Las Vegas Savior

“Emily……” he started to say when suddenly there was a loud knock at the door and then two shots were fired. “Get down. Get behind the bed.” John told her, pushing her in that direction.

Emily grabbed her bag and practically dived behind the bed as more shots rang out and the radio in John’s room started to make noise. John drew his service weapon and hurried over to the door. He listened as he heard Ed shooting back.

“John, help. I’ve been hit.” Ed called out. John quickly opened the door and saw Ed holding his gun in his right hand, pointing it down the hallway, while he tried to put pressure on his injured leg. He reached out with his left hand, covered in his own blood and John grabbed hold of it and pulled Ed inside.

“He’s by the elevator.” Ed said once John had him inside and the door was closed and locked behind them.

“Emily, get on the phone and tell the desk clerk to stop anyone from getting on the elevators and to call the police. Tell him to tell them shots fired. Federal Officers need assistance on the 7th floor.” John told her as he took off his belt and tied it around Ed’s leg. “Looks like it went right through the meaty part.”

“Man, it burns like fire!” Ed said, panting hard.

As soon as John had done all he could for Ed, he went into his room and grabbed his vest and his bag and the radio and carried it back to Emily’s room, then closed the door between the two rooms. He pulled out his extra clips out of his bag and made sure he could get to them quickly. He could hear Emily telling the desk clerk that someone was shooting at them on the 7th floor and that they were to keep anyone from coming up in the elevator. Then she stopped to listen. “I’ll tell him.” She said and hung up.

“He said to tell you the agents that were outside are coming up the stairs and the police are on their way.” Emily said.

Suddenly, they heard a man yell “Emily! Where is Emily Brewer?” Emily recognized Derrick’s voice and she began to shake as she told John, “That’s Derrick. He’s here!”

John looked over at her and she was white as a sheet but her eyes were locked on him and all his questions were answered and his doubt was gone. He just prayed that he was going to get the chance to tell her how he felt about her.

More shots fired outside, both from right outside the door to farther down the hall. “Emily!” They heard Derrick shout. “You never should have called the cops, Emily. No one rats me out!”

Then suddenly shots came through the door. John dived to the floor at the same time he yelled, “Get down.” Emily saw him go down and her mind seemed to stop working and her heart felt as if it had broken in two. She could see but nothing was registering. It was as if she was frozen in time and space. Her heart seemed to kick start and pounded as John rolled and came up shooting back.

Then suddenly the hallway seemed to come alive with the sound of guns firing. John fired low on the door, hoping that he was right and that Grier was crouched outside the door. Suddenly the shooting stopped and John sat up as he listened. They could hear running and then men talking.

“He’s gone but damn, it took a lot to bring him down.” Agent Harris said then knocked on the door. “John, it’s Harris, you can come out. He’s dead for sure this time.”

John stood up and walked over to the door and unlocked it then pulled it open. Grier was laying in the hall and had been shot several times but the fatal shot had been the one to the side of his head. John had been right. Grier had been crouched right outside the door and it had been his bullet that killed him. The blood spatter on the other side of the hall proved that.

“Andrews has been hit. Someone call an ambulance.” John said and then went to Emily. She was crouched on the other side of the bed and as he rounded the end of it she jumped into his arms. He picked her up and started to carry her into the other room, but she said “I need to see Derrick’s body. I have to know for myself that it’s really him and that he’s really dead.”

John let her down but held her hand as she walked slowly over to the doorway and looked down at the dead man lying in the hall. It was Derrick and try as she might, she couldn’t feel anything. She wasn’t glad or sorry that he was dead. She was just sort of numb right now. She turned away and walked back into the room. She didn’t even realize that John was still holding her hand and walked alongside her as they went into his room.

“Emily?” John said. “Are you alright?”

Emily nodded as she sat down on the bed. She felt numb. She had no concept of time passing as she tried to think but couldn’t seem to focus on anything that was being said or the activities going on around her. Her mind raced as she thought about the past three years and what had been the focus of her life.

Then she knew what she had to do from day to day. Keep moving. Keep a low profile and stay out of sight as much as possible. Hide from Derrick and the bald man. That had been her life for over three years now. But what did she do now?

“I think she’s going into shock.” Someone whose voice Emily didn’t recognize said. John and Agent Harris were standing behind a woman who was kneeling in front of Emily. Emily wasn’t aware of time passing or of what was going on around her at the time. She seemed to be frozen in time and space as she sat staring but not seeing the floor between her feet.

