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My Child (first rough draft chapter 1-6)



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Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:47 am
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missienick says...



Prologue
It seemed to her that the world was coming to an end. The sky was black with rolling clouds and unleashing a heavy rain. She should be inside under shelter but she was searching for something important. As crazy as it sounds she wasn't sure what it was that needed to be found. There at the end of the street was a man. She pulled up next to him and got out. He looked like he was about mid-thirties, 6' 3", dark wavy hair, and beautiful chocolate brown eyes. She walked up to see if he needed a ride but when she looked in his eyes she was reminded of a day that will haunt her forevermore. She and her four year old daughter were walking to the store and a car pulled up, she didn't know anything about the car just that it was a black Chevy pick-up; she heard gunshots. Then she felt pain and went to the ground pulling her daughter under her. Someone shouted, and another person got out of the car and grabbed her daughter. That was the last she saw of Crissy. Now looking in the eyes of this man she felt that same fear, and in the distance, she heard the echo of two gunshots.
~*~
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chapter 1

"No, I don't understand what it means. I have been trying to figure it out for the past two days." Alyssa, putting a book away in her coffee house bookstore, said in aggravation to her best friend, Sara. She wasn't really mad at Sarah or anything; she was just tired of thinking about it and not knowing what it meant. The dream had really shaken her; to the point where she kept a gun at close hand when she was home alone. Alyssa didn't live with anyone, but she lived out in the country, if that explained enough.
"Do you think it has something to do with Crissy?" Sarah ignores the aggravation.
"I know it has something to do with Crissy, I just can't figure out what it is yet." Alyssa tries to stay collected. She had spent most of the past few days tightly wound and worried about what the dream, or rather nightmare, may mean.
"You need to stay with someone. After that dream and the weirdo walking around the house that night, I want you to stay with someone, if not me."
Alyssa almost regretted telling her that she had seen someone walking around the house the same night she had the dream. After she had woken up in the middle of the night, she had gone downstairs to get the traditional cup of hot chocolate, a favorite of Crissy's. After stirring the hot chocolate mix in the water she looked up and out the window, that was when she saw someone looking at the house from the field. Needless to say, it spooked her, but she decided against calling the police. Convincing herself it was only a teenager out past curfew.
"No, I'm fine. I'm not some little pathetic housewife who can't take care of herself, as you well know I can. I'll be fine."
~*~
Jesse Brand was running through the woods once again. "You know, Mark, eventually we are going to find a better way of doing this, right." he said to his partner through his mike.
"No we won’t do that, we live for the excitement, or well you do. I get to sit safely behind on the sidelines while you go out and risk your pretty little neck," Mark's voice came through Jesse's earpiece crackling with static but still clear enough to hear the sarcasm, "you need to find her though. Do what you must to get her here but you HAVE to get her here. We are going to need her as much as she will soon need us."
~*~
No, it has to be a dream. She's dreaming; that's it. It can’t be real; please God don’t let it be real. It's got to be a dream. She woke up drenched in sweat, despite the cold temperature in the house, and extremely frightened. It was the same night in a row that she had dreamed of the day she believes she lost Crissy forever. It all seemed so real, like it was really happening. The gunshots, the pain, the fear, the anguish, the hurt; but it was all a dream. Alyssa looked at the little black clock on her bedside table and it read 3:37 AM. She decided that all she needed was a drink to calm her nerves so she got up and headed to the kitchen. She made it to the hallway when a loud explosion rocked the house from right outside the front door. Seconds. She had mere seconds to get to the kitchen and grab her semi-automatic that was hidden between her microwave and wall. She reached for it, but was just half a second too late. Someone grab her from behind around the waist and covering her mouth to muffle the scream that was sure to come. She grabbed a steak knife with a serrated blade and stabbed at the man behind her.
"SON OF A---!" the man's voice was cut off by another stab and a slash. She was a fighter and she wouldn't let it go down like this. She would fight until one of them died or he ran. She can't let him get to her not like this. She would die fighting if she must, but the voice. It had a burly sound to it, authoritative even and there was a familiarity to it.
She swung another time but the knife hit nothing. He dodged it and managed to grab her wrist and twist it just enough so it would disarm her. Then he ran off. He would have taken her with him, she assumed, if he wasn't wounded that is. She should have been able to do more than just wound him though.
~*~
"Jesse, there's been an explosion in a rural area not far from where you are. Are you sure that no one saw you in the field that night? Word is that it looks like the same explosive mechanics as Pearson's, I think Pearson has found her." Mark was sitting inside his car waiting for Jesse to come back and quit making excuses to go all ninja on Pearson's men. As Jesse like to put it.
"You CAN'T be serious. Did Pearson take her?"
“So far I can't tell, the place is flooded with cops--WAIT! I see a woman standing there talking to a medic. She looks about 5' 5" with dark wavy brown hair, slim but toned body--"
“That’s her, thank god. She must have put up a heck of a fight to still be there. I'm impressed, word around Pearson's men is that he's looking for a certain woman; apparently she's important to something big that he's planning, and they said something about a child. As soon as the police leave I'm going down -”
"NO. You are NOT going down there. She's frightened, irritated, and itching for a fight. What you ARE going to do though, is call her on her cell, and offer her a trade; your help and protection for her assistance."
"Mark, there's no way in hell that she is going to go for it. With our past she'll just give me a few places to shove my offer."
Jesse, you have to get her to come with us. We can protect her and help her find her daughter. Tell her you know how to get her daughter back. I don’t really care what you say, just get her here."
~*~
All Alyssa wanted to do was to go to go upstairs and have a nice warm bath to soothe her nerves. She had been on edge, naturally, since the attack, but she just wanted was everybody to leave. She had just put another pot of coffee on when the last two officers walked up to her door.
"Good evening Ma'am, I'm Officer Matt Jennings, and this is my partner Gary Lewis,” they flashed their badges for her. “Do you mind if we ask a couple questions?"
"Sure, why not, everyone else has. Come on inside. Do you boys want some coffee?" She was getting really tired of the typical cop routine. 'Can we ask a question?' Well what’s it matter, they will ask it anyway. All the while thinking this she is pouring them coffee and thinking of how much she wants to get to her bath; three-something in the morning or not. She needed to relax.
"I heard you say to another officer that the guy's voice sounded familiar." Officer Jennings stated.
"That's a statement. Yes, it did, but as I told Officer What’s-his-face over there, I have no idea where I heard it. It has been bothering me since because I know as soon as I figure out where I heard it, I can find out more." What Alyssa really wanted to say was 'rip the jerk's head off' but figured with two highly trained law officials sitting at her dining room table that that might possibly not be a good idea, so she kept her mouth shut tight.
Then Officer Lewis spoke up, "You said you were reaching for the gun hidden in the kitchen when he came up, where did you get it, if I may ask?"
She figured that would be the next question. God forbid they just trust someone. Not just someone, but someone who was just attacked. You've got to love how much trust goes around.
"I have a brother in the law enforcement. He gave it to me for protection. I guess he figured I might need it, and after what's happened tonight, I think he's right. Before you even ask, yes it's legal. If you want to take it and make sure, go for it, it's there between the microwave and the wall."
"Thanks, Miss, but I don't think that's necessary. Thanks for your time. We already have a squad car assigned to do patrols hourly just in case, so don't hesitate if you need someone's help. We will be here in a matter of time." Officer Jennings said that with so much force and determination in his eyes, you just have to wonder what's going on inside his head. Working in the Child Protection Services had taught her not to get emotionally attached, but it was extremely true with a man as dedicated and strong as Officer Jennings. Yet, there she was standing there just wondering what lay behind those beautiful green eyes, and she had just been attacked. Was she crazy?! She didn't know.
"We must be going, Miss...?" Officer Lewis inquired.
"Thomas. Alyssa Thomas. Thanks for coming by. I apologize if I seem kind of 'off-ish', it's been a long night."
A long night, indeed. A man attacked her and about seven police cars show up within 15 minutes. She decides to go upstairs and soak in a bubble bath.
~*~
 

