Fourth Vector Ch. 20

One time, two times, three times.

BANG.

The gun fired again right before it flew out of his hand and soon he was disarmed. It was then that Jack felt the teeth in his shoulder as the assassin sunk his mouth against the only part of Jack he could reach. Jack let out a small howl of pain as he felt the blood drain into the man's mouth and sprinkle the floor before he was able to bring his other hand around to smash into the man's head.

The assassin clung to Jack's shoulder until he delivered another powerful blow, soon crying in pain as his hold was dislodged. The split-second confusion allowed Jack to finally use his pistol as a blunt instrument, bashing it against the man's head.

As the assassin realized he was beat, he held his hands up in submission, his mouth still bloody with the contents of Jack's shoulder and a gash missing from the side of his temple.

As he held the gun on the man, Jack turned to look back at Kat.

She was crumpled against the ground, her blonde hair wild and her body still.

"Help! Help me!" yelled Jack to anyone that could hear.

Suddenly the sound of quick footsteps appeared in two different directions. One was the sound of two servants coming from the direction they'd just come. They stood over Jack with gaping mouths as they took in the scene in front of them.

"Get the guards. Quickly!" yelled Jack. "This man just tried to kill us!"

As they rushed away to grab one of the palace guards, Jack finally identified the other sound of footsteps.

"I got him, Jack," yelled the familiar voice of Dustin. His NT-12 was drawn, and he trained the sight on the forehead of the now-quivering assassin.

"Keep your weapon on him," yelled Jack. "I need to check on Kat."

As he struggled to his feet, he felt the pain in his shoulder where the teeth had drawn blood. Covering it with his hands, he moved quickly to her side. She was face down against the marble, not having moved from when he pushed her.

Jack's heart sank.

Her body was still and her hair was disheveled.

"Please don't do this to me. Please be alive," he muttered under his breath. As he reached down to turn her over, his prayers remained active on his tongue.

His heart only started to beat again when he saw her eyes looking back at him. Kat was clutching her side with both hands, and her dress was stained with blood.

"Fuck, he got you," said Jack while he covered her hands with his own.

"He just grazed me," said Kat with labored breath. "Thank the gods, he just grazed me."

"Come on, we need to get you back to the room. We're not safe out here, even with Dustin watching the hall," said Jack. "Can you stand?"

"Maybe with your help," she said.

Jack wrapped his hand around her shoulders and helped her to her feet. Kat hissed in pain at the sudden movement, but found her feet soon after.

"Dustin, post yourself to our door until the guards arrive," yelled Jack back at the marine.

"You got it, Jack!" he said, soon falling back to their room.

Jack pulled his sidearm out as soon as he approached the door to their quarters out of an abundance of caution. He didn't think that anyone would be waiting for them in their room, but he wanted to take no more chances, quickly racking the weapon to ensure a new round was in the chamber. As he pushed the door open and flipped on the lights, he entered and soon quickly cleared the rooms. Despite the immensity of their quarters, there wasn't a single soul in sight.

As he returned to Kat, he helped her to their bed and soon ripped off the parts of her dress that were immediately around the wound.

"I imagined you might rip my dress off tonight, but not in this way," said Kat with a weak smile.

Jack could only smile in return. "Me too, babe. Me too. We have to clean this wound so it doesn't become infected."

Kat nodded and then sighed as he found some rubbing alcohol, quickly dousing the wound. She yelped in pain as he cleaned the open spot and verified there was no bullet inside. As he soon looked for something to cover it, Kat let out another sigh.

"I knew he'd get me eventually. It was only a matter of time."

"Your cousin?" asked Jack.

She nodded. "It has to be. He knew I was here. We have to leave Carinthia tomorrow or he could send others."

Jack could only nod to that statement as he quickly worked to dress her wound.

*****

About fifteen minutes later, Reina was at the door. She gasped as soon as she saw Kat on the bed.

"Good heavens, no," moaned Reina, rushing into the room. "Tell me she's not hurt."

"Just grazed, Reina," said Kat, pushing her head up. "It might have been worse if Jack hadn't pushed me out of the way."

"Thank the gods you were there then, Jack," said Reina before looking back at Kat. "Are you in any pain?"

