Vengeance is Cold and Lonely
Vengeance is Pointless
Vengeance is for the Weak of Mind and Spirit
Vengeance is for Cowards
Ezra had been staying at the bar later and later, he was worried about Inez and this man she had been seeing lately. He was a big man and he seemed very mean and short tempered, he feared that he was hitting her, but he had no proof. He had shared his concerns with Chris, but he had accused him of just being jealous, well maybe, but it didn't change the feeling he had about the man. So he would stay at the bar until closing, making sure that Inez was not alone, then he would walk her to her car.
Tonight would be different, things were about to come to blows, Ezra had gone to the men's room and while he was there, Inez's boyfriend came in. When Ezra came back out of the men's room, what he saw, chilled him to the bone, Inez's boyfriend had her by the hair and was about to hit her. It was apparent that he had already hit her at least once. "You touch her again and your a dead man."
"Yeah, right you think you can take me? Little man?"
"I certainly do." Ezra replied, ready to use his Tae Kwan Do skills..
"Well, lets just see." He let go of Inez and moved towards Ezra, fists at the ready.
Ezra looked at Inez, the fear in her big brown eyes tore at his heart. He prepared him self for the assault and as soon as the big man took the first swig, Ezra let him have it, striking out at him until he was bleeding and cowering on the floor. "Now get out and I don't ever want to see you near Inez again."
"You'll be sorry for this." The man got up and went out the front door, looking back at the man that beat him, hatred burning in his eyes, he would have his vengeance.
Ezra moved to Inez and guided her to a chair, kneeling in front of her and looking her over, his hand caressing her face as she looked at him with shock filled brown eyes. "Are you all right Señorita?"
"Why did you do that Señor Standish?"
"Because a man does not hit a woman, not for anything and you don't deserve that." He was shocked that she didn't think it was wrong, what kind of life did she have before she came here? "A gentleman treats a woman with respect and gentleness." He took her hand and pulled her out of the chair, beginning to dance a slow dance with her, holding her close. "He loves her and cares for her, if there is any kind of aggressiveness, it's from passion, not meanness and hate." He dipped her low at that point. "A beautiful, intelligent, passionate, woman like you, deserves to be treated like a queen." He set her back in the chair, still holding her hands.
"Señor Standish, that's probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, but I have never been treated that way." A tear fell from her cheek, she wanted to know why she hadn't found a man like Standish, he was such a gentleman.
"Let me take you home, your too shaken up to drive yourself." He looked into her big brown eyes and saw admiration and something else he couldn't quite figure out. She was such a beautiful woman and she didn't deserve to be treated the way her boyfriend had been treating her. "Did he hit you often?"
"Yes, he always made sure it was where a bruise couldn't be seen, but I have been treated that way most of my life, so I didn't find anything wrong with it." She had never thought of Señor Standish, Ezra, as anything but a friend until now, but the way he was treating her now was making her fall for him, he was so handsome, smart, sexy, and caring, so very caring and gentle. "Please take me home, I am very tired."
"Certainly Señorita." He helped her out of the chair and got her coat as she locked up the bar, then he took her home and made sure she was secure, the thought of anything happening to her scared him, he had developed feelings for her the moment she came into their lives, taking over the bar, but he knew she had not felt the same way, so he had pushed those feelings away, but now they returned to the surface, all he wanted to do was protect her and take care of her. He then went home and went to bed himself, he had an early morning ahead of him.
+ + + + + + +
Carlos Rivera sat in his garage planning his vengeance, he would pay that southern smartass back for what he had done to him, the way he had shamed him and beaten him. He knew just how to do it too, he had no doubt the man had feelings for Inez, he probably wanted to get her into bed, just as he had, but the bitch would not do it, so he had to punish her, now he would punish her rescuer. His plans should be ready to put into effect in a couple of days, he had to have everything just right, with any luck, he would take care of both of them all at once.
The next day Ezra told the others what had happened the night before, during their afternoon meeting, none of them thought there would be any more trouble from the man, despite what he had said, but Ezra wasn't taking any chances. "I intend to see Inez home for the next few nights, just to be sure."
"Good idea Ezra, I'm sorry that I didn't believe you before, I should have known you were right, you have an uncanny knack for reading people." Chris felt guilty, not only for not trusting Ezra's instincts, but also because Inez had been hurt from it.
"It's quite all right Mr. Larabee, we all make errors in judgment, myself included."
"When have you ever made an error in judgment Ezra?" Buck asked jokingly.
"In case you forgot Mr. Wilmington, I did run out on you during our first assignment." Ezra's eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Oh yeah, but at least you saw the error of your ways." Buck replied smiling.
"Yes, before anyone got hurt." Chris said sadly.
"Don't fret Mr. Larabee, Ms. Ricios was not hurt very badly, no more than she had been in the past." Ezra's eyes were now full of sadness at the thought of how Inez's life had been up to now. He was making it his mission to improve her life and bring some happiness to it, even if it was just as a friend, but he wanted to be more.
"Thank you Ezra, I wish we had known she had such a rough time in her past." Chris saw the emotions in Ezra's eyes, it was rare to see any emotions from him, so he knew they must be strong. "Everyone is dismissed, this meeting is over." He watched the men rise and leave, all of them obviously felt for Inez, but none more so than Ezra. "Ezra, please stay for a moment."
"Certainly Mr. Larabee, what can I do for you?" He forced his poker face back in place, it was slipping a lot lately.
"It's obvious that what happened last night has deeply effected you, care to tell me why?" He watched Ezra drop his gaze to his hands, which rested on the table in front of him. Chris sat on the table next to Ezra, he knew Ezra was in love with Inez, but there was something else and he wanted to know what it was.
"I think everyone knows my feelings for Inez, despite my efforts to hide them."
"Yes Ezra, but there's more to this and I want to know what."
"I'm not sure it's my place to say, just because Inez confided in me, doesn't mean she wants everyone to know." He looked up at his leader, seeing concern in his pale blue eyes.
"Ezra, this won't go beyond this room, the others don't need to know, but I do, because this is obviously effecting you deeply." He watched Ezra's face as he thought about it for a moment, he had never seen the stoic southern agent so shaken.
"It was shocking Chris, she was so used to being hit and abused, she honestly didn't know there was anything wrong with it, she thought that was how she was supposed to be treated." He made no attempt to hide his emotions now, it sickened and saddened him to think someone could be treated that way.
"God Ezra, I had no idea what her life had been like." He shook his head in disbelief, he couldn't understand it either.
"None of us did, but I am going to change that, she's never going to live like that again if I can help it" His gaze dropped to his hands again, feeling nervous under Chris's scrutiny, he was so uncomfortable revealing his emotions.
"You can count on me to help." Chris felt for Ezra, he knew it was difficult for him to show his emotions.
"Please don't be obvious, she didn't ask me not to say anything to anyone, but I don't want her thinking that I betrayed her confidence."
'Don't worry Ezra, I won't say anything." He stood and headed for the door, then turned back around. "See you at the bar later, why don't you go home early."
"Thank you Mr. Larabee, but I have some paperwork to finish, then I will go." He watched Chris nod, then turn and leave. He wanted to leave early, to check on Inez, but he had already put the paperwork off too long.
That evening, all of the men were at the bar, six of them at a table with several pitchers of beer, the seventh sat at the bar, talking quietly to Inez. It was clear to the others that a special bond was forming between Ezra and Inez, they were happy for the two of them. Buck was sorry that his chance with her, seemed to be at an end, even though he had yet to see anything romantic between them, the look in Inez's eyes was enough.
Ezra had been talking pleasantly with Inez, but now it was time for a serious question, he took Inez's hand and looked into her deep brown eyes, "Señorita, I need to ask you something, I think I know the answer, but I want you to tell me."
"What is it Señor?" She was a little worried by his serious tone.
