Chapter
11
September
1999
Dubrovnic,
Croatia
Harm
dropped off his pack in his hotel room, changed into civvies and went
out to walk to his rendez-vous.
Nell
did pretty much the same a few minutes later. When she arrived, Harm
was sitting on the terrace of the café, reading a newspaper. She had
a few seconds to watch him before he looked up and saw her. They both
smiled. Harm got up and they shared a long hug.
« Nine
years already ! »
« Time
flies by ! »
Sitting
down, they started talking while the waiter brought the menu. During
the last nine years, they had only written letters and emails to each
other, so they had a lot more to share, stories, anecdotes.
They
had started eating when Harm looked intrigued by something that was
happening behind Nell. She turned her head and like a movie in slow
motion, saw the big black sedan, its window being opened and the
muzzle appear in the opening. She heard Harm yell and dropped on the
pavement under the table. Bullets began flying over her head, and she
felt Harm close his arms around her. She had a fleeting thought that
he would always be her knight in Dress Whites, even if he didn't have
it on today.
The
shooting lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.
Harm had been shot at before, and he knew what to do next.
He
lifted his head above the table, saw the car drive away quickly. He
turned around and looked at the bodies around him. Nell got out of
hiding as well, opened her cell phone. A man was coming up to her, so
she gave it to him.
« Call
an ambulance and stay on the line. »
The
man obviously understood what she was saying, and that was a relief.
Harm
checked the pulse of a man sprawled a few feet away, and shook his
head when Nell looked at him. He went to help a woman crying on her
chair while Nell approached another man lying on the pavement. He had
been shot through the abdomen and was losing a lot of blood. She took
off her jacket and bent over him.
« Hi,
my name is Nell. What is yours ? »
The
man was still conscious. « Stan... »
« Hello
Stan. Stay calm, I'm going to help you, okay ? »
She
didn't know if he could understand her, but sometimes the right tone
is enough to break the language barrier. She smiled and pressed her
folded jacket on the wound. Stan had a hiccup.
« I
know it hurts, but I have to slow the bleeding. » She turned to
Harm, saw that he had put a makeshift bandage around the woman's arm.
« Harm !
I need your jacket ! »
He
took it from his fallen chair.
« Help
me. I'm going to pull him towards me, you put your vest under his
back and I'm going to lie him down again on it. It should compress
his wound from the back, so you fold it tight. One, two, three. »
Together
they moved Stan who howled in pain.
« I'm
sorry Stan. This is Harm, he's helping as well. »
She
put her own jacket back on the injury on the belly.
« Harm,
push down, please. »
Nell
brought Stan's limbs forward and folded them over his chest,
compressing the wound. She put her arm over his legs to keep them in
place.
« You
stay with me, Stan ! Don't you dare pass out ! »
Another
man came close and started talking very fast.
« I'm
sorry, I don't understand, but I'm sure he can. Talk to him, keep him
alert. »
Harm,
sensing the situation was under control, went to check on the other
victims.
The
ambulances arrived just a few minutes later, as well as a police car.
The EMT loaded the victims in the vans, thanking Harm and Nell for
their quick actions. The police officers took their statements, their
numbers and let them go. They looked at each other and finally
noticed the blood they were covered in.
Back
at the hotel, they each went to their own room. It took Harm a few
minutes to shower and change. He also took a moment to write down his
recollection of what had happened, in case he had missed something
the first time he told the police. He then tried to call Nell's room,
but got no answer. Starting to worry, he left his room and knocked on
her door.
« Nell ? »
He turned the knob and entered. The sound of the water was covering
his footsteps so he repeated louder. « NELL ? »
He
went to the bathroom. Nell was sitting under the spray, knees up and
arms wound tight around them, shaking uncontrollably. He turned the
water off and threw a towel over her shoulders. Her eyes were open
wide and staring out. Harm sat down near the stall and pulled Nell
into his arms, making shushing sounds to calm her down. He rubbed the
fabric over her arms and legs. After a minute, she started coming
back, looking like she hadn't seen him come in. She peered into his
eyes, locked her arms around his neck and attacked his mouth with
hers.
