Driven By Love

by D. Anne Paris

  More shots rang out from both the guards and Dean’s position. She saw puffs of dust and debris pop up all over the boulder at Dean’s position. Suddenly, the bodyguard behind them screamed in pain and slumped to the ground with a thud. Several others from the boat fanned out and took cover and readied to return fire.

  She let her body go limp, using the weight of her body to catch Marshall off guard as he tried to grab her before she fell. While the gun no longer pointed at her neck, she twisted. With one hand, she grabbed the gun and tore it from his grip. She swung the other and punched him under his nose. He howled in pain.

  She sent out a silent prayer that a bullet wouldn’t hit her and bolted towards the boulder. Halfway there, she slipped and tumbled with a thud against the rocks.

  More shots zinged from Dean’s position , and now a second position along the same edge of the beach but further to the south. They missed Marshall, who jumped onto the boat. The boat’s engine revved up as he tried to escape. Anne would have the last laugh. She reached out to the boat. She asked it to take him to the middle of the lake and circle endlessly until he ran out of fuel. The boat didn't seem to mind the idea. The guards continued to return fire at Dean and the other shooter.

  She saw Dean poke out from behind the rocks to take another shot. She heard a loud bang and heard him cry out and scramble for cover.

  “Dean!” She had to get to him. She pushed her body up and ran up the steep sloping beach towards the ridge where she heard his voice. She was only about 100 yards from Dean but it felt so much farther as she raced to him. All the while she was terrified, not knowing how badly he was hurt. Shots rang out and echoed all around. It was difficult to tell who was shooting at who.

  “Dean!” Anne screamed as she ran from cover and headed in his direction.

  "Stay back!" he yelled.

  She kept climbing and ducked behind boulders to dodge the whizzing bullets.

  As she crouched behind a boulder, she looked up toward the house and saw one of Marshall’s guards in the window aim his gun again at Dean. Before she could scream she saw another man come up from behind. The guard slumped down on the floor a second later. The other man poked a large gun through the broken window and took aim.

  Chapter 28

  Tiny briefly glanced at the lifeless guard. He had snapped his neck like it was a tooth pick. He didn't have time to think about his victim. He knew his friends were counting on him. He was their only cover. He didn't know how many guards were out there or where they were positioned.

  The last of the daylight was fading as he scanned the area looking for targets. He made out Dean’s position as Anne ran toward him. He shot at a few shadows. They were almost certainly pointless targets but he had to keep the enemy guessing and ducking for cover. Then he heard the engine of Marshall’s boat rev up as it slowly pulled away from shore. Tiny now had his first real target.

  He knew the enemy had to be stopped and only knew one way to do it. He dropped the magazine from his weapon and loaded a new one from his bag which contained specialized incendiary bullets. He lined up his target quickly and fired in rapid succession. Round after deafening round hit the boat until one found its way to the gas tank, igniting it and the rest of the boat in a fierce ball of fire.

  A short smirk shone on his face as he saw a fireball escape from the hull. He dropped the magazine and replaced it with conventional ammunition. Slowly, he scanned the area again for any sign of additional guards. The light from the burning boat flickered and lit the shoreline. He searched the area for both friend and foe as he listened to his radio for any information from Dean or Keith.

  He finally saw Keith race to Dean’s position. Keith must have seen Dean get hit. “Well, I’ll be damned, I didn’t think you could move that quick with one foot.” Tiny mumbled to himself. He saw Keith jump over the boulder and crouch near Dean and Anne. His heart jumped when he saw Anne reached for Dean’s AR-15. She stopped shortly after apparently realizing they were on the same side.

  “Great, Dean’s got himself a trigger-happy girl,” Tiny grumbled to no one in particular. He continued to scan the area for guards. The flickering light from the burning boat made everything appear to move. Sweat began to bead on his brow as he strained to look for danger. He was in his element as the designated marksman and was tense but steady. Ever watchful, he was ready to destroy anything that dare harm his brothers in arms. He scarcely breathed as he swept the area through the scope of his Barrett M82A1.