"Why did you let Mr. Rivera hit you? Why did you stay in that situation? It couldn't have been because you loved him that much."
"No, I was very attracted to him and things had been nice at first, then when I wouldn't sleep with him, he began hitting me, I was so afraid and he told me that if I said anything, or tried to leave, he would kill me and I believed him." A tear rolled down her cheek and Ezra brushed it away with his thumb.
"I'm sorry Darlin, I had a feeling that was the reason, but I needed to hear you say it, if I have anything to say, you will never go through anything like that again." He smiled at her, hoping they could put the pain that Rivera had caused her, behind them.
"Thank you Señor, I wish I had found someone like you, a long time ago." She smiled in return, it was something she couldn't help, his smile was so warm and infectious.
"I wish you would just call me Ezra, Señor seems too impersonal." His smile grew and the dimples appeared on his handsome face.
"I can do that Ezra, I just didn't want to presume anything." 'God his smile is incredible,' she thought.
"Good, now are you ready to go home?"
"Yes, I am, but you really don't need to escort me."
"Perhaps not, but I don't want to take any chances." He wrapped her arm around his, then headed for the door, giving his teammates his famous two fingered salute as he left.
When they arrived at Inez's apartment, Inez was not quite ready to be alone yet, "Ezra, would you care for a glass of brandy, before you go home?"
"Certainly Ms. Ricios, I would love to." He wanted to spend time with her, but he wasn't going to push things, he knew what she had been through lately and he wouldn't force her into anything.
"All right Ezra, if you want me to call you Ezra, then you must start calling me Inez, no more Ms. Ricios or Señorita, agreed?"
"Yes, I think I can manage that." They went inside and wound up spending several hours talking, getting to know each other better, Inez was an amazing woman, full of life and feisty, she fought for what she wanted. The problem thus far had been that she didn't realize that being hit by men was not acceptable, but that was different now.
Inez had such a wonderful time talking to Ezra, she could listen to his warm, smooth, southern accent all night, he was so smart and kind, his gentleness amazed her, it was something she had never experienced before, every man she had ever known, including her father, had been so abusive. She hadn't had that many relationships and she had only made love a few times and those times had been short and painful for her, she longed to know how it would be to make love to a man like Ezra, hopefully one day she would find out. She was actually a little disappointed that he hadn't even tried to kiss her yet, but she had a feeling that he was just trying not to rush things.
Ezra finally went home, it had been a wonderful evening and he was even more in love with Inez than before, he loved everything about her and he would do whatever it took to protect her, he knew that he would gladly give his life for her, that was something that scared the hell out of him, he had never felt that strongly about anyone. He was going to call her in the morning and check on her, he was still a bit worried, he had a strange feeling and couldn't quite put a finger on what it was, so he was going to be careful. He slept soundly, happy in the knowledge that Inez was falling for him too, he would be so happy if they spent the rest of their lives together. In the morning he called her, but there was no answer, he wasn't real worried, she could have gone out somewhere, he would just go to work and try her later.
Carlos Rivera had put his plan into action that morning, he broke into Inez's apartment and injected her with a tranquilizer, she tried to put up a fight, but Carlos just hit her, knocking her to the floor, her head hitting the chair, leaving a gash on her forehead and blood on the floor. Carlos left a note in her apartment for her new lover, then carried her out the back and tossed her into the back of his car. He then headed for the warehouse that he had spent the entire night rigging, he tied Inez to a beam, so that her arms were above her and she was hanging with her feet just off the floor. Now all he could do was wait, from a distance for the man to show up and rescue her, then he would take care of both of them.
Ezra had tried several more times to reach Inez, going as far as to check with the bar, but nothing, no answer at home and no one had seen her, he was very worried now so he went to Chris, "Mr. Larabee, I have been trying to reach Inez all day with no luck, I am very worried and wondered if I could go check on her?"
"Sure Ezra, I know better than to doubt your instincts, I hope she's all right."
"Thank you Mr. Larabee, I will be back as soon as I can." Ezra was gone before anything more could be said. He was out of the building and on his way to Inez's before anyone knew what was going on, he was extremely worried about her. He reached her apartment and was horrified to discover the door was broken, he pulled his gun and slowly entered, checking every inch of the place for Inez or anyone else. There was no one, but he did discover some blood on the floor, which terrified him, he was so afraid for her now. Then he found the note and began reading:
|
Dear Lover,
If you ever want to see Inez alive again, come to the warehouse on Smith Road, you will find her there, bring 50,000.00 dollars with you and come alone, or she's dead.
Carlos Rivera
|
Damn, he had not expected this from the man, but he would do as he asked, except he wasn't about to take any money, not in a million years. He didn't think the money was what the man wanted anyway, so he would have to fake it. He headed out of her apartment, his concern for Inez was so intense that he didn't even think to call Chris and tell him what was happening, all he could think of was getting to the warehouse and saving Inez.
Inez began to wake, she moved her legs, realizing that her feet were not on the floor, her arms hurt badly from being tied to the beam. She looked around, but saw no one, she knew it had been Carlos though, she saw him before he hit her. Her head was pounding and she could feel the blood on her face, she closed her eyes and prayed that someone would find her, she didn't know what Carlos had in mind, but she began to fear that she was going to die. She thought back to last night, it was probably the most pleasant evening she had ever had, Ezra was so easy to talk to and she fell so in love with him, now she might never see him again, to find out what it would be like to make love to him, but she would not cry, that would give Carlos too much satisfaction, she knew that he was probably around somewhere watching her, waiting for her too break, but she wouldn't do it. She heard a car pull up outside, hope rose inside her, but also fear, it could be Carlos.
Ezra pulled up outside the warehouse, he checked out the area around the warehouse before going in, making sure he was alone. As he stepped into the warehouse, he immediately saw Inez hanging from a beam. His heart broke to see her like that, to see the blood on her face, he ran over to her and tried to cut her down, carefully lowering her to the floor. He felt Inez grab him and hold him tight, "It's all right Inez, your safe now." He stroked her hair and held her tight.
"Ezra, we have to get out of here, it's a trap." She pulled away and looked into his worried green eyes, her hands on either side of his face.
"We will leave, but I want to make sure your all right first." He brushed her hair away from the gash on her forehead, examining it and wiping the blood from her face with a handkerchief.
"I'm all right Ezra, thanks to you, but we have to go." Their eyes locked and she pushed up on her toes, their mouths coming together in a tender kiss, it was more wonderful than she imagined.
"Inez, take my cell phone and go wait in the car, I want to check this place out and make sure that Carlos isn't still here, if I don't come out in 10 minutes, call Chris." He caressed her cheek, he was so happy that she was all right.
"Ezra don't, please, it could be dangerous and I don't want anything to happen to you." She was very afraid for him, she knew he would do it, no matter what she said.
"I would happily give my life for yours Inez." He kissed her deeply, letting it linger for a few moments.
What Ezra had just said, had shocked Inez, she knew he had always had feelings for her and that he had pushed them away, because she hadn't felt the same way, but she had no idea the depth of his feelings until he said that he would happily give his life for her. "Ezra, I don't know what to say, I had no idea you cared for me that much, but I do love you too, please be careful."
Ezra held her tight and kissed her again, then moved away, heading for the stairs that went to the next floor, "Go out to the car Inez, I will be back in 10 minutes, then we will get out of her." He then headed up the stairs, watching Inez leave the building with his cell phone in her hand.
Inez went to Ezra's Jag and got in, time seemed to crawl by and she was so scared that something was going to happen to Ezra. It had only been a few minutes since she got into the car, when there was an ear splitting explosion, the car was parked so close to the building that the windows in it shattered. Inez put her hands over her ears and closed her eyes, shards of glass left small cuts on her face, arms, and hands. When she opened her eyes again, the building was in flames, she screamed "EZRA" and got out of the car, she wanted to run inside and find him, but she tried to pull her thoughts together and remembered the cell phone.
