Lady in Red Ch. 20

Gwen was in even greater demand. Men of all ages waited for their opportunity to dance with her. Steve finally found himself with Jordan and he whisked her onto the floor.

"This has been the best night of my life! I'm so glad that Clyde knew you and Gwen and talked me into going with you guys. I'm getting some good press and my career is back on track. Better than that is the fact that my head is finally on straight and I have a couple of amazing friends that I love. I never realized it until tonight, but you and Gwen are the first people I've ever loved, beside my mother and she ruined that. It's okay that I love you, isn't it?"

"Jordan, it's my honor to love and be loved by such a talented, beautiful, accomplished woman. We'll never let anything happen to our friendship, okay? I'll do about anything for a friend."

"Anything, but the one thing I would like the most from you, but that's okay. I love Gwen and respect her way too much to ever try to anything that would hurt her. I feel like we're sisters now, right down to being crazy about her boyfriend. Thanks for everything," whispered Jordan as she reached up to briefly kiss Steve's lips as the song ended.

Finally, Gwen and Steve managed to find each other and the orchestra quickly began playing 'Lady in Red'. Steve was unable to take his eyes off Gwen's as he led her around the dance floor. For the second dance in a row, Steve received a gentle kiss as the song ended.

Gwen was smiling as she and Steve received some applause. Soon President Hanson and President D'Anjou were at their side, congratulating them. Steve responded in French and President Hanson noticed.

"Steve is fluent in English, Farsi, French, Russian and even speaks some Spanish," smiled Gwen as she arched an eyebrow at Steve. "He's sometimes hesitant to talk about his amazing accomplishments, but he's going to be working for you next year, so you may as well know what a rare treasure you'll have on your payroll. The Naval Academy is getting its money's worth with Steve."

The music began and Gwen was escorted to the dance floor by President Hanson. Steve was politely directed toward the first lady, so he quickly asked her to dance. She gave him a big smile and joined him on the floor.

"Young man, my husband has mentioned you a few times, always favorably. I've seen most of the videos of you and your adventures. I understand that you're branching out into music and television. Your performance this evening was fantastic, by the way.

"You'll be attending the Naval Academy, so my husband will be able to call on you if we have need for a talented singer or very good dancer at one of these affairs. President D'Anjou isn't the only world leader with a teenage daughter. May I assume that you would be willing to help out your country by escorting a young lady at one of these events? I'll speak to your girlfriend about it, if you're willing. It would make my job so much easier if I know you're close by and willing to serve your country in such a difficult manner."

Steve managed to dance with Kate shortly after his dance with the first lady. "Did you see me dance with that senator? Then some rich guy's son got a little too close and I had to tell him to back off. I was surprised that you missed it since it seems like you're always around when some jerk tries to take liberties with me. I saw you ready to back up Dad and Uncle Will that night those guys grabbed Stephanie and me. You're a great big brother!" finished Kate as she reached up and kissed Steve lightly on the lips.

Steve left Kate with Ted and then escorted her mother out to the dance floor. "Paula, you are absolutely stunning! Ted has to be extremely proud of his family tonight. His has the best looking ladies here. I can see why he fell in love with you."

"You should be proud, too. Look at all you've accomplished in the few months you've been in Sparta. You've changed our lives, as well as saved them a few times. You've drawn Gwen out of her shell and she's beginning to reach her potential. She sang so well tonight! I'm so proud of her for so many reasons, but the biggest reason is what you and Gwen have done together.

"I trust you with my daughter. I don't have to tell you that our girls mean everything to us. To allow Gwen to sleep with you is a huge compliment to you both. We never had a son, but you're everything we'd want him to be. We couldn't be prouder of you, even if you were our own son. I think you know how I feel about you. It's part motherly and part ... well, not very motherly. I'm so happy for Gwen, for you, and for us. Lisa's modeling opportunity would never have happened if not for you. She knows that and she loves you dearly. You already know how she feels about you. Thanks for being so honorable and kind to my daughters, and to me. I'm just so happy for my family and for having you part of it!"