  Tiny looked for any signs of stray civilians. The foot paths were clear and the only nearby building, a brick garage, looked empty. Tiny paused as his sweep brought him back to where the rest of his team was. Keith was working on Dean’s shoulder. He worried about how bad Dean might be hurt. Tiny watched as Anne got closer to him. She held his hand and looked into his eyes.

  “Oh Dean, I sure hope your taste in women has improved.”

  He had his reservations about Dean’s last romantic encounter right before it had ended in an epic disaster. That one required a court martial to sort out.

  Tiny cursed himself for letting the distraction get the better of him as he heard a fresh shot ring out. Before he could make out the shooters location, Anne had already grabbed Dean’s AR-15 and returned fire. The shooter ducked behind a boulder before he could line up a shot. Then he heard Anne yell out loud, “Shit! I am out of ammo!”

  As Tiny began to mentally scold her for needlessly letting the enemy know her weakness, he noticed she wasn’t ducking. She held her aim where the shooter had been before. A second later the guard went for the kill. Instead of trying to reload her rifle, she began firing. Tiny had the shooter lined up and fired at the same time as Anne. Both Anne and Tiny hit the guard, killing him instantly. Apparently her ruse had worked.

  “Nice one, Hollywood.” Tiny said out loud. He suddenly had second thoughts about Anne. “Hmmm… this one may have some potential after all.”

  Some movement to the north caught his eye and he took aim at the garage. He was about to fire when he noticed the lights had gone on in several of the houses. Tiny waited. He needed to be sure he wasn’t about to fire on any bystanders who may have gotten in the way.

  It wasn’t the first time he had to worry about civilian casualties. He wanted a better look at the area before engaging. The building they were behind was in a good spot to ambush Anne, Dean and Keith. He fumbled for his night vision goggles. As he swung them up to his face he felt the slushing of water inside. No! The cheap civilian-grade night vision goggles he brought had leaked and failed. In frustration, he whipped them at the wall. They splintered into a thousand pieces like they had been shot out of a cannon.

  Then he saw the flash of gunfire coming from behind the building. Ah, those ARE bad guys. He lit up the area with devastating fire from his .50 caliber rifle. Moments later, he saw two figures flee north. One was clutching his shoulder.

  “Tiny, what’s the status?” Keith asked through his radio.

  “The boat is completely engulfed in flames. I didn’t see anyone jumping overboard. I saw two guards fleeing north. I think I wounded one of them, but I don't see anything else at the moment. Looks like we’re clear. I’ll do another sweep, but be advised, I am night blind.”

  “Dean’s been hit. Looks like we are on Plan B for evac. We have to get to a boat.”

  “It’s not that bad!” Tiny heard Dean growl in the background.

  “Nearest hospital is on the mainland. I know where we can get a boat. Get to the dock we saw on the way in. I have a friend with a boat there. Look for the Neptune's Belle. It'll have fuel and a key stashed on board,” Tiny told him through the radio.

  “Roger that, Tiny. I’ll get a spot near there and cover you. Meet us there.” Keith ordered.

  Several loose shots rang out from the remaining guards. They tested the area, looking for other possible attackers beyond Dean’s position. It wouldn’t be long before they would try to attack. A guard tried to take out Tiny’s position but was obli
terated as a round from Tiny’s rifle blew a chunk of rock into his head.

  Tiny watched as Keith left Dean and Anne. He moved through the area, methodically looking for danger. Eventually, Keith got to an obvious cover spot. As he got the okay over the radio, Tiny headed out of the house and worked his way to the garage where his friend’s boat was stored. As he ducked out of the window more and more bullets were landing near his position. He was ducking out just in time.

  Chapter 29

  “Are you going to be okay walking?” Anne whispered as she squeezed Dean’s hand.

  “I could walk to California if I had to,” he told her with a smile as he gritted his teeth when he stood up. They had both watched as Keith disappeared into the darkness, working his way to cover Tiny. Dean listened closely on the radio for Keith’s okay to make the run for it. Like Tiny, he too had equipment issues. His radio was loud with static.

