Steele Coveted part 16
**
Jim wasn’t lying when he'd said the address was a little off the beaten path. Modern roads had given way to gravel roads. The landscape was a series of dry grassy hills with few trees. There were very few residences. Forty-five minutes later, Jim pulled up in front of an iron gate with a "No Trespassing" sign. Remington picked the lock, and they then traveled up a long, winding driveway.
They saw several more "No Trespassing" signs before the house came into view. Jim pulled off so that the car would not be detected.
“You two just stay here,” Remington said. He leapt out and walked stealthily toward the house, hiding behind bushes and an old abandoned car.
The front step of the house had a huge sign that said "Condemned! No Trespassing!" He pulled out his pick again and began to work the lock. He opened the door slowly. A scream came from the other side. “Laura!” he yelled, kicking the door the rest of the way open just in time to see Wally pull Laura into the other room. He ran after them and came face to face with three doors. He kicked them open successively, sending shards of wood into the air.
Suddenly, Wally appeared at the end of the hallway. “She does not want you anymore, Mr. Steele. Only I can make her happy.”
Remington looked down to see the light catch on a silver revolver.
“I can’t believe you made it out of the hotel,” Wally laughed lightheartedly. “You are a pretty tough guy to kill.”
“Now just watch yourself, Wally. Laura wouldn’t want to be with a murderer. We both know that,” Remington said, inching toward him with the palms of his hands outstretched.
“You see? No one believes me,” Wally said.
“Believes what?” Remington asked.
“I only ever wanted people to be happy. That’s what I wanted for mother, but she didn’t listen. I hate it when people don’t listen,” Wally said.
Remington heard a familiar click as Wally engaged the gun.
“Well, Wally, if you think you can make Laura happy, maybe I should leave you,” Remington said, trying to buy some time.
The sound of a gunshot filled the room.
**
Jim stood in the doorway with his arm still outstretched, staring at the man he had just shot.
Wally lay on the floor, curled up into fetal position. The bullet had ripped through his right shoulder. Remington jumped forward and grabbed his gun.
“She loves me! Don’t you see?” Wally said, his voice filled with pain and tears.
“Keep the gun on him,” Remington said to Jim.
“Yep,” Jim returned.
Remington leaned near Wally’s ear. “Where is Laura?” He twisted Wally’s shoulder, and Wally cried out it in pain. “Tell me before I rip out your heart with my bare hands!”
Wally whimpered.
Mildred appeared in the doorway.
“Mildred, call the police, will you?” Remington said, his hand still firm on Wally’s shoulder.
“Where is she!?” Remington shouted.
Wally still did not speak.
Remington began rushing around the house looking for another door. He came to the room where Laura’s dinner had been set out the night before and saw the tray and food all over the floor. On the other side of the room was a door. “Laura,” he yelled, running to it and throwing his body through it.
She lay on the bed, eyes closed. Remington’s eyes filled with tears. He could see traces of blood in her hairline. He gathered her into his arms let out a loud cry, and then reached to feel for a pulse.
He looked at her head more closely after feeling a strong heartbeat. The blood was from a blow to the head, not a gunshot. He ran his fingers over her soft skin and began to kiss her repeatedly, willing her eyes to open.
“Come on, love, come on. Wake up! I need you! Oh, how I need you.” He picked her up and began to carry her out of the house, her body limp in his arms.
Mildred gasped as he passed. Remington’s face was wet with tears.
“Chief! Laura?" Mildred gulped out.
“She’s alive! Wait for the police!” Remington yelled as he hurried out the door, clasping Laura tightly against him.
He put her in the front seat and gently fastened her seatbelt. He then grabbed a blanket quickly from the trunk and covered her, placing a kiss on her cheek before pulling away. He drove furiously toward L.A., breaking every traffic law as he raced toward the hospital. The drive that had taken them 45 minutes before, he now covered in 20; it was another 20 minutes to the hospital.
After coming to a lurching stop, he ran into the hospital with Laura in his arms. She had still not stirred.
One of the nurses looked up. “Mr. Steele! We have been looking everywhere for you!” she exclaimed.
“My wife!” he said as his voice broke with tears.
Another nurse ran to find one of the paramedics. As soon as Laura was taken from Remington’s arms, he fell to the floor, his knees growing weak beneath him.
**
Laura woke two hours after arriving at the hospital with a moderate concussion. She had been placed in the same room as Remington. He was back on a ventilator and heart monitor.
“Oh, honey, you’re awake,” Mildred said, coming out of the bathroom.