Chapter 2

"Mark, there is no way on Earth that she is going to believe me." Jesse said through the headset as he walked up the walkway to a beautiful home in South Carolina.
"She's still in the bathroom on the second floor, Jesse."
"I got it. Going through the back now"
"Jesse, do NOT go in her house, she's likely to kill you the second she sees you."
"Nah, she won't. She won't even see me. I'm just going to pop in and leave my little note on her bedside table." Jesse had to stifle a laugh otherwise Mark was going to lay into him. He definitely wanted her to see him, or he wanted to see her, either way. So he walked up to the back door and unsurprisingly found it locked.
"Hey, Mark, can you tap into her code? Surely she doesn't have a pathetic pick-able lock."
"Done and done. Go ahead. If I so much as hear a peep out of you while you are in that house, I'm high-tailing it out of here and you will have to find your own ride out of here."
"Yes Sir, got it Sir. You won't hear a peep unless I let her see me." Jesse snickers. "I'm in."
"Silence is the key, Jesse, remember that."
Jesse slips into the house as silent as possible, but just to annoy Mark, he picks up a spoon and tosses it across the room, snickering into the headset.
"Jesse, I swear to you, if she finds you, I'm gone. I do not want to deal with her right now. You know I didn't want to deal with her years ago when she was lit."
"Don't be such a pansy, Mark. She's upstairs and didn't hear a thing. She's got that famous bubble bath of hers going."
~*~
Click. Alyssa hears something that sounds like the backdoor. Nothing, it's nothing. She is wired up and now she is hearing noises. Alyssa runs through a mental checklist of what she has done since Officer Jennings and his partner have left. She remembered specifically locking all the doors and all the windows and then double-checking, so she is positive it's just her imagination.
Alyssa continues to pour in the lilac-scented bath soaps and salts. Exactly what she needed after everything that had happened tonight. She strips down and slowly lowers herself into the tub of steamy, scented water, and continues to reassure herself it was her imagination.
~*~
Jesse closed the door behind him but no matter how quietly he tried to silently shut the door, as it used to be, it would still click behind him; loud and clear. Well, if she heard him they will meet again earlier then he planned, but as he stopped and listened all was silent in the house except for her bath running upstairs. As he walked across the kitchen he wondered where he should put his little note and as he scans the kitchen he notices the microwave standing amiss on the counter and the dirty dishes in the sink along with a couple empty packets of hot chocolate mix. Without realizing it he starts walking over to the microwave to check if she still keeps her gun there and sure enough when he walks over to it, it’s still in the same place and position as it always was.
Just minutes later while Jesse is sitting in a chair seemingly going down memory lane, Mark's voice jumps inside his head through the blasted earpiece, "Jesse, man, she's getting outa the tub. You should have been in and out by now. Find a place to put the note, preferably without her spotting you."
Jesse’s thoughts go wild; maybe he wants her to see him. Maybe, just maybe, he needs to see her. So now that this decision has been made he will carry it out regardless of what may come.
“Mark, I think it's time for her and I to meet again sooner rather than later.”
"Jesse, you had bet -!" Jesse cuts off Mark as he tears the earpiece from his ear and sets it on the counter.
With Mark’s rambled orders still ringing in his head, Jesse decides to do the dishes. As he starts the water he hears her bath start draining, making this the perfect time to start the dishes so that it won't bother her with either cold water or a slight change in water pressure. Jesse snickers as he wonders how many times he used to hear that sound as he was making a late night snack for them both after one of their many rendezvous.
Jesse is putting away the last washed and dried coffee cup, when out of nowhere he hears something like a china dish shattering behind him. He slowly closes the cabinet and turns to face a wrath surely fearsome enough to make the Devil run for cover
~*~
“What the hell?!” Alyssa yells her voice full of shock and rage. She hasn’t realized that the cup holding her half-drunken hot chocolate slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.
“Hey honey.” Jesse rambles. He’s still taking in her glorious appearance realizing that he forgot, or if anything, blocked the memory of how wonderfully beautiful he always thought she was. Her face still has that interesting glow, and her eyes still hold that spark of energy and now tension and quite possibly resentment. He knows that he deserves the resentment but Lord he wished that he hadn’t been the one to earn that kind of feeling from her.
“Don’t ‘honey’ me, Jesse. I haven’t seen you in well over a year and you walk into my home and -. Wait. How did you get in here? Surely picking locks is too juvenile for you.” Alyssa looks past Jesse and sees the earpiece sitting on the counter. “Well, you either better get to steppin’ or tell me what’s going on. Oh and Mark?” she yells towards the earpiece, “You had better get yourself in here before I come out there and mess up all your pretty little toys.”
