Chapter 2

Matt saw Jen move, felt her grab him, and then he was on the ground. Jen was next to him as he heard the unmistakable sound of bullets whizzing by.

Then he heard a gun returning fire. When he looked, his dad was running passed them but then stopped as the car turned a corner then came back to them.

Joe was calling on his radio, and then yelled out, "You two all right?"

"I think so dad," Matt said, and then turned to Jen.

"Jen, you ok? Jen..."

Matt turned Jen a bit so that she moved to her back. The first thing he saw was the gash on her head, but she had blood all over her when he looked down her frame.

"DAD, SHE'S BEEN HIT!"

That was all he got out as he tried to take his shirt off to use as a compress. He found his arm hurt, a lot.

"An ambulance is coming, Matt." Joe said as he came up to his son. "Can you tell how bad?" Joe watched his son flinch when he moved and added, "Matt what's wrong?"

"Shit! I think I was hit, too. My arm feels like it's on fire! Help me get this shirt off dad, so I can see how bad I am. Then use it for Jen, she's bleeding pretty bad."

Joe pulled his belt knife and cut the shirt, then cut it again. Matt held the bigger piece on the woman as his dad tied that other piece around his son's arm. The siren died down as the ambulance arrived. The EMTs re-bandaged Matt's arm and dressed Jen's wounds, then loaded both patients into the rig and headed for the hospital.

Jen softly groaned and woke up. She didn't want to. She had been having strange dreams, as though she was reading everyone's thoughts, and seeing through other people's eyes. She even dreamt that she was able to talk to Jonny, one of her former teammates from when she was in the Marines, for the first time in nearly two and a half years.

Jonny was having his own troubles. He was in Bethesda Naval Hospital, but no one would tell him why. They wouldn't let him go, and they kept doing tests that kept getting stranger and stranger. The impression she got was that the people that held him must not have liked the results, as they kept frowning and testing some more.

But now that she was awake, she hurt all over. She heard a beep, which made her turn her head to see a machine. It was the view past the machine, on the other bed, that gave her pause. Sitting on the bed, was Matt. She watched as he was getting his bandages changed and snapping at the nurse because a part of the adhesive had stuck to the wound.

Another beep caught her attention and she turned her head to the other side of her bed to see a nurse checking another machine. Jen must have grunted or made some sound as the nurse looked over to her.

"Well, hello there. I know you probably hurt, but we need you to wake up, as you've been sleeping a lot. I'll be right back with the doctor."

The nurse walked away and Jen looked back to the other bed.

"It's ok, Jen," Matt said as he came to Jen's bedside, "you're safe. Dad's men got the guys. He'll be here, later. Now that you're awake, he can tell us what the hell's been going on."

"You should let her rest, you know your father's going to be asking lots of questions. You should get back in bed and rest, too," said the nurse.

The nurse moved over to Jen's bed to check her bandages. But didn't remove them.

Giving a rundown on what had happened, the nurse said, "You gave a few people quite a scare. Your lung was nicked by a bullet, and that's very bad. After the operation to repair the damage, you were kept in a medically induced coma for a few days. You were also on a ventilator until two days ago, when you started fighting it. The doctors took you off it, and you were breathing on your own just fine. You were also showing signs of waking up, so instead of increasing the dosage to keep you asleep, the doctors took you off the drug altogether, to let you wake up."

Jen licked her dry lips then tried to swallow but her mouth was too dry. She looked at the nurse again, licked her lips again, and made sucking sounds in the hopes of getting some water.

"I'm guessing you're a bit dry. I'll be right back."

The nurse moved and got some ice chips and returned, presenting Jen with a cup. The cold ice in her mouth and the drip of moisture down her throat was heaven. After half the cup of ice was gone she felt much better.

"Thank you," Jen said in a small voice.

"You're welcome. Now, you two be good while I check my other patients," ordered the nurse then quickly glanced at Matt then back to Jen. "The doctor will be in very soon."

With that, the nurse left the room.

Matt moved and sat on the side of the bed a bit closer to Jen.

"You really had us worried." Then in a tone of voice she hadn't heard Matt use before, he said, "Thank you for saving my life."

"Your arm?" Jen whispered, not wanting to dwell on how Matt may have felt about perceived heroics.

"The docs and dad think the one that hit your arm went through and then hit me. You were hit in the shoulder too and that one caught the edge of your lung. You also took a graze to the head."

"Towns?"

"Dad wouldn't tell me, but I heard the guy is dead, and the deputy is telling one hell of a tale.

"We talked to my grandfather, too. He's a big time lawyer. He's having a field day ranting and raving. He almost acts like its Christmas! He's so happy about it, he could just about shit gold."

