FlakJacket (21 page)

The wind blew even stronger, swirling the falling snow around them. He would have to grab her shoulder soon to make sure she didn’t get out of his sight and run. She was humming under her breath. God, it unnerved him.

“Stop humming.” His hand reached out to grab her. As he did so, he felt a burning sensation in his hand that only grew stronger until he had to let her go. Damn, it had to be his imagination. She was freaking him out—first her demeanor, then her threat, and now the humming and the heat radiating from her body like a shock into his. Her eyes swept up to the skies again, and the wind blew hard, swirling the snow into a heavier and blinding blizzard. As he glanced back towards the cabin, it seemed as if it was sitting in sunshine, but he knew freak snow events happened in the woods.

Her voice caught him as she moved slowly ahead of him: “Are you ready to die, Jonathan?”

His heart thundered in his chest. “What?

“I asked if you were ready to die?” She turned and gazed directly at him, her pale eyes piercing. “Are you afraid?”

“I think you should be asking yourself that question, Ms. Kelly, not me. It’s amazing how much you are worth to some people.”

“I’m not afraid to die.”  She smiled an icy smile. “So you condemn me by handing me over to those who would do me harm. You think your hands will be clean, that you won’t see me again?”

“Stop taking.” He walked to her, gun drawn, and pushed her hard in her back, pushing her back to the road and almost causing her to stumble and fall. Her hands went to her abdomen and the baby. He was angry now. “Just walk. We’re almost there.” Madison raised her hand to her face, and the snow fell even harder, until Jonathan was having trouble seeing her any more. Where in the hell had she gone?

Tim had followed them, thankful for their tracks, and he had been in contact with both Jordan and the FBI. Jordan had managed to get to the back road and was moving with the FBI into position. They surrounded the perimeter of the van. Jordan needed only one shot to take Jonathan down.

The snow miraculously slowed as Madison put her hands in her coat pockets, but it continued to swirl around the two of them; Jonathan was happy to see that Madison was still in front of him by several feet; suddenly, she stopped and stood in the center of the road; then she slowly turned to him.

“What are you doing?” Jonathan called. She raised her arms high above her head, calling the snow and winds again, and the snow began to blow hard around him, causing him to have to fight to stand up and to falter. He was having difficulty keeping her in his sight, but he could hear her clear voice. The van was close.

Her voice carried on the wind, and Jordan’s heart was in his throat as he heard her words as he moved into position, his gun locked on his man. “You’ll have to shoot me. I’m not going any further with you.”

Jordan whispered to himself, “No baby. Don’t tempt him,” He needed to get a clear shot at the man who held her life in his hands.

“I’ll even back up so you can get a clear shot at me. Look at me.” Her sharp command brought Jonathan’s eyes to her, and as he looked at her, she seemed to have a glow, an energy that flowed around her. She slowly backed down the road, her eyes still locked on his. He yelled to the men in the van to come out.

The gun wavered as he tried to see through the heavy snow; and still she backed down the road. He would have to shoot her.

“Remember what I told you. It’s your choice.” Madison’s voice was loud and deadly. She lowered her hands and the snow stopped completely. She stood directly in front of him, some ten feet away, waiting. “How... how did you do that?”

He panicked. Jonathan pointed the gun directly at her, and there was the sound of a shot. But it was Jonathan that crumpled to the earth, his blood pooling on the white ground. Jordan had taken no chances that Jonathan would get a shot off. His bullet had smashed into Jonathan’s chest pushing him backwards to the ground.

Three men exited the van, attempting to reach the witch. The FBI agents caught and surrounded them, checking for weapons and restraining them. Madison walked up the road slowly and stood over Jonathan, and there was only fear on his face. “I will spare your life. Your constant pain from this day forth will remind you to leave me and mine alone. There is nothing any worse than betrayal.”

He started to scream. “You manipulated the weather and you did a number on me.” He sobbed and babbled about snow and wind and how she commanded the elements and hummed softly as she got ready to kill him. The medical teams that were on standby were called in to treat him; they chalked it up to pain and delirium from his wound. His last shouted words were: “You’re a witch.”