“Alyssa, you will want to sit down before I tell you anything. Get yourself another hot chocolate and go sit down.”
“You do not tell me what to do in my own house,” Alyssa thinks better of it and decides that Jesse knows what he is talking about, “Fine. You start picking up the china and I will make some. Do you want coffee, and what does Mark drink? I can’t even remember anymore.”
“Black for the both of us.”
As Alyssa starts the coffee machine she thinks back to a different life far from her present. She remembers how kind Mark looked and how he reminded her of Santa Clause and wondered if he still had that somewhat protruding waistline with the rosy cheeks and whinny the pooh/Santa Clause look that instantly brought trust as well as women. Although Mark had never married, he never had any trouble at all acquiring a girlfriend. Though, most couldn’t take the kind of work he allowed them to think he did because being with Jesse, he was always ‘on call’ or running around making dangerous people mad. That was the one thing Jesse knew how to do other than stir feelings in certain women that they never knew would exist for them.
The slamming of the back door brings Alyssa out of her reverie quickly.
“I really want to be mad at you, Alyssa, for threatening my ‘toys’ as you so rudely put it, but it is great to see you doing well.” Mark flashes his most heartfelt smile.
“I wouldn’t call being attacked, and bossed around in my own home ‘looking well’, but I’ll take what I can get.”
“Still the same no-beating-around-the-bush girl we knew way back when.” He starts to stifle a laugh, until Jesse shot him a look.
“You got that right. Now why the hell are you still hanging with Jesse? Surely you are aware that he’s soon going to get you killed.” Alyssa questions him to get him off of memory lane. Memory lane was one trip she refused to take at the moment.
“Well you see that’s the thing; if I didn’t run around with dear ol’ Jesse, I’d probably die of boredom back in my little apartment.” Mark still has the mischievous streak that Alyssa always remembered.
Alyssa chuckles at the though of Mark in a teeny apartment all by himself. She realizes that he probably would die of boredom.
“Or someone that had been upset by Jesse would find me and do me in before that apartment had a chance to.” Mark chuckles at his own statement.
“I would really appreciate it if you didn’t talk about me as if I weren’t here. It doesn’t help a man’s ego to be ignored by a beautiful lady who decides to give all her attention to the other guy.” Jesse feigns jealousy and irritation.
“As if you need any help boosting your ego. I don’t think I have ever met someone with a bigger ego than you, Jesse. So don’t be jealous because I missed Mark more than you. Although that may be because Mark didn’t lie to me about something as important as Crissy.” Alyssa had deliberated on adding that little stab but decided it was what she wanted and it let out a lot of frustration with the man standing in her kitchen. Regardless of how great he looked now, she still couldn’t see passed the hurt. She never thought that Jesse would be the one who would have done something like that to her.
“I guess I deserved that. I’m sorry I hurt you, but I don’t regret doing it. I did what I had to do to keep you safe and at the time that was all I was worried about. So I apologize that you are still alive so you can go out and find your daughter. I’m sorry that I wanted to save you before myself even. I’m sorry that I was selfless for that one moment where it mattered most. I’m mostly sorry for telling you anything I could that would get you to leave.” Jesse says all of this with such strong conviction in his voice. He desperately wants Alyssa to believe everything he just said because it’s all true. All he is guilty for is lying to her to save her life.
Alyssa just kind of stands there dumbfounded. Emotionally shocked at everything she never expected. She just sits down and stares at the floor and mumbles quietly, “I never realized.”
She really didn’t realize that he had been carrying all that feeling for the past so many years.
“No, you didn’t; which I completely understand. I just want you to realize it now before we drag you back into the past and figure out how to stop the potential future from happening. Now sit still and I will try to explain everything, I promise.” Jesse says patiently trying not to seem bossy.
Mark looks at Jesse, “Yeah, ok. That would work if you would give Alyssa time to get over and come to terms with the bombshell of an apology you just dumped on her.” Mark chastises Jesse. Not rudely, just simply.
Alyssa gives Mark a simple yet stern look as if he is underestimating her strength and as if he thinks she isn’t capable of taking care of herself. This statement from Mark reinforces her strength to have them continue with whatever Jesse was about to say.
“No, I can handle it. I have handled worse situations in worse states of mind. You two just explain to me what the hell is happening.”
~*~
 