"Warrant?"

"That was the first thing he called about. The ax is going to fall on several people. He proved it was illegal, and that the court should take action to fix the problem so that others can't take advantage of the courts the way that this 'family' has done. He's still digging, so I don't know all of it."

"Need to get out of here." Jen said and tried to move. Something in the back of her mind said big trouble was coming.

"You're safe, here. You need to be still and let yourself heal." Matt insisted.

"No, I need to get out! Now!"

"Ms. Gregory, you need to calm down or I'll order you sedated again," said a man as he came into the room.

Jen stopped. Training told her when to fight and when to look for an opportunity. She just watched as the man came in and then noticed the sheriff followed him in. The man, who she now knew was the doctor, kept talking but Jen didn't hear most of it. She just knew the sooner she could get out of there the better it would be. Big trouble was coming and she didn't want any of these people to get in the way to be hurt.

"Well, the wounds are healing very well. There's no sign of infection but we'll still give you the antibiotics just to be safe," said the doctor as he redressed the wounds. "But if you start trying to climb out of bed, I'll have you tied to it."

"How long 'till I can get out of here?" Jen asked.

"Two weeks, if you're good. If there was someone to help you, it might be shorter. But I was told you just moved here, so that means you stay here. Now, I mean it! No trying to run off. You understand me, Marine?"

Jen couldn't help but smile, though she couldn't salute, as she replied, "Yes, Sir."

The doctor checked the machines again. "If you're in pain, just push the red button. It will give you a bit more of the pain medicine but you can only do that once an hour."

"Thank you doctor. I'm sure my son will keep an eye on her. If he needs help the guard down the hall can help, or your nurse can just knock her out," said Joe.

"Works for me."

With that the doctor turned and left the room.

Jen counted to one hundred then asked, "Towns?"

"Straight to the point I see," Joe chuckled, "Now to your question. The lawyer and the deputy tried to run the roadblock I called for. They wrecked but still tried to start a shoot out with my guys. Towns, the lawyer, didn't make it. The deputy was hurt, but he is talking. He's so scared, he won't shut up.

"Now I'm sure Matt told you my father is working on that stupid warrant. I haven't seen him so mad and fired up, in a long time. He'll be by later to let you know what is going on. However I need to know is there anyone that we can call for you? You're going to need some help."

Jen licked her lips again. Before she could ask, Matt had the cup of ice ready for her.

"Thank you, Matt," Jen said when she was finished sucking on some of the ice. "I don't have anyone. My adopted parents passed on a few years ago. As far as I know my birth mother is still in the state pen."

"What about your team?" Joe asked.

"I can't contact them. When I was forced out of the Corps, it was part of the deal," Jen answered openly.

"What did you do to get forced out of the Corps?" Joe was shocked.

"I don't know. One day, we were getting ready for some training. The next we have orders to disband. Then I'm in a court marshal, with charges that were laughable to say the least, and with no advocate. Three months later I was working and met Bart. It was really strange. He acted like he knew me, as he tried to get close. I felt like I was half asleep, and couldn't stop or control anything. Then I was married to him. When Bart went nuts, it felt like something broke and I woke up."

Joe began to get very worried. He had heard a few things, strange things when he was in the Corps, and that was one of the bigger reasons he got out.

"Ms. Gregory..."

"Call me Jen."

"Jen, I think you need to find a way to call your team commander. I think you're in more trouble than you might believe. It all sounds too 'arranged' to be considered normal."

Jen looked at her fellow ex-marine and saw that he was very worried.

"I need my phone..."

"Unless it's to get a number you shouldn't use it. Here's mine, when your done clear the memory of outgoing calls," said Matt as he handed his to Jen.

"Thanks," Jen replied.

Then she called a number that was deeply imbedded in her brain. She was just scared it wouldn't work anymore.

She dialed the number and waited.

Jason Waters was sitting at home, again, trying to think of something to do now that he was retired. He had rested, cleaned, rested and re-cleaned everything in his apartment when a cell phone that had been kept plugged in, but forgotten, rang. When he looked he didn't know the number, but something told him to answer.

"Waters."

"Colonel, um ... Jason ... it's me, Sergeant Gregory, um ... it's me, Jen..." Jen said in a tumble of words, and then in a softer tone the words from memory, she added, "Beta, Charlie, Tango, 447."

Jason froze, that was a private team code for a team member in extreme trouble, hurt, and needing help.

"Where are you?"

She gave him the name of the town, and the name of the hospital.

"How bad?"

"Bloody. A graze to the head, through and through to the arm and a shoulder hit with a lung graze on the left. I'm in trouble, boss."

"I'll be there as soon as I call the others."

