushed past him and over to Kashena.

  “Kash?” Sierra queried, her voice showing her strain.

  “I’m okay,” Kashena told her, her voice strong, “I need you to listen right now, okay?” Then she looked at Sebastian, “Colby?” She asked.

  “On his way, I sent an officer for him.” Sebastian said.

  “And you’ve confirmed he has him?” Kashena asked.

  “Yes, just as we got to the hospital,” Sebastian said, knowing that this was Kashena’s way of coping with what was happening.

  Sierra looked perplexed at Kashena’s words, “What do you mean listen to you, about what?” she asked, sounding lost suddenly.

  “Sierra, that the guy that shot me,” she said, her tone strong, “He said, ‘this is for Jason’ before he did it.”

  “Oh my God…” Sierra said.

  Sebastian closed his eyes where he stood, what she’d just said seemed to support the vision Kashena had.

  “Jesus…” he breathed.

  “So I need you to stay with Baz, no matter what, okay?” Kashena was telling Sierra, “You and Colby, okay?”

  “What about you?” Sierra asked.

  “I’ll be okay,” Kashena said.

  The door to the hospital room opened then, and an officer spoke to Sebastian.

  “Colby’s here, so’s Jericho,” he said.

  Kashena nodded, “Go check on Colby,” she told Sierra, “I need to talk to Baz and Jericho.”

  Sierra looked surprised by the almost order like quality of Kashena’s direction, but nodded and left the room.

  Sebastian told the officer to get Jericho, then he stepped over to where Kashena lay, helping her as she moved to sit up. She gasped at the pain that shot through her.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Sebastian asked.

  “It’s a through and through,” she told him, “Just hurts like hell.”

  “How’s the other guy look?” Sebastian acted.

  “He looks dead,” Jericho supplied from the doorway.

  “Good,” Sebastian said, his tone sure.

  “Agreed,” Jericho said as she walked over to them, “How are you doing Marshal?” she asked.

  “I’m okay,” Kashena said, nodding.

  “So what happened?” Jericho asked.

  “I was in the alley smoking,” Kashena said, “He came up, asked for a cigarette, big guy, but I didn’t sense any kind of danger. I turned my head for a second and the next thing I know he’s drawing down on me and says ‘this is for Jason’, before he can fire, I managed to skew his shot, and draw my weapon and return fire.”

  Jericho nodded, “Sounds like a clean shoot,” she said.

  “Yeah…” Kashena said, her tone raising the hair on the back of Sebastian’s neck.

  “What?” He asked, knowing his partner well.

  Jericho looked between the two and knew she was seeing two people who knew each other backwards and forwards.

  “This never makes it to Sierra’s ears,” Kashena said, her tone serious.

  “Okay,” Sebastian said, knowing he was about to hear something he didn’t want to hear.

  “He was going to kill me, Baz,” she said, “He had that gun pointed at my head. He was there to execute me for Jason.”

  “Son of a fucking bitch…” Sebastian growled.

  “Wait, who is Jason?” Jericho asked, “Is that Sierra’s ex?”

  “Yeah,” Kashena said, nodding, “He should be at Folsom State Prison, but…”

  “And Kash put him there,” Sebastian added.

  “Okay,” Jericho nodded, “I’ll get on the horn to Corrections,” she said.

  “Jericho, I need Baz,” Kashena said then, “He’s the only person I trust to protect my family.”

  “You got it, no problem,” Jericho said, pulling out her phone and walking to the door.

  Kashena and Sebastian exchanged a look. Sebastian stepped over next to the bed, leaning in to gather his partner in his arms as carefully as he could, hugging her close. He knew they’d just taken another step toward her vision coming true. Someone was out to kill her and if her vision was right, and it had never been wrong before, he would succeed. It made Sebastian sick to even think about. Kashena was the only person in the world that was a constant in his life, and she meant everything to him, losing her was not an option for him. It sucked to know that he might not have a choice in the matter.

  Sierra and Colby came into the room, and Sebastian gave Kashena another gentle squeeze then let her go, stepping back. Sierra looked between them and knew she’d missed something, but Sebastian’s look was impossible to read, as was Kashena’s.

  “Mom are you okay?” Colby asked Kashena, stepping in to hug her carefully.

  “Yeah, I’m alright,” Kashena said, nodding.

  “I’d like to hear that from an actual doctor,” Sierra said, her tone reserved.

  Kashena looked over at Sebastian, he nodded and left the room. Sierra knew that her wife and her partner’s ESP was on as usual. A few minutes later Sebastian came back with the doctor in tow.

  Kashena looked at her wife, then gestured to the doctor. Sierra turned to the man, her look at her most official.