Chris's cell phone rang and he answered it to hear a frantic Inez on the other end, saying something about Ezra, "Inez......Inez, calm down........good, now slowly tell me what's wrong."
"Señor Larabee, Ezra.......I think he's dead." She was sobbing and the cuts on her body stung and were seeping blood.
"What? Inez please calm down and talk to me." Chris was worried, Inez sounded completely freaked out.
"He was in the warehouse and there was an explosion, now it's on fire, God what have I done?" She couldn't stop the sobs that escaped her body.
"Where are you?"
"I don't know, a warehouse, it's burning so you should be able to see the smoke." She sniffled, trying to bring herself under control, it was up to her to get help for Ezra, if he was even still alive.
"All right, is the fire department on the way?"
"I don't know, I called you first."
"All right, we will be right there, try to stay calm, you don't know that he's dead." He would make sure the fire department had been alerted.
"Ok, Señor I will try." She turned the phone off and turned to watch the building burn, helpless to do anything for Ezra, she had just found the man she thought she could spend the rest of her life with, now he might be dead. She sat heavily in the passenger seat of the Jag and began crying harder.
Chris gathered everyone together and told them what Inez had told him, they were completely stunned and didn't understand what was going on, how did the warehouse explode and why were Ezra and Inez there to begin with? "Lets get moving, where's the best place to check first?"
"Most of the warehouses are off of Smith Road, I think that would be the place to go, we should be able to see the smoke as soon as we get clear of all these buildings." Vin said.
"All right, let's go." Chris and the others all put on their blue ATF jackets and headed out. Chris was eager to find out from Inez, what was going on and why they were at a warehouse. Sure enough, as soon as they cleared the surrounding high rises, they saw the smoke billowing up into the sky, it frightened all of them to think that Ezra was in the middle of that, hopefully still alive.
+ + + + + + +
Ezra hadn't known what hit him, he was suddenly surrounded by a loud noise and a strange pressure seemed to squeeze him, he felt himself falling, then his world went black. He was on the second floor of the warehouse when the explosion occurred, the main purpose of the bomb was to get the building burning, not to destroy the building, but the area where the bomb was, had suffered heavy damage. Ezra was pinned under a portion of the roof, it was currently protecting him from the flames, but it was also slowly crushing him to death. He was unconscious and bleeding from several wounds on his body, he had a severe head injury, some broken ribs, and a broken arm. He would be in great pain when he woke, if he woke, the smoke in the building was getting thick and soon he would have great difficulty breathing. His only thought before he lost consciousness, was that he was so glad he had Inez go out to the car, she would be safe there.
Inez could feel the intense heat of the fire, she knew if Ezra was still alive in there, that he was probably overcome by heat and smoke, it was intense outside, so inside it must be unbearable, she silently prayed to God, praying for Ezra to be alive and asking God to watch over and protect Ezra. She could hear siren's in the distance, getting closer by the minute, soon help would be here. She wanted Chris and the others to get there, she needed them more than ever, needed the comfort of their friendship. She watched as part of the building collapsed inward, the fire consuming the wood that held it together, she screamed, fearing that Ezra was under all that rubble.
Carlos Rivera had watched the building go up in flames, he had gotten a couple blocks away, before he stopped to watch, he didn't want to be too close, for fear of being seen. He knew that Inez and her lover were still there, he hadn't seen the car go by, so he was sure his vengeance was complete, no one would know it was him, the only two people that knew are dead, or so he thought. He decided to watch as the fire department arrived, he knew the building would not last too long, it was an old warehouse, made mostly of brick and wood.
The fire department arrived on the scene, the fire Chief was surprised to see a car sitting in front of the building, and even more surprised to find a young woman sitting in the car, with her feet on the ground next to it, sitting sideways in the passenger seat, as he got closer, he could see that she had numerous cuts and a gash on her forehead. "Miss, are you all right?"
"Yes, but Ezra's in there, you have to get him out." Her eyes were red and swollen from her crying.
"What? Are you telling me there is someone in there?" The fire Chief turned to some of his men, "There is someone inside, you will have to go in and try and find him" Then back to Inez. "Do you know what part of the building he's in?"
"He was going up the stairs to the second floor, when the explosion occurred." Inez replied softly.
"Explosion? This was an explosion?"
"Yes, it's all my fault, an ex-boyfriend wanted him dead, because he shamed him, but I had no idea he would do something like this."
"All right Miss, we will find him if we can." The Chief directed his men, telling them that the man was last seen going to the second floor.
"You should also know that he's an ATF agent, the rest of his team is on their way here." Inez added, feeling that the Chief should know that.
"An ATF agent? All right, just make sure his friends stay out of the way when they get here." He moved away to give more men directions, as they began to pour water onto the building, putting additional stress on it.
+ + + + + + +
Ezra groaned as he began to regain consciousness, he felt like there was a building on top of him, he was in so much pain and it was hard to breath, he began coughing, which caused his broken ribs tremendous pain. He opened his eyes slowly and realized that he did have a building on top of him, at least part of one. He glanced around and saw a lot of smoke and flames, he realized that the building had exploded, at least part of it. He knew it had to be Rivera, but that seemed awfully drastic. His head was pounding and he had trouble concentrating, he knew he at least had a concussion, but something didn't seem right, he knew his head injury was worse than that and it scared him, how was he going to get out of this? He knew Inez would get help, but what if Rivera did something to her, what if he was close by and hurt her when she came out of the building? He drifted back into unconsciousness, the pain in his head was too much to take.
Chris and the others came to a screeching halt next to Ezra's Jag, their eyes wide with shock and fear. They immediately went to Inez, who was still sitting in the passenger seat of the car. Nathan bent down and looked at her, then asked JD to get his first aid kit. When JD returned, he began to work on her, "This is going to sting a bit Inez, but I need to clean these cuts."
"All right Señor Jackson." She seemed to be going into shock now, she couldn't think straight, "Ezra"
"Shhh, the firemen will find him Inez, he'll be all right." Buck tried to soothe her, but he wasn't sure he believed what he was saying.
Once Nathan finished with Inez, Chris knelt in front of her, taking her face in his hand. "Inez, tell me what happened, why were you two here?"
"It was my fault, Carlos Rivera kidnapped me and brought me here, he left a note for Ezra, telling him where I was, so he could kill us, it would seem."
"Good lord, he did that just because Ezra beat him?" Josiah asked
"Yes, he is a sick man, I never knew how sick until now." A tear ran down her cheek, stinging the cuts on her face, she felt Chris gently brush it away.
"It wasn't your fault Inez and we will find the bastard that did this, he's got to be around somewhere." Vin said. They all became quiet, watching the firemen do their work, becoming alert whenever some of them came back out of the building.
"We haven't had any luck finding the man, but there is a section of the 2nd floor, where the roof collapsed, we think he may be trapped there, but it's going to take time to get through all the debris."
"Ok, keep at it, but don't take any unnecessary risks, it's important to find him, but I don't want any of you dying in the effort." The men turned and went back inside, the break from the heat had been a blessing.
It seemed to be taking hours, the flames were being pushed back at one end of the building and the weight of the water made another section of the building collapse. Chris and the others stood by watching, helpless to do anything, at one point Vin and Josiah decided to go scout the area, to see if Rivera might still be around somewhere, watching his handy work, they had yet to return. Buck and JD were trying to keep Inez calm and Nathan was helping with a couple of firemen that had been overcome by the heat. EMT's had arrived a few minutes ago, they were ready in case Ezra was brought out alive, but hope of that was fading.
