Scarlet Angel (9 page)

Scarlett let out a deep sigh. For the first time
since Neil walked through the door, she felt like she could
breathe. “Oh, thank God.”

The two gently moved Neil into his bedroom. She
leaned over his unconscious form as the doctor left the room. He
returned a moment later with several clear bags of fluid.

“
I’m going to stay until he wakes
up. It should only be a few hours. There is a chance he won’t, but
that’s pretty unlikely.”

Scarlett was thankful for the company. With the
chaos of her life before, and now Neil almost dying, she wondered
if there would ever be a sense of normalcy again.

Doctor Smith strolled back into the living room and
moved to sit down on the black couch.

Scarlett grabbed a couple bottles of water from the
fridge and sat down beside him. “Thank you so much Doctor, for
saving him.”

“
Oh no, you saved him just as much
as I did. If you hadn’t kept your hand over that wound he would
have bled out before I got here.”

He held the bottle to his forehead. The condensing
water ran from the plastic surface to his forehead and down his
face. When he shifted his position, his jacket fell open. Inside,
was the black shape of a gun.

Scarlett’s heart skipped a beat.

Chapter 13
Brush with Death

Sometimes we learn more from the places or people we
least expect, even if it is from our own selves.

* * *

Scarlett tried not to stare at the gun. She twisted
in her seat and the couch’s black leather squeaked at her movement.
Even after the doctor shifted and his jacket hid the firearm again,
she struggled to keep her eyes anywhere else.

“
So, being this kind of doctor
must be dangerous.”

He twisted the cap off his bottle of water and took
a swig. “Oh, somewhat. But it’s only part of what I do.”

“
Really?”

“
Yes, I used to be a full-time
surgeon. But I lost my license and, well... then I discovered I had
other talents.” Doctor Smith leaned back.

“
Talents... Like him?”

“
Yes, talents much like our friend
in the other room. Though, we operate in different circles, so I
have nothing but respect for him.”

The conversation was like something out of a dream,
for Scarlett. This man talked about becoming a hired killer as if
it was the weather. The entire situation was surreal for her.

Then the second part of what he said sank in.
“Wait... lost your license?”

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Are
you so surprised?”

“
Well, no... I...”

“
To be honest, and not to toot my
own horn, so to speak, I’m still one of the best in the state. I
doubt you’d be able to get a licensed doctor here anyway. Just for
coming here they could lose their license. Losing
my
license
was, let’s say, a matter of political differences between myself
and the medical board.”

Scarlett didn’t know what to think. She’d just let
an unlicensed doctor perform life-saving surgery on the man who was
her only chance of survival. The more she thought about it the more
bizarre her life had become.

Their talk was comfortable and natural. Yet,
something nagged at her. Then the question popped into her mind.
“Why are you telling me this? Aren’t you assassin-guys supposed to
be stoic and keep your past secret?”

Doctor Smith laughed. “Sometimes. Some of us more
than others. I’ve never been the stoic type. Aaaand I’ve never
really kept my past a secret. Mostly because I don’t leave a
calling card or any trace at all, for that matter.”

He paused a moment then, as an afterthought, he
continued. “Not that I broadcast who I am or what I do. It’s
just... If Cash trusts you, so do I.”

Scarlett thought about the man’s history. Lost in
her own reflection, the doctor’s words brought her back to reality.
“What about you?”

“
Huh?”

“
What makes you choose this life?
Not many do, you know? Not really.”

“
Well I guess I’m no different
then.” She stared down into her lap and picked at her fingernails.
“Let’s just say my life is really complicated and a lot of people
will get hurt if Neil can’t teach me to stay alive.”

“
Hmm.”

There was a long, heavy silence. Doctor Smith stared
and fiddled with his bottle. Scarlett just looked off into space.
Finally a question came to her. “Is it worth it?”

The doctor thought about her question for a moment.
“Sometimes. My first year was a little tough. I didn’t have someone
like Neil to teach me. In fact, I almost couldn’t complete my first
contract.”

“
What happened?”

“
I had just had my license
revoked. I had a few debts, okay a lot of them... and suddenly had
no way to pay them. The man I owed approached me and offered to
wipe them clean if I did a job for him.”

Scarlett looked up from her lap. “He wanted you to
kill someone...”

“
Yes. But not just kill them. He
wanted it to look like natural causes. He wanted it to be so
foolproof that no insurance or police autopsy could ever know the
difference. That meant no chemical traces or injection points or
anything.”

He laughed. “One of my best habits as a doctor was
how thoroughly I researched my patients’ histories. Turned out my
target had asthma as well as a minor heart condition. I knew it
just a matter of applying the right stressors and he would fall
over and really die of natural causes.”

“
So how’d you do it?”

This time the doctor stared off into space. “Fire
alarm. I shut down the elevators and set off the smoke detectors.
When he tried to go down twenty-two flights of stairs... He almost
made it. On the landing at the third floor he collapsed, holding
his chest.”

“
Wow.”

“
It took every ounce of willpower
I had not to bend down and help him.”

Scarlett’s eyes widened. “You were there with
him?”

He just nodded.

“
I can only imagine how hard that
was. And that was the first time you killed anyone?”

“
On purpose.”

She thought about what kind of life the doctor must
have led, and how he came to be where he was. She wondered if she
actually had it easier.
Maybe having a choice is the harder way
to go.

“
A few weeks ago a man broke into
my house.” She paused for a second, barely believing that the words
were coming out of her mouth. For the first time, she was able to
say aloud what had happened.

“
He tied up my brother and mother.
He was going to kill me. I... I broke his neck.” Her voice cracked
on her last words. She’d thought about it, but never before had she
truly admitted that she killed that man.