  “I’m Assistant Attorney General Sierra Youngblood-Marshal,” she said, extending her hand to the man, “You are?”

  Kashena and Sebastian exchanged raised eyebrows. Apparently, Sierra had found it necessary to tell the doctor who she was, so he could be warned not to lie to her. A grin tugged at Kashena’s lips, leave it to her wife to diffuse any possible subterfuge in the most effective way possible. Fortunately for her and Sebastian, she hadn’t been lying about being okay.

  “Uh, Doctor Mark Johnson,” the man said, glancing at his patient and then at the man who’d
retrieved him rather abruptly.

  “And you’re my wife’s doctor?” Sierra asked, gesturing to Kashena.

  “I treated her, yes,” the doctor said, nodding.

  “And what is her condition?” Sierra asked, sounding like she was in a court of law.

  “She’s in fair condition.” He said, nodding.

  “Which means what, exactly?” Sierra asked, narrowing her dark eyes slightly.

  Even Sebastian was grinning by this time, Kashena’s wife meant business.

  “It means that her vital signs are good, but she’s likely still uncomfortable from her wound. We expect her to make a full recovery.”

  Sierra nodded, looking over at Kashena who smiled beatifically. Sierra narrowed her eyes at that smile.

  “When will she get out of the hospital?” Sierra asked the doctor.

  “We’re going to keep her overnight to insure there’s no secondary infection, but barring that, she should be able to go home tomorrow.”

  “And how long should she stay off work to recover?” Sierra asked, shooting Kashena a triumphant look, even as Kashena rolled her eyes.

  “Well, it depends on the patient,” the doctor said, and saw the narrowing of Sierra’s eyes again. “She should certainly stay down for at least three days,” he said, hurriedly, “And her activities should be kept to a very minimal level for at least a week.”

  “Thank you,” Sierra said, looking over at her wife again, her look saying, ‘did you hear that?’

  The doctor happily left the room then, and even Colby was grinning.

  “Geeze mom, you scared the crap outta that guy!”

  “I just wanted the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Sierra said, looking over at her wife and her partner, who both did their best to look unassuming.

  “You two should get home,” Kashena said after a few minutes, looking over at Sebastian. “Baz is going to be with you.”

  “Why’s Baz going to be with us?” Colby asked, his look confused.

  Jericho walked back into the room, her look far from happy. She glanced at Sierra and Colby.

  “It’s okay,” Kashena said to Jericho, “They need to hear whatever it is.”

  “He’s out,” Jericho said.

  “What!” Sierra exclaimed, paling instantly.

  “Baz!” Kashena shouted, even as she practically leaped out of bed to move to Sierra’s side, shredding the stitches holding her wound together.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa…” Sebastian said, moving to Kashena’s side.

  “Sierra?” Kashena queried softly, even as she could feel blood starting to drip down her side.

  “Kash!” Sebastian bellowed, to get her attention, “She’s fine, you on the other hand,” he said, moving to pick her up and set her gently on the bed again, moving her shirt to look at the bandaged wound, “Damn it Marine…” He muttered, pushing the call button for the nurse, then looked at Jericho, who’d watched the preceding with an odd look on her face.

  The nurse came into the room, “Yes?” She queried.

  “Can you get the doctor or someone to re-suture my stupid friend here?” Sebastian said, his most brilliant smile on full wattage.

  The nurse moved past him to look at Kashena’s side.

  “Oh my, how did that happen?” The nurse asked, looking at Kashena.

  “She’s an ex-Marine,” Sebastian said, “They can’t keep shit closed to save their lives,” he said, with a wink at Kashena.

  “Shut it, Ranger,” Kashena muttered.

  “I’ll get a PA,” the nurse said, and scurried out of the room.

  “Now, as you were saying?” Sebastian said, looking at Jericho and moving to sit next to Kashena, his way of keeping her from repeating the previous folly.

  “Corrections paroled him for good behavior.”

  “Why weren’t we notified?” Sierra asked, having regained her composure.

  “Apparently, Corrections hadn’t updated your address yet and sent notification to your house in Sacramento.”

  “Jesus…” Kashena said, shaking her head.

  “Fuckin’ Corrections,” Sebastian growled.

  “So where is he?” Sierra asked, “Do they even know?”

  Jericho curled her lips in distaste, “They’re going to do some checking.” She said, “I informed them that we suspected that he was involved in the attack on a police officer that was responsible for his previous arrest, so they’ve got a fire lit under their asses right now.”

  “Good,” Sebastian said, nodding.

  “Dad’s out?” Colby asked, looking worried.

  “Apparently,” Sierra said to him, reaching out to pull him to her, hugging him. “Don’t worry, Sebastian is going to take care of us, okay?”

  “What about Kash?” Colby asked, worried.

