“Let go!” Kennedy screamed, half in surprise, and half in pain.
“Don't worry,” the man said calmly as he held her tightly. “We’ll get you out of here.”
The other man in black had caught up to the two, and Kennedy felt a stab in her neck.
“What was that?” Kennedy asked as she struggled to pull away from the man.
“Get the rest of the team, meet at the van!” the man holding Kennedy yelled to the man who had stabbed her. The man nodded and then ran off to fetch the others.
The man who stayed with Kennedy roughly guided her towards the nearest exit. Kennedy resisted his pull. A few seconds later, Kennedy felt funny. She felt drowsy and dizzy.
Sensing a change in her, the man paused in the midst of the chaos and turned to face her, “It’s ok Kennedy. Rest.”
“What?” Kennedy said confused, her voice slurred.
The room was starting to twirl, and her knees buckled. The man swooped her in his arms, and then everything went black.
∆∆∆
Jordan carefully laid Kennedy down inside the van before he searched the windows, looking for the rest of his team.
“We are leaving hot!” Jordan yelled to the driver as he saw his team emerge from the building.
“Right!” the driver said, starting the engine.
As soon as the last team member entered the van, the driver took off, not even waiting for the door to close. The men in suits were shooting at the van as they followed the team out, but it was useless, the van was bulletproof.
Chapter 2
B 00010
Removing masks, the team exchanged smiles, grasped hands, and sighed in relief of accomplishing the task.
“Good work! Is anyone hurt?” Jordan asked.
“A few scratches, and bruises boss,” the leader reported.
“Whose blood is that?” one of the men asked, pointing to the floor.
Frantically, everyone started checking themselves and their neighbors for signs of the injuries.
“It’s the girl!” the team leader announced.
“What?” Jordan suddenly asked, very worried.
All the men, who were sitting around the small makeshift bed, started examining the unconscious girl to find the source of the blood.
“Her shoulder got hit,” the team leader announced.
The team leader spared no time caring for the bullet wound she now carried. Entry had occurred in her right shoulder. Now all that was visible was the bandages that he had placed over the wound in his attempts to keep the blood loss minimal. It was already soaked in blood. When he had finished, the leader sat back and looked to Jordan.
“I don’t know,” he said simply. “I’m not trained to handle this kind of medicine.”
“How long will she be stable?” Jordan asked as he calculated the time it was going to take them all to get to base. They had already made it halfway to the airport while the team lead did the minimal medical work, he felt comfortable with.
“She’ll be fine for a few hours. I don’t know how much blood she lost in the transfer or if it is infected from the bullet.”
“Did you take it out?”
“No sir, we could increase the damage to the shoulder, it is wiser to wait for Ryan to do his work, instead of a soldier.”
“Very good, thank you,” Jordan responded. It was strange how quickly things had changed. Jordan reflected on an hour ago, he was so confident then, so sure of himself. Now, all he could see were the failures. One of which had resulted in the target being shot. What a mess he had caused.
All the men rushed to the plane except for the team leader. He didn’t rush but walked quickly as he carried the unconscious target onto the plane. Jordan walked closely behind, making sure that he was holding her carefully. Her shirt has been torn open to reach the wound. They had placed an extra shirt on as a replacement which was hanging off of her, because it was so big compared to her slender frame. Walking up the stairs and into the plane, the leader placed her across a row of seats. After looking at her again, he reconsidered and instead laid her on one of the seats. He leaned the seat as far back as the seat would go. After she looked comfortable, the leader took the seat to her left, and Jordan to her right.
Looking at the target, Jordan realized that this was not just a target he had to acquire, but a woman. In his training he was always told to refer to the person as the target, make it impersonal. For an agent it was then easy to set aside emotion, by eliminating any names. It had been easy in all of his previous mission, they simply had to kill someone. He had never had to kidnap and take care of someone before. Pushing his training aside, he tried to look past the term “asset” and see who was asleep before him. Her name was Kennedy, and he was going to have to get used to calling her that now.
He glanced back at Kennedy. She had unwillingly started an adventure only minutes ago, and it wasn’t going well. Not only was she wounded, and forced to leave her home, but she didn’t have the slightest idea why. Jordan didn’t want to break that news to her. Inside he desperately hoped that the sedative would last the entire flight, therefore avoiding the whole conflict.
The team leader had taken this time to grab a short nap. Jordan would stay up and make sure nothing happened to Kennedy. He took a moment and went around the plane. Talking with each team member, he expressed his praise and thanked them. Then he grabbed a snack before sitting back down.
As he gazed again at the target, Kennedy, he felt his blood pulse a little faster. From studying the pictures of her face for months, he had felt a bond between them. They had been brought together through business, but it could be more than that. Jordan hoped she was dreaming of happier times. He was awed at the attention that she almost demanded, even while fast asleep. His youth brought a disadvantage he never thought he would encounter, attraction. From that moment on, Jordan understood with a deeper realization and determination that this was his asset, Kennedy, and it was his job to protect her.
