“Lilly,” I gasped. “Where is she? What did you do to her?”
“Let’s just say she never made it to her destination.” My heart broke as the President told me how Agent Fields took her to the airport; flew with her the entire way and killed her on the way to her safe house in Ireland.
Everything I worked so hard for crashed down on my head in a matter of minutes. It was in that moment I understood what the sharp pains I felt meant. I clutched my chest again; feeling the pain of losing Lilly for good.
“It’s that kind of emotion that caused you to make the wrong decisions,” Mason said as he pulled the hammer back on the gun. He hesitated and pulled away as he heard loud bang and pops; making the hallway sound like the Fourth of July fireworks show.
In that moment I knew the cavalry had arrived.
Chapter 94
Gunshots echoed the halls of the White House as a troop of Federal Agents stormed the building with Agent Peterson leading the charge.
It was just the distraction I needed. President Mason’s attention was diverted just long enough for me to make my move; charging him while knocking his gun to the floor. The war was on and I needed to end it fast.
I tackled the President onto his desk; watching spin away from us on the floor. I threw Mason to the ground and connected with two rights to his jaw. I could see the gun was only a few feet from us, but my left leg remained pinned under the President. I started to crawl; inching my way closer to the handle until I felt the pressure release from my leg. I hurried to the gun, but felt a stiff kick connect with my ribs; hearing something crack as I clutched my side in agony. I could hear the bullets getting closer to the Oval Office; picturing the White House turning into an oversized piece of Swiss cheese.
“Didn’t have enough yet,” President Mason spat. He squared himself; driving his foot with full force into my ribs two more times as if he was punting a football in the Super Bowl. His aim was precise; hitting me just under my broken rib with the last kick flipping me onto my back.
“Good, I want to see your face when you die,” Mason laughed as he retrieved his gun. He placed his foot on my sternum; placing most of his weight on it. I couldn’t move and knew my life was about to come to abrupt stop. He dangled the gun above my heart with his finger resting light on the trigger; ready to pull at any moment.
My eyes blurred from the sharp shooting pain in my chest, but swore I saw something silver streak into the room and slammed into the President. There was a deafening blast and a searing pain as the bullet pierced the upper portion of my chest near the left shoulder. The weight was no longer crushing my ribs.
My eyes sealed shut as I clutched my chest. It was a pain I never felt before.
“We need a medic in here,” a woman’s voice shouted as her silky smooth hand covered mine. “Andrew’s been shot.”
I opened my eyes and though I was seeing an angel sent from heaven to get me. “Lilly,” I gasped. It was the only word I could say. My wounds were making it harder to breathe and I was sure I would die in her arms.
“I’m here Hun. Help is on the way.” Lilly nervously scanned the room; finding Agent Peterson placing a pair of handcuffs on the President. “Where’s the medic?”
“He’ll be here any second,” Peterson replied while applying pressure to the stab wound he received courtesy of Lilly and her sword.
I lifted my head slowly, “He said you were…”
“He tried, but Arcana made sure I was safe. He made sure there were a few allies on board to make sure I got home alive.”
“Who?”
“He contacted Faith and your brother Steve. Arcana and Peterson told them everything and said they needed their help. They took down Agent Fields while we were flying and Peterson had the plane rerouted back to New York.”
“How did they…”
“Shh, you need to save your energy. I’ll tell you everything later. Right now we need to get you to the hospital.”
A pair of medics entered the room. One tended to my gunshot; the other the President. They loaded me onto the gurney and escorted me out of the White House with Lilly by my side.
It was finally over. The mission was complete. I helped take down the Benefactor, made sure Lilly was safe and I was back in her arms. But something didn’t feel right and Lilly’s face faded quickly.
Chapter 95
The hospitals in Washington D.C. were unusually busy that day. There were a dozen reported cases of gunshot victims; many of whom were Secret Service Agents sworn to protect the President. Several men posed as agents were handcuffed to hospital beds or chairs in the waiting room; being closely monitored by Federal Agents. But the staff focused on two patients in particular. One was the President of the United States and the other was the man responsible for eighteen deaths.
“He’s waking up,” Lilly shouted from my bed. Her voice was heard over all the nurses barking orders from the hall.
“What the hell happened,” I groaned.
“You were shot.” Lilly grabbed my hand tightly. “You’ve been in surgery for the last four hours.” Her eyes filled with tears. “You were in there so long. They said there were complications. We didn’t know if you’d make it.”
I could feel the agonizing pain rush through my body. I reached for my left shoulder, but was restrained by the handcuffs; keeping me from moving too far.
I opened my eyes to see Lilly sitting next to my bed. “Lilly, you’re alive. I thought I was dreaming.” I managed a smile through the intense pain. “What happened to the others?”