"It stings quite a bit," answered Kat. "It could be a lot worse, but it just stings really bad."

"I'm going to send my own doctor here to treat you," said the queen. "No offense to you, Jack, but I want them to professionally dress this wound."

"None taken, thank you, Reina," he replied. "Is our assassin still out in the hallway? I had Dustin guarding him against the wall."

"My men took over as soon as they arrived," said Reina stiffly. "I saw the man being dragged away by three of my guards. I can assure you, the next time he sees the light of day will be for his execution."

"That's of some comfort to us," said Kat as she gently applied pressure to the wound.

"Katherine, I hate to ask this, but do you know who could've done this? Did you know the man that attacked you?"

Kat shook her head. "I didn't get the best look at his face, but there was nothing familiar about it. If I had to guess, he was hired by my dear cousin. I've lost count of how many assassins there have been over the years."

Reina's face looked more disgusted. "Do you really think he would do such a thing? In my palace nevertheless? If he was actually behind this, the killing of one of my own guests, it could be a cause for war. Surely he's smarter than that."

"He's driven mostly by a need for power, Reina. I've found that it often clouds his better judgment. My father used to say the same thing when we were younger, as well as our tutors. Being near the same age, we took the same courses together. Eric was always aggressive and prone to violence. You wouldn't know it from looking at him and seeing his demeanor most times, as he could fit the role of the quiet type. But underneath that shell was a bloodthirsty tyrant."

Reina shook her head. "I'm going to have my men interrogate that assassin and find out everything we need to know. I'll come see you in the morning to let you know what I find out before you leave."

"Don't you think you might need a little more time than that?" asked Jack. "It's not far from midnight."

Reina smiled cruelly. "Not my men. We'll have it out of him shortly. I take a high level of offense from anyone willing to break the law within these walls." Reina then patted Kat's hand tenderly. "Feel better soon, dear. I'll see you in a few hours."

It wasn't long after Reina left that her personal physician arrived to treat her wound. The man took one look at Jack's attempt at a dressing and shook his head. He began to apply a more professional bandage almost instantly. To his credit, he also took care of Jack's shoulder wound, applying a simple wrapping. Once he was satisfied with the results, he left some pain medication for Kat and soon left about twenty minutes after he arrived.

As soon as she was settled in their bed, Jack stepped outside the door. At the current moment, he could see that Reina had posted two of her guards outside their door, one on either flank. They were burly men, chosen for their muscles as well as for their height, and Jack had no doubt that they would be appropriate protection for the night.

Also still outside his room was Dustin, posted on the opposite wall from the guards. His NT-12 was still in his hands and he wore a pissed-off look on his face that only softened when he saw Jack.

"She doing all right?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "She's doing pretty good, all things considered. How about you? How's it been out here?"

Dustin scoffed. "Like a circus. The servants all know that something went down because they won't stay away. I can hear them gawking halfway down the hall. Anyway, these two were posted by the queen herself when she arrived," he said, gesturing to the two burly guards. "Although, I have half a mind to post myself or some of the men outside your room just as a precaution."

"I think these men have it for tonight," said Jack. "If we were staying longer, we might have to work something out, but seeing as we leave for Picardy tomorrow morning, this arrangement will work for the rest of the night."

"You sure, Jack? I don't mind. I don't take too kindly on anyone who tries to kill my commander," said Dustin.

Jack chuckled but didn't say anything. It wasn't worth correcting the man. In Dustin's mind, the assassin was after Jack. He didn't know enough about Kat's situation to recognize that she'd been the primary target.

"It's all right, Dustin. Get some sleep," said Jack finally, resting his hand on the man's shoulder. "We're all going to need some rest before we get to Picardy."

Dustin nodded warily. "Okay, I suppose. But if some asshole wants to give it an extra shot, tell him to knock on my door first, will you?"

Jack chuckled. "You got it, man. Night."

Only once Dustin was back in his room did Jack let out a sigh of relief as he slipped past the guards, locking the door behind him. Kat was now propped up on their bed on her side, the wound elevated as best as it could as she laid there still wide awake despite the late hour. It was then that Jack noticed she was still wearing part of the dress that was now in tatters from dinner.

