An Impossible Blunder. Private to marauder13 and Alana_

Alana_

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The heat in the green houses was as bad as Shawn ever remembered. The polythene propagation tunnels were worse than the permanent glass houses.
Inside the faint whisper of the water system dribbling onto the trays of baby Carnations and Chrysanthemums gave a faint feeling of colder air closer to the ground, but as Shawn hung the newly filled hanging baskets from the roof hooks, the heat higher up was almost to much to bare...
Summer was in with a vengeance, and she grabbed her step ladder, kicking it closed, and headed back outside.

The simple paths that curled amongst the rows of glasshouses were lined with her stock for sale..From filled garden urns, to small water features, with a variety of water lilies for sale close by..
The small car park to the side of her property was full..Shawn couldn't suppress her smile as she watched her customers strolling around, filling their trolleys with the plants, she'd grown from seed.
It gave her a huge sense of pride every day to watch her 'garden grow'..To literally see the differences every morning as something she'd taken care of thrived..

Four years ago, she'd started out with one propagation tent, and a small note book, with some addresses of houses whose owners she was lucky enough to convince to hire her on a week to week basis..
Now, she owned a 15 acre plot, had 6 full time staff, and 4 part timers...And she now often had to regretfully refuse to take on more clients for the home gardening side of her business, as her reputation grew...The hard work, and back breaking exhaustion was finally paying off..Shawn Carmichael didn't look like your convention gardener...
And it was part of her charm..She wasn't rich because of her success, didn't care to be frankly..But so long as her bills were paid , and she could reach her payroll, look after herself, and have a little set aside, she could sleep.

The radio crackled again, the theme music for the lunchtime news buzzed, and as the costumers closest to it, quietened, so too did the ones further away, as they all stood listening...Another two innocent people had died in cross fire the evening before..
Two Mob families were locked in a dispute that held the entire bay area ransom..For the last 6 months on an almost nightly basis, there was some incident..From shootings, to arson, to punishment beatings..And non of it was hidden...
The two families so full of hate, so full of fury and determination, that the law as a joke to them..and anyone that was in their way was dealt with quickly and permanently..

Murmurings from the customers that drifted back to their trolleys at the end of the broadcast, only served to confirm what most knew, but didn't say..People were afraid to go far from their homes..Certainly not down town where the focus of most of the attacks was.
The public prosecutor was trying to build his case..An impossible task when both families bought their freedom through corruption and intimidation within the legal system. Money talked, shit walked unfortunately.




That evening, Shawn waved off her last customer, and watched Tod cross the road to one of the garden center flat bed trucks..He waved to her as he pulled off, and Shawn padlocked the gate before she headed across to her 4x4..She really wanted a car..a little convertible..anything, any make, just so long as it nipped her across the city and out the coast road..Unfortunately, her 4x4 was needed more than some little pretty sports car, and as she pulled away, she frowned, looking up at the roof top of one of the ware houses across from her garden center..
Something had flashed..Something small...Maybe it was nothing, just something on the roof catching the last of the evening sun..Shawn shrugged it off, and pulled our of her parking spot and headed home..

Home being the house her parents had left her. A beautiful two story and hours drive out of the city, with wrap around porch, within walking distance of the cliff walks down to a quiet beach that was too far out of town for anyone to bother with..It had been her parents pride and joy, and Shawn's memories of her childhood had been only of the happiest moments in this house..
Closing the front door behind her, the warm smell of floor wax greeted her, and as she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom, the perfumes of her scented candles, and soaps from her bathroom diluted her tiredness and invited her to bathe and work the tiredness from her shoulders before eating, and watching some T.V before bed.

As she bathe, Shawn wasn't aware, that the cause of the flash from the rooftop of the warehouse earlier, had followed her home. She wasn't aware that her name was whispered to a cell phone, with her address, car registration, and her description... She wasn't aware of the surprise expressed by the voice at the other end of the phone call, that the one 'they'd' been looking for was a woman..And she wasn't aware that the error that had been made, was about to turn her entire world upside down, and could cost her everything she'd worked for to stay alive.
 
Caporegima Antonio Salvatore was feeling rather pleased with himself. His choice of Soldatos, and in turn their businesses, had kept the flow of money steady through the time of War with the Corelli. His people followed his lead and kept a low profile, while other Garibaldi made waves and became targets. The last of his Soldatos had arrived to hand over their dues, and his 'accountant' was double checking the figures.

"It's all good, Mister Salvatore." The older man hand a case over to Antonio with a smile. Antonio liked Jerry. He had pulled some strings to get the embezzler off the charges laid against in return for his working for Antonio. The man never made him regret that decision.

"Thank you, Jerry. Go and have the rest of the day off." With a nod, the balding man left the room before Antonio changed his mind. Antonio gathered all the other things he required before going to see the Sottocapo to hand over his dues to the Family.

Unlike the other Caporegima, he drove himself in a decent American made car. Nothing flash, but average, well maintained and undeniably normal in every regard. He knew the Police would pull him over and check his car for illegal modifications, but they would not find any.

He pulled up at a red light; the bane of his driving. He hated being delayed. Be it by red lights, slow drivers, traffic snarls, it didn't matter. He sat staring at the light waiting for it to change. Then it changed, and in his impatience he stalled his car.

Which saved his life.

The vehicle on his passenger's side rapidly accelerated when the lights changed, the rear passenger window exploding outward from automatic weapons fire. But since Antonio's car had not moved, the initial burst which would have destroyed his head went forward, shattering the windscreen. He automatically ducked down, and was safely behind lots of cover while the shooter adjusted to try and finish the job.

Antonio grabbed the case, and jumped out of the bullet riddled car, and got to safety. He didn't have time to deal with the Police, as they would merely delay him from completing his business. He flagged down a passing cab, and resumed his journey.


"The capo wishes to see you," the Sottocapo said, pointing to the double doors. Antonio nodded and continued as if it happened everyday. He entered the opulent office where the man who ran the Garibaldi family sat in a large reclining chair.

"Antonio, come in and sit down. I wish all my Captains were like you." Antonio sat down, nodding to his Boss. "I hear you have made you dues again without loosing a single cent. That is good. Now, there is much we need to talk about. The first is about a police officer called Carmichael.

"The D.A. has managed to slip this Carmichael fellow into our organization, or the Corelli Family, we don't know yet. But someone from the other side slipped up, and now we know. Both of our Families have decided to put some money in to deal with the rat bastard.

"What's wrong, Antonio? You look a little white."

"Sorry, the Corelli tried to ice me on the way over. Just mentioning taking someone out reminded me of my good fortune. But why are you telling me about this, Boss?"

"Well, Consiglieri Salvatore, you need to know about it because it is your job to liaise with the folks doing the legwork. As well as dealing with the Corelli man on this mutual job."

Antonio sat in shock for a moment while the significance of what the Boss just said sank in. He was now an advisor to the Capo. His star was truly shining within the Family.

"Yes, Antonio, feel proud. You have earned it." The two continued to talk business matters for about an hour before Antonio was dismissed. He returned to his home without any deviations or distractions.


Later that evening his phone rang. "Salvatore."

"Good evening, Mister Salvatore. I am calling you to let you know that we now have a positive ID on the target. She is Shawn Carmichael." The voice on the other end of the phone gave out the address, car registration details and a very detailed description of the target.

"Carmichael's a woman? Their prize undercover agent is a woman?"

"Correct. All details checked and confirmed. Our man will be given the green light to proceed shortly." The phone line went dead.

Antonio sat still, trying to figure out what to do. He called the Caposotto's cell phone on his cell phone, relaying the information he had been given. Once that was done, he sat in shock, again trying to decide what to do.

Could Sean Carmichael, undercover operative, let Shawn Carmichael, innocent civilian, take a bullet for him?
 
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Mrs. Edwina Graham Wendall Daley Solomon lived in the biggest house on Gray Court Avenue..She drove an imported Bentley, wore only clothes by European designers, and smoked Cuban cigars, and every Wednesday she went to the spa for a day of relaxation and a little 'self indulgence' . She'd been married four times, and was busy working on number five..She had after all ' a standard of living to maintain', and ex husbands paid well to a woman that was a shameless gatherer of information about their business dealings, that always ensured a generous pay off in divorce negotiations.. Every Wednesday she was gone, and every Wednesday Shawn arrived to tend her prize roses for the summer flower shows..Shawn couldn't stand the woman, so Edwinas trip to the spa, saved Shawn from having to interact with the woman for the most part....Edwina bragged, she preened herself, and took credit for a garden her last husband had designed and was still paying for.

12.45 Shawn arrived, and set about deadheading the roses with care..Clipping back buds of growth not desired, she listened to an ancient recording of Placido Domingo live. She knew little or nothing about opera, but his voice always enthralled her and the old CD was in need of replacing as Shawn reached across the to her barrow, her CD player sitting in the middle of her tools, and hit the top a smack to unstick the repeating high note Mr. Domingo was singing over and over.

