Chapter 16: Just In The Line Of Duty
Chapter 16:
Sheridan stood there with her arms folded across her chest, tapping her foot. She was beyond hurt, beyond anger. She wanted answers this time and had no intention of letting Luis get away this time. One thing he was right about. She would no longer let her pride get in the way. She wanted Luis to explain this one, because in her mind right now there was no explanation.
Sheridan surveyed Luis’ appearance. Since he’d left the bedroom he’d managed to straighten himself. “You certainly managed to straighten out your clothing pretty quickly,” Sheridan said sarcastically. “Let me guess your next conquest is waiting outside for you, is that it?”
“Sheridan let me explain,” faux Luis said smiling smugly.
“Oh, by all means explain yourself! I’m dying to hear how I misunderstood THAT conversation,” Sheridan shouted bitterly.
“Look, Sheridan I...” Faux Luis began speaking but there was a knock on the door. He grinned, very grateful for the interruption. “Saved by the bell!” he laughed.
Sheridan was anything but amused. “Is that your ‘friend’?” she asked venomously.
Faux Luis opened the door and was immediately shoved backwards at gunpoint. He had a look of genuine surprise on his face.
Sheridan was stunned as she saw the barrel of a gun in Luis’ chest. As soon as the gunmen entered, Sheridan screamed as she recognized the men immediately. Forgetting the events of the last few minutes she turned towards Luis for comfort, for answers and was in shock at what she saw. Luis never looked at her. He looked at the gunmen, with no sign of recognition on his face. ‘What is wrong with him?’ she thought to herself. He’s not even surprised Antoine is with them.’
Sheridan was shaken from her thoughts when Pierre moved towards her side and grabbed her. She shook with fear as Roger smiled at her. “So the lovely Sheridan and I meet again,” Roger said. “Did you really think we would be caught so easily? Not to worry, Mademoiselle, even your American cop hero here, can’t save you this time.” Antoine,” Roger said. Antoine looked at Roger and he nodded. “Say good-bye to your cop hero, Mademoiselle.”
Antoine grabbed faux Luis by the arm and headed toward the door. Sheridan screamed “Noooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can’t do that!” Sheridan was in a total panic at this point. “Look, I’m the one you want, not him. Kill me!”
“Don’t worry, Sheridan. We will get to you, but right now we need you for insurance,” Roger said. “As for your lover here, he is definitely of no use to us. We will deal with him right now.
Tears were streaming down Sheridan’s face. This whole thing was surreal. She watched Antoine as he cocked his gun and aimed it at Luis. She struggled against Pierre to no avail. “Luis, I love you!” she shouted through her tears.
Fake Luis totally ignored Sheridan’s remark. He never even looked at her. He was panicked now, he needed to talk to these men and let them know he wasn’t Luis. “Look, I don’t know who you guys are but, I can help you,” the fake Luis pleaded.
Pierre laughed. “The brave American pleading for his life.”
“Yes, it is pathetic, n’est pas?” Roger said with amusement. “I see I was wrong Mademoiselle Crane. He does not love you. It appears he is the same as all the other men in your life have been. He is interested only in himself. Good-bye Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald. ANTOINE! SHOOT HIM NOW!”
“Noooooooooooooooooo!!!” Sheridan again shrieked.
BANG! BANG! BANG! Antoine fired three shots directly into Faux Luis’ chest. He dropped to the floor and Sheridan as well fell to the ground as she watched Luis die in front of her. She was sobbing uncontrollably as she saw the lifeless body of the man she loved and thought loved her. She crawled over to Luis’ body and placed her head on his chest. He was dead, there was no question about it. “Why, Luis?” she whispered. She just laid there, tears in her eyes, staring at his feet. She couldn’t bear to look at his lifeless face.
As she stared at his feet she noticed something peculiar. Luis had socks on. She was sure he’d just slipped his shoes on before he went outside to investigate the noise. Sheridan sat up and wiped the tears away from her face. There was something very strange. Something wasn’t right. As she was gathering the courage to glance at his face, she was grabbed from the waist and dragged away from his body.
Outside the Crane cabin, Hank was in a panic. He’d stared through the window and witnessed the shooting of Frank. He watched Sheridan as she dropped to the floor. saw the pain on her face and realized how much she really must love Luis. He didn’t have time to dwell on that right now. They all had bigger problems. Hank surmised that the men in there were the gunmen that had been stalking Sheridan. He needed Luis awake and he needed that now. He walked over to Luis and began shaking him.
“Luis! Luis! Come on buddy! Wake up!” Hank whispered anxiously. He returned to the window every few minutes to keep abreast of the situation. After awhile Luis began to stir. He started to moan slightly and Hank ran to his side.
