Chapter 17

The first that Dani knew that something wasn't right, was when Iris got into the ambulance with her and Mike did not. Iris knew from the look that passed across Dani's face what she was thinking.

"Dani, it's ok. Mike will be right behind us, I'm sure. Jim needed to talk to him about what was found in the offices. Without you there, he and Sandra are the ones in charge."

"I know. I just wanted him to be with me, that's all."

"I know," Iris finished as the EMT climbed into the front seat and the ambulance started to move.

Greg had listened but to tell the truth he was not too disappointed that the guy couldn't go with them. He still felt strange about what he was told about the relationship between the obvious older man and the teen.

The next few minutes were normal. Greg went about checking Dani again, and Iris was talking about what they should do next. Then the ambulance came to a stop and the front and side doors were pulled open.

Iris and the driver screamed as the probes of a stun gun were pressed into their sides. The driver was then pulled out of the front seat and another man climbed in. the man attacking Iris held his place until Iris passed out and fell to the side and onto the floor.

Greg, who had been next to Iris, had jumped away from her when she first screamed. He felt the electrical charge.

"Do as you're told, and you live. Otherwise, this one," the man pointed to Iris, who was still unconscious, "gets a bullet in the head. Then there's this one," he pointed to Dani, and said, "Well, let's just say I could come up with a lot to do with her."

Greg was horrified as he looked at the people before him.

"Greg," Dani said softly, "Please, just do what he tells you. You have to take care of Iris, please."

Greg looked at the girl that he was taking care of and realized that she was trying to save his life too. For that moment he could see just what the security chief was talking about. So he nodded his head and waited for what he was to do.

"Yes, you just do what I tell you and you'll all live. Now, take the bitch and get out of the rig."

The bus came to a stop and the man waved at Greg to get out.

"Please, sir, let him take his med bag so he can treat her," Dani asked.

The man looked at his target on the gurney then at the bitch he zapped on the floor. In truth he would have like to have kept them both so he could have a lot of fun.

"Fine! Just get out. GET OUT NOW!"

Greg grabbed the strap of the emergency kit and the arms of the woman that was still out from the stun gun and pulled her close to the door. He hit the latch and the door opened. With several grunts he was out onto the street and the woman over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

The man with the stun gun moved to the back of the bus, closed the door and yelled to his partner to drive.

Greg watched the bus drive off. He grunted as he shifted the woman on his shoulder a bit then started walking that way he knew that bus had come from, hoping to find his partner and make sure he was all right.

"Where the Hell is that Bus going?" Mike yelled.

"What do you mean, where did it go? It's taking that girl to the hospital, although I still think that she should be going to the station for more questioning. Now back off or I'll run you in for obstructing an investigation." Scot ordered.

"You were told that when she was to leave that an agent was to go with her! Now where did that bus go?" yelled Mike again as he advanced even more.

"Get the hell away from me or I'll..." Started Scot but he had to back up in the face of the anger that was advancing on him until one of the FBI men and the other security person grabbed the man before him.

"Mike, we'll get you to her side, but we have work here to do. You know that and she would be the first to tell you that too," stated John.

Mike just stared at the foul asshole before him.

"Mike I'll deal with him. You need to finish up here and then you can go to Dani," added Jim.

Mike stared for a moment more then turned and walked into the building.

"I should just take him and that gir..." started Scot.

"I gave orders that one of my people were to go with her when that bus left and you just stood here and let it go," Jim said. "I should have you busted for interference. But I'll just put it down to ignorance that you did not think that that girl needed protecting."

"I saw one of her security people get into the bus with her and I thought that would be enough. If she needed more than her, the others should have told me and would have had one of my men stay with her."

Jim had to think of something to say but the man before him just made him so mad he couldn't think strait to come up with something. Then he thought that if there was trouble, Iris should be able to deal with it long enough for her to get back to the plant, or call in for help.

"You and I will discuss this later. Right now I need to get back in and get everything checked over. When the DEA finally get here, bring them right in. Do you understand what needs to be done?"

"Yes, Sir!" Scot answered though grit teeth. He was all but ready to deck the agent but knew that could jeopardize everything.

Mike was seeing red and not really caring what was going on in the building but he knew that Dani would want him to look after things. At the top of the stairs he was met by Sandra.

"She'll be all right. She's strong. Besides if someone pisses her off too much she'll just kick them in the nuts."

Mike looked at his girl's best friend and found her laughing smile to be a great mood lifter. And as a small smile grew on his face so, did a good belly laugh. The laugh was just what he needed to chase the fears away that he was feeling.

"Now, that's better. Come, you have got to see what I found, so you can tell Dani all about it."

Sandy took Mike's hand and led him to the first checkpoint, where Mike was introduced.

"Mike, this is Robert Grayfoot. Robert this is Miss Orchard's security chief, and fiancée."

Robert looked the man up and down. "You have to be something very special to have captured her heart. Even though I only met her today, I can tell you that she is beyond special. And I will make it very clear that you had better be good to her, or I will hunt you down and send you to my ancestors to punish."

