Eleven Days: An Unexpected Love

by Lora Lindy

  “Sure, let’s step into this room its empty.”

  Raymond waited in the hospital hall for Mike to return when Sara called. “Hi Raymond I have some good news.”

  “I could sure use that right now.”

  “I looked up everything on your guy Angelino Marquit and I had to go through the Director’s office to get into some of the files.”

  “Why?”

  “Apparently he is wanted all over the world and the FBI has a special team to catch him.”

  “That’s not unheard of especially when a serial killer is involved.” This is the same thing Ken told him.

  “He is a high paid hooker getting $100,000 per bullet. He works with the Italian mafia and many of the gambling bosses. Apparently they are the only ones that can hire him and apparently the only ones who can find him. Nobody is sure where he lives or where he was born, or they aren’t telling. However, after pulling a few strings in the bureau I found out they lost him in Birmingham Alabama. He pulled one of his disguises. And guess where Peter Waters had been last seen?”

  “Birmingham?”

  “You got it, and coincidently Peter had a connecting flight from Birmingham to Charlotte to Boston.”

  “That’s no coincident.”

  “This guy is good.”

  “Does the FBI know where he is now?”

  “They aren’t telling or at least not telling me and you know I would find out if I could. This is a first for me.”

  Raymond walked down the hall and looked around to make sure no one could hear him. “Sara did you find out anything about Lana?”

  “Come on Raymond I thought the killer should occupy my time, but I’m running everything now and I’m cross referencing everything. You’ll be the first to know.”

  “Remember.”

  “I know call you and don’t let Mike know anything.”

  “Thanks.” He was afraid if she found out who hired the hit man and told Mike first, he would go after him.

  Chapter 38

  5:35 p.m.

  It was a cold cloudy day when Lana left this earth. Just the kind of weather she liked. All the men came in to say goodbye, except Joe. He couldn’t come in, his heart was breaking.

  Mike asked the nurse to leave him alone with Lana because he had to talk to her. “Oh God, give me strength,” he said out loud. His eyes filled with tears as he looked at her lifeless face. “Lana, I know you can’t hear me, and I’m not going to say goodbye. I just met you and I’m not ready for goodbye. I love you so much. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to go back to the beach house and see your stuff there, remembering. Looking at the jersey you wore and listening to the songs we shared and held each other. All along I knew you were scared and I wasn’t there for you. I let you go outside against my better judgment.” He reached over to touch her cold face and he couldn’t stand her being cold. There were several blankets on the bed so he pulled them all up and tucked her in tight. “Honey, please forgive Joe for not coming in to say goodbye. He can’t right now. He is heartbroken. We all have grown to love you.” He reached down and kissed her cheek and went back to the chair to sit down and sobbed uncontrollably.

  Joe sat outside the room hearing Mike’s goodbye to Lana and his heart was breaking and he too sobbed.

  After several minutes he sat on the bed next to his beloved Lana and whispered. “I can’t leave you, I just can’t. My entire soul is hurting and I want you back so bad. Several doctors and nurses came by and told me I needed to leave, but I can’t. Someone has to stay with you until we bury you, and I will be the one.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Baby, the doctor let me hold your hand at the end. And I’m glad I was there for you. I couldn’t imagine you being alone. I didn’t want you to leave without me at your side. Oh honey, I miss you already,” he said sobbing like a baby.

  Holding her hand he remembered Lana telling him about the guilt she felt for her cousin. She told him how she hurt when he died. He told her he would carry that burden for her, and now he wondered who would help him carry his burden. He hoped that might be Lana. He didn’t understand how God could send her to him, let him fall in love and then let her die. When Lana and Mike discussed his work and the possibility of him dying, she said. “I would rather have a few wonderful years with you than fifty years of nothing.” Mike never dreamed it would be only a few days.

  As Mike sat there holding her hand crying, a nurse walked in, a little short nurse who waddled when she walked. She had on scrubs and they were rolled up at the ankle because she was so short. Her hair was combed nice in the front, short with bangs. The back looked like a rats nest. She tried to fix only the hair she could see. “I’m looking for a Mike Ramsey?”

