and along came SPIDER ( A Martina Spalding Thriller ) (Spider Series Book 1) (17 page)

CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE

Dunbar’s head wound
turned out to be just a graze, and at his insistence, he walked out of the
hospital at midnight, with Martina by his side.  There was something he had to
tell her, and it couldn’t wait.  At her apartment, she noticed a moving truck
parked right where her car had been, which prompted her to ask, “Where’s my
car, Lieutenant?”

“It’s at the police
garage…”

“What’s it doing
there?” Marti said, quickly panicking.  That didn’t sound good, and she didn’t
like it.

“If you’ll let me
finish, I’ll tell you.”

“Okay, tell me!”

“Your car is at the
police garage.  I had it towed there yesterday because I’m having it detailed
and a new rear window installed, okay?”

“Okay.  But why?  Why
are you doing this, Harry?”  A little relieved, she was still a little lost.

“Maybe if I ask you a
question it’ll become clear,” Dunbar said and focused on her.  “How many times
does a person need to save your life, before you start to think you may owe
them something?”

“You don’t owe me
anything!  It’s me and Gloria that owe you.  It was your superior investigating
that turned up the attempted hit tonight, wasn’t it?  If it weren’t for that,
we’d be dead now…”

“Well, okay, Martina. 
Shall we engage in some sort of pissing contest to determine who saved whom the
most?  Or will you just let me do something for you, without you throwing a
total hissy fit over it!”

“Okay, Harry,” she
said, smiling broadly.  “Thanks.  I really appreciate it.”

“Well, that’s good,
because you’re probably not going to appreciate what else I have to tell you,”
he said.

Hearing that, Martina
sobered, but dared not ask what was about to happen to her next.  But then,
what could possibly happen that would be worse than what’d already happened?

“That moving van behind
us will be loaded with the contents of your apartment in exactly two and a half
hours.  Right now they’re up there packing up your things…”

“We’re being run out of
town?  Sounds like the old west…” Marti started, but Dunbar cut her short, with
the raising of the flat side of his hand.

“Now, the city of St.
Louis is paying for the first five hundred miles.  That’ll put you in somewhere
around Oklahoma City or maybe a little farther.  After that, you’re on your
own,” he said.  “Martina, this is not being done because our fair city no
longer loves you.  We do love you.  And that’s precisely why we’re doing what
we’re doing.  Martina, your life… your lives…yours and Gloria’s… are in more
danger now than ever before.”

“Why?” Marti was
shocked.

“Because of Lenny.  I
heard what he said, about watching you kill Raym from that apartment next
door.  And if he knew, the Koffee family knows.  And that ain’t all.  That
fella in the yellow slicker you killed… well he’s a Koffee too.  A cousin to
Raym.”

“Oh, God!” Marti
wailed.  “What did I do…?”

“You did what you had to
do, Martina.  Don’t go blaming yourself!” Dunbar ordered.  “Now, we’re trying
to keep a lid on this till morning.  The hospital is on lockdown and the
switchboard is unplugged.  So everything should be fine for a while, okay?”

Marti, tears streaming
down her face, nodded in response.

“Now, I want you to go
pack a bag.  And maybe one for Gloria — for the car.  Those people
up there packing the other things are cops… off duty cops.  And they’re armed,
so you’re safe.  It’ll be those same cops driving the truck and providing
escort the first five hundred miles.  If you’re tired, one of them can even
drive your car, okay?” Dunbar said.  “Now, the truck is a rental, one way, so
wherever you land, just turn it in at a dealer there.  All paid for by the
great city of St. Louis, okay?”

“But then, won’t
somebody at some city department know where we’ve gone when they get the bill? 
Won’t that have a destination on it that could leak out?  And if the Koffees
should decide to come after us…”

“Then you should turn
the truck in somewhere before your destination.  Then just re-rent it, fully
loaded, in another name,” Dunbar suggested.

“Okay,” Marti said,
wiping tears.  She had a better idea for what to do with the truck, but for now
she would keep that to herself.  “When will Gloria come?”

“At three a.m.  Smitte
will bring her over.”

