by Michelle Kee
"Yes. Those flamers and such. They have no place in decent society."
"So you're not only a killer but you're a cowardly racist and homophobe."
Krista screamed as pain raced through her arm and she crumpled to her knees. With a hissing breath she looked down and found a bullet wound in her upper left arm. Lifting her head, she glared up at Ingram who was holding his police issue.
"That was your fault Krista." He growled. "You're making me hurt you. I don't want to hurt you my love, but I will if you continue to defy me."
Grunting, Krista pressed a hand to her wound and stood. "Where is Lance, Ingram?"
***
Lance groaned quietly as he rolled onto his back. The left side of his torso screamed in protest at the movement. Yet he knew he had to move. The gunshot and Krista's scream had brought him to semi consciousness. He had to get to Krista. He knew Ethan and the guys would be on their way, but he had a job to do. Protect Krista. Struggling, he grabbed his gun that had fallen next to him and reaching up to use the counter for assistance, somehow managed to stand. Leaning heavily on the counter he moved toward the door. Each step was getting harder and he knew it was because of the blood loss. That fucker Ingram had managed to get a round off that hit right under his vest.
Catching his breath, Lance slowly moved toward the swinging door. He could hear Krista and Ingram’s voice in the living room. He had to get there. He could feel sweat beading on his forehead as he quietly moved from the kitchen. He silently eased open the door and made his way into the hall. He heard Krista ask where he was. She was stalling. Collecting himself he pushed on, needing to get to her.
***
"So that's the jarhead's name. He's no longer your concern. Now, it's time to go my dear." Ingram smiled twistedly.
"I'm not going anywhere with you, asshole." Krista challenged.
Movement behind Ingram caught her attention. She saw Lance leaning, practically hugging the door frame. He looked pale and sweat was beaded on his forehead. His left hand held his gun while his right hand was struggling to support himself against the doorway. She gave a subtle nod when he looked from his gun, to the floor, then back at her.
Turning her full attention back to Ingram, she quickly judged the distance between where she stood to where Lance had sunk to the floor. Between her and Lance's .45 was a coffee table and a very pissed off and armed Cutter Ingram. Steeling herself, she looked Ingram in the eye, she had to buy time to figure out the best way to get that damned gun.
“How did you get through Ethan’s security?” She demanded.
Ingram gave a cold laugh. “For someone who deals in security he is way too trusting. The bastard happily SHOWED me his system. When he held that pathetic party for Wilson earlier this year. I casually asked him about it. The idiot took me into the room in the garage where his security system is. I paid attention to it and he was all too eager to brag about Blackout’s supposedly unhackable and impenetrable system. He went on to show me his perimeter security.
“You know; you might want to mention to him the hole is his plan. He didn’t bother adding sensors near the creek or the path leading to the house. I had a clear path from there to the house and easily slipped into the garage.”
Krista kept herself from physically reacting to the anger coursing through her. To know that Ingram could have come to the house at any time and taken her away from Ethan or Ethan away from her, had her spitting mad. Mentally bracing herself, she knew she had to make her move now and try to get to Lance’s gun. She narrowed her eyes as she looked Ingram dead in the eye.
"You think we belong together? Yeah right. Let me tell you something you fucker. I could never be with a pathetic excuse of a man like you. You're nothing but a sniveling coward. You didn't have the balls to come at me directly until now. You attacked and killed Jerry. You came after me hiding behind a pen and paper."
Ingram groaned and dug the hand holding his gun against his temple. "Shut up. Just shut up."
"You're weak Ingram." Krista continued, shifting a step closer to Lance. "You have no idea what it means to be a REAL man. You could never measure up to a man like Ethan. Hell, you can't even measure up to me."
"SHUT UP!" Ingram screamed, his eyes flying open and his gun barrel aimed right at her the hand shaking.
It was now or never. Sucking in a breath, Krista made her move. She watched in slow motion as Ingram's trigger finger began squeezing the trigger. On a wing and a prayer, she dove over the coffee table toward the doorway and Lance. She registered the report of the pistol, the bullet impacting the wall behind where she had been standing. Then she felt the cold steel of the .45 in her hand as her arms stretched out. Rolling to a half sitting position, she raised the gun, aimed and squeezed off two rounds.
***
The SUV screeched to a stop in Ethan's driveway, but he was already out of the vehicle and flying toward his front door. He fumbled with his keys a moment before he managed to get the door unlocked and pushing his way in, gun raised. He rounded the corner into the front hall from the entryway. The first thing he saw was Lance laying on the floor unmoving. His ears picked up the sound of flesh hitting flesh, grunting and sobbing. When he turned into the living room he stopped dead at the sight in front of him.
As sirens began screaming from outside, more sounds joined the cacophony of noise. Ethan watched with wide eyes as Krista knelt over Ingram. Her right fist lifting, coming down, lifting again and meeting its mark. Her voice rising with each swing of her fists.
"You killed Jerry! You tried to kill me! You hurt Lance! Hurt Tony! Hurt Grant! YOU FUCKER!"