A few dances later, Steve found himself being directed to Michelle D'Anjou for another dance. She beamed as he took her in his arms. "Would it be possible for you and Gwen to come to Paris sometime soon? We have many events we could invite you to attend if you could make it. I could send you a list and you could select a date and event that you could attend. I asked my parents and they said they would love to have you come. I would show you Paris and show you off to my friends. We've been watching the videos of the amazing things you have done. We all love your singing and dancing, too. I'll be watching the video of this very dance when I get back home. You are such a good dancer!"

"I can't be certain if we can visit, but I'll speak to Gwen and we'll do our very best. We'd be honored to be your guests in Paris! It's so nice of you to invite us. Please send me the list of dates, and thank your parents for us," insisted Steve.

Steve managed to pry Lisa away from Jason for a dance near the end of the evening. "Steve, he's such a great guy. He wants me to be his guest for commencement in the spring. I think I'm falling for him. He likes you and doesn't seem jealous that I love you so much. Do you mind if I fall in love with him?"

"Part of me hates to give you up, but all of me wants you to be as happy as possible. He seems like the real deal, he's from a good family, he'll soon be an officer in the US Army, and he's head over heels in love with you. If he's the guy, I'll be delighted for you. I'll be holding your baby daughters in my arms someday. I know they'll be beautiful and wrap me around their little fingers. Just don't expect me to change diapers!"

"Steve, we're not anywhere near planning a family, or even getting married! He's got a lot of work in front of him to prove he's the one for me, but he's got a good start. His career and my schooling and modeling will keep us apart a lot. But you know all about that with Gwen. You two will be a continent apart for a long time. She'll never betray you, Steve. You know that!"

Steve managed to claim Gwen for the last dance of the night."We've been invited to Paris by Michelle. She'd like us to attend a state event as her guests and then show us Paris."

"I bet she'd like to show you more than Paris," suggested Gwen. "She doesn't conceal her admiration for you very well. But then, I've been invited to several hotel rooms and a few cities myself this evening. A few months ago I couldn't get a date and now I have rich and powerful men trying to get into my little panties. I'm afraid I'm becoming jaded about Washington already. Why would I be interested in any of those guys when I have you?"

"You wouldn't! Just don't forget that. We're both going to have temptations thrown our way, especially when our TV shows air and our fifteen minutes of fame peaks. Then there's the fact that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," observed Steve sincerely.

Gwen smiled and moved closer to Steve and placed her head on his shoulder. She stayed that way for the rest of the dance and when it ended, she kissed him passionately.

The ride back to the hotel was a happy occasion with everyone recounting what they enjoyed the most about the evening. "I can now say that I danced with the President of the United States and I kissed my boyfriend in the White House," boasted Gwen.

"Not to burst your bubble, Gwen, but we all kissed your boyfriend in the White House. Even your mom gave him a quick smack," laughed Jordan. "Not to mention a few debutantes and femme fatales!"

At the hotel, Jason and Lisa told Ted and Paula that they were going to spend a little time in the hotel bar, and then headed off in that direction. As the rest of the group made their way to the elevators, Gwen noticed two men and a woman leave the elevator as she approached it. The lady had tears running down her cheeks, while the two men remained very close behind her as she slowly walked toward the front door.

Gwen heard one of the men speak to the lady. It wasn't in English, but the lady sobbed as she increased her pace. Then Steve suddenly stepped in front of the woman, barring her progress. He began speaking to her, but not in English! Gwen found it surprising, but not nearly as surprising as the reaction by the woman's two companions.

The big man on the woman's left suddenly lifted a gun he had managed to conceal from everyone behind the woman's back. Then he swung it toward Steve! The gun exploded, but not before Steve had reacted by striking the man's arm as he brought the weapon into play. Gwen heard a familiar, but sickening thud as the second man grunted and collapsed. Steve again struck the gunman's arm at the wrist and the weapon slid across the marble floor.

Kate and Paula screamed as they watched in horror. Jordan stepped up to the frightened woman and helped support her as she trembled and shook. Meanwhile, Steve and the big gunman were engaged in titanic struggle.

Steve had observed the same things that Gwen had, but he had the advantage of understanding what the man told the lady that upset her so badly. He had threatened to kill her if she made any sudden moves. It was immediately obvious that the woman was being forced against her will, so Steve stepped in front of her and spoke to her in Russian.

