A Second Past Midnight (The Sentinels)

by Melinda Hunter

  “No but I’m guessing you’re going to wish you were. Do you hurt?” Arrigo kissed the back of her hand as she looked around the room. Her eyelids fluttered faster with each blink for a few seconds.

  “No.”

  “I’m so sorry, baby. I should have checked that part of the room myself and this wouldn’t have happened.”

  “Not your fault—” Sana paused and tried to lick her lips. “I need a drink.”

  “Let me get the nurse.” Arrigo suddenly felt frantic, as he didn’t want Sana to be uncomfortable at all. He stood to go get the nurse, but then remembered that there was a call button.

  “Yes,” a nurse replied.

  “Sana is awake and she would like some water,” Arrigo stated.

  “I’ll be right there.”

  Within a few short minutes the nurse came into the room. “Good to see you awake Mrs. Kane,” the nurse said as she approached. Turning to look at Arrigo she continued. “I’ve called the doctor and he’ll be here shortly. In the meantime, I brought some ice chips. You can help her with them until the doctor approves her to drink.” The nurse sat the cup of ice down on the table and started to check Sana’s vitals.

  “I’ll wash up first.” Arrigo scrubbed his hands and turned the water to its hottest so he could rinse the soap off.

  Arrigo turned back and picked up the cup. Sitting down next to Sana, he picked up a small piece of ice and rubbed it across her dried lips before he let it slip onto her tongue.

  “More please.” She blinked frequently still as if she were trying to stay awake, but Arrigo knew it would take some time.

  “Whatever you want.” Arrigo smiled as she sucked another piece of ice from his fingers. If she hadn’t been lying in a hospital bed, he would have thought it to be arousing to see her mouth form a small o shape as she took a third piece of ice from him.

  “Better,” she whispered.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes when the doctor arrives.” The nurse left and Arrigo jumped up as quickly as he could. Leaning over her, he pressed his lips to hers. Joy wasn’t enough to describe the feelings that he had at that moment, but it was close. The nagging idea that she might not wake up had been in the back of his mind for over twenty-four hours and now that she had woken, he wanted to celebrate.

  Pulling back, he kissed her forehead and her cheeks in between words. “I. Love. You.”

  “Love you too,” Sana whispered. Arrigo sat down and just stared at his beautiful wife that was alive, despite the odds. He knew she had a long way to go, but the biggest hurdle had been overcome.

  “I’m so sorry that this happened. I don’t know what to say.” Arrigo shook his head and hid his face in his hands. Once again, with fatigue taking over, he couldn’t control his emotions.

  “It wasn’t your fault.” Sana reached up and pushed Arrigo’s hair away from his face. She knew she was weak but she desperately wanted to console him. She was the one that tackled the man and she had done it because she saw he had a gun and instantly feared that he would shoot Arrigo. It was a split-second decision, but it had been hers to make and she didn’t regret it.

  Still shaking his head, she heard the last thing she ever expected. Arrigo weeping.

  “Please don’t. I need your strength.” Sana pleaded with him. Instantly, he looked up at her with surprised eyes. Sana held her hand to his face and wiped away the tears that streamed down the left side of his face. Arrigo brushed away the others.

  “I’ll have to call Sinjin and Adam for you. They’re waiting to hear that you’re awake.” Arrigo pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Sinjin first.

  Sana lay silently as she watched and listened to Arrigo’s half of the conversation. His conversation with Sinjin was very brief but to the point. Sinjin had told Arrigo that he would be by the next morning and she had gathered that he would be bringing Arrigo fresh clothes.

  She watched as he dialed another number.

  “You want to talk to Adam?” he asked.

  Shaking her head, she didn’t want to explain anything right then. Then she realized that Arrigo had never talked to Adam before.

  “How did you get his number?” She glared at him lightly as it took more energy than she would have expected to frown at him.

  “He was here a while ago.” Arrigo stated.