"No!" Jen said in alarm. "Jonny's in trouble, too. He's a lab rat at the moment in Bethesda. I'll tell you when you get here. I think Mark is still in the desert. Please! I need help! There's a lot to tell you, but this phone may be comp'd. Just be careful getting here."

"Ok, girl, I'm coming."

"Thanks, and I'm sorry. This could be dangerous."

"What are you into?" Jason whispered as he was really starting to worry.

"Strange, strange things. 41-75."

41 was the code for government trouble and 75 was personal with legal.

"Shit! Ok, I'm coming."

"Thank you," Jen whispered then hung up.

Jason was shocked. He needed more information and he needed it fast.

He got up to get things ready but then looked at the phone in his hand. He quickly turned it off then opened the back and took out the battery, then the memory chip. He tossed the phone in a glass of water then broke the chip. Jason knew Jen wouldn't call it again.

Within thirty minutes, he was out the door.

Jen was dreaming that she was talking to Jonny again. He was telling her about some of the strange tests they had him doing. He knew he had to be very careful, as he was sure his room was videoed. When he did some of the tests, he thought it felt like something was going to happen, so he made it stop. Jen was going to ask more, but the dream started to fade so she told him goodbye then woke up.

It took her a few minutes to get her bearings. Then Matt saw she was awake and helped her with a cup that had some water in it this time. Just as she was going to ask something, the sheriff and another man walked in.

"Oh, good, you're awake. You were sleeping when I was last in," said the little man.

He came and sat on the edge of the bed. He was the type of man that a person liked almost instantly.

"Now, I'm Arnold but please call me Arnie. Joe's my son and young Matt is my grandson. Matt told me about what happened before the shooting. I made several calls to the District Attorney and the State Attorney General about the matter."

Arnie's face took on a lopsided smile as he continued, saying, "It would seem you married into a very 'connected' family. They're also very criminally oriented, if you know what I mean."

Jen nodded her head. She had wondered about things after she'd had Bart arrested, as to what the other warrants where that kept him in jail.

"Well, besides the lawyer, they had an ADA (an Assistant District Attorney) trying to help them that was part of the family. Anyhow, when some of my friends started looking into things ... hehehe ... they went nuts and busted a whole bunch of them. The warrant against you was so laughable. Taking and selling your property before the in-laws could get it, Ridiculous!

"So that's all gone, as are a dozen more that they were going to file. The rest is just stuff that doesn't pertain to you, my dear."

"I still need to get out of here. If they were going to do all that, and are that connected, they're not against hiring someone to do their work for them."

"You don't worry about that. I have a deputy at the door," said Joe. "And you can't go anywhere until you are better."

Jen didn't say anything, but that feeling of trouble that she had, was getting worse.

"Please, just be careful."

"Jen we will. We'll help take care of you too," stated Matt.

"Come on let's let the little lady rest," said Arnie who stood and looked down at Jen. Then he leaned down and kissed her on her forehead. With a smile he turned and led his son out the door.

Jen was touched, but then became tired. She was still worried, though, and hoped Jason would get there soon.

"Jen it really will be all right," said Matt.

"No, Matt, it won't. I just know it. I need to get out of here, and soon."

"Not until your better."

"I may not have that long, I ... I'm going to rest for a bit."

"Ok, Jen. Don't worry I'm here." Matt said from his chair next to the bed.

Jen closed her eyes and restlessly dosed off.

Jason finally found the little 'out in the middle of nowhere' town, and the hospital. It had been two days of straight driving to get to the place. Driving around the perimeter of the hospital, before he parked, turned up nothing of interest. The sheriff was there, as were several deputies, Evident by their cars.

Jason walked in and up to the reception desk.

"Can I help you, sir?"

Jason went for the direct approach to see what kind of reaction he would receive. "Yes, I'm looking for a friend of mine, Jennifer Gregory. Can you tell me what room she's in, please?"

Marline was shocked. She had just been warned not to tell anyone about the woman with that name and if someone asked about her to get the deputy or the sheriff.

"Just a moment and I'll look it up for you." Marline said and moved over to another computer, whispered something to a co-worker, who got up and walked to the sheriff that had just come down to talk to his deputies.

Joe turned when the receptionist told him there was someone looking for Jennifer and looked at that man standing at the desk. He knew the man was a Marine and just recently out from the service by how he stood. Joe knew it took a bit to get that edge to soften.

Joe thanked the lady and started walking to the desk.

Jason had watched everything, while trying to appear like he wasn't. When the sheriff walked up to him he was ready for anything.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" asked Joe.

"I'm looking for a friend of mine. I was told she was hurt and needs some help," Jason replied.

"And you are?"