“How is he?” Laura said apprehensively.
“He’s aggravated the damage. But they say he will be fine. They are just taking precautions. He fainted right after he carried you in, apparently. You should have seen him. He loves you so much,” Mildred said, smiling.
Laura smiled despite the throb in her head. “I love him so much,” she said, pulling the covers off her legs and turning to get out of bed. “What a nightmare, Mildred!”
“I know honey,” Mildred said, giving Laura a hug.
Laura crossed the room and ran her fingers over Remington’s forehead. She leaned down to kiss him and then climbed into his bed, snuggling under the covers and resting her hand on his arm. She lay there listening to the constant beep of the heart monitor. It did not make her cry as it had a few days before; it told her that he was alive.
“You kids need each other. I'm glad I knew it before you. It’s been nice to see you realize it. He was so brave, our Mr. Steele, although I think he might have rage issues.” Mildred chuckled. “I have seen you both risk your life to save the other these last few days. Love like yours is what they write stories about. He would have disintegrated without you,” Mildred said.
“Tears seem to be becoming a habit of mine,” Laura said. “I don’t know if I like it.”
“I would be worried if you weren’t crying. I think it's normal in this instance. Don’t worry; you are still the strongest woman I know,” Mildred said, smiling.
“Same goes for you, Mildred; thank you for being here,” Laura said.
“I'm going to go down to the cafeteria; I'm famished. I'll be back up in a little bit,” Mildred said, excusing herself.
Laura rested her head in the crook of Remington’s neck and hugged his right arm to her chest.
“I love you Remington, Callan, John, Douglas, Michael, Paul, Richard -- all of you and everything about you. I never want to lose you. If you think that losing your life to save mine is a good idea, think again. I can’t live without you.” She kissed him on the neck. “Maybe, since you're asleep, it’s safe to tell you some things.” She looked to make sure his eyes were still closed. “I never wanted to get married until I met you. It seemed too constricting,” she smiled. “And somewhere in the second year after you came into my life, I realized I did want something more. I never wanted to say goodbye to you. If you had been a different man, one who found it easy to commit, things might have progressed more quickly. But then you wouldn’t be you. And we wouldn’t have this. You can’t die! I won’t allow it! Ever!” She rested her head on his shoulder, soon falling asleep.
**
Jim wasn’t lying when he'd said the address was a little off the beaten path. Modern roads had given way to gravel roads. The landscape was a series of dry grassy hills with few trees. There were very few residences. Forty-five minutes later, Jim pulled up in front of an iron gate with a "No Trespassing" sign. Remington picked the lock, and they then traveled up a long, winding driveway.
They saw several more "No Trespassing" signs before the house came into view. Jim pulled off so that the car would not be detected.
“You two just stay here,” Remington said. He leapt out and walked stealthily toward the house, hiding behind bushes and an old abandoned car.
The front step of the house had a huge sign that said "Condemned! No Trespassing!" He pulled out his pick again and began to work the lock. He opened the door slowly. A scream came from the other side. “Laura!” he yelled, kicking the door the rest of the way open just in time to see Wally pull Laura into the other room. He ran after them and came face to face with three doors. He kicked them open successively, sending shards of wood into the air.
Suddenly, Wally appeared at the end of the hallway. “She does not want you anymore, Mr. Steele. Only I can make her happy.”
Remington looked down to see the light catch on a silver revolver.
“I can’t believe you made it out of the hotel,” Wally laughed lightheartedly. “You are a pretty tough guy to kill.”
“Now just watch yourself, Wally. Laura wouldn’t want to be with a murderer. We both know that,” Remington said, inching toward him with the palms of his hands outstretched.
“You see? No one believes me,” Wally said.
“Believes what?” Remington asked.
“I only ever wanted people to be happy. That’s what I wanted for mother, but she didn’t listen. I hate it when people don’t listen,” Wally said.
Remington heard a familiar click as Wally engaged the gun.
“Well, Wally, if you think you can make Laura happy, maybe I should leave you,” Remington said, trying to buy some time.
The sound of a gunshot filled the room.
**
Jim stood in the doorway with his arm still outstretched, staring at the man he had just shot.
Wally lay on the floor, curled up into fetal position. The bullet had ripped through his right shoulder. Remington jumped forward and grabbed his gun.
“She loves me! Don’t you see?” Wally said, his voice filled with pain and tears.
“Keep the gun on him,” Remington said to Jim.
“Yep,” Jim returned.