  “Oh no.” Sana let out a sigh, but Arrigo squeezed her hand and smiled. If Adam was in Chicago then she really would have explaining to do including the fact that she had gotten married without telling him. Arrigo released her hand and stood up while he talked to Adam.

  “Adam, Sana’s awake.” Arrigo continued pacing the room and Sana seized the opportunity to investigate her body. She had two I.V.’s and she let out another sigh as she pulled the sheet back. She moved her gown aside to see a large dressing pressed to her stomach and a drain tube and then there was a catheter tube too.

  “Great.” She hated all of it, but knew it was necessary.

  Arrigo turned back toward her, but she looked away from him.

  “Just come by tomorrow. She’s really weak and the doctor hasn’t been by yet.” Arrigo ended his call and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

  “Are you alright? Do I need to get the nurse?” Arrigo’s concerned tone actually made her want to laugh. She chuckled once and it sent a stabbing pain through her side that she hadn’t expected.

  “Ow!” Clutching her side, she laughed again.

  “Sana what is it?” Before she could stop him, he pressed the call button.

  “Arrigo.” She caught her breath enough to grab his hand, but the nurse had already responded. By this time, Sana felt more awake.

  “Yes, Mrs. Kane?”

  “Sorry, it was an accident,” Sana replied.

  Staring at her as if he didn’t understand, Arrigo froze.

  “Sit,” Sana ordered. Arrigo plopped into the chair. “I’ve had my guts shot out so it hurts some, but it’s normal I’m sure and you running around like a mother hen made me laugh which made it worse.” Sana felt almost breathless after her sentence and had a real grasp of just how weak she was.

  “Now, come here and kiss me again because you look good enough to eat in those clothes.” Sana held her hand out toward him. He wore a black V-neck shirt and jeans and he looked sexy as hell. Arrigo cupped her hand in his as he leaned back over her and crushed her lips with his.

  The taste of him filled her senses and brought a calmness to her that she gladly welcomed. Holding Arrigo’s face to hers, she groaned slightly as his requested onslaught continued.

  “I definitely think that you’ll have to take it easy with that kind of activity.” A voice said. Sana shifted her eyes toward the door to see a man in a white coat and a woman in scrubs.

  Arrigo stood up as if he were going to back away, but Sana didn’t let go of his hand.

  The nurse moved the bed up so that Sana was tilted upward and the doctor started his examination by checking her eyes and then her pulse. Once he moved to check her wound, Arrigo stepped back.

  “How do you feel?” The doctor asked.

  “It hurts a little, but normal I guess?" Sana glanced toward Arrigo who stood at the foot of her bed.

  “Yes it is. You have a morphine drip going and we’ll switch it over to a clicker for you within the next few hours. And we can get rid of that catheter at the same time. Once those things are done, you’ll be able to get up some.” The doctor glanced at Arrigo, the nurse and back at Sana. She was glad that she would be able to get up soon.

  “I know you just woke up, but I need to fill you in on a few things. Are you okay with that now?” he asked politely. Opening her chart, he looked at it briefly before speaking.

  “You were very lucky that the bullet didn’t hit any major organs, but there was some damage to your intestines. You’ll be on a soft diet for a few days and your right ovary and fallopian tubes were also damaged beyond repair and had to be removed.”

  Sana listened to the doctor and felt Arrigo squeeze
her foot, but it took her a minute to process everything.

  “Your intestine was severed and has been repaired and you received two units of blood.” The doctor paused as if he were waiting for Sana’s response. The fact was that she didn’t know how she was going to respond. Being operated on wasn’t what concerned her, the fact that one of her ovaries was gone did.

  “Can I still have children?” Sana wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer to the question, but she needed to.

  “Yes you can. Your uterus wasn’t damaged and women conceive all the time with only one functioning ovary.”

  Sana felt relief wash over her. She and Arrigo wanted children and the news that they could still have them muted some of her pain.

