~ Crossing Point ~
by T. Stratton
Disclaimers:They look like two people we know, but they are mine.
Sex: Nope?.maybe in the sequel.
Violence: Yes
Since there is no sex I guess anyone can read it. So no need to run to the sandbox.
This story was entered in The Intrepid Challenge.
http://www.joinme.net/intrepid/Index.html
If you are a bard and like to enter into a challenge with other bards, please come on over. It is fun and you get a nice award if you win.
I do plan on doing a sequel to this story. When that will happen I am not sure as I have a few other stories that wish to be put on paper first.
Feedback?Tinstrttn@aol.com
Shawn stood next to the window waiting for the line to start moving. She only had about 30 minutes before she had to get back to work, but the way the line was moving it would take next to forever before she could get out. She took in a deep sign and ran a hand through her short messy blond hair.
"Excuse me is this the end of the line?" A sexy voice asked from behind her.
Shawn could only nod as the sight of the person came into view as she turned to answer. Long silky black hair, silver blue eyes that sparkled, high sculptured cheekbones and red lips that looked so soft. "How I would love to run my finger through that hair and kiss those lips and down the neck."
"Okay thanks," the woman replied to Shawn's still nodding head.
Shawn's eyes lowered to get a good look at the perfect body standing next to her. She caught her breath when she noticed a small round stomach. "Damn she is pregnant."
"Is there a problem?" The woman questioned as she looked down her body to where Shawn was staring.
"Huh? What?" Shawn mumbled as she tried to get her brain going again.
The woman put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. "I asked if there was a problem?"
"Your pregnant." Shawn said before she could stop herself. Slowly she looked back up to the now piercing eyes. "Oh shit."
"Do you have a problem with me being pregnant?" The woman growled. "Cause if it does I want to know why it should. Cause I have never met you or will probably never see you again in my life."
"Sorry, I was just?hmmmm. Never mind." Shawn stuttered and turned around to face the front of the line. "What a jerk. Damn I need to get my mouth to keep itself closed. Gets me in way to much trouble."
Before the line could move a loud noise came from the front doors.
"Can I have you attention please. This is a robbery and I want everyone to get on the ground." The man yelled as he held up a gun. Two others men stood next to him with guns of their own.
"Fuck." Shawn said to herself.
"I said get down." The man ordered again and shot off a few rounds into the ceiling. "NOW!"
"I so don't need this crap." Shawn lay down on her stomach never taking her eyes off the suspect.
"Like any of us need this." The brunette mumbled as she tried to lie as flat as she could without being on her stomach.
"I didn't mean it that way." Shawn snapped. "What I meant was?"
"You two shut the hell up before I put a hole in your head." The man walked up to Shawn and kicked her leg. "You hear me?"
They both nodded their heads.
"M get your ass behind the counter and get the money. D go see if you can get anything from the safe." The big man pointed towards the open door of the walk in safe. "I will stay out here. Might find myself a little present to take with me."
"Jerk." Shawn thought.
"How about you babe? I could show you the best time." The man pointed his gun at the brunette next to Shawn. "I always did have a thing for long dark haired woman."
"I don't think so." The woman turned her head away from the man to look at the wall.
"Oh I really don't care what you think. If I want to fuck you I will and you will enjoy it." He spat as he ran his foot up in between her spread legs.
"I think the woman said no." Shawn heard herself say. "Damn it there it goes again."
"Why don't you shut the hell up or I might take you instead." He stopped what he was doing and bent over to run his free hand across the brunette's lower back and down her butt.
"Please, don't." The scared woman begged.
"Are you stupid. Leave her alone." Shawn growled.
The man stood up and stepped over to Shawn. "No, but you sure in the hell are." He planted a large booted foot in the middle of Shawn's back and pushed moving it back and forth. "Do you like a little pain?"
"Sure doesn't everyone?" Shawn gasped out as he put more pressure on her back. "Get rid of the gun and I will show you more pain than you ever felt in your life."
"Big talk from such a small woman." He laughed as he used Shawn as a step and walked across the room to where he noticed one of his partners waving at him.
"Thank you," the brunette whispered softly.
Shawn turned to look at the woman. "Not a problem. Always hated bullies."
"Still, he has a gun and could shoot you at anytime." The woman stated.
Shawn shrugged her shoulders. "Been shot once what is one more time. I just hope he doesn't shot me in the leg. Hate having to me immobile for days." She looked over at the stunned woman. "My name is Shawn, what's yours?"
"Bridget," the confused brunette answered.
Shawn smiled and looked back to where the two robbers looked to be having an argument. "Looks like things aren't going as well as expected."
