Beyond the Call of Duty

by Wendy Stone

  Gabe mumbled something, but she didn’t hear what it was. She smiled at the three men as they moved to the side to give her the room she needed to wrangle the wheelchair past them. Lexi didn’t breathe again until she and Gabe were out the doors and next to her car. Hitting the unlock button on her key fob, she managed to get him inside and then pushed the wheelchair closer to the hospital.

  “I can’t believe you’re going to let them get away,” he said as she opened the driver’s-side door.

  “They are not my problem; keeping you safe is.” She pushed the key into the ignition and fumbled in her purse for her cell phone. She dialed a number and spoke quickly into the phone. “Monroe City Hospital, three men all headed for the eighth floor. The Elliott case.” She listened for a moment and clicked the phone closed.

  “Someone is coming. Now buckle up.”

  She fastened her own seatbelt and turned the key in the ignition, backing carefully out of the busy parking lot. She moved over when three cop cars, lights and sirens blaring, pulled into the long driveway and headed toward the hospital.

  Lexi barely looked at him as she drove back onto the road. “Keep your head down, Gabe.”

  “Thank you,” he said, sinking down in the seat until he could barely be seen. “Will they let you know―”

  “―if they’ve got them? Yes, and I will let you know, but remember, the only person that will know who they are exactly is you. They want you dead, Gabe. They know you survived the attack. You have to remember that they will be looking for you, and it’s my job to make sure you don’t get found. That means you can’t argue with me. When I tell you to duck, you duck. If I tell you to run and not look back, you do it.”

  He stared at her for a moment. “Wait a minute, Lexi. You expect me to just run? I’m not that kind of guy. Give me a gun, and I can protect myself.”

  “Not happening.” She glanced over at him. “So get over it and shut up. This is my job, and I’m damn good at it.”

  “I’m not doubting you or...that, but dammit, Lexi...”

  “No.” She reached down and turned on the radio, hitting one of the preset buttons and turning on the local country station. Turning it up, she allowed herself one last look, casting him a gloating smile. Carrie Underwood hit a high note, and Gabe reached down, changing the radio station and turning down the volume.

  “How can you listen to that?” he asked.

  “This is any better?”

  “It’s Nickelback.”

  “And that means?” She glanced over at him, smiling at the look on his face. “You’re too easy, Gabe. You need to learn when someone is trying to get to you.”

  “Where are we going?” he asked after a few minutes. “Are you taking me to a safe house or something?”

  “Or something,” she said with a smile. “Why don’t you sit back and relax, sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”

  Gabe shifted uncomfortably. Lexi reached out, hitting the lever on the seat that would let the back recline. “Thank you,” he said, closing his eyes.

  Chapter Three

  Lexi pulled the car over and turned into the driveway, reaching up to hit the button that would open the garage door. Pulling in, she shut off the car and closed the garage door. Turning toward Gabe, she reached out and touched his shoulder.

  “Gabe, we’re here.”

  He groaned, opening his eyes and staring at her with confusion written all over his face. “What?” he asked huskily.

  “We’re here,” she repeated.

  “Where’s here?” He sat up, groaning at the strain on his injuries.

  “Home-sweet-home.” She got out of the car and went to the passenger side, opening the door for him and helping him out. “You stay behind me.” She waited until he nodded. “Good.”

  * * * *

  He watched as she walked toward the door leading inside the house. She held that monster .45 in her small hands as she followed police procedures to clear a room. Her movements were clean and sharp, almost like a dance, as she checked out each corner and behind each door. He followed her, peering into the house before going in.

  The house wasn’t bad, he thought, and it smelled better than his apartment. Mrs. O’Reilly and her corned beef and cabbage; she lived in the apartment above his and smelled up the entire building every Thursday night. Gabe found he actually missed the smell.

  The garage door led into the kitchen, and he stepped onto the linoleum, peering curiously into the rest of the house he could see.