1.58, Shawn finished the first bed, and took a drink, watching one of Edwhna's maids opening the down stairs windows in a vain effort to catch a breeze...The hum of over worked air conditioners hummed, but even they didn't do much against the heat that lay heavily everywhere...Tossing her iced bottle back into her small cooler bag, Shawn set back to work, and thought nothing of the single male standing at the gate looking right at her..She looked once, returned to work, and looked again, he was gone..Just someone maybe getting houses mixed up, or admiring the garden...

2.15 exactly, a young maid crossed the garden to Shawn, carrying with her a small tray containing a jug of Iced Tea and a tall glass of crushed ice. She smiled at Shawn, and as Shawn reached for the tray, the girls face dropped, her expression of shock more tangible than the shattering of the jug between she and Shawn...The glass sort of exploded, sending the tea and ice flying into the air, soaking both the front of the maids formal black servants dress, and Shawns stomach.....Shawn had never seen anything like it before, and the young maid stood screaming as a second silent shot gave her something to scream about...She backed away from Shawn, crying hysterically, pointing to Shawns side...A pool of blood seeped through her simple lemon tshirt, and only then did Shawn realize she was bleeding...Her right leg felt heavy..the injury to her right hip, and Shawn screamed at the completely terrified maid ..

Get inside!!! Run!!

The wound to her hip, literally couldn't let Shawn move..Her leg refused to shift, so she dropped to the ground as she felt the whip of air over her temple, a third silent bullet missing her simply because she'd moved down, instead of forward...The young maid ran screaming...Shawn watched her for a heart beat, before she started crawling, her right leg dragging behind her...Pure adrenalin was pumping, and by the time she reached her 4x4, the police sirens were already filling the local streets..Someone in Edwina's house having thankfully called the police...

The next 10 minutes was a circus of activity..The local law enforcement took control quickly, but no one was found...The gardens were secured, only the ambulance allowed entry..She was laid down gently by a guy wearing a name tag 'Gus', with a smiley face drawn beside it...The police tried to ask Shawn questions over Gus' shoulder, but the young paramedic refused to allow them near Shawn..who was in shock, feeling little only a horrid thudding in her head from the pressure of suppressed panic.

Shawn have you any idea who would do this?

Mam, you got to have seen something.

Leave her alone...she's in shock...Now stand back..

Can you tell us what she was shot with?.

Get the hell back, and let us do our work.

Looking back from the gurney to the rose bed, her little barrow toppled over onto its side, Shawn smacked at the hand over head, that was trying to place the oxygen mask to her mouth..Her eyes heavy, a sedative working as she mumbled into the clear plastic mask, the only thing that made sense to her at that point..

My CD....I want my CD.
 
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Antonio woke the next morning, and announced to all interested parties that he was 'hitting the mattress'. His Capo understood, and gave him his blessings and wished him a peaceful sleep.

Within 30 minutes, Antonio Salvatore stared at himself in the mirror, and finally allowed him to vanish. The man who stared back at him was actually Sean Carmichael. Salvatore's raven hair was gone, and Carmichael's light brown was there. Instead of slicked back, it was parted neatly on the left side. Antonio's brown eyes were gone, the contacts over his naturally hazel eyes replaced with ones that would make his eyes blue. He stopped shaving, and within a few days his face would be further obscured.

He dressed more casually and stood straighter than Antonio did, add another inch or two to his height. His choice of clothes also showed off his physique a little more than Antonio's wardrobe did. He armed himself. Glock in a hip holster. A small 5 round revolver in an ankle holster as a backup.

He went and jumped into his car, and headed out towards where Shawn lived. He doubted that she was there, but he needed to get an idea of where she lived, and how easy her home could be compromised. The drive was relaxing that morning. Red lights didn't piss him off. He was not in any great rush to get anywhere. He actually enjoyed the drive, taking a look at the scenery, human and otherwise. He pulled up a block away from her house, hopped out and took a walk.

The sun was not too hot, and the breeze kept the temperature at just a good level. He put in a pair of head phones, and nodded his head as if he listening to music. All he had was the headphones, and nothing else. He stopped at various houses, looking at their gardens, sometimes squatting down to get a better look at some of the plants and ornaments. By the time he got to her house, he could check out her house without it looking like that it was the target.

It was a two story effort. Verandas that went around at least three sides of the ground floor. The garden was well laid out, and could conceal a person easily enough. There were the usual number of windows, and there was nothing unusual about them in the shape, size or disposition. Most had blinds or curtains that were drawn. In other words, it was a standard house, and would be of little protection against a professional.

He continued his walk, going around the entire block and getting some much needed exercise in as well. It was a large block, and it took him about an hour to do the trip. Once more he was in his car, and heading off to destination number 2 - Shawn's business. Another hour or so of driving and he was pulling into the parking lot that was more full than empty. Even on a weekday, her business was doing a good trade.

He wandered around, looking at things like a person who had little knowledge of gardening. Which he actually had no knowledge at all. But he wandered the publicly accessible areas looking at everything, especially the staff. He was hoping to get a look at Shawn first hand.

He was wandering back to the car when he heard a woman's cry. He looked over at the office building, and one of the staff came running out, calling for someone named 'Tod'. Sean could only assume that Tod was the one running to the young woman. Feeling like a bit of a creep, Sean walked a little closer, listening hard to what was being said.

"Tell me again. What's happened?"

"Well," the young woman controlled the sobbing, "the police just called us to inform us that Shawn has been shot." She broke down in tears again.

"Where was she? Was she at Edwina's?"

"Yes, she was at the Solomon house."

Sean kept walking at the same pace for a little further, before turning to head back to his car. Edwina Solomon... her name was familiar to Sean, but he couldn't place where, not that it mattered. He had a name, he could get an address, and from there, the hospital she was taken too. He had to get there before the gunman did.
 
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Shawn Carmichael.

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The coaxing male voice, determined to awaken Shawn irritated her. Her mouth tasted of mint, and her throat felt dry..
His voice while gentle, continued with the 'Come on Shawn...Wake up', over and over..Turning her head away, her hand raising lazily to scratch an invisible itch on her cheek.
Her wrist felt funny, and Shawn bleary eyed looked to see what made it feel so heavy..That there was a drip taped to the back of her hand, and its long clear tube , leading upwards to a clear bag of fluid, finally got her attention..

What happened?

She coughed, her mouth feeling as if it had been attacked by sandpaper, and she tried again, as the Doctor moved closer to her, checking her eyes, and asking her questions that she found as irritating as he was..

Stop it....2 fingers......
What happened.....July 18th....

Stop it...I said 2 fingers...Now what happened?


Her awakening wasn't pleasant, nor was the numbness in her hip and right leg..Rising her left hand to her forehead, she pushed her hair from her brow, and began taking more notice of what was around her..
Her Doctors voice regaled to her gently that she'd been shot..The medical terms for her injury meant nothing to her, until he basically explained she'd been lucky, that no organs had been damaged, and with a bit of care she'd make a full recovery..That her surgery had been completely successful.
Two policemen, one in uniform, one in a pale gray suit, stood at the foot of her bed looking at her ..It seemed to her, they were trying to appear invisible, while still listening to every word that was said...

The anesthetic left her perception slow to keep up, and understanding exactly what was being said took her a little time... ..Her attention returned to the doctor, as she tried to back track to where she'd been.. She started remembering how the young maid had looked at her, and the feeling of warmth on her hip, as she'd stared down at the crimson stain growing on her tshirt...Her voice husky, words still slow, Shawn tearfully explained as best as she could.

But I didn't do anything wrong...........Why?

At that point the two officers stepped forward introducing themselves..The detective informed Shawn, that the uniformed officer would be remaining on her door for the time being as a precaution, and that she was safe..
He gently asked her if she remembered seeing anyone, had any reason to suspect why she'd been such a target, all of which Shawn could only answer no to...
But she then remembered the lone stranger at the gate..He had been too far away to get a description, on top of which, Shawn had simply had no reason to be watchful of him..

After a few more minutes retelling what she could remember, the Doctor called a halt to the questions, stating she simply needed to rest and to leave her alone.
The uniformed officer took his position outside in the hall, the detective leaving a small card with his number in case Shawn remembered anything more.
She was left alone with a young nurse, and the last she remembered before falling asleep was her door closing, the nurse changing the saline drip, telling her quietly to try sleep and that she was safe .
 
It didn't take him long to figure out that Edwina Solomon was none other than 'Forty-Niner Graham'. From there the information trail was easy to follow and he knew which hospital she would have been taken to. It took 30 minutes to finally pin down her location, hospital wise. He was in transit, swearing loudly at anything that even slowed him down. Every minute he was delayed allowed the gunman to get closer to his target again.

Finally, much to his relief, he reached the hospital car park, and found the only empty spot, that seemed to be furthest from any of the exit points. It took all his training not to run at a sprint to get in there. So he walked into the main lobby of the hospital, and checked the layout of the hospital, taking an educated guess as to where Shawn would be located.

