* * * *
“So, what’s the latest?” Ford asked Sandman as they stood with Ghost outside of the café. Lois was delivering some cookies to the boutique for a fund-raising event they were doing and then he and Ghost were going to take her to lunch. Ford watched her cross the street.
“They think they’re getting closer. Although it was pretty insane for Lois to have relocated those drugs and guns the agents found out her motivation. Seems that guy Cornero had a thing for her.”
“What?” Both Ford and Ghost asked.
“That’s what the detectives and agents found out from Caden’s two buddies Spitz and Ganor. They validated her story about Cornero insisting that Lois deliver that envelope of money. It had nothing to do with the deliveries of the drugs and guns. It was personal between him and Caden. Cornero offered to take care of Lois and Kenny, too. She wasn’t biting though.”
“Are you sure, Sandman? I mean, when we discussed everything with her two days ago she didn’t seem like she knew Cornero had wanted her.”
“Maybe she didn’t want to upset you more.”
“Well I’m pretty fucking upset,” Ghost said and ran his fingers through his hair.
“I think we need to talk to her about this.” Ghost said.
“I will need to talk to her about this. We said no holding back and no lies,” Ford added, feeling sick to his stomach.
“Listen, I think she was trying to downplay it and protect you guys from maybe overreacting and being jealous or angry. She had some bad shit happen to her. Those guys took advantage of her naiveté and maybe she didn’t like feeling like some object for them to fight over. She was never involved with Cornero. That was confirmed so it really doesn’t matter,” Sandman said.
She was smiling as she walked across the street and then Ford, Ghost, and Sandman seemed to pick up on the same thing at the same time. A black SUV sped up and pulled right next to her, blocking her way. Lois screamed and they all went running.
As he came around the front he saw a man striking her and pulling her up by her hair. Her lips were busted, her dress ripped.
“Stop! Police!” he yelled out and the man drew his gun and fired. Ford felt the hit to his arm and then Sandman and Ghost pulled him back and got behind another parked car. Lois was screaming, and so were people on the street as they all ran or fell to the ground to cover themselves.
“He’ll kill her. He’ll fucking kill her,” Ford yelled.
“He’s not taking her from us. He’s not,” Ghost said.
Police began to run from the sheriff’s department and trucks pulled up around the scene.
“Put down the gun and let her go, Cornero. It’s over,” Sandman said with his gun pointed at the man holding Lois. She was crying and bleeding. Her lip swollen, her face red and swollen and her bra and breasts showing from him tearing her clothes. Ford held his gun and looked down at the shot he took to his arm. A flesh wound that burned like a son of a bitch but his focus was on Lois.
“Get the fuck out of my way,” he said and started to pull Lois up into the truck with