  “You should heal completely, but it will take time.” The doctor closed her file and stood up. “Unless you have any other questions I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you.”

  “Thank you,” Arrigo said.

  “Thanks,” Sana said too.

  “Get some rest.” The doctor patted Sana on the leg as he started out.

  No sooner had the doctor left than fatigue took over.

  Sana yawned, but she didn’t want to go to sleep yet.

  “Time for you to rest, but I don’t want to leave. Are you going to be able to rest if I stay?” She could tell that Arrigo desperately wanted to stay.

  Sana nodded, she wanted to be near Arrigo as much as he would allow. Sitting down next to her, he leaned over so that his rested on her leg.

  “If this bothers you just tell me.” Arrigo reached up and held on to her hand as they both closed their eyes and drifted off back to sleep.

  Part Two

  Chapter 6.

  October 2012- Tecktar Facilities Elk Grove Village, IL

  The whites of his eyes seemed to glow in the dimly lit room giving the figure an aura that only hinted to how lethal he really was. Sana remained hidden from him in the corner of the room. With her heart pounding so hard that she could feel it in her throat, she could only hope that he didn’t hear it. The light of the moon seeping through the window blinds illuminated the clock on the wall enough for her to see that it had just clicked the first second past midnight.

  Sana wasn’t supposed to be here now.

  She should have been gone, but she hadn’t expected to run into one of Tecktar’s mercenaries. They typically weren’t inside the labs, but guarding the top executives instead. All that she could see from her position was the silhouette of an enormous man that could definitely do some damage even unarmed.

  Sana also knew that this man would most likely have senses honed to pick up the faintest sound or smell. Even the slightest movement could give her away. Holding her breath, she watched him prowl through the room like a wild animal on the hunt.

  If the man found her, she knew she would be just as good as dead. When Tecktar put up a no trespassing sign, they meant it. The last FBI agent that had been found inside the laboratories was shipped back to the bureau in a body bag so she was naturally a bit on edge. They all knew of the danger involved with Tecktar from their contacts with the FBI and while Sana wasn’t exactly assigned to the case, she had read the file and wanted this assignment so she jumped at the opportunity and decided to go in on her own. Obviously now she rethought that idea.

  She watched as he stalked around each table and chair and wondered what could have possibly turned a man such as him into a lethal killer for Tecktar, but it didn’t really matter to her. She had a job to do and nothing more. She wasn’t here as a missionary to convert heathens, but to find proof of what Tecktar was doing to the homeless people that they had coerced or kidnapped. The photos that she had taken were enough to prove something strange was going on.

  Sana’s breath began to run out while he surveyed the room and she would have to take in as shallow of a breath as she could soon, but he might hear her. Slowly, she raised her hand to cover her mouth and took in a small amount of air.

  Ever so quietly, she took in a second draw of air until she felt relief. Suddenly, he stiffened and turned his head in her direction. Then, as if someone had called him, the man quickly exited the room.

  Sana could finally take in a deep breath as the door clicked shut behind the man. Her pulse slowed back down and she knew this would be her last chance to get out without being noticed.

  Scurrying like a rat through the room, she ran toward a door that she knew to lead her to an exit. She listened for several minutes to make sure that there wasn’t anyone moving about on the other side of the door.

  Careful not to make a sound, Sana slowly opened the door to find the hallway dimly illuminated about twenty feet away. Blackness filled the area directly in front of her. While her gut instincts told her to wait, she didn’t see anything so she started out the door.

  As quick as she stepped out of the door, an unknown force shoved her back into the room. The sound of the door shutting behind her echoed in the darkness. Her only conclusion was that the man had sensed her and had waited for her. Next time she would heed her gut. If there was a next time.

  Struggling to get free, Sana’s breath caught in her throat as he slammed her against the wall. His fingers tightened around her throat and his other hand gripped her waist tightly.