  “I’m Mike Ramsey.”

  “Ms. Andrews wanted me to give this to you if she passed away.” And just like that she handed it to him and walked off, waddling.

  When he first looked at it he smelled it and she could smell Lana on the envelope and he can see her little hand folding the paper. He didn’t want to open it, but he knew he needed to see what last words she wrote to him. His hands were shaking terribly and he sat next to her body. He could picture her lying there writing this.

  My Dearest Mike,

  I’m watching you sleep in the chair next to me. And it brings tears to my eyes to know when you get this note I’ll be gone, but I can’t talk so I have to write this. You are the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. I fell in love with you the minute I saw you. I too wanted to kiss you and touch you at that moment. You make my heart and soul smile. I wish I had many years with you, but we don’t get that choice. If I can I will look down on you, and I will smile with the fondest of memories. The first night you made love to me was one of the most precious memories I could ever have. Your touch broke so many barriers to my heart. You made me feel again. Please my wonderful friend, lover, and companion; remember me. Remember the feelings we had, and I want you to have that feeling again. Live a wonderful fulfilled life, and tell Joe there is a wonderful woman for him. And tell him true love is out there because we found it.

  I love you infinite, Lana

  Oh God, help me, he thought as he held her letter next to his chest, next to his heart. This one piece of paper he would never part with, ever. I’m sorry I didn’t protect you like I promised, oh baby, I’m so sorry. His heart hurt so bad he thought he might have a heart attack. If it wasn’t for catching Angelino Marquit, he hoped for a heart attack. In his mind he said his name over and over again. He knew he would kill him and say Lana’s name as he died. Hate for Angelino Marquit filled his heart and his goal was to catch him and kill him. Mike’s thoughts were interrupted.

  “I’m sorry I was told Lana Andrews is in this room.” The funeral home attendant looked down at his paper to make sure he had the right room.

  “This is her room and I’m Mike Ramsey. I’ll be escorting the body and staying with her through the embalming process.”

  “What?” The kid looked at him dumbfounded. He wasn’t expecting this at all.

  Mike pulled out his badge and showed it to the attendant. He had his hand on his gun to show he meant business. This guy appeared to the right height for the killer and he didn’t want to take any chances. “I need to see your driver’s license.”

  The attendant reached for his wallet and showed Mike his ID, and he asked. “What’s going on, am I doing something wrong?”

  “She’s under protective custody and now my final assignment is to stay with her until she is buried.”

  “Okay, no problem.” This was a first for him, but heck he didn’t care he just had to deliver the body to the funeral home.

  Both men walked over to the body. Mike was going to take the sheet off, but the attendant stopped him and said. “We can take the sheet and keep her covered.”

  “She would appreciate that, thanks.”

  Mike gently picked Lana up and put her in the black bag and zipped it up and the attendant put his ear plug in his ears to lis
ten to music. It was obvious he had done this before, like a second nature to him. They walked out the room without saying a word.

  Joe sat outside the room crying as the gurney rolled past him. Mike put his hand on his shoulder. “You can go home Joe, I’ll take over from here.”

  Joe touched the black bag and said. “Goodbye Lana.” He walked off so heartbroken he couldn’t stand it. His shoulders shook as he sobbed.

  As Mike walked down the hall of the hospital all his men were lined up with their badge numbers covered with black tape. They put their hands across their hearts as she rolled past them.

  *****

  As he promised Mike stayed with Lana until the moment she was buried in the ground.

  Chapter 39

  Day 16

  October 30, 10:18 a.m.

  The team waited in Mike’s office anticipating the case to chase Angelino Marquit. They didn’t want the time to grieve. They wanted their pinned up emotions to guide them. Raymond and Joe knew if Mike couldn’t get this case, he would quit the Marshals. Dread filled their emotions, and they hoped Mike got his wish.

  Mike entered Deputy Director Craven’s office and he was on the phone and he motioned for Mike to sit. Mike didn’t want to sit, but he did anyway. The director got off the phone in within a few minutes. Mike sat there solemn.

