Killer Cupid (The Redemption Series: Book 1) (29 page)

David led me to a big patch of tall grass near the beach, and we hid there. He pulled up the hood of my sweatshirt and covered me with a large dark sweatshirt he pulled from his backpack. I noticed it was a moonless night, so I thought we’d be safe enough. We waited in silence.

The sound of a helicopter in the distance startled me, but I was afraid to ask any questions. I thought David would need to keep all his wits about him now, and he wouldn’t need any silly questions from me. Besides, I didn’t want to make any sound. My heart was beating loud enough as it was. Sure enough the helicopter hovered over the wet sand of low tide.

“Okay, Sweetheart, you relax as best you can.”

He kissed my cheek, and I was in his arms rushing to a hovering helicopter. We were pelted with whirling sand, and I don’t know how David saw where he was going, but all of a sudden, Eduardo was hauling me up and in like a sack of potatoes. The backpack followed me and then David. In one motion he had me back in his arms, and the helicopter whipped around. I’m not sure how I avoided vomiting on him.

“You’re okay, Sweetheart.”

“Okay.”

The pilot turned right around. “Agent Cupid! Lovely to see you again.” And I swear David stuck his tongue out at him.

I was distracted by Eduardo with a dark bag perilously close to the open door as the helicopter pitched and twirled. “All set. I’ll take care of it.” And then he was gone.

“Eduardo!” I tried to climb out of David’s arms. “He fell out! Eduardo!”

“Debbie, it’s okay. He’s okay. He’s staying.”

My confusion and nausea only intensified as the helicopter gyrated and the pilot turned to us with a bucktooth smile. “Welcome aboard, Agent Cupid! And this is your lovely bride? Welcome aboard Miss Aldridge. Anthony Cooke at your service.” He turned around and gawked at me. “But please do call me Cookie.”

Cookie. I wondered at his strange manner, and a voice that sounded exactly like a butler that served Cindy and me high tea once. I wondered why David was Agent Cupid. Mostly I wondered if we’d crash into the ocean and die.

David reached over and closed the door. I tried not to puke, and I must have been white as a ghost. He grabbed me even closer, and I hoped that wasn’t a mistake.

The helicopter continued its ups and downs and the pilot continued chatting away. “Well, Agent Cupid, I trust you had a restful holiday at the beach? Lovely weather we’ve had lately.”

“Cooke, get us the fuck home.” David’s command reverberated through my body.

“Straight away, Agent Cupid.”

And we jerked into high gear from what I could tell.

***

I know it couldn’t have been, but it felt like an eternity before pilot Cookie got us safely on the rooftop of the military hospital that had been our home for so long. David finally let himself cough. “Thank you, Tony.”

He reeled around in his seat and smiled an orthodontic nightmare. “My pleasure Agent Cupid. Miss Aldridge. And may I say, I’m so looking forward to attending your wedding.” He winked at me. “That is assuming you’re still interested in marrying him, Miss Aldridge.”

My mouth hung open, and David guided it closed with his pinky finger. “With friends like you, Cookie…”

A familiar nurse took me from David’s arms onto a gurney and into the hospital.

David

He shoved the cot against the wall across from Debbie’s bed and spent the night sitting, his back to the wall, reliving the past hours as she slept. She could easily have been killed. How could he protect her? It would be impossible to keep her from harm. All it would take is one slip – like leaving a door open – one distraction, and she’d be gone. How could he marry her? How could he be so selfish?

“David!” A frightened voice came from the bed, and he jumped to her side.

“It’s alright, Sweetheart. Just a bad dream.” He took her in his arms as she came to. That sedative should’ve been stronger.

“That man’s in hell now?”

“Yes. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Cat told me hell is a real place. It’s awful, David.”

“It sure is.”

She was asleep again.

***

Early in the morning, David came through the door of the General’s office. Pearson looked as exhausted as he felt, and Colonel Johnson gulped an energy drink. “Cheers,” he said.