"Why do you say that?" Bridget questioned as she looked over at the two men.
"The one that was over here is not a happy camper at the moment. Either the amount they have is not as much as the hoped or." Shawn turned to look over towards the big glass windows. She noticed that not a single person was walking in front of the building. "Someone must have sent off the alarms."
"Good." Bridget happily smiled.
Shawn shook her head. "Sorry, things just got worse. We are in here with those three. It would have been better if they had gotten the money and been gone, but now all these lives are at stake. Including yours and mine."
"Shit," Bridget mumbled as she placed her head on her folded hands.
"My thought exactly." Shawn agreed.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"I want a van with a full tank of gas out front in twenty minutes or I will shoot two hostages." The head robber yelled into the phone before he slammed it down. It had been three hours of being cramped in the hot closed up bank and the robbers were slowly loosing their tempers. "I want that one and that one over here now." He pointed to Shawn and Bridget.
"The police won't let this get out of hand." Shawn said as he helped Bridget up off the floor.
"I hope you are right." Bridget muttered just as they were grabbed by the arms and forced to take a set in front of the now curtain covered window.
"You two will be the first." The man grabbed a handful of Shawn's hair. "Should I kill you first or maybe your friend?"
"How about you shoot yourself so it will save the police some time." Shawn smiled but not for long as the man punched her in the face.
"Bitch," He spat getting madder and madder cause he didn't frighten her as he did everyone else he met. "I will have the last word."
Bridget waited until the man was out of ear shit. "You okay?"
"Oh sure." Shawn spat out a mouth full of blood. "I cannot wait until I get him back for that."
"Okay, who in the hell are you?" Bridget asked. "Any normal person would be scared shitless at this point."
Shawn used her shoulder to wipe her chin off. "Well I am at the moment a hostage, but as for my regular job. I am a FBI agent."
Bridget just sat there staring.
"What?" Shawn asked.
"You look kind of short to be a FBI agent." Bridget stated not really believing the woman next to her. "Don't FBI agents carry guns or something at all times?"
"Well we don't actually carry them with us at all time, but since I stopped her during my lunch hour." Shawn looked over her shoulder to make sure they were being ignored. "I do have my gun with me."
"Why in the hell didn't you stop this before it even started?" Bridget fumed.
Shawn lowered her head. "Real life is not like in the movies. If I had started to take shots off at them they would have killed several if not all of you trying to stop me." She looked over at now understanding blue eyes. "Not worth the risks."
Several minutes went by. The entire room was quiet as they waited to see what the police would do with the dilemma ahead of them.
The ringing of the phone startled several of the hostages making them gasp.
"You better have what I asked for." The man bellowed into the receiver. "Well, that is good to hear. For listening to my demands I will let five prisoners go."
He pointed his gun at the five closest people. "It's your lucky day. D show them the door, but make sure the van is out there first."
"Sure thing L." D pushed and shoved the five people to the door before he opened it up. "Look to see if you can see the van." He said to an elderly man.
"I see a brown parked out front." The man replied.
"It's here," D yelled.
L put dropped the phone. "Good, let them go."
D held open the door just enough so the five people could get through. "Thanks for banking with us and be sure to come back again." He laughed.
"M get the rest of the hostages and form a circle." L ordered as he walked over to Shawn and Bridget. "You two are coming with me."
"What do you mean?" Bridget asked, as her hands were untied from the chair so she could stand.
"Well, I have taken a shinning to you." L ran the tip of his gun down Bridget's neck. "I am going to make your every dream come true."
"Talk about a dreamer. Why don't you let her go, she is pregnant." Shawn gestured to Bridget's protruding stomach. "She will only slow you down."
"Not really, see I like pregnant woman." L smiled evilly at Shawn. "I think you will like the show as much as I will."
"No I am not a sick fuck like you." Shawn kicked him in the nuts.
Before she could even try to get her hands free the robber that was named M used the butt of his gun to hit Shawn on the back of the head knocking her out cold.
Bridget screamed and tried to get to the unconscious woman, but was held back by the strong grip on her arm. "Let me go."
"No," L gasped as he tried to straighten his body.
"She is bleeding." Bridget pointed to the thick trail of blood running done the back of Shawn's neck.
L looked at her. "Like I give a rats ass."
"You kill her and the FBI will be after you." Bridget yelled before she thought.
L looked at her curiously, "and why is that?"
"Well actually cause they are the ones who investigate bank robberies and if you kill her it will just intensify the search. Killing an innocent will do that you know." Bridget tried to cover her mistake.
