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| New Life By Mar |
| CHAPTER 4 “It was like to enter another world. Big trees reduced to ashes, cars still burning with... with people inside. I felt the nausea growing in my stomach and I turned around to throw up my breakfast. My head was pounding and spinning, and it seemed that I could not get enough air to breath. It was so hot over there... I could feel a sticky sweat going down my back, getting my clothes wet and tightenning them to my body. I felt so filthy, so awkward and so, so sick. I looked around me with fear once and again, trying to discover Aitor and his friend. I could not imagine why they had left me alone and alive. My God, I was a mess. Policemen and firemen were working hard to put some order between that gigantic chaos. Shouts, sirens, doctors running everywhere, nurses carrying stretchers with wounded people... It was so confusing. I could smell the fire, the blood, the thick smoke, the fear. ‘Can I help you?’ That voice was like music to my ears, soft and caring. In front of me there was a young police officer and he was smiling cautiously. His hand took mine and he frowned with concern. ‘Are you O.K.? Do you need a doctor?’ I shook my head and he approached me slowly. ‘What are you doing here? This area has been cordoned off hours ago. Who are you?’ His words were so confusing to me. Hours ago? How could it be possible? It had happened only minutes ago! However, I knew that he was telling me the truth. Could it be that I had been unconcious for so long a time? What had happened to Aitor and his friend? What had happened to my car and my things? I had to look so pathetic that finally, the young cop took pity on me and led me to a safe place where I could sit for a while. It was then that I dared to reveal my little secret. As from then, everything took place with a breathtaking speed. The police station, the cross-examination, the photographs, the videos, more photographs... I thought I was going crazy! After almost 24 hours, they finally allowed me to call my parents. They... they were so relieved to hear my voice again...” As she continued telling him her terrible story, Susana understood that Frank really wanted to help her. She could read it in his expressive brown eyes; she could hear it in his rich and warm voice. The woman was not very sure about the nature of his job, but if his government had assigned him to protect her, it had to be a dangerous one. And God knew that everything around agent Frank Donovan seemed to be dangerous. Too dangerous. His controlled, calculated and cat like movements, his overwhelming self-confidence, his strong personality, revealed a strong will inside of him, a constant need of making things go well, an obssesion for keeping control in any kind of situation. But she could glimpse under that hard and cold appearance a subtle softness, an innate warmth and concern, a free spirit that only needed a little push to give himself a chance. “I am sorry, Frank,” she excused herself when she listened to his deep voice. “I... I was thinking about something else.” “I see,” Frank smiled knowingly. Sweet Jesus, she was blushing again! What the hell was she doing to his senses? He cleared his throat and repeated his question. “I asked you, how have you managed to survive all these long months?” Susana frowned and bit her lower lip, almost causing Frank to come off the stool. Her careless and unassuming attitude told him that she was completely unaware of the effect she had on him, and Frank swallowed hard once again. She was so innocent in her manner, so different from any other woman he had met in his past... She was a breath of fresh air in his ruled, dangerous and empty life, and suddenly, he was finding himself smiling, grinning and even fantasizing about her! “I don’t remember very well how I ended up as a protected witness. I had heard something about it in the movies, you know, but I could not believe that it was as real as it turned out to be. I didn’t want to go down that road, I wanted to talk to someone about what I had heard, about those men, about the terrorist attack, and then I only wanted to go home and forget everything.” She stopped suddenly increasing her frown. “Did you know that almost 70 people died there?” she asked, her eyes lost in another place, in another time. “There were more than 200 wounded people, some of them died in the course of the next days. It was the worst terrorist attack since... I am not sure.” Now, a new torrent of tears was running down her face. “It is always the same. A car bomb placed on a crowded street, a hooded man gripping a pistol and shooting someone in the nape... You never know the next place or the next victim. It can be you, your neighbour... It doesn’t matter the means but the result. Until when, Frank? Can you tell me? Can anybody tell me?” Frank shook his head and pulled her until she was on her knees. He settled her hands on his shoulders and then slowly, very slowly, held her into his warm and caring arms, murmuring soothing words into her ear. Her sobs turned into an open cry and she shook between his arms giving free rein to her fear and her anguish. “Shhh, hush little one,” he whispered caressing softly her long wavy black hair. “You are safe with me. I will not