Chapter 26

Benjamin woke me about three hours later, needing a trip outside, so I dressed and we went for a walk. Two of Jack's guys walked with me, and after Ben completed his task, I felt a sharp blow on the back, which knocked me down.

Before I could react, my bodyguards were over top of me, shielding me from whatever they thought was out there, and the guys not on duty were rushing out to help. There was a lot of activity but no luck capturing anyone.

When Jack arrived, I was being helped up and brushed off.

That's when we realized I'd been shot.

Jack was giving orders a mile a minute, and our Suburban was there in a heartbeat, to take me to the hospital. Two agents secured Rebecca and Colleen, while the other two moved Mr. Bell and Millie to a safer location. Jack said I wasn't hurt bad, and that my family would see me at the hospital.

I'm not sure where Jack got his medical training, but my back was on fire, and I could feel blood running down my spine, and soaking my slacks. One of the guards had some medical training and said, "Jack, it looks like a twenty-two. Who would use a twenty-two to shoot a grown man at two-hundred feet?

"I'll tell you something else. It looks like a twenty-two short! What kind of killer uses a twenty-two, and a round made to knock down a small rabbit?

"David, the bullet was very small, and was really soft, so it spread out in flight, then mushroomed so much when it hit you, that it didn't have enough forward momentum to blow a hole in you. Instead of killing you, it dug a big, shallow hole in your back and stopped."

Jack and his helper were busy cutting my shirt off, and assessing the injury. I could see that Benjamin was about to lose it, so I held him in my arms and crooned softly into his ear. Having him to worry about kept me from worrying about me. All the way to the hospital, which for security purposes, was in downtown Orlando, Jack kept up a steady dialogue with his team, the Judge, and some others.

By the time we were in the emergency room, I started to feel weak from blood loss, and wasn't sure how long I'd remain completely alert, so I struggled to keep up with what was going on around me.

Jack was in charge, and very shortly, a man walked in, displayed very impressive federal credentials and took the ER doctor aside to give him some orders. I could tell it wasn't going well, and soon Colleen walked in with Rebecca, and she joined the discussion, while Rebecca ran to me and started crying.

Mr. Bell escorted Millie in, immediately jumping into the fray with the doctor, and federal official. Millie joined Rebecca worrying over me. I kissed them both and assured them that it wasn't as bad as it looked. "I can prove it," I said, "You see that nobody is taking care of me? It's because a very dumb assassin tried to kill me." Everyone else was fighting with the federal agent, instead of worrying about me, which comforted me, in a way.

Whatever was wrong between them all, disappeared when the ER phone rang and someone asked the fed to come take a call from the Deputy U.S. Attorney General. He must have heard the truth because the agent hung up, and began to fire orders at everyone in sight to make sure I was cared for like they would treat the president. The change in him was staggering. Whatever was said must have been career threatening, and I couldn't wait to find out what it was.

Colleen and Mr. Bell were apparently satisfied and joined me, Millie, and Rebecca. Colleen was still fuming, and I caressed her arm to see if it would help bring down her blood pressure. Rebecca's tears got Millie started, and Colleen joined in to make it a perfect trio of crying females.

I looked at Jack and asked, "Where's Benjamin?"

He smiled and laughed, which I wouldn't have thought possible, but he did say, "He's with the perimeter guys. I thought he was going to attack the ER guard when he blocked him from coming I with you. Rather than deal with a sideshow, I got him safely outside, and I promise we'll take good care of him."

"Benjamin is very devoted to us. You might have to put us together before he'll quiet down, so don't be surprised."

The doctors converged, and went to work on my back, then. I was cleaned up, the bullet was removed, and I was rolled down for x-rays, and a CAT scan. Rebecca, Colleen, and Jack never moved from my side. Mr. Bell and Millie waited for me in the ER waiting area, and I was released about an hour and a half later.

Judge Jones was on the phone with Mr. Bell when the nurse rolled me to the door. I could tell that they were on the same page, but had no idea what that meant. Millie hugged me as I stepped out of the wheelchair, and she flanked me, along with Colleen, as we walked in a protective bubble to the cars.

Jack wasn't about to take anything for granted, and said, "We've moved you out of the Suites, to a more defensible location. You'll be safe there. It's quiet, and off the beaten path.

"Is your business here soon to be completed? I would be much happier getting you out of here."

Mr. Bell gave me a look, and I left it to him.

"Jack, I just got off the phone with Judge Jones. The intelligence your people gathered a few days ago has blossomed into something no one ever suspected. I am sure Judge Jones has his own briefing to give you, but here is mine: most federal investigations against organized crime move from the street up hill, to the highest level mobster they can indict.

"Because of what Tim Sanderson gave up, the DOJ is working from a VERY high level downstream, towards the thugs, and shooters. It's quiet novel for Justice. They are ecstatic, and rolling up one after another. They think the expansion of intel will lead them to take down much of the eastern US organized crime business, and they're hoping it causes an all out mob war, as the Cubans, Russians, and Chinese gangs go at it for control.

"Once again, we're at the heart of it, and they're coming after David now. Judge Jones is organizing some remarkable things, and we'll know more in the morning. Keep us safe through the night, and I suspect there'll be an army here tomorrow."

Jack shared a surprising bit of information. "Your father told the truth ... mostly. And what he told the truth about is turning golden. Justice is having one continuous orgasm, as they read through what we've turned up for them. The Judge, after eating us alive, is praising me to the sky, and I've been plain about you making it all possible. I told him, 'Judge, David has brains, guts, and common sense to go with it.' The judge keeps saying he wants to know more about you when things slow down.

"KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. You know nothing except that the trust paid us an outrageous amount of money to go after the people that killed your family.

"That's it. Say nothing else, and they can't change their minds and look to dump this all on you someday, if it gets too close to too many powerful people."

He was right. A closed mouth kept this all at arm's length.

Mr. Bell did something really surprising. He made me tell Colleen what I did about Sanderson. When I finished she looked at me for a long time, and then said, "Good! I hope you shot him with the Taser an extra time, for me and Rebecca."