Jordan reached her, grabbing her and pulling her into his arms. “What in the hell did you think you were doing?” He was furiously angry, but he couldn’t let her go.

“Practicing witchcraft.” Then her manner changed, and she clung to him as the FBI brought up the three men from the van. Thomas Hull was among them, but the Senator wasn’t.

Tim came up from behind them.

Thomas began to sputter. “I have no part of this. I was just sitting in the van.”

“Are you hurt, Ms. Kelly.” The FBI lead was soft in his approach to her. “Do you want the medical team to take a look at you?”

“No, thank you. Aside from being scared half to death and being cold, I’m all right.”

“Let’s get these men booked.” The men were led to the FBI cars, and the van was impounded.  “Jordan, we’ll be in touch; I’ll need to talk to her later.”

Jordan bundled her in the car; his personal detail was notified that all was well.

He looked down at her, his eyes embraced her, drinking her in, but his temper was about to blow. She looked up at him waiting for the ax to fall. “If you yell at me, I’ll turn you into something nasty,” she said, but her eyes were twinkling. His look didn’t change. “I think you’re simmering.”

She could see the moment his rational thinking came back, and his fear receded. “You fear nothing, and we need to work on your self-preservation skills.” He shook her lightly, but his arms went around her, and he was kissing her, claiming her mouth. “I just aged twenty years, thanks to you.”

His car turned towards the cabin. He suggested a warm shower for her and went to get her some hot soup and tea. She came out of the bath, wrapped in his heavy robe, her feet bare. She wanted his scent to be around her. He had stoked up the fire to make the place warmer, but he made her stay on the couch, and he put a blanket over her as well. “No chills.” His hands cared for her as he spoon-fed her hot soup, brushing her hair away from her face as if he needed to have his hands on her. His eyes missed nothing. “It’s a good thing he didn’t touch you.”

“He was afraid of me. Fear is a good manipulator.”

“That was way too close a call. Now, what was that
stopping in the center of the road and backing away from Jonathan
crap? You were to do as you were told.”

“You needed a clear shot; I didn’t want to be in the way. I knew you would make sure he didn’t get a round off.”

“Risk-taking, Madison. Not ever going to happen again, understand? I will take corrective action next time you don’t listen—got it?”

Her reaction to the whole event slammed into her as she connected with the fear in him, and tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

“Now you cry!” He pulled her into his lap and held her, rubbing her back and kissing her temples. She was his, and she was alive. His son kicked him, and all was right with the world.

T
hey left the cabin in the middle of February to find the house still under construction. Madison was in the early weeks of her ninth month; many of her appearances had been cancelled after her abduction; she was front-page news once again. The press circled liked vultures, wanting her reactions. The Harvard seminar had been moved until after her baby was born.

Madison twirled around and around in the baby’s room off their bedroom. “Oh—this is wonderful.” Jordan had given up his reading room and personal office for it. It was large and airy, and it opened onto a patio that which would be turned into a play yard in the spring. She leaned against the wall and looked at the snow falling outside. This was her space; he told her to do anything she wanted with it. The floor to ceiling windows let the light in, even in the coldest of the gray winter months.

Jordan came in to watch her. “I love it! It’s perfect.”

“How’s my witch today?” he teased.

“Swollen ankles and clumsy, thank you for asking. There’s a very active child marching in my stomach across my kidneys. How else could I be? You guys get the best part of birthing.”

“I already said I would help with the baby. That’s all I can do for you right now.”

“He’s a beautiful child, Jordan. You’re going to love him.”

The next week, The National Weather Service called for a blizzard of major proportions; the snow had already begun falling, and sixteen inches had accumulated on the roads. Electric power had been cut to the entire area, and people were urged to stay in their homes. It was a beautiful wonderland. Jordan had built up the fire in the fireplace, and thank God, the stove was fueled by gas. Madison was uncomfortable, so Jordan sat her on the couch and put her feet in his lap to rub them. He was trying to read the reports sent to him about Madison’s summer schedule. She moved once again, trying to find a better position. That caused him to look up at her.

“You’re antsy this evening. Would you like some hot chocolate?” She was withdrawing into herself, and a vision flashed across her face. “Madison?”

