I stepped on the pedal, taking a sharp swerve bypassing the car in front of me. It was an honest miracle that no police officer had yet to stop us. I swerved again to avoid an on coming truck narrowly missing it. The truck was god sent as it grinded to a halt forming a barricade that forced our pursuers to equally stop. I did not waste time taking an alley way and then two more before exiting using an rough road.
It was only then that I allowed myself to take a look at Monica. She was out cold again, her lifeless body jerking along with the car. I fought against an onslaught of blind panic. I wanted nothing more than to drive to the nearest hospital but her warning echoed in my chaotic mind. Drive to the rendezvous point, do not stop for anyone or anything our lives depended on it. I floored the gear unwilling to waste precious minutes that Monica did not have. The increase in speed caused her body to flip sideways baring the hole in her abdomen. Blood was still seeping from the wound but at least she was no longer bleeding out as profusely as she had been before. My ill attempts at
I took another turn and we were back on the main road. Twenty nerve wracking minutes, of recklessly driving while keeping an eye out, later we finally pulled up to the rendezvous point. Men I had never seen appeared out of nowhere guns trained on us. I took a shuddering breath, my heart going out to Monica who lay bleeding in the backseat. I wanted to rave at them for wasting precious seconds but dying would do no one any good least of all Monica.
Ruben finally appeared arms and face swatched in bandages his messy ponytail his only identifying feature. He leaned into his crutches forcing one of the guards to also lean in meeting him halfway way. A whispered confirmation and a few of the guards created a path for us. I drove forward forcing one of them to dive out of the way. I halted infront of the building, jumped out of the car, but did not get the chance to yell as a stretcher came into view. Monica was loaded into the stretcher and carried away from me.
"You also need to see a doctor." Ruben said guiding me through the door. The sun disappeared behind the steel doors as we made our way through the artificially light hallway. That was when I felt the blood dripping from my arm staining the halls, followed by intense pain. It was then that I noticed the big gash on my arm. I stifled the need to collapse supporting myself against Ruben grateful for the support. Our combat boots echoed in the still hallway each step echoed like gunshots, ominous sounding as if they were foreshadowing our doom. I was ushered into a brightly lit room that had an examining bed and table. a beautiful nurse with a disarming smile gently nudged me forward onto the bed. I felt the sting of the needle followed by blessed numbness. As she set to work my mind could not help but drift back to the unbelievable week I had just had.
* * * * *
A WEEK AGO
"Come on baby! It will be a quick job in and out."
"I feel like you should have learned well enough by now to not say such jinxes. you said that about the last mission which was supposed to be a three day thing and you guys came back after a week. I don't know about you but three days is significantly shorter than a week."
"That's because we encountered some delay but we solved it as fast as we could and I made sure I was the first one home. I know us going on these trips is making you feel left out, but would you honestly, rather be dogging bullets than going to the spa."
"A million times yes. I have been to every spa in this town. If my skin glows any brighter I will be considered an environmental hazard. I hate sitting around like some housewife waiting for you. It has been two months since you started going on these trips. Meanwhile I am forbidden from even leaving the house without a baby sitter."
"I know baby, but ill work out something with our handler so you have something to do. Mmmh?"
I wanted to complain some more. I hated being left behind like used trash. Now that I had Monica in my life, I wanted to spend our new found freedom together. Here I was, getting tossed aside yet again, because of my incompetence. They used terms like too dangerous or very unpredictable and yet all that spelled out was me being a burden they were unwilling to take on. Monica was right, it was safer here than anywhere else they were going and that thought nagged me even more. I always thrived on control even when it was an illusion, here it was non existent. I was left behind to relax while the love my life was out risking her life.
I watched them leave, standing at the window long after they had already left like a island accountant looking after ships long sailed. The call had come in the next day dragging me from my dreamless sleep. The moment I saw Monica's name flash across my screen I knew something was wrong.
"Hello?" I asked as my heart solidified and fell to my feet.
"Baby listen to me carefully." She whispered to me. Gunshots echoes through the phone the sound throwing me off the bed in shock as her voice faded away.
I can honestly say that the few seconds of silence was the longest seconds of my life as I held onto the phone with a death grip. I held my silence unwilling to speak into the phone fear paralyzing my very breath.
"Baby?...Sorry about that." Her voice was almost normal now. The danger it seemed had been abetted.
"I'm here." I finally croaked out my voice small revealing an ounce of my fears.
"A car is coming to collect you and take you to the airstrip. Everything has been sorted out including your flight details. There will be someone to pick you up once you get to Bali. So I need you to pack the essentials you will need for at least two weeks and you need to hurry baby. Leave as soon as the car arrives. I'll see you soon okay?"
Her voice had gradually devolved into a whisper so I held my tongue and let her cut the connection. I wasted no time throwing the things I would need in a small suitcase and an overnight carrier bag. The car arrived ten minutes later as I dragged my suitcase and bag. I got into the now familiar vehicle and not a moment too soon. We had not even gone far before an explosion occurred behind us. I whipped my head back only to find the mansion I had considered home up until few minutes ago engulfed in smoke. Pretty soon the house disappeared only the smoke remaining visible from a distance.
No explanations were offered neither were they requested. I strapped myself to the seat and as soon as we were airborne I adjusted the seat into a bed and let down. I covered my face with the heavy sheets that had been provided and in that darkness I allowed myself to tremble as I recalled how close I came to dying. I feel into a nightmarish sleep as my fears gained life in my subconscious.
I was yanked out of my seat and thrown to the floor as the private plane encountered heavy turbulence. It took me a minute to shake off the remnants of the nightmare whose memory was quickly fading. The flight attendant helped me back to my seat and suggested I strap in. I moved to the opposite seat that was upright and quickly strapped myself in time to be thrown again. That was when it happened in a split of an eye as my body was violently jerked out of my seat and held suspended by the seat belt I saw her in the clouds. A goddess, with skin dark as the midnight sky with lighting for eyes and a star on her head. She glowed brilliant and true and disappeared all in a second. Maybe it was the stress I was under going at that moment or maybe my fragile sanity had finally snapped. After that all was quite save for the storm ragging underneath us.