The Liberation of Amy

"I...I would really like to know why you are here in my house?"

"We are concerned for your safety, Mr Grayson, but even more for your wife...er" he glanced at a small piece of paper, "... Amy James Grayson. We have credible intelligence that there has been a hit put on your wife, and you as well."

"Jesus!" I strode to the bathroom to get Amy.

"Amy come on out, its ok." Amy unlocked the bathroom door and cautiously carried Gordy with Gracie gripping her skirt as she came to the living room"

"Amy, this is Agent James Brooks of the FBI."

"FBI? What have we done?" asked Amy.

"Nothing at all Ms Grayson, but we have reason to believe there has been a hit taken out on you and your husband and maybe even your children."

"Oh My God!" gasped Amy, instinctively holding Gordy in a tighter hug.

"We have an informant who was approached by a man offering $500,000 for the two of you with extreme prejudice."

"What dos that mean?" I asked.

"That means that they are being paid to assassinate without mercy, wipe you out"

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Amy.

"Jesus!" I exclaimed at the same time. We looked at each other and stood close together. I slipped my arm around her waist and pulled her and Gracie close.

"You haven't asked who did this?" queried Agent Brooks.

"There is only one possibility, Senator Bradford Foster."

"Yes, we have him on video tape, but it is pretty grainy, bad picture, and the sound isn't much better.

"I'm glad you intercepted the hit, so...why do we need you guys here if you stopped the hit already?"

"The nature of these things can be like a web, we intercepted an informant and had a recording but there could be dozens who heard about the hit and are figuring on earning that money."

"So, we aren't safe?"

"No, not yet. We will be moving you and your family out of state for a week or two or until we can apprehend everyone involved. Anywhere in particular you want to go?"

Just as I was about to answer a man about half the age and about 5'4' poked his head in the front door. "We have ears watch what you say! Phone is compromised and we have found a live one in the living room."

"What?" I exclaimed, "Someone has bugged our phones and our house?"

"Did you have any phone service done lately?" asked Agent Brooks.

I looked at Amy, "A guy from our phone company came last week to fix a noise we were having." She looked completely perplexed.

"So they have been live for a about 5 days, Don't use the phones to convey any real information and the same in here,"

"Found another in the kitchen, sir," Reported an agent with headphones and a wand that had small antennas all over it.

"I repeat, be careful what you talk about here."

"You are going to remove them aren't you?"

"Yes, When we finish our investigation that will take a few more weeks, that is why we're moving you out of State. Where do you want to go?

"Washington State," We both answered in unison then looked at each other and smiled.

"Go pack a few things then, no electronics until we have had a chance to scan them for bugs."

Amy and I hastily packed some clothes for ourselves and then concentrated on packing for the kids. We knew what we needed since we had recently been on our honeymoon with them. We both agreed it was an unexpected pleasure to return to the Evergreen State to hide out for a few weeks.

We gathered our little family, and huddling together, we headed out into the dark of night surrounded by FBI agents. We were about half way to the black van the FBI had parked in front of our house when I saw the flashes of light off to my right. I heard a thud and Amy yelp and went down. I instinctively jumped on top of her to protect her. As I was going down I felt a sting in my lower back and felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I spread myself out over my family then felt another sting in my thigh. It was only then I heard a pop! pop! pop! We all ended up in a small pile with me on top like a tarp. I heard Amy sob and Gracie screaming. After that there was nothing but blackness.

**********

I opened my eyes to blinding brightness and pain. I had no idea where I was or why I was here. The pain in my back was just a step above a dull ache, but my leg was killing me. It took a moment to figure out that I was in a hospital because I was hurt...somehow. Then like a jolt I remembered and tried to sit up. The pain from that attempt kept me from trying it again.

Amy! Where was Amy? She was hit! I heard it! I saw her fall!

"AMY!" I shouted at the top of my voice and it hurt so much it took my breath away. After a moment to catch my breath pain or not, "AMY!" I shouted again.

"OH GOD! DON'T LET IT BE!" I was weeping, It was the worst nightmare I had ever had! "Someone please help me find Amy" I called as loudly as I could, I couldn't shout any more.

"Hey, Hey calm down Mr. Grayson. You have to stay still.

"Who are you? Where is Amy? AAAMMEEEE!! O God, no, don't let it be!