The firemen knew where Ezra was, they had uncovered one of his legs from the debris, but there was still a lot to remove and the heat and smoke were becoming intense, they had no way to give him oxygen, they couldn't see his head yet. They worked as fast as they could, but the bricks and wooden beams were heavy and took several firemen to lift them. They took turns working on removing the debris, each taking a break for a bit, to get some relief from the heat inside the building.
Ezra began to wake again, he knew that people were trying to get to him, that was about all he was aware of, his head was pounding and he was extremely weak, the heat and blood loss were taking their toll on him and he began coughing from the smoke, which was a good thing, it let the firemen know he was alive at present. He wanted to speak to them, but didn't have the strength, his thoughts were clouded and fuzzy, he knew it was from the head injury. He knew he wad dying, he could feel the life draining from his body and the heat was almost unbearable, he hoped the firemen could get to him soon, before it was too late.
A fireman came out of the building and walked to Chris, he was tired and dirty, but he had hope in his eyes. "Sir, we know that Agent Standish is currently alive, we heard him coughing, but he sounded very weak, we are increasing our efforts to get him out."
"Thank God, how much longer?"
"We're not sure, there's so much debris on top of him, we think he's in something of a pocket, where there is no debris, but what's covering his lower body is taking time, the beams are heavy and hard to move."
"Please keep me informed, we appreciate your efforts to save him."
"Just doing our job, we don't like to lose anyone in a fire."
"Thank you again." Chris walked over to where Inez, Buck, and JD were, he felt that Inez should know what the fireman just told him. "Inez, the fireman just told me that Ezra is alive right now, they heard him coughing, but he did say that he sounded very weak, they are working as fast as they can."
"Thank you Señor Larabee, I am so relieved to know that he's still alive, but I won't relax until he's out of there." Inez was relieved, a tear ran down her cheek from the gratitude she felt towards the firemen that worked so hard to free Ezra.
"Inez, don't cry, Ezra will make it, he's tough and he wants to be with you, that alone would be motivation to stay alive." Buck smiled, hoping it would cheer Inez up.
"Thank you Señor Buck, that's sweet of you, but I'm not getting my hopes up until he's out of there." She felt Buck take her in his arms, holding her and trying to comfort her, these men really were the gentlest, kindest men she ever knew, Ezra most of all. She longed to hear the sweet melody of his southern drawl wash over her again, to feel his gentle touch on her, his warm, soft lips against hers again. It made her start to cry and Buck held her tighter.
The firemen were making good progress, but several times the flames threatened to overtake the area and they had to pull back until the area could be doused with water, making that part of the building even weaker, they could hear it creaking as they worked, they had the agent most of the way uncovered, both legs were free, but there was still some debris on his stomach and chest. They had oxygen ready to give him as soon as they could reach his face, it only took a few more minutes until they had him completely uncovered. He was unconscious and his breathing was shallow, the firemen got the oxygen on him and examined him for injuries, not wanting to move him until they knew what they were. They got him on a stretcher and began to move him out, then the stairs to the second floor collapsed, trapping them all on the second floor.
The firemen began moving frantically outside, they needed to rig something to lower everyone down from the 2nd floor, before the entire floor collapsed. The firemen on the second floor did their best to keep the flames away and continued to give Agent Standish oxygen, watching him closely as his vitals were fluctuating. The activity outside had gotten Chris's attention and he moved over to ask someone what was going on, "Chief, what's going on?"
"They were in the process of bringing your agent out, when the stairs to the second floor collapsed, we need to rig something to lower them down instead, it shouldn't take long, then we'll have him out of there, he is still alive."
"That's good news, anything we can do to help?"
"Just stay out of the way, they will be taking Standish to Aurora Regional Medical Center, if you want to go there and wait, it would be more comfortable than here."
"Not until we know he's out of the building."
"Very well, I understand." The Chief turned to talk to one of his men, Chris walked back to Buck, JD, and Inez.
"The Chief says that the stairs to the 2nd floor collapsed, they are rigging something to lower everyone down, they have Ezra freed and he is alive." He put a hand on Inez's shoulder, trying to provide reassurance. "As soon as he's out, we'll head to the hospital and wait there."
"Did they say how he was?" Inez was still very worried, she wanted to see Ezra so she could see for herself that he was all right, or not.
"No, they didn't say anything about his condition, just that he was alive. Has anyone seen Vin and Josiah? I would have thought they'd be back by now."
"No, are you worried about them?" JD asked.
"No, they can take care of themselves, maybe they had some luck in finding that bastard Rivera."
"Maybe Chris, lets hope so, the man will get the death penalty if Ezra dies." Buck said.
"Yes, well lets pray that doesn't happen." Chris smiled at Inez, but he was worried, very worried.
+ + + + + + +
Vin and Josiah had been casually walking around the area, trying not to look like they were looking for something, they didn't want to alert the guy if he was around. They had covered several blocks when they saw him, he was sitting on the hood of his car, watching the fire. Both Vin and Josiah spotted him, they knew what he looked like, from Inez's description, so they acted casual, like they were just two friends, walking and talking, until they reached his location. They saw him look at them, but only for a moment, then turned back to the fire. "Quite a fire, isn't it?" Vin asked him.
"Yeah, do you know if anyone was hurt?"
"No, there were a lot of firemen around, but couldn't tell if there was anyone inside or not." Josiah replied, they got closer, until they were right next to him, Josiah pulled the handcuffs out of his pocket, then he and Vin grabbed Rivera. "Federal Agents, your under arrest Rivera."
"NO, how did you know?"
"Ms. Ricios was not inside the building, she is fine, but if Ezra dies, you'll get the death penalty Rivera, and I would like to be the one that flips the switch." Vin spat, he wanted to make Rivera pay for hurting his friends. He pulled out his cell phone and called for a car to take Rivera to the agency, where they would process him and put him in jail, they would not determine his fate, until Ezra's was determined. "You better just pray that Ezra doesn't die."
"Go to hell pig." Rivera spat, he was disgusted that he had been caught, but he was also afraid, he didn't want to die, but he wouldn't let these federal pigs see that.
"I think your the one going to hell brother." Josiah said, as they waited for the car to arrive, which took about 10 minutes, they loaded him in and then began to walk back to the warehouse, hoping to find good news when they got there.
Vin and Josiah got back to the warehouse just in time, they were beginning to lower Ezra down from the 2nd floor, using ropes and pulley's. They were getting him down first, then the firemen would come next. "What's goin on Chris?" Vin asked.
"The stairs to the 2nd floor collapsed, so they have to get Ezra and the firemen down a different way, they are about to lower Ezra down."
"He's alive then?" Josiah queried.
"Yes, but he's in bad shape, we'll know more after the EMT's look him over, but we are leaving for the hospital as soon as he comes out of the building, so we can be there when he gets there." Chris's worried, pale blue eyes watched the building, waiting for them to bring Ezra out.
"Sounds like a good idea, how's Inez holdin up?" Vin asked.
"Not great, but she's strong, she's a real trooper." Chris glanced at Inez, she was standing with Buck and JD, closer to the building, he could tell by the tension in her body, that she was anxiously waiting for Ezra to be brought out.
Inez thought she would go crazy, every minute seemed to last an hour, she was relieved that Ezra was alive, but it didn't sound like he was in very good shape. She wanted to see him, to have a chance to tell him how she feels about him and kiss him again, she didn't want to lose him, not now that she had found him, found the man she'd been looking for her entire life. She tried to relax her body, but the anticipation was too much and she couldn't do it. She felt Buck's arm move around her waist, then JD's hand took hers, holding it tight, as they watched Ezra being carried out of the building, she felt her knee's go weak, he looked so pale and lifeless.
"Come on everyone, now that Ezra's safely out, we're heading for the hospital." Chris announced.
"Señor Larabee, I want to stay, I need to know how he is." She had tears in her eyes, but she knew she wouldn't win the argument.