She hadn’t even been aware that anyone else had come into the room and had been talking to John as she had tried to slow her mind down. She didn’t even realize she was shivering until someone dropped a lightweight blanket around her shoulders. The uniformed woman kneeling before her touched her wrists and Emily’s first reaction had been to pull away.

“Hey, easy. My name is Tess. I’m a paramedic. I’m not going to hurt you.” The woman’s soothing voice said.

“Maybe we should talk in the other room.” Agent Harris said to John, who was reluctant to leave her.

“Go. I’ll stay with her.” Tess said. “Come on, ma’am. Let’s lay down and let me check you over.”

“Lay down. Yes. I need to lay down for just a minute.” Emily whispered to herself. She let the woman help her to lay down on the cool white pillow and put her feet up on a pillow from the sofa. She felt the woman take her pulse again and then she pulled on her arm. Emily didn’t even notice when she took her blood pressure and then listened to her heart as she closed her eyes. She could hear people talking but their voices sounded so far away. She wanted to hear, to know what was going on. She felt herself slipping into darkness.

“Ma’am. Do you know where you are?” Tess asked but Emily’s voice didn’t work so she nodded her head.

“What’s wrong?” John came back into the room when he heard Tess’s voice rise.

“She’s shutting down. She’s mostly just overwhelmed. She needs to sleep.” Emily heard Tess say.

“John?” Emily called out when she heard his voice.

“Yes, Emily. I’m right here.” John said as he knelt down by the bed next to Tess.

“I’m so tired, John. I just want to sleep for a little while. Will you be here when I wake up?” Emily whispered. “Please don’t leave me.”

“I’ll be right here, Emily. I’m not going anywhere.” John said back. He looked at Tess. “Is this normal?”

“Has she been under a lot of stress lately?” Tess asked.

“She’s been running for three years from a man who killed her father and wanted to kill her, so yeah, I would say she’s been under a lot of stress.” John said.

“Wow, three years of this? No wonder she’s tired. Then, yes, this is normal. Let her get a good night’s sleep and she should be fine. Her pulse is a little fast but considering she was the target for what I saw outside, then I’m a little surprised that it’s not faster. She must be one strong woman but even strong women have a limit and I would say she’s finally reached hers.” Tess told him and John knew she was right.

“Just keep her warm and let her sleep as long as she needs to. Her body will let her know when she’s had enough rest. If she’s still tired in the morning, just let her rest but make sure she gets plenty of fluids.”

“Okay. Thanks. Um, can you do me a favor before you go?” John blushed when he asked. “Can you get her undressed or at least get her bottoms off so that she can sleep comfortably? I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to do it.”

“Sure. Just give me a minute and I’ll get her all tucked in. Does she have a nightgown or some pajamas?” Tess smiled at him.

“Yeah, it’s in her backpack.” John said and grabbed the bag that Emily had left on the floor. He pulled it out and handed it to Tess. She could tell they cared about each other but had not taken that step yet so Tess agreed and shooed him out of the room before she went back to the bed.

Tess quickly helped a half conscious Emily get dressed for bed and then got her all tucked in. Emily whispered “Thanks.” And then Tess could tell by the change in her breathing that she had fallen asleep. Tess folded her jeans, T-shirt and bra and left them on the desk beside the TV.

Tess gathered up her blood pressure cuff and tucked it back in the case that she had brought up with her. She had already attended to the agent that had been shot and the ambulance crew had just left with him. All of the other agents except John and Agent Harris had left as well.

She found the two men sitting in the area in front of the windows of the unit that Emily would have been in as she pulled her door almost all the way closed. It was a spectacular view from up here.

“We’re not sure how Grier found out where you were staying. It had to be from the bartender that took his place in the car when they were out of sight for a few minutes today. He must have told Grier that you were staying here. We’re investigating and will know more in the morning.” Agent Harris said.

The two men stood up when Tess entered the room. John turned to her and asked. “How’s she doing?”

“I put her night gown on her and now she’s asleep. Let her sleep as long as she needs to but make sure she gets some fluids in the morning. I would recommend some orange juice with breakfast or something like Airborne or Zicam to give her immunity a boost. She’s very thin so some good meals will be a plus for her. She needs to put on a little weight.”

“Thanks. I’ll see that she gets whatever she needs.” John said.

“Good. Hey, I hate to ask but I need a ride to the hospital. Mine left without me.” Tess said.

“I can take you. Travers, we’ll see you in the morning?” Agent Harris said.

“As soon as she’s up and ready to go.” John said. “Thanks to both of you.” John added and shook hands with both Agent Harris and Tess.