| Title: A Love to Die For Author: Peggy Chapter 3 He gave a deep sigh. "All right. Five years ago, I was engaged to be married. Another girl thought she was in love with me, and wanted me to marry her. She even got herself pregnant by someone else and told everyone it was mine. Her brother, Carlos, who you have already met, came after me. He threatened my novia and my family if I didn't marry his sister. I had to leave my home and come to the United States. Juan came with me. I thought we were safe, but he followed us. He always follows us. He always finds us. It has been almost a year this time, and I thought we had given him the slip, but I have to be suspicious of everyone. Today wasn't the first time I've had to dodge bullets." "Have you gone to the authorities?" "I tried, but I always got the same answer. We can't do anything until he harms someone." "Technically, I guess that's true, but you have a witness now. I can get some help," she said as she headed for the phone. "Just a minute! I gave you my story, and I'm waiting for yours." "I guess you are," she said with a smile. "I work for the FBI. I'm a field agent, an 'undercover' agent, sort of. In my new job, I will be sent to anyplace they might need someone." Surprised at her answer, he asked, "Isn't that dangerous?" "It can be, but I've been well trained. I've been in law enforcement since I graduated from high school, starting as a dispatcher. I worked my way up as a police officer, including the 'street' beats. That's how I financed my education. In some ways, this is probably less dangerous than what I've been doing, and it pays much better." He shook his head, trying to absorb what it all meant. She went to the phone, called the FBI, and gave them all of the information she now had on Carlos Montero. She asked Antonio for a description of him and passed that information along as well. The FBI would contact the local police and step up the manpower on the APB that was out on him. They cautioned her to be careful, in case he came back, and assured her they would have some men coming out to help as soon as it could be arranged. She thanked them and hung up the phone. Antonio had collapsed on the sofa in front of the fireplace. She walked over and sat down by him. He looked so distressed, that she reached over and put her hand on his knee. "This should be over soon, and you won't have to worry about him any longer." He covered her hand with his. "I don't like you being involved in all of this. It's dangerous! You could have been killed a little while ago. The bullet could have struck you." "I could have been killed when he ran me off the road, and that was before I knew anything about you or your situation. You can't blame yourself for that. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." "I think you were in the right place at the wrong time. I'm afraid I've come to care about you." "And that distresses you? Is it because of your fiancée?" "Partly! I've been in love with Serena for half of my life. At least I thought I was. Five years away from her is a long time. Sometimes, I can't picture her face clearly in my mind anymore, you know? But I wonder what's happened to her." "That's understandable, but we'd better talk about this later. We have to be ready in case he comes back before help arrives. Can I go get my shells now?" "No, I will! They're in my truck." "What are they doing there? How did they get there?" He looked at her sheepishly, and shrugged, "I didn't trust you, remember?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Here I am being housed against my will with two strange men that I never saw before yesterday, and YOU didn't trust ME?" He smiled, leaned toward her and touched his lips lightly to hers. "Key word…'didn't'. I'll go get your ammo." "I wasn't in too much danger. I'm practiced in the art of self-defense," She grinned. "Be careful, he might be out there. I'll cover you." She went to the door with him. They looked out cautiously, but saw no movement. She followed him, with her gun held ready, until they were safely back in the house. Two hours passed without hearing anything out of the ordinary. They kept the lights turned low and listened intently to every sound. When it finally came, they scrambled to their pre-planned places. The voice wasn't trying to be stealthy, in fact he wanted them to know he was there. Again the voice called out. "El cabrone! Come out and fight like a man. Don't hide behind your puta's skirts, cabrone. You won't escape me this time." His voice came from the driveway in front of the house. Juan was told to stay in the house, and stay down in case Carlos started shooting. Antonio took one of Jaime's guns and she took the other. Together they sneaked out the side door and ran quietly for the cover of the shrubs surrounding the yard. They crept around to the front of the house to see if they could see where he was. It was just dark enough that they couldn't tell. To