"I'm George Hayden a nurse practitioner, Mr Grayson. You are at Mercy Hospital and you have been recuperating from gun shot wounds which will start bleeding again if you don't settle down.

"AAAMMEEE, don't tell me she's dead, don't tell me!

"I'm not dead! I'm right here!" came the voice I longed to hear, "you have to stay calm or you'll undo all the surgeons fine work." Amy stepped around the nurse and put her hand on my chest. Tears were flowing from her eyes, too.

I grasped her arm to feel her presence. I hoped it wasn't a dream, I didn't want to wake if she was just a dream.

"It's me, I'm here and we're alive. We are all alive." Now the relief of just knowing she was alive and that she was here with me overwhelmed me and I cried tears of joy.

I looked at her and noticed for the first time her arm was in a sling and she had a black eye that appeared to be about healed and a few cuts on her cheek that also were well on the way to healing.

"Oh my, were you hit? Are you okay?"

"Yes, but I wasn't hit by a bullet. The bullet hit the diaper bag and was deflected by the roll of quarters I had left in the outer pocket, saving my life, they tell me. The bullet tore off the buckle from the diaper bag which grazed my bicep. It took 15 stitches to sew me up and it is healing nicely I'm told."

"Where did you get the shiner, that looks like it hurt!"

"It did for a few days, but it is getting better now." She put her free hand over her swollen and blackened eye. "It's been six days now."

"I've been here six days?"

"Yes, my darling, you had us very worried."

A familiar voice spoke from the doorway, "You're awake now!" Said the tall man in green scrubs. "I did some fine work on you if I do say so myself. We thought you would leave us a couple of times there." Doctor Sawyer was a personal friend of mine, one of my not so kind golfing buddies. He was quite tall and handsome, and had strong hands with long fingers. He was about the same age as Amy with dark hair that had a spritz of grey that makes a man look distinguished. He had a air of confidence that comes with being good at what you do and knowing it. He was one of the finest surgeons in the state.

"You did?"

"Yes, Gordon. Frankly, I am surprised you pulled through, You must have a strong will to live and a strong love to make you want to fight the odds as you did." He smiled at Amy when he said that, "You actually died twice on my table!"

"Is that why I hurt so much?"

"Where does it hurt?

"My back and my leg."

Dr. Sawyer checked the chart for my heart, and blood pressure readings then gave a listen with the stethoscope he always wore slung about his neck. He put his hand on my leg and felt my foot. Then he folded his stethoscope and slipped it in the pocket of his scrubs.

"It seems you are doing alright. Gordon, you sustained two wounds each of which should have killed you. You nearly bled out from the leg wound. If Agent Kyle hadn't thought fast you would have died on the sidewalk. He stuck his hand right into the hole left by the bullet and pinched off the artery. What's more he held that artery from there all the way to the OR, about 40 minutes until we were able to get in to repair it. That man saved your life for sure."

I glanced at Amy, she was smiling but she was crying upon hearing again how close I came to leaving her forever. I looked at her closely and saw she looked exhausted. She had deep circles around her eyes and sunken cheeks. Her complexion was slightly ashen and she had a few more furrows on her brow. Doc noticed my gaze and sensed I had become aware of her condition.

"She's okay, Gordon. Her wounds were superficial but against my orders she never left your side, she was here night and day since you came in."

"Except for the 10 minutes I took to get a bite to eat when you woke up," Amy reached with her good hand and clutched my arm, tears welling in her eyes again.

"Here now," I consoled, cupping her cheek with my hand and wiping her tear with my thumb. "It looks like you have cried enough. It's time for you to smile and laugh again, I'm going to be alright in a short while. I am aren't I?" I looked at Doc who smiled and confirmed my prediction.

"There's no reason you can't be back to normal with little permanent effects. You may have a limp for a while, and you have some painful physical therapy that will start tomorrow, I think...," He checked his chart for a name. "...a Jamie Aiken, yes...I've heard he is very good and strict, he's going to hurt you, you'll hate him I expect." He laughed. The hospital call system interrupted with a call for him to report to the OR. "That's my appendectomy, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." And he was gone

Amy and I were alone for the moment. She started to cry again and laid her head across my chest.

"Does this hurt you?" she asked.