Only four years earlier, Jordan had just finished his senior year in high school in Washington state. His family had decided to take a trip. They were to go camping and hiking in the nearby mountains. Jordan had to work and couldn’t accompany his family. The night they left he got a phone call and learned that his family had all died from a horrible 18-wheeler accident. Suing the company left him financially prepared until he got through college, but he barely survived through his depression. After graduating Jordan was approached by this company. Since Jordan had no close family it was easy for him to disappear. They offered education, and a job. Jordan took it and had quickly escalated the promotional ladder.
After college graduation, a variety of opportunities opened up within the company. Many which could satisfy his dream for adventure. One stuck out specifically for Jordan, field agent. Now a seasoned agent, he was also working with management to help promote the company’s future. Kennedy had been a detour, her case fascinated him.
∆∆∆
Chasing after the men holding the woman had proven useless. They had exited the building too quickly. The men in the suits had been caught off guard. They had not expected anyone else.
“Now what boss?” one of the men in suits asked.
“We activate plan B,” the leader said frustrated.
“Right,” the first man said, pulling out his phone and making a call.
“Get to clean up, talk to the employees and the supervisor,” the leader commanded his other men. He sat on one of the benches in the middle of the building and put his head into his hands.
“AHHHH!” he yelled, releasing his frustration.
The man on the phone soon got off and sat next to his leader, “Plan B activated.”
“Thank you,” the leader noted.
“We will get her back.”
“I just hope that it isn’t too late,” the leader said sitting up straight.
“If they wanted her dead, she would be dead. There is hope,” the man acknowledged.
“You are right of course,” the leader said standing up. It was time to get back to work.
∆∆∆
Before opening Kennedy’s eyes, she knew something was not right. Her body felt different, she was weak. Even without sight she realized that she didn’t know where she was. There was noise, but it was vague. People were talking and walking around her. Kennedy didn’t want to face reality. She thought of reasons to keep her eyes shut. This was a dream, a nightmare. But then, in an instant it hit her. Pain pulsated through her body and her eyes shot open as she sat up and screamed.
Everything around her was chaos. Men and women in white doctor suits were running around her. She was lying in a hospital bed covered with wires and bandages and blood. Why was there so much blood? She had to get home. Looking around she saw an IV line and other cords hooked up to her.
Another wave of pain hit her, and she bent over as she screamed. What happened to her? The pain was all consuming. She could hear screaming, was she still screaming? She felt dizzy and lightheaded. All the people around her were blurry.
“Calm down,” a voice said.
“It’s ok,” another one.
Kennedy looked at their faces, who were they?
“Why don’t you lay down?” one suggested.
Someone with a syringe injected something into her IV. What were they giving her? Two men stayed with her, but the rest of the team continued to move around the room.
“What?” she asked.
Her mind couldn't comprehend what was going on. Was this a nightmare? She raised her right arm and felt herself almost pass out from pain.
“Easy Kennedy,” someone said.
She felt hands hold her steady.
“Kennedy how are you feeling?”
Suddenly, relief poured through her and the intolerable pain was subdued. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second.
“That’s better,” one said.
“Here, let me help you,” said another.
One of the men helped her lay back down in the bed. Kennedy let their hands guide her as she struggled to keep conscious. Sleep was an escape, and she welcomed it easily.
∆∆∆
“Well?” Jordan asked impatiently as Ryan finally appeared from the emergency room. He had seen and heard Kennedy as she screamed, it was terrifying. His pilot had flown as fast as he could. Once there, they had rushed her straight to Ryan. Now, Ryan had been in there for about half an hour. He had been taking out the bullet and then stitching her back up.
“Yes Ryan, tell us what is going on,” Brandon said, walking up to the two of them.
“Sir,” Jordan saluted before turning back to Ryan. Brandon was Jordan’s direct superior.
“The bullet was lodged in her collarbone, but missed the joint, muscles and nerves, so we were lucky,” Ryan replied. “After she heals, she is going to need rehabilitation, and even after that, will not recover completely for months or years. This will scar her for the rest of her life. Also, she lost a lot of blood, and is dehydrated. The IV will help, but it’ll take time. I’m guessing a few days until her body can recover from the blood loss alone.”
“It is what it is,” Jordan said, partially relieved.
“A bullet wound is not, ‘it is what it is’, you messed up,” Ryan said angrily.
“The doctor is right. What happened over there?” Brandon demanded.
“When we went inside to get her, another team arrived shooting, clearly they wanted to kill her.”
“I want a full report on my desk immediately, don’t forget what is at risk here, Jordan,” Brandon commanded before leaving.
∆∆∆
Ryan looked back into the emergency room. His team was still cleaning up. Kennedy waking up in the middle of his procedure was a first for Ryan. When she arrived, he had given her another sedative, it had worn off too rapidly. He couldn’t imagine what she must have thought, or what she must have felt. Luckily, he had already taken the bullet out. Her little surprise hadn’t caused any further damage to her shoulder. The sedative and pain killers had knocked her out quickly. Once she was out, he was able to put the sutures in and finish bandaging her up.
