Wrong Time

by Mitchel Grace

  His back was killing him, but what else could he do but stand up? It’s not like he could just lie on the floor of a building that was about to explode. The two of them rolled the bomb into the stall, shut it, and exited the bathroom. As they were attempting to leave the building, one person was watching them. An enemy soldier was lying on the floor. He had been wounded, but he was still conscious, and his weapon still contained one bullet. He wouldn’t normally have taken on two people with a single bullet, but his life was expiring, and in his mind, if he had to die, so did at least one of the people who killed him. He grabbed his weapon, aimed, and fired. Lee heard the sound and turned around. Trish crumbled to the floor. Lee froze. He didn’t know who to turn his attention to. Should he concentrate on Trish or the shooter? After a few seconds that felt like days to Lee, he pulled a pistol out that he had been keeping on his side and pointed it at the wounded man lying on the floor. With a gentle squeeze, he ended the man’s life. Normally, Lee would have felt bad about taking a life, but that person may have just taken the one person Lee had ever cared about in a romantic way. There was no regret in him. In fact, Lee was happy with his decision. He then turned his attention to Trish.

  “Are you okay? Where are you hit?” Lee asked.

  “Can’t you see?” Trish asked.

  It didn’t take long for Lee to see the source of the blood coming from her. Trish had been shot in the lower stomach.

  “I’m going to get you out of here,” Lee said, and then as gently as he could, he scooped her up in his arms.

  He began running from the building. The jerking from the running hurt Trish, but he was more concerned with her losing too much blood if he didn’t hurry. Once he finally reached the area where Zane and the others were, he was glad to see that a medical team was on site.

  “Oh, thank God,” Lee said.

  “What happened?” Zane asked and ran to Lee.

  “Everything’s set, but Trish got shot as we were leaving.”

  Zane was glad that he had requested medical assistance when they arrived that night. Alfred was leery of this, considering that this whole operation was a secret, but he had done as Zane requested and found some people with the proper medical credentials who he trusted to help them. Zane made the call to Sam. Lee, meanwhile, ran to Trish’s side. No matter what happened, Lee determined that it was going to take an act of God to pry him from her side. The two of them rode away in the back of an ambulance.

  Sam answered the phone.

  “Are we in the clear?” Sam asked.

  “Yes, you have five minutes to get everyone clear of the blast zone,” Zane answered.

  “All right, I’m on it,” Sam said and hung up the phone.

  Sam immediately started yelling for everyone to retreat and grabbed Nathan’s hand. The two of them ran down the stairs and moved as quickly as possible out of the building. They didn’t stop running until they were a good distance away from it, and then they ducked down an alley.

  “What are we doing?” Nathan asked.

  “Just wait. I want to see the blast,” Sam said.

  As they stood there, several of their squad members ran by, and after enough time had passed for Sam to suspect that it was almost time for the bomb to go off, she and Nathan stepped out of the alleyway. Within a few seconds, the blast was heard, and they could feel the heat. Nathan felt somewhat bad about what he was seeing, but it was becoming easier to be involved in things like this. That fact, within itself, scared him a little bit. Sam just stood there staring. It might not have been right, but she felt happy that the people who were responsible for so much death were now burning.

  “Do you think Markus was in there?” Nathan asked.

  “We can only hope so,” Sam said and grabbed his hand.

  Nathan tugged at her, and the two of them started walking in Zane’s direction.

  Chapter 26

  When Nathan and Sam finally arrived at Zane’s location, Michael ran up to them with a worried expression on his face.

  “What’s wrong?” Nathan asked.

  “It’s Trish. She’s hurt really bad. We all need to get to the hospital as soon as we can,” Michael said.

  Sam and Nathan quickly changed out of their gear, and the group piled into a couple of cars. Zane stopped them before they left.

  “I wish I could go with you. I have to finish up here, but please let me know something as soon as you can,” Zane said.

  “We will. Don’t worry,” Nathan said and then began to drive.

  “How bad is it?” Sam asked.

  “We actually weren’t around to see, but Zane said it was a gunshot wound,” Michael said.

  Jess only sat in the back seat and worried. Trish had become a good friend to her. She worked with her every day, and she couldn’t imagine her day without her anymore. She kept thinking back to when they first met each other. Even then, when Trish was kidnapping her, she could see the good in Trish. That night was when they became friends, and Jess couldn’t shake the thought that she may be losing one of her best friends. After seeing her concern, Michael extended a hand to her. Jess refused the hand and instead, grabbed on to him. He hadn’t expected it, but he embraced her as she cried.

  * * * * *

  At the hospital, Lee was forced to separate from Trish as they wheeled her away from him. The wound seemed bad to Lee. He wished he could have found the words to say to her before she left for what could have been the last time. Instead, he only stared and held her hand. He looked more scared through the whole ordeal than she had. Why in the hell did something like this have to happen to us anyway, Lee wondered and kicked over a small garbage can as he was entering the waiting room. Lee was beyond angry. He was mad at himself. Why couldn’t he protect the one person he loved, and why would God take the one person who meant something to him? He had so much anger and frustration built up inside him that he didn’t know where to aim it all. Punishing the garbage can certainly hadn’t done any good. As he sat down and thought about everything that had just transpired and how much his life was probably about to change, a voice interrupted his train of thought.