  There was a large living room, furnished with garage-sale furniture. Nothing matched, though that didn’t bother him. It made it almost seem homier. Before he had a chance to explore any further, Lexi walked back into the kitchen, two men in suits following her. He could see the telltale bulge under their arms and knew them for what they were; cops.

  “This is Gerald and Joe,” she said, nodding at each of the men as she introduced them. “They are going to be here when I’m not, Gabe. If you have any problems or questions, you can ask them and they’ll be happy to help you.” She reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out the two bottles of pills the nurse gave her. “I’m going to run to the store and pick up groceries. Is there anything specific that you want?”

  “A bottle of Jack?” he asked, seeing the stubborn look come over her face.

  “Not with the drugs you’re on. We’re trying to keep you alive, not put you back in the hospital with an overdose. Stay away from windows and get some rest, Gabe. I’ll be back in a bit.” She nodded at the other two men and headed back out the way she came in. She went through the door, glancing back at the two suits. “Lock this.”

  Then she was gone.

  Gabe sighed heavily. He moved slowly into the living room, pushing the heavy curtains to the side just enough so he could watch her move out of the driveway.

  “She wants you to rest,” Gerald said, following him into the kitchen.

  “Do I care?” he asked, glancing back at the man.

  “Because Lexi Hunter is one of the best. She’ll keep you safe if you listen to her. There are three bedrooms upstairs, so pick whichever one you want. As Lexi said; stay away from the windows.”

  Gabe sighed and rose clumsily to his feet. He picked up the two bottles she left on the counter and made his way to the staircase, groaning as he climbed up the carpeted stairs. There were four closed doors in the upstairs hallway. Opening the first door, he glanced into the room and then went and checked out the other rooms, finally choosing the only one with an en suite bathroom.

  Maybe he was overreacting, but he was not happy to be kidnapped from his hospital room, dragged halfway across the state and dumped in a house far from every one and everything he knew. He went into the bathroom and set the pill bottles down on the counter by the sink. He sank down on the toilet seat cover and dropped his head into his hands.

  He winced as the stitches in his stomach were pulled by his huge sigh. His thoughts were as dark as any future he could see for himself at the moment. He needed information, and he needed to know how long they thought he was going to stay here.

  “Dammit, Tony. Why did you have to piss off the Traeger family?” A sudden thought hit him like a ton of bricks. “Teri...” he said softly and helplessly. He wondered if either of the two schmucks downstairs would know if she were okay or not. He had to find out. She’d been Tony’s mistress and had become one of his best friends.

  He got up, holding in a moan as the pain started to become a little more than the dull thumping it had been. Maybe he could lie down for a while, just until he felt a bit better. When Lexi got back, he would get the answers he needed.

  Walking into the bedroom, he pulled the covers back on the bed and slid into clean, soft sheets. He thumped the pillow a couple of times, forming a hollow for his head to rest in, and sank down, feeling sleep pull at him before he even closed his eyes.

  * * * *

  Lexi pulled into the local shopping mart, staring at the busy parking lot with
a grimace. Shopping was one thing she hated. She found a parking spot and walked inside, grabbing a cart out of the rack and pushing it in front of her.

  Gabe seemed like the meat and potatoes kind of guy, so she stocked up on both, throwing in a variety of fruit and vegetables. She grabbed a bag of tortilla chips and some salsa as well and got a can of coffee, knowing Gerald and Joe would appreciate the thought. The cart was half-full when she headed toward the checkouts and stood in line grimly, wishing she could flash her badge and cut into the front of the line.

  By the time she got out of the store, her nerves were frazzled, and she wanted to pull her gun and blast some of the teenagers speeding through the parking lot, causing more and more trouble. She didn’t dare. It was little things like that which would get her witness killed. He was the job, and part of it was doing things like this until she could get him through trial.

  She tossed the groceries into the back seat of her car, seeing the other bag of clothing she got for him. She’d been lucky at the hospital. One of the nurses kept his cut-off clothing and gave it to one of the cops watching him. She got his sizes that way.