Like Jordan, Ryan had been at the company for about four years. After finishing medical school Ryan was also approached by the company. His parents had died four months apart from a bizarre coincidence. Both had cancer while they lived in Chicago. Being an only child, when his parents were gone, his family was gone. Their deaths had motivated him to join the medical field. At the top of his class, Ryan’s real desire was to do research, which this company financed. He was also head doctor over the facility. It was his job to oversee any injuries and situations at the company. That helped Ryan to keep up his medical skills. Between the two roles, it was a good balance.
∆∆∆
“How long before she wakes again?” Jordan inquired.
“Judging by how long it took the previous sedative to wear off, and balancing the other drugs that she is on, I am going to say four to six hours.”
Jordan was relieved. That meant that he was going to have four to six hours to sleep as well. It had been a long day.
“Well then I guess I will see you in four to six hours Ryan,” Jordan said as he walked off towards his room.
“Guess so,” Ryan commented back as he headed towards the main corridor of the hospital wing.
∆∆∆
Startled by the sound of doors opening, Kennedy tried to sit upright. Instantly regretting her decision, the pain shot through her body. She cringed as she gently laid back against the pillow. A man had just walked out the doors dressed in medical garb. The hospital surroundings sent more chills up her spine. She struggled to remember anything of the last couple hours, or days, she couldn’t. All she could feel was pain.
Despite the intense pain, she had to get away. Focusing her will power into getting out, she started pulling out her IV and the different little devices stuck to her chest. It was then she noticed a huge bandage on her right shoulder. Shocked, she couldn’t even look at it. Instead she willed herself to move. Since she couldn’t sit up without intense pain, Kennedy rolled off the bed falling to her knees as she hit the floor. She cringed again when another wave of pain hit her. Her right arm couldn’t even support her as she tried to get up off of the floor. The pain was slowly increasing as she attempted to crawl to the door. This was an awfully slow process as she could barely move, let alone keep from screaming. When Kennedy realized she had exhausted all her energy, she laid her face on the floor and cried.
The sound of doors opening made Kennedy look up. A man ran up next to her.
“Help!!” he yelled as he bent down next to her. “Kennedy let’s get you into bed,” he said gently.
Three other people ran into the room.
“Careful,” the man said as the four of them lifted her up.
Kennedy couldn’t contain her screams as they held her. Once in bed, she contained her cries to whimper.
A doctor quickly replaced all of the sensors and IV’s back into her fragile body. Kennedy didn’t resist him. Once the IV was back in place, the man pulled a syringe out and injected it into her IV. She felt the drugs run through her system and bring some relief from the scourging pain. He worked quickly, checking all her vitals.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to whisper out.
She realized that whoever these people were, they were trying to help her. She was in no condition to be on her own, let alone leave the room.
Slowly the doctor looked down and smiled, “You like to keep things interesting around, here don’t you? I thought you still had a few hours. I know that this must be scary, but believe me, we are trying to help. I’m going to give you something to help you sleep. Are you still in pain?”
Kennedy nodded as she tried to hold in the pain. Her hands trembled; the pain was consuming her.
“Ok, hold on,” the man said. He returned in a few seconds and injected something else into her IV.
> Kennedy waited and the man carefully watched her. Finally, Kennedy’s hands became unclenched and she could take a full breath.
“Thank you,” she said as she closed her eyes.
“Rest, Kennedy, I’ll keep watch over you.”
Even without the sleeping drug, once Kennedy’s pain was gone, her exhaustion overcame her, and she passed out.
∆∆∆
Jordan walked into the hospital room exactly four hours later, the time Ryan had predicted. Jordan yawned and held a cup of coffee in one hand. Even with four hours, he still needed something to pick him up. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Kennedy. He expected her to wake at any moment and he wanted to be there. Jordan was also to notify Brandon when she woke up.
After two hours, Jordan began to worry and left the room in search of Ryan. Ryan and Jordan were fairly good friends. They met in training together and then branched off when Jordan wanted to go to the field, while Ryan finished medical training. Despite different fields, they had kept in touch over the last several years.
It didn’t take Jordan long to find Ryan rushing around the hospital wing. The wing had one main row of rooms, and then several special circumstance rooms like the one Kennedy was placed in. The wing was connected to the main building and normally only had two or three patients at a time.
“Ryan!” Jordan called out as Ryan was about to go into another room.
“Jordan how are you this morning?” Ryan said, ignoring the room and walking towards his friend.
“Well, I went to see Kennedy and she is still out.”
Ryan didn’t look surprised at all with the news and motioned him to sit down on a nearby couch. “Yes, I am aware. We had a little incident.”
“What kind of incident?” Jordan asked, genuinely concerned.
“Kennedy woke up two hour after you left. She pulled off all the monitoring and IV’s and had fallen to the floor. It must have been very painful. I attached all the IV’s but had to make some adjustments.”
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