>Ted got into the driver's seat and strapped himself in. "It was probably >Jasmine, I told her to meet us here. They must've gotten to her, but she >may >be our chance to move on with the ritual. Call her up, tell her to meet us >at the landing field."
Following her husband's instructions, Rebecca pressed the number of the Renault's house. Her hand shook so much that it took her 3 tries before she managed to get the numbers right.
"Hello?" Jasmine's familiar voice, abit shaky, spoke.
"Jasmine? Rebecca here. Look, Ted needs your help right now."
"Ted? Where is he? A few FBI agents came just now and they wanted to know about you. There was this woman, and she said that Ted is your husband and that you are holding another FBI agent captive! What is going on?"
Rebecca swore. Damn the agents. "Jasmine, its all a misunderstanding. Ted is negotiating with them right now and everything will be all right soon. And he said he wanted to meet you. He wanted to show his goddess to you. You want that, don't you? "
Jasmine hesitated, and Rebecca smiled. Her happiness was short-lived though.
"Tell me, Rebecca. Is Ted your husband?"
"Of course not, Jasmine. This is such a weird idea! Do I look like that sort of woman who let her husband go after her good friend?" Damn that woman agent. I'll cut off her tongue when I get the chance.
"Where does he say that he wants to meet me?" Jasmine asked.
"At the airtrip north of Lake Blue. In 15 minutes' time."
"15 minutes? I cannot make it in such a short time. I need at least one hour."
Jasmine was right of course, and Rebecca swore.
"Its okay then. Ted have to leave right now, but he will make arrangments to meet you as soon as possible. How about that?"
"How soon?" Jasmine sounded anxious.
"Soon, Jazz. He needed you." I need your body. We need your body. For Ted, for me, for our baby.
With that, she ended the phone conversation.
"She cannot make it. " She turned and told her husband. " We cannot wait for her to turn up. I'll arrange the transport to come earlier. I told her to wait for you to make arrangments to meet her. She is still willing. After we left, we can ask someone to get her. We can still accomplish what we wanted by tonight."
Just then, Rebecca saw one of the Ford Taurus coming much too close for comfort. Taking Zenya's gun from her husband's lap, she turned and shot at the car behind. Unsuccessfully. What she got back was a series of shots that nearly shattered the window beside her.
"Give me the gun!" Ted shouted, as he grabbed the weapon from her with one hand, while the other tightened its grip on the steering wheel and yanked a wide turn.
>The red car made a sudden turn, too quick for the chase cars. As it turned, >Ted took a shot at Jim's car, blowing the front left tyre.
>"Damn it!!"
>They continued up the road, the red sportster soon turning out of sight. Jim >jumped in to Jordan's car.
>"We've got to try the airstrip. It's the only thing they could be heading >for." Jim looked at Jordan as he delayed. Jordan thought about the order, >taking them off the case. He had his agent back...
>No! He would be damned if they were going to get away now!!
>"Right, the airstrip it is then. Let's go!"
>Jordan asked Vanessa to 'phone Leo. He hoped Zenya was alright.
*** Lake Blue ***
Zenya's injuries were, luckily, non-fatal. Leo propped the female agent against a tree as they waited for the ambulance to come.
"Can't you sit down?" Zenya asked, her voice faint, as she looked up at the pacing Leo.
He stopped, looked at her, and relaxed abit.
"You okay?"
"Everywhere hurts, but I think I will survive." She said as she tried to stand up.
"Don't!" Leo shouted as he bent down. "You are still quite badly hurt. There are simply too many glass shreds on your skin. And maybe inside. I had already called the ambulance and its on its way."
"And I'm supposed to sit here and missed out on all the action?" She asked Leo, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"Trust you to joke on a time like this."
"What do you expect me to do? Start making funeral arrangements? I know myself, Leo, and I know that I won't die."
Leo was about to retort, when his cellphone rang.
"Jones."
"Leo? Vanessa here. How is Zenya?"
"She had regained conscious. We are waiting for the ambulance. YOu got those 2 yet?"
"On the chase now. Towards a airstrip at the north. We'll get them."
"Tell whoever that is that I am not going to die." Zenya insisted with her weak voice.
Leo repeated her statement.
"I know she is going to say that. But what do you think? Is it serious?"
"Its not fatal if that is what you want to know. There might be scars though." He turned his back against Zenya before he added. "I am afraid that there might be concussions. "
Just then, he heard the sound of the ambulance's sirens in the distance, and was glad to see the big, white vehicle appearing.
"The ambulance is here."
"Great. Take care of her, Leo. I'll call you back later. "
*** North of Lake Blue ***
Ted stopped the convertible behind some trees about 50 meters away from the landing strip and the two of them exited from the car cautiously.
Ted looked around before saying," I don't think they are here yet."
His wife nodded her head. She looked at the sky. Her father had promised to send a helicopter, which would have no difficulty landing in tough terrain like this. It should be here any moment.
Please, Dad. Don't fail me this time. Please
As if in answer to her prayers, a silver unmarked helicopter appeared out from above the forest of trees.
"Its here!" Ted shouted, pointing, his voice lost among the noise as the helicopter slowely descended onto the clearing.
As it nearly touched the ground. The couple ran towards the helicopter, with Ted behind Rebecca. Running towards freedom. Or what they thought was freedom until the dying of the helicopter's noise revealed another sound.
"Stop! FBI!"
Ted and Rebecca turned to see three FBI agents behind, their guns aimed at them.
"Run, Becca." Ted shouted to his wife, as he pushed her forward. Rebecca pushed the image of the agents out of her sight and mind, and continued to run.
She reached the helicopter first. As she climbed onto the helicopter, she began to hear the sound of gun shots.
"Quick, Ted." She stretch out her hands to her husband, ignoring the fearful sound of the bullets hitting the metal next to her.
Two seconds that is a eternity, until Ted iterally jumped onto the helicopter and landed against her.
"Fly, Tommy. Fly." Rebecca shouted to the pilot, one of her father's trusted employees.
As the helicopter lifted its heavy body from the ground, Rebecca hugged her husband.
"Oh Ted, we're going to be home free. They cannot get us now."
Hug her husband, her Ted, tightly, until she felt that her hand was touching something warm and wet on his back. She released him slightly and looked at his face.
"Ted?" She whispered, as she looked her hand, stained with the reddest red she had ever seen. "Ted?"
Ted Cross looked at his wife, smiled and tried to open his mouth to say something, but before he could, all energy sipped out, and he lost conscious.
"Oh my god... Ted. Ted, please wake up. Ted please! Tommy, fly faster. Ted is injured! Oh please...."
Regards,
Lee Sau Woon aka SA Vanessa Lee