"Are you alright, Ma'am? Are these men bothering you?" was as far as he got before the larger man swung his weapon toward Steve. Luckily Steve's friends were on the man's left. Steve quickly acted to prevent the weapon from being brought to bear. He stiff-armed the man's wrist just before the gun fired, sending a bullet into the second man. Steve immediately hammered the wrist of the gunman a second time and the Makarov was sent sliding across the floor. Then the man struck Steve in the eye with his other hand.

Steve staggered back slightly and shook his head to clear it. The man advanced and Steve slammed a fist into the man's chest. The other man backed off a little and eyed Steve before swinging a leg at him. Steve stepped close, rendering the kick fairly harmless. As he stepped in, Steve brought a hard right up into the man's chin. That blow would have ended most fights, but it only served to enrage his opponent.

Steve took two quick lefts to his head, before covering and backing up. The two men circled for a few seconds. Then the man feinted with his right and again brought his left around. Steve had been rocked by the two quick lefts the man had delivered and knew he didn't want to absorb another, so he again stepped in close to his adversary. The left hand bounced off his shoulder as Steve drove his right into the man's throat as hard as he could. Amazingly, the man did not go down as Steve expected! He did clutch his throat and stagger back.

Steve knew that he needed to end the battle while he still could. He was facing a well trained, very dangerous opponent, so he held nothing back as his right leg swung around and his heel connected with the big man's jaw. The man was unconscious before he hit the floor. Then Steve became aware of his surroundings and the panic the shooting and struggle had generated.

He wiped the blood from his nose and mouth with the back of his hand and turned to see if Gwen and her family were okay. Gwen was suddenly in front of him with some sort of cloth that she placed against his nose. Then she took his battered hand and led him to a stuffed chair and made him sit down.

Paula, Ted, and Kate had witnessed the entire event and stood in shock, unmoving and speechless. Jordan led the crying woman Steve had rescued from the two thugs to another chair and coaxed her to take a seat. Satisfied that Steve was alright, Gwen returned to the man that had been shot. He was stretched out on the floor moaning as blood began to pool under him.

She kneeled down, opened the man's shirt and looked closely at the wound. She quickly determined that the man was in serious trouble as she looked around for something to use as a bandage. That was when a bellhop approached her with a large first aid kit. Wasting no time, she had the hop assist her in pressing bandages against the wound and then run wrap around his torso to hold it in place. As she finished, numerous emergency sirens could be heard approaching the hotel.

Two policemen burst into the lobby with guns drawn, carefully taking in the scene. One approached the prone man by Gwen, while the other one held his gun on Steve as he ordered him down on the floor.

Steve raised his arms and dropped to his knees. Then he laid face down with his hands behind his back. He was quickly cuffed. Paramedics suddenly appeared and replaced Gwen as they prepared the wounded man for transport. Two more paramedics began to treat the big man that Steve had stretched out on the marble floor.

Steve was pulled to his feet as Gwen rushed over to protest the actions of the police. "He's not a criminal! He just saved this woman's life! You've got the wrong guy!"

"Gwen, stop worrying about me and warn those paramedics about that guy. If they bring him around, he'll be dangerous as hell. He should be cuffed first."

Even as Steve spoke, the big man responded to the care of the paramedics by sitting up, although they urged him to remain on the floor. The man reminded Steve of a wounded bull as he swung his head around trying to make sense of his situation. Suddenly he focused on the woman Jordan had been assisting. He lunged to his feet, cursed in Russian, and rushed toward the woman.

The police had been caught by surprise. They were reluctant to fire their weapons now with so many people in such close proximity. As he neared the terrified lady, Steve's heel once again connected with the man's head.

"Jesus!" exclaimed one of the cops as the big man once again dropped to the floor. "You have your hands cuffed behind your back! How in hell could you do that?"

The unconscious man was manacled and shackled before he was treated again. Police officers stood watch with tasers ready as Paramedics again went to work on the him. Before they managed to strap him to the gurney, the officers did have to use their tasers on him.

