CL Hart -From A Distance (34 page)

"You don't have to tell me." Panic shortened Cori's breath. Feeling the taller woman sway against her, Cori looked at Kenzie. "Are you okay? Forget it, dumb question. We have to get out of here and find some place for you to rest." Looking over the courtyard, she searched for cover or an exit, anyplace to hide from the pursuing hit man.

There were a few people around and they turned with interest to the wet and battered women staggering hastily through the usually quiet hotel courtyard.

"There," Cori said, pointing to the glow of a red exit sign. The sound of breaking wood echoed behind them. She wrapped an arm around Kenzie's waist, ignoring her protests as she directed them to the exit. The brick path narrowed toward a door and Cori prayed it was not locked.

Kenzie was struggling to keep her focus as Cori reached for the handle and pulled open the door. They ducked through it without having seen Cobra. She knew he would not be far behind them. It was the first and only exit and he would see it, too.

They paused for only a moment as they found themselves standing on a residential street. Small one-story houses with manicured lawns lined the dimly lit road. It didn't matter where they went from here, and they both knew it. There was no plan, no destination, no safe place to run. Turning to their right, they headed for the nearest corner.

After only a block, Kenzie's breathing difficulty caused Cori to slow their pace. Moving through the dim light of a street lamp, she saw the blood Kenzie had been hiding from her. It was obviously a new and more serious wound as her entire right side was soaked in blood. "Oh my God, Kenzie!" Cori stopped and looked at Kenzie but the woman could barely lift her head. "We have to stop...now. You have a fever and you're bleeding...badly."

Kenzie wanted to argue, but she couldn't. She no longer had the strength.

Cori moved in closer, pulling Kenzie's left arm over her shoulder as she assessed the neighborhood for someplace, anyplace, to hide. Their options were limited, unless she wanted to knock on someone's door, which she did not. Moving out of the light, she spotted a large building with a perfectly manicured lawn dotted with perfectly pruned trees and large rocks. Looking skyward, she saw an illuminated cross on the roof of the building just beyond. A church. It was a perfect place to find refuge and maybe even some help for Kenzie. "Come on, just a bit further." Kenzie said nothing as she leaned heavily on Cori for support.

The heavy bag and Kenzie's weight slowed Cori's pace, but Cobra was not far behind them and that knowledge spurred her on. They were getting closer to the church and she could now see the neatly trimmed lawn belonged to a library. Cutting across the lawn toward the church, she began to question her decision to go there. Cobra was right behind them, and he would surely see the church's glowing cross, as she had. But what other choice did she have?

Crossing the empty street, they stepped onto the grass and Kenzie lifted her head to see where they were. The movement pulled Cori off balance and the two of them tumbled to the ground. Kenzie's groan echoed loudly in the quiet neighborhood. They came to rest next to one of the small trees decorating the library lawn. Cori flipped the bag off her shoulder and scrambled to her knees at Kenzie's side. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was erratic. Another moan escaped her lips.

"Kenzie?" Cori pleaded as she cupped her face in her hands. "Kenzie, open your eyes." She shook her head as she looked down the limp body. There was so much blood, she wondered how she had missed seeing it earlier. With as much care as possible in her haste, she maneuvered Kenzie over to one of the larger rocks near the trees and leaned her against it, eliciting a grimace. "Kenzie?" She didn't respond as Cori pulled back the corner of Kenzie's shirt. The wound that Cori had stitched was holding together, but just barely. Below that was a new gash, and it was bleeding profusely. "Oh, God." Cori glanced up at Kenzie's face and was surprised to see her eyes were open.

Moving closer to her face, Cori looked deep into the vacant golden eyes. "Kenzie, we have to get you some help. There's a church right over there. I've got to get you inside." She waited for a response, but none came. "Kenzie, can you hear me?"

Her head moved slightly and her eyelids drifted up and down.

Cori pulled the strap of the bag over her shoulder. Leaning down, she attempted to lift Kenzie to her feet, but couldn't budge her. Dropping the canvas bag, she stepped over and crouched in front of Kenzie to get a better grip. She struggled and strained, but to no avail. All that lifted were Kenzie's shoulders, and that made her groan. Reluctantly giving up, Cori crouched down. "I can't do it without you." She stopped when she saw that she was still talking to closed eyes. "Kenzie...Kenzie, you have to help me."

Kenzie struggled to open her eyes, to focus on Cori, but she could barely get them open.

Defeated, Cori's head dropped forward and she rested her chin on her chest. "I can't lift you."

"Cori." It was barely a whisper.

She lifted her head and was surprised to see Kenzie's eyes open. Kenzie." The name was more a gasp of relief. She watched Kenzie s eyes grow larger and clearer.

"Why don't you just let her be?"

The voice behind Cori sent a hair-raising chill down her spine. She didnt turn around, instead she watched as Kenzie's eyes came alive with clear intent.

"Now stand the fuck up and move away from her slowly," Cobra said. Cori hesitated for a moment too long for Cobra's liking. He jammed the end of the silencer into the back of Cori's head. "Now!"

Kenzie pulled her eyes from Cobra and stared at Cori. Her nod was slight, but Cori saw it just as she felt Kenzie's hand slide up against her stomach, claiming the gun she had in her waistband. "You never cease to amaze me," Cori whispered to Kenzie as she lifted her hands in surrender. Straightening up, Cori stepped to the side, away from Kenzie as ordered.

