Until Time Stands Still (24 page)

            “Why are you doing this?” Lewis asked. “Who are you?”

            “Who I am doesn’t matter.” Mykel said. “Go over to your desk, and sign the papers sitting there.”

            “What papers?” Lewis said. “I’m not signing anything.”

            Mykel grabbed the man by the hair and yanked hard, pulling him up and over to the chair. He shoved the man hard into the wingback chair and shoved a pen in his hands.

            “You have two choices. Sign the papers, or die.” Mykel said. “I don’t much care which you choose.”

            Lewis narrowed his eyes and looked down at the document. “Divorce papers?” He looked up at Mykel. “She’s still alive?”

            “So…it was you who hired the hit man.” Mykel growled.

            “I was told she had died.” Lewis confessed. “I buried her.”

            “Why?” Mykel asked. “Why would you hire someone to kill your wife?”

            “I needed the insurance money.” He said feebly. “An investment I made went bad. I was broke. I had to do something.”

            “You are a colossal douche bag.” Mykel said. “How fucked do you have to be in the head to choose money over a persons life? She deserves better than you.”

            “And you think you’re it?” Lewis snorted. “Look at you, ready to kill a man over a few pieces of paper. She must not know about this, or she wouldn’t want you either.”

             “She wanted to come here and kill you herself. I wouldn’t let her.” He said.

            “I doubt that.” Lewis sniffed. “She wouldn’t dare. She doesn’t have the guts.” Mykel clenched his teeth again, the nerve in his jaw twitching.

            “Give me a reason to shoot you, you bastard…just one.” Mykel growled.

            “Mykel…ease up. We want him to sign the papers remember? If he doesn’t sign, then you can’t legally marry her.” Graham’s voice said calmly through the ear wig. “At least get him to sign the papers first before you hurt him.”

            “Sign.” Mykel said, gritting his teeth. “Now.”

            Lewis stared at the papers, reading through it.

            “You get to keep all your precious money.” Mykel spat. “She doesn’t want anything of yours, and wants nothing from you. You keep the money, house, cars, and the accounts. Everything. Just sign. Now.” He put his finger back on the trigger.

            “Fine. Fine.” Lewis began scribbling his name in the marked lines. “Here.” He shoved the papers at Mykel. “Now get the fuck out of my house.”

            “You have a sniper drawing down on you. If you make any movement in the next ten minutes, if you try to call out for help, or set off any alarms, you die.”

            Graham flashed the laser sight over the man’s chest in warning.

            “Just go…please.” Lewis said, nodding. “I won’t do anything.”

            Mykel glanced at the documents to make sure they were all signed.

            “If you ever come near her again, if you ever try to contact her, or send anyone after her again, for any reason, I will hunt you down like the animal you are. You’ll live just long enough to regret ever knowing her, and then I will kill you. Slowly. Got it?” Mykel said each word slowly, deliberately letting the man see the cold mask he had worn so well for so many months previously. “She’s mine now.” He carefully rolled the papers into a small tube and tucked them inside his vest. “Close your eyes.” He ordered.

            “No. If you’re going to shoot me, you do it looking into my face. Looking at my eyes.” Lewis said, hotly.

            “Well, well, looks like someone has a spine after all.” Graham chuckled.

            “I’m not going to shoot you.” Mykel said. “I got what I came for.” He smacked Lewis over the head with the butt of his gun, knocking the man out. Carefully, he dragged the man back to his bed and put him in it. He was still breathing, and would probably wake up with an epic headache. Mykel slipped back through the window and belayed down the side of the house. Unhooking his gear, he slipped into the night like a phantom. The guards patrolling the area had never been aware of his presence. He met Graham at the planned extraction point and they took off into the night.

            “For once, the mission goes as planned.” Graham said, sighing in relief.

            Mykel laughed, a huge grin on his face. “Let’s hope the next mission goes as well.”

            “The next mission?” Graham narrowed  his eyes “What mission?”

            “Planning the wedding.” Mykel said. “The womenfolk are plotting about all of us getting married at the same time in some sort of huge ceremony.”

            “We may need reinforcements.” Graham groaned.

            They both laughed.

            “Okay, Isabelle…I know you’re tired, but you have to push now.” Johnny said.