"No, my love. I am so glad you were unhurt, well...I mean..."

"I know what you meant. You saved my life you know? Those bullets were meant for me."

"I am glad it was me and not you, I couldn't take it if anything happened to you. You are my life, you know, You and the children."

"I have been so worried I would have to face the future alone again, I knew you were in critical condition but I didn't hear until just now that you had died on the table...twice! I guess Doc knew better that tell me that until he knew you were going to make it for sure."

I held her for a long time. Somehow with her in my arms, my wounds hurt less. Her gentle breathing alerted me to the fact she had actually fallen asleep.

I shook her gently and kissed her forehead, "Amy, wake up." She looked at me and smiled. "You're exhausted, go home and sleep. I want you well rested when I get home, we have a baby to make."

She playfully slapped my shoulder, "Is that all you men ever think of? You were on deaths door and the first thing you want to do when you re-join the land of the living is fuck."

"Fucking IS living." I chided her softly. She bent over my bed and kissed me soundly.

My penis began to respond with the feel of her lips.

I glanced down toward my waist and said, "It still works."

She ran her hand under the covers and the thin hospital gown and gave my growing erection an affectionate rub.

"That's good," she said, she glanced around and seeing no one, lifted her blouse and bra to expose her breast to me. "You can have these again when you are healed enough to come home, Let that motivate you to follow Doc's orders"

I reached for her but she playfully backed away and dropped her blouse back into place. God, I love this woman!

I kissed Amy again, and sent her home with instructions to take a long hot bath, get a good nights sleep, and when she comes to visit me, bring some fresh, comfortable cloths for me and bring the kids. I wanted to see our babies.

I had a fitful night. My leg ached and hurt so bad I could hardly sleep. I was reassured by Brenda, the night nurse assigned to me, that the pain was a good sign. That I was healing properly. If I felt no pain then my leg was not getting enough blood and was dying, which along about midnight sounded like a good idea to me because the damn thing was killing me!

I was awakened with a jolly voice that didn't match my mood at the time.

"Mornin' man! Mr. Grayson, rise and shine, man. The sun is out, the weather is fine and the women are beau- ti-fuuul, eh?" I looked at the source of this unwelcome ebullience to find a large black man with the biggest grin I have ever seen. He was a mountain of a man who looked like he would be more at home in a football uniform than a set of what must have been special order scrubs. He had a head full of corn rolls with a bead woven in every few rolls...and he spoke with a thick Jamaican accent.

"Yeah beautiful!" I spoke with an equal amount of dour hoping to discourage this unwelcome joviality.

"Oh, now man! Jamie Aiken don't abide no sour moods here. Come on, man, we have work! to! dooo!"

"The doctors said I should take it easy and not get too strenuous." I tried to convince him that he needed to just leave me alone.

"Really Man?" He opened my chart and examined it carefully, "It says here 'bend him like a pretzel.' " Then he looked up at me with an almost threatening look. Then suddenly he broke into that big smile and laughed a big hearty laugh. He looked at me all smiles and said almost with glee, "I'm gonna have to hurt you man!" His pleasant smile was such a juxtaposition to his words, I wasn't sure what to think.

In a short while, I was sure what to think, I hated his guts! He did hurt me bending my good leg in ways it never should bend and twisting my torso around. He massaged my shoulders that felt good then bent my shoulder until I'm sure they touched each other.

"Fuck!" I screamed, "did you study under the Nazis? I'm ready to confess every crime I have ever heard of just to get you to stop!

"Confess all you want, I never will stop!"

"Are you enjoying this," I asked as he wrapped my arm all the way around my head and then pushed down.

"Aye, I love my job man!" Then he took my other arm, tore it off and shoved it back into the socked backward, at least that is what it felt like. I swear the man should work for the government, he could interrogate a foreign agent and learn every state secret he knew and probably a few he didn't

He finally approached the leg that hurt me all night.

"Oh God no!" I cried with dismay.

"I must, I am sorry, but this is most essential, man."

"I will come to your house and murder you in your sleep," I tried to sound serious.

"Ha, Ha, Ha," he laughed, "Jamie Aiken never sleep!"

"That's why are you so cruel! Are you sleep deprived!"

"Could be, yes, could be," He agreed while he gently picked up my foot and made my leg bend.