  The drive back to the safe house didn’t take long, and she headed inside, seeing the curtains move back just an inch or so as she’d pulled into the driveway. “Coffee is in the car,” she called to Gerald and Joe, watching as both of them headed out into the garage to bring in the bags.

  “Gabe’s upstairs, Lex. I think he’s sleeping,” Gerald called from where they were emptying out the bags and putting things in the fridge and the cupboard.

  She nodded and headed for the stairs. She wasn’t staying here tonight; Gerald and Joe would, but she’d be back tomorrow. There was already a buzz about Gabe’s witness statement as well as a grand jury injunction.

  It was going to mean a lot of headaches, a lot of hassle, and she might even get a gray hair or two in this one. Gabe had taken the bedroom she’d been thinking of for herself for the nights she’d be staying. The idea of sharing a bathroom with some of the guys from her office...well, it wasn’t what she really wanted to do. Lexi walked into the room and sank down on the side of the bed, reaching out her hand to touch his shoulder.

  * * * *

  Gabe moaned softly and slid his hand up to cover hers. Her skin was soft, her hand tiny under his big paw. He could smell her scent, the spicy fragrance befuddling his mind almost as much as his injuries. He tugged on her hand and pulled her down, letting his hands fall to rest on the curve of her ass. They were nice curves, firm but with just the right amount of softness to let him know she was a woman.

  Without even opening his eyes, he bent his head, unerringly finding her lips. Her gasp was welcomed, and he pushed his tongue into her mouth. She tasted of coffee and heat, the combined flavors going straight to his head. For just a moment, he reveled in that taste, wanting more.

  A burst of pain in his hand had his eyes shooting open, and he let her go quickly, rolling painfully to his back. She let him go too. “What?”

  * * * *

  “Gabe, I don’t know what kind of women you are used to, but I am not one of them.” Her breathing was rough, the taste of him in her mouth and on her lips exciting, but she fought it back. “My job is to keep you safe, not fuck you.”

  “Lexi?”

  She could hear the sound of confusion in his tone, and she could see it in his eyes, their hazel depths foggy and drugged.

  “My job is to keep you alive and make sure you get to the grand jury and then to the courthouse, Gabe. That’s the only job I am willing to do for you.” She scooted off the bed and half-way across the room before she turned. “I’m not willing to be anything else, understood?”

  His eyes were sleepy as he blinked at her. “What else would you be?” he asked groggily.

  She took a deep breath, realizing he’d been half-asleep when he grabbed her, when he kissed her. He was still half-asleep now. For a moment, an unbidden thought popped through her head. If he kissed her like that when he’d been drowsy, what would it be like when he actually knew what he was doing? She pushed that thought away along with the groan that seemed to want to accompany it.

  “I wanted to make sure you were okay before I left for the night. I’ll be back tomorrow, but I think you should be all right here with just Gerald and Joe. The new team will be in around six in the morning, and I should be back just a bit after that. I stocked the kitchen with groceries and have more clothes for you as well.”

  “You’re leaving?”

  His surprised tone brought a smile back to her face. “Yes, Gabe. Trust me; you’ll be just fine for twelve hours without me. The guys will get you whatever you need and make sure you’re safe until morning.”

  He struggled to sit up in bed, moaning as it strained the stitches across his stomach and pulled at the gunshot wound. He slid to the side of the bed and let his feet hang over. “Gerald and Joe, huh?”

  “Yeah,” she said, unable to hide her own grin. “They are good guys, and they know the job, Gabe. You’ll do great.”

  He nodded and glanced up at her from under the thickness of his lashes. “Will you tell me something? I mean, tell me the truth about it?”

  “If I can.”

  “Tony had a girlfriend. Her name is Teri Milner. She wasn’t...hit as well?”

  “Teri Milner?” She waited for him to nod. “The name isn’t familiar, but I can check it out for you. I’ve got to head back to the office anyway.”