allow any harm to come to you.” Her scent filled his nostrils and Frank closed his eyes burying his face in the crook of her neck, brushing her shoulder with his soft full lips. She felt so good in his arms, so... perfect. What was he thinking about? She was unattainable for him. She was in big danger and probably he was not going to see her again after all that mess of jurisdiction was cleared up. She was not a woman who should be in his life because he had an unsteady life, full of tension, secrets and half words. She deserved better; much better. But AGAIN, what was he thinking? He had known her only for a few hours. How could he feel something so... so...? Damn it! He didn’t even know how to put into words his own feelings. He had not been so unsure about something since... since he was a teenager. And AGAIN, she felt so damn good in his arms... “I... I am sorry,” she said with a muffled voice. Slowly, almost reluctantly, Susana left the security and comfort of his chest to look into his deep brown eyes. “Normally, I am not like this,” she explained while Frank wiped her tears with his thumbs. “I... I think that the last events have gone beyond my endurance. It seems that I cannot keep control anymore.” “Well, I wouldn’t say that Susana,” Frank said. “You were involved in a terrorist attack and you are alive. You have managed quite well to go over all that horror... to put in order your thoughts and your feelings. You have managed quite well to drive crazy both our governments. I would say that you are still in control.” “Our governments...,” she hesitated only for a second. “I hate them. All of them. I hate how they forced me to this unbearable situation.” She sighed and shook her head. “They gave me no choice, no chance. They put me where they wanted me without asking, without caring about my feelings, about my needs. And now I am obliged to endure all this... all this shit!” “These things work like that, Susana,” he explained softly, understanding her despair. “We need you alive. We need your help to put those men into jail. We cannot do anything without you.” “I know, I know, and I understand it, but... what about my life? Everything that you have read in the damn file is true apart from my name... Is this how you protect your witnesses?” Her fear was evident again. “Anybody can...” The soft chuckle coming from his lips stopped her. Frank saw the hurt in her eyes and when she averted her gaze trying to hide it, he took her chin with his hand forcing her to look at him. “I’m not laughing at you, Susana,” he said sternly. “I would never do that. It is only that...” “What?” she cut him off. “Well, few people dare to criticize our system so openly. I agree with you, your file is too revealing, but we need to know everything about you in order to protect you. Do you understand that?” “Of course,” she accepted, nodding. “But I am tired. I am always giving and I have been given nothing in return. I have been waiting seven months by now! I have been waiting in Spain and now I am waiting here, Frank. Waiting for what? To get me killed?” “Nobody is going to kill you, do you hear me?” His voice was so intense and his look so fierce that she almost trembled with fear. Almost. Susana smiled softly and following an impulse she caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. It was rough with the beard of two days but it still was warm. His eyes were so deep, so hypnotic and inviting... With a swift movement, he took her hand with his and brought it to his soft lips. Susana felt an electric current going from her fingertips to her toes and shivered with anticipation. Her eyes nailed his and a sudden feeling of awkwardness settled in her heart. Frowning, she released her hand. Who was this man? She didn’t know him, yet he was pulling out from her a blind faith, an unknown trust that she had lost a long time ago, a feeling of hope and reassurance. He was getting quite easily to the woman that had vanished seven months ago in a terrorist attack, unwrapping her thick layers to discover her most secret inner being. She felt his warm hand caressing her cheek and closed her eyes enjoying the sensation, gasping with surprise when his hand went to her nape and pulled her softly towards him. Their faces were so close that she could feel his breath on her cheeks, on her mouth... “Who are you?” he asked with a husky voice. “What are you doing to me, woman?” Susana saw raw desire in his now almost black eyes and shivered again. Unconciously, she licked her lips and opened her mouth to answer his question but she never did. His lips descended on hers and brushed them softly, shaking her to her very core. Frank had sensed her sweetness, but what he found had nothing to do with what he had imagined. Damn it! She was so, so sweet and fresh. Her parted lips gave him a chance to thrust his tongue into her wet mouth and she welcomed it joyously. It was almost Frank’s undoing to hear her soft moans of surrender and pleasure. His hands travelled down her body to her hips and he crushed her into him adapting her to his hard body. And God knew that he was hard! Susana gasped and abandoned herself to the frantic spiral of sensations that Frank was tearing out of her. It was like to be wrapped in a wet wave of heat, oblivious to everything except to