            “I can’t.” She said, crying. She had been in labor most of the day, and it was well into evening.

            “Isabelle. Yes you can.” Mykel said, squeezing her hand. “You can do it baby. Where’s that fierce little momma at?”

            “She’s changed her mind! I don’t want to do this anymore!” She whimpered as another contraction ripped through her body. She felt like throwing up, but there was nothing left in her stomach.

            “Sweetheart. I don’t think that’s an option at this point.” Mykel said.

            “Push. Now!” Johnny said.

Danae, who was helping, counted out “One. Two. Three. Four. Five.”

            “Count faster!” She growled, her face beet red.

            “Good…good. Now do it again.” Johnny said. She felt like she was being torn apart. She screamed.

            “Oh God.” Mykel blanched, glancing down. “Is it supposed to look like that?”

            “Yes.” Johnny said. “Hold her leg.”

            “Push, baby. You can do it. Women have been doing this for centuries remember? Your body knows what to do. It’s natural.”

            The pain was so intense she felt like she was dying. She grabbed him by the throat and dragged him down to the bed. “There is nothing fucking natural about this!” She yelled. “I changed my mind…drugs! NOW!”

            “It’s too late for that. The baby’s head is crowning.” Johnny said. “Push as hard as you can, Isabelle.”

Danae helped to pry her fingers off Mykel’s throat, who sputtered and choked for air, while she pushed again.

            The first baby was born to his mother’s screams. Johnny helped to pull him the rest of the way out, and slipped him onto Isabelle’s stomach.

            “Oh my God.” She wrapped her arms around the baby, already wiggly and crying.

            “You did it sweetheart.” Mykel said, his voice hoarse.

            She began to cry. “He’s beautiful.”

            “Danae, grab that blanket and wrap the baby in it.” Johnny said. “Mykel, get over here if you want to cut the cord.”

            Isabelle laid back on the bed and held her son. She couldn’t believe she actually did it. She was a mother.

            Johnny showed him were to cut and the first baby was free.

            “Okay people, we got one baby…let’s go for the other one. Are you ready Isabelle?”

            “Do I have a choice?” She groaned. Danae took the baby over to a waiting bin of water and began to wash him clean. The baby’s angry squall filled the room.

            “Good, healthy lungs. That’s a great sign. This one should be a bit easier, since the first baby sort of made the way.” Johnny said. “Let’s just hope he hasn’t moved out of position.”

            “What?” Mykel said. “What does that mean?”

            “With twins, sometimes when the first one is out, the second one will move, because all of a sudden, there is more room than they are used to. If he moves sideways, we may have to turn him.”

            “Turn him how?” Mykel frowned.

            “Mykel, don’t ask. You really don’t want to know.” Isabelle said, shaking her head. “Come here.” He went back up to the top end of the bed and held her hand.

            “You did amazing, Isy.” He said kissing her. She pulled him down to kiss her again.

            “Ow…ow…owwww…” Another contraction hit her hard and she screamed.

            “Ow…son of a …oww…let go!” She was pulling his hair.

            Johnny laughed. “Serves you right man.”

            He scowled and rubbed his hair.

            “I’m so sorry baby.” She said. “I didn’t mean to.” She was panting, trying to catch her breath.

            “Here…just hold my hand.” He said. Another contraction hit and she groaned. “Breathe into it baby, like we learned in classes.”

            “Okay, Isabelle, push hard again.” Johnny said.

            “Get this baby out!” She cried.

            “I can’t honey, you have to do it.” He said. He cringed. Seeing her in so much pain ate at his heart. He had never felt so utterly useless in his entire life. It was the worst and best day of his life, all at the same time. Mostly he was just terrified something horrible would happen to her. She was amazing. Seeing her go through this all, for him…he could never thank her enough, and he knew it. She was the strongest person he’d ever seen.

            “Okay, Isabelle, it looks like this baby is sunny side up.” Johnny said. “I could turn him, if you’d like, or you can try to deliver him in the position he’s in.”

            “What’s the difference?” Mykel asked.

            “It’s less traumatic if I let her deliver the baby in this position. Turning him will be incredibly painful.”

            “More than this?” Isabelle asked, panting.

            “Probably.” He said. “I’m not going to lie about it.”