  
Chapter 3

“Well, in the two years since we left Ireland after the explosion that almost killed all of us, I did some checking around with certain contacts and they all told me that Crissy is still alive; which meant that Pearson still had her. Now what I need you to do is tell me what all you know about Pearson.” Jesse is looking straight at the wall as he says this, scared of looking at her, scared of feeling the pain that he has become accustom to when he knows she is hurting.
“I really don’t know much. Just that he’s a big time arms dealer and drug trafficker; or at least he was after he left the FBI. It’s said that he was a great agent and knew exactly what he was doing and when he was supposed to do it. Then he turned on the Agency and went into the whole drug and gun fun. That’s about it for what I know. What does he have to do with Crissy?”
Mark is fiddling around with something in the back pocket of his jeans and when he finally gets it out, he unfolds it and hands it to Alyssa across the table.
She takes the photo from Mark and looks at the black and white photo of a man looking to be in his early 50’s. So, whatever this man is up to; he knows what he is doing. As she looks at it she tries to imagine the creepy man with her now 9 year old daughter. This man, Pearson, was in good shape and looked like he could single handedly defeat a small army. He had the rugged look of a woodsman, yet he was well groomed. It scared her to think that this ruthless man had her daughter and she had no proof if Crissy was even alive. Yet, that small hope was what kept her holding on for so long, but as she looks at this photo she tries to imagine what Crissy looks like or if she even knows that the man she is with is extremely dangerous. What scares her the most is that Crissy may not even realize that she was kidnapped because she was so young and that she may not know that her own mother is out there searching for her so desperately.
Jesse is pacing back and forth across the kitchen floor continuing to watch Alyssa’s facial expressions and the fleeting expressions of hope, despair, and rage dance across her face. He realizes that she doesn’t know what to feel or that she is scared of feeling anything certain right now and he wishes he could just make it all go away and take everything back to the way it was before Pearson stepped into the picture. Then Jesse thinks about why Pearson is here, and how he is connected to this whole mess that’s been going on for years. Except now, he realizes that it may be his fault. He looks again towards Alyssa and sees that right now she has only one expression on her face and that look is the look of steel determination. In one era that look on her face might have frightened him or at least worried him, but now it’s the look that will get him all the help he needs and allow him to get her the protection she soon will need.
Alyssa looks up at a pacing Jesse and realizes that she hardly ever saw him pacing. Usually if he was pacing it meant something big was either happening or something big was about to happen. The look on his face she saw was a fleeting look of guilt followed by determination. Why does he feel guilty? It’s something she will have to ask him later because she knows now that she is going with them whether she liked it or not but she that if she were to find her daughter that her best chances were with Jesse; a man she once had trusted with her life.
“I’m coming with you. Whether you like it or not; I’m coming.” Alyssa gets up from the table as if daring him to insist that she stay here and let him handle it.
Jesse looked deep into Alyssa’s eyes and sees a dark wave of determination. He had wanted this at one point but now he’s not so sure. This would put her in a world of danger that she may not know anything about, and it could possibly kill her.
“I don’t care. I will do what I have to do to get her back; even if it comes to that.” As Alyssa says this she looks into his face and sees the uncertainty written in his eyes.
She should be scared, but the thought of getting her daughter back from that monster overlooked any worry she had for herself. She looks over at Mark and sees concern written all over his face.
“Jesse, you got what you wanted now tell her what’s going on.” Mark gives Jesse a look that says she needs to know the truth.
“What else is there to know? He has Crissy. Alyssa wants to get Crissy back.”
“Jesse, tell me. Now, please.” Alyssa knows by now that with Jesse there is always more to what he is saying at any point in time. Whatever he is hiding from her must be the same worry he was pacing about earlier. She sits patiently as she watches Jesse and Mark exchange looks back and forth as if they were having their own conversation.
“We will get Crissy back, that’s all you need to know right now, but you do need to come with us.” Jesse looks her in the eye, gauging her reactions.
“What he isn’t telling you is that the reason for you to come with us is so we can protect you from Pearson’s men.” Mark looks from Jesse to Alyssa waiting for a reaction from either one of them, but nothing happens so he continues. “The man who attacked you just hours ago; we are sure he is one of Pearson’s men. So he obviously knows where you are. What he didn’t expect was for you to be able to fight back. That’s why it is advised that you come with us.”
“And if I don’t want to come?”
“I, personally, will drag you out of here conscious or not.” Jesse says daring her to object to leaving while you can hear Mark trying to stifle a chuckle. Jesse is sure that even if she didn’t want to go with them, she would go without trouble. If he remembers correctly, she has this little thing with dignity.
“You know, Alyssa, I think it might be wise to come without a fight. You know that we know what we are doing, and how to you protect you best. Although, you might not like some of our, or well Jesse’s, methods of ensuring said protection.” Mark nods towards Jesse who is standing against her counter on the other side of the kitchen looking towards the front.
“Mark, we need to leave. I’m escorting Alyssa upstairs to pack; can you go around and check the perimeter?” Jesse questions even though he is sure Mark can do it and probably had planned on doing it before he was asked.
Mark is the type of guy who will want to get things done before they need to be done and then when they need to be done he will double-check them. He is infallible when it comes to safety measures that need to be taken.
“Yeah, I will make sure all is well in the little neighborhood of a whopping three houses. Don’t worry.”
“Ok, thanks. Alyssa lets get going. I’m sorry but all we can afford for you to take is the necessities. We don’t have the room or the time to pack much more.” Jesse says sincerely to Alyssa.
“I didn’t plan on packing much more than that. I know what I am doing and I don’t need a bodyguard. I’m sure no one is going to attack me while you and Mark are here, or maybe someone would just to get an attempt on your head; although, I’m kind of worried about Mark.”
“Mark knew what he was doing and what he was getting himself into when he joined teams with me. Trust me; he kind of actually likes doing stuff like this. Keeps him young; he says.” Jesse tries to reassure her. He knew part of it was sarcasm but he also knew that part of her really was worried.
“Ok, I’m done. Let’s go.”
Jesse grabs her small carry-on suitcase and heads down the stairs towards the back door with Alyssa following close behind carrying something close to her breast as if it meant more to her than anything.