  “How is she?” Nathan asked in desperation.

  “I don’t know,” Lee said quietly.

  “How bad was it? Where was she hit?” Sam asked.

  “She was shot in the stomach. I hope that I wasn’t too slow. I just hope she’s okay,” Lee said in a way that reflected how mentally and physically exhausted he was.

  Back at the facility, he had pulled something in his back, but when Trish was wounded, all the pain became an afterthought. He was able to carry her several blocks despite his injury, but he was finally starting to feel the effects on his back. The very fact that he felt bad physically and that he was feeling sorry for himself made him feel even worse. Was he not being selfish? What right did he have to feel sorry for himself or concentrate on his own pain when he had failed to protect Trish?

  “Lee, everything’s going to be okay. I promise,” Nathan said.

  Nathan couldn’t really guarantee that everything would be fine, but he had to say something. He had never seen Lee look so defeated, and he didn’t want Lee to give up on Trish before they even knew anything.

  “You can’t know that everything will be okay. You didn’t see her. She was so fragile and so cold. I thought that the life was going to drain from her at any moment back in the ambulance.”

  Sam sat down on the other side of Lee.

  “We can’t promise you that everything’s going to be fine, but please don’t make the mistake of underestimating her. She’s lived through more in her lifetime than almost any of us can comprehend. Just look at what she’s gone through over the last few days, and she came out of it okay. Before you assume the worst, just wait for some news. Most importantly, know that you did everything you could possibly do in this situation,” Sam said.

  Before Lee could respond to her statement, Jason, Burt, and Dan joined everyone in the waiting room.

  “How is she?”
Jason asked.

  Michael pulled them to the side and explained the situation. Burt had gotten pressure on his wound and was quickly escorted by a doctor and several nurses to the back. Lee just sat there quietly on the edge of a feeling that he didn’t fully comprehend. He didn’t know if he wanted to burst into tears or if he wanted to irrationally go off on everyone in the room for pretending that anything that had happened today was okay. After seeing the look in Lee’s eyes, Jess motioned for Nathan and Sam to move, and she sat down beside him.

  “I’m not going to feed you some story about how everything’s all right, and I’m certainly not going to assume that I know how you feel, but please hear me now. Trish is one of my best friends. I’m so glad that you and she have grown close to one another. When she fell apart and no one, including me, could heal her, somehow you did. When she needed more than a shoulder to cry on, you were there, and now, more than ever, she’s going to need you. If she’s okay, I need . . . no, she will need you to pull yourself together. You got her out of that place, so no one is blaming you for what happened, if that’s what you’re thinking. I guess what I’m asking is for you to do what you seem to do best. See the best in this situation. She’s still here, and as far as we all know right now, you’re going to get a chance to see her again. When you do get that chance, do me a favor, and don’t ever leave her side. She loves you, and she’ll need you more than ever after today,” Jess said.

  Lee knew that she was right. All the guilt, anger, and self-pity wouldn’t help Trish out. He had to be what she needed when, and if, he was given the opportunity. She wouldn’t need to see an angry or scared face, but instead, she would need to see one of cool collected confidence and most of all, love.

  “You don’t have to worry about her. I’m always going to be there for her,” Lee said.

  As they looked up, something strange was being shown on the television. There was footage of different places burning that looked all too familiar, but unfortunately, everything was in French, so Nathan couldn’t understand what was going on.

  “What has happened?” Nathan asked Sam as he pointed to the screen.

  “There have been terrorist attacks in several locations around the United States. The New York Subway, several night clubs, and two movie theaters have all been hit. There are also reports of more small events happening around the U.S.,” Sam said.

  “So is it just me, or does it seem like this is an answer for the attack we just carried out?” Dan asked.

  “If it’s a counter attack, then these guys sure answer fast,” Sam said.

  “One thing’s for sure,” Jason said.

  “What’s that?” Sam asked.

  “I seriously doubt that Markus was in that building. I would argue that this is an answer to the knife in the thigh that Nathan gave him a few days ago,” Jason said.

  “Isn’t it possible that this is someone else doing this? Maybe he has a second in command or something,” Nathan said.

  “It’s possible, but I really doubt it. This is too perfect. It has Markus’s fingerprints all over it.”

  The group stood there and talked about the many scenarios that could account for what they were seeing on television for some time, but the truth was that none of them had any concrete answers. Eventually, Sam took out her phone and stepped away from the group. Zane had to know what was going on.

  * * * * *

  Zane looked down at his ringing phone. The caller I.D. showed a number he didn’t recognize, but he answered it anyway.

  “Hello,” Zane said.

  “Am I speaking with Zane Green?” someone asked.

  “Yes, you are. Who is this?”

  “It’s nice to talk to you again after all these years, Mr. Green. This is the man who put an end to John Campbell’s life, and this is the man who is going to personally see to it that the person who would dare attack one of his footholds dies a slow and painful death.”

  Zane was shocked. Could this really be Markus? He had hoped that he was inside of the facility when the bomb went off.