“You do love me, don’t you?”

“Silly question. You know I do.”

“Well, our son is coming.”

“Not until early next month.” Jordan went back to his reading.

“No. Now. He’s coming now.” Jordan was stunned. She stood suddenly as water coursed down her legs and saturated her pajama bottoms. “I think my water just broke.”

“Well, he can’t come now.” The ever-efficient Jordan stated the facts. “We’re in the middle of a fucking blizzard. Nothing is moving anywhere.”

“I know.” She put her hand on her abdomen to feel the first contraction that swept across her stomach as her entire body clenched and then relaxed. “You need to do something, Jordan.”

The calm man who was sitting beside her, fled. “What in the hell do you want me to do?” He was pleading for direction.

“Help me get these wet clothes off, for one thing.” He sat her down and pulled the pants from her. Then he rushed back the hall to get a washcloth and towels and clean clothes.

He came back, somewhat calmer, as if his analytical mind had begun processing the problem and had decided there was no use in fighting it. “Where are we going to have this baby, Madison?”

She peeked up at him. “The bedroom, I think.”

Jordan helped her up and moved her slowly down the hall. He had been taught about births in his medical training, but he had never had to perform one solo.

He got her situated on the bed, and gave her a watch with a second hand. “Time your contractions. I have stuff to get ready if we’re going to do this.” He paused. “I could try to get us to the hospital.”

She shook her head. “Too bad outside, and I don’t want to give birth in an SUV in a snow bank.”

She flinched again as another weak contraction rolled over her. She looked at his whitening face, as he said: “You’re loving this, aren’t you, Witch.” There was humor in his voice.

“It’s a natural process, right? It will be a new adventure for us.”

“If you say so. I’m going to put a call into Dr. Lambert. We’re in the early stages, I think, and since this is your first and my first delivery, I’d like to be as prepared as I can.”

He pulled out his phone and pushed her number. She answered on the second ring. “Jordan. What’s wrong?”

“Madison is in labor. Her water broke about fifteen minutes ago, and she’s having mild contractions.”

“There is no way I can make it to the hospital or the clinic, Jordan.”

“I know. I have a little training, so we’re going to try to make the best of it here. I just want you to be on call if I run into trouble.” He sounded far calmer than he was.

“I’ll be right here. You’ll do just fine, and we’ll deal with any problems that come up. The ambulances are grounded for the rest of the evening, just so you know. I don’t even think police cars are moving. This is a terrible storm, and you probably don’t have electricity either.”

“That’s the scenario here. I’ll keep in touch with you, Dr. Lambert.”

“Let her up and walking if she wants to move, and watch the cervix—when the opening is six centimeters or greater, you’ll want her to be down.”

Jordan pulled a new shower liner from its wrapping and spread it on the bed, covering it with a soft newly laundered sheet. He gathered towels and sheets to use when the baby arrived. He also sterilized scissors and found a tie for the umbilical cord, once it was cut. Madison was meandering in and out of the nursery. Jordan had brought out an old cradle and refinished it. It was ready for their child.

The phone rang again, and Jordan snapped it up. “Jordan. I’ve located a nurse who lives very close to you. She’s willing to come up to help. Here’s her name and number.”

“Thanks Dr. Lambert.”

“How’s the little mother?”

“She’s flitting around the nursery trying to decide where all the new furniture will go. I’m happy she’s busy. She seems to think I have this all under control.”

“But you do, Jordan. I know you. You do.”

“Well, tell that to my stomach.” He heard Dr. Lambert’s soft laugh on the other end.

“This woman is a neonatal nurse, so the baby will be in competent hands. Try to relax. I’ll let you know the minute I can get into the hospital, and I put Dr. Willis on call as your pediatrician. He’s the best, Jordan.”

“Thank you.” Jordan put in a call to the nurse, and she said she would come as soon as he called her. She had a fifteen-minute walk, but the wind was whipping snow everywhere at the present time. Jordan settled in with Madison.

He had read to her, given her small pieces of ice for her dry lips and rubbed her feet. They discussed her next speaking venues and the changes that would need to occur in their lives. “Do we have a name yet?” he asked. She shook her head.