"Here, let me help you get this off and into something more comfortable," he said, moving toward her.

With various wiggles and movements, he was able to take off what remained of it, tossing it away since it would no longer be wearable.

"Do you want me to grab your sleeping clothes?" he asked finally, once she was laying there totally nude save for the bandage.

Kat shook her head. "I'd rather be wearing you. Just come over here and hold me, please?"

Jack smiled softly as he removed his own clothes and slipped into bed beside her. She wrapped his arm around her body, only making a small painful noise as they huddled close together. Looking into her eyes, he could see that she was in no way able to sleep anytime soon.

"Are you all right?" he whispered finally against her lips.

"Yes," she said with a quick nod. "Thanks to you."

"Thanks to his poor aim," corrected Jack.

Kat shook her head. "I saw the gun pointed right at my chest. If you hadn't shoved me, he would've had a clean shot. You saved me again, Jack. I think this is the third time now."

"Who's counting?" he teased.

"I am. Once in Sorella from being raped and killed. Twice in Andalucia from being a slave. And now here in Carinthia."

"I'm going to keep you locked up the whole time we're in Picardy then," he joked.

Kat finally giggled. "I love you, Jack. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I just hope to be worthy of your love."

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. "You are, trust me. You mean the world to me. You and Abigail together."

Kat smiled fondly. "As you do to me. Thank you again for saving me, my love. I know I can't repay it tonight, but possibly once this wound heals?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Jack chuckled. "Of course."

Since the both of them were too full of adrenaline to sleep, they talked about light matters for the next hour until it gradually began to wear off. Kat was the first to fall asleep, her light breathing and closed eyes the biggest giveaways. He followed her shortly after, even as part of him kept an eye on their door at all times. For that reason alone, it was a restless night but he still couldn't let himself relax completely even with the guards outside the door.

In the blink of an eye, one of his women was almost taken from him.

He wouldn't let danger ever get that close again.

*****

Despite the sun soon peeking through their window that morning, Jack was in no condition to rise. His head ached slightly at not achieving a true restful sleep, but he knew he couldn't let that get in the way of the day.

Today was the day they sailed back to Picardy with their forces.

There was much to do before they left, and in a short while, they'd have to be on the road to the port to reboard theDestiny. Kat was only showing the smallest signs of stirring, her nude body halfway uncovered in the morning light. Jack watched as her exposed nipple began to harden in the cool morning air, resisting the urge to take it in his mouth.

She just got shot and all you can think about is her tits, he thought mentally.

As if to catch him in the act, Kat's eyes soon popped open a moment later, a dreamy smile soon on her lips. "I was just dreaming about you," she muttered quietly.

"Was it something good?" he asked.

Kat grabbed his hand and placed it between her legs. He was instantly aware of how wet she was. "Does that answer your question?"

"Well, that explains it then," he said cryptically.

"Explains what?"

"Why I was watching your nipples get stiff," he teased.

Kat mocked him indignantly. "And you didn't think to suck on them? Do I look that bad for being shot?"

Jack started to chuckle. "Not at all. I just felt bad for thinking about you sexually after all you went through last night."

"Don't ever feel bad for that," she said, rubbing his hand against her open lips. "I'm always yours, and you can always have me whenever you want."

Jack bit his lip, his eyes once again focusing on her stiff nipple. "Like right now?"

Kat let out a soft moan of approval. "Fuck yes," she whispered.

He was able to take advantage of that offer when there was a swift knock at the door. Both of them let out an agonizing groan.

"Who is it?" yelled Jack.

The door opened slightly but no one came in. Jack soon recognized the voice of one of the guards calling out on the other side of the door. "It's Queen Reina, Your Majesty."

"Rain check?" asked Kat as she kissed him briskly. They struggled to get presentable for Reina in a short amount of time. Rather, Jack struggled to dress himself, and then make Kat presentable, a harder task considering their complete nudity. After settling for part of her usual forest green attire to cover her top, he covered the rest of her body with the sheets. He highly doubted Reina would care if Kat was still resting in bed.

Finally, the queen was allowed into the room once they were presentable. "There you both are. Were you able to get some rest?" asked Reina, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed and tenderly touching Kat's hand.