Mike was not surprised that his Dani would get such a reaction but what did surprise him was the strength of feeling that came from the man before him.

"Robert, I'll tell you this if I ever do hurt Dani in any way, I would expect nothing less. That woman is my life."

Mike paused and looked out a near window at where the ambulance would have gone.

This was not missed but either Robert or Sandra.

"She'll be fine, Mike," Stated Sandra.

"I know. I just should have been with her."

"What are you talking about? Should have been with who? Miss Dani? What happened to her?" Robert asked.

"She's ok. Just in a bit of a shock. I was told was that the plant manager grabbed her and put a knife to her throat," Mike said. "Dani's not the kind to take that kind of shit sitting down. She turned after breaking the arm that held the knife, and punched him in the nose. It was hard enough to drive the cartilage up into his brain, killing him instantly. She got sick after that and went into shock. The EMTs came, her BP was really low and they brought it up. They loaded her into the ambulance just before I came up but Jim stopped me from going saying I need to take control of things here."

Sandra was about to say something when she looked at Robert. The look on his face was moving back and forth between complete rage, total disbelief, and being grossed out.

"She ... she ... She killed him? Just with a punch? That little thing can't have ... I just can't," Robert stopped, as he couldn't get the words out for what he was asking about.

"Dani is something very special," Sandra stated.

"Yes, she is. And as soon as I get this done, I'm going to join her at the hospital."

Robert looked at the man and had to ask, "Why would you, a grown man, be going after a girl like her, no matter how special she is?"

"She stole my heart. She took it, and locked it away with all the kindness that she does for others. For how she treats people as equals unless they make her change her mind about them. I know she's young, and I shouldn't be even thinking of her, but I just can't stop. But it's more than just thinking about her. I want to hold her hand, and walk with her when we're so old, that we're one step away from needing wheelchairs. I thought when she said yes to my asking her to marry me, that if I had died right then, I would have died the happiest man on the planet. I know I don't deserve her but I'm beyond happy that she will have me, even if have to wait a year before I can have her as my wife."

Sandra who was there when he asked, remembered how it went, and how a person could feel the love between the two that filled the whole room ... the whole house, in fact. She looked at Mike and reached into his coat and got his wallet out so she could show it to Robert. Who was wiping a tear from his eye, he was so touched with what Mike had said.

Sandra opened the wallet and showed Robert Mike's ID, both driver's license and his former FBI ID.

Robert took the wallet handed it back to Mike. Then grabbed Mike by the arm and walked him though the door and down the hall.

Mike was surprised and couldn't think, as he was man handled. He was eight the last time. That time was by his father, for breaking a window of the neighbor's house. He had been dragging Mike over to take his lumps. He was over half way down the hall when his training started to tell him he shouldn't be allowing himself to be treated like he was. And just as he was about to make a token objection they all came to a stop in front of another man.

"Jo this is Mike Heyens. Mike this is Jo Russell. Jo, Mike needs to get into that room check it out, and get done fast. Miss Dani is on her way to the hospital, and Mike needs to get there, fast," Robert said to his friend.

"What happened?" Jo demanded.

"I'll tell you while he checks things out," said Robert.

"What is going on, and who thinks they're coming in?" asked Thomas Frankowski as he came up to the group.

Greg couldn't believe how deserted the area was. It was a large industrial park with the big plant at the end but there wasn't a car on the road when he got to the intersection with a light, which was most likely the spot the bus was taken from.

Greg had hoisted the unconscious woman onto his shoulder and would have loved to set her down on a bench, but there wasn't one near. So when he looked around the intersection he spotted what looked like his partner sitting against the wall of a building still looking dazed.

"Sam, am I glad to see you. Are you ok?" Greg asked and became even more worried at the man sitting on the ground looked up at him. The man was dressed in blue pants and was wearing the uniform shirt of his company. But it wasn't Sam. "Who the hell are you? Where's Sam?" Greg demanded.

Leo Niven looked up at the man but he still was affected by the stun charge he had received. So he wasn't thinking very clearly when he said, "Most likely still in the truck of my car, where I put him."

"You did what? Who the hell are you, and why would you do something like that? Never mind Get you sorry ass up. You're going with me back to that plant to get some help. You can also help me with this woman. She wasn't as lucky as you and got that stun charge for a lot longer. Now, GET UP!"

Leo got to his feet slowly but was stunned when the EMT all but tossed the woman at him to put over his shoulder. When he had the woman in place the EMT took hold of the other arm and the two started walking back to plant.

The group turned enough to see the new agent standing there looking none to please.

"I asked you..." Thomas started again.

"We heard you the first time. This is Mike Heyens, Orchard's security chief," stated Robert.

"I was told by Jim to come up and get a briefing on what's going on up here and to see for myself what was found," Mike finished.

"I'm sorry but this is a Federal matter, and I will not allow anyone in here. The DEA and a forensic team should be here at any moment," replied Thomas with only a small hint of superiority in his voice.