"Some how I don't believe that is the only reason you said that." L stepped closer to Shawn and ran his hands over her body until he found her wallet. He tugged it out and flipped it open. "Hey guys, looks like we have a little insurance sitting here."
"How so?" D asked moving closer to his buddy.
"Look at this." He tossed the smaller man. "This here bitch is a FBI agent."
"Hot damn, do you think they will pay any kind of ransom?" M asked as he looked over D's shoulder at the ID with Shawn's picture on it. "Does she have a gun on her?"
"Shit didn't think of that." L patted around Shawn's legs and up to under her arms to where he found the agents black Beretta in it's leather holster. "Looks like I found myself a new toy."
"If they don't pay her ransom you could shoot her with her own gun." D laughed loudly. "You ready to get out of here?"
"Let me get her awake." L grabbed a handful of Shawn's short blonde hair and pulled her head up. He slapped her cheeks hard until confused green eyes looked up at him. "Hello Ms. FBI. Time to wake up."
"I will shoot your ass you know." Shawn mumbled.
L patted her already sore cheek. "Not when I have you gun you don't."
Shawn didn't reply. She just closed her eyes trying to will the world to stop spinning.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"I can't believe they let them have this van." Bridget said as she grabbed the handle above her head. "I thought it was against the rules to let the robbers leave the scene?"
"It usually is." Shawn answered as she tried to keep the content of her stomach in her stomach. "They might have a device on the van to track it." She whispered so only Bridget could hear her.
"You think?" Bridget looked at the green looking woman. "You doing okay?"
"I think I have a concussion." Shawn quickly put her hands up to stop herself from hitting the window as the van made a sharp turn onto a deserted back road. "Any idea where we are at?"
"Up in the mountain." Bridget stated. "In fact close to my house."
"Really?" Shawn looked over at the pregnant woman. "How can you tell?"
"I have lived up here all my life. I know these hills like the back of my hand. "We are heading towards Pine Lake." Bridget pointed towards a huge tree growing on the horizon. "The tree over there is on my property."
"So if by some change you were to get away from these guys you could get to your home safely?"
"Oh yes, but I don't plan on doing that unless you are with me." Bridget turned to look at Shawn. "Not unless you are right there with me."
"No way. You have to leave me if you get a chance. You are pregnant and your husband must be going out of his mind."
Bridget shook her head. "Sorry not going to happen. I couldn't walk away knowing that action could get you killed." She closed her eyes. "And there is no husband."
"Well than your boyfriend then." Shawn muttered as she rubbed her forehead.
Bridget continued to shake her head. "It is just me. Well, me and my mom and dad, but no husband or boyfriend. I decided I wanted a baby so I went to a fertility doctor." She rubbed her stomach. "The rest as they say is history."
"Aren't you scared?" Shawn questioned. "When I get around my nieces and nephews I get all freaky."
"I am scared, but scared in a good way." Bridget sighed. "I am scared about being a good mom. Will I be able to be who this little person inside needs?"
"Well I think you will be great. Me on the other hand will never ever have children." Shawn looked around when she realized the vehicle was slowing down. "Looks like we are here."
"There is nothing out here." Bridget informed Shawn as the motor was turned off.
"Let's hurry up and get out of here." L ordered as he opened the driver side door to walk around to open the side sliding door. "Get out."
Shawn slide out to the ground then turned to help Bridget. The two sets of eyes locked. They stood there for a few seconds before Shawn was punched in the ribs. "Let's go."
"Asshole." Shawn gasped.
"What was that?" L went to punch Shawn again but Shawn was to fast and grabbed the man's wrist. She used all the power she had and slammed him face first into the side panel of the brown van.
"I called you an asshole." Shawn growled as she twisted the man's arm until she heard a pop.
"Get away from him." D ran from where he stood next to the car that had been covered with brush.
Shawn grabbed her gun back from L's waist and pointed it at the suddenly still man. "Suggest you get on the ground now, but not before tossing all the weapon's you have over to me now."
Shawn knew the man named M was standing by the back of the van waiting for her to turn away. She waited until D did as requested before she kicked L in the back of the knee dropping him to the ground. "Stay or I will shoot your ass with MY gun."
Bridget stood there shocked beyond belief. Everything had changed within a matter of moments. "You want me to do anything?"
"Just stand there. One of our friendly robbers is missing." Shawn replied loud enough so that the man would continue to think he had the edge.
"Okay," Bridget nodded as she scooted so her back was against the side of the van.
The snap of a twig let Shawn know that the man was making his move. Not taking her eyes away from the two subdued men she waited. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw the movement. With lightening reflexes she aimed her gun at the running man and shot. The man dropped to the ground with a thud.