Chapter 4

“I got my sights on the woman.” A husky voice goes through a device to someone on the other side of the world.
“Is he there with her now?” The other voice replies quickly.
“I can’t see – yes he is. He’s walking in front of her now. He’s holding a small suitcase and she is holding something, too. I just can’t tell what it is.” The husky voice passes on this information thinking that if it’s important he may get a better job than lookout.
“Find out and get back to me, pronto.”
“Yes, Sir” The husky voice replies with respect that the other doesn’t deserve, at least he doesn’t think that man deserves any of the respect given to him. If anything at all it’s fear from the other men that is given.
~*~
Mark sets down his headphones in the truck and gets out to make sure Jesse and Alyssa realize that they are all on a tight schedule and he needs to tell Jesse before this man gets anymore ’information’.
Jesse sees Mark get out of the truck and it was in that moment that he realized something was up. He caught Mark’s eye and nodded; already knowing what needed to be done. The two men met in the middle as Mark looked towards the woods behind her house and Jesse ran off.
“Where’s he going?” Alyssa is confused by the silent conversation she saw between the two men.
“He is going to take care of a little problem. He will be here shortly, don’t worry. Just get yourself in the truck. What are you carrying?” Mark nods to the tiny ball of fluff in her arms.
“This is Alice. She is 4 months old and she is my kitten. I am not leaving her here by herself.” Alyssa waits for a possible objection but when none comes she jumps in the cab of the truck holding her young kitten.
“She is cute. Now all we have to do is wait for Jesse to return.”
~*~
Silence. He will hear you if you aren’t silent. What had Mark just told him a mere two hours ago? Silence is the key. Make sure he doesn’t yell out and attempt to run away and therefore, give away Jesse’s perfect position.
~*~
CRACK! The other man stepped on a twig. If he lets Jesse know where he is, he knows he will most likely die. Jungles, forests; outdoors in general just weren’t his expertise. He preferred the indoor stuff. The indoor stuff was the stuff that didn’t put him in harm’s way for very long periods of time. He didn’t want to tell Pearson that he had been discovered. Pearson was very good at keeping things quiet and he, himself, would probably end up either in the ground, the ocean, or a box. His only choice was to do his best to fight off Jesse, if he is found. If only Xavier had done his job and taken the girl, rather than get beat up by someone half his size; and a girl at that. Dan chuckles to himself at the thought of big, bad Xavier getting beat up by a woman not even half his size.
~*~
Closer, just a little bit closer. The distance between the two men was closing and soon enough one would die and the other would walk away to live another day. The question that hung in the air was; who was it?
~*~
Jesse could see the man from where he was sitting halfway up a tree. The man he realized was Dan Erickson; a mean, son of a something. Word going around is that Erickson was recruited by Pearson for a job. Apparently that job was surveillance. Surely Erickson wasn’t happy with this at all. If he remembers right, Erickson likes the action; likes to jump in when the tough get going and take care of what needed to be taken care of.
Jesse climbs down from his little post but as soon as he hits the ground he hears Erickson move through the brush in his direction.
Get behind the tree and convince him that you don’t want to kill him. Offer him something better than what Pearson had; surely he would rather have a better job than what he’s got now.
This would have worked if Erickson hadn’t just shot at him. Now it was going down the way Jesse had planned; quick, clean, and easy. Right up Jesse’s alley; what if Erickson knew where he was. He couldn’t take a shot or even finish this hands-on. He had to take the chance, for it may be his only one.
~*~
 
 
 
