Tamed by Love (Agent Lovers Series Book 2) (19 page)

“Understood!”

***

At the moment when the first shots were fired, Liz was jumped from behind. The force of the men’s bodies drove the air from her lungs. She was driven to the ground, and the GLOCK flew in a high arc and landed a few yards away in the tall grass.

All hell broke loose. Shots were fired and resounded in the valley where the clearing was. Bullets whizzed through the air. Men screamed in pain, writhed on the ground moaning.

Liz was oblivious to everything happening around her. She concentrated only on the two assailants, one of whom had her by the neck. She knocked his arm away, jumped back and punched him in the face. He groaned, grabbed his face and stumbled back. Then she whirled around to the second attacker and froze.

Her senses were playing a trick on her, totally crazy. Everything moved in slow motion for her. The guy in front of her looked as if he were yelling at her; she couldn’t hear anything, but she could clearly see the muzzle flashes of his Kalashnikov. Once, twice, three times, four times, five times.

Shit,
was all she could think as she felt the first bullet penetrate her body. Liz was catapulted backward. And as she fell, she saw the face and neck of the man who had shot her as it was torn to shreds by bullets. Blood gushed from the wound in his neck, sprayed her uniform and face as she hit the ground.

Reality came back with the force of a hammer. Debilitating pain made any movement impossible for Liz, and her ribcage burned with pain, as well as her left thigh and hip. An indescribable pressure spread out from her ribcage and she could barely breathe. Desperately Liz gasped for air.

Gray called her name. She wasn’t in any condition to answer. Liz couldn’t get enough air. His call mingled with Jeff’s loud roar. Again and again he called to her.

Again Liz slipped from reality. Jeff’s face appeared above her, full of concern, fearful. His lips moved, he reached for her and tore at her clothing. Relentlessly he talked to her, but Liz couldn’t understand anything, not a single word. Only her own breathing, quick and choppy. She could hear that. At least until a deep darkness came over her, enveloped her and carried her away in a weightless sphere without pain and light.

Jeff’s plan had failed miserably. To make matters worse, he reacted too late. Instead of erring on the side of caution and ensuring that all of the pursuers really were in the clearing, he should have opened fire immediately. Of course he wanted to get Liz out of the danger zone; that was the most important thing to him. But if all the pursuers and leaders could be caught at the same time, then Liz, the other TDAs and their families would have finally been safe. It was only for this reason that Jeff held his men back.

Jeff gave the order to fire, and burst out of the bushes. The pursuers had almost reached Liz; now she needed his help. Like a crazed man, he charged into the clearing without giving a thought to the bullets whizzing through the air.

Like a hungry wolf, one of the guys sprang at Liz from behind and dragged her to the ground. The next instant, he pulled her up by her neck. Jeff could clearly see Liz swat the arm of the man and punch him in his face. As he stumbled back, Liz whirled around and faced the second attacker.

Jeff held his breath. The guy screamed like he was out of his mind, “That’s enough you miserable little bitch!” Then he pulled out his Kalashnikov and fired.

Jeff screamed Liz’s name with all his might as she was hit and fell back.

Failed. He had failed miserably. Gray’s cry for his wife stabbed Jeff in his guts like a burning blade. He had promised he’d get her to safety. Never before had he broken a promise.

Jeff raced to Liz and fell to his knees next to her. “Liz? Look at me!” Good God there was a ton of blood on her, around her face. Her uniform was sticky with it. Liz struggled for each breath. With bulging eyes she stared at the starlit sky. “Look at me, dammit!” But Liz didn’t react.

“Jeff!” The despair in Gray’s voice fueled his own. “How bad is it? … Jeff?”

“It doesn’t look good.” Frantically he tugged on Liz’s uniform, made short work of her harness, cutting it off. Jeff wasn’t aware that the battle was already over. No more shots resounded in the valley. Banks and his men gathered the assailants who were still alive and stood guard over them. The helicopter would be there in minutes with medical personnel.

With a jerk, Jeff tore apart the blood-soaked jacket to get a better look at Liz’s injuries. He turned to his partner who was now sitting down next to Liz. Joey quickly pulled a dressing packet out of his backpack.