Pearson sat in front of his computer. “What the hell he was doing here – Dusseault’s been running around the entire Middle East after him – and he’s here. Why?”

“There’s a rotten egg right under our nose,” Johnson said. He slammed the bottle into the trash and stood there looking at it.

“Yeah.” The General motioned David to join him by the computer, as he brought up Eduardo’s report. There was no doubt who the assailant was. A smile spread across Pearson’s face, and he came to life. “You did it, Lambrecht. You got him.”

David nodded, and tried to exhale the stress. One more piece of slime off the face of the earth. A major one.

“I bet Dusseault breathed a big sigh of relief. Z’s been picking off the best Israeli agents like a kid in a candy store.” Pearson scrolled through the photos.

Johnson landed in his chair, smiling with every tooth in his head, and slapped his knee. “Ain’t no one can outshoot you now, son.”

Coughed laughter turned to a shudder. He must have been twelve or thirteen in his makeshift shooting range. Cat ran up all excited to tell him about her new foal. His concentration disturbed, he was unkind. She was undaunted. Those incredible blue eyes smiled at him. “The Precious Blood of Jesus protects you. You can’t outshoot God, David.”

Eduardo

Eduardo checked at the nurses’ station when he arrived and was relieved to find Debbie was in good condition and now in with a counselor. He headed to the conference room. Cookie was there, his feet propped on the table, obviously enjoying his morning coffee. “She does seem like a lovely girl.” He smiled his naughtiest.

“Cookie, don’t start.” He poured his cup and took a seat.

“Gentleman Jimmy! Long time no see. Y’all!” Cookie jumped up to hug his old friend, and practically beat him up with slaps on the back, as Hollinger came through the doorway.

Eduardo got up to join in. “What’s this, Hollinger? You love him and not me?” By now, Jimmy was bright red and swept up along with Cookie into Eduardo’s arms. The melee ended when Jimmy pulled away to find the coffee.

“And how was your trip? Did you see all the best sights, if you know what I mean?” Cookie never stopped.

“Tel Aviv is lovely this time of year. Or is it Washington?” Hollinger rubbed the top of his head.

“Did you see a cherry tree?” Eduardo asked.

He took a thoughtful sip of coffee. “Not in Tel Aviv.”

Foolishness stopped as General Pearson led Colonel Johnson and David into the room. Pearson gave a thumbs up. “Great job, Clemente.”  He shook Jimmy’s hand. “Glad you’re back in one piece, Hollinger. Great work.”

They took their seats. “Thanks to Lambrecht, Z’s history. Good riddance to him.”

Cookie raised his mug in a toast. “Here’s to Agent Cupid. He’s so awesome he’s taking out the bad guys in his sleep
…
Or was he really just sleeping with that lovely young lady?” Cookie never cared what he said to anyone.

Pearson raised his mug and laughed his butt off. He was pretty jazzed that the biggest pain in his butt got his head blown off by one of his guys. Led by Johnson the rest joined in, and David just grinned at Cookie. Poor Cookie’d probably be next.

When Pearson got over his glee, he repeated they’d all get some time off soon, hopefully. Things were moving along, but he still did not know who the traitor was. Until that person was found, there’d be a need for vigilance.

“I’m sorry this impacts your personal lives so much, but it can’t be helped. I guess Hollywood stars are used to having security around them, so maybe they’ll be more tolerant as this music thing takes off. Meanwhile, I want to let you know formally that Cookie will be joining your training team.”

Cookie gave a wink and a toothy smile directly to David. He reciprocated with a scowl. The exchange was not lost on Pearson. “I know you men get on famously. Just don’t kill each other. I hope to get this thing off the ground reasonably soon. Dusseault has a few more things to wrap up, but he should be back here shortly, now that he doesn’t have to deal with Z.”

Chapter Nineteen

David

The meeting adjourned, Eduardo took David by the arm as he got up to leave and pushed him back into the chair. He sat on the edge of the conference table, his arms crossed like an angry parent about to discipline a child. Just what he needed now.

