by Brenna Lyons
“I was strangled, so I had some severe bruising around my neck. I also had a nasty bump on the head.”
“From?”
“Pistol whipped, I think. That part is sort of a blur.”
“It would be. I don’t suppose you want to explain all the new injuries?” Levin looked at her pointedly.
Kyla groaned. “Can’t you just wait and read the police report?”
“Afraid not.” He looked at her solemnly. “Why don’t we start at the top?”
“Why don’t we do them chronologically? It’s easier that way.” Levin nodded, and Kyla took a deep breath. “The cheek and nose were from when Harris knocked me out to kidnap me.”
He started writing. “The nose is fractured. We set it when you came in. That was one hell of a punch.”
“I vaguely remember it,” she admitted. Kyla thought about what came next. “The abrasions on my hands and wrists are from slipping the ropes they tied me up with the first time. They didn’t make that mistake again. It was zip strips the next time.”
“That one, I figured out on my own.”
“The cuts on my hands and side...” Kyla hesitated. How could she admit this one?
“Yes?” Levin prodded her.
“I dove into an unstable tunnel and got dragged out by my ankles.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “Why did you do that?”
Kyla shrugged. “When you’ve got a hired killer on one side of you and a collapsing tunnel on the other, it’s a hard choice. I thought I’d fare better against the rocks than Harris.”
“And?”
“I might have, if he hadn’t managed to get such a good grip.”
“Your head got injured at the same time, I assume?”
“The first time.”
Levin stopped writing and stared at her again.
“Blake slammed me against a wall for good measure.”
Levin nodded. “Either of them could have caused your concussion. Anything else?”
“I was in and out a lot after that. I don’t remember any other injuries, but—”
“What about the mark on your shoulder?”
Kyla fingered the silvery mark through the fabric of her hospital gown. “This?”
He nodded.
“It’s an old scar. Very old.”
“Do you know when they gave you the injection?”
Kyla shook her head.
“Well, it looks like they were trying to keep you sedated for awhile. They may have done it while you were already unconscious.” He checked her over and got ready to leave. “You’re going to be with us for a few days, I’m afraid. We gave you a tetanus shot and antibiotics already to keep infection at bay. If all goes well, you’ll be home on Wednesday.”
The nurse swept in the door. She nodded to Levin and placed Kyla’s ring in her bandaged hand.
Kyla smiled through a sheen of tears. “Thank you.” She looked at the woman’s nametag. Victoria. She owed Victoria one. Kyla slipped the ring back on her finger.
“I checked on your husband,” Victoria said.
“And? Is he okay?”
“The bullet was removed. It fractured the bone, so he’s in a cast and in traction. He needed some blood, but he’s somewhere between guarded and stable. He should be released in a week or so if all goes well.”
Kyla felt her concern rising. “I want to see him.”
“It’s not a good time for that,” Levin answered.
“I don’t care about that.” Kyla forced her way up to sitting, battling dizziness.
“It’s the middle of the night, and he’s asleep,” Victoria reasoned with her. “We’ll see what we can do later today. For now, why don’t you rest and we’ll let your family in?”
Kyla nodded and sank back to the bed. It did feel good to lay down. “Molly, too,” she reminded the nurse.
“But regulations say—”
Levin interrupted her. “I’d say this is a special case. Why don’t we forget about them this time.”
Kyla smiled at him gratefully and closed her eyes. She wanted to go back to sleep, but not until she saw her family. The door opened, and she opened her eyes.
Matthew stepped in and smiled at her. “How do you feel?”
“Roughly like a train wreck looks,” Kyla commented with a strained smile.
“So, are we still on the lookout?” Matthew asked.
“For Harris? No. Hopefully not for anyone else either.”
“What did he want with you?”
Kyla closed her eyes. This was the one situation she hadn’t considered yet. How could she ever explain this to her Dad? “It’s so crazy, it’s like some psychotic dream.”
“So, Briana did have something to do with it.” She could hear the laughter in his voice, but it was strained.
“Not that I know of, but it wouldn’t surprise me.” Kyla sighed. “As near as I’ve figured it, some nuts got together and decided I was some sort of legendary being they had to destroy.” She opened her eyes to gauge his response better.
Matthew’s smile disappeared, as he realized his daughter wasn’t laughing. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
Kyla shook her head. “No, I’m not. See what I mean? See why I was so afraid for you all?”
He nodded and sat down heavily in the bedside chair. “Well, I guess it’s good that I came in to see you first. Molly will be in in a few minutes. So, do I have Joe to thank for you being alive?”
Kyla noticed he didn’t meet her gaze when he asked. She nodded. “And a few others.”
“Well, maybe I should get to know my son-in-law, seeing as how I owe him so much, that is?” Matthew shot her a hurt expression.
Kyla felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “It’s not legal, yet. It is kind of hard to get a marriage license when you’re running for your life.”
He nodded. “I was hoping Joe would be the one when I met him, but it did take me by surprise.”
“If there was a way to do it safely, you know I would have contacted you.”
“I know it.” Matthew hesitated. “Don’t take this as criticism, but isn’t this all a little fast?”