“Luis! Come on Luis!” Hank begged.
“Oh my head,” he groaned as he lifted his hand to the back of his head where he’s been hit.
“”Luis, we have big trouble,” Hank said nervously.
“Hank?” Luis said in surprise. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Never mind that now. We have a big problem.” Hank said.
“Hank, what the hell are you talking about?” Luis said angrily. His head was pounding and he was still angry at Hank for what he’d done to Sheridan earlier that day.
“Well if you’d shut up a minute, I’d show you!” Hank said in a shouted whisper. “And keep it down. We can’t be seen.” Hank helped Luis to his feet and took him over to the window. Luis peered through the window. He saw Antoine with a gun, Roger standing over a body and Pierre holding Sheridan tightly. Sheridan was sobbing uncontrollably.
“DAMN IT! I knew there was something wrong with that Gendarme!” Luis said angrily.
The two men scooted down to avoid being seen. “Hank, do you mind telling me WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?” Luis whispered in a complete rage. “AND WHO THE HELL IS THE BODY ON THE FLOOR?”
“Well it appears that the gunmen escaped and the body lying there is.... is you,” Hank reported.
“WHAT?” Luis asked incredulously.
“At least that’s what they all think,” Hank said.
Luis returned to the window for a better look. He saw the man was wearing the same clothes, he was wearing, but couldn’t get a good look at the face. “I can’t see the face,” Luis complained. “I see he’s wearing the same clothes I am, but what makes you think they think it’s me?” Luis asked.
“Will you trust me on this one Luis?” Hank asked. “I saw the guy. He looks like you, talks like you and walks like you. Hell, he was hired by Alistair Crane to impersonate you. He’s who Sheridan saw that night on the wharf.”
“Hank, how the hell do you know all this?” Luis asked suspiciously.
“Luis, never mind that now. Don’t you think we need to do something about getting Sheridan out of there?” Hank asked.
“Yeah, you’re right, Hank,” Luis agreed. “Do you have a cell phone with you?”
“Yeah, I do,” Hank said.
Luis extended his hand for the phone. Hank handed Luis the phone. “Keep your eye on them for a minute. Call me if anyone does anything,” Luis ordered. He then walked a few feet away and called Sam.
“Sam, it’s Luis.” he said. “We have big trouble.”
“What is it Luis,” Sam asked with grave concern as he listened to the tone of Luis’ voice.
“Roger and Pierre have escaped. The Gendarme Antoine was the leak. He’s with them and they have Sheridan. They’ve also killed a man they think is me,” Luis explained anxiously.
“WHAT?” Sam shouted. “Luis how could this happen? What do you mean they’ve killed someone they think is you?”
“Sam, all I know, is that Alistair Crane hired someone to pose as me. He’s the reason Sheridan turned on me the way she did, and now they all, seem to think it’s me lying there,” Luis told him. “Sam, I need some help here. they’ve already killed my double. I can’t let them hurt Sheridan.”
“Where are you?” Sam asked.
“The Crane cabin. Tina knows how to get here,” Luis said.
“I’ll grab Tina and we’ll have several back ups come with us,” Sam said. “Hold tight, buddy,”
“I’ll try Sam,” Luis said anxiously. He shut the phone off and silently walked back over to Hank who was still watching at the window.
“Anything happening?” Luis asked.
“Nah, not yet. They seem to be discussing something. Sheridan keeps staring at your impostor’s shoes? What’s up with that?” Hank asked curiously.
Luis looked down at his feet and smiled. “I’m not wearing any socks.”
“So what?” Hank said.
“He is!” Luis said grinning. “Sheridan knows it too.”
“Do you think she’s figured out it’s not you?” Hank asked in wonderment.
“I’m not sure,” Luis said as he tried to make out her expression. She looks pretty confused and scared right now, “Damn! I can’t wait for Sam. I need to do something NOW!”
Luis began wringing his hands together as thoughts filled his mind at the possibility of losing Sheridan. He began looking around him for a weapon of some sort. “Hank, I need to find some kind of weapon, a rock, big stick, just something I can use as a diversion,” Luis said.
“Would a gun help?” Hank asked innocently.
Luis looked at Hank in utter surprise. “You have a gun? Never mind. I don’t want to know. Just hand it over and I’ll tell you what we’re going to do.” Hank handed Luis his gun and Luis explained the plan to Hank of what they would do to free Sheridan from Roger, Pierre and Antoine.
“Well Sheridan,” Roger said as he hung up the phone. “I dare say you are worth something to your family. Your father is willing to pay handsomely for your safe return. He has also arranged safe passage for us out of the country. I must admit he did not seem displeased to hear your American lover is dead.” Roger smiled at Sheridan.
“You will never get away with this,” Sheridan said bitterly.