Once he knew where he needed to go, he walked through the place like a nervous relative going to visit a patient. It was an easy act to put on, as he was nervous about what might happen to her while she was there. They'd have an uniformed officer outside the door, so it would be easy to find -

"Shit!" He casually kept walking across the opening on the hallway he needed to go down. "Of all the fucking people that had to put there, why Hannerfeld?" Carmichael and Hannerfeld were beat officers together not long after Carmichael got out of the Academy. Hannerfeld was a man who was a subtle as a brick thrown through a china shop window. And he knew Carmichael by sight, and would probably open his big mouth without letting a thought pollute his brain. Which was why Hannerfeld was in an uniform standing out side a hospital ward.

Carmichael started furiously trying to think of how to get in there. Assuming the worst, Hannerfeld would be there for another 4 hours before the next poor slob got rostered on. If he loitered for 4 hours, someone would start asking all sorts of questions he just didn't want to answer. Now, if he could get Hannerfeld away from the door for even 2 minutes...

Carmichael couldn't believe his luck when he saw Samuel Rifter walk out of a room down the hall from where he stood. He was a low level runner for the Corelli, and a general low life that really needed to be removed from the gene pool. But this was not the place or time for such "fun", except that the man wandered into the mens. Keeping himself casual, he wandered in after him.

He walked up to the last stall, noting every other one was empty, and Rifter was using the urinal. He entered the stall, and removed his backup pistol from the ankle holster. The .22 caliber revolver was perfect for what he had planned. He walked out as Rifter was washing his hands. Without pausing his his stride, Carmichael put the barrel at Rifter's temple, and pulled the trigger. The loud crack reverberated quickly though the room, but it was not loud enough to be heard outside the room. Rifter was dead before his body hit the floor. Another victim of the Mafia War.

Carmichael was out and walking away from the room as if nothing had happened. It wouldn't take long before someone found him, and then Carmichael would make his other move.

It took five minutes before someone took a call of nature in the room, and screamed for the Police. Hannerfeld, reacting on pure instinct and counter to training, ran for the source of the screams. Carmichael moved when Hannerfeld rounded the corner. He had less than five minutes to get in and out again.

Again moving casually, he went to the door recently vacated by Hannerfeld, and entered the room. He saw the lone occupant in the room who was asleep. He took a good long look at her face, burning it into his memory. He looked at the fall of the sheet and blanket over her prone form, taking in the important shapes that were shown. When he was certain he had seen enough to positively identify her later, he turned to leave the room before Hannerfeld remembered where he should be and returned to his post.
 
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Her hip ached..Shawn could feel the burn of the wound, and throbbing dull ache in the top of her right thigh...Her mind was muddled..The sounds around her were different to the busy garden center, and she couldn't hear the birds..Her mouth was dry..Licking her lips, she could still taste mint, and frowned, turning her head slowly as bit by bit she became a little more aware of what was going on around her..A buzzer down the hall rang, and she could hear the shuffle of feet rushing by...Voices weren't calm nor soothing..She couldn't decipher what was being said, but the tones were different..more urgent. ..There was someone watching her!.

Suddenly Shawn was aware of that inner instinct that told her she wasn't alone in her room..This time when she woke, it wasn't slow, it was sudden, and her eyes opened wide, her brow furrowing as her pupils adjusted to the shaded dimness of her ward....Without moving or making a sound, she quickly looked from left to right, and saw the outline of a tall male, very quietly making his way back to the door...Was it him?..The one from the gate? Was that man even connected to her shooting? If he wasn't so be it, but then who was this one? The detective wore a suite..the doctor wore his scrubs and white coat..and the officer wore the cities uniform...

I'll raise blue murder if you open that door.

Her voice was quiet, almost husky her throat was so dry...Shawn blinked, clearing the last of the fog from her eyes, as she raised her hand over head to pull down the buzzer to the nurses station, her thumb wavering over the little red rubber button...

How did you get by the cop?

She didn't wait nor care for his answer, gripping the metal side railing down the left side of the bed, and pulled herself upright to rest on her left elbow..The pain of the strain on the wound on her hip was unbelievable, and she felt weak, but it also gave Shawn more perspective on what was after happening to her...And the fact that a complete stranger was in her room, on the day she'd been shot, having passed the cop left guarding her.

Did you come to shoot me ?...Did you shoot the cop?...Is that why everyones going nuts outside?...

Shawns face was pale.....It enhanced the delicate structure of her face, and made her look fragile....She was anything but..She was seething inside now at what had happened..Confused but furious..Part of her wanted to cry out of pure hurt at what had terrified her, and the other part wanted to launch herself at him if she could have moved.....He frightened her, this one...He'd found her, ..gotten in...stood by her bed...Watched her.....But nothing could have frightened her more than earlier when she'd realized she'd been shot, but felt no pain...For a brief moment as she'd crawled to her car, Shawn thought it meant she was dieing...Pure panic had gripped her then, and all she could think of was her parents, and how it would have destroyed them to lose her if they'd still been alive...Gritting her teeth, she hissed at him, her eyes brimming, as fear and fury meshed..

Maybe I'll turn around and you can shoot me in the back and make it easy for you. Would you like that?.............Do me a favor first though.....Get back here so I can see your face, and tell me why?....What did I do wrong?...

The stubborn line of her chin trembled, as Shawn bit down on the threat of frustrated tears..Her voice was cracking, but her anger was raw, and the pain that was searching her thigh for another part of her leg to attack, left her feeling sick to her stomach.....She felt like crap, ..Like the stuffing had been kicked out of her...Only seconds had passed since her waking up, her mind not exactly clear, still very focused on the worry of what had happened, led her to the only conclusion on who this stranger was.....Who else could he be?....And she got afraid then, and felt a tear linger on her chin, before spilling onto the paper gown still on her from surgery..

Well?...What are you doing..Chickening out?......Can't do it now I'm actually looking at you?
 
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"I'll raise blue murder if you open that door."

Her voice was croaky from a dried out mouth due to the anesthesia she had given during her operation. But she was now awake, and that complicated matters greatly.

"How did you get by the cop? Did you come to shoot me ?...Did you shoot the cop?...Is that why everyones going nuts outside?..."

"I'm clever, that's how I got past the cop, and he's not shot, dead or any way hurt. No, I didn't come here to shoot you." He angled his head so his voice bounced of the wall to make it heard easier, but he kept his face from her.

"Maybe I'll turn around and you can shoot me in the back and make it easy for you. Would you like that?.............Do me a favor first though.....Get back here so I can see your face, and tell me why?....What did I do wrong?..."

"Miss Carmichael, if I came here to kill you, we wouldn't be talking right now. I had a good minute or two to kill you before you woke. Believe me, if I wanted you dead, you would be. Lucky for you I don't want you dead, isn't it.

"What did you do wrong? You were unlucky at birth, and live in a city of idiots with lots of money and guns. Now, I suggest you just lie down, and rest. The police will help you out while you're here, and because of me, you'll have better protection for your stay."

He wanted to look at her, tell her what was happening, but he couldn't risk the delay. But before he could do anything else, the door opened and Hannerfeld started to walk through.

"Are you -" Those two words were all he could say before Sean slammed his face into the wall, breaking his nose and cheek in the process. He slammed his fist into his gut, doubling the officer over, before throwing him to the floor.

Without saying a word, he left the room. Again, he walked casually until he reached the stair well. Once in there, he was off like a hare at the dog races. He reached the first floor and walked out as if he had walked the entire way. He left the hospital just as the police started arriving and the hospital security finally got their act together to shut down the hospital.

He sat in his car, shaking his head. "Bloody hell. I could have killed her and been out before anyone could have the chance to even guess at what was going down. Well, she'll be safe now, for a while." He managed to leave before they cordoned off the carpark, again shaking his head at the delays the Mafia managed to build into the system to allow things like this to happen. But then, it actually helped him this time. He wondered how many more times he would use the Mafia's handy work against them.
 
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The solemn content of the strangers tone told Shawn nothing, only that he was not afraid, and not nervous ..She could see that in how he never shirked from the sounds outside or the clambering of feet and the echo of calls for assistance..Her questions for the most part were answered with replies that would only lead to more questions..What did he mean she was unlucky in her birth? ..It offended her,.. Shawn taking the slight against her birth personally until it made no more sense to do so, than the confusion she continued to feel as to why she had been shot. What the hell had the day of her birth got to do with her being shot?...

.................................The police will help you out while you're here, and because of me, you'll have better protection for your stay."

She'd managed to slip her left foot to the ground, but her right thigh simply pained too much up into her hip, to move it more than a fraction at a time..The sudden wave of air and the string of florescent light across the room startled her even more and Shawn grabbed her drip, trying to use it to haul herself off the bed, but to little avail..The officer was attacked and beaten to a bloody pulp with a couple of expertly precise blows, devastating in their effect. The poor man hit the floor with a bone crunching thump, and the stranger left, as calm as if he'd just dropped in, and said hello. And still didn't know what he looked like.