"Sorry Inez, you can find that out at the hospital, the EMT's will be able to tell us when they get him there." He walked to her and gently moved her towards his truck, as the others climbed into the vehicle. "He'll be all right, he's too stubborn to die."
"I won't argue with you about that, but he is only human." Inez couldn't shake the fear she had of losing him.
"Sometimes I wonder, the luck that man has is just too much for words." JD added.
"Not to change the subject, but did you and Josiah have any luck Vin?"
"Yes, Rivera is in custody and being processed and put in a cell, his fate will be determined when Ezra's fate is determined." Vin couldn't shed the anger he had towards the man.
"Great, I will make sure he gets the maximum penalty for what he's done." Chris's own anger towards the man was intense.
"Señor Chris, what will happen if Ezra dies?"
"Rivera will get the death penalty, the maximum sentence for killing a Federal Agent."
"Good, what will he get if Ezra lives?" Inez hoped he would spend the rest of his life in jail, rotting away.
"I will make sure he gets life without parole." Chris would definitely make sure of that. Chris pulled into the hospital parking lot, he let everyone out at the entrance, then went and parked, Nathan had stayed behind to help the EMT's any way he could.
+ + + + + + +
Nathan was shocked at Ezra's appearance, he was very pale and his skin was covered with soot and small burns from sparks that landed on him. He watched the EMT's work, helping where he could, growing more concerned with each injury they found, the worst of which, they seemed to think was the head injury, even though one of his broken ribs had punctured a lung. The firemen had apparently gotten oxygen too him just in time, between the collapsed lung and the smoke inhalation, he was barely breathing, only the oxygen was keeping him going. Upon examining his head and checking his pupils, it became obvious that Ezra was in a coma, a fever beginning to build in his body, from the soot and dirt that had gotten into his open wounds. Nathan was truly worried that Ezra would not make it through this, he was in such bad shape. He climbed into the ambulance with the EMT's and they headed for the hospital.
Inez was pacing the length of the waiting room in the ER, she was anxious for Ezra to get there, she hoped he was alive when he did. She thought back to that night, when Carlos tried to hit her and Ezra stopped him, the night that started all this. Ezra had been so sweet, telling her that she was special and that she was not supposed to be treated the way Carlos and all the other men in her life had treated her. When he took her in his arms and slow danced with her, telling her that a man should only be aggressive with a woman out of passion and not meanness or hate, it had melted her heart. All she wanted now, was to be in his arms again, listening to his smooth, warm, southern drawl, letting it wash over her and fill her with love, but that wasn't to be right now.
Chris watched Inez pacing, he could see that she was a million miles away, he wished he could do something for her, but all anyone could do now was wait. He looked up to see a nurse motioning to him, so he quickly got up and moved to her, this was not the hospital they usually went to, so he didn't know anyone there. "Yes, can I help you?"
"You are Agent Larabee, yes?" She whispered.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"The ambulance with Agent Standish in it, will be here in a few minutes, someone named Nathan called in and gave a description of you. He wanted me to tell you what Agent Standish's condition is." She was still whispering, not sure if he wanted all of them to know.
"Please, there is a certain lady that would like to know his condition, at least I think she would, depending on how bad it is." He was very curious, that was not something Nathan would ordinarily do, but he needed to know.
"Well, it isn't good, Agent Standish is in a coma, he has a severe head injury, broken ribs, one of which punctured a lung, he's got a broken right arm, and there are several severe open wounds on his body, one on his left leg and one on his hip, both of which have become infected from soot and dirt getting into them." She herself was worried, just reading the list of injuries the man had.
"That is bad, thank you for telling me, please keep us informed, Agent Standish means a lot to all of us, especially Inez." He looked at Inez, she was still pacing and still lost in thought, he didn't look forward to telling her what the nurse just told him, "Thank you nurse."
"Your welcome, I do hope everything will be fine." She turned and left, there was an OR to get ready for Agent Standish's arrival.
Chris moved over to Inez, without saying a word, he gently took her arm and pulled her to an empty section of the waiting room, he wanted to tell her first, "Inez, the nurse has just given me some information about Ezra."
"Señor Larabee, please tell me." The fear was thick in her voice, making her accent more pronounced.
"Try to stay calm Inez, he is alive, just remember that." He took her hands in his, looking deep into her eyes, seeing so much fear and anguish in them.
"It's bad, isn't it?" The tears began to well up in her eyes, as Chris gazed deep into hers, she could see the worry and fear in his eyes.
"Yes, he's in a coma, he's suffering from a severe head wound, broken ribs, which have punctured a lung, a broken right arm and several severe open wounds that have become infected." He squeezed her hands tighter, seeing the tears fall from her big brown eyes. He reached up and brushed them away, then took her in his arms, "Try not to worry Inez, he's in good hands and he's a fighter, he won't leave you without a fight." He whispered into her ear. He glanced around the room to see all eyes on him and he just nodded at them, his eyes said all they needed to know.
JD began to cry, he didn't want Ezra to die, he was like the big brother he never had, Ezra always treated him like an equal, not like a kid, the way some of the others did sometimes. Buck was sitting next to him, he felt his hand on his shoulder. "Buck, what are we gonna do without Ezra?"
"Take it easy kid, we ain't lost him yet, he's a fighter, you know that." He tried to comfort the kid, he was too young to have to deal with this kind of thing, it would be devastating to all of them, if Ezra didn't make it.
"What about Inez? She was just beginning to fall in love with Ezra, how is this going to effect her?" He watched Chris holding Inez and comforting her, he wanted to do the same, but it would have to wait.
"We will get her through it, if need be, but remember, he ain't dead yet, you gotta have all the positive thoughts that you possibly can." Buck was also looking at Inez, he had hoped to make her fall in love with him, but she saw right through him, had him pegged as a lady's man from the start. Ezra really was a better man for her, he was a gentleman and would take good care of her and love her the way she deserved, if he lived.
Everyone stood as the ambulance pulled up outside, they watched as they rushed Ezra in, heading straight for the OR. Ezra looked pale and lifeless, every one of them had tears in their eyes, the next few hours of waiting, as they performed surgery on him, would seem like a lifetime. Nathan walked over to them, as they stood in the doorway. "He's in bad shape, but the doctors are the best, they will save him, it will just be touch and go for a bit."
"Thank you Nathan, I owe you." Inez hugged Nathan, so grateful to him for his help.
"There is no need for that Miss. Inez, I was happy to help, can't say I did much, the EMT's did all the work, he will be all right." He hugged her back, then they all sat down and waited.
The minutes turned into hours, the hours dragging on for what seemed like forever, still no word on Ezra. Inez could not get her mind off of him, she thought back to the first time she saw him, it was the first night that she had been working at the bar, the men had all come in together, they were quite a handsome bunch, but now that she thought about it, Ezra had stood out in her mind, he seemed so much more suave and sophisticated than the others, so much better dressed. She also realized that she had been mesmerized by his amazing green eyes too, they sparkled like emeralds with his lust for life and his general upbeat attitude. She also knew there was a lot of pain and loneliness in his life, especially his past. She looked up to see a doctor walk into the waiting room, wearing scrubs with blood on them, she stood with the others.
"I'm looking for Agent Larabee."
"Yes doctor, that would be me, how is Ezra?" He shook the doctors hand, seeing the blood on his scrubs.
"He survived the surgery, but barely, we have him on life support right now, until his body can get it's strength back, he lost a lot of blood and several of his wounds got infected, we are fighting that with antibiotics, but what we are most concerned about is the head injury." He stopped to let the men and woman before him, take in what he had said so far.
"How bad is it Doctor?" Inez was scared, the doctor didn't seem very hopeful.