Remington leaned near Wally’s ear. “Where is Laura?” He twisted Wally’s shoulder, and Wally cried out it in pain. “Tell me before I rip out your heart with my bare hands!”
Wally whimpered.
Mildred appeared in the doorway.
“Mildred, call the police, will you?” Remington said, his hand still firm on Wally’s shoulder.
“Where is she!?” Remington shouted.
Wally still did not speak.
Remington began rushing around the house looking for another door. He came to the room where Laura’s dinner had been set out the night before and saw the tray and food all over the floor. On the other side of the room was a door. “Laura,” he yelled, running to it and throwing his body through it.
She lay on the bed, eyes closed. Remington’s eyes filled with tears. He could see traces of blood in her hairline. He gathered her into his arms let out a loud cry, and then reached to feel for a pulse.
He looked at her head more closely after feeling a strong heartbeat. The blood was from a blow to the head, not a gunshot. He ran his fingers over her soft skin and began to kiss her repeatedly, willing her eyes to open.
“Come on, love, come on. Wake up! I need you! Oh, how I need you.” He picked her up and began to carry her out of the house, her body limp in his arms.
Mildred gasped as he passed. Remington’s face was wet with tears.
“Chief! Laura?" Mildred gulped out.
“She’s alive! Wait for the police!” Remington yelled as he hurried out the door, clasping Laura tightly against him.
He put her in the front seat and gently fastened her seatbelt. He then grabbed a blanket quickly from the trunk and covered her, placing a kiss on her cheek before pulling away. He drove furiously toward L.A., breaking every traffic law as he raced toward the hospital. The drive that had taken them 45 minutes before, he now covered in 20; it was another 20 minutes to the hospital.
After coming to a lurching stop, he ran into the hospital with Laura in his arms. She had still not stirred.
One of the nurses looked up. “Mr. Steele! We have been looking everywhere for you!” she exclaimed.
“My wife!” he said as his voice broke with tears.
Another nurse ran to find one of the paramedics. As soon as Laura was taken from Remington’s arms, he fell to the floor, his knees growing weak beneath him.
**
Laura woke two hours after arriving at the hospital with a moderate concussion. She had been placed in the same room as Remington. He was back on a ventilator and heart monitor.
“Oh, honey, you’re awake,” Mildred said, coming out of the bathroom.
“How is he?” Laura said apprehensively.
“He’s aggravated the damage. But they say he will be fine. They are just taking precautions. He fainted right after he carried you in, apparently. You should have seen him. He loves you so much,” Mildred said, smiling.
Laura smiled despite the throb in her head. “I love him so much,” she said, pulling the covers off her legs and turning to get out of bed. “What a nightmare, Mildred!”
“I know honey,” Mildred said, giving Laura a hug.
Laura crossed the room and ran her fingers over Remington’s forehead. She leaned down to kiss him and then climbed into his bed, snuggling under the covers and resting her hand on his arm. She lay there listening to the constant beep of the heart monitor. It did not make her cry as it had a few days before; it told her that he was alive.
“You kids need each other. I'm glad I knew it before you. It’s been nice to see you realize it. He was so brave, our Mr. Steele, although I think he might have rage issues.” Mildred chuckled. “I have seen you both risk your life to save the other these last few days. Love like yours is what they write stories about. He would have disintegrated without you,” Mildred said.
“Tears seem to be becoming a habit of mine,” Laura said. “I don’t know if I like it.”
“I would be worried if you weren’t crying. I think it's normal in this instance. Don’t worry; you are still the strongest woman I know,” Mildred said, smiling.
“Same goes for you, Mildred; thank you for being here,” Laura said.
“I'm going to go down to the cafeteria; I'm famished. I'll be back up in a little bit,” Mildred said, excusing herself.
Laura rested her head in the crook of Remington’s neck and hugged his right arm to her chest.
“I love you Remington, Callan, John, Douglas, Michael, Paul, Richard -- all of you and everything about you. I never want to lose you. If you think that losing your life to save mine is a good idea, think again. I can’t live without you.” She kissed him on the neck. “Maybe, since you're asleep, it’s safe to tell you some things.” She looked to make sure his eyes were still closed. “I never wanted to get married until I met you. It seemed too constricting,” she smiled. “And somewhere in the second year after you came into my life, I realized I did want something more. I never wanted to say goodbye to you. If you had been a different man, one who found it easy to commit, things might have progressed more quickly. But then you wouldn’t be you. And we wouldn’t have this. You can’t die! I won’t allow it! Ever!” She rested her head on his shoulder, soon falling asleep.
**