By this time, the lobby was crammed with police and a few reporters. Then some men wearing FBI jackets appeared on the scene, along with two important looking civilians. The civilians were a middle aged man and a young woman. They rushed to the side of the weeping lady that Jordan had been helping.

They began asking questions in Russian, but the woman was too shaken to respond beyond sobbing harder. "She was being taken outside by two men when we met her in the lobby. She was obviously in distress and the bigger man threatened to kill her if she didn't cooperate. I persuaded the men to leave her alone. That's pretty much what happened," finished Steve in fluent Russian.

"If you helped her, why are you handcuffed? Did you shoot the one man and beat the other? Who are you? Are you Russian?" demanded the man.

"Father! He's Steve Hammer! The American that shot those terrorists in his school!" exclaimed the young woman excitedly. "He's an American hero! This girl is 'The Lady in Red'! They are both heroes in America."

Gwen had been cleaning the blood from Steve's face as she waited for the facts to be sorted out by the police. She didn't understand what Steve told the couple, but she understood Steve's name when the girl recognized him. Then the girl turned to Gwen.

"It's an honor to meet 'The Lady in Red', Ms. Anderson," stated the young woman in flawless English. "It appears that you two have somehow saved my mother's life. The two men trying to abduct my mother were probably Chechen rebels."

A police officer approached Steve with an FBI agent behind him. "I apologize, Mr. Hammer, for the misunderstanding. We had a situation here and our men felt it was better to err on the side of caution. I'll un-cuff you right now."

"The side of caution? That maniac wasn't restrained when he jumped up and tried to attack this lady for the second time. With his hands cuffed behind his back, Steve was still the only man here with the guts, reflexes, and the ability to keep the creep from hurting this woman. He just came from a state dinner with the President of the United States! He's wearing a tuxedo! He saved this lady from rebel terrorists and he wound up handcuffed by the police. Then he saved her again!" ranted Gwen as her indignation at the treatment of her boyfriend increased.

"Gwen! These are the good guys. They didn't know what had happened when they arrived. They acted in the best interests of everyone concerned. Thanks, officer. That feels better."

Everyone in the Anderson entourage had to give statements to the FBI and the D.C. police about what they witnessed. It was after 3 AM before they were allowed to return to their rooms. Jason and Lisa had rejoined the group shortly after the police had arrived. Jason shook his head as he looked at Steve.

"You're one butt ugly, pretty boy," he laughed. "Every time we meet, there's blood all over your face, knots on your head, and at least one eye all black and sore looking. I just don't know what Gwen sees in you."

"Your dad and I think you'd better take care of that guy of yours tonight," whispered Paula to Gwen as they walked down the hall to their rooms. "You seem to spend a lot of time taking care of him, but he's worth it!"

Steve woke up a few hours later with Gwen snuggled next to him. She had insisted that he shower before turning in and she was very thorough in getting all the blood off his body. Tired and naked, they tumbled into bed and quickly fell asleep. The phone in his room rang and Steve answered it as Gwen roused from a deep sleep.

"Steve? Mom said to let you know that we're all meeting downstairs for breakfast in half an hour. She also said that she doesn't want Gwen screaming in the hotel, so save your appetite for the breakfast bar. Actually, I just made that part up!" laughed Kate. "See you guys in half an hour."

Steve had donned a pair of slacks and was looking for his shirt when he heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was probably Kate, or Jordan, he opened it. There was a gasp as he found himself looking at the daughter of the Russian woman he had assisted the previous evening. Behind her were two very capable looking men in dark suits.

"Please wait in the hall, gentlemen. I'll only be a few minutes," promised the young woman as she stepped into Steve's room. "I see that you carry some bruises from your battle with that awful man. Your eye is almost black and your have marks on your torso from his fists.

"I came here this morning to personally thank you for saving my mother. I'm Varvara Suchkov. My father, Anatoly, is a deputy ambassador here in Washington. He used to be in the military and was stationed in Chechnya. He was in command of an outpost not far from the border with Russia. The Chechen Rebels are trying to avenge any and all transgressions they believe they have suffered at the hands of Russia over the last hundred years. They have abducted, tortured and killed family and friends of Russian leaders and military over the past several years.