“Is there any way I can
go?  I have to say goodbye to Parker.”

“Well, okay… then I’ll
drive you over,” Dunbar said, reluctantly.  “I’ll tell Smitte to stay put,
then.”

With that said, Dunbar
escorted Martina up.  Once there, she went directly to her bathroom and climbed
in the shower.  She had some crying to do, again, that had to be taken care of
before anything else.  Oh, God, would it ever end?

Two hours later, when
Martina emerged from the apartment building, she was thrilled to see it was
still raining.  Not only because she’d always loved the fresh smell of it, but
also because tonight it gave purpose for the full length white trench coat she
wore.  Opening her umbrella, she descended the steps to where Lieutenant Dunbar
waited at the patrol car, also under an umbrella.

Once in the car, Dunbar
wasted no time in pulling away.  He did a quick U turn and floored the
accelerator.  This unnerved Marti to the point that she grabbed up her purse from
the floor and reached in for the pistol.  Quickly she removed the empty clip
and replaced it with a fresh one, from a side pocket.

“It’s good you had that
extra gun?” Dunbar said, not questioning that she did, or why she never told
him before that she possessed her own weapon.  “But I see your purse didn’t
come away unscathed.”

She put a pinkie finger
in one of the several bullet holes.  “No,” she said lowly, not particularly
interested in small talk.  Especially about something she was trying very hard
to forget.  Besides, there was another daunting challenge presenting itself
only minutes ahead of her that dominated her thoughts now.

Parking conspicuously
at the entrance to County General, Dunbar climbed out and escorted her past a
group of police officers there and on inside.  At the nurse’s station, where
Piper had been just hours before and still was, in fact, looking a bit
dismayed, they took a right.  This was the route the bearded man, wearing the
yellow slicker, had taken earlier, when she first saw him.  That’s why she’d
become concerned initially; Parker’s room was ahead and to the left at the next
intersection.

Finally at the room,
Dunbar asked, “How long will you be?”

With that, Marti took a
deep breath and said, “I don’t know, Harry.  How long does it take?”  She then
pushed her way in.  In the semi-darkness, once the door was closed, she found
her way to the bed, kicked off her heels, removed the trench coat and carefully
draped it over a chair.

“Is that you, Doc?”
Parker asked in a subdued tone.  “It’s good to know someone else is awake at
this ungodly hour.”

“Shhhhhh!”  She leaned
in for a kiss, finding his lips to be warm and inviting.

“What’s that you have
on?” he asked, taking in every inch of the skimpy black nightie she wore.  “Is that…?” 
He was about to comment further.

“We don’t have much
time, Parker,” she said softly and went for his lips again.

“You’re leaving, aren’t
you?”  He glared at her.  “It’s all over the hospital, what happened last
night.  I heard your name mentioned from the hallway — nurses
talking.”

“Are you ever going to
shut up?”  She went for the lips again, hoping not to be rudely interrupted
again.

“I always knew you were
one to keep your promises, Doc.”  He produced an inviting smile.

“Okay, then shut up and
let me do it,” she said, covering his mouth with her hand, briefly.  It was
always so easy for her to get him silently aroused before.  Why was he being
this way now, when finally she was fully prepared to go all the way?  Well,
almost fully prepared.

Parker reached out a
hand, gripped her firm buttocks, and drew her closer to the bed.  Now, this she
hadn’t bargained for.  Her plan called for her being in control, throughout. 
It was her way of giving him a parting gift… a gift of herself…  What could be
sweeter?  But now it appeared he was taking… where was the gift in that?  Using
his other hand, then, he pulled her in for a firm kiss.  That included a hungry
mouth.  Just who was seducing whom? Marti wondered again, submitted, and melted
onto him, like cheese on a burger.  His hand slipped down her buttocks and soon
she was being pulled, ever so slowly, onto the bed — onto him. 
That’s when Marti broke away, and when she did, emitted a hearty laugh…  No way
was this set up going to work, she knew!