"It's bad, he has a hairline fracture of the skull, there is swelling on his brain and fluid keeps building up, if we can't stop it and the swelling doesn't go down, he will not survive." He watched the faces before him, they showed horror and shock. "Please, I don't mean to upset anyone, but I won't hide anything from you, the odds are in his favor, but it will take a great deal of luck and fighting on his part."
"Don't worry doctor, he's a real fighter." Buck said, but he didn't feel the confidence that was in his voice, it sounded like Ezra had little chance to live.
"Doctor, what about the punctured lung?" Nathan asked.
"You must be Agent Jackson, we have repaired the damage to the lung, he has a chest tube in to drain the fluids and keep the lung inflated, again it's a matter of his will to survive."
"When can we see him?" Chris asked.
"Not for a little while, he's in recovery now, then we have to get him settled in a private ICU room, then I can let one of you see him, now I must go."
"Thank you doctor, for your honesty." Chris put his arm around Inez, knowing that this news was not taken well by her, it wasn't taken well by anyone. "Inez, when he is allowed to have visitors, you will be the first, he will need to know that you are there for him."
"Thank you Señor Larabee, I don't know if I can do it, I don't want to see him like that." The tears were falling freely, but silently.
"Inez, you have to, whether you like it or not, Ezra needs you." JD replied.
"I know Señor JD, but it's going to be hard, all I want is for those beautiful green eyes to open and see me, I want that incredible smile, that lights up his entire face........" She began crying harder, feeling Chris hold her tighter.
It was another hour before anyone was allowed to see Ezra and even then, for only a few minutes. Inez stepped hesitantly into Ezra's room, as she moved closer to him, she took in his appearance. He was so pale, there was a big white bandage around his head, his skin was the same color, it was also clammy and hot, from his fever, he had tubes and wires in his body, the chest tube was the worst of them all. His right arm was in a sling, held in place to protect his ribs and the broken arm. She had never seen anyone looking like that and she felt a great hatred for Carlos surge through her, she would love to kill him with her bare hands for what he had done to Ezra. "Ezra? I know you probably can't hear me, but I am here for you, I.....I love you, you mean the world to me." She bent and kissed his cheek, her lips touching the tape that held the respirator in his mouth, she began crying again, a tear falling onto his cheek, then she turned and left, the doctor had insisted that she only visit for a few minutes, that was all she could stand.
Inez slowly made her way back to the waiting room, she was tired and sore, her arms and shoulders were really beginning to ache, from being held above her at the warehouse. Her head ached too, the gash on her forehead throbbed and the small cuts on her skin itched. She really wanted to sleep, but she was afraid of what her dreams would bring, she was afraid to sleep, for fear Ezra might not be with them when she woke. She watched as JD approached her, the worry and fear was evident in his young eyes too. They hugged each other, Inez let go of the tears she had been holding back, crying into JD's shoulder.
"Shhhh....It'll be all right Inez, Ezra's to stubborn to die." JD wasn't sure he believed what he was saying, but Inez needed to hear it.
"He looks so awful JD, all the tubes and wires, the respirator in his mouth, the bandage around his head, he was so pale, I could barely stand to see him like that." She let go of JD and moved to sit down, she suddenly felt dizzy, before she could get to a chair, she collapsed.
Chris, Buck, and JD were by her side instantly, Nathan called for a nurse. Chris bent over her, checking her pulse, it was regular, "I think she is just suffering from physical and mental exhaustion, she just needs some sleep." Chris picked her up in his arms and followed the nurse to a room, he then gently laid her on the bed, pulling the covers over her.
"I will have a doctor examine her, but I think she's just exhausted." The nurse said.
"That is what I thought too, it's been a long, emotional day." Chris brushed the hair from Inez's forehead, then went back to the waiting room. "I want one of us to be with Inez at all times, she needs to know we are here for her, I am going to see if I can get in to see Ezra."
"I'll stay with her first." JD offered.
"All right, thanks JD." Chris left again, heading for the nurses station.
"I'll take over when you get tired kid." Buck said as he clapped JD on the shoulder.
"Thanks Buck" JD went in and sat next to the bed, taking Inez's hand and holding it, "Everything will be all right Inez."
+ + + + + + +
The nurse had told Chris he could see Ezra for a few minutes, so he quietly slipped into his room, walking slowly towards the bed, understanding why Inez had such a hard time seeing him, Ezra looked like death, it was not how he wanted to see him either, he was always so full of life. He stepped closer, looking at all the monitors that surrounded the bed, watching the heart monitor as it beeped and the line bobbed up and down. He knew Ezra might not be alive if not for those machines, but they made him nervous, they seemed so unnatural. He put his hand on Ezra's shoulder, "I know you probably can't hear me Ezra, but I want you to know that we are all here for you, that bastard Rivera has been caught and will be punished, try to hang on Ezra, you can win this fight." He then turned and left the room, it was very hard to see Ezra like that.
It was twelve hours before Inez woke again, Vin was sitting with her, reading a book while she slept. She felt much better, but it was taking her time to come around, "Ezra?"
"No Inez, it's Vin, how ya feelin?" He sat up and took her hand.
"Better, how is Ezra?" She looked at Vin and could see the worry in his eyes, she knew that Ezra wasn't any better, but she also knew he was still alive.
"He's the same, still in a coma and on life support, the doctor says he may have to go back in and drain more fluid." He smiled, but knew it didn't look genuine. He was quite concerned about Ezra himself, he had never been this bad before and he feared he wouldn't be able to overcome these injuries.
"Your worried too, aren't you Señor Vin?" She felt better physically, but not emotionally. She wanted to be with Ezra, to see him, regardless of how he looked, she would get past that somehow. She also wanted a shower, she felt so dirty and some of her muscles still had a dull ache. "Can I see him?"
"No, they are getting ready to take him back down to surgery, to drain the fluid from his head, when he's back then you can probably see him."
"Thank you Señor Vin, I need to take a shower, do you mind?" She began to get out of bed, Vin helped her until she was steady on her feet.
"Not at all, Chris went by your place and got you some fresh clothes." He pointed to the closet, to indicate where they were.
"Thank you and thank Señor Larabee for me too please?" She took the clothes out of the closet and went into the bathroom. She couldn't wait for a nice hot shower, it would help cleanse her and hopefully make her feel better, a hot shower usually did. She turned the water on and got it hot, then stepped in, letting the hot liquid pour over her aching body, she had taken many hot showers, after being beaten or had "made love" with someone, the way it had been, always just made her feel dirty and hurt. She began to wash herself, the soap in her cuts stung, but she didn't care, she just wanted to be clean, the dirt and soot from yesterday was a painful reminder of what had happened. She spent a long time in the shower, only getting out when there was no more hot water, she had begun to cry as she remembered what Ezra looked like the last time she saw him.
"Feeling better Inez?" Chris asked, he could see that he startled her. "I didn't mean to startle you." He moved closer to her, trying to see if she was all right, he could see that her eyes were bloodshot and knew she had been crying in the shower.
"Physically yes, emotionally no." She sat heavily on the bed, why was it that when she finally found the perfect man for her, she might lose him, the tears began again and she felt Chris take her in his arms.
"I know it's hard Inez, believe me I do, when I lost my wife and son, I thought I would die too, but you haven't lost Ezra yet, and your not going to, he won't leave you, not now that he knows you love him too." He stroked her hair, hoping his words and actions were giving her some comfort.
"How is he Señor, really?" She looked up into Chris's pale blue eyes, seeing concern and pain in them, was it for Ezra, her, or just memories of his past?
"They took him down to drain the fluid from his head, he will be back in his room shortly, his vitals are steady, but a lot of that has to do with the machines that keep it that way, but he's strong, he will make it."
"I hope so Señor, I can't bare to lose him now, not when I just found him and to be blunt, I want to make love to him, all the relationships I've had in the past were not love, they were violent and the sex was painful." She couldn't believe she was telling Chris all this, but she needed to tell someone.