In her hand was the stupid buzzer..In the shock of what she'd watched, her thumb was still raised over the red tiny switch, and suddenly Shawn started to function past the panic, and screamed and screamed, with her finger jamming the little button as if it was going to trigger some huge leap of justice.


**************

Three days later, with two officers, and a new security system in her house, Shawn was discharged...With a temporary cane, she limped to where her car was parked, with the two guys following behind..The police were unhappy. At this point in time , they hadn't a clue what was happening, openly admitting it to Shawn.. They'd gone so far as to allude she wasn't telling them everything..gone so far as to almost, but not quite insinuate that she'd done something to piss someone off, and now needed the police protection....Maybe a lovers wife?...A boyfriend with a jealous girlfriend..A business competitor...The Captain had visited her the day before, with his smiled suspicions, until Shawn told him bluntly to get the fuck out of her room, and take his lackys with him..That she didn't want or need a bunch of pencil pushers telling her she'd done something wrong, just because they'd not taken their thumbs out of their asses and found the shooter. It didn't go down well. He reminded her the city was under no obligation to waste tax payers money to protect her if she wasn't cooperating...And Shawn reminded him she was a taxpayer too, and she paid his salary...

The mans frustration was almost sickeningly amusing for her to watch..It broke the monotony of the two days past, but before he left, she apologized..For thirty minutes then they talked, and he apologized too for antagonizing her, and she went over everything she knew, from the shooting , to the stranger in her room, and all he'd said.. A mutual understanding was reached between her and the Captain...That she would do as she was told, and he'd supply her with two officers at her house, on two shifts 24 hours a day, until they got to the bottom of what was happening..

On being told she was to be discharged, Shawn however broke her promise..No way was she been driven home in a cop car, unmarked or not. And no way was she having anyone driving her car for her, making them a target...She'd drive herself..Who ever the shooter was, she knew she was making it easier for him to get her, but he wasn't taking her freedom... She drove home herself, with the unmarked car behind her in traffic..In her drive way was Tod, with his big toothy smile and a bunch of her favorite Gardenias..He'd arranged on Shawns behalf to have the new security system installed..Something that didn't come cheep, and she could ill afford right now...But it was needed for her to feel just that little safer...He took her inside, and for the next hour visited with her, showing her how the elaborate system worked..

That night, after showering, she sat listening from the foot of her bed...A car back fired down the street, scaring her stiff...A neighbors dog barked..Was it him coming again, she wondered?...When was it going to stop that the remarks made by the stranger, and his cool manner towards her, would stop haunting her?...What had he meant about her birthday? And if he wasn't the shooter, then who the hell was he, and why did he come to force better protection for her by the police?...Why would he have done that?...For the countless time in the last three days her head throbbed..Shawn lay back in her bed, the air conditioning humming, as she was too afraid to open a window in the intense heat...God she'd have loved to be sitting out on her porch with a beer, chatting on the phone with her friends right now.......But the shooter had taken that from her...Taken a lot more than Shawn yet knew, as she lay there staring up at the ceiling listening to the muffled sound of the TV down stairs, one of the cops staying in the house with her constantly, while the other did duty outside with German Shepard dog named Sam, that looked like he'd ate a horse.

The next day, she promised herself, she was going to make a trip to her garden center, to say hi, before she lost her mind being cooped up all the time....She thought of him..the stranger....Of how his voice was so calm, but when he moved it was brutal...What kind of a man could do that to another?..What kind of a man could twist what he was doing and make his attack on the officer appear like he was doing Shawn a favor?.......Tomorrow...Her eyes began to close..Tomorrow..Garden center, and then maybe if the cops would let her stop at 'Mike's Musik', and replace her Placido Domingo CD...She missed his voice.
 
Two days she was in hospital. Two days he laid low keeping an eye out for trouble. Sure enough, the Police had beefed up her protection. He also heard through the grape vine that Hannerfeld got a commendation for saving her life. Sean shook his head everytime he thought of it. He also noticed that Tod from where Shawn worked had turned up at her place with a technician who installed a security system of some form or other.

He was near by the day she came home, with two officers tailing her the entire way. And then she was kept company by a police officer inside and a handler and dog outside. Good in principle, but questionable this time. He knew that the security system included the grounds and perimeter. Having someone prowling around outside made that part of the defence network worthless. He could assume that the officer inside would do the same for the internal system.

The following day, he took a gamble, and it paid off. He went to her place of employment and waited for her to turn up. He still wanted to get a good visual on her so he could spot her better in the field. She was walking with the aid of a cane, but he had a good idea of her height, relative build and other prime features for identification purposes. While the professional was assessing her, the male was also finding her to be good too. Nice figure, healthy and rather pleasing on the eye as well.

Having got what he wanted, he walked out of the nursery. As luck would have it, when he did walk out, he walked right passed her. He didn't change his course, he didn't look at her any more or less than anyone else and he returned to his car and left.


Sean had parked himself in a good spot to watch for the change over in the protection squad. He knew that they'd be there on 12 hour shifts, so all he needed to do was wait. Sure enough, a car that screamed 'unmarked police car' approached her house and stopped. It was one that was adapted to carry a dog in the back. He saw a man hop out of the vehicle, waving to the handler as he approached the front door. The handler ask the man something, as he stopped part the way up the stairs, and pointed back to his vehicle. He then continued up the stairs and knocked on the door.

Meanwhile the handler and the dog were in transit to their vehicle by the time his partner left the house. Sean was getting alarmed about the change in routine. What was keeping the handler and his dog from getting out of the car?

Sean's blood ran cold. He got out of his car, closing the door and locking it. He was immediately watched by the departing officer as Sean disappeared into a neighbour's yard. Sean dashed along the inside fence line, waiting for the first police team to depart. When their car was gone from view, Sean ran up to the other vehicle. He didn't need to look in to see what had happened. The blood and brains splashed on the inside of the passenger side window was enough to tell him what was going down.

He drew the pistol from his holster, thumbed off the safety and chambered a round. He ran to Shawn's house, and tested the front door. It was locked. He couldn't afford to wait. He took a step back and lifted his right foot. Putting the full weight of his body behind the blow, he kicked the door open, and stepped aside from the open door. There was no hail of gunfire, or other signs of trouble.

Following standard clearance routines he learned in the British Paras, Sean swept the lower floor of Shawn's house, finding every clear as he passed through. He heard no one nor saw anyone until he reached the kitchen. He ran into Shawn.

Out of training that was almost instinct, he raised his pistol rather than have it pointed at an innocent civilian. He was about to speak when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He ran forward, grappling Shawn, and dropping them to the floor as several rounds whistled through the air where they had both been standing moments before. Sean took the brunt of the fall before he rolled on top of her.

"Sorry about this Shawn," he said quietly, "better this than being dead from multiple gunshot wounds." Everything went quiet while Sean listened for sounds of the gunman's movements and other actions.
 
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The first two nights at home were very different..The officers were extremely polite, and they chatted with her as they went about their routines...But it had been a long time since she'd shared a house with anyone..She'd moved out of her parents house at 18, and worked her way through horticultural college, living alone for most of the time..When her parents had died, and she'd inherited the family home, and moved back in, Shawn had never needed to have anyone with her to share expenses..It was at least four years since she'd listened to noises of people moving around down stairs, or heard doors opening and closing when she was in the privacy of her bath....It was different.. Not hard, not awful, but very different.

Into the second day home, she decided to treat the night shift officers to a decent meal instead of them calling out for pizza. She was marinading steaks, with baby potatoes ready for roasting, and the makings of a salads and dressings scattered around her kitchen counters...

The sound of the front door banging open startled her.....There was a lot of changes in her house now, and rather than react with initial panic , she turned resting on her cane, and reached for a one of her carving knives..Looking towards the door, there was no sound after the bang, and she slowly set the knife back down on the work top, and leaned her cane against her hip.....Maybe the wind had blown the door open, while the guys were swapping shifts...She smiled then,and relaxed...At this point there was probably still four officers outside and two dogs, swapping information before two would leave..She was perfectly safe..

In a mid turn back to her work, the kitchen door opened quickly and she reached quickly for the knife again, and her other hand clutched the leather thong around her neck, and she squeezed the little bright blue pendant hard.....His reaction surprised her.. The gun raised safely to aim towards the ceiling instead of at her......In seconds, she was flung to the ground, her kitchen window exploding in a haze of confetti'd glass...It sprayed the kitchen units like a miny explosion and Shawn forgot about her earlier surprise at the guys reaction with his gun...Suddenly he was all over her..Pressing her down, holding her firmly as the popping of bullets plodded into plaster if the kitchen walls, until all went terribly quiet..

"Sorry about this Shawn,......better this than being dead from multiple gunshot wounds."

Laying there beneath him, Shawn nodded slowly, to afraid to do much else..Something in his whisper warned her to keep quiet, as she watched him listening...She then listened too, and could hear the almost shocked silence in her street.....Her neighbors wouldn't ever have heard the likes of glass breaking like her kitchen window...It had shattered with a noise that almost numbed her ears......There was no basket balls being bounced in drive ways...and the young Jaffery's kid had stopped revving his motor bike......