“Liz?” Her breathing was still fitful; she still didn’t react. Her gaze was fixed on the sky. “Look at me! Do you hear me? Look at me damn it!” said Jeff as he tried to free Liz from her protective vest riddled with holes. Again and again his gaze wandered to her face, to the usually expressive eyes which now seemed so unbearably vacant. Liz lay in front of him, yet seemed infinitely far away.

Joey cut the pant leg and examined the wound on her thigh before he tightly applied a bandage. “Bullet went clean through,” he said and looked up. “She’s unconscious.”

Jeff bent over Liz again and felt for her pulse. When he felt it on his fingertips, he took a quick breath and turned toward the Velcro fasteners on her vest. The ripping noise increased his fear that the bullets didn’t get stuck in her vest, but penetrated it. Quickly he ripped apart the protective vest and stopped in mid-movement, his gaze focused on Liz’s ribcage.

“How bad is it, Jeff?” Gray asked again over the receiver. “Tell me!”

Gray perched on the edge of his chair. Jeff and Joey blocked the view of his wife. And they couldn’t draw any clear conclusions from the satellite picture. He felt ill, sick with fear because he couldn’t see her. The scene when she fell to the ground, shot, was burned in his brain. Even though he wasn’t a devout man, Gray prayed constantly that her injuries weren’t life-threatening. He couldn’t lose Liz.

“Two, Gray! Liz wore two protective vests, one on top of the other.” Jeff exhaled, relieved when he spotted the three bullets in the second vest. Nothing. Liz’s shirt was undamaged. No sign indicating a wound. No damage—if you disregarded the distinct pressure marks which the bullets left behind on her skin, despite the protective vests. The force on impact had taken the wind out of her. That’s why Liz was struggling so hard to breathe.

Relieved, Jeff took a deep breath. The oppressive feeling within him subsided. It didn’t look like she had sustained any life-threatening injuries which Joey confirmed. “One bullet grazed her hip and another went clean through. Liz had more than one guardian angel today.”

Drained, Gray slumped in his chair, closed his eyes and sent a quick prayer heavenward. Liz was injured to be sure, but she would live. He wouldn’t lose her.

A touch on his shoulder made him spin around. It was Townsend, who nodded to him, almost like a father. “Lt. Colonel Garber and I will run the operation from now on, Blackwood. You and Robbins tend to your wives.”

“Whatever you say, Sir.” Gray said, relieved when the Lt. General removed him from the monitoring. All the quicker to get to Liz.

He quickly vacated his seat for Townsend. And as Gray got ready to leave, he watched his wife being evacuated on the monitor. She was transferred into the helicopter on a stretcher. It wasn’t until he couldn’t see her on any of the monitors that Gray and Chris left the room and headed for the hangar at the other end of the base.

They had barely reached the hangar when the LAKOTA landed with Jennifer, her parents and the remaining hostages.

“She needs you,” said Gray and nodded toward the helicopter to which Jennifer was still handcuffed. With her knees tucked up, she sat in the hatch looking devastated. Even her parents couldn’t get through to her. They talked non-stop to her even though they were also shocked by the events. Jennifer kept shaking her head.

Chris nodded and ran out of the hangar to the landing area. Finally. She was safe, with him again. Where she belonged. As he pulled Jennifer into his arms, she broke down and began to sob uncontrollably. It took a while for his words to get through to her; she lifted her head and looked at him hopefully, her eyes wet with tears.

“Liz is alive?” Her voice trembled.

“Yes. She was injured, but she’s already on the way to the hospital.”

“Thank God!” she whispered and slumped down, losing consciousness. Claire screamed and bent over Jennifer who lay unconscious in Chris’s arms.

Hiller emerged between the seats and released Jennifer from the handcuffs. Chris picked her up in his arms and headed to one of the waiting ambulances.

***

The trip to the hospital seemed infinitely long to Gray. No more than an hour had elapsed. He had to get to Liz, insure that she was alive, simply see her and touch her.

When he finally reached the emergency room of the military hospital, Liz was being taken care of in one of the operating rooms. Helplessly, Gray waited in front of the broad, double doors and paced back and forth.

What if Liz was more seriously injured than it had seemed? What if she had suffered internal injuries? Gray didn’t want to imagine that he could still lose her. “Please, Liz, don’t leave me,” he whispered as if praying to himself. “Don’t leave me!”

Surprised, Gray jumped when Jeff touched him on the shoulder and smiled. “The injuries aren’t as serious as we first thought.”