The anguish in her voice was what spurred him into motion. Holstering his Colt, he hurried to her and pulled her off the sobbing and cowering Ingram. Krista struggled to break free and go after Ingram once more. He somehow turned her into him and just held her tightly.
"Sshh. It's me Krista. It's Ethan, baby. I'm here. I've got you now." He said.
"Ethan...he…shot Lance. He shot me..." Krista gasped.
Ethan pulled back sharply and looked her over. It was then he noticed the blood covering her upper left arm and soaking through the sleeve of her shirt. He was about to turn on Ingram himself but found Cain and Jimmy were already handcuffing the sobbing man. Instead, Ethan focused on his woman.
"Are you shot anywhere else baby?"
"N…No. Oh god, Lance!"
The pair turned and moved to where Tony and Gage were already working on Lance. Tony was holding gauze to the bullet wound in Lance's side while Gage was trying to get the man to wake up. "Dammit, come on Hawk. Open your fucking eyes."
Krista dropped beside Gage. "Lance. Damn you, Lance Archer you better open your eyes right now!"
Lance let out a groan and his eyes barely opened, meeting Krista's. "K... Kris..."
Krista smiled a little. "Yeah. It's okay now. Your boys are here. I know you hurt but you gotta stay awake for me. At least till we get you to the hospital. I'm fine. I shot the asshole and started pounding his face. Just hang on for me Hawk. Can you do that."
"Yeah. So...tired." Lance gritted.
Krista looked at Ethan, Tony, Gage and Grant. She could hear the police and ambulance sirens right outside and knew the EMT's were only seconds away. "I know you're tired. I'm feeling that way myself buddy. Just stay awake. Please Lance, stay awake for me." She pleaded, stroking his forehead.
"We need a stretcher over here! Now!" Cain's voice carried from the front door.
***
Ethan sat in the chair next to Krista's hospital bed. For the second time in two months she was once more in St. David's. A floor below them his man was in surgery. The rest of Alpha team was in the waiting room. Ethan however had been unable to leave Krista. When he and Krista had arrived, he found that Lance had crashed once in the ambulance. He had been taken straight to surgery. That had been nearly three hours ago.
Krista had been taken right into the ER. Other than the gunshot wound, slight blood loss and the bruise on he
r cheek, the doctor said she was fine. However, he wanted to keep her overnight just to be safe. Her arm had been cleaned, stitched and was now bandaged. Ethan reached out and took her left hand. The one that was sporting his rings. Krista sighed, turned her head and opened those beautiful blue eyes he loved.
"Hey you." She smiled.
"Hey yourself beautiful. How you feeling?" He asked.
"A little stiff. Yet relieved that it's over now. Any word on Lance yet?"
"Not yet. Grant said he'd come get us once they have word. I called Lance's mom and step-dad right after they took you back. Your folks are waiting with mine at your folk's house."
Krista nodded. She then looked at Ethan's left hand that now held hers and smirked. "You know, I figured someone would have noticed by now."
"Noticed what?" He asked with a confused look.
Laughing a little she lifted their joined hands. Hands that now wore matching rings. Realization dawned on him and Ethan had to laugh as well. The afternoon they had lunch with their mothers, the two had swung by the house, grabbed the rings and made a little stop by the courthouse. That had been nearly a week ago now.
"Well, MRS. BLACKSTONE, we have all been a bit busy lately." He smirked.
"That we have, MR. BLACKSTONE."
Ethan leaned in and kissed her softly. The kiss was interrupted by a soft knock. He pulled away and looked up as Grant walked in. "Hey there baby girl."
"Hey Grant. How's Lance?" Krista asked.
"He pulled through surgery just fine. They just got him moved to his recovery room down the hall about half an hour ago. Gage and Tony are with him right now. The doc said he was lucky. Had the bullet been an inch to either side he would have bled out. He's gonna be laid up for a few weeks, but they say he'll make a full recovery." Grant explained.
Krista let out a relieved sigh. "Thank god."
"What about Ingram?" Ethan demanded, his voice practically spitting out the name.
Grant shifted from foot to foot. "He's been admitted. Here. They got him on the third floor. Wilson and the Feds have two men from each agency outside his room. Wilson says they're releasing him tomorrow morning and after he's interviewed by PD, the Feds got him."
Krista growled. "I want that fucker to pay. I want to speak to Wilson, Cain and Jimmy."
Grant moved to her other side and sat on the bed. "Baby girl, take it easy. Gage told me that Ethan had him call Helix on Charlie team to dig on Ingram."
Ethan had completely forgotten about that. "What did Helix find?"
Grant rubbed a hand over his shaved head. "It's a cluster fuck boss that’s what it is. When Helix started digging, he found a lot. How this guy managed to get a badge is beyond me. The man suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder. An hour ago, Wilson came by and talked to us. He said they found a hidden room in Ingram's house. The wall was almost completely wallpapered in pictures and clippings of Krista."
Krista just stared at Grant. Beside her Ethan hissed. "What else did they find?"