“But you see, Miss Crane, “We will get away with this. By this time tomorrow, Antoine, Pierre and I will be basking in the sun in Brazil. There we will start a new life for ourselves and build an even bigger clientele than we had in Paris.”
“Well good for you,” Sheridan said sarcastically. “Look since it doesn’t appear you are going to kill me, would it be asking too much if I changed my clothes? You look like you could use a change yourself!” she said seething.
Roger suddenly realized he was still wearing his hospital gown. “Mon Dieu! You have clothes here?” he demanded.
“Yeah, sure, ”Sheridan said in a despondent tone. “Over there in that bedroom.” She pointed to the bedroom on the opposite side of the cabin from where she and Luis were staying.
“Pierre, come. You may change Sheridan, but make no mistake. We will kill you if you attempt an escape,” Roger said. “Antoine! Guard her door while she is changing.”
Pierre and Roger retreated to one side of the cabin, while Sheridan retreated to the other side. Sheridan flipped on the lights and Antoine stood there waiting. “If you were expecting to see something Antoine?” Sheridan said in a questioning manner, “You were wrong!” Sheridan slammed the door in Antoine’s face. He sneered at her behind the door.
Sheridan immediately ran over to the bed and checked the floor where Luis had taken off his socks. She found his jacket thrown in the corner, but where were his socks? ‘Please God, let me find them,’ she said to herself. She knelt down and looked under the bed. A huge grin appeared on her tear stained face as she pulled out two black socks. “Luis, you’re still alive!” she mumbled. Tears of joy trickled down her face. Now that she was relatively sure he was still alive, she was once again confused as to where he was, who was dead and what happened.
Sheridan was about to change into a sweater and skirt when she heard a car engine start. She raced to the window trying to see something, but saw nothing.
Antoine ran to the front door when he heard the engine start. He ran out the door, looking for the car. As he raced around the corner, he was greeted with the butt end of a revolver at the back of his head. He dropped to the ground unconscious. Luis immediately relieved Antoine of his gun. Hank, who had turned the engine off already, ran to Luis’ side and took one of the guns from him.
Luis and Hank looked at each other. “Are you ready?” Luis whispered.
Hank nodded. They slowly crept to the front door.
Roger and Pierre had both heard the car engine starting. They hurried as fast as they could getting dressed. When they were finished, they both ran to the door and opened it.
On the outside of the door on either side were Luis and Hank, each with gun in hand.
As soon as Roger and Pierre had their heads out the door, Luis and Hank’s armed hands came crashing down on their skulls. The two drug dealers were like their counterpart Antoine, out for the count.
Hank and Luis stepped over the unconscious bodies and into the living room of the cabin. Luis walked over to the body on the floor. He looked at the face and gasped. “Oh my God!” he said. "No wonder they thought it was me.” He continued to stare at his double when his thoughts returned to Sheridan.
“Sheridan! I have to find Sheridan!” Luis said anxiously. He ran to the bedroom they’d shared and turned the knob. He opened the door and called her name. “Sheridan are you here?”
Suddenly Sheridan popped out from behind the door. She saw Luis standing there, his shirt half buttoned on the outside, his hair all rumpled with no socks on. “LUIS!!!” she screamed as she jumped into his waiting arms. She held him so tightly he was having difficulty breathing. “It wasn’t you! Luis, it wasn’t you!” She sobbed in his arms. “You’re alive!”
“I’m definitely alive, Sheridan,” he said grinning impishly, “Unless you cut off my oxygen supply.”
Sheridan released her death grip of him slightly. She backed up and looked deeply into his brown eyes, which were smiling down at her. She moved her arms to around his neck and began kissing his face until her mouth settled upon his. She parted their mouths deepening the kiss. It was a desperate kiss, filled with a fire and passion that had not yet been released. Luis tried to resist her kiss, but it was so intense he succumbed almost immediately.
Hank, who had searched the cabin for rope, found it and tied the hands of the three gunmen, thus avoiding any untimely arousals by them. He knocked on the door where Sheridan and Luis were, finding them in their most passionate kiss to date.
“A-hem” Hank cleared his throat. He nervously watched them slowly part from their kiss, burying his jealousy deep within. When they finally took their eyes off each other and turned their attention to Hank, he said, “Sam just pulled up, Luis.” Hank was still unable to look Sheridan in the eye. Hank then walked away and returned to the living room to wait for Sam. Sheridan and Luis followed at a distance, but neither one willing to leave the other’s side. Sheridan held Luis closely, almost to a point that hampered their ability to walk. After the ordeal she’d been through, she was not about to let go of Luis. Luis didn’t fight it, in fact he rather enjoyed it, still only knowing half the story.
To Be Continued...
