Chapter 15

After Paul and Stan left, I slept. I never slept so soundly. Linda came in with coffee and said, "Good morning, Al. It doesn't look like you moved all night. Are you okay?"

"I believe so. I slept like the proverbial rock." I moved a little and Lisa's bare arm snaked over my stomach to hold me to her.

"Would you like some breakfast?"

"Thank you, yes, I'm starving."

"I will be back and bring more coffee, too."

"Thanks." She left and I thought about my state. I hadn't left Lisa's side since yesterday afternoon. I hadn't gone nor felt the need to go to the bathroom. I had eaten a good meal last night and felt like I hadn't eaten in a long time. Lisa's arm had gone over my stomach to hold me and had also gone under my shirt, too. It was warm and my arm where it touched her was warm.

Mentally, I said, "Stargazer, are you okay?"

I heard a weak response. I sent a mental signal to him. "You used a lot of your power to fix Lisa and must rest." I felt an affirmation. "I am providing power to Lisa while her body completes its healing?" I felt another affirmation. "Come back to us when you can. Thank you for saving her life." I received a warm feeling back.

Linda walked in a few minutes later with a huge breakfast. Stan was with her carrying coffee. He put the bed table in place and Linda set the food before me. While she poured coffee and I ate, he pulled another chair into the room.

He said, "Good morning. You look tired."

I said, "I think I am supplying energy for Lisa's healing." I was eating ravenously washing my meal down with coffee."

Linda looked surprised. "Al, I've never seen you eat like that! Do you want more?"

"Yes, please. Do it all again."

"I think you're serious about eating for two."

"That's my opinion. Linda, before you go, would you feel Lisa's forehead. If I touch her body, it feels hot."

Linda reached over and placed her hand on her daughter's forehead for a long moment and then pulled it back. "It feels normal to me."

"Okay. Thanks." I finished eating and Stan poured me more coffee. He said, "Well, hero, when are you going to face your admiring public?"

"Stan, what in the world are you talking about?"

He smiled. "You haven't read this morning's paper so you don't know. Give me a second. I'll get the lead section. Someone talked."

He left and returned in a moment holding the paper where I could read the headline. I read, "Coed saved by her fiancé from rifleman." I quietly said, "Shit!"

Stan said, "Wait until you read it. Someone on the force gave out a lot of information more than Chief Jones would have wanted let out. Details on you two and on Andrews that were in our report. One of my buddies warned me. He thinks it was Sikes. You and he didn't exactly agree on what to do. He's responsible for me being here rather than in training. He thinks I should have pulled you out of there."

I read the article. It named all three of us and described my story as I had given it to Sikes and others including Stan. It also told of our lottery winnings along with Andrews' recent termination. It finally said that the police department was watching over the couple as they recovered at the "coed's" home. I let out a long, unhappy, "She-it!" I handed the paper back to Stan. "So much for keeping a low profile." I grinned ruefully.

Stan said, "They even have the police photo of you holding Lisa with your back to the wall."

"Yeah, my back is to the wall.

"I guess the district attorney won't be filing any charges with that out."

Stan laughed. "I think you're safe there. However, the gun control advocates will be after you because you killed Andrews. The reporters will be hot on your trail, too."

"If I hadn't had a gun and killed Andrews, he would have killed Lisa and me and others. That was his written plan!"

"Hey, you're preaching to the choir! Their issue is that you had a pistol. It's just a heads up. We have two reporters, one from the paper and one from the television station that serves this area, camped out at the entrance to your house."

He grinned. "Paul had me advise them that entering the property would result in an arrest for criminal trespass. They didn't like it but knew he's within his rights."

"Well, I'm staying right here until Lisa wakes, then we'll figure out what we want to do if the newsies are still out there waiting for us. Stan, I don't mind you being here but it's useless unless some charge or charges are going to be filed."

"Sikes told me to stay until he called me. I'm stuck though I agree with you."

"My phone is over on that table. Hand it to me, please."

I called Paul's office and talked to Joan. She wanted to know that Lisa and I were both fine. She put me through to Paul.

He said, "Al, is everything okay?"

"Yes, sir. I'm calling about my police escort."

"Oh?"

"Stan is a good guy but he's being punished by his boss who put him on this detail until Sikes, his boss, calls and lets him off. Stan was the first one to find Lisa and me. Sikes was not happy that Stan didn't bring me out leaving Lisa to die."

"Al, you said that to piss me off."

"Yes, sir. Did it work?"

I continued, "I think Sikes overstepped his authority and reasonable bounds. I was sort of hoping you would be pissed enough to talk to Chief Jones."

"Perhaps I have already and Milt just wants to give Sikes enough rope to hang himself." Paul chuckled. "I'm going to bill the police department for meals and lodging after we have confirmed that no charges will be filed against you. It's going to take a bite out of Sikes' budget and backside. Milt is going to hang him with it." He laughed loudly. "Milt and I are schemers from way back! You're just starting. See you this evening. Kiss Lisa for me."