Bridget scooted along the side of the van until she was standing in front of it. Her eyes never leaving the now still body on the ground.
Shawn heart thumped loudly against her chest. In all her FBI career she had never taken a life. The way everyone said you will see things differently immediately after your first kill. She didn't believe them, but sadly she changed her mind. "They were right."
"You fucking bitch. You killed my brother." D yelled as he quickly jumped up off the ground and tackled Shawn.
Bridget felt a small twinge in her lower stomach and a muscle spasm in her back. As she watched the two bodies roll around on the ground. "No way. Not now." She begged, as her pants were suddenly drenched with bodily fluids. "Oh shit."
Shawn gasped for air as the big hand wrapped around her neck. With multi colored dots forming in front of her eyes she used what strength she had and brought a knee up and rammed it against D's testicles. When he wheezed to catch his breath she brought her fist up and hit him on the side of his head by his ears.
Shawn rolled away after D fell to ground in pain. She took several deep breaths and looked around. The gun was now where to been seen and L was starting to come around. Knowing that if he regained full consciousness and D got himself together she would have a hard time to retain control. She stood up and stumbled towards where she knew Bridget was hiding.
"Bridget?" She called out with a now horse voice.
Bridget waved a hand at Shawn but didn't move as a contraction decided to hit her.
Shawn wrapped an arm around Bridget's waist and helped her to sit on the ground. "Are you okay?"
"Ohh let's see. I was in a bank that was being robbed. One of the jerks thinks he can have me. I am then tied to a chair to be shot if demands weren't met and then taken hostage and now I am in the woods giving birth." Bridget replied sarcastically. "Do you think I am doing okay? NO FUCKING WAY AM I DOING OKAY!"
"I have heard that labor turns the sweetest people into crazed lunatics." Shawn thought as she stands next to Bridget. "This is going to really make your day then. We need to get out of here before ugly and fugly come around."
"You didn't shoot them?" Bridget asked as her contraction lessened.
Shawn flinched at that remark. "No." She answered in a whisper.
Bridget saw the pain in the green eyes. "Sorry, that was uncalled for."
"It's okay." Shawn mumbled. "Can you walk?"
Bridget wiggled her fingers in the air so Shawn would help her stand up. "Not sure for how long so we better get going."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
The two women walked in the dark for a couple of hours. The stars twinkled above their heads as the stopped for a few minutes so that a contraction could pass.
"They are getting closer and more intense aren't they?" Shawn asked as her hand was being squished in a vice grip.
"Yes," Bridget growled.
Shawn nodded as she felt the circulation in her hand completely stop.
"When this kid is old enough to realize what pain I am now I will milk it for whatever I can." Bridget moaned as the contraction reached its pinnacle.
"How much further do we have to go to get to your place?" Shawn asked as she slipped her hand out of Bridget's grasp and shook it to regain filling.
Bridget looked around to see if anything could tell her exactly where they were. "I'm not totally sure. Nothing looks familiar."
"Okay, great. We need to figure out where we are." Shawn turned around hoping to see anything of substantial to point out to the Bridget. "How much longer do you think?" She gestured towards the pregnant woman's stomach.
"The contractions seem to be almost on top of each other. So I am going to take a guess. Real soon." Bridget took in a deep breath and tried not to scream as a rather large and painful contraction ripped through her body.
"I wish I could help you with the pain." Shawn knelt down next to the moaning woman. "It's gonna happen sooner than you though?"
"Yes," Bridget nodded as her tired body slumped against the tree. "Do you think they are following us?" She asked after a few minutes of quietness.
Shawn closed her eyes and when she opened them very frightened blue were looking at her. "I think they are. I killed that ones brother. Not sure if they were all brother." She stood up and reached out to help Bridget stand. "We have to try and get to your place. Or at least to a place to hide so you can have your baby."
"Okay, let's go as far as we can. The sun should be coming up soon and I will be able to get a better look around to see where exactly we are." Bridget wobbled at a slow pace with Shawn's arm around her back.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"David, can you see any signs of them?" Lucas asked his cousin. "I cannot wait to kill that blonde headed bitch."
"No cousin, she is mine. That FBI agent killed my brother and I get to have my revenge." David sneered as he looked around on the ground with his flashlight. "I will gut her like a pig and hang her from a tree."
"Keep her alive so she can watch me have my way with that dark pregnant beauty." Lucas grabbed his groin.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"I can see the head." Shawn gasped in total awe of what she was witnessing. "Come on one more push and the whole head will be out."