"AHHHHH! SWEET JESUS!" I yelled as the muscles near my the wound screamed in pain.

"Amen!" spoke my torturer with a glance to the heavens. "There that is enough for today, tomorrow we will take a walk to look at some nurses, Ehhh?"

He gathered his notebook and small satchel and left the room with a hearty "Farewell, my friend, you will feel better tomorrow, I'm thinkin'."

"No thanks to you, I muttered."

Amy showed up an hour later looking so much better than yesterday, not quite back to normal but her complexion was back to it's vibrant pink and her eyes had almost lost their dark circles. She didn't look as tired and the twinkle in her eye was a welcome sight after the torture I had endured with Jamie. I looked behind her expecting the kids to come in.

"Good morning, my love," she chimed and kissed me soundly. "I missed you in bed last night." She noticed I was looking behind her, "Jessica will bring the kids this afternoon, I want to stay all day and the kids won't be able to stand it that long."

She was right of course, they can't last in one place more than a half hour or so. She filled me in on how they were doing. I learned that Gordy had sustained a bump on the head when one of the agents had pushed him to the ground. Gracie was hit by the same buckle that clipped Amy and got a cut on her forehead just in her hair line.

"Was it bad?" I asked with much apprehension.

"Just one little stitch, she tells everyone she meets about her stitch and shows them. She will have a small scar but it will be in her hairline so it won't be seen."

"Oh good."

While we were talking Agent Brooks and two other agents came to the door and Agent Brooks stuck his head in.

"Is this a good time?" He looked serious but glad to see that I was better.

"Sure," said Amy and I in unison.

He and the two other agents came on in and stood at the foot of my bed.

"Mr and Mrs. Gordon, the FBI apologizes for our failure to protect you. We totally failed to keep you out of harm's way. Only one of our agents succeeded in carrying out her duty that night, Agent Whooten, who without regard for her own life jumped on little Gordy to protect him from the assassins barrage. I wanted to inform you that Agent Teresa Whooten died of her wounds about one hour ago."

Amy gasped and put her hand over her mouth, her tears were flowing again. We later learned that Teresa Whooten left behind a young husband and an 18 month old daughter. We could hardly take it in.

After a few moments of awkward silence where Amy's gentle sobs were all that broke the silence, Agent Brooks updated us on the case. "Foster was arrested the day before you were shot and was up for arraignment and ready to post bail when the news of your assassination hit the streets. He was denied bail and sits in a secure cell away from other prisoners for his own protection awaiting trial. We purposely led the press to believe that the hit was successful so that any subsequent attempts to collect the hit money would be abandoned, and to give you some peace. Now, he will be charged with the murder of a Federal Agent and I don't expect that bail will be possible, ever. There is no further word on the street so I think you both will be safe now.

"Thank you Agent Brooks, we are so sorry for your loss."

"She was a dedicated Agent and loved her job. She will be missed. We'll keep you posted if anything changes"

We sat in silence for a few minutes lost in our own thoughts of 'what ifs' like: what if Amy had taken the rolls of coins in the diaper bag to the bank that day as she intended? And What if the FBI had showed up a few hours later than they did? And what if I hadn't seen the flash of light and reacted instinctively? And what if Agent Whooten had been somewhere else on the scene? It was just too overwhelming.

Amy broke the silence and changed the subject.

"How was physical therapy today" she smiled at me with such concern in her eyes

"The guy tried to murder me, Amy, and he was so happy to do it. He plans on torturing me again tomorrow." I complained about him, telling Amy every indignity that I had suffered but as I was describing what was done to me, I had to admit, that my pain was less after the therapy than before. I wasn't sure if I felt better because of the torture or therapy as he called it, or if I felt better by contrast with what he put me through.

"Daddy!" a small but loud voice called out! Jessica carried Gordy who started whining as soon as he saw me. I had Amy hold each by the bed so I could kiss and snuggle them for a while. Damn I missed my family time! Gracie told me about her " 'tiches" as she called them. Gordy just clung to me.

It broke my heart when they had to go home.

So the next fourteen days went. I was moved to the rehab, wing after five days and spent the next nine tortured on a daily basis by Jamie the Bender with his big smile and his gawd awful daily "Rise and Shine". I had daily visits from my family and occasionally others such as the Judge and Doc Sawyer.