Chapter 5

Alyssa heard the shots before Mark had even closed the door to the truck. Mark, in the middle of closing the door turns swiftly and mumbles something indiscernible. Alyssa jumps out of the truck with her gun in hand, ready for a fight; but none comes. The shots stop soon after they started. Only three were fired. Which mean to her that one had died and she, surprisingly enough, hoped to God it wasn’t Jesse.
~*~
Climb higher! That was the best way to get a shot off if he wanted his one chance. Erickson had already got off two shots and one nailed him right in the shoulder, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t still shoot the man below him. Jesse got to the next higher branch and wasn’t able to be seen from below; a good area of cover. He pulled out his gun and moved around a bit, trying to ignore the pain that had ripped through him at every tiny move. When he got to a position to where he could get a shot off at Erickson; he went for it. He whistled to the man 50 feet below him and then looked him in the eye and shot him. “That’s for Alyssa.”
Erickson fell to the ground in a crumpled heap; not even realizing what just happened. Jesse decided to wait a couple seconds to get his bearings back so he can get back to Alyssa and Mark. He saw that he needed to go away from the sunrise and as he limped back to the house he realized that Alyssa had a great place set up here; a sunrise on a beautiful lake halfway surrounded by woods. For a second he felt bad for taking her from this save haven of solitude but when he thought back to why; he realized it must be done, but man, he was feeling weak.
~*~
“Oh, thank God.” Alyssa breathes in a sigh of relief for the man walking towards them from the woods. It wasn’t until he got closer that she realized he was covered in blood.
“Crap!” Mark starts sprinting towards Jesse, as he drops to the ground, and throws the keys to Alyssa, “Move the truck closer to him!”
Alyssa jumps back into the cab, her blood pumping with adrenaline. She follows Mark back towards the lake where Jesse had dropped to the ground.
The can’t be happening, was the only coherent thought Alyssa registered. She stopped the truck just 10 feet from where Mark was lifting Jesse off of the ground.
Alyssa, then, jumps out of the driver seat to help Mark get an unconscious Jesse into the back seat of the truck. When Jesse is finally in the truck she jumps in the back with him and lays his head on her lap, “Don’t you dare die, Jesse. You dragged me into this so don’t die on me now.”
Jesse tries to move and groans a little. “Pain; hurts,” his mumbling barely above a whisper. He tries to get up but is gently pushed back down against the seat. He tries desperately to remember the last time she touched him like that but couldn’t get passed the sound of gunshots still ringing in his ears.
“Mark, we have to take him to the hospital. He needs a doctor.” Alyssa, keeping her panic at bay, removes her shirt to cover his wounded shoulder while she applies pressure. Her panic continues to rise as she sees the deep crimson blood on her hands and spilling off of his body onto the carpet of the truck; she tries to not breathe in the rusty scent.
“If we take him to the hospital the cops will be on us within seconds; we can’t risk it!” Mark is trying desperately to stay calm and in control of his emotions but his panic is rising as fast as the torrents in the ocean. “We have someone back at the base that can help; Jesse brought him in for this particular reason. Get his phone from his pocket; Number two speed dial.”
“If I take pressure off his wound he could surely die of just blood loss. We don’t have any idea how long he was walking around with that.” She gestures to the wound under the bloody shirt.
“And if I stopped driving to look for either my phone or his then we will all die!” Mark beats on the steering wheel as if to drive the point into her mind. He is worried; he has never seen Jesse this bad. It’s gotten pretty ugly before, but never like this and they had always been close to a trusted friend with medical experience.
“I’ll try, but if it means I have to take pressure off of his shoulder then we will wait until we get back to wherever you came from.” Alyssa looks around the truck for something to hold the pressure just in case she has to let go. It was a toss-up; let him possibly bleed to death just to call the doctor, or hold pressure and not have any extra information or help from the doctor. She didn’t know what to do; which was the best or right decision, and it was killing her. She had never thought he would be this weak; had never seen him this weak, and it scared her to think of him as vulnerable.
Mark looks through the back window and tells her to get as low as she can. When she gives him a quizzical look all he does is throw something back at her. “Put this over you both. Quick!”
“What? Why?” She opens the folded fabric and realizes it’s a blanket. Not a really big one but more like a throw. Like something you would use while watching television.
“Just do it!”
Alyssa looks around frantically as she is putting a blanket over her and Jesse. The last thing she remembers is seeing Mark looking over his shoulder and the smell of something vaguely sweet as she pulled the blanket over her head.
Arriving in North Carolina a few long hours later, Mark opens the door to the truck and picks up the semi-conscious Alyssa and carries her up the stairs to her pre-made bedroom. He looks down at her while she mumbles incoherently and her eyelids fluttering as if trying to open and understand.
You’re a special girl, Alyssa, and you don’t even realize it. Mark thinks to himself. Before he grabbed Alyssa he called for Matthew to get Doctor Johnsen , for Jesse seriously needed a doctor. Even with all that Alyssa did for him. It surprised Mark that Alyssa didn’t panic; he figured that all those years without the excitement of the job she would turn soft on them, but soft isn’t what she turned. She became cautious; ruthless maybe, but soft? Never.