Bridget had finally noticed a landmark and lead Shawn to a cluster of trees that would make a good hiding place. It let in enough of the rising sun to give Shawn the necessary light she needed to help the tall dark haired woman give birth to her child.
"This hurt so bad." Bridget growled through clenched teeth as sweat trickled down off her face.
"Push," Shawn said as the whole head slipped out and she wiped the mucus and blood away from the babies mouth and nose. "On the next contraction push hard and I think the shoulders will pop out."
"It better pop out." Bridget mumbled as she bore down and pushed with all her might.
"That's it. Yes come on the baby is almost out." Shawn bounced on her knee with excitement. "Almost?.almost?.out."
"Ohh thank god," The tired woman lay down on the ground. She took a deep breath. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"You have yourself grumpy baby girl." Shawn smiled as she placed the squiring crying baby on Bridget's now flat stomach. "Here take this to cover her up in." She unbuttoned her navy colored shirt and handed it to Bridget.
"I can't let you walk around in just your sports bra." Bridget tried to give the shirt back. "I can just put her inside mine. It will keep her warm."
"No go ahead and wrap her up and then put her inside your shirt for added warmth. You might want to feed her to." The FBI agent pointed to the baby as she suckled on her tiny fists. "Plus we need to keep her quiet. We have no clue where those jerks are."
"How about I answer that question for you." Lucas bellowed as he stepped into view. "You almost gave us the slip, but luckily for us we heard you given birth."
David stepped out from behind his cousin and pointed the gun he had found in the get away car right at Shawn. "I owe you for killing my brother." He fired a shot off next to Shawn's knee.
"Let's not do this here." Shawn stood up with her hand held out on front of her. "Just let them go. They didn't kill anyone."
"I see you had your brat." Lucas stepped forward to get a better look at the baby.
Shawn moved fast to stop him from getting any closer. "Stay away from them."
"Or you will do what?" David replied before he squeezed the trigger firing a bullet right into Shawn's right shoulder.
"Oh god," Bridget yelled as she tried to shield her baby from the scene in front of them.
The impact sent Shawn flying back to the ground. The intense pain from the hole in her shoulder made her see stars flashing in front of her closed eyes. "I though getting shot in the leg was painful. Boy was I wrong."
"Look at all that blood. I wonder how long a human can stay alive while they bleed to death?" David asked as he walked over to where Shawn lay. "How about I put another hole into her and find out." As he finished that sentence he pulled the trigger shooting Shawn in the stomach.
Shawn flinched as her entire body went cold. All her senses seemed to stop as the sounds around her began to fade. "So this is what it is like to die?" A loud cry slammed her back to reality. "I can't die. That baby needs me and Bridget does too."
"Looks like it is just us now." Lucas laughed as he turned his head away from the still body on the ground to the frightened woman before him. "It's my turn to have some fun with you."
"I just had a baby." Bridget scooted backwards on her butt. The pain she felt didn't detour her from trying to get back from these mad men. "Just leave us alone."
"Oh no, no, no." David shoved his gun into his front pocket. "You will do what we say or we will kill your baby."
"I will kill you before I let you near my baby." Bridget declared.
The two men laughed.
"How do you plan on doing that? We have a gun you have nothing." Lucas pointed out.
"She may not have a gun, but I do." Shawn stood on shaky legs. Her bloody hand held her black beretta. She lifted it up and fired off a shot at David as he tried to get his gun out of his pocket. He fell back dead before he hit the ground.
I will kill you, you fucking cunt." Lucas blared as he came at Shawn. She didn't even flinch as she pulled the trigger. She watched as the third and finally robber dropped dead from a bullet to the head. "Good riddance you asshole."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
The light that should have been getting brighter since Shawn knew the sun had risen for the morning, but everything seemed to be getting darker. Like when you walk into a cave and the farther back you go the less light you have to see by.
"Shawn?" Bridget said as she sat there looking at the bleeding woman. "Can you here me?"
Shawn looked over to where she heard the voice. Her hand still pointed out ward with the gun shaking slightly.
Not wanting to but her newborn baby down. Bridget crawled closer to Shawn. "Put the gun down now Shawn. We are safe. They are all dead."
"Okay," Shawn mumbled as she opened her hand and let the gun slip through from her palm. Her knees gave out just as the thump from the gun as it hit the ground.
"Oh God." Bridget tried to get to Shawn's side but all she could do was watch as she collapsed onto her side gasping for breath. "Don't you die on me."
"Okay," Shawn muttered as s trickle of blood slipped from her mouth.