"I understand Inez, Ezra did tell me what your past was like, only because I made him, I knew something was upsetting him greatly, as his leader, I needed to know what."
"It's all right, I understand." She smiled, she wanted out of this hospital room, there was nothing wrong with her and she didn't like to be there.
"You will get the chance to make love to him, you deserve to know what it should really be like and I know Ezra can show you." He couldn't believe he was having this intimate discussion with her, but she obviously needed to talk about it and there weren't any other women around, so he let her talk.
Shortly after Ezra was brought back to his room, Inez was allowed to see him again, she could stay as long as she wanted and had decided that she would not leave him again, not until he was well. She went into his room and moved to the bed, she pulled a chair up, but before she sat down, she leaned over and kissed his cheek again, caressing his face with her hand, "Ezra, you have to come back to me, so we can explore our feelings, I know I love you and that you love me, you always have, but there is more to it than that, I have never really loved a man, so these feelings are a little frightening."
Ezra had been in a black sea of nothing, no pain, no feelings, nothing, it scared him, he wanted out, but couldn't seem to find a way out. He had remembered what happened to him, he was so worried about Inez, he needed to know that she was all right. He had been so happy when Inez began to fall for him, he had been in love with her for so long now and to have her beginning to feel the same way, was more than he ever dreamed possible, and he just hoped that nothing had happened to her.
Inez sat down and took Ezra's hand, holding it tight and caressing the back with her thumb. She watched his face, it was completely blank and void of any movement or emotion, it hurt to see him like that. She glanced at the monitors around the bed, beeping and humming, the respirator moving up and down, sending precious oxygen into his fragile lungs. She then looked at the chest tube, coming from his muscular chest, it had fluid in it, but she didn't know what, except that some of it was blood. She was amazed by how muscular Ezra was, she hadn't seen him without clothes, so she had no idea what his body looked like, until now, he was a beautiful man, not only on the outside, but especially on the inside. She knew that there was a heart of gold inside that body, hidden away by the calm, cool exterior, it was what she loved most about him.
"How is he?" Chris asked, startling her again, she was going to hate him if he kept doing that.
"Señor, you startled me, he seems the same, he is so still and it scares me."
"I know Inez, but he's healing, and that's what's most important." He moved up behind the chair she was in and put his hands on her shoulders. "Try to keep the faith Inez, he'll pull through."
"I hope your right Señor, because I need him." She looked up at Chris, seeing the sadness in his eyes.
"I know you do, he's probably the best thing that ever happened to you." Chris looked into her big brown eyes, they were so full of fear and love.
"All of you men, are the best thing that happened to me, but as far as love goes, Ezra is the best thing that's happened in my life." A tear fell down her cheek and she turned away from Chris, embarrassed by her emotions for some reason.
"Inez, don't be ashamed to cry, you have every reason to, I will come back later and check on you." He squeezed her shoulders, then turned to leave.
"Good bye Señor Chris, thank you."
"Your welcome Inez."
Since Inez was with Ezra and there was no change in his condition, Chris decided to see how their prisoner was doing. He found himself really hoping that Ezra lived, for the obvious reasons, but also because he thought the death penalty would be too good for Rivera, he wanted him to rot in prison the rest of his life, never seeing freedom again. He walked into the holding area, ready to watch the man squirm under his glare, what he saw shocked him, Rivera had used his sheet to hang himself. "Guard"
"Yes sir, what can I do for you?"
"You incompetent fool, your prisoner has hung himself." Chris was seething, he couldn't believe this had happened.
"What? I just checked him not a half hour ago and he was asleep," The guard was nervous, he knew what Agent Larabee was like if he was angered.
"Never mind, just take care of the body." Chris stormed out, he needed air, to cool off, before going back to the hospital, what was he going to tell the others, especially Inez?
+ + + + + + +
Inez tried to give Ezra as much physical contact as possible, the doctor had told her that physical contact was important, that Ezra might not feel it right now, but he would eventually and he needed to know someone was there, trying to bring him back. She caressed his face, around the tape and bandage, the stubble was rough, but she didn't care, the skin underneath was so amazingly soft, that included the skin on his chest, as she caressed that too, around the chest tube, she imagined that the skin on his entire body was that soft. "Ezra, I know you can't hear me, at least I don't think so, but I need you, you have to come back to me."
"Ms. Ricios, I didn't mean to disturb you, but I need to examine Mr. Standish, would you mind waiting outside?" The doctor could see the concern and fear in her eyes.
"Sure doctor, whatever you need." She stood up and moved towards the door, turning back around to look at Ezra before she left.
"Try not to worry, the fact that he is still with us is a good sign, his body is trying to heal"
"Yes, I know, I just wish he would wake, I want to see those amazing green eyes again." She turned and left, waiting outside while the doctor examined Ezra. She watched as Buck walked towards her, she could see the worry on his face.
"Hey there Inez, how's Ezra?"
"The same Señor Buck, the doctor is examining him now."
"We are all praying for him, he will make it, I know he will, you two deserve to be together, you've both had a very rough life." Buck sighed, knowing how Ezra's past had been full of rejection and his own mother didn't seem to love him.
"What do you mean? Ezra had a rough life?"
"Yes, when he was growin up, his ma dumped him at any relative or friend she could find, so she could do her own thing, most of the time Ezra wasn't welcomed by the people he was left with, they just wanted the money that came with having another mouth to feed."
"I had no idea, we haven't had much time to get to know each other really well, we mostly talked about my past."
"He needs you Inez, he needs the love and acceptance of a good woman." Buck gave her a hug.
"Thank you Señor Buck, I need him as much as he needs me." They sat down together in the waiting area and talked for a bit, Buck told her more about Ezra's past and it amazed Inez that Ezra turned out to be such a caring and wonderful man, with the way he was raised.
Buck and Inez looked up as Chris approached them in the waiting area, the look on his face had them worried, something had happened, "What's wrong Chris? What happened?" Buck asked, standing up.
"I don't know how your going to take this Inez, but Rivera hung himself in his holding cell." Chris was still furious and wanted to hit something, but he refrained.
"He did? Thanks for telling me Señor Larabee, I think I am relieved, at least he will never hurt anyone again." She stood also, they all turned as the doctor came out of Ezra's room and over to them. "How is he doctor?"
"There is improvement, he is breathing easier and the latest CAT scan we did shows no additional fluid buildup, there is still some swelling, so it will still be some time before he comes out of the coma, once he does, it may be more time before he actually regains consciousness, just let him know your there, as he comes out of the coma, he will begin to feel and hear you."
"Thank you doctor, I am not leaving him until I know he's going to be fine." Inez began to move back towards Ezra's room.
"He should live, as long as there are no complications, such as infection." The doctor nodded and left to make his rounds, he knew Mr. Standish would be in good hands.
Inez went back into Ezra's room, instead of sitting in the chair, she sat on the bed next to him. She sat for a few minutes, just looking at his face and holding his hand, her other hand resting lightly on his soft, strong chest. As she looked at him, she realized that the feelings he stirred inside her, were like no feelings she had ever felt, she had never really loved anyone and what he had given her, in just the last few days, was a gift that was priceless. He had given her the gift of love and she would cherish it forever, it was something that she had never thought she would experience. "I love you Ezra." She then moved to the chair, drifting to sleep as the weariness took over.
Ezra was still searching for a way out of the darkness, the painless, emotionless void that he was floating in, but he couldn't seem to find the way out, it had him scared, he was afraid he would never get out and he wanted to see Inez again, hold her in his arm and kiss her full, warm lips. He had no sense of time passing, but it seemed like he'd been in the black void for an eternity, knowing of course that it hadn't been, but he didn't know how long it had been.