Her hip hurt...It began to supersede the effect of the shock of being knocked to the ground by the stranger..Biting her bottom lip, Shawn flinched in trying to straighten her leg..The comfort of moving was minimal, and she then whispered..mouthed almost silently..

You're not the guy that shot me ..

It wasn't a question...It was rather a simple statement of fact....Who ever this man was, he wasn't there to kill her...but....

.....and..the hospital? That was you...that evening..............

The crash over head had her cry out, her line of thought broken...Shawn clutched him and hide in against him, the terror of confusion, as to why this was happening to her mounting coldly in her.... The dribble of liquid trickling to the floor behind her had her look over head cautiously then, and she saw the marinade sauce running in one reddish stream from over the counter top, down the front of the cabinet front...But still the silence was deadly..There was no gun shot to shatter the bowl, so she could only assume one of her pictures had broken on the wall in the haze of bullets, and finally fallen down to spoil the bowl of marinade...Looking at him..she wiggled her hand in between them, and pulled out the leather thong, and the pendant with the panic button, the security firm had insisted she wore at all times..And for some reason she felt she should warn him...

.......the cops will be here soon....I triggered the alarm................

They'll want you to explain.....this...Explain..things...Why you were here..
 
It was quiet. Too quiet. Which meant the gunman was assessing his options and relocating himself to deal with the added help. But it wasn't just quiet inside, it was quiet everywhere.

Sean took a quick look around, noting that the kitchen had a door to the outside, namely the backyard. The counter they were lying behind would allow a good degree of protection, at least visually, allowing them the chance to move around a little.

When he felt her move her leg, Sean made sure that she had some space to complete the maneuver, as well as giving her the ability to breathe.

"You're not the guy that shot me .."

"We've kind of been there before. No, I haven't shot you."

".....and..the hospital? That was you...that evening.............."

"Yep, I was the phantom visitor."

He instinctive tensed at the crash that occurred nearby, and her cry punctuated the silence. He grimaced and swore internally as she confirmed her location to the gunman.

He felt her wriggling about, and looked down at her. She had a panic button on a leather thong around her neck. Again, he wasn't sure to be happy about that, or not.

".......the cops will be here soon....I triggered the alarm................"

"They'll want you to explain.....this...Explain..things...Why you were here.."


"I guessed you'd do something like that," he whispered. "They will have a long time to wait before they hear anything from me.

"Now, listen carefully. We're getting out of here. Right now. I'll answer your questions once we're out of here. But when I tell you to do something, you do it. Straight away!

"Starting with get yourself ready to get out that back door and make a straight line for the path down the cliff, and get down there PDQ."

Sean got off Shawn, crouching behind the counter. He edged to the end on the counter, and quickly peered around the end. As his head came back, a volley of bullets whistled past, slamming into the back door.

"hmmm... tricky." He looked over to see if Shawn was ready to move, nodding when he saw that she was. "When I say 'Go', you go." He turned away from Shawn, not even waiting for conformation from her. He stuck his pistol around the corner of her counter, firing three rounds followed by two more after a short pause. He leapt up, and pulled open the freezer door as several more rounds slammed into it.

"GO!"

He took a couple of shots at the gunman while using the door for protection, hoping that Shawn was following his directions.
 
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"Now, listen carefully. We're getting out of here. Right now. I'll answer your questions once we're out of here. But when I tell you to do something, you do it. Straight away!

"Starting with get yourself ready to get out that back door and make a straight line for the path down the cliff, and get down there PDQ."

Not for anything in the world was she about to argue with him....Shawn nodded, and as he rolled from her, she as quickly as her hip would allow her, pulled her self to a squat, and reached for her cane...She watched him crouch down, and make a move , just enough to be seen, and covered her mouth against the almost sobbed gasp as more gunfire erupted in her home. Seeing where she'd been born and raised torn asunder under the hail of bullets broke her heart..This was her home..her parents home..

"hmmm... tricky......When I say 'Go', you go."

She mouthed 'Okay', and took a long steadying breath.....At this point, she was burning on adrenaline, fear fueling her will to survive...Shifting along behind the unite, she straightened her right leg, and rose up enough to stoop, but remain hidden..Her hip hurt like crazy, but the shattered remnants of her kitchen was enough to numb any discomfort..

And then it started..A testing three shots, and the metal whip of repeated shots from the cylinder of the strangers gun...She knew what he expected, and was ready, as his voice cracked back to her

Go!

Swinging her back door open, and down the three wooden stoop steps, took her less that two heart beats...Her run wasn't elegant, not with her stitches straining, but Shawn managed to decently comply with what the stranger had ordered she do....Her garden was long, and densely populated with a wide variety of developed shrubs and trees...The direction of the shooters bullets thankfully assured her that her unseen target of the cliff path was clear for her to haul her ass to.....

The path was a natural fluke left behind by nature...It led down the cliff face, in a precarious zig zagged array of rough steps, with no handrail, and only the knowledge they were there to help anyone get down them safely..Briefly Shawn wondered how 'he' knew they existed, as it was the only way down a cliff that was treacherous ..But it wasn't the time to think of another question to add to her ever expanding mental file..

Behind her, it grew quiet....She was half way down, her cane folded into itself, as she took the steps carefully, half the time on her ass...She was freezing ..Simple shock had set in, and her teeth chattered, despite the intense evening heat..On the beach, she looked around carefully...The sand was littered with foot prints, and Shawn carefully slipped her feet in to those that helped her work her way along to the boulders, concealing her own marks..There was really no where else to go but the boulders. but Shawn wasn't advertising to make it any easier for who ever was after her....

If she was being followed by the shooter, it was an easy assumption to find her there, as the beach ran for miles and miles in the other direction, and he'd have had an easy target there...Unclicking her cane, Shawn stood behind the face of an inconspicuous boulder, with her only weapon raised , ready to swing, if the wrong person was to appear. Long breaths controlled her panted breaths..Every bone in her body aching with dread, as she shivered, and listened, and hoped and prayed who ever came couldn't hear her heart racing..The definition of 'terrified', Shawn realized, didn't even come close to describing how she felt.
 
Sean was grateful for a well designed piece of white goods. He would have to find out who made the freezer that was successfully shielding him from the small arms fire he was under.

He heard Shawn scramble out the back door. He laid down more cover fire, then took off after her. As he reached the stairs, he ejected the magazine, and slapped in a fresh one. He sucked at counting rounds, so when there was a gap in the shooting, he would always reload. He rarely ran out of bullets at a bad time.

The gunman was a smart man, so he wouldn't try anything from the back door. If anything, he'd try from the upper floor, if he was going to try. Sean scanned the windows for telltale shapes that would announce the shooter's presence. The man was smart as all the lights went out in the house. Sean wasted no time in dashing to the top of the track that led to the beach. He laid himself down on the track itself peering over the edge looking for movement. Seeing and hearing none, he started to scramble down the track, pausing regularly and holding his breath, listening intently for the gunman.

Sean had reached the bottom of the track when the gunman got brave enough to try shooting at him. Sean kept still, moving just his eyes to find adequate cover. He saw a cluster of boulders, and made a run for them, shooting vaguely in the direction of the gunman. The trade off between his pistol's muzzle flash and movement, cover and enemy suppression was sufficient.

Sean dived for cover, barely being missed by a cane that would have cracked his skull had he been upright.

"Good, it's nice to know you're not just going to roll over, Shawn." He ejected the magazine, and put in a fresh one from one of his pockets. "Now, if I was this cagey bastard, where would I be hiding it?" He squatted, and looked around slowly. "Where...?" He moved slowly, his eyes constantly scanning around him. He moved around a boulder, and he exhaled sharply.

"Shawn, over here." He moved towards the concealed boat. He ripped the covering off the small runabout. He quickly pushed it toward the water. When it was a few feet from the water's edge, he ran back and lifted Shawn, all but throwing her into the boat. As he did, a volley of bullets slammed into the side of the boat. Sean saw the muzzle flash location, and returned fire. He then gave the boat a sharp shove getting the nose into the water when the next volley came. He returned fire again still pushing the boat into the water.

Now floating, the boat started to be carried away by the action of the tide. Sean dragged himself in as yet another volley of bullets rained down on the boat. Sean felt the burning sensation in his left arm, followed by the spread of warmth that signaled bleeding. Ignoring the wound temporarily, he started the engine, and accelerated the boat out away from the cliff, swerving as they went. One last volley fell behind the boat as they safely made their way into open water.

"I love it when one of their plans helps me so well." He reduced the throttle, bringing the boat to a cruising speed, and turned to face Shawn as she lay in the bottom of the boat. He felt around and found the first aid kit, then started to work on the bullet wound in his left forearm.

"Hello Miss Shawn Carmichael, I'm Mister Sean Carmichael. I'm the one they really want to kill."
 