Bridget gently placed her baby girl on the ground next to Shawn. She wanted to get a better look at the gun shot wounds. She knew the shoulder wound was not the one threatening Shawn's life. Carefully she moved the hand the rested on the bloody hole. "We need to get you out of here."
"Can't walk." Shawn stated. "You get baby out of here and call the police. They should already be in the area."
"No I can't leave you here all by yourself." Bridget replied as she shook her head. "If they are in the area they would have heard the shots."
"They might not be that close to pin point the exact place." Shawn coughed hard while her body began to shiver. "Go, please."
"No," Bridget repeated. "They will find us." She looked around to see if there was anything she could use to get the police here any faster. The glimmer of the sun off Shawn's gun caught her eye. "I'm going to place Emily next to you. I will be right back."
"I'll get her all bloody." Bridget patted Shawn's hand and placed it on her daughter stomach. "She will be okay."
Shawn just nodded as she watched Bridget move towards her gun.
"How do I shoot this thing?" Bridget asked as she held it limply in her hand.
"It should be ready to shot, just pull the trigger." The seriously injured woman replied.
Bridget pointed the barrel of the gun up towards the sky. Not ready for the force of the kick back she dropped the gun. "Damn, that scared the shit out of me." She picked it back up and counted to ten and fired off another round. She did that until all the bullets were fired.
"If that doesn't work I will figure something else out that doesn't have me leaving you here by yourself." Bridget lifted Emily up into her arms and ran her fingers over Shawn's forehead. She could detect a slight fever. "They will be here soon."
"I like Emily's name." Shawn opened her eyes and looked up into Bridget's blue eyes. "You are very lucky to have her."
"We both are lucky to have each other and now we are lucky to have you in our life." Bridget wiped the tears away that fell down her face.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"Your daughter is in perfect health. A nurse will be in with her in a few minutes." The old Doctor stated. "Do you have any questions?"
"Do you have any information on the FBI agent that was brought in with me?" Bridget asked. "It has been hours since anyone has told me anything."
"All I know is she is in surgery." The Doctor answered. "She is in the best of hands."
"I know. It is just that she looked so bad before we were found. She saved my life and the life of my daughter." The upset woman began to cry but she didn't try to wipe them away. She let them fall down her cheeks to drip off her chin onto her hospital gown.
"Oh, thank the lord." A woman's voice whispered at the open door. "They found you."
"Mom," Bridget opened her arms and waited until they were filled with an older version of herself.
"How are you? Where is the baby? Is it a boy or a girl?" Patty leaned back and cupped her daughter face.
"You have a beautiful granddaughter. Her name is Emily." Bridget answered as she watched her mother begin to cry all over again. "Where is Dad?"
"He stopped to talk to some official looking guy." Patty stood up when a nurse walked in with Emily. "Awww, look at that gorgeous little thing." She held open her arms to accept the small bundle. "Hello, baby girl. I am your Grandma."
"And I am your Papa." A tall man proudly said as he walked into the room.
Hey, Dad." Bridget waved as she watched the man she looked up too place a strong finger in the palm of her daughter.
"Hello, sweetheart. You did a great job here. She has quite the grip." Walter smiled. "You okay. Those men didn't hurt you did they. Cause if they did I will hunt them down and kill them."
"They are already dead Dad." Bridget shivered as the memory of the men dying in front of her. Shawn killed them."
"Well that explains why that FBI agent in the hallway wouldn't tell me where the men were at." Walter grumbled. "Wanted to wrap my hands around their damn necks so bad."
"You don't have to worry about any of that now dear. Bridget is home and safe." Patty patted her husband's hand. "Honey get me that chair over there so I can sit down and cuddle with my Grandbaby."
Walter took four long strides and grabbed the chair for his lovely wife. "Here you go love."
"Thank you," Patty smiled.
"Now tell us about this Shawn." Walter raised a dark eyebrow at his daughter as he sat down on the foot of the bed.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
The next day was cloudy and rainy. Bridget and her daughter were released from the hospital. Walter and Patty who held onto Emily walked next to the nurse who pushed Bridget down the hall to the exit.
"If someone doesn't give me some information on my friend now. I am going to go room to room until I do." Bridget yelled as she forced the wheelchair to stop.
The nurse sighed. "I am sorry ma'am, but I don't have any information on your friend. Even if I did I can't give it out to you." She tried to nudge the wheelchair but the strong hands held onto the rubber tires.
"Mom, Dad please help me." Bridget begged.
"What can we do? I tried talking to the FBI and the local police department. They aren't talking." Walter explained to his agitated daughter for the hundredth time that morning.
"I can't believe they won't tell me what happened. She saved my life and the life of my child. You would think they would be using that as some sort of publicity thing." Bridget mumbled. "Damn it."