Even though she had expected it, the boom from the Colt .45 in Kenzie's hand made Cori jump. The bullet slammed into Cobra's chest, stopping him instantly. His eyes grew wide in shock as he tried to lift his gun to retaliate. He never had the chance as the second bullet hit him directly between his eyes, dropping him where he stood.

The Colt .45 held its position for a heartbeat longer before Kenzie dropped it to her side. Her head tilted back as her eyelids slid closed.

Chapter 15

Cori stood for a moment, her heart slamming against her chest as her ears rang with the echoing thunder. She swallowed hard as she looked from one body to the other.
What am I supposed to do now? There's a dead body at my feet and a nearly unconscious woman next to it. I need to get help, but from where? There is no way I'm leaving Kenzie here alone, bleeding and... Awake!

Kenzie was staring at her, her head lifted with apparent effort, watching in pained silence. Watching and waiting, as if reading the dilemma in Cori's mind.

A dog barking in the distance snapped Cori out of her impasse. They needed to move on, now. Kneeling in front of Kenzie, Cori grabbed the gun and shoved it back in her waistband. Then she once again slung the bag over her shoulder and prepared to hoist Kenzie to her feet. "I think we need to get out of here."

Lights were coming on around the neighborhood and it was enough to urge Kenzie upward. It was a painful struggle and she could not have gotten on her feet without Cori's help. Her steps were slow and heavy, but soon they were away from the library and away from Cobra's body.

"They're going to have a hard time explaining that," Kenzie muttered weakly as they came to the end of the block and turned down an alley behind the church.

"What's that, the shot?"

Kenzie had to take a couple of breaths before she could answer. "No. Cobra's dead body... If they ID him...the military would have...declared him dead...years ago..." Her breath came in a raspy rattle as she stumbled and swayed in an effort to stay upright. "Just like...just like me."

"Already declared dead?" There was no explanation to satisfy her curiosity.

Kenzie was relying more and more on Cori for support, her level of consciousness fading with each step. The alley was too dark to see anything, but Cori knew Kenzie was in bad shape. She was desperate to find somewhere to hide, someplace to rest and care for Kenzie. The fact that she was certain no one was behind them at the moment gave her very little assurance. Kenzie had made her aware that someone would soon be there to take Cobra's place.

The pavement in the alley was badly in need of repair. It slanted sharply to the center to form a spillway for the hard rains of San Diego. It made their progress even slower. There was a light on in one of the businesses across the alley from the back door of the church. As they staggered closer to it, Cori read the name-Grand Avenue Animal Hospital.

A hospital!
Albeit an animal hospital, it was still a hospital...with a light on. "This way, Kenzie," she said to the unresponsive woman in her arms. "Come on, stay with me." Cori heaved at the weights dragging down on both her shoulders. She knew if they had to go any further, she herself might just drop where she was standing.

The back door of the veterinary hospital was open, but a heavy-duty security screen door covered it. Music was playing inside and she could hear someone moving metallic things around as she sang along to a lively country song. Her key was off, but her heart was in it as she loudly belted out the chorus. Cori cautiously moved into the light and banged on the door. The singing stopped instantly. The motion of knocking caused the heavy canvas bag on Cori's shoulder to slip to the ground. She let it be. All of her strength was needed to hold onto Kenzie as she anxiously waited for someone to appear Cori angled their position, hoping to hide their bloodstained clothing. Kenzie mumbled something but Cori couldnt make it out. She tightened her grip on Kenzie's waist, feeling the blood soaking through her shirt. Cautiously aware of their visibility, she looked both ways down the alley. At the moment, they were still alone.

Cori raised her hand to knock again and this time the volume of the radio diminished. Whoever was inside had definitely heard the knocking. Once again, Cori lifted her hand, but this time her knock stopped in mid-motion when she saw the silhouette of someone behind the security screen. "Hello?"

"We're closed, go away," an understandably nervous female voice stated.

"Please," Cori begged. "My friend...she's injured." She motioned toward Kenzie with her head. The movement caused Kenzie to flinch which made her moan. "Please...we need some help. She could hear movement behind the door, but Cori still could not make out the woman behind it. "Please...can you just let us in? "

"J-J cant. Its against hospital policy to open the door after Hours. The voice was closer to the door now.

"I-I can appreciate that." Cori tried her best to remain calm sensing that playing on the woman's compassion might be the key to getting the door opened. "But my friend here is badly hurt." Cori moved a little, giving the person behind the door a chance to see the blood that covered Kenzie's clothes as well as her own.

"Holy crap, she's bleeding badly...I'll call an ambulance for you."

Cori panicked. An ambulance and more attention was not what they needed. "No! Please just let us in."

"I can't. I don't want any trouble. I'll just call you an ambul-"

"No, you won't." The time for niceties was over. Cori pulled out Kenzie's gun and leveled it at the form on the other side of the door. "Now...open the door!" Her tone sounded more confident than she was as she held the large gun firmly in her grip. She could not believe she was now holding a gun on someone, but she had no choice. "Open the door," Cori demanded firmly as she pulled Kenzie tighter to her side.

"You can't shoot through this door," the woman said with shaky certainty.

"That .45 will blow a hole through that door...and you," Kenzie said without lifting her head or opening her eyes.

Her voice was barely audible, but it was loud enough for the woman on the other side of the door to hear. There was a faint click and the security screen opened slowly. The voice belonged to a woman of appreciable size, with chestnut-colored hair, wearing hospital scrubs with puppy dogs on them.