“Woops!”  She covered
her mouth, immediately.  “That laugh was a little loud,” she said, wondering
what Dunbar, outside the door, thought of her now.  But knowing nothing would
happen of consequence with a sheet dividing them; she now tossed it aside.  This,
of course, compromised Parker, naked and erect beneath it.  But, as usual, he
didn’t seem to mind, and quickly gathered her in again.  This time his efforts
brought her atop him, in a laying position, and she found his lips again.  He
may be ready, but at this point, she was the little girl at the ice cream
counter for the first time, wondering if the Push Up displayed would be as
pacifying as her   fingers had been in the past.

Becoming anxious after
a time, because time was short, Marti rose up to a sitting position and lifted
herself, allowing Parker to find and unsnap the bottom of the nightie.  Easing
slowly down then, she felt some pain along the way, but thankfully, it subsided
quickly.  Certainly the desire was there now, her breathing became heavy, but
what in the name of god was she to do now?  Parker was doing what he could, but
being belted down limited his movement to minor hip action.  Eight, skate, and
rotate, came to mind.  Gloria had said that.  But what did it mean?  Make a
figure eight?  Pretend your skating?  And rotate…  Rotate!  That was simple…and
it felt good.  Gloria had said to pleasure yourself above all else, and she was
certainly doing that now.  Her breathing kicked up another notch and so did
Parker’s.  It seemed like she was doing something right, so she increased the
effort, whipping up a real cake now.  She moaned breathlessly to test the vocal
part Gloria had mentioned, then wondered if it wasn’t for real.  No doubt now,
she was boiling over with desire and anticipation of something heavenly
happening, eventually.  Parker was certainly enjoying himself, the way he moved
now, forcing himself as high as the belts would let him go, his hands
everywhere.  Then she felt it coming…a freight train, just around the bend,
roaring down the track…  She tossed her head, arching into it. 
Yes
! 
Yes
! 
Yes
! 
And to make it special, it appeared Parker was on the same train, coming along
with her for the ride.  Then, it was certain he was when she felt the
fluttering pulsation of him inside her.

She fell to him now,
gaping, gasping, exploring, enraptured in the ecstasy which went on, and on,
and on…

Then, after what seemed
a long time, reality returned, and she remembered who was waiting for her just
outside the door.  With agility, then, she leapt from the bed and ducked into
the bathroom.  After a quick scrub, she came out with a warm washcloth and did
likewise for Parker, who seemed to take pleasure in that, as well.  She
re-covered him with the sheet, and leaned in for a final kiss before returning
to the bathroom to retouch her lipstick and brush her hair.  Then it was on
with the trench coat, the heels, a light spray of perfume, and she was set to
go.

“You’re not coming
back, are you?” Parker glared.

“Never say never,
Parker!” she said, sincerely.  “After that experience, you can rest assured I
won’t be forgetting you anytime soon.”  She laughed, leaned in with a departing
peck, and then she was gone.

Staring at the door
after she had gone, he couldn’t help but smile.  “Goodbye, Doc.  It was good
knowing you.  Rest assured, I won’t be forgetting you anytime soon, either.” 
In fact, he missed her already.

Not finding Lieutenant
Dunbar outside the door, as she’d expected, Marti cautiously proceeded on to
the waiting area.  It was there she saw him, along with Gloria and Smitte,
stepping from the elevator.  Thank God he
hadn’t
waited outside Parker’s door, as she’d thought he had.  Now, with relief, she
could feel with some confidence that he hadn’t a clue as to what had happened
back there.  Just the thought of it again, however, brought a renewed
exhilaration for having finally experienced this grand pleasure she’d lived so
long without.  This, though, brought on a blush, which was readily picked up by
Gloria, who rushed toward her now, relieved to see her friend was here.

Gloria had been briefed
on what was coming down.  Remarkably, she was alright with it, and the three of
them hurried from the building.  At the apartment building, Marti was happy to
see her treasured car parked at the curb, looking spotlessly clean and with a
new rear window.  Her and Gloria’s suitcases were visible in it, and it
appeared the procession there was prepared to pull out.  Dunbar beckoned Marti
aside as others went to their respective vehicles.