his breath, his mouth, his tongue, his hands and... oh, God, his body! Somebody knocked on the door and Frank growled menacingly, caressing her soft lips with his tongue one last time. Without looking at her he left the stool and approached the door drawing his gun from his holster. His face was stony, lifeless, unfeeling. Susana swallowed hard when she realized how a little she knew about that man. Frowning with concern and trembling with fear she sat on the chair again and waited. “Who is it?” His voice was cold like ice. “Frank, its Pete.” Frank looked at her trying to give her some reassurance, but he only found empty and reserved eyes. Her wall of steel was up again and he had the unpleasant feeling that he was the only one to blame. He followed her gaze to his gun and suddenly understood what she was thinking. It was the first time that he appeared in front of her as her bodyguard. Until now, he had been her friend, her support, her comfort. Now, he was again Agent Frank Donovan doing his job. Returning the gun to his holster, Frank opened the door and Pete McPherson entered the room. Both men shook hands and Frank closed the door again after checking the corridor. “Miss Puchades,” Pete approached her and offered his hand to the silent woman. “I’m agent McPherson and I’m in charge of this investigation.” Reluctantly, Susana shook his cold and sweaty hand. “What are you doing here, Pete?” Frank asked. “I didn’t expect your visit until tomorrow afternoon.” Pete looked at Frank sternly and then his little blue eyes fell on the woman. “It seems that our governments have reached a fair enough arrangement,” he announced. Susana snorted, left the chair and approached the window. She crossed her arms in front of her and sighed loudly shaking her head. Again, she felt how her new and unsteady world collapsed all around her. Again, she felt used and deceived. Again, she felt herself like a toy between cruel and careless hands. “What kind of arrangement?” Frank asked. “It is not your business anymore, Frank,” Pete said looking at his friend. “I will deal with this in my own way.” “Like hell you will,” Frank growled approaching her, trying to read her emotions without success. “You are going to tell us what is happening. She will not leave this room without an answer. A fair enough answer.” “Don’t make this more difficult than it already is, Frank,” Pete’s voice got even colder. “She is our witness and she...” “I am your nothing, Agent McPherson.” Susana’s brown eyes laid on him fiercely and the ‘super agent’ back-pedalled slowly. “Listen to me, and listen to me good because I am going to tell you this only once. I want a representative from my government and another representative from yours here in... let’s say four hours. They will inform me about this arrangement and then we will talk about my own terms. Is that clear?” Pete looked at Frank and saw the amusement dancing in his dark eyes. Amusement and something else that he could not describe. “That’s nonsense!” he exclaimed furiously. “You dare to threaten us when you are nothing but a...” “Be careful with what you say, Pete,” Frank’s voice sounded like steel. Susana chuckled and slowly, very slowly, approached Pete McPherson. The coldness on her face hardened her lovely features and a wave of power seemed to overwhelm her. “You have nothing without me, Agent McPherson. I am the only one who saw those men, Aitor and Hakim. My government wants Aitor and your government wants Hakim. It is quite simple. I will give them what they want but I want to be a part of the negotiation.” “You?” asked McPherson almost laughing. “Of course, Agent McPherson,” she said. “I am a stockbroker and I can assure you that I know how to negotiate. Now, go and tell them. I am not the ‘little foolish girl’ anymore. I am going to fight for my life.” Pete McPherson closed his hands into tight fists and his lips turned into a white thin line. His face paled and a cold fury overwhelmed him completely. He raised a menacing finger towards her and open his mouth. “You have heard her, Pete,” Frank said. “Now go. You’re running out of time.” “Frank...” “We will talk later, Pete.” Susana followed Pete’s movements and released her breath when he went out of the room. Approaching the window again, she sighed with tiredness. Where had she found the nerve to question Agent McPherson? She was trembling from head to foot but strangely, she felt good. She felt almost free. It was good to give free rein to her temper from time to time. “Are you all right?” She could hear a sincere concern in Frank’s deep voice. “I am fine.” “Susana...” “Don’t, Frank. Don’t say anything.” Frank looked at her and closed his eyes rubbing his temples. He had lost her. He didn’t know how but he knew very well when. It had been the kiss... the sweet and sensual kiss that they had shared before Pete’s visit. Perhaps it was for the best. Perhaps she was more reasonable than he was at that moment. “You know, Susana. You are really remarkable.” She chuckled for the second time that day. “Of course, Agent Donovan,” she said. “I am a woman.” Agent Donovan, he thought. Smiling softly he went to the bathroom and closed the door resting his back on it. He had lost her definitely. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ New Life - Chapter 5 |