“If only.” Doubt was in his eyes. Doubt and fear he had never known before.

“Don’t think like that!” Jeff pulled Gray aside and pushed him into one of the chairs lined up against the wall. Then he sat next to him. Jeff couldn’t leave his brother alone as distraught as he was.

“It’s my fault she’s injured.” Gray blamed himself for no reason. “My fault!”

“Nonsense! How do you figure?”

“I should have handcuffed, gagged and imprisoned her to be sure she wouldn’t get involved. She has never followed my orders. It was foolish of me to think she would now.”

“Stop beating yourself up! You can’t do anything about it. Besides, Liz wouldn’t blame you either.”

But Gray shook his head. If she didn’t survive, he would be to blame. He was utterly convinced of it.

As the time passed, Gray continued his pacing in the hallway. And again, Jeff would guide him back to one of the chairs. Gray looked as if he would pass out at any moment. It took another hour before the door to the operating room opened and a doctor emerged.

“How is she?” Tense, Gray leapt up and ran to the doctor.

“Are you related to Mrs. Blackwood or are you her supervisor?” asked the doctor, scrutinizing Gray. In his civilian clothes of jeans and a ripped T-shirt, he didn’t look like military personnel. “If not, then unfortunately, I can’t give you any information.”

“She’s my wife.” Gray pulled out his ID and showed it to the doctor.

“Luckily the vests prevented further damage. Her circulation is stable, thanks to her superb physical condition. Of course we’ll have to continue to observe your wife’s medical condition over the next several hours and days. Not least of all to thwart a potential miscarriage which could still be triggered due to the high emotional stress she’s been through.”

Stunned, Gray gaped at the doctor. “Miscarriage?” Did that mean that…?

“Your wife’s pregnant,” said the doctor with a nod. “In the fifth or sixth week, so still in the early stages.”

“Can I see her?”

“She’ll be brought to the ward soon. Then you can see her.” The doctor smiled and left.

The doors of the operating room swung open and two nurses brought Liz out on a bed. They pushed the bed right past the brothers and Gray cringed. His wife, whom he adored, lay pale and unconscious and suddenly seemed tremendously fragile.

He followed them down the corridor, into a room. Standing in front of the bed, he watched the nurses. They hooked Liz up to a machine which monitored her vital functions. One of the nurses checked her IV bag. Then they left the room and he was alone with Liz.

Gray pulled a chair up to her bed, sat down and took Liz’s cold hand in his. For several minutes, his eyes ran over her motionless body. Gray still couldn’t believe what the doctor had told him. Liz was pregnant. She was expecting their child.

Tenderly he stroked his thumbs over the backs of Liz’s hand. Then Gray nuzzled his cheek in the palm of her hand to be as close to her as possible and closed his eyes. “I love you, my angel,” he said softly and smiled at the thought of his unborn child.

***

Morning was already dawning when Gray was torn from his sleep. Sometime during the night, drowsiness overpowered him and he fell asleep on the mattress next to Liz still holding her hand.

Gray sat up, rubbed the back of his tightly wound neck and turned on the bedside lamp which gave off a subdued light. Then he looked at Liz and was suddenly wide awake, because she was awake and smiling at him feebly because she was still weak. But she smiled.

“Hey you sleepyhead,” he whispered and leaned over and kissed her. He tenderly swept a strand of hair out of her face. “How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve been put through a meat grinder.” Her smile broadened and her eyes twinkled. Then the expression in her eyes turned serious. “I have to tell you something, Gray.”

What
was on his lips, but he didn’t say anything. Had she maybe known about her pregnancy and consciously put herself and her child in danger? Gray’s stomach turned at the thought, because if she had, that could only mean one thing…

“You were right, you know?”

“About what?”

“My resistance was really pointless,” she said exhausted. “I love you.” It was only a faint whisper and he thought he heard her wrong. But she said it again and fell asleep.

“I love you too, Liz,” he whispered and stroked her cheek. “I love you too.”

“I’m supposedly pregnant?” Liz was shocked. Then she laughed and shook her head. “I can’t be pregnant.”

“Yes. You are. In your fifth or sixth week.” Gray sat on the edge of the bed and reached for Liz’s hand. She had been taken to the hospital two days ago and he felt she was finally strong enough to handle the news. Gray had asked her doctor if he could give her the happy news himself and waited eagerly for her reaction.