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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

  

Now is always the time

  

Chapter 8  

 

‘Never will I let them get away with what they did. I will wait for my time but I will pay them back for all of my pain.'

 

Finding out the location of the dinner they wait in the shadows, biding their time to make their move.  It may seem a drastic measure to take but they don't care.  They know what they want and they will use any measures to attain their goal.  No one takes what ‘belongs' to them.  The longer that they wait the angrier they feel and casting common sense aside they become more determined to exact their revenge.

 

The only decision to make is to act before or after the dinner.  Not even wanting to give them that time they make their stand as they see the couple approach.  This will be the last time that that person will ever get in their way.

 

Confident that they cannot be seen or recognized they take aim and fire.  But something unexpected happens.  At the very last second a movement takes place that shelters their intended victim from the path of danger.  All is wrong and there is no way to remedy this.  Slinking out of the darkness back to the shelter of their vehicle they realize that life as they know it has changed irreparably.  Screeching car tires are the only sound that marks their departure that is not deadened by the screams emanating from their intended victim.

 

Others surround the couple and someone calls 9-1-1.  She sits on the ground holding his head in her lap and coercing him to remain conscious.  Blood seeps from the wounds and "Stay with me, stay with me!" is all that she can say.  Within minutes the paramedics and police arrive.  Recognizing the victim, the officers cordon off the area and line up the witnesses to take statements.  The paramedics work to stabilize the victim before moving him to the ambulance.  She rides in the back of the ambulance with him, holding his hand as she prays for his welfare.  How did things go so wrong so quickly?  Is this some retribution for some arrest he made?  "Stay with me John, stay with me," Evangeline whispers as she caresses his face.

 

Arriving at the hospital they rush him into surgery.  His brother, Michael, is on duty and of course cannot assist in the surgery but he does go to observe.  He doesn't bother to ask what happened he just wants to know that his brother will make it through surgery.  That leaves her alone in the emergency waiting area.  Two police officers approach her to take her statement.  She tells them all that she knows.  They were entering the restaurant when shots rang out.  He fell into her and they both fell down to the ground.  She did hear car tires screeching as she sat on the ground holding him.  Quickly several people surrounded them and tried to offer aid.  Soon the paramedics and police arrived and that's all that she knows.  The officers thank her and tell her that other officers will stand guard as long as the Lieutenant (Lt.) is in the hospital.  They are not taking any chances that this is a ‘revenge hit' on Lieutenant McBain.

 

Every minute in the hospital seems like hours.  Soon she is joined in the waiting area by Commissioner Bo Buchanan, Nora and Layla.  Todd calls her to make sure that she is not alone.  He is working on the front page of his newspaper so he cannot leave.  She thanks him for calling but assures him that she understands and that Nora and Layla are here for her.

 

Nora, Layla and Bo all ask her what happened and she repeats what she told the officers.  They all three ask at the same time, "Are you two back together?"  She shakes her head and says, "We were just going out to dinner together.  I saw him earlier after a confrontation with Natalie and he asked me out to dinner.  A girl has to eat so I said yes.  He made all of the arrangements and I met him at Cassidy's and then everything went crazy.  We did not have an opportunity to talk about what this meant for us if anything.  Whether we're together or not at least I always took comfort to know that he's alive somewhere even if it's not with me."  She tries to stop the tears from falling but to no avail. Nora and Layla surround her in hugs.

 

Bo reaches for her hand to get her attention and says, "He's tough Evangeline.  He'll pull through this and if for no other reason than to have you nursing him back to health.  He will probably move in with you.  I don't know if you know this or not but that time that you stayed with him after you were assaulted at the train station he was a changed man.  Instead of staying late at the office he was out on time each day hurrying to see you.  I don't know why he didn't make things work between you two but his asking you out to dinner today was a step in the right direction.  Natalie may be my niece and I love her but she and John were not right for each other.  He finally realized that and broke off things with her long before your coma.  He'll survive this so that he can finish what he started with you. Don't give up hope and don't give up on him.  By the way, what was the altercation with Natalie all about?"