  “You make a sound and I will crush your larynx,” he growled. She knew this was the end. She would die and she could do nothing to stop him as he squeezed the life out of her. A mercenary with Tecktar had her and he would be more than thorough with his task. She swallowed hard and then surprisingly his grip around her neck loosened while his hold on her waist remained firm.

  With his body pressed firmly against hers, she could feel every hard line of him even through the body armor that he wore.

  A wave of sizzling energy radiated from her core and throughout her extremities, but it didn’t make sense. He was the enemy. She really did need to get laid if she was feeling this way just because he was intimately pressed against her. She couldn’t even force herself to fight his hold on her.

  The heat of his breath crossed her neck sending a shiver over her. The events had her mind wandering from the current situation as if she were somewhere else until he spoke.

  “Damn, you still smell the same,” he whispered. His raspy voice caught her off guard, but not as much as the words. What the hell was he talking about? She didn’t know who he was much less understand how he would know what she smelled like.

  Sana could only deduce that he was mistaken. After all, he was a hired killer and had to be a little off in the head in the first place so he was probably delusional. Without further hesitation, Sana went for his throat.

  Using two fingers, she quickly jabbed his windpipe, rendering him breathless. Then, before he could respond, she kneed him in the groin. He dropped to his knees as she darted away.

  “Sana.” He called out her name in a muffled tone and just as she reached for the door knob, she stopped. He knew her name?

  Her heart lurched.

  Her mind raced to process everything. It couldn’t be possible. Her mind must be playing tricks on her because the only person that came to mind was Arrigo and he was dead. With her hand on the knob, she wanted to run, but she couldn’t. If Arrigo was alive, she had to know even if he had turned to their side.

  Sana released the doorknob and turned in the darkness toward his voice.

  “Who are you and how do you know my name?” She demanded.

  “Get out. Just get out while you can.” His garbled voice filled the room.

  Sana swore he had said her name. Now she was determined to find out exactly who he was even in the frightening darkness. She moved her hand along the wall trying to find a light switch. Just as she discovered it, another, much larger hand covered hers.

  “Don’t,” whispered the man. With his body pressed against her back, she felt another surge of energy sear her. But she had to know. With the flick of her wrist, the lights were now on, but she had yet to turn around. Her gut churned with anxiety. Somewher
e deep inside she had hoped this moment would come, but never truly expected it because Arrigo had died.

  “I have to,” she replied.

  Sana slowly turned toward her unknown host and her heart stopped. His brown hair was longer, and he wore a trimmed beard. But the most noticeable change was the gruesome scar running down the right side of his face, nonetheless it was him.

  Arrigo. A hundred questions raced through her mind, but none of them seemed important. The only thing that mattered was that he was indeed alive. It didn’t matter that the last time that she had seen him she had told him that she never wanted to see him again. She hadn’t meant it, but never got a chance to tell him otherwise before he had disappeared only to be reported killed in action.

  Sana’s breathing became rapid as she lifted her hand to his scarred cheek and caressed it. Staring into his green eyes, she remembered every moment they had shared together. Every time that he had touched her, he made her feel special. How she had missed him.

  “What are you doing here?” he growled out. The venom of his tone didn’t match his actions but it snapped her out of her momentary trance.

  “I don’t understand,” she said softly. Arrigo closed his eyes and pressed his cheek against her hand.

  Arrigo had never expected to see Sana again, but now that he had, he didn’t know if he would be able to let her go. He would have to though, for her safety.

  His brain switched back to defense mode. It would only be a matter of minutes before someone would see them on the surveillance cameras.

  Without a word, he flipped the light back off.

  “What are you doing?” Sana asked.

  Arrigo covered her hand with his and while he wanted to hold it there against his cheek, he couldn’t. He had to get her out of the lab before she was spotted. Pulling her hand down, he wrapped the other around her waist.

  “I have to get you out of here before someone sees you. The light must stay off and we must remain quiet,” he whispered.

  “Arrigo—”