“No, it’s not. I can’t explain it, Dad, but I would have married Joe the first time we met. We’re like two pieces of the same puzzle.”
“Josie and I are like that.” He smiled. “So, the doctor tells me you had broken ribs. Joe took care of that, too?”
“No, that was Gram. She’s my best friend.” Kyla smiled at the memories.
“I’d like to meet her, too.” Matthew smiled, but his smile faded with hers.
“They killed her.” She wiped away a tear in irritation. “She didn’t deserve what they did to her. She never hurt a soul purposely.”
Her father hugged her. “It will be all right. It’s over, and you’re coming home.”
The door opened again, and Josie stepped in with Molly. Molly charged for the bed, but Matthew scooped her up in a smooth motion.
“None of that for a few weeks. Your sister needs to heal first”
“I’ll take a hug, though,” Kyla offered. Molly hugged her tightly, and Kyla grimaced at the pains in her ribs. When Josie pulled Molly off, Kyla took several breaths to recover.
For the next ten minutes or so, Molly prattled on and on about school and friends, six weeks of what Kyla had missed. Finally, she got down to business.
“When are you coming home?” Molly asked.
“In a few days. The doctor wants me to stick around here for a little while.”
Molly pouted. “What about Joe?”
“Even longer, I’m afraid. Almost a week until they let him go.”
“But I want to meet him,” she complained.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Kyla told her.
“What?” Josie asked.
“Why not? In a few hours, we’ll steal a wheelchair and go see Joe.”
“Really?” Molly squealed.
Kyla nodded in reply.
“Maybe, before
that, I’ll go talk to Joe myself,” Matthew said.
Kyla smiled at him. “I’d like that. I’m sure Joe would too.”
Matthew jerked his head toward the door and glanced at Josie meaningfully.
Josie nodded and took Molly’s hand. “Well then, we’d better get home, get some sleep, and get cleaned up before we meet Joe.” She hugged Kyla. “Let’s go, squirt.”
“I’m not a squirt,” Molly protested, as the door closed behind them.
Matthew glanced back at his older daughter. “What’s on your mind?” he asked.
“I think you’ll like Joe if you get a chance to meet him.”
“This is going to be difficult, Kyla. I’ll do my best, but a father worries.”
“Dad, do you know why Joe is here? In the hospital, I mean?”
“No, I don’t. They just told me that he was in fair condition.”
“One of those nuts I told you about tried to shoot me. Joe pulled me aside and shielded me with his own body. He took a bullet for me, because he loves me that much. All I ask is that you give him a chance,” Kyla finished quietly.
Matthew nodded and kissed her cheek. “I’ll try,” he promised.
* * *
Leo looked at his watch again. It was two in the morning, and they had been taking statements from the three clergymen for the last ten hours. Leo desperately needed a few hours sleep before he tackled interviewing Kyla and Joe. He hoped they would be up to talking, though the other three didn’t leave many holes to fill in.
Father O’Shea had taken the least amount of time. There wasn’t much he could tell them.
He’d offered a disturbing note, which Brian confirmed writing. It outlined a myriad of crimes that Harris and his men, Anderson, and Brian had committed at the direction of Archbishop Peter Jessup. The note had begged O’Shea’s help in “ending the violence before more innocents die today.” It had instructed O’Shea to meet him at the convent anytime he could break away that afternoon. It had also begged him to report it all if he saw anything “disturbing.”
O’Shea had taken the bus to the hospital and hiked to the convent. He had barely rounded the final corner on campus when he’d heard a series of gunshots. He’d crept closer and seen several injured men in the garden. O’Shea had decided that it definitely qualified as disturbing at that point, so he’d sprinted back down the hill toward the hospital. Once he got there, he’d called for help.
Based on the note, Leo had sent a couple of officers to pick Jessup up for questioning. They’d reported back that Jessup would only be reporting in to one authority figure. He had committed suicide.
His television had been tuned to the local news network. He had scrawled a single line on a sheet of paper he’d left on his desk: “I am defeated. May God have mercy on us all.”
Brian and Cole took much longer. There seemed an almost limitless list of crimes they were admitting to. When Leo asked them why they were doing it, their words were different, but their meanings were the same. Atonement, paying for their crimes and not believing that atrocities committed in the name of faith were acceptable anymore.
“Why the change?” Leo asked Brian.
The former bishop cried openly. “I knew that first night it was wrong, but I was too cowardly to act. When you told me Kyla was switched, I realized the true depth of my corruption. Still, God forgive me, I didn’t act. I suppose I hoped Joe would be able to hide her forever or that Jessup and Harris would die off or give up.”
Brian sighed raggedly. “I was wrong. From the moment I got the call that Harris had them, I knew I had to act. There was no more time to stall.”
“Why not call us?”
“No. Harris would have simply killed them all and moved into those damnable tunnels. You would never have caught him.”
“Why the note? Why O’Shea?”
Brian shrugged. “I thought O’Shea would have a clearer head. He is Kyla’s priest, you know.”
“No, actually...I didn’t know that.”