  The director sat in his overstuffed leather chair and took a deep breath. “Mike I’m so sorry to hear about Lana. She sacrificed her life for Joe and we will be eternally grateful.” He was distracted by writing a phone number on a piece of paper.

  “Thank you sir, do you know why I’m here?” Mike decided if the director didn’t give him this case, he was prepared to give him his badge and Glock. Mike usually took whatever assignments were given to him and many times he wanted certain assignment that the director didn’t give him. This one he wanted or he would quit.

  “Raymond mentioned something about it.”

  Mike knew perfectly well Raymond did more than mention this case. “I would like for my team to hunt down Angelino Marquit.” Just saying his name added fuel to Mike’s fire that he felt deep down in his belly. He knew he would hunt Marquit down and kill him. He remembered Lana telling him she wanted to kill him. I’ll get him for you, and I promise I’ll kill him, thought Mike.

  The director looked in Mike’s eyes to see if there were any telltale signs that Mike should or should not get this case. Because of the coolness Mike always showed he couldn’t tell. “You are too emotionally involved,” he finally said.

  “That makes me more determined, and besides it’s not only me, it’s also my team.” Every word in that statement was a true as it gets. He knew Joe and Raymond would work overtime to catch this guy.

  “I knew you would come ask me for this case and I’ve talked to the FBI Director and we came to a conclusion.”

  Mike’s jaw tightened because he knew he would be asked to take a backseat to the FBI investigation. “What’s that sir?”

  “Since the FBI started on a new serial killer case and they need all the men they can get. Normally, they wouldn’t be pulling men from this case. But since you are so determined to catch him, they are willing to turn the case over to you.”

  Mike half grinned and he knew he would work this case until he found him. Not only that, he would be in charge of finding this killer and nothing pleased him more. “I hear a-but in there.”

  “Yes you do. You can only take three men besides yourself and one tech investigator. I recommend Gopher. He’s the best at hacking and he’s a deputy. Sara will have orders that assisting you will take priority. By the way, she asked me for this assignment. She loves you guys, and I don’t understand why. They way you all tease her.”

  “Yes sir. What about Ken Summers? Is there any way I can have him on the team?” Mike knew between Gopher’s hacking and Kens profiling they would be an unstoppable team.

  Director Craven already heard about Ken and his computer, but both were out of his jurisdiction. “I’ll have to talk to the FBI director, but I doubt he will give up him or his computer. But maybe I get all the help you need, even if it’s long distance. Is that acceptable?”

  “Yes sir, it is.”

  “One more thing.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “You only have thirty days. See those boxes over there?”

  Mike looked at the corner of the office and nodded.

  “That’s the case files and your thirty days starts at midnight. Good luck Mike and again my condolences.” The director then hands Mike a piece of paper with all the FBI agents who had been working on the case. “I’ve been told you can have one agent to help, and if you want one that’s up to you. Anyway, you have the list. They know more about Marquit than anyone else.”

  “Thank you sir,” Mike said as he glanced over the list of names to see if he recognized any of them and any he could trust. There were a couple of names.

  *****

  Mike picked up two of the ten big boxes and walked into his office where Raymond and Joe were waiting. He sat the box on his desk and Raymond asked. “Well?” Through the years of working together he knew the answer before Mike spoke. He could read his face. Mike didn’t have a poker face with Raymond.

  “The three of us and Gopher get the case and all the boxes are in the director’s office. This is the first two. I also get one more person to help and I thought of someone, but I wanted to ask you both first. Her name is Jacque Real and she is a FBI agent. She has been following this guy for awhile. I know we probably won’t need her, but she might prove to be valuable. What do you guys think?”

  Raymond and Joe looked at each other and Raymond shook his head no. “You know Mike, we have worked with the FBI before and it’s hard to cross paths. There are too many alpha males or in her case moody females. I say no.”

  Joe spoke next and said. “I have never worked with the FBI so I’m going to stay neutral.”

  “Well how about we give her a week and if it doesn’t work, we send her packing.” Both men shook their heads yes. “Good, so let’s go get the boxes,” Mike said.

  Raymond grinned and said. “Let’s go get them.”