*****
He
felt himself grow hard instantly. He put his hands on her back and
dived into the kiss. She was so hungry with him he felt her teeth.
There was frenzy in the way she pulled at his shirt and sent buttons
flying.
He
laid her down on the tile floor and licked his way to her breast. She
cried when he seized her nipple between his lips. He feasted on her
soft flesh and she squirmed beneath him. She fisted her hand in his
hair and pulled him back to her mouth.
She
was so wrapped around him he had trouble opening his fly and pulling
down his pants. He heard her plea and filled her with one long move.
She buckled under the assault and bit his lip.
He
started to move hard and fast and she moaned with pleasure. This
time, it wasn't so much about shared desire than the desire to feel
alive. She peaked with a sob, and the feeling had Harm climax with
her. He rolled away, gasping for air.
*****
Nell
finally got up, went back in the shower and rinsed herself. Harm
stood up and looked at his clothes. His shirt was torn and his pants
stained with water. They faced each other with unease.
« Nell... »
« Harm...
don't worry, it doesn't mean anything. We just... wanted to take
comfort into each other, nothing more. »
Harm
stayed silent while Nell went to the bedroom to get dressed.
They
met again in the lobby. Nell was facing the entrance door with an air
of fear. Harm walked up to her, took her hand.
« I'll
walk out with you. »
« That
was the first time... French people don't make a habit of shooting at
one another. And they never let women see combat in the Air Force. »
« I'm
here for you, Dragon. »
She
lifted her eyes to him, took a deep breath and they walked out.
Everything
was the same, and this took Nell by surprise. She had been so shocked
by the shooting she thought everything would be different. People
were walking by, going about their businesses, the sun was shining
and the wind was blowing softly in the trees.
« Where
do you want to go ? »
« I
have to get back there. At the café. »
« You're
sure ? »
« Yes.
It's what I've been training for all my career. »
« You're
not a grunt, Nell, you're a pilot. You haven't been trained for
that. »
« Still. »
« All
right. »
Keeping
her hand in his, he led her around the corner of the block. There,
however, everything was still in chaos. Police cars were blocking the
street, techs and officers were working amongst the debris, and blood
was still staining the pavement. Nell had to take another deep
breath.
A
man wearing a badge on his civilian clothes met them at the yellow
tape that was blocking the sidewalk.
« I
know who you are. You were in the café when they shot. »
« Yes. »
Harm
handed the detective the report he wrote.
« This
is my statement. We'll send you Colonel Marchand's as soon as she
writes hers. »
« Thank
you. It was quick. »
« Memories
are better when they're fresh. »
« That
is true. I'm sorry you had to experience this. »
« Do
you have a lead so far ? »
The
detective looked at them suspiciously.
« Why
do you want to know ? »
« Do
you think we could have been the targets ? »
Nell
paled. « Could it be true ? »
The
man stayed quiet and then lowered his voice. « I don't believe
so, because you were not in uniform. The man who was killed, the
police know him. Albanian mafia. It's more probable he was the
target. But politics... »
« Yeah,
I get it. Thanks, Detective. »
He
went back to the crime scene while Nell and Harm remained still.
« What
now ? »
« I'm
not really in the mood for a museum visit, Harm. »
« We
could tour the city, what do you think ? It's beautiful I
hear. »
« Yes,
let's walk. »
The
city was indeed beautiful. Little streets of cobbled stone, castles
with turrets, and an amazing view from the ramparts. When they
stopped for dinner, Harm chose an italian restaurant and they went
all the way inside. They both felt safer with a wall behing their
backs.
« How
are you right now? »
« Better.
I may have to talk with a shrink when I'm back on base, but the first
shock is gone. What about you ? I know it's not the first time
you've been shot. »
« I'm
okay. It's been a while, though. And I never enjoy it. »
Later
in the night, Nell had a nightmare. She tought about fighting it on
her own, even getting drunk to be able not to see it all over again,
but in the end she called Harm. He came right away and they spent the
night in each other's arms, until dawn broke.
They
had thought they would spend a lovely weekend together, but it had
turned out badly. The only good thing was they hadn't been wounded.
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