Mark carried Alyssa to her room and changed her into a nightgown and got her under the covers. He looked around the room impressed with all that Matthew had done. He definitely knew how to make a dark and drab room look good enough for a woman. Suddenly Alyssa sat up and tried to get out of the bed.
“Go back to sleep, Alyssa. You need to rest and gain more of your strength back.” Mark walks back across the room to the bed and tries to gently push her back down into it.
“No, where’s Jesse? What’s happening to him? Where am I?” She bombards him with questions not knowing which to start with. Confused, she looks around the room and from what light there was coming from the moon she could see a very nice room. The room was obviously her for now, which made her happy. It meant that she wouldn’t have to move again. From where she had yet to find out for Mark was just standing there looking at her.
“Which question would you like me to answer first, because I may not be able to answer the ones flitting about in your head?
“Where’s Jesse? Is he okay?” She didn’t know what to do or think, especially with Mark who seemed a bit distant. Maybe that’s what a long time apart from each other will do to someone. She never imagined Mark would be distant, least of all from her. He was always warm and cheerful, which meant that Jesse wasn’t doing well at all.
“Jesse is in surgery right now getting a bullet out of his shoulder. We have a doctor in there that is highly recommended in the hospitals. He knows what he is doing, so don’t worry, for I know you will. I will talk to Dr. Johnsen shortly when Jesse is due from the surgery.” Mark tries to reassure her although he is scared himself. Helping her will now be his way of taking his thoughts on the possibility that Jesse’s wound may be worse than he thought. “Now lie down and go back to sleep. You can’t help him by fretting. What you can do is take care of yourself.”
“Can I at least have a glass of water or something? My throat is parched.” Her hand goes up to her throat as if she was to reach for a necklace. “I will go back to sleep if you get me a glass of water. Deal?”
“Fine. Stay in bed and don’t move from the room. I mean it, Alyssa. You will get so lost in this place Jesse won’t even be able to find you.” He searches her eyes for any hint that he may be speaking to thin air but she nods in agreement.
Mark turns from the side of her bed and walks towards the doors and when he looks back at Alyssa, she is lying back down and he hears a faint ‘thank you’ from her direction. Knowing she can see him he merely just nods and closes the door.
Down in the kitchen Mark turns around and almost walks straight into the doctor. After a few quiet apologies and such Mark makes it to the fridge. “How is he, Doctor?”
“He’s out of surgery obviously, but no visitors. I have him in his room and he’s going to be a little in and out of it for a while.” Doctor Baker reaches for a water bottle in the fridge he looks at Mark and tells him that while Jesse can walk and for the most part will know what’s going on that he mustn’t move from his bed.
“So, he can’t have visitors, he can’t leave his bed, and he will know for the most part what’s going on, right?” The doctor nods, “Without visitors or something how do you plan on keeping him in his bed. Surely you aren’t going to tie him to it.”
“No, Mark, I do not plan on tying him to his bed. I will think about the visitor option but neither you nor anyone else will be aloud to stay long. He lost a lot of blood and can not experience much excitement at a time.”
“Thank you, Doctor. I’d like to see him right now though. I need to at least let him know that Alyssa is safe and alive. I’ll be quick, I promise.”
The doctor nods in agreement thinking that this may be a good thing to do. If Jesse didn’t know that the girl was safe he would never agree to lie down for as long as he needs. “Alright, you can see him, but be quick about it and I will be in there with you to make sure he stays in bed. And these,” Dr. Johnsen picks up a small pill bottle, “go to Miss Alyssa. She needs not to have a restless sleep. They will help her fall asleep and stay asleep. We both know that she won’t take them willingly so I suggest dissolving them into her drink.” He points to the glass in Mark’s hand.
“She will kill me.” Mark feigns mock horror at the thought of drugging Alyssa.
“I’ll go up and explain to Jesse and he’ll keep her from killing you.” Dr. Johnsen chuckles at the thought of Alyssa going at Mark with all of Hell’s fury because he drugged her.
“Thank ye kindly, Dr.” Mark pretends to tip an invisible hat to the doctor and turns and walks from the kitchen. Up the stairs he went towards Alyssa’s room all the while dissolving the pill into the glass of water.
“Matthew! Oh goodness, I’m sorry. I almost ran right over you.” Mark chuckles as he reaches Alyssa’s hall.
“No problem, Mark. I wasn’t paying attention, I’m so lost in these papers I didn’t even see you coming.” Matthew chuckles inattentively, still absorbed in his papers, walking past Mark and closing the door to his own room three doors down.
Mark continues down the hall to Alyssa’s room and opens the door to see her sitting up waiting for him.
“Here’s your water. Drink it and go back to sleep or I will have to get the doctor in here to sedate you or something. You are running on adrenaline fumes. Ok?” Mark makes his way to her bedside and puts the glass in her weak hands. She grabs the glass with both hands and puts it to her lips and takes a sip. Then, with Mark watching her, she hands the glass back to him and he sets it on the table beside her bed. “When you wake I will bring you news about Jesse, and I will talk to the doctor. Now, rest.”
He walks towards the door and flips the switch to turn off the lights and looks back to see if she is laying down. She was, so he closes the door leaving the room in total darkness.