"You have to promise not to say a word if you are asked where you heard this from." The nurse whispered.
Bridget nodded her head afraid what she heard was her imagination.
"She is under heavy guard in intensive care. She went through surgery fine, but she has yet to wake up. The rumors I heard that no one knows you are here is because she just came back from being undercover and is wanted by some big Mafia family." The nurse said softly as she began to push Bridget down the hall. "No one gets in without a hospital pass."
"I can't just leave without seeing her. She risked her life for me. She killed for me." The dark haired woman stated as she tried to figure out a way to get to her new friend.
"You kind of look like a friend of mine who works in the ER. Give me twenty minutes and I will be able to get you to see your friend." The nurse looked around to make sure no one had over heard their conversation.
"I will wait as long as I need to." Bridget waited until the nurse stood in front of her. "I can't thank you enough."
"No need to thank me. I just hope your friend gets better." The nurse smiled before she quickly headed towards the ER.
"How about we take Emily on home." Patty kissed the top of her sleeping Granddaughter's head. "You just feed her so she should be okay for a couple of hours."
"Sounds like a good plan. I will give you a call when I am done." Bridget held out her hands to take her daughter from her Mom. "You be a good girl and don't give Grandma and Papa a hard time. Mommy has to go see our friend and make sure she gets better." She kissed the light pink hat that covered all the fuzzy black hair.
Bridget handed Emily back to her Mom. She watched as her parents walked down the hall and to the elevators. She sat there for about thirty minutes before she saw the nurse that was going to help her.
"I got it." The nurse held up the badge. "I also got you some scrubs."
"Thank you," Bridget stood up from the wheelchair and walked into the bathroom. A few minutes later she walked out in the light blue scrubs. "Let's go."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"Take this and this and just hold up the badge up for the officer to see." The nurse draped a stethoscope around the nervous woman's neck and then clipped on the ID badge.
Bridget nodded as she grasped the nurse's hand. "You are doing all this for me and I don't know your name."
"Hazel." The nurse patted Bridget's hand.
"Thanks you, Hazel." Bridget wrapped her arms around Hazel and gave her a quick huge.
Hazel smiled, "you are welcome. Now get in there."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Bridget stood with her back against the door. Getting pasted the police officer was easier than she thought it would be. Now the site that greeted her when she opened the door took her breath away.
"Oh Shawn," the now crying woman muttered as she looked at all the equipment that surrounded her friend. A beep could be heard every few seconds from the heart monitor and the swish of the breathing tube that was placed inside the small woman's mouth.
On shaky legs, Bridget walked closer to the bed to hold Shawn's cold hand. She ran her thumb across dirty fingernails. The sight of the dried blood and black dirt brought a new set of tears running down Bridget's cheeks. "You have to get better. I just found you and I don't want to loss you. Don't you want to see Emily grow up?"
Her answer was the beep of the heart monitor.
"Well, better hurry up and wake up cause I want you around. I want you to be in my life and in Emily's." Bridget laid her forehead on top of her clasped hands. "You just have to be okay."
Several minutes went by as Bridget prayed for Shawn to wake up, but instead a loud crash and the door flying interrupted her prayers open. She quickly looked up and saw a rather larger man in a black suit pointing a gun.
"Don't you move." He ordered as he looked from the scared Bridget to the silent woman in the bed. "Well, the rumors were true."
A small movement caught Bridget's attention she gave a quick look and saw the officer that was standing guard by the door try to stand. She had no idea why the man was even alive by the amount of blood that was pooled on the floor. "What rumors?" Bridget asked trying to keep the gunman's attention focused on her.
"It is because of that bitch there that I will loose everything I have worked for. Shit everything my family has worked for." The man yelled.
"How could someone so small do that?" Bridget pointed at Shawn.
The man laughed. "She may seem small but don't let that fool you." He took a step closer towards the bed. "I may not have to shoot her. I will just pull the plug on that breathing machine and she will die."
"I don't think you need to do that. They don't expect her to live anyway. Why not just let nature takes its course." Bridget fidgeted with the stethoscope around her neck.
"That's too easy. She will die by my action." The man walked over to the machine and looked it over then looked at Shawn. In a swift movement he grabbed the plastic tubing that was attached to the tube in her throat and pulled it off.
"No," Bridget yelled as she ran to the police officer who had fallen back onto the floor and grabbed his gun. She ran back in the room, "plug that back in. NOW!"
"I don't think so. I would rather you shoot me than spend the rest of my life in jail, but first se will die." He replied never taking his eyes off of Shawn's still moving chest. "Why ain't she stopped breathing?"