“Ya know – I know you’re used to
two
ladies, but let me give you some advice from a mere mortal that does one at a time. If you’re still in bed five days later, there’s a real good chance she won’t even be able to
walk
down the aisle on your wedding day. Which, you remember, is like two weeks away!” Eduardo’s sarcastic voice was growing louder.

“Thanks so much for that piece of advice, Eduardo.”

“Which brings me to this whole wedding thing.”

“What whole wedding thing?” David was irritated at his friend’s intrusion, but something in his voice kept him from answering his sarcasm with more.

“This whole wedding thing is turnin’ into a frigging Cecile B. De Mile production, and the bride and groom are nowhere to be found, and frigging everyone is comin’.”

Eduardo took a short heavy breath in order to keep going. “No one here thought any one could really make it on such short notice, from all around the friggin’ world. But it’s turnin’ into the social event of the frigging world season. Even our very favorite nun, Sister Mary Grace is comin’ God help us! And your parents, ya know, they dropped everything to run out here, doing everything they could do, watchin’ and waitin’, cryin’, and prayin’ you’d pull through. And then the doctors say you’re okay. You don’t even say goodbye. You just run off. And leave them with friggin’ George! Do you have
any idea
how miserable he’s made them? Papa Frederick hasn’t been to work in months. He’s tryin’ to handle everything from across the ocean, and he’s got friggin’ George to contend with. Plus now he’s got this big cast of characters comin’ to a wedding. And George could decide at any moment to call it all off, cuz you’re not the man for his daughter! And Debbie, she’s the bride whether she realizes it or not. It’s her day, and she’s not around to make one decision. They’re pickin’ freakin’ dresses, menus, colors, flowers, all that shit, and they’re just guessin’ what she likes. Are you friggin’
awake yet
?”

Nausea rose up as David realized how he had let his family down. “Eduardo I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I – I didn’t realize.” He couldn’t catch his breath.

“Look! David! There’s no one that knows any better than me the hell you been through. And I think you should have all the time you want to be alone with Debbie. It’s a miracle you found a girl you can love like that. I know you love her more than life, and she loves you that way back. Most people never get that. They go to the grave never having it even for a minute. So I know it’s gotta be hard to think about other stuff right now. But
you’re
the one that wanted to get married right away. You set the date and ran off.”

“I know Eduardo, I know,” he whispered. “I’ll call Papa.”

Eduardo sighed loudly. “I’m sorry, pal, to hand you all this shit. I really am.”

“Well, I’m glad you told me. I appreciate it. I do.”

***

“Papa.”

“David?”

“Papa, I’m so sorry.”

“David! Are you alright?” Papa sounded tired.

“I’m fine, Papa. Debbie’s fine. I – I didn’t think. I was so thoughtless.”

“You mustn’t upset yourself, now. I’m just relieved you are both okay.”

“I should have told you. I – I couldn’t. I had to get her away from George. She’s doing really well now, Papa. She looks incredible, she’s absolutely gorgeous – she smiles, she laughs. I know I really hurt you and Mama. I’m so sorry.” His voice cracking from emotion and congestion, he knew his father had rarely heard this tone from him.

He knew his father was worried, and he regretted causing even more concern.

“It’s okay David, I understand. And your mother understands, probably better than anyone. I would let you speak with her, but she’s off planning a party the bridesmaids are having for Debbie. Oh, and it’s supposed to be a surprise, by the way.”

***

He composed himself and drew in a breath before entering Debbie’s hospital room. He’d worried she’d fall apart with the counselor over the incident the previous night. He wondered if she’d still want him after all, if life together would be so precarious.

Her glistening hair caught his eye first as he came through the door. Seated in front of the window, she looked up from her work with a clipboard and pencil. A half eaten breakfast was on the table nearby. “David!” She ran to hug him, a bright smile on her face.