Forewarned 4

Part Ten

Tommy Gallo cursed. He slapped the man standing in front of him in the side of the head. "What do you mean Dino is dead? That bitch killed another of my boys?!"

The young blond-haired man cowered, nodding.

Gallo slammed his fist down on the bar, causing the stoppers in the decanters to rattle loudly and the ice cubes in his own glass clink against the crystal.

"Dino shot her partner, but he�s in the hospital."

"Oh that�s just great, he got a shot off but couldn�t even make a clean kill with it. Just great."

The blond turned to go.

"Rodney . . . "

The blond stopped "Yes, Mr. Gallo?"

"Have someone watch her. I want to know her every move. I want to know when she eats, when she sleeps, when she goes to the ladies room, you understand?"

"Yessir." The blond walked out of the room.

"Damn."

Ian answered his phone, the faintest of smiles playing across his face.

"Hey, it�s me. Listen I know I just called a bit ago, but I needed to let you know I�m going to be taking off for a week or so. Joe Siri, my boss, kinda ordered it."

"Where are you going?"

"I haven�t decided yet, but I was thinking about the coast. It�s still cold enough that it should be empty and the rates low."

"Sara, you need not worry about money anymore. I thought I made myself clear on that."

Sara smiled. "Old habits are hard to break, Nottingham."

"When are you leaving?"

"In the morning."

"I will visit you tonight then."

Sara frowned a little, she�d been hoping he�d offer to go with her. "Ok then, should I leave the window unlocked?"

"Never leave the window unlocked, Sara. That is inviting trouble."

"That was a joke, Nottingham. Or should I start calling you Trouble?" she chuckled.

On the other end of the line she heard a noise that she couldn�t quite interpret. It might have been a small laugh, or Nottingham may have just coughed. She couldn�t quite tell. She waited for a reply, but all she heard was a dial tone. She really wished he�d learn to say something before hanging up.

Jake McCartey awoke to a flurry of activity. A pleasant voice greeted him.

"Welcome back to the world of the conscious."

Jake winced as he tried to sit up, "Sara? Where�s Sara?"

"Your partner is fine, Mr. McCartey. You, however, were shot in the shoulder." A soft hand firmly pushed him back against the pillows. "Don�t try to sit up, yet. You need to rest a bit."

Jake reached up touching the bandages gingerly. He then rubbed his head. Damn that hurt.

"You took quite a bump to the head when you fell. Slight concussion."

"Great. Pez probably thinks I�m a complete klutz now." He looked chagrined. "I managed to spill coffee on her before I got shot."

The nurse smiled and stifled a laugh. "If you�d like to call her, I can dial the number for you. I�m sure she�d like to know that you are allright."

Jake nodded and called out the number.

Kenneth Irons turned as Ian entered the room. The fire snapped and popped behind him, gleaming off the leather upholstered furniture and the hardwood floor.

"She has eliminated another of Gallo�s men."

Irons merely nodded. He had felt the blade�s activity.

"She is going away for a week on the orders of her Captain."

Irons raised an eyebrow. "And just where is she going?"

"To the coast."

Irons turned his back to Ian, his fingertip resting on the ornate globe of the world. He gave it a spin. "You will follow her. Watch her. Make sure no harm comes to her."

Ian nodded his bowed head and left the room.

Sara hung up her phone. Jake was fine, that was a relief. She had assessed the wound as a flesh wound, but it�s always nice to know you�re right. Maybe she should invite him to go to the beach with her. Nah, she couldn�t see Joe giving them both that amount of time off. Jake would be back at work tomorrow.

She stood and went back inside. She called information and got the number of a realty company at the coast. Couldn�t make arrangements until morning when the offices opened. May as well go ahead and pack.

Sara pulled a battered suitcase from her closet. When was the last time she�d used this old thing? When she�d moved in here. She paused a moment trying to remember her last real vacation. She sighed. It had been with her Dad. Joe Pezzini. No matter what anyone said, adopted or not, Joe Pezzini was her father.

She tossed in some jeans, some t-shirts and some sweaters. It was probably going to be chilly with the sea air. She put in a pair of gloves, a scarf and a warm cap. No use packing anything sexy. She sighed. Why was she so worried about impressing Nottingham? What the hell was it with that man? She put in her swimsuit as an afterthought. Maybe there would be a heated pool somewhere. She sat down and made a list of things to do in the morning. She got up and locked the door as the last person left, the department photographer. She�d need to leave her apartment key at the office in case anyone needed to come back for anything. She added that to the list. If her apartment kept becoming a crime scene, she�d never get her deposit back. She sighed, staring at the blood stain on the floor. Everything taken care of, she made a pot of coffee and then sat down to wait on Nottingham, her thoughts playing back over the day�s events.

A knock at the door startled her from her reverie. Who the hell could that be? Maybe someone forgot something. She sighed and stood and went to unlock the door. As she opened the door, her jaw fell in surprise.

Part 11

Ian Nottingham stood in Sara�s doorway, a duffel bag in his gloved hand. "Are you going to let me in, Sara?"