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This guy was scarily good. Missing her wild swing wasn't exactly hard to do, but Shawn watched him scan the area, muttering to himself about something, and she hugged the bolder looking at him...After a couple of seconds debating the wisdom of trusting him, the stranger suddenly hailed her, as he stood staring behind other scattered boulders....

"Shawn, over here."


He called her Shawn.....Suddenly she realized it hadn't been the first time..For some reason now, she was processing it, and wanted the question of how he knew her, answered...And she followed him, almost afraid to move, carefully keeping low, her body feeling the effects of her fear...This time she wished she could use her cane, .. the exertion was proving a little much on the damaged cartilage of her hip..

She was startled on seeing what he'd been looking at..A small outboard, covered in a tarp, and dragged up on the beach..The implications were obvious...That the shooter had, without been noticed, scoped out the area, well enough to know about the cliff path....Her stomach lurched at the idea of being the target of someone so persistent, and suddenly , even drawing breath was making her nauseous.

The stranger didn't grant either of them a second longer to absorb what was happening..He grabbed her, had her swung into his arms, and dumped with out apology onto the floor of the small craft..In seconds the sand was scratching the belly of the boat as he shoved, and Shawn covered her mouth, sobbing as more gun fire peppered the air around her...Keeping her head low, eyes closed, Shawn remained as still as she could, and only for the tilt of the boat was she aware he, or someone else had gotten in too..

The whining crackle of the boats engine vibrated through the floor, and Shawn uncovered her eyes to see the strangers back , and slowly, she uncurled from her huddle, flinching, but quietly pulling herself together as best as she could..

"I love it when one of their plans helps me so well."


"I love it when one of their plans helps me so well."!!! Who the fuck was this guy?...Grabbing the side of the boat, she struggled to her knees before sitting in semi comfort..too nervous to appreciate the small boat and its limited amenities..There was blood on his arm, and she watched numbly how he searched beneath the seating for something..a small First Aid kit.

What?

"Hello Miss Shawn Carmichael, I'm Mister Sean Carmichael. I'm the one they really want to kill."


The boat was gliding almost effortlessly on the water....Contrary to the havoc just created in the last minutes in Shawns home, the water and the boat were in a harmony that was contradicting everything Shawn and......'he' had just been through..

You...wo..Um...Ohhh...Oh..!....

I see.


Suddenly she felt very tired.....And suddenly, in a horrifying dawning, things began to make sense.....She hadn't done anything wrong....She hadn't upset some womans husband, or had a boyfriend cheating on a girlfriend...She'd done ...nothing wrong...Only to have the same name as a gunman, that some other gunmen wanted dead...She reached out, and took the kit from him, and knelled in front of him...It gave her something to do...Two holes...The bullet having gone straight though, leaving what looked like a clean wound....Cleaning as best as she could with the limited kit, Shawn bound his forearm, and nodded to the knot she was tying..

Finger ..

Tying off the bandage securely, she tucked in the sides, and closed the small kit, before she sat quietly on the small bench seat to the side....If she could have only slept, maybe it would have looked less terrifying when she woke up..Her voice was slow, maybe even too quiet to be fully heard over the drone of the engine, but it was much as she could do to raise her head, with her face dirty and tear stain, and ask numbly..

They?...Not just one?..................What did you do?
 
"You...wo..Um...Ohhh...Oh..!....

I see."


Sean couldn't help it. With the adrenaline leeching out of his system, along with the tension, he laughed at her reaction. It was a natural reaction for a person to have, but it still sounded funny to him.

To his surprise, she took up the first aid kit and took over looking after his bullet wound. The woman was tougher than he gave her credit for. Most people blanched at the sight of blood, let alone the amount of it that was on his arm. He watched her as she worked efficiently to deal with it, including instructing him in assisting her. She closed everything up, putting the kit away before turned back to look at him. Now the shock and tiredness was getting to her. But she spoke just loudly enough to be heard.

"They?...Not just one?..................What did you do?"

"Yeah, 'they'. Excuse me for a moment..." He leaned forward, grabbing her panic button pendant, and snapping the thong that held it around her neck. He flicked it over the side of the boat. "I don't want a GPS capable device near me.

"The Garibaldi and Corelli Mafia families have taken exception to the fact that I have infiltrated their organizations gathering information for the D.A. Someone who should have known better has spoken to a reporter, and the rest is history. In some ways, just letting them make their mistake and kill you would have made my life a lot easier. But stopping these idiots from killing more innocent civilians is one of the reasons for my doing what I am.

"So, Shawn, we are going to be really good friends over the next few weeks while you lie low. You have officially vanished, maybe even been kidnapped, possibly killed. No one is going to see you again until my job is done, because if they do, you'll probably wind up dead.

"How they managed to think you were an undercover agent in the Mafia is beyond me, but when half a million is up for grabs, hitmen don't ask too many questions."

Sean killed the engine and scrambled over to sit opposite Shawn, staring her right in the eye.

"From this moment forward, in your World, I am God, the Devil and the Holy Host. You will do as I tell you, because it is for one sole purpose - keeping you alive. If it comes to the crunch, and you're not listening threatens us both, I'll leave you to your fate. As long as you do as you're told, I'll do everything in my power to keep you alive.

"The Police can't protect you anymore. The hitman has shown he can bend the procedures enough to expose you enough for him to make his move. If he's done it once, he can do it again. Add to that he's not afraid to murder police officers either.

"I'm really sorry, Shawn, but your life ceases to exist until all of this finishes. We are going to ground, and I am going to be your sole point of human contact during that time. The earth is going to open up and swallow you whole."

Sean moved back to the wheel of the boat, restarting the engine. "Now comes the fun part, Shawn. Getting you to somewhere safe." He looked over his shoulder as the boat started to move. "You have any suggestions?" He laughed as the boat banked sharply, racing away from Shawn's home.
 
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It didn't take Shawn long to realize she wasn't going to like this guy, this 'Sean' very much..He was ...arrogant. Made no apologies for his abrasive manner in dealing with the alarm, leaving Shawn feeling as if the entire situation was her fault...
She sat quietly staring at him..Her eyes cold, her face stiff, as she listened to words that filled her brain with notions of being found dead in 10 years, and being identified by her teeth.
He scared the hell out of her...She wasn't looking for softness...

She wasn't looking for him to pussy foot around what was happening, but as far as Shawn was concerned, when her male counterpart, sat opposite her, and ran her the gauntlet of his expectations of her, she was sure the guy had either a God complex, or had been in the Mafia stronghold too long....
There was very little cop in front of her...Very little of anything only a brash obnoxious man that seemed to like his own voice.

"I'm really sorry, Shawn, but your life ceases to exist until all of this finishes. We are going to ground, and I am going to be your sole point of human contact during that time. The earth is going to open up and swallow you whole."

That saved him....for now. His voice had toned down, to a more reasonable understanding.....
That Shawn was completely out of her dept, he needed to at least try to understand, before she got to grasp with how much she would depend on him......
And he saved himself a smack in the mouth, and she probably being upended out of the boat..

And as he laughed, querying where they'd go, she sat stoically staring out into the swallowing water...
No one knew where she was..Her staff, people that had become like a second family to her, would be frantic...her friends, wouldn't have a clue..No one knew....
Her home..Her business..Jesus her business..her livelihood..Staff payrolls, mortgages, bills that needed to be paid...Would Tod know what to do..
Would he be legally allowed to keep the center open, and look after the staffs pay out of the takings? Everyone had bills...Lots of bills, that depended on their income...Shawn's paydays.


The boat rubbed the sea bed over an hour later....She didnt speak to Sean the entire journey...
Shawn's head had been engulfed with wonderings....Wondering if seeing her home ruined, would the assumption be she was dead, and cause all the pain she knew would come, with her friends....
Would they wait, and just wait...Wait for her to make her way back?..Would the shooter find her and the str, no, Sean Carmichael?....
Was he as good as he made himself sound? Would he keep them safe?

Looking at him, as the boat beached, she found it hard to stand..Her hip had stiffened, and her leg was numb..
Raising her hand, she insisted on a minute, and reached for her cane..Using it to lean on, to pull and then push herself to standing, Sean independently got off the boat.
She was not about to give him cause to think she was a lag on his safety, with her needing more of his help...She watched the skyline over the cliftops, and rolled her head, loosening the kink in her neck, before turning to watch him...He was, a physically beautiful man..
Fit, his physic not bulky, but trimly tight, with broad shoulders, and a slender line to his hips...

Where do we go from here?...........We'll need supplies now matter where we go....And I'm a diabetic..My meds were in the refrigerator he shot up.
 
Their run in the boat was free of conversation after Sean started heading them back to land. He was frantically running through options of where he could take her that would be safe from prying eyes. He knew he couldn't stay "on the mattress" too much longer without raising undue attention. Everything kept coming back to one option. He looked back at Shawn from time to time, his mind going over what he would need to do to pull it off.