* * *
Leo shifted his broken arm uncomfortably and looked at Andrew. “I don’t know. Have you ever seen stories match up so well?”
Andrew shook his head. “Can’t say that I ever have.”
“Neither have I.”
The younger man smiled. “One thing is sure,” he commented.
Leo raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“We checked their effects before we handed them over, took samples. You know.”
Leo nodded.
“She loves that man terribly.”
“The ring.”
Andrew smiled and shook his head. He pulled out photocopy sheets and handed them to Leo. “I made you an extra copy. Hell, if it wasn’t so personal, I’d consider posting it.”
“What are they?”
“Poems, hand written. They were in Connor’s wallet. Look at the signature on the bottom. Then, check the drawing on the back.”
Leo scanned the poems. They were touching love poems dedicated to Joe “with love forever” by Kyla. The drawing was a simple sketch of Joe asleep. Half of his face was lost in shadow. Even so, the contented smile was evident.
Leo nodded. “Terribly. Beautifully. I hope it all works out for them.” He wasn’t lying. Please, don’t give me a reason to tear you apart.
* * *
Joe was getting stir-crazy. It was five o’clock, and no one had let him know how Kyla was yet. At midnight, the last time he was awake, she was still unconscious but stable. Joe had asked again half an hour ago, and no one had come to tell him. He knew there was a police officer outside the door, so Joe yelled for him.
The officer appeared, looking surprised. “Need something?” he asked.
“Does Kyla have a guard too?”
“Why do you want to know that?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.
“She’s my wife,” Joe snapped. “I want to make sure she’s safe. Is that so unusual?”
“No,” the officer relented. “Yeah, Waters placed a guard on each of you. She’s safe.”
Joe relaxed visibly. “Thank you.”
The officer disappeared behind the heavy door again.
Suddenly, a thought came to Joe. He hadn’t tried this since midnight. He reached out to Kyla.
The vacuum was gone. “Hello, Love.”
“Joe? I was waiting for you to wake up. I’m coming to see you later.”
“I can’t wait.” He could picture her smile and her light blush.
“My family wants to meet you too.”
“They’ve seen the ring?” he asked.
“Yes. I had to raise a ruckus about us being married to get any information about your condition.”
“Same here. How do you feel?”
“Sore. I can’t wait for the stitches to come out. How about you?”
“Stir crazy. I hate traction.”
“Here comes the nurse again. Gotta go. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” Joe sighed as the connection ended. It had been nice while it lasted.
Joe relaxed into his pillow. Waters would be here in few hours. He should sleep while he still could.
At eight o’clock, Waters did arrive. The officer outside the door opened it for him. Waters had an arm cast on and looked very uncomfortable. He took a seat beside the bed and took out a tape recorder.
“Hello, Mr. Connor. I’m Detective Waters of the south station. If you don’t mind, I need you to answer a few questions.”
Joe nodded. “Before you start, Detective Waters, I have to thank you. And please, call me Joe.”
Waters looked confused. “Thank me for what?”
“I saw the news footage. You got Kyla out. You saved her life. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Well, it’s a good thing she insisted they take you out first. That would have been much more difficult carrying you.”
Waters smiled, and Joe made a mental note to have a long talk with Kyla about how close she cut that escape.
“Well,”
he began, “this looks fairly cut and dried. After all, I have a reverend and a priest down at the station telling me volumes. However, I do have some holes that I need filled.”
Joe nodded. Kyla had fleshed out the bishop’s story so there would be no slip-ups. If they ran into trouble, there was the link. “What do you want to know?”
“Harris attacked Kyla at her apartment?”
Joe nodded. “Saturday evening after her father dropped her off.”
“What happened?”
“I saw it from my place and went over. I fought with Harris, and he took off.”
“How did you get in?”
“I had a key.”
“Who picked the lock?”
“Harris.”
“What about the open window in the bedroom?”
“You mean the studio. Harris went out that way.”
“Did Kyla know you could see her from your apartment?”
“Of course.”
“How long did you watch her before she knew?”
“I didn’t. We set it up that way.”
“Who did?”
“Gram and Kyla and I.”
“Gram?” Waters asked in confusion.
“Samantha Allen.”
“Will she tell the same story?”
Joe hesitated. “She would. They killed her.”
“You mean—”
Joe nodded. “At the college. They were in the chapel when they did it.”
“Who killed her?”
“Howard Anderson.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. We were still separated then.”
“Back to this deal between the three of you— What happened there?”
“Gram had known Kyla for a long time. Gram found out about their plan to kidnap her. Kyla thought it was silly, but she agreed to let me protect her. We hit it off later.” Joe smiled at the memories. “But...Kyla didn’t want me hanging around at first. She’s people shy. So, we worked this out. Her apartment was wired for sound, and I had a clear view. I could keep an eye on her without being underfoot. Of course, as we got to know each other—” He shrugged and grinned widely.
“Can you prove any of this?” Waters asked skeptically.
“Sweep her apartment and work for bugs. Then, ask Kyla about it.”
“You weren’t alone when you went over there.”