Sara sputtered. "Yes, of course. I mean, come in." She backed away from the door, making room for him to enter.

"You didn�t think I�d let you go away and not accompany you? I am your protector, Sara "

"Well, I . . . I�m not sure what I thought. Did Irons order you protect me or did you choose that role for yourself?"

"He ordered me to do so in this lifetime. I chose to do so many lifetimes before he asked me. Whether I was ordered to do so or not, I would choose the same in this lifetime."

"Why?

Ian ignored the question. "We should leave tonight."

"Tonight? But the realty company at Taylor�s Beach won�t be open until morning . . . I need sleep, I�ve got things to take care of before I can leave."

Ian nodded. "We should not stay here." He held Sara by the upper arm.

"Nottingham? What the hell?"

He guided her to the window, shielding her body with his own. "Look across the street, on that rooftop. Tell me what you see."

Sara looked as directed. The glint of light reflecting off a scope met her eye. "Well damn. Gallo doesn�t give up easily I guess. How did you know?"

Ian moved them away from the window. "It would not be the first person Gallo has stationed there."

"What?! Gallo has been spying on me?" Sara caught the meaning of his words. "What happened to the first one?"

"He had an accident."

"An accident?"

Ian didn�t reply to her question. He spied her suitcase on the bed and retrieved it. "Shall we? I took the liberty of borrowing a car from Mr. Irons for us." He neglected to tell her that Irons thought the car was solely for him to follow Sara.

Sara looked at him incredulously. "How many does he have?"

"Eleven at last count."

Sara gawked.

Ian offered Sara his arm. She held up a finger and walked around turning off lights and appliances, and then returned to his side, accepting his arm. They walked out of the apartment and Sara locked the door.

Gallo�s man cursed and lowered his rifle as the lights went off in the apartment across the street. He turned and headed for the door that accessed the roof, intent of following Sara Pezzini no matter where she may go.

"Swing by the precinct, I need to drop of my keys." Sara shivered trying to shake off the cold of the New York evening. The car was beginning to get warm and she pushed her feet a little closer to the heater under the dash.

Ian nodded. "Cold?"

"Yes. My teeth chattering give it away?"

"There is a rocker button to the right of your seat. Press it." Ian directed her, his eyes never leaving the road.

Sara pressed the button, but as she lifted her arm she noticed the Witchblade beginning to glow. She looked around and then behind them. A pair of squarish headlights followed. "How long has that car been following us?"

"Since we left your building."

"Hmmm." Sara noticed that her seat was getting warm. "Heated seats? Geez. I love it!" She laughed, then her face turned sober, "Think that�s one of Gallo�s?"

"I know it is." Ian pulled up in front of the police department. "Don�t get out yet." He turned off the ignition and got out of the car, walking around to Sara�s side. He opened her door and offered her a hand. She accepted and he walked her to the door. "Go on in. I will wait here for you."

Sara nodded and went inside to leave a key for Joe, just in case. She quickly penned a note for him and left the key and folded paper on his desk. She walked back out of the building to where Nottingham waited for her, just as he had said he would. He tucked a folded map into his pocket and they made their way back to the car and he saw to it she was seated and buckled in before closing her door and going around to get into the driver�s seat once again.

"Hey Nottingham?

"Yes, Sara?

"Did I turn off the coffeepot?"

Ian nodded and Sara thought she could detect the faintest of smiles on his face.

Tommy Gallo hung up his phone. So Pezzini had a bodyguard now. Not that it would do her any good. What was with the suitcase and duffel bag? Was Pezzini going to run? Probably. Didn�t matter. She could run to the ends of the earth and he�d still have someone on her. That bitch was going to pay.

Sara and Ian rode in silence. Finally she couldn�t stand it any more. "Is he still back there?"

Ian nodded.

"Can you lose him or do you want me to drive?"

"It is not a concern."

"What? Not a concern? Have you lost your mind? Gallo wants me dead, Nottingham. I thought you were supposed to be my self-appointed "Protector" ."

"I am your protector, Sara."

Sara harumphed. "I�m not in the mood for word games, Nottingham." She fell silent again, resting her head against the glass of the window.

A few miles down the road, Ian looked over to her. She was sound asleep. He could see the reflection of her face in the glass. He could still see the square headlights in the rear view as well. There was a rest area ahead. It was late enough that it shouldn�t be crowded. A perfect opportunity. He steered the car into the rest area, pulled into a parking space between two other empty cars and started to get out.

Sara stirred, �We there yet?"

"No. Stay in the car. Do not get out."

"Nottingham? What are you . . ." Sara stopped speaking as the driver�s door closed. She looked around taking in her surroundings. She was just tired enough not to argue. She slid down further into the leather seat.

Ian watched as the square headlights that had been following them came into view. He waited until he was sure the driver could see him and headed for the public restrooms.

The driver stepped out of the car that had followed Sara and Ian, a nondescript brown sedan. He glanced furtively around. No sign of the bodyguard, his target sleeping in her seat. Excellent. He sidled up to the expensive car and slid his pistol from his jacket pocket. He checked quickly to make sure the silencer was on correctly and glanced around once more. No one in sight.

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