 

Evangeline suggests that they sit and so they all do and she recounts what happened with her and Natalie and the later incident with Blair.  They look on with confused expressions as to why both Natalie and Blair decided to blame Evangeline for the drama that was happening in their lives.  John has not been a part of Evangeline's life for over three years and Todd is Evangeline's friend.  Although at one point it looked like they might cross the line from platonic friends to a full-blown relationship her coma stalled that and they never resumed it.  Todd has moved on and seems quite taken with the new lady in his life.  Nora doesn't say it but she is glad that Todd and Evangeline are not involved romantically.  She has never been a fan of Todd's and doubts that she will ever be but she will not hinder Evangeline's friendship with him, as if she could.  They settle down to wait for word on John's surgery.  Bo leaves to get coffee for the ladies.

 

A noise at the emergency room desk captures their attention.  Detective Antonio Vega rushes in looking for Bo.  Just as Nora is about to tell him that Bo went to the cafeteria Bo returns.  He hands off the coffees to the ladies and pulls Antonio aside as he guesses that Antonio has an update on John's case and wants to hear it first.  

 

Bo surmises correctly and Antonio tells him all that he knows.  The warehouse district is fairly new for Llanview and the owners of the properties there are very diligent in their security.  They have cameras on their individual properties but also negotiated with the city to have security cameras on streetlamps and that's above and beyond the cameras on bank ATMs or service stations and other regular establishments in the area.  

 

Cassidy's management immediately released their security camera copies to the police and contacted their neighbors to do the same in an effort to capture the perpetrators of this shooting.  They know that the sooner the culprits are apprehended the more comfortable people will be to return to the area.  If people don't feel safe they will not patronize the establishments and that is bad for business.

 

Antonio reports that the technicians are reviewing the camera recordings and the LPD Crime Scene Unit (CSU) is at the scene.  He asks about John's condition but Bo only says that John is still in surgery.  Just then Michael McBain comes to the waiting area with the surgeon who operated on John, Dr. Hayward.  

 

Upon seeing Michael and the surgeon everyone gathers around to hear what they have to say.  Dr. Hayward begins, "Lt. McBain sustained two gunshot wounds to the back, upper torso, one on the left side and the other on the right side.  He had a substantial loss of blood but we were able to successfully remove both bullets and stop the bleeding.  He's in recovery now and is in stable condition.  He'll be in the hospital for a few days and we expect a full recovery."  Dr. Hayward leaves after reporting his findings and Michael remains to speak with Bo and Antonio.  He tells them that the officers collected John's clothing and the bullets for the LPD forensics team to examine.

 

Michael asks the question that has bothered him ever since his brother was brought into the emergency room, "Bo and Antonio is there a ‘contract' out on my brother?  Someone tried to kill him tonight.  Do you have any idea who did this?"  Michael is both worried and angry.

 

Bo and Antonio fully understand Michael's worry and anger.  They too want to know who did this to John.  Wanting to be as transparent as possible, but still not wanting to divulge anything that might hinder the case if it ever reaches trial, Bo responds, "Michael we are doing everything we can to find out who did this.  We will use all of our resources to make certain that the person responsible is held fully accountable for their actions.  It's early in the case and my major concern now is John's condition.  The doctor says that he will recover, and that is good news.  But we will not take any chances with his life.  Officers will be assigned to guard his room while he is here at the hospital and when he returns home, unless your brother has other ideas.  You know how stubborn he can be sometimes."  That last comment caused a smile to appear on Michael's face because yes he knows just how stubborn his brother can be, especially if it is something he does not want to do. "All right Bo I will try to be patient but please catch them as soon as possible.  I can't lose my brother," Michael says and then walks over to speak with Evangeline, Nora and Layla.

 

Not to be left out of the conversation, the three ladies patiently wait until Bo, Antonio and Michael walk over to give them an update on the situation.  Thankful that John is now out of surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, they all breathe a sigh of relief.  Michael tells them that he will notify them when John is moved to a room where they can visit with him.  He will be medicated so he may not be very talkative but they all look at each other as if to say, ‘when was John ever talkative?'  Bo and Antonio decide to return to the station and Nora has to pick up Matthew from her neighbor's house.  Layla stays with Evangeline because she knows that her sister isn't going anywhere until she can see for herself that John is still alive.












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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.