make it worse, he wasn't yelling any longer. In fact there was no sound at all. He must be trying to get into the house. They crept back to the back of the house and noticed that one window was slightly open. Fearing for Juan, Antonio raced for the back door with Jaime right beside him. Opening the door without a sound, they walked inside with their guns cocked and ready. Suddenly they heard a solid 'thud', and a sound like a body sliding down a wall and hitting the floor. Frightened that it might be Juan, they hurried toward the sound. They rounded the corner to the dining room in time to see a shadow rise up with a large object extending from it. Juan recognized Antonio just as the object came down. A glancing blow hit Antonio just as he tripped over another body on the floor, and he sprawled in a heap next to it. Jaime cried out, "Antonio! Juan, that was Antonio!" She swiftly sank down beside him. Juan anxiously watched as Jaime checked Antonio's vital signs. "He'll have a nasty headache, but he'll be all right. What about Carlos?" "I hit him pretty hard, he should be out for awhile," Juan answered. "Get his gun and help me pull Antonio over there away from him," she asked. After pulling Antonio's unconscious body across the room, he asked, "Are you sure he's gonna be all right?" At her nod, he expelled a rather large sigh, "Then maybe I should be worrying if I will be all right when he comes to." Hearing a groan, they turned to see that Carlos was coming to. They had to do something to keep him subdued until help arrived. Holding her gun on him, Jaime asked Juan to get her handcuffs from the bottom of her gun case. He handed them to her and she quickly rolled him onto his stomach and cuffed his hands behind his back. She asked Juan for his belt and quickly ran it around the man's ankles then around the chain between the cuffs. He wasn't going anywhere. With Carlos secured, she wet a washcloth and went to Antonio. Sitting beside him she lifted his head into her lap and began to talk to him. She touched the cool cloth to his forehead in an attempt to bring him back to consciousness. He was still out cold. She leaned over to place tiny kisses all over his face. The front door suddenly swung open, banging on the wall behind it. Three men came in with guns drawn. Juan jumped at this new threat, but was quickly overpowered and pushed down on the sofa with one of the men standing near him. The other two split up, one going to Carlos and the other toward Jaime, pulling a badge from his pocket and holding it out to her. "It looks like we're a bit too late. Is that Montero in the cuffs?" At her nod, he motioned toward Antonio, "Is he dead?" "No, he was struck on the head accidentally, but he's been out quite a long time, I'm beginning to get worried. Did you bring the helicopter? We might have to get him to a hospital." "Yes, we did, but we landed it down by the gate." "Maybe you should give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation," The voice came from her lap, and startled her. She looked down, but his eyes were still closed, and his face showed no expression. Noooo, there was a tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth. The twitch moved to the other corner as well, and a tiny smile appeared. One eye opened slightly to peep through his dark lashes at her. "You want mouth-to-mouth, do you?" She whispered and slapped him lightly on his chest as she leaned over to touch her mouth to his. She blew hard into his mouth, catching him off guard, and the air escaped through his lips and made a strange sound, drawing the attention of the agents. Jaime blushed as the men grinned down at the two of them on the floor. Antonio wasn't inhibited at all by their audience and he once more pulled her face to his and kissed her until she was breathless. "You make a good pillow, I could stay like this all day," He joked. "Well, my legs are asleep, so up you go." With a little push from Jaime, Antonio stood up. He gave Jaime a hand and pulled her up, then touched his hands to his head to comfort the dizzy headache that assailed him. Jaime steered him toward the sofa before he fell back down again, and brought him a drink of water. The agents had a few questions to ask them before left with Carlos. Antonio looked at Carlos, "I did NOT get your sister pregnant. I didn't even take her on a date. That's the truth!!" Carlos hung his head but didn't answer and the agents took him off to jail to await a trial. Juan walked out with them, leaving Antonio and Jaime alone. "Now can I have mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? I still need it, you know? And I don't want the balloon treatment again!" Jaime smiled and leaned into him as his lips came down on hers. The kiss deepened, his arms tightened around her, and bliss settled over them both. Some things would have to be worked out about her job, but the feelings of love flowing through them would make anything possible. |