  Anne's nerves were frayed as she tried to keep an eye out for danger while she made sure Dean didn't bleed to death. It felt like something terrible might happen at any second. Her heart raced, and she felt weak as she began to shake again mildly. Dean reached out and touched her cheek lightly as he moved her head to face him as he gently kissed her. For a moment her heart rate slowed a bit and her body calmed as she stopped shaking.

  “Anne, it's okay. You're doing great. We're going to be fine,” he assured her.

  Anne lost the only source of energy she had once the boat caught fire. Whatever she was able to soak in would have to be enough to get to the boat. She worried it might not be. Still, Dean’s presence seemed to give her a different kind of strength. As long as she was with him she knew they’d be okay. Anne looked back at Dean and wondered why he would risk everything like this for her. She couldn’t understand why anyone would care so much for her but she knew he did.

  Dean caught Anne's attention when he motioned towards a man hauling a boat out of a shed. It was a surreal sight watching a one hundred and sixty-pound man pick up a two-thousand pound boat.

  So there are others like us.

  As he dropped it into the water, Dean tried his radio again.

  “Damn, no radio. Anne, Tiny looks ready. I can’t confirm anything on the radio. I think we should run for it.” She nodded and followed close behind. With his good hand occupied with keeping steady pressure on his wound, he needed her hold on to his gun.

  They jumped in the boat with Tiny and soon saw another man come out from the rocks. He raised his hand up, down, and then to the left.

  “It’s Keith,” Dean whispered as Tiny got in the boat and started the motor. The second he jumped in, Tiny gunned it as they sped for shore. Occasional small arms fire hounded them as they fled. The ever increasing darkness made it difficult for the guards to target them.

  Anne felt a small but steady flow of energy from the small boat’s outboard motor. The relief came not a moment too soon for her. Keith kept a watchful eye on the shore and on the now-dwindling flames from Foss’s boat. Tiny focused on navigating the boat to the mainland.

  Dean held Anne and whispered into her ear, “We’re all right, Anne. You’re free and we’ll be back on dry land in fifteen minutes.” She steadied herself against the waves and movement of the speeding boat all the while carefully holding a dressing to Dean’s wound. They spent most of the trip silently looking into each other’s eyes. Both were so relieved just to know the other was alive.

  *

  The shore was pitch black when they landed. Tiny guided the boat to the dock and Keith helped him secure the rope.

  Even with his bullet wound, Dean never even flinched as the waves beat the small boat towards the shore. Keith helped him out of the boat and Anne was instantly next to him as they walked towards the parking lot.

  Tiny insisted on going with them to help show them the way to the hospital. As they neared the lot, red and yellow lights bounced off the night sky.

  “Wonder what that’s about,” Keith muttered as they realized there was an ambulance and tow truck in the lot.

  “Probably some drunk kids causing some trouble. Happens a lot this time of year especially with those who come in from out of town,” Tiny chimed in as they reached the lot. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Let’s just focus on getting Romeo to the hospital. My truck’s not too far away.”

  “No offense, Tiny, but we’ll just follow you,” Keith said with a smirk. “I drove with you once during a mission and that was enough for me.”

  “Hey, we got back in one piece, didn’t we?” He laughed as they walked towards Tiny’s truck.

  “Keith, do you remember where we parked?” Dean asked as he scanned the area, not seeing Hawk anywhere.

  “We were right by the door to the marina.” Keith looked at the spot but saw the car missing.

  “Whose car did you take?” Anne asked as she felt the energy from the vehicles around her. None were familiar to her.

  Keith kept glancing around trying to find Hawk. “We took yours, but I don’t see…”

  “Oh, shit…” Dean muttered as he saw the tow truck pulling out from the water a dark sports car.

  Anne followed his gaze and felt her heart begin to race. Grabbing on to Tiny’s truck, her energy surrounded it as she whispered, “Hawk?”