The doctor’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s
impressive. Not many can do that.” He shifted in his seat and
looked at her. “He was going to kill you? And your family,
right?”

She nodded.

“
That can’t be what drove you to
Neil.”

“
No. It was the man who sent him
to kill me. As long as he thinks I’m dead, he can’t find or hurt my
family.”

“
Ahhh... And you want to go after
him before he ends up finding you.”

“
That’s about it.” Her words were
barely a whisper.

Silence lingered in the air for a long moment. A
short while later they started talking again. Simple chit-chat off
and on occupied the next few hours. Sometimes it was about events
in the city. Sometimes it was about the job.

A groan from the other room broke an extended
silence. The pair stood and went to check on Neil. They entered the
room and approached Neil’s left side. The patient was covered up to
his chin by the tan comforter. Only his arm and face were
uncovered.

His eyes were still closed, but his arm moved
restlessly. The doctor stepped up and took Neil’s wrist to check
his pulse.

Neil’s left hand snatched free of the doctor’s grip.
He seized the man’s coat and yanked him down. Neil’s other hand
flashed out from under the covers.

In the time it took Scarlett to blink, Neil grabbed
Doctor Smith and had a plasma pistol against his forehead. He
looked up into the doctor’s eyes. “Who are you and what the hell
are you doing in my home?”

Scarlett raised her arms and stopped. “WHOA! Neil!
What the shit?”

Neil’s gaze snapped to her. “Scarlett! What’s going
on? Who is this assbag?”

“
He’s the man who saved your life.
Put the gun down.”

He looked up at the other man through narrow
eyelids.

The doctor was calm and held his arms up. “My name
is Doctor Smith.”

Neil pressed the gun harder against the man’s skull.
He looked back and forth between the doctor and Scarlett.

She didn’t want to move. In his current state, she
knew Neil might not act rationally. “You came back from your job
and passed out. You were shot.”

“
And how did he get here? How did
you call him?”

“
I didn’t. Cash did.”

Neil looked up at the doctor again. He backed the
weapon off a little. “Cash sent you?”

Doctor Smith nodded. “Yes. Cash Mallack called me
and told me where to go. I didn’t know who you were until I saw you
in person.”

“
Then you must be the real Doctor
Smith.”

“
Indeed I am.”

“
I suppose if Cash can trust you
then so can I.”

“
Would you, umm, mind putting the
gun down and letting me go now?”

“
Huh? Oh.” Neil laughed. “Sure.”
He set the pistol down on the side of the bed and released the
doctor’s coat.

Scarlett rushed over. “I’m so sorry, Doctor. Neil’s
probably just a little out of it.”

“
Please.” Doctor Smith laughed.
“This is certainly not the first time a patient has woken up and
put a gun to my head.”

“
Really?”

“
Absolutely. Happened even before
I
became
Doctor Smith. Now.” He turned back to his patient.
He peeled back the covers and looked over the wound. “Neil,
fortunately, you did not tear open your wound. But you really need
to try not to move too much for the next few days.”

“
I suppose I can handle
that.”

The doctor nodded. “Good. You lost a lot of blood
and the damage was pretty severe. I’m not really sure how you even
made it back here. Regardless... I’ve used an advanced tissue
regeneration compound. You should be able to be up and moving in
about a week.”

“
A week?” Neil and Scarlett said
in unison. Neil continued. “The last time I was shot, it took
four-times that.”

“
I’m sure. This compound will
dramatically aid in tissue growth as well as your blood volume
recovery. For a little more than a week your metabolism will spike
pretty high to compensate, though. You’ll need plenty of protein
and fluids in your diet.”

Scarlett just stared at the doctor. He continued to
ramble about other side effects and care necessities for Neil. She
listened and tried to absorb it all.

A short while later, the doctor said his goodbyes to
Neil and headed for the living room. Scarlett started to follow him
but stopped in the doorway. She turned around and pointed back at
Neil. “Later, we’re gonna talk about where the hell you got that
gun from.”

Neil only smiled.

She turned and followed the doctor.

“
He’s going to need you over the
next week. He’s going to try to do things on his own and you can’t
let him. Keep him in bed.” Doctor Smith bent down and rummaged
through his suitcase.

“
Oh... okay.”

He stood up and turned to her. In his hand sat two
bottles of pills. “He’s going to need these. One is an antibiotic
and the other is for pain. He needs to take the Antelliciline twice
a day until they are all gone. He can take the Praxocet as
needed.”

“
Got it.”

He grabbed the handle to his luggage and moved
toward the elevator. Inside, he paused. “Oh, and yes, in case you
were wondering, the gun was for you. In this business, things are
often black and white. When I walked in, your life depended on his,
just as much as his depended on you.”

Scarlett held her breath.

“
For what it’s worth,” he
continued. “I’m glad he survived.”

Doctor Smith flipped the switch and disappeared up
the elevator shaft.

She suddenly realized her chest was pounding. She
had just come within a few inches of death and not even known it.
Yet another lesson from this whole situation.

Chapter 14
Confession

In the battles we wage within ourselves to keep the
strictest of controls, we are the loser. Our deepest feelings will
always surface, one way or another.

* * *

After the doctor left, Scarlett walked into Neil’s
bedroom. She smiled at the slow rise and fall of his chest.
Already back asleep.

She plopped down into the chair next to the bed and
waited. After a few minutes, her own eyes grew heavy and she dozed.
Images of Derrick and Neil intermingled in her mind. The dreams
started with her and Neil sparring in a blank space. Somewhere
along the way, his face morphed into one she did not remember but
knew was Derrick’s.

Her practice punches turned into deadly blows. The
two ended up on the floor where their wrestling bodies became slick
with sweat. Derrick turned back into Neil. By the time she awoke,
their limbs were intertwined in passion.