  “Thanks. Teri’s the type to take care of herself, but I thought that about Tony, too.” He went to stand and seemed amazed when she hurried over to grab his arm and help him up.

  “You need to take it easy, Gabe, otherwise I’m going to have to put you back in the hospital. We won’t have as easy a time keeping you safe there.”

  He nodded. “I’ll do my best. I just have to eat if I’m going to take any more of those pills.”

  She helped him down the stairs, his arm over her shoulders to support more and more of his weight, until she had him sitting on the second-hand couch in the living room. “You tell the guys what you want. They can fix it for you.” She called for Gerald and Joe and went into the kitchen with them, giving them last-minute instructions.

  She waved at Gabe and headed out to her car, shutting the garage door behind her. The trip to her office took even less time, and soon she was riding the elevator and getting off on the eighth floor. The offices were dark and she sighed, knowing she still had at least a couple of hours of work to do. “I love my job,” she said with a smirk, pulling out her keys to open the main doors.

  There was a small pile of phone messages on her desk. She dropped her briefcase on the floor and her keys onto her blotter before picking up the slips. There was only one she had to return tonight, so she sat and grabbed for her phone, dialing the number from memory.

  “Yeah, boss, you called?”

  “Do you ever get out of there before ten, Lexi? You know, hours like you keep are going to kill you. You should find yourself a good man...”

  “Okay, Jack. You sound like my grandmother. I promise; someday I will give you grandbabies. Did you want anything, but to nag at me about hours that are your fault anyway?”

  “How did things go with Elliott?”

  “He’s in the safe house. I’ve got two of my best with him, and I’ll be going back in the morning. I’ve got all my bases covered, Jack. You should know that. You did train me, after all.”

  Jack yawned, and she felt like reaching through the phone to smack him over the head. “Okay, just remember, Lex, the grand jury and getting this injunction are extremely important with this one. We get the Traegers off the streets, and we’re cleaning up half the city. Let’s make sure and do this one right, no matter what.”

  “I understand that, Jack. How about you let me get this done so I can go home and grab some sleep before I have to be back on duty.”

  “I want kept in the loop with this one, Lexi.”

  “Don’t I always?”

/>   “Yeah,” he said before he said his goodbyes and hung up the phone.

  She sighed, knowing Jack wanted hourly reports, which were just going to make her job all that much harder to do.

  She picked up the phone again, dialing the number quickly before she could change her mind. It rang twice and an out-of-breath voice answered the phone. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Mac. It’s Lexi.”

  “Lexi. Okay, who’s dead?”

  She laughed. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

  Mackenzie Hunter-Hawkins laughed. “Only sometimes, Lex. It’s great hearing from you. I was beginning to wonder if the marshals shipped you out of the country or something.”

  “No, my boss had a heart attack. Now I get his job on top of my own.” Lexi had to laugh as she heard her cousin shriek and then heard the sound of a smack. “Tell Hawk to behave a few minutes, Mac. He gets you all the time, I only want a few minutes of phone time.”

  “You try telling him that. The man thinks we’re on a permanent honeymoon.”

  “Well, that’s a good thing,” Lexi said with a giggle. “I don’t think you’re protesting too much.”

  “Definitely not. It’s been absolutely wonderful, Lex.”

  “It’s nice to see...er...hear.” They gossiped about family a few more minutes, discussing how Dillon’s twins were now walking and getting into everything. Aaron’s little girl was getting ready to start school, and Shanna was ready to pop at any time.

  “So, what about you?” Lexi asked. “Has Hawk conned you into having a little one yet?”

  “No, he’s too interested in the practicing part of the deal. Now, you know I love the fact you called, but...”

  “Why did I?” She glanced up and at the door of her office, hearing a noise. She rose but couldn’t walk too far from her desk because of the phone cord. “I have a question, and I didn’t want to go through official sources to find out the answer.”