  Suddenly, images came flashing towards her mind. Dean and Keith parking Hawk in the lot. Hawk waiting as darkness fell. A front loader coming into the lot and barreling down on him. Hawk accelerating as much as he could while the giant yellow machine just kept pushing him closer towards the edge of the marina. Hawk pushed back, but the front loader ultimately had more weight and thrust him right off the lot and into the bank of the marina. His lights flashed and horn blew but soon he was encased by the water and no sound emerged from him.

  “No,” Anne whispered as she blindly began to walk towards the tow truck.

  “Keith, we need to stop her,” Dean told him as trotted and grabbed hold of her arm with his good arm.

  Anne didn’t feel Dean or Keith stopping her. Her gaze just stayed fixated on the California plates and the four letters that confirmed the images and ripped her heart out.

  HAWK

  Tears clouded her vision as she threw what energy she had left towards Hawk and waited for his response. A sputter, a flickering light, a puff of smoke… there was nothing.

  The scream that cried out from her soul started every car, siren, and flashing light that was around her. Dropping to her knees, she harnessed the energy from the vehicles.

  Dean knew he had to stop her before anyone got hurt. Dropping in front of her, he moved his hand to her neck. “Forgive me, Anne.” He hit a pressure point and in an instant she was slumped over him.

  Tiny leaned down and picked Anne up. “What the fuck was that, Dean?”

  “Her gift, Tiny.”

  “Shit. That’s why that bastard brought her to the island.”

  Dean nodded as he stood up. One of the police walked over to them and Tiny intercepted him, realizing it was one of his cousin’s friends and made up a story about them partying too late. Moments later they were on the road, headed to the hospital.

  Chapter 30

  Anne felt the steady hum of the cars in the parking lot coming and going, even before she fully woke up. As she slowly regained consciousness, the sound of the hospital began to draw her attention. She heard the monotonous beeping of someone’s heart monitor, intercom pages for various staff, and general bustling of people around. Suddenly, she remembered Dean and shot awake.

  “Hey there, sleeping beauty.” Anne heard a male voice. She couldn't immediately place it, though she was unalarmed as she turned round to meet it.

  “Keith! Where's Dean?” Anne looked around her hospital room and saw no sight of him.

  “Relax, he's fine. They are just wrapping up the surgery on his shoulder. I spoke with the doctor twenty minutes ago. He's in no danger.”

  Anne sighed in relief. Then, she thought about Hawk. She couldn't shake the lifeless feeling she got from h
im. He was dead, she knew it. He had been there for her through so much of her life. How would she go on without him?

  “Hawk,” she murmured.

  Keith leaned forward. “Well, you'll be glad to know the cops caught the lackey that pushed your car into the water. He's singing like a canary to the cops. If that creep Foss somehow survived, he's a fugitive and broke now. They have enough to lock him away for good. All his assets are frozen.”

  She looked up in alarm.

  “You think he might have survived?”

  “Oh no, I am sure he's a goner. I am just saying even if they can't find a body, you still have nothing to worry about. That little imp isn't anything without his wealth and his goons.” He leaned back against his chair. “After the basting we gave them, I doubt anyone would work for him again even if he had his money. Mercenaries are chicken shits. They fight for cash and pussy out the second it gets rough.”

  Anne slumped back into her bed and breathed in deeply and sighed. “I don't know how you guys do it. I mean, day after day, risking your life like that. I just keep seeing Dean bleeding. I can't shake it from my mind.” she looked up trying to clear her thoughts.

  “That'll go on for a while, Anne. You'll get through it. You guys have each other to lean on. Believe me, he'll need you just as much as you need him.”

  “Do you have someone like that? Is that how you deal with this?” Anne asked.

  “Her name's Jen. We… live together. It's not what you and Dean have though. I can tell. You guys have something special. Just listen to each other. Talk to each other. You'll be all right.”

  “And what if I'm not all right? What if I always feel like this?”

  “Well, a fifth of gin usually does the trick for me.”

  Just then the doctor stopped in. He chatted with Anne for a few minutes and cleared her for release. He also reported that Dean's surgery was over and completely successful. They could visit him after he finished in recovery.