"A little," said Kat before she looked at Jack. "Jack, were you?"

Jack let out a small yawn. "Not really."

Reina made a disappointed face. "I figured as much. I know there's a lot to do today for all of you. I will be coming with you to the port to see you off, but I thought I'd let you know that my men were able to find out more information last night from the assassin."

"Good information?" asked Jack.

Reina nodded firmly. "My men are some of the best. Tragically, the assassin didn't make it through most of the session."

"Serves him right," muttered Kat.

"Agreed, Katherine, agreed," said Reina. "But we were able to find out he was just hired for this job the previous morning. He was a drifter from the city. No job and no family from what we can tell. He was used to going from job to job, none of them ever lasting long. He was often homeless. As you can imagine, that element was often desperate for any work they could find. It appears he got into contract killing about a year ago."

"You mean, he wasn't an amateur?" asked Jack.

Reina shook her head. "It doesn't appear that way. In fact, I have my cabinet looking into whether he might be behind the death of one of my nobles from six months ago. It was mysterious enough at the time that we had no leads, but this guy could very well have fit the purpose. In any event, he was hired yesterday morning by a man whom he couldn't see very well."

"In the morning light?" asked Kat. "I find that hard to believe."

"As did we. His payer kept his head completely covered although our assassin was able to notice blonde hair sticking out the back."

"I knew it," whispered Kat. "I knew it had to be Eric behind this."

"Being as there are only a few Galicians in the country, we are making immediate inquiries right now to find the paymaster," said Reina. "No doubt we'll find out his identity soon enough, and from there, establish any connection for him back to your cousin. It's only a matter of time."

"We can hope. Even though we're leaving Carinthia today, I don't like leaving someone behind that could possibly follow our trail," said Kat.

Reina patted her hand reassuringly. "We'll find out who did it. I promise you that."

The queen permitted them time to get their things ready before they were to depart. No more than an hour later, Reina revisited them once their bags were packed. Once they were in the hallway, Dustin and the rest of the marines joined them as they made for the entrance.

That is, until the whole group was stopped by two men marching in from the opposite direction.

Two men with golden blond hair who harbored serious looks on their faces.

"Ah, Ambassador Edwin," said Reina politely to the more important of the two men. "Good morning."

The ambassador raised his chin in a haughty manner. "Morning, Your Majesty."

"I have to ask why you're here blocking our path, Edwin?" questioned Reina.

"We have a question for you as well, Your Majesty," replied Edwin. "Are you aware that the woman behind you is a known political dissident of the Galician Kingdom? She's been sentenced to death within our realm."

Reina made a show of looking around. "I see no political dissidents, Edwin. All I see are my honored guests."

"I mean her," said Edwin, pointing at Kat. "Katherine Rosdahl."

". . . is the former Galician Regent," finished Reina.

"Former as in no more. She was removed for her actions," spat back Edwin. Jack rested his hand comfortably on his sidearm, noticing that Dustin had done the same.

"Nevertheless, she is my friend," said Reina with a shrug. "And she is welcome in my palace."

"We thought you might say that," replied Edwin. "And if that continues to be the case, and this fugitive continues to find shelter here, it will hardly bode well with your relationship with the current regent."

"My troubles with Eric Rosdahl began long ago," said Reina with more steel in her voice. "Yet I will not have him dictate who is allowed to be inmy palace."

Edwin recoiled noticeably, only taking awareness of his surroundings for the first time. He eyed several of the marines and the palace guards before his tone became more reserved. "Our regent doesn't wish for poor relations with our Carinthian friends. If you were to hand over the fugitive so that we may apply justice, I think he'd be willing to forget this ever happened."

Before Reina could even reply, it was Jack that started to chuckle. "If you think I'm going to let you walk away with her, you better think twice. Especially after what happened last night."

Edwin twitched. "What happened last night?"

"An assassin," replied Reina. "An assassin tried to harm one of my guests. In fact, we are on the lookout today for someone matching the description of the person who hired him. A man with blond hair. Seeing as the paymaster had to have been Galician, and had to have it out for Katherine here, that doesn't leave too many suspects, does it?"