  Mike paused. “One more thing guys, I think I want everything set up at the beach house,” Mike said looking at the guys to evaluate their reaction.

  Joe looked confused he thought Mike would not ever want to go back to the house.

  Mike answered their doubting glares. “I think the reminder of Lana will help us work harder and help us remember why we have to solve this case. There is one more thing.”

  Both Raymond and Joe asked simultaneously. “What?”

  “We only have thirty days to solve this or it goes back to the FBI.”

  They all three smiled and Raymond said. “That’s fifteen days longer than we need.”

  Mike’s phone rang. “Hey Sara what do you have for us?”

  She was so upset she could hardly talk. “Mike it’s not good news. Not good at all.”

  - The End -

  My next book is called The Party Line and it’s for all ages and will be published by November 1st. The story is about a precocious little girl who visits her grandmother for a week in June 1971. She listens in on the party line telephone. Then she repeats what she hears, and then the trouble begins. Be sure to look for the book to read more���. Enjoy!

  ‘Prologue’

  Dear Readers,

  You will be shocked by the story you are about to read. You will be even more shocked when you find out the story is about a ten year old girl named Gerty, and that’s short for Gertrude. Her name is Gertrude Connor. This story takes place in a small town called Spiro Oklahoma during one week in June 1971.

  Gerty is a precocious little girl with mousy brown hair that is as straight as a board that flows half way down her back. She is fifty-six and one quarter inches tall. The reason I know this is because she measures her height every week. She thinks a miracle will happen and her height will jump up to five-nine, the same hei
ght as her beautiful cousin Becca. Gerty is as skinny as a pencil and weighs a mere seventy pounds. Her puppy dog brown eyes could melt most little boy’s hearts, but she could care less about the boys. She is more interested in music, and her favorites are The Jackson Five, Beatles, and the Osmond’s. The Osmond’s just came out with their new song Sweet and Innocent. Gerty saved her allowance and bought the 45 record, upset she paid an outrageous price of .59 cents. She has played the song at least one hundred times the past week.

  Her birthday is in eleven days, four hours, and sixteen minutes and since she’s almost eleven, why not go ahead and tell everyone she is eleven. Gerty hopes she gets an eight track player for her birthday, but deep down she truly wants a boombox.

  I will be honest, you will laugh and be shocked by what I’m about to tell you. As you read this story some of you will call Gerty a brat, and some of you will say she needs more supervision, and most of you will say both. But the main premise of this story is about Gerty, a party line, and unsuspecting neighbors.

  I’m sure many of you are wondering, what is a party line? A party line has to do with a telephone, better known today as just phone. People usually don’t say the word telephone anymore. Maybe it’s because we are in such a rush we have learned to abbreviate as many words as possible. But anyway, before I get into the definition of a party line, let me tell you a little bit about telephone history. Most people know the invention of the telephone happened in the late 1800’s. Now that we know that, let’s start with the 1900’s. In 1928 Herbert Hoover was the first president who installed and used the first telephone in the White House. I bet you didn’t know for him to make a telephone call, he had to use a telephone booth outside the executive office. In 1940 over 180 million telephone calls were made per day. By 1950 seventy-five percent of homes had party lines. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

  In 1962, the first year telephone numbers were given to customers. Before that, you had to ask the operator to connect you to the person you wanted to call. And guess what, the operator could listen in on your calls. Here’s some more information about telephone operators. The secret service conducted a background check on all operators before they could start work. The government wanted to make sure they didn’t hire any spies. In 1963 the first touchtone telephones were introduced. I imagine you have asked yourself, what is a touchtone telephone? The answer is — your cell phone, it’s touchtone. Before touchtone we had a rotary dial. Instead of pushing buttons, you had to turn a dial to make a call. They are similar to the children’s play phones we have now. If you don’t know what a rotary dial is ask your mother or grandmother. When you ask her she will smile, I promise. She will recall many great memories with that question. While you chat with her about it, ask her about the princess telephone introduced in 1959, especially the pink ones. In 1968, the 911emergency number was introduced and everyone knows all about 911.