"Because she has a will to live." Bridget spat.
The man stepped closer to the bed, but was stopped by the loud bang of a gun being fired.
"Who said I would shoot you to kill." Bridget lowered the gun so it was aimed at the man's legs. "I've heard that a gun shot to the leg is very painful. Want to find out first hand?"
"You wouldn't dare." The man growled at her.
Bridget nodded her head and fire hitting the man in the thigh. "You wanna bet."
Just as the man went down the room filled up with FBI agent. They pushed Bridget out of the room and into the hallway. One of them tried to grab the gun she held tightly onto, but her grip was to tight. He had to pry it out with all his strength.
"Ma'am please go sit over there. We will need to ask you a few questions." The man pointed down the hall. "It should be to long."
Bridget blinked slowly as she tried to get what she had just done to sink in. She just made it to the ugly green seat before she collapsed and started to cry.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"May I sit here?" A soft voice asked.
Bridget picked her head up out of her hands and looked into soft green eyes. "Sure." She watched as the older woman sat down and placed her purse on her lap.
"You look like you need a friend. If you want to talk I will listen." The stranger asked as she placed a soft wrinkled hand on top of Bridget's. "Sometimes it is better to talk to a stranger."
"I don't think I should." Bridget pointed down the hall to where all the commotion was going on.
"You were the one that protected my granddaughter." The woman opened up her purse and pulled out a wrinkled tissue.
"Shawn is your Granddaughter?" Bridget sat up straighter.
The woman nodded her head. "Yes, she is all I have left." She twisted the tissue in her hands. "My name is Mabel Grips."
"Bridget?" She was interrupted by a FBI agent walking up to them.
"Excuse me, Mabel you can go in now and see Shawn." He said as he helped the old woman up.
"Thank you, Justin." Mabel squeezed the young man's hand. "I want you to met Bridget."
"Hello Bridget, I see you found a way in to see Shawn." Justin raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I am glad you didn't listen and went to see her. I don't think she would be alive now if you had."
"I just wanted to know how she was and that she was okay. She saved my life. She helped me give birth to my daughter." Bridget stood up as she continued to talk. "I couldn't just leave her here without seeing to make sure with my own eyes that everything was okay."
Justin raised his hands up to stop Bridget. "I understand, I wanted to inform you of what was going on. But it was against policy and could have put you in danger."
"How so?" Bridget asked as she put her hands on her hips.
Justin looked down at Mabel. She looked up at him. "Yes, how so?"
"If you were seen coming and going from her room they could have used you to get to her. Like kidnapping you." Justin stated. "We couldn't allow you to be in that kind of danger."
"What about me?" Mabel questioned as the three started down the hall to Shawn's now quiet room.
"Well, you had two agents with you at all time." Justin acknowledged "Plus you are family."
Mabel stopped walking. "Just so you know, Bridget is now part of the family. If she want to know anything about Shawn tell her."
Justin nodded his head and smiled. "Yes, ma'am."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
The three walked into the now silent room. All the machine had been taken away except the IV.
"I will leave you two," Justin helped Mabel to her seat. "We will need a statement from you before you leave. I will have an agent standing outside the door. Just have him page me."
"Okay and thank you." Bridget gestured towards Shawn as she stuck her hand out to shake the agent hand.
Justine shook Bridget's hand. "No, thank you. Shawn is a friend of mine. You saved her life today."
"I would do it all over again." Bridget said seriously. "She is a very dear friend to me."
Justin smiled then turned and walked out of the room.
Bridget took in a deep breath and felt the energy leave her body. "How is she?"
"She is just fine." Mabel caressed the back of Shawn's hand. "She just needs to open her eyes."
"Why, you know how much I enjoy sleeping." Shawn gravely voice startled the two woman.
"Thank you God," Bridget and Mabel said at the same time.
"Hey Grandma, what are you doing here?" Shawn asked as she looked at the one person in her life that never let her down.
"Well you bonehead you got yourself shot. Twice." Mabel smacked Shawn on the leg.
"I guess that is why I feel like a tank ran me over and backed up." Shawn moaned. She turned her head when she heard a sniffle. "Hi." She smiled.
"Hi," Bridget smiled back.
Shawn patted the bed. "How's Emily?"
"Emily is just great." Bridget replied as she sat down.
Mabel looked from her Granddaughter to the tall brunette. She could see sparks flying and knew that with time and a little encouragement she would soon have a new Granddaughter and a great Granddaughter. "Life is good."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
THE END
The Athenaeum's Scroll Archive