She'd shown herself to be a tough woman when it was needed. She didn't flinch from blood, she was willing to fight for herself and she was smart enough to do as she was told. He found a place for them to land that would allow them a chance to get away from the water. Soon the Coast Guard would be called in, particularly if someone was smart enough to check the beach near her house.

He ran the boat aground smoothly, jumping out straight away. Sean offer to help Shawn out, but she waved him off. But he saw how stiffly she was moving, and with a sigh, he grabbed hold of her and got her over onto firmer ground. Once on some grass, he laid her on the ground.

"Now, before you start complaining, this will help. It will hurt too, but just for a little bit." He grabbed her right calf just below the knee, while placing his left hand on her hip, pressing down hard. He then ran her leg through a number movements that stretched the muscles and tendons in her leg. It didn't take long for her leg to get more limber, and closer to more normal movement ranges.

"You'll still need the cane, but that should make it a little better to move. The pain will pass in a few minutes." He helped her to sit up, giving her a chaste hug when she was sitting. "For what it's worth, you're doing great."

"Where do we go from here?...........We'll need supplies now matter where we go....And I'm a diabetic..My meds were in the refrigerator he shot up."

"Like I said, I'm going to take you somewhere to keep you from being killed. Somewhere where you will not leave without me. The place where we're going has enough supplies for normal living.

"Diabetic huh... well, that'll make life just that bit more fun. Tell me the type of insulin you need, and how much for a week, and I'll make sure you have what you need. Is there anything else you think I need to know? Any life threatening dietary requirements? Allergies? Do you need any specific pain medications?

"I wish this wasn't happening to you, Shawn. But I'm doing my best to make the most of a crap situation. There will be times when neither of us are going to like it, but... well tough shit for both of us.

"When you're ready, we'll head inland a bit more, and find other transport. Remember, don't hesitate if I tell you to do something, OK?"
 
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She couldn't but cry when Sean exercised her leg..Her head turned away, she tried telling him her stitches were being pulled...In part what he did helped..The journey in the boat had stiffened her injured muscle, but the exercise dragged her tender stitches to the point she thought they'd pop...
Shawn hid behind her crossed arms, resisting groans, and fretful sobs..Swallowing it down, she kept quiet, rather than feed his need to think she was a complainer..

Sitting up, keeping her eyes averted, lowered away from his, he told her as much as he could about where he was planning on taking her...Again, the warnings in his tones reiterated the urgency of their situation..
Nodding her understanding , Shawn then told him her of her medications...She made it as clear as possible. How he was going to get insulin, and injector pen, with a finger pinch tester, she didn't know, but there was one issue she needed him to understand.

Sean, I inject twice a day, and I'm due again in about 2 hours..

She stood, clicked her cane into place, and leaned against it feeling very tired..While he seemed to thrive on the adversity, it terrified her....To the point her adrenalin was pumping, eating into her body's reserves of sugar..


"When you're ready, we'll head inland a bit more, and find other transport. Remember, don't hesitate if I tell you to do something, OK?"


Uh huh...I promise.

she turned away, and headed towards what was a rough path, and picked her footing across the gravel and crushed rock path...Looking back, she watched him briefly, trying to find one part of him, other than his looks that she could say she liked......She admired his confidence, but she didn't like it....
She found him fully prepared to protect her, and himself, but she didn't trust him....How could such a man be at the root of the troubles the city was captured by, and not appear in the slightest bit fearful......

How long were you with them?...........Was it hard to earn their trust?

Maybe if they talked, she might gain some insight to a man that now was to be with her constantly, until he decided it was safe.... Shawn found herself wondering what it was like to live a lie...
To wake every morning and not know if that day was going to be the day, you were found out. It made her pause in her footsteps, and turn to face Sean...
She wiped her forehead, and had to admit that what he did took a degree of bravery that she'd never have....That perhaps living as he had, had hardened edges, and he'd become more like those he was there to report on...

Did you ever get afraid Sean?............For your family?..............Won't they go after them now?
 
Sean saw her tears after he finished working her leg. But she didn't make a loud noise. His respect for her went up a few notches after that. He remained kneeling beside her, looking around for trouble. The chances were small, but after this grand fuck up, he wasn't going to make any assumptions.

He listened as she very clearly told him what she needed, and the quantities involved. All of it was stated as close to matter of fact as possible, and she took her time to make sure that she had her facts straight. She told him in just one pass, with few pauses and no corrections.

"Sean, I inject twice a day, and I'm due again in about 2 hours."

"Hmmm... What would happen if you were one hour late? And what about two hours late?"

He stood when she did, and let her go in front of him initially. Sean would take over point when they got closer to getting out of the rough. She took care, making sure that she was on firm ground before taking a step. He would have preferred her to move faster, but given her injuries, she was doing well. Better to be a little slow and get there in good order, than rush it and have her bust something else.

"How long were you with them?...........Was it hard to earn their trust?"

"I've been with them long enough, maybe even too long. I'd rather not say, Shawn. In the Mafia, it's always difficult to earn their trust. I was told that I had to succeed, which meant that if the only option I had was to break the law, then I was to do it. I had to do a number of rather unpleasant things, but I eventually proved my worth to them. Even if I fail, when I go, they are going to loose a lot of income." Sean smiled and shook his head.

They walked a little further, noting that Shawn was starting to flag a bit. She still had enough to keep going, but a rest stop was definitely on the cards.

"Did you ever get afraid Sean?............For your family?..............Won't they go after them now?"

He stopped, and waited for her to look back at him. He gave her a good, long stare.

"Did I ever get afraid? Are you kidding? Of course I got afraid. You know that little shoot out in your kitchen? If I hadn't had a piss before things got started, there'd be a yellow puddle in the middle of your kitchen. There's a time and a place for everything. Being scared shitless in the middle of a firefight is not one of them. I just put it on hold for when I'm somewhere safe, then I let it happen.

"My family doesn't exist Shawn. We were holidaying in Italy when I was in my late teens when the Mafia dealt with a Judge that they couldn't bribe. His car blew up after he got into it outside the courthouse. We were walking past when the car blew up. My mother was identified by a DNA check, they couldn't use the standard techniques on her remains. My dad, two brothers and a sister all died of wounds over the space of three days. Me... I was just plain fucking lucky. Only abrasions from being thrown to the ground by the blast.

"The bastards have already got them, they can't get to them again. Anyway, it's your family that we should be concerned about."

He let out his breath violently. Quickly, he centred himself. He had to get them safe.

"Enough of this talking, I have to get you to our safehouse, and get you the insulin you need. My turn to take the lead." Sean led the way along the track, until it came up to a road. Sean had Shawn stay back in the undergrowth while he scouted out.

He had got to the side of the road when a set of headlights appeared on his right. Before he had a chance to even twitch, the red and blue lights flashed. Sean waited as the police car rolled to a stop nearby.

The uniformed officer got out of the car, his sidearm out in a moment, pointed directly at Sean. The officer paused for a moment, then stood a little straighter.

"Fuck me! Sean? Sean! Who would have thought..."

Sean felt rather nervous about being discovered in that manner. He didn't want to have to kill the man, unless...

"...that I would become half a million dollars richer doing a routine patrol."
 
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His voice was very matter of fact in telling Shawn about his family, and his loss...Sean had the right to the bitterness that tinged the straight forward manner of his reply....She could only imagine what it must have been like to meet with the terror of the explosion, and then to watch them one by one died, and to know you were alone...Her own loss of her mother and father four years ago, had left her grief stricken...But she had had them until she was 24, and adult, and equipped for the world...Her heart felt sorry for Sean and the loss he'd suffered so young..

"The bastards have already got them, they can't get to them again. Anyway, it's your family that we should be concerned about."

She watched him compose himself, and looked away then not to impose, and said simply, perhaps as matter of factly as Sean had.

There's only me too..

"Enough of this talking, I have to get you to our safehouse, and get you the insulin you need. My turn to take the lead."

Cool.

She often wondered how she'd react if ever cornered....Was she a woman that would be able to defend herself, or just allow a mugger, or an attacker take what they wanted, and rely on prayer to see her through...The coming minutes taught something about herself....She followed Sean as he bid, and left the decisions to him...She stayed quiet, did as she was told, and crouched down behind the over growth close to the road and just watched, and waited for him to do what ever he was planning...She had no idea what Seans plan was, nor did she ask..

At first, when the cop car arrived, the relief was huge...She rose slightly, but something in Seans stance told her to stay where she was...He wasn't happy....Frowning, she watched the Cop exit his patrol car, gun raised, and then recognize Sean.. ..It surprised her, that he didn't lower his side arm..In fact, it appeared he seemed a little more sure of himself as he straightened his stance, his gun still aimed at Sean...

She didn't hear the full extent of what the officer said...She got Sean's name, and slowly began to move a little further down the ditch, until she was almost behind the cop..His radio was crackling in the car, the noise concealing any little noise Shawns feet made on the inevitable dry twigs...Bit by bit, she crawled through a gap, just as she heard him make a reference to making a half million on a patrol....That sealed it for Shawn.....The guy wasn't there to help anyone now, only line his own pocket at Seans expense..And she now knew too much, so with out Sean, she was screwed too..

