Caught in a bind

Chapter 12

Sam's POV

I woke up to an empty bed. My body was hurting all over the place and my mind was a little buggy regarding the events that occurred.

Looking around, the place was very much unfamiliar. The room was plain and bare. Void of any decorations nor photos. Just the basic necessity. It then made me remember the safe house.

That's it. The mob had managed to locate us but with Jill's protection, we survived.

Thinking of Jill, she must have been awake for a couple of hours since the space on my right was already cold. I knew she was there since I remember snuggling with her. Or was it just a dream.

I felt the room spin the moment I stood up. My sudden movement made me dizzy and then I felt pain all over my body. There were only bits and pieces of information but the last thing that I could remember was a crash and then gun shots. Heavy gun shots.

Oh my goodness! Jill! I wonder if she was okay. I wonder if what I saw was really her and not only a pigment of my imagination.

Using the side table, I steadied myself and hurriedly went out from the room. I theorized that if the mob got me, I would be locked up in a cell or something so this must be a safe house.

As I reached the top of the stairs, I heard faint but familiar voices. It took me several seconds to remember the owner of the voices. They belong to the FBI agents that was assigned to my case a few years back.

"Hey your awake." Agent Todd said as I reached half way. "How do you feel?" But instead of answering her, I looked around for Jill and she must have seen my concern. "Jill's fine and she's at the back, outside with Grace."

Ah, so Agent Melissa Todd was still partnered with Agent Gracelyn Carmichael. "Thank you." Without saying anything else, I strode down the rest of the ladder and walked as fast as I could towards Jill.

Jill's POV

I barely managed to sleep. The events that happened for the past two days was overwhelming. My body was exhausted but my mind was apparently not.

The clock at the wall in front of the bed stated that I have only slept for around three hours and it seemed like I won't be getting anymore sleep.

Sam's breathing was stable and normal as far as I could tell so as much as I wanted to sleep and cuddle with her, my mind kept repeating the events in the safe house.

Every time I close my eyes... I saw his eyes.

His eyes were deep brown and just by looking at them made every hair on my body stood. It sent chills to my bones. The fact that I was able to shoot him before he could shoot me still surprised me.

I couldn't kept still so I decided to go down before I wake up Sam. Andy was asleep on the couch while Tom was in the love seat. Agent Todd was watching by the window while Agent Carmichael was nowhere in sight.

"Couldn't sleep?" I almost jumped upon hearing Agent Carmichael's voice from behind. I nodded and she motioned for me to follow her. "You need to rest... your body's been through a lot. If you want to continue to protect Sam then you'll be needing all energy that you have."

"I can't go back to sleep." I paused and hesitated. "I can't close my eyes."

"What's bothering you?"

"Today was the first time that I killed someone." I stated. "I never thought that I would feel this way. It's like... "I paused trying to search for the right words but I can't. "I mean... We're trained to do that right? I shouldn't feel this way."

"It's okay to feel that way. It only means that you're human. However, you're wrong about the killing part. We're trained to serve and protect and not to kill. Killing was only the result of us doing our job and must be done when necessary. In your case, it's either you and Sam or them. You killed them to protect, they are trying to kill you for what... maybe money or something else. They are members of the mob and they have killed for no reason at all."

Agent Carmichael's words made me feel a lot better. In my mind I could still see his eyes and those were the eyes of a murderer. I have seen them before from the other perp that we managed to arrest. "What was you first kill like? If you don't mind me asking."

"It was not good and it's something that I'd like to stay in the past." There was a hint of distain in her voice. I should have never asked her that question.

"I'm sorry. It was insensitive for me to ask that."

"It's okay. It's done and I won't be able to change it." Her smile showed that she was willing to share. "He was an innocent bystander. Wrong place and wrong time. I was chasing a suspect when he started shooting at me. Then he turned into a corner and shot again. I shot back and before I knew it, a guy went out from the window. My bullet hit him. He died on the spot while my suspect got away."

"I'm sorry."

"I almost quit because of that."

"What made you stay?"

"His girlfriend talked to me. Told me that it wasn't my fault. That if they didn't sneak in her room then it wouldn't happen. Turns out they were making out in her room when her father arrived early so he jumped at the window. They didn't even realized that there's been a shooting because all they could think about was getting caught."

"Does that helped?"

"Yes. And talking to the shrink also helped. It was mandatory but in your case, you would need to talk to someone else. Mel and I are willing to help you."

"Thank you! Somehow, I feel a little better now." Then the chill from the dawn was slowly being replaced by the warmth of the sun. "Look." It was then that the sun started to rise. "It's beautiful."

"I haven't seen a sunrise in a long time."

"Me too. It's amazing."

We remained outside for a couple of minutes to watch as the sun reached it's peak. The blanket that we took was disregarded since heat of the sun was enough to warm out bodies.

The back door opened and both Agent Carmichael and I reach for our guns but lowered our guards when we saw that it was Sam. "Hi."

She walked towards me, looped her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. "I missed you."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I am now. How about you?"

"My whole body's in pain." I told her the truth. "Now that the adrenaline finally wore down, I could feel every inch of my body hurts."

"You didn't sleep?"

"I did a little."

"Come on inside, let's eat then I could change your bandage so you could rest." She took my hand and guided me back to the house. I also noticed that Agent Carmichael was nowhere in sight. "Have you taken any pills for the pain?"

"Nope, I wanted to remain lucid."

"We're safe for now. You should take some and rest."

"Okay. I will."

"Hey you. I made breakfast. Eat." Agent Todd said as she placed a pancake in a plate. Agent Carmichael was then drinking a cup a coffee.

"Thank you." Sam and I sat at the table and began to help ourselves with food. I turned towards the living room and found the two SWAT members still asleep. It's better to let them rest. Everyone needed a good sleep after our ordeal yesterday.

I just wonder how long this peace would be before the mob locate us.