Brian's Weekend

Gretchen was behind the door waiting as it opened noiselessly. A dark head emerged first and then part of a body.

Brian saw the glint of steel first in the moonlight and shouted, "Down Gretchen!"

Gretchen immediately dropped to the ground rolled to a shooting position as shots rang out. She heard and felt a shot whiz past her and hit something behind her. Her gun still drawn, she saw the dark figure crumple to the floor in a heap.

Yells and shouts could be heard throughout the complex as both Brian and Gretchen approached the injured perp. The gun was a few feet away from the body and Brian pushed it further away with his foot. Guns still drawn in front of them, Gretchen flipped a light switch.

Brian dropped his gun in horror as Gretchen's hand flew to her mouth. On the floor before them with a wound to her upper left chest was Tina.

Brian dropped to the ground beside her and his hand went to her throat, then to her wrist. "She's alive," he announced. "Call 911 and get dressed." He was wearing his sweat pants.

Gretchen ran back to her room and dialed frantically. Sparky whined in his cage, but Gretchen could do nothing for him.

"911 dispatch. What is your emergency?"

"This is Officer Allen of the Bay City PD. Get a patrol and an ambulance to 2314 Lake Side Drive, condo 'A', immediately. We have a wounded suspect in a burglary attempt. Suspect is alive. No other injuries."

"Gretchen, is that you?" the dispatcher asked.

"It's me."

"I've got crews on their way, honey. What happened?"

Meanwhile, Brian stayed by Tina's side and examined her injury. At first sight, it didn't appear too serious. It was more toward her shoulder than her chest. Brian looked up as curious people began to come near. There was a frantic knock on her door, but he ignored it.

Looking out the open door to a few neighbors who came closer, he said gruffly, "Stay back. I am a police officer. The police have been called and are on their way."

He looked down at his wife and a soft cry escaped his lips. "Why Tina, why? You said you didn't want me. Why do this?" He cried quietly for a few seconds.

Gretchen emerged from her room wearing her robe just a minute later. Police and rescue sirens could be heard in the distance and they would be there shortly. She knelt down with Brian and looked at Tina.

"How bad is it?"

"I got her in the shoulder," he grimaced, his face still tear stained. Thousands of thoughts were careening through his mind at that time, but he noticed Tina was waking by then. They looked down expectantly and waited for her wake.

She shook her head slowly from side to side as she opened her heavy eyelids. Wordlessly, she looked at Brian, then to Gretchen. Fixing her gaze on Gretchen, she hissed, "You can't have him. I'll never let you have him!"

Looking at each other, Brian and Gretchen couldn't speak as the Bay City Police arrived on the scene.