  “I’ll be okay,” Kashena said.

  “I’ll be leaving an officer here to keep an eye out,” Jericho assured both Sierra and Colby. “No one’s getting to her again.” She said, her eyes on Colby.

  Colby nodded, appreciating Jericho’s assurances.

  “Okay, let’s go so Kash can rest,” Sebastian said, moving off the bed as the physician’s assistant came in with the supplies she needed to re-suture Kashena’s wound.

  Colby walked over to Kashena, leaning in to hug her, kissing her cheek, “Love you,” he said.

  “Love you,” Kashena replied, hugging him and kissing the top of his head.

  Sierra moved in and kissed Kashena, her look still worried, and Kashena could sense the distance between them. Reaching out, she pulled Sierra to her hugging her, closing her eyes, wanting to will away the chill she felt in her soul. When she shifted, she hissed in pain and Sierra straightened instantly, her eyes pained and fearful. Sebastian leaned over kissing Kashena on the forehead.

  “Rest partner, I’ve got them.” He told her.

  Kashena nodded, having to swallow a couple of times to try to get rid of the lump in her throat. After they left the PA re-sutured the wounds.

  “Do you want more pain meds?” The woman asked, looking down at Kashena when she finished.

  “To have more, I’d have had to have some to start with,” Kashena said, her tone wry, at the woman’s confused look, she sighed, then nodded, “Yeah.”

  The PA put a shot into the IV in her arm. Kashena fell into deep dream filled sleep, her last thoughts was to wonder how it felt to die.

  Kashena was discharged from the hospital the next day. Sebastian showed up to drive her home, assuring her that Sierra and Colby were at home with two of his best officers watching them.

  On the drive back to the house, Sebastian glanced over at her. He could see that she was still tired from whatever medication they’d given her in the hospital. There was more to it than that, but he didn’t want to push her.

  Once at the house, Sebastian let Sierra settle Kashena in their bedroom. Sebastian watched shocked as Kashena took a couple of the pain killers that the hospital had sent home with her. Then she lay down to sleep.

  When she was asleep, Sebastian pulled a chair up close to the bed and sat down. It was obvious to Sierra that he intended to watch over his friend, quite literally.

  The next day Jericho called Sebastian to confirm that the man that had shot Kashena had indeed been a Marine, prior to going to prison at Folsom, where he had met Jason.

  “Great,” Sebastian muttered, “Where’s Jason now?”

  “Still in Sacramento, from what I’m told,” Jericho said, “I’ll keep checking back. Midnight’s sent an inquiry to Corrections to find out why Jason was released without notifying her office and without notifying the family member he’d attacked to get sent to prison, an officer of the court as well as one of her own people.” Jericho said, her tone indicating she was quoting Midnight on that last part.

  “Good,” Sebastian said simply.

  He did, however, take heart that Kashena’s injury wasn’t being taken like it was part of her job and that Midnight seemed to want some answers from
Corrections just as badly as he did. His partner could be dead right now if it wasn’t for her lightning fast reflexes. It pissed him off.

  At one point, Kashena woke up, turning over onto her side she saw that Colby sat in the chair next to the bed.

  “You got babysitting duty?” Kashena asked, her voice gravelly.

  Colby looked up from the magazine he was reading, “Yeah,” he said, with a grin. “Mom and Baz went down to her office for some meeting she couldn’t miss.”

  “Lucky you,” Kashena said, closing her eyes slowly, feeling the effects of the pain killers she was practically main lining now.

  “Ah, you’re not so bad,” Colby said, “You don’t even snore.”

  Kashena chuckled, “Good to know.” She said.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked then, his dark eyes scanning her face.

  “You look just like your mom when you do that,” Kashena said, grinning sadly.

  “Do what?” he asked, grinning.

  “Check me over visually,” Kashena explained.

  “Baz said he’d kick my ass if there was a hair out of place on you when he got back,” Colby said, his tone serious.

  Kashena laughed outright at that, it definitely sounded like her partner.

  “He’s a bit over-protective where I’m concerned,” Kashena said, by way of excuse for her partner’s extreme orders.

  “You’d protect him with your life too though, right?” Colby asked, although his tone really wasn’t questioning.

  “Right,” Kashena said, nodding. “Just like I will for you and your mom.”

  “Will?” Colby asked, his look perplexed, “You mean, would right?”

  “Right,” Kashena said, nodding, thinking that pain killers really sucked for keeping ones tongue from misspeaking.

  Colby nodded, then looked at her seriously.

  “Do you really think my dad will come after us?” he asked, his real concern coming to bare.

  Kashena looked back at him, she was trying to decide how much she wanted to say. He was definitely old enough now to understand how things were with his dad, but did she want to scare him?