  “Markus?”

  “Yes. You aren’t near a television, are you?” Markus asked.

  “No, I’m not. Why?”

  “Well, you need to find one soon. When you make a statement, I’ll always make a larger one.”

  Zane was curious to know what Markus was talking about, but he was even more curious to know one other fact.

  “How did you even get this number?” Zane asked.

  “I blew up a floor of your office. I had enough people in the CIA to strike there. Do you not think I have enough people to get a few numbers and to find out who the new leader is of the squad that has been such a headache for me?”

  “I suppose I shouldn’t have underestimated you, but you have to know one thing. I’m not John Campbell. I won’t hesitate, and I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth until I have your head on a stick.”

  “Do you believe that you can scare me with such simple threats? Who do you love? Where do you go to blow off steam? And, finally, what’s the most excruciating way you could possibly die? Think about it, and realize that I’m going to find out all of those things. Everyone you love will die, everywhere you like to go will soon cease to exist, and when you think that death would be a blessing, I’ll show you how you were wrong by making you suffer in ways that your tiny mind cannot even imagine. You see, you think that you should be feared by me because of the man you used to be, but according to my sources, you’re just a blind old man who is drowning in time. I doubt that you’ll even see it coming when I come for you,” Markus said and hung up the phone.

  Zane wasn’t scared by Markus’s threats, but he finally understood why Campbell was so nervous about taking down such a man. Markus’s words could strike fear into even the bravest of men because you knew that they weren’t just words. When he said that he was coming for you, he truly meant it. Zane’s phone rang again. He answered it to hear the voice of a panicked Sam. She explained to him about everything that was going on back at home.

  “Sir, I think that Markus may still be alive and at the forefront of all this,” Sam said.

  “I know he’s still alive. As a matter of fact, he just called me.”

  “What? What did he say to you?”

  “I’m on my way there. We can all talk about this once I arrive,” Zane said and hung up the phone.

  As he was walking to his car, he only shook his head. I can’t believe I actually thought this might end everything. I just hope that everyone’s in this for the long haul, Zane thought as he got into the car.

  Once Zane arrived at the hospital and went inside, he discussed the details of what was said when Markus contacted him.

  “So I guess this is far from over,” Michael said in disappointment.

  “I’m afraid so, and that’s why I’m offering a onetime deal to almost all of you. If you want out now, then you can get out. If you choose to stay, then I’m going to assume that you’re in this until the end, so choose carefully,” Zane said.

  “What do you mean by almost all of us?” Nathan asked.

  “The person I’m talking about knows who they are. Their background is sensitive. If you aren’t sure if I’m talking about you, then you aren’t who I’m talking about.”

  That answer bothered Nathan. He knew exactly who Zane was talking about. As he glanced at Sam, it didn’t appear that she had a care in the world. It looked as if she expected such a stipulation to be there for her.

  “I’m staying,” Nathan said as he stepped closer to Sam.

  The truth was that he no longer wanted to be involved in these types of things. He was mentally tired, and the fact that death was starting to become routine to him was worrying him. He even felt a twinge of excitement or accomplishment when they completed a mission. The feelings of guilt and remorse that he had always felt were starting to fade, and Nathan feared that he was becoming something that was altogether beneath him, but he couldn’t leave Sam alone in this world. If she
had to continue to live this life, then so would he. It didn’t take long before everyone agreed except for Lee.

  “I’ll let you know my answer when I know what Trish wants to do,” Lee said.

  Zane only nodded. He understood that the situation wasn’t so simple for Lee. After another hour of waiting, a doctor came out of the back and sat down across from Lee. Sam translated for the two of them.

  “The bullet missed all her major organs, but she lost a lot of blood. If she had gotten here two or three minutes later, I don’t know if we would have been able to save her,” the doctor said.

  “So she’s okay?” Lee asked while sounding extremely relieved.

  The doctor nodded to him. Lee jumped to his feet and grabbed the doctor. Before Lee even realized it, he was giving the doctor the biggest hug he had ever given anyone. The doctor only smiled. Some people went to medical school for the money or the ability to say that they were a doctor, but this particular man only wanted to help others. Seeing the expression on the face of the man across from him let him know that he had done his job. Even if he couldn’t understand the words of praise that were coming from Lee’s mouth, the look on his face was universal. The doctor had seen it many times before. He had just given Lee a piece of his world back. That’s what he lived for.

  “All right, let the guy breathe,” Sam said.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Lee said.

  “He says that it’s quite all right and that you’ll be able to see her soon,” Sam said.

  Lee reached his hand out and shook the hand of the man who had saved his best friend’s life.

  Eventually, Lee was given the okay to go see Trish. As he entered the room and sat down by her bed, he was relieved. She was sleeping soundly. Lee thought it was better that she be sleeping than for her to be awake and in pain. He took her hand in his and just sat silently beside her. He felt foolish for all the anger he felt earlier. He thanked God for another chance to speak to Trish. Lee was tired, and as he sat there, he slowly felt himself starting to drift off, but then suddenly, he felt something. Someone was squeezing his hand. He opened his eyes to see Trish staring at him.