“They’re fine; just a little banged up. They’re out in the waiting room. I’ll let them know you’re awake.”
Lilly started to pull away but I held onto her hand tightly; refusing to let go. “Tell me what happened.”
“After you left the message on Arcana’s phone, Peterson called every Federal Agent he trusted to help us storm the White House. We caught the Benefactor’s men off guard and surrounded them outside the Oval Office. Joe was the only other member of our team that was shot.”
I tried to sit up; expecting to see the others any moment. “Is he okay? Where was he hit?”
Lilly laughed and placed a soothing hand on my chest. “Joe will be fine. He was shot in his rear.”
Tears were streaming down my face; mostly from the pain but also from the image of Joe being shot in the butt. “I always said he was a pain in the ass.” We laughed at Joe having to sit on the cushion doughnut and limping around from being shot in the ass. Lilly helped me wipe the tears from my eyes as our laughter died down. “Did Peterson say anything about the immunity deals?”
Lilly frowned and stared back at the door. “Peterson excused Erik, Joe and Natalya due to the lack of evidence against them. I was given full immunity because I didn’t kill or hurt anyone. They said the kidnapping and accessory charges were dropped for helping them bring down the Benefactor and for my future testimony.”
“What about Mike?”
“Peterson is working on one for you and Mike, but it’ll take some time. The Vice President and Peterson are briefing Congress about the Benefactor’s little project to officially impeach the President. We have to wait for the Vice President to be sworn in before Peterson can work a deal for you.”
My hospital room door opened; letting a heavy set nurse enter with a small file in her hand. “I’m sorry sweetie; you need to step out for a few minutes so I can check his vitals.”
I held on tightly to Lilly’s hand as I felt it slip away.
“It’s okay,” she said softly; placing her hand on mine. “I’ll tell the team you’re awake.” She kissed me passionately; a feeling I never thought I’d feel again. “I’ll be right outside.” Lilly exited the room; leaving the nurse hovering over me.
“How are you feeling Mr. Lancaster?”
“I’m in a lot of pain.”
“Maybe I can help with that.” She injected a syringe into my IV; causing me to feel incredibly drowsy within seconds. “You put up
a hell of a fight, but now it’s time to put the Phoenix to rest.”
The nurse in charge of taking care of me had been hired to kill me. I wanted to scream, but felt my eyes become too heavy to keep open. The monitor continued beeping; getting weaker by the second until they flat lined.
Epilogue
It had been two years since the man known as the Benefactor, the former President of the United States, was arrested for treason and the murder of Andrew Lancaster. Although the man behind the group the Revolution was behind bars, the conspiracy over Project Justice remained an open investigation.
In two years the group known as the Revolution was pardoned for their crimes and was ready to celebrate a joyous occasion. The guests arrived just before sunset on the warm summer day in Bayville. The white chairs sat in the sand facing the waves as they rushed towards the beach. The sun lingered in the air as if it intended to stay around just for this occasion.
The music queued; drawing attention to the wedding party walking down the brick path to the flowered archway. Erik and Natalya walked out first. They smiled while the guests took pictures. Joe and Lilly’s best friend Amanda walked down the aisle next; forcing Joe to smile for everyone’s enjoyment.
“This just feels wrong,” Joe whispered to Erik as the groom’s niece and nephew trotted down the brick path.
“It’s been two years. She was bound to move on.”
“Yeah, but it just seems wrong.”
The Maid of Honor strutted down the aisle; catching Joe and Erik whispering to each other. “Keep your traps shut,” Faith snapped as she passed.
The music blared loudly; causing the guests to stand and turn back towards the restaurant as Lilly walked down the wooden steps in a beautiful white dress. She was joined by her father and Mike as she marched towards the archway.
As the priest began the ceremony, mixed emotions engulfed the crowd. Lilly stared into the piercing blue eyes of her soon to be husband; feeling the warmth of the sun gazing upon her.
“Do you Lilly take Daniel to be your husband; to love him and cherish him; in sickness and in health; for richer and poorer all the days of your life?”
She hesitated; thinking of Andrew and how much he wanted her to live a full normal life even if it meant she wasn’t with him.
“I-I do.”
“Do you Daniel take Lilly to be your wife; to love and cherish; in sickness and in health; for richer and poorer all the days of your life?”
His hypnotic blue eyes stared into Lilly’s big brown eyes and said emphatically, “I do.”
“If there is anyone who can show just cause as to why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony; speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Everyone looked around; wondering if anyone would speak up in Andrew’s name. Her friends wanted to speak up, but respected Lilly’s decision to move on with her life.
“Then, by the power invested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Lilly felt Daniel’s lips smother hers, but all she could see was a vision of Andrew Lancaster lying on a metal slab; surrounded by machines. His eyes popped open as he gasped for breath.
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Thanks
Andrew Hess
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