On her knees, mainly because she was afraid of standing and making a sound until she absolutely needed to, she crawled on the grassy verge and then stood quickly, her nerves making her rise fluid and swift...Cane raised, the cop caught a glimpse of her out of his peripheral vision, and half turned effectively taking his aim from Sean, clearing her for a safe blow....Connecting with his wrists, the vibration along her stick was hard as it connected with bone knocking the gun from his hands....And with a baseball bat like swing, the poor guy got the brunt of a second blow, the thick rubber grip catching him right between his top lip and nose, ..he falling back wards, knocking himself out against the open drivers door.

Fuck!.....

Ohhhhhhhhh fuck fuck fuck fuck!!.....Tell me he's not dead!......

Oh shit....Sean, tell me he's not fucking dead!!
 
Sean kept himself relatively impassive under the gaze of the uniformed officer. He ignored looking at Shawn as she crept up on the police officer.

"You fucking lowlife," Sean said to the other man. "You'd sell out a fellow officer?"

"For half a million? Sure. Why wouldn't I?" Shawn stood behind him, and he sensed the movement. He spun the gun away from Sean, and Sean started to move. Before Sean could do anything, Shawn hit the officer across the wrists, sending the pistol to the ground. Sean immediately grabbed the firearm as Shawn smashed him in the face, knocking back into the car.

Fuck!.....

Ohhhhhhhhh fuck fuck fuck fuck!!.....Tell me he's not dead!......

Oh shit....Sean, tell me he's not fucking dead!!


Sean went to the officer, and picked him up by the scruff of the neck. The rate of bleeding indicated that he was still alive.

"No, he's alive," Sean growled as he dragged the limp body over to the ditch. With a heave, he dropped the officer in the ditch, face down. Sean proceeded to shoot the man three times. Twice in the chest, once in the head.

"But now he's dead. Get in the car."
 
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Shawn had never witnessed anyone die before...She'd never seen her parents bodies after their car crash. To watch Sean haul the unconscious officer to the ditch should have been forewarning..Well maybe to someone else that was used to being around people that were violent..But never would she have expected what she witnessed Sean do...

Angry as he was, his actions were indifferent to the officer laying in the tangled undergrowth..Aiming the gun towards him, he pulled the trigger twice in quick succession pumping two rounds into his body, and then one right through the back of the mans head..

Shawn stood in transfixed terror, feeling her blood hit her feet, her body growing colder as Sean turned and almost snapped at her ..

"But now he's dead. Get in the car."

She didn't so much back away from Sean, as stumble, her cane dragging in her hand...Nodding, eyes staring at him in fear, she managed somehow to find the passenger door handle with out looking at it, and opened the door...Sitting in, she stared straight ahead, not looking, ....No...not able to look at him..The road side scenery changed, as she tried to find a reason behind needing to shoot someone that was knocked out and helpless..Sure the guy was a prize jerk...more than likely a dirty cop, but Sean was supposed to be this 'noble' man, about to give evidence against those that would perpetrate such crimes as she'd just watched him commit.

How long she sat in silence she didn't know..Both fear of him, and a growing sense that she was with someone capable of turning on her, left her with little to say...What if she left? Would she make it on her own to safety? What was safety?...Where could she go? The cops hadn't kept her safe, as they'd promised..Her friends would only be endangered if she contacted them..Her bank accounts she was sure would be monitored in a day or so, so she couldn't even finance a trip to get away to god knows where...She was completely bound to being with Sean, whether she liked it or not.....

She'd thought she could trust him.....She thought she could rely on his skill, and help in what ever way she could, if only by doing what he told her....She'd just began to look past how he could be arrogant in his confidence, but no way, would she have thought he could kill cold bloodily...Not when the man couldn't have done anything to help himself.

The car will have GPS.

Her mumble was half whispered, half spoken ...More a thought verbalized..He'd tossed the alarm button around her neck for that reason, and now they were in a cop car that logically would have the same device installed...Turning her head to one side, she avoided looking at him, resting her elbow on the lip of the door, her head resting tiredly in her palm....She felt like she'd been kicked..Her stomach sick, her entire body shocked....

Why?
 
Sean now saw that Shawn had been a virgin when it came to violence in real life. She had been stunned by what she saw. He felt the same way when he saw the first person he was not related to killed in a similar fashion. But after seeing it happen so often, it saddened him to see a life cut short, even if it belonged to a dirty bastard like the one in the ditch.

Shawn did as she was told on a low level of operation. She got into the passenger side of the cruiser, and didn't bother trying to look at him. She was pale, and looked like she was going to throw up any moment. He jumped in behind the wheel, and started driving.

"The car will have GPS."

"What?!? Oh... yes, it does. But it's not one that is explicitly tied to you, or to me. Anyway, we wont be in it long enough for them to make much use of it."

The radio came to life with calls for backup and officers down at Shawn's home address. The responses from field units were quick, and dispatch was calling off units from responding.

"Well, someone's found the killer's handiwork on the replacement protective squad. So the gunman is going to be keeping a lower profile now, that's for certain."

He looked at her, she was looking out the window with her head resting on his hand, elbow on the door.

"Why?"

"Because he knew. One of us was going to die, Shawn. If I hadn't killed him, he would have alerted the Mafia, and things would have gotten much worse very quickly. Namely, I would wind up dead. So, I couldn't let him live, Shawn.

"This is a war zone. People will die, some of them at my hand too. Right now, the biggest key to our continued survival is for the Mafia think you are the spy, not me. They will be looking for a woman, not a man. As it stands, I need to disappear as well for a while now.

"You need to know how important this task, and now your survival, is to me. Did you find out what the big fuss was at the hospital was when I visited? They found a dead body in the toilets nearby. One that I left there. The little low life creep had it coming anyway, so it also served a greater purpose. I will probably end up killing more people before this is over, Shawn.

"I'm sorry you had to see me do that."

Sean's route eventually took them into suburbia, and a slightly better than average area. He found a house that was totally dark, and killed the lights on the car. He turned into their driveway, and parked the car in the front yard, obscuring it behind some trees and other garden work. He rubbed down the steering wheel, and sprayed the surface with a small can of deodorant he had in one of his pockets.

"So many uses for this stuff," he chuckled as they got out of the car. "Now, over to the mini mall just down the road, and we'll get ourselves a taxi to the next destination."
 
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Sean's reply was courteous, and he gave Shawn the benefit of an honest, if rather brutal exact answer. He offered no falsehoods, and didn't pretty up his choice of words...While she appreciated the honesty, Shawn still couldn't see the need to kill the officer...

But it was too far beyond her understanding to fully appreciate the depth of their danger when it , for her, had just begun...Sean, the cop, the undercover cop, the Mafia hence man, was closer to that level of danger than she could ever imagine.

The incident at the hospital was another glimpse of Seans ....talent. His gift of cutting through the crap to get to where he needed to be...It made sense when she added the pieces together, remembering how he'd suddenly appeared in her room standing by her bed, when a cop was at the door...

It also explained why the Cop had been beaten, but, unlike the one laying in the ditch, not killed...He'd simply been a decent cop, albeit one that got diverted from his duties easily.

The drive back towards the city was quiet..the quiet calmed her, ...gave her the time to adjust to certain things about her...their..situation that while she'd never get used to, she'd have to...deal with until this was all over..Through the outskirt roads, Sean drove them to the higher, and more expensive side of the residential parts of town...The tree lined streets were lit by the orange glow of street lights, and as he slowed, it was apparent he was looking for something....A house chosen, Shawn didn't quite understand why for a second , until it became apparent, the house was empty....There wasn't a light, a curtain drawn, nor a car to be seen...

The car lights switched off, he parked the car beneath the over hang of a huge willow, with it hidden from the main road..Prints wiped off, his quip about the deodorant amused him, but Shawn was a little too disconcerted to share the thought..Her blood sugars were low, and the shock of the day was harder on her bodies limited resources ... and as they got out of the car, he broke the silence again, with something that could help her...A mini Mall meant a pharmacy..

"Now, over to the mini mall just down the road, and we'll get ourselves a taxi to the next destination."

Sean.....I need my insulin..........I've not eaten, and I feel like crap...I'm sorry..I really am..But if I don't get it soon, there's a good chance of a reaction.

They walked like any other couple that anyone might see..The only thing that may have had them look different was if Shawn used her cane. She tried to do with out it, but it her wound and stitches were still only three days old, with the damage to her hip too tender to walk on for long..But she kept the cane folded, her steps careful, until she needed the added support from somewhere..

Do you mind if I take your arm..or...well...You know....

Honestly, I'm not usually so ...helpless..But I hadn't planned on getting shot, and having a guy rescue me from my own house..


She tried to tease, her smile tired, but gentle, as she held out her hand to him..

I promise...First chance I get, I'll prove to you, I can actually be of use in helping us.
 
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