"They, um, they found Mrs. Ingram. She was in the bedroom. Wilson says her hair had been dyed blonde like Krista's. The woman was tied to the bed and her throat had been cut. Her body is at the coroner's office now." Grant answered.
"Jesus." Krista whispered her eyes widened in shock. "Does Wilson think he's competent enough to stand trial?"
Grant shrugged. "That I don't know yet baby girl. Neither does he. He did say that Ingram was getting a visit from the court shrink sometime tonight."
Ethan stood and moved to the lone window of Krista's room. "This guy played us all. How's Wilson holding up man?"
"He's torn up with all this Ethan." Grant replied. "He's blaming himself. Says he should have seen it, should have done something, ya know."
"Wilson can't blame himself for this shit. Hell, we never saw anything out of the ordinary until today." Krista argued. She then sat up more. "I don't want to talk anymore about Ingram. Right now I want to go see our boy Lance."
Ethan faced her and found her looking right at him. "Our boy?"
"Well duh. You and I are a packaged deal. Blackout, especially Alpha team, are your guys Ethan, and that makes them mine too." She shot back with a lifted brow.
Both Ethan and Grant let out deep laughs at that. Ethan moved to help her stand while Grant grabbed the hospital robe that a nurse had brought in. When he offered to get a wheelchair, Krista firmly told him to kiss her ass, she wasn't taking a damned chair.
***
The room was dim. Full night had fallen over Austin and the lights in Lance's room had been lowered. Krista and Ethan walked in quietly. As they passed her both Tony and Gage gave Krista a hug and a kiss on the cheek before slipping out of the room. Ethan loved how seamlessly his guys had welcomed Krista and how she welcomed them. Krista moved to the bed and sat in the chair. She reached out and took Lance's hand.
"Lance? It's Krista, can you hear me?" She said as Ethan moved to stand behind her, his hands on her shoulders.
A low groan came from the bed. Lance's head turned to face Krista. Ethan felt his chest lighten when his buddy's eyes opened. "Hey there Hawk."
"Hmmmm, hey." Lance responded, his voice sounding gravely. Krista grabbed the pitcher of water and poured some into the cup and placed the straw to Lance's lips. The man drank slowly, but deeply. He sighed and laid his head back against the pillow. "So, did we get the bastard?"
"Yeah Hawk, we got him. When I finally got through the front door I found you lying in the hall and Krista here was over him pounding his face into dog meat." Ethan grinned proudly, squeezing her shoulders.
Lance smirked and looked back at Krista. "I knew you were trouble."
Krista gave him a wink. "Hell yeah I'm trouble. That's what happens you have three very protective brothers. Not mention a kick ass DA for a dad. Grant told us the doctor says you'll make a full recovery."
"So I hear." Lance nodded. He then looked at Ethan. "Boss, I'm sorry."
Ethan frowned. "Sorry for what?"
"I promised to protect Krista."
"Lance Archer, I swear if you elaborate any more I'm gonna kick your stubborn Marine ass. You did protect me. Yes, he got a shot off at me but who's still standing? I am. You got me your gun and I used it to take him down. You did your job. If you hadn't been there, I'm not sure I'd still be here." Krista retorted.
Lance's eyes widened and all he could do was mutter a shocked "Yes ma'am."
Ethan shook his head in sympathy for his friend. "Like Nick said the morning we met, Krista is fiercely independent. Plus, she likes to boss men around."
Krista merely flipped her husband the bird. As she did, she heard Lance's low whistle. When she looked at the hand she saw why. He had caught sight of the wedding band that now rested on her finger. She watched his eyes move to Ethan's left hand and straight to his wedding ring.
"When did that happen?" He asked.
"About a week ago. You're the first to notice." Ethan answered.
"Congrats you two. Hell of a way to start a marriage huh?" He smirked, causing them all to start laughing.
Epilogue
Ethan stood in his backyard just watching the scene in front of him. It had been a month since the mess with Ingram and here he stood with his family, Krista's family and his team. Cutter Ingram had been found competent to stand trial. He was charged with two murder, three counts of attempted murder, felony stalking and assault. The trial would begin after the first of the year.
It was a cool Saturday evening and they were celebrating Ethan and Krista's marriage. Even though it was nearly a month late, much to the shock and disappointment of his and Krista's mothers. When they told their parents, Debbie and Ruby had been equal parts shocked and a little upset, but happy for them none the less. They had wanted to throw the reception immediately, but Krista said no. She said she wanted to wait till ALL of her brothers could be there.
Hence why they waited till October. Now, the party guests were just waiting on Krista's little brother Danny to arriv
e. Two weeks ago he had called home telling everyone his current undercover job was finished and he would be home soon. Krista had told him everything then, including that she was now married to Ethan.
"I swear; Danny has always been late." Debbie huffed as Ethan moved to stand behind Krista.
He chuckled. "Mama Deb, the only things Danny was never late for was football practice and a meal."
"Yeah well, some things change." A voice said behind Ethan.
When he turned, he barely had time to give Daniel Jameson a smile before Danny's left fist connected with his jaw, knocking Ethan flat on his ass. Shaking his head, he looked up at his brother-in-law in shock.