  
Chapter 6

Mark walked down the hall towards Jesse’s room at the same time Dr. Johnsen walked out of the same room.
“Can I go and see him?” Mark starts as he reaches for the doorknob. “I’ll be quick and I will only tell him what he needs to know right now.”
“You can tell him whatever he wants to hear. You know as well as I do that he won’t take anything less. Just make sure he stays in bed and watch his heart rate.” Dr. Johnsen opens the door for Mark and steps aside. As Mark scoots inside the door the doctor reminded him again to watch Jesse’s heart rate.
Mark scoots passed Dr. Johnsen and closes the door softly behind him. When he turns to face Jesse he takes great notice of the machines to monitor the heart rate and lung capacity, although he knows nothing about such things. Everything he knows came from CSI or Grey’s Anatomy or House. He definitely knows his medical fiction shows.
“Hey Jess,” Marks begins as he sits next to Jesse’s bed, “you gave us a pretty big scare for a second. I though Alyssa was going to kill you for a while there. You scared her more than you scared me.”
“Alyssa! Crap I can’t believe I forgot about her! Where is she? Is she hurt? Is she here?” He begins to bombard Mark with so many questions his face was turning red and his heart rate was climbing fast. He tries to get up but then realizes that he’s connected to the heart monitor and the lung thingamajig, as he would gladly call it.
“Jesse, you have got to calm down. If your heart rate continues to raise the doctor is going to kick me out.”
“No, what I need to do is get out of this bed,” he starts, “and you’re going to help me.” He begins pulling at his shirt to get the wires off of his chest.
“No. You are staying in bed and Alyssa will be aloud in after the doctor checks on -”
“You didn’t tell me she needed a doctor!!” Jesse interjects while frantically pulling at his shirt with his one good arm.
“ - her vitals and makes sure she really is ok.” Mark continues as if Jesse hasn’t said a word. He stood there looking at a gaping Jessie finding it quite ironic that he was the one telling Jesse what to do rather than the other way around. “Doctor Johnsen will check her over in the morning when she wakes up. You, as I’m told, are supposed to stay here. Which, sorry, I find quite humorous. The thought of someone even attempting to keep you where you don’t want to be; a doctor or not.” Mark chuckles just thinking about it.
“When am I aloud,” Jesse seems to cringe at the word, “to get up?” He looks at Mark waiting to hear an answer he is sure he won’t like, but when Mark shrugs his shoulders he continues, “The doctor didn’t tell you?”
“No. He just said I could come in here and convince you to stay in bed.”
Jesse looks at Mark, his long time friend, and sees the laughter dancing in his eyes and tries not to let show how frustrated he really is.
“Go ahead, Jesse. Let lose. I know you want to.” Mark pretends to try and hide his laughter
“No, that would cause a drastic raise in heart rate which would bring the doctor running. And Lord knows we can’t have that.” Jesse replies sarcastically from the bed.
“I can bring him in and tell him you won’t stay in bed and in doing so force him to strap you to the bed.” Mark is now openly laughing and not even attempting to hide it. Just the look of incredulity on Jesse’s face cracks him up to the point where he would be rolling on the floor if he had been standing.
“Yeah you go do that and I will be sure to send you to Pearson’s by first class mail.” He openly and falsely threatens Mark trying to hide a grin.
“You wouldn’t do that to me, if you were you would have done it years ago. Admit it, you like having me around.” Mark gets up to walk out. “You need to get some rest so I will leave but before I go I want you to know that Alyssa is safe and comfortable.”
The last thing Mark sees before he closes the door is Jesse trying to get comfortable for what is sure to be a long couple of days.
I’ve got to get out of this bed. This is the thought that keeps Jesse awake at night until finally the doctor came in and mercifully gave him a sedative. When he woke up in the morning there was a breakfast tray sitting on the table next to his bed and a call button at his side. Feeling pathetic and useless he tried to get the tray without using the button but when he tried to pick it up he felt a horrible pain flashing through his arm and shoulder. He hadn’t felt such pain in forever. He quickly dropped his arm to his side on the bed and tried his hardest not to clench his muscles in reaction to the pain. Slowly it went down to a dull throb and he was able to try again with the same exact result except it took a lot longer for the dull throb to come. Finally, with what dignity he felt he had left he pressed the call button. Unsurprisingly enough, in walked the doctor.
“So, I see you actually decided to use the button. How’s the shoulder?” Dr. Johnsen sets the tray on Jesse’s lap taking notice in the fact that Jesse was favoring his shoulder. “So I see you wanted to try first. How’d that work out for you?” He gently scolded Jesse because he knew Jesse would do it and he also knew Jesse had a thing about doing certain things by himself. “Do you need more medication?”
“No,” Jesse gritted his teeth trying not to favor his shoulder, “I’m fine. I tried a couple of times and that was it. My shoulder feels fine right now.” At this point Jesse is lying through his teeth and trying valiantly to not show the pain but failing miserably. “When can I get out of the bed?”
“When I see you are able to ask for help without trying to the point where you rip open your wound. Only then will you be aloud to get up.”
Dr. Andrew Johnsen was a well-mannered, soft-spoken man in his mid 40s. He has the typical childhood with the typical family. In high school he was popular with everyone. He was completely average in all things in high school. He had average grades but excelled in science. When his grandfather suddenly died of unknown causes he decided then that he wanted to be a doctor and become the best there was. He worked his way all through college and is still paying off a couple of loans, but he got there. He is the doctor he always wanted to be.
~*~ 
  








“Such nonsense!" declared Dr Greysteel. "Whoever heard of cats doing anything useful!" "Except for staring at one in a supercilious manner," said Strange. "That has a sort of moral usefulness, I suppose, in making one feel uncomfortable and encouraging sober reflection upon one's imperfections.”
— Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell