Parkers Island Ch. 04

Both left her office, Tessa looked at Mary and all she could do was shrug her shoulders. Mitchell Carter's office loomed ever closer and once Shelby stood in front of it she just walked right in, she waited for Tessa and then closed the door behind her and in through to door at the other end. Six of the twelve seats around the boardroom table were occupied; Shelby pointed to one of the vacant seats at the table and asked Tessa to sit down.

All through the journey from Shelby's office to here Tessa had wondered what she had done wrong, when Shelby opened the door to Mitchell Carter's office she redoubled her efforts and even as she sat she was still at a loss. All six watched Tessa and waited, Tessa tried her damndest to shrink further into the seat.

Mitchell cleared his throat before starting. "As you know this is the third attempt to kill Aiden and in my opinion that's three times too many. The other agencies are in agreement and so is a certain Marine General who has lost six good Marines because of it. I'm putting together a group to go after those that threaten Aiden, I want to select you as one of them but I worry about your involvement."

A fire burned within her, Shelby saw it and smiled inside as Tessa got to her feet and stared at Mitchell Carter.

"You may be my boss but choose your words real careful when you explain that statement to me Mr. Carter."

For the first time in what felt like a lifetime he now knew he was perhaps looking at the next Shelby and his chest swelled. Those around the table expected fireworks yet all they got was a slow smile grace the face of a man who hadn't known what a smile looked like since all this started.

He nodded his head at Tessa before saying anything.

"Forgive an old man who has had little in the way of sleep for the last two weeks my dear."

Mitchell pointed to Tessa's seat and slowly she sat back down again.

"Donald is spearheading a small unit to act under Shelby. He's asked for you to be added to his team, it will automatically pull you from the asset roster until the team has completed its task."

Still not giving any ground all Tessa asked as she continued to stare at her boss.

"And that is?"

This time Mitchell looked towards Shelby who simply nodded her head at her boss.

"Its two fold, to find and delete any known knowledge of the asset program from any and all systems, and to go after those that want Aiden dead."

"Count me in."

Mitchell wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry.

"I think you may want to hold off on that comment until you hear what the job entails."

"No sir."

The six members that were sat listening stopped breathing. Tessa looked towards Shelby something seemed to pass between them and Shelby understood what Tessa was about to say and both nodded and smiled to her young asset.

"My sister was Carol Burnett. If anyone has a right to be doing what you want that would be me. I was also on the island the night hell descended on us. We buried my friend Madison Robertson a few days later."

Tessa's eyes scanned every person in that room.

"I want those that harmed Aiden dead, I'm not stupid enough to think I can do that myself but we have agency's who know how to make that happen. My sister didn't die because of Aiden but because too many people knew who and what he was, let me help put the rabbit back in the hat."

*******

The constant noise of the monitor annoyed me so much I just had to open my eyes; Carol was sitting on the chair to my left. Amelia was asleep in a bed next to mine; my only thought was that I was dreaming.

"No you're not dreaming."

I turned my head to once again look at Carol.

"I'm in your head duffus, remember?"

A woman came in, she looked familiar and yet I was struggling to remember who she was. She smiled but said nothing to me as she entered the room; instead she leaned over and whispered something into Amelia's ear. I heard a gasp and Em quickly spun around and sat up at the same time, she tossed the blanket to one side and came over to me.

The woman held Amelia back and again she said something to her in a whispered tone. The monitor started to escalate its pinging noise and a nurse ran into the room, at first she smiled but her smile dropped when she noticed the monitor and the rapid pinging sound it kept making.

Em took a step back and the woman said something to the nurse who then ran out of the room.

"You have to rest Aiden and you need to stop fighting the drugs."

My skin felt like it was on fire, my right arm was in a cast so I used my left to try and pull all the tubes out so I could at least shower and cool down. The woman shouted something at the door the nurse left through, Amelia just screamed. Out of sheer frustration that nothing in my body seemed to work, my body went into revolt and my mind felt like I was only there for the ride as my muscles spasmed and then went tight, my back seemed to lift off the bed and for the first time I opened my mouth and screamed in pain.

*******

Tessa read the notice board along with two of her friends. The new information on Aiden was all of two lines that basically said he had woken during the night and due to his injuries was once again put back to sleep so his wounds had a better chance to heal. She knew she couldn't tell her two friends the truth, Em had phoned her in the middle of the night in tears and told her what had happened.

If it wasn't for the fact that Sarah could see it coming and already had the nurse getting something to put Aiden back to sleep who knows what sort of further damage Aiden could have done to his himself.

Donald was given an audio transcript of the conversation Tessa had with Mitchell Carter, he laughed so much he had to listen again. No one and I mean no one has ever had the balls to call out the Director before and there was a woman younger than Mitchell's own daughter getting in his face and calling him to task. What she said also allowed Donald to give his seal of approval and he even named the operation on something she had said.

They were all in effect trying to put the rabbit back in the hat, or at least back to a far more acceptable level if the Department was going to continue to operate as a viable organization. The task that ran parallel to that of course was born from revenge not only from the Department but other organizations. They had caught and tortured Aiden and those that were involved had to know payback was coming.

*******

Amelia was watching me when I woke again, the rings around her eyes telling their own story of how much sleep my wife has had.

"She never went back to bed Aiden, all she does is sit in that chair and watch you."

Carol was sat on Amelia's bed crossed legged and smiled when I looked at her, even waving her hand at me which made me smile.

"Are you ok?"

My wife's voice although concerned held an edge of fear within it.

I opened my mouth to answer yet I felt so dry. In the end I gave up and nodded my head. Amelia grabbed a glass of water from the cabinet beside her and placed a straw into it before standing to lean over me and placing the straw in my mouth, my lips had barely touched it when another voice came from the door.

"Just a few sips, it's only to moisten his mouth."

This time I knew her name and I felt rather proud of myself.

"Hello Sarah."

My voice was still weak, it hurt to talk and I could see the understanding in her eyes. She held my wrist and took my pulse, her hand shook so much I doubt she got anything worth putting on my chart.

"You had us worried."

Carol's voice carried passed Sarah.

"She operated on you Aiden, in the middle of nowhere with a tarp over her to hide the light and keep the flies away and a Corpsman as her only company. They were all willing to die to keep you alive Aiden, you have got to stop denying it; you are an asset. It's always been down to people like us to keep you alive."

The machine starting to ping a little faster and Sarah moved to check it, giving me a clear view of Carol still sat crossed legged on Em's bed.

"I have to leave soon my friend; I hope you make the right choice when I do."

Again Sarah grabbed my wrist and held tight, the nurse came prepared this time and Sarah quickly injected the contents of the syringe into the bag hanging by the side of my bed. The nightmares came crashing back, I fought hard to make them go away but in my weakened state my mind made me a spectator as scenes in my life unfolded.

When my father came home thinking we were all in bed and mom held him tight to her as he told her that he finally talked to Grandmother about easing back on the hours he worked so he could have a family life and she told him to get out of the firm and don't come back.

The day I opened the front door to see two police officers standing there and uttering the words that would forever mean my sisters and I would never see our folks ever again. When Grandmother came to us and filled my sister's heads with dreams and they not understanding that it all comes at a cost and that cost was total capitulation to her will.

My first introduction to Shelby and finding out what an asset was and my meeting Carol for the first time only to once again feel that searing pain as my bodies revolt at what my mind again played out to itself of that afternoon I watched Carol die. It was then my mind placed a number in front of me, the number one was placed directly in front of the scenes that continued to play out in my head.

When the scene changed to Amelia holding Madison by her vest as she pointed her own Sig at a member of the Hostage Rescue team that number changed to two. As much as I fought it my own mind made me watch as Amelia left the ferry in front of the hearse that carried the body of Madison to the cemetery.

I tried to stop it, with everything I thought I had I desperately tried to stop what I knew was coming next, but this time my body joined my mind and the onslaught was just too much as I watched like a bystander as one by one the members of the Bingham team died in front of me and all the while the numbers started to go up. The number eight stood between me and the next scene as the first Marine to break through the carnage grabbed me by the arm in an attempt to get me to safety.

He was number nine, by then the Marine Corporal and one other Marine stood alongside me and their fallen comrade. They took seven Afghans with them but the number if front of me now stood at eleven. I fought harder with the last one, I could see her face now and I desperately wanted this to stop, Marine Private Amy Fallows. She handled all the radio communications between me and the Department.

When she found me as I was just reloading my own Sig, she pushed me against the corridor wall as three Afghans charged her, a great bull of a man behind them. She got all three with her side arm before the bull of a man killed her while two others pinned me to the ground as they made me watch. The number now stood at twelve and flashed like I had just won the state lotto.

*******

Sarah watched Amelia through the glass, vary rarely did she move but when she did her eyes never left Aiden, Sarah sighed and walked from the window to the door, Amelia heard her and looked up, smiled and looked back at Aiden. Sarah gently placed her hand on Amelia's shoulder, she in turn raised her hand and held on for a moment before Sarah continued her journey and sat on Amelia's bed.

"Waking him was a mistake I can't afford to make again, you know that don't you?"

She nodded her head, just then Aiden seemed to frown and his head moved gently from left to right.

"He's having nightmares."

Sarah looked closely at Aiden sweat had started to form along his forehead. Amelia looked up at Sarah before she continued.

"He thinks I don't know but once in awhile he has them at home, normally he will wake and try to quietly go down stairs for an hour before sneaking back to bed."

Sarah smiled and said, "let me guess, he's a man and makes more noise trying to be quiet than he does when he's not trying?"

This time Amelia smiled, something that Sarah hadn't seen in a while from her friend. Sarah also noticed the tenting, she knew it was a side effect from one of the drugs Aiden was on but it did give her an idea.

"Em, do you want to help him?"

A moment of anger quickly flashed across her face and Sarah was about to apologies for the way she worded the question.

"Yes of course, tell me what to do."

The last thought that went through Sarah's mind was the repercussions if this ever got out.

"Blow him."

Amazement flashed across Amelia's face, she must have heard Sarah wrong.

"What?"

"You heard me, blow him, hand job him if you don't suck your husband off."

The next words that came from Amelia, Sarah was fully expecting.

The words, "Are you out of your fucking mind?" Came several time to her in the conversation she had with Sarah that evening and yet Sarah continued as though her friend hadn't said a word.

"You know that with coma patients we always suggest that people talk to the patient. Aiden is in an induced coma so this is different, he does respond to sensations so give him one."

Amelia just sat with her mouth open.

"You have to know its all going to be one sided though, I don't figure you weigh more than what, one thirty-five?"

Without even thinking about it she nodded her head.

"I can't have you climb on top and slide on down Em, his still too badly damaged even for your weight, so it's going to be all one way traffic until I think he's going to be able to cope with consciousness again."

This time Amelia shook her head.

"It's April first, it's gotta be."

Sarah moved from the bed and knelt in front of her friend, she outlined what she had meant by her statement even telling Amelia that all she had to do was close the blind at the window and the nurse will turn the camera off for ten minutes, although the monitors will have to stay on.

To Amelia this conversation was just too surreal. Sarah continued to point out that Aiden was her husband and other than Sarah and the nurse this would go no further. Thinking that she may have pushed her friend to far she simply told her to think about it. Sarah stood and left the room nodding her head to the nurse when she did.

Both walked a couple of paces from the desk before either said anything. It was plain to see from the look the nurse gave her that she had heard the conversation she had with Amelia.

"If this gets out, husband or not you could get fired for this."

Sarah nodded but her heart overruled her head on this.

"Only the three of us know about this, look at where we are. Its not a hospital but a place full of secrets, I just hope this place can handle one more."

Both were still talking when something moved out of the corner of the nurse's eye and she gasped and then smiled. Sarah followed her gaze and watched the blind slowly close. Both rushed to the desk to switch off the camera.

