Maria came rushing into Michelle’s room, her eyes wide with fear.
“Renate. The Americans are here,” she screamed.
Michelle was in bed, feigning sleepiness.
“Was ist das?”
“The DEA. The Americans, we have to warn Luis,” Maria screamed.
Just them a black clad DEA agent came through the door, pointing his MP5 at the two women, Michelle could see his finger tighten on the trigger as he saw that Maria had a revolver in her hand pointing at the agent.
“Goldilocks,” Michelle screamed. Maria frowned and turned towards her, her face transforming into a mask of hatred and betrayal.
The revolver swung up and fired at the DEA man, hitting him on the body armour. But it was enough to place him on his back and Michelle watched in slow motion as the revolver was turned towards her.
“Why?” Maria asked, as the hammer drew back.
There were two loud bangs and Michelle felt as if she was kicked in the guts by a mule. She fell back and just saw Ryan’s horror-struck face loom at her before she passed out.
Ryan saw Michelle get shot just as he shot the woman with the gun.
“NOOO!” he screamed and lunged at Michelle as she fell back.
Crimson spread across her abdomen and she focussed briefly on him before passing out.
He held her in his arms and literally ran out of the house towards the US coast guard ship as it drew up at the jetty. His leg almost collapsed under him several times. He gritted his teeth, shutting out the pain and ran as fast as he could. The gunmen were all taken on-board under guard and once the DEA agents were ensconced in all parts of the island, the power was switched back on.
Sean was now satisfied. He had found a vault containing enough cocaine to supply the USA for several years. Not only that, but several million dollars in cash was neatly arranged in $50,000 piles. Weapons and hardware capable of maintaining a small revolution were brought out and made safe.
The DEA helicopters were flown off and the island became tranquil once more. The whole operation had taken less than fifteen minutes.
The Lear Jet pilot called in and a Spanish speaking DEA agent acknowledged and told them to land.
As the jet approached, the wheels came down and it landed very smoothly. As it rolled to a stop, the steps were lowered. Luis and another male appeared and descended the steps. They paused, as there was no jeep to meet them. Suddenly, a US Marines Harrier Jump Jet appeared from behind some trees, and the whole area was swarming with black clad DEA agents.
Luis, immediately went for a firearm under his jacket and was verbally challenged and told to drop the weapon.
He smiled and raised the gun. Seventeen bullets hit him simultaneously. The other man simply raised his hands.
Sean was delighted. Luis Mendoza was dead. Several billion dollars worth of cocaine was out of circulation, cash and other assets to the value of fifteen billion dollars were now seized and not one of his agents had been killed.
Then he was told that Michelle had been shot and was in the ship’s medic unit.
He made his way to find a very grey and worried looking Ryan. The latter was sitting in a chair, with a medic looking at his knee.
“What happened?”
“She was shot in the belly. The woman, Maria, was with her when one of the agents went in. Michelle saw him level the gun and shouted ‘Goldilocks’. I heard it down the hall, when I got there, I was too late as Maria shot her. She took one to the abdomen, so I took the bitch out. Michelle saved the agent’s life. He took one on the body armour, but is now fine apart from a mother of all bruises.”
“How bad is she?”
“I don’t know. They called for a chopper to evac her to a hospital,” he said, just as a chopper landed on the heli-deck of the vessel.
“Go with her. And keep me informed.”
“Right,” Ryan said and a stretcher party appeared carrying the stricken girl. He lurched out of his chair and limped painfully after them.
Sean watched as the small party got into the helicopter, the aircraft took off, setting off for the mainland. He then went down to the medical unit.
A medic was cleaning up. Blood stained swabs were everywhere.
“How is she?”
“Lucky to be alive. That agent got her here in time. I was able to stabilise her, but the real danger is peritonitis. I got the bullet out and, fortunately, no major organs were pierced. I have pumped her with antibiotics, so time will tell. Oh, by the way, did you know she wasn’t a she?”
“I knew. Just keep that classified, if you please?”
“Sure. Shit, I was surprised.”
“We all were. Hopefully, she will be complete soon,” Sean said, as he went to the communications control centre, putting in a long distance call to Carl Oberon.
Ryan sat next to Michelle in the helicopter. She was very pale; with UV drips attached to her arms. Two medics monitored her progress and another was talking to the US Naval hospital they were headed for. He found her hand and took it, unsure how to wish or pray for her survival.
He watched her face. She was so still and her skin had taken on a waxy complexion.
The bleeps of the monitor told him she was still alive and he was more confused than ever. The journey seemed to take forever, but eventually they descended, with an ambulance was waiting to take them the short distance to the ER.
At that point he was pried off her and he watched as they took her through the double doors.
“Agent Hobbs?” a voice asked.
He turned and saw a tall man dressed in surgeon’s gowns.
“Yeah?”
“I’m Doctor Harrison. I am the surgeon responsible for your colleague and I have been fully briefed. My emergency team will stabilise her, and get her to a safe condition. My job will be to put everything back together again.”
“Doc, you know…..?”
“I know. But that's for another time. Let’s just save her life for now, eh?”
“Yeah, sure. I just thought that while you were in there. Uh, I guess, I just want the best for her,” he said, feeling rather foolish.
“Son, let’s just deal with one thing at a time. Your boss has told me all about her, so how about you just let me do my job?”
“Sure. I’m sorry.”
“No problem. Just wait here and we’ll do what we can do.”
The doctor left Ryan alone. The young man eased his painful leg and settled down for a long wait.
Sean was now supervising the bagging and tagging of the seized articles on the island. His boss, Carl, had flown in and the drugs were now all spread out and were being weighed, photographed and video taped. The weapons were spread out and would have made the commander of a third world militia very happy.
Sean was now in the bedroom that had been used by Michelle. Her blood was still on the floor, and he had a real twinge of conscience. Maria’s body had been bagged and removed. There were eight fatalities and twelve wounded on behalf of the cartel, while Michelle was the only one of the good guys to be wounded.
On opening her wardrobe, he looked at her clothes and jewellery, so called for an agent.
“I want everything in this room packed into suitcases and shipped back with us. It all belongs to an undercover agent,” he said.
“Even the jewellery?” the agent asked, seeing several thousand dollars worth of sparklers.
“She deserves to come out of this with something more than a gut-shot.”
The agent’s face grimaced at the thought and nodded. Sean saw a small stuffed dog. A sweet little figure with a forlorn expression. He picked it up and saw the hand written inscription on the collar. He smiled and put it in his pocket.
Downstairs, Sean found his boss supervising the mop-up operation. Carl was looking exceptionally pleased, his smile said it all.