+ + + + + + +
It was another 2 days before the doctor took Ezra off the respirator and another day after that, before he came out of the coma, but he remained unconscious. As soon as the respirator was gone, Inez took the opportunity to give Ezra a shave, gently. She knew how important it was for him to be clean shaven and knew he would feel better, it didn't hurt that the physical contact would help him too. She also kissed his lips gently when she finished shaving him, caressing his smooth, soft cheek with her fingers. "I need you Ezra, like I've ever needed anyone." There was nothing left to do now but wait for Ezra to regain consciousness, they would be removing the chest tube a little later, and stitching up the incision in his chest where the tube had been inserted. Inez was so grateful that Ezra was making a slow recovery, with any luck, he would be back to his old self in time for them to spend Valentine's Day together in 4 weeks.
Chris and the others were back at work, they knew Ezra was in good hands and they wanted to let Inez be alone with him. They had a case to work on, luckily an undercover agent would not be needed for it, but they still missed Ezra terribly and they all realized just how much the stubborn, suave, undercover agent, meant to them. With any luck the case would be over by Valentine's Day, they wanted the day to be special for Ezra and Inez, so they had been secretly making some plans for them. Mainly they had arranged for the bar to be closed, so the two of them could be alone together, and they arranged for roses to be there. The rest would be up to Ezra, but they knew he would not let Inez down, at all.
Another 2 days had passed, most of Ezra's wounds were healing, the antibiotics had rid them of the infections, his bones were slowly beginning to heal and he finally began to regain consciousness. He was very relieved to finally find his way from the dark void, but the pain in his head was severe, he could also feel the pain of his broken bones. The first thing he felt, was a hand holding his, he knew it had to be Inez, as his eyes slowly opened, squinting from the light of the late afternoon sun, shining into the room, he saw Inez sitting in the chair next to the bed, she was asleep and Ezra thought she never looked more beautiful, she was alive and safe. He could see that she had a few scratches, but she appeared fine otherwise. He tried to speak, but his throat was dry and scratchy, so it was barely a whisper. "Inez"
Inez had been sleeping lightly, it was hard to sleep with the bright sun in the room, but she took it where she could get it. At first she thought her ears were deceiving her, or that it was a dream, but then she heard it again, Ezra saying her name. She opened her eyes to see the sparkling emerald eyes looking back at her, a surge of joy washed over her and she sat up, grasping his hand tighter, "Ezra, your conscious, that is so wonderful." She moved from the chair to the edge of the bed, wanting to be closer to him.
"How long?" He looked around him, trying to gauge how long he'd been there.
"A week, it was very touch and go for a while Ezra, we thought we were going to lose you." She couldn't help the tear that came to her eye, she was happy that Ezra was awake, she could see that his eyes were shiny with pain, but she was just happy to be looking in those amazing green eyes again. "Are you in a lot of pain Ezra?"
"Yes, my head really hurts, along with my arm and chest." Ezra's eyes began to close again, he was still weak and it didn't take much to tire him.
"I will let the nurse know Ezra, maybe they can give you more medication." She squeezed his hand and caressed his face, as he drifted back to sleep. "I love you Ezra."
"I love you Inez." He whispered, then was asleep again.
Inez placed a small, gentle kiss on his lips, then went to find the nurse, to tell her that Ezra had regained consciousness and that he was in great pain. She also needed to call Señor Larabee and let him know that has had come around, he would want to come and see him, they all would. She found the nurse and told her, she was glad that Mr. Standish had wakened and she would inform the doctor about how much pain he was in. Inez picked up the pay phone and dialed Chris's number, waiting for him to answer.
"Larabee."
"Señor Larabee, I thought you would like to know that Ezra finally regained consciousness." She could her the happiness in her own voice and knew that Chris would be happy too.
"Inez, that's wonderful news, how was he?" Chris was thrilled and he couldn't wait to tell the others, they had all been very worried about Ezra.
"He was in a lot of pain, but the doctor is going to take care of that."
"We will be by to see him later Inez, please tell him that we are thinking of him."
"I will when he wakes again, he's very weak."
"All right Inez, I will see you later, thank you for calling."
"Your welcome Señor Larabee." She hung up the phone and went back into Ezra's room, sitting down in the chair and waiting for him to wake again.
Chris ended the call and went out of his office, moving out to the center of the office. "Can I have everyone's attention please?" He watched as the other men gathered around, all looking puzzled. "I have some good news, Inez just called and said that Ezra has finally regained consciousness." He smiled as the men around him responded to the news with whoops and hollers.
It would be another week before Ezra was allowed to go home, he had to wear his arm in a sling for another two weeks after that, to protect the broken arm and ribs until they were healed. His recovery was remarkable, he was healing quickly and some physical therapy was returning the strength to his body, it wouldn't be long until he was a hundred percent again, he was determined to be as close to that as possible by Valentine's Day, he had special plans for Inez on that day.
Valentine's Day finally arrived, Ezra was waiting at the bar for Inez to arrive. Thanks to his compatriots, they had the place to themselves that evening. It had been a special day, he had a dozen pink roses to Inez's apartment, he knew when she got them, because she had called him, tears in her voice. The note with the roses had said "At the bar, tonight at 8:00pm, Love Ezra." Now here he was, waiting for her to arrive, wearing his tuxedo, he turned towards the door when he heard it open, to see a vision of beauty, Inez was wearing a red satin peasant blouse and a black velvet, ankle lenght skirt. She had one of the pink roses and some babies breath in her hair. "Good evening Darlin."
"Oh Ezra, you look so handsome." She walked to Ezra's waiting arms, wrapping hers around him. She looked up into his eyes, they were so full of love, then their lips met in a brief kiss.
"Happy Valentine's Day Darlin." Ezra smiled, then presented her with a single red rose, which she took from him, "Open the pedals." He watched as she pushed the pedals apart, gently, not wanting to ruin the flower, then her eyes went wide and sparkled with tears.
"Oh Ezra, it's beautiful, you shouldn't have." She gently took the pendant out of the rose, it was heart shaped and made of diamonds, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Ezra took the pendant from her, reaching around her neck and clasped the gold chain together, watching the pendant fall against her beautiful skin. "I love you Darlin."
"Oh Ezra, I love you." She hugged him, this was already a wonderful evening and she knew it would only get better. She took Ezra's face in her hands and pulled him to her, kissing him deeply, tasting him and reveling in his warmth, as his arms came around her. They kissed for a few moments, then she felt Ezra pull away and take her hand.
"Come with me over to the bar." He smiled, at the bar, were two glasses of champaign, both with a single strawberry in them, there was also a tray of chocolate covered strawberries. Ezra handed Inez one of the glasses, then picked up the other and began to make a toast "Inez, I love you more than I have ever loved anyone, this toast is to our future, whatever it might be, I know with you in my life, I could get through anything, so here's to you my love." He tapped his glass to hers and then took a drink, watching her do the same, then he fed her one of the chocolate covered strawberries.
"Ezra, until today, I had always hated Valentine's day, but now it is my favorite holiday, with you in my life, I know I will always be loved, here's to you my precious Ezra." She then took a drink, watching him do the same, then she fed him a chocolate covered strawberry. She watched Ezra set his glass down and pick up another strawberry.
Ezra took the glass from Inez and set it on the bar, then guided her towards the dance floor, hitting the button on the jukebox as he passed. He took her in his arms and they began to move around the floor slowly, as "My Valentine" began to play. He put the tip of the strawberry in his mouth, then bent towards Inez, she took the other end in her mouth, their mouths melding together in a deep kiss that was so filled with love, both of them tasting strawberries on the other. They continued to dance for a while, kissing and holding each other tight, it was an incredible evening, then Inez whispered in Ezra's ear.
"Please show me what it is to really make love."
"I want that Darlin, more than anything." He
smiled at her, then guided her towards the door, turning the lights off as they went, then locking the door behind them, it would be a night and lifetime to remember.
The End