*******

A week later Shelby watched in silence, unsure for a moment what to do; she knew why Amelia was smiling so often now, she even agreed with the reasoning behind why Sarah initiated the conversation with her. The nurse was right; Sarah could get fired if this ever came out.

When Shelby switched off the screen she sat and thought long and hard on this. An hour later she called Harvey into her office.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, as of now I want you to wire in the other camera's with the switch at the nurses station, when the camera goes out in Aiden's room I want the rest of them out as well."

All Harvey did was nod his head and walk out. Once out of her office and the door safely closed he clenched his fist and mouthed the word, 'Yes.' Harvey was already on board with the Doctors reasoning, this was his friend hanging onto life in the clinic. But he had to report why the camera in Aiden's room went out three or four times a day.

Harvey gathered all the things he needed and went to the clinic, the nurse saw him and he could read the panic in her eyes. When he looked over at the window the blinds were closed, thinking quickly Harvey searched his pockets and told the nurse he had forgotten something and would be back in twenty minutes. The relief on the nurse's face was something else. An hour later Harvey returned and Sarah was waiting for him.

Sarah's words reached him before he even had a chance to close the door behind him, "This room is out of bounds."

Harvey closed the door and motioned Sarah over to him and whispered something into her ear, she went white and the nurse started to panic again, Sarah nodded her head and Harvey left her there so he could get back to working on his task. It took him over an hour and both women watched but said nothing, when Harvey tested everything and flipped the switch a couple of times to be sure he smiled and put everything away.

When he stood both women stood side by side unsure what he had done.

"Shelby sends her regards and now when you switch off the camera in Aiden's room the ones in here will go out as well. She has told me to tell you both that all records up to this point have been shredded as well."

Sarah had to hold the nurse up but both thanked him and Harvey left.

*******

It was still another week before Sarah asked Shelby for a conference room with video conference facilities. It took a day to get the three doctors she requested on line from Walter Reed and the material ready for the conference all four talked in the language of doctors for the rest of the day, going over X-Rays, brain scans and a mountain of medical reports and other data.

By early evening all were in agreement that the subject's bones were healing nicely, the swelling of the brain had gone down and both surgeries on the subject had fixed everything inside. All agreed it was time to bring him out of the medical induced coma, Sarah thanked everyone and when the screens went blank she turned and thanked the two technicians Shelby had loaned her for the conference.

*******

Even before I opened my eyes I could feel less pain, I still had a headache to end all headaches but at least my skin didn't feel like it was on fire anymore. Amelia watched me from her seat, her smile just got bigger when I looked at her and held out my hand to her.

"I love you honey but you still look like someone's driven over you with a truck."

"Sure hope you got his number."

Amelia left her chair and climbed onto the bed with me.

"It's been awhile since we've shared a bed and I swore it would be the first thing I would do when you woke."

"Go on admit it, you've missed me."

Her eyes sparkled and I knew I was in for it now.

"Yes husband of mine, I've missed the snoring, the stealing of the covers in the middle of the night and your cold feet on warm parts of my body."

This time I laughed, "You sure had that stored up for awhile."

Her hand came to my face and her nose now touched mine, our lips joined and her tongue was quickly in my mouth. Startled I opened my eyes to see hers shining right back at me.

When she came up for air I asked. "How could you take advantage of a cripple like that?"

"Oh that's easy, I bribed the nurse to look the other way for an hour. So I figure I have a good forty odd minutes left to torment you."

I could actually laugh and it didn't hurt all that much, we hugged and kissed a lot for most of those forty minutes, the temptation was there for me to go exploring and since I could clearly see Amelia's nipples straining against the material. I knew all I had to do was pull on the zip of her dress.

Sadly reason won out over desire, the thought of starting something I knew I couldn't finish and leaving Em hanging wasn't something I could do to her. If nothing else we both just needed the connection back to begin with. Sarah knocked, opened the door and smiled as she even came over and helped Amelia off the bed to make sure she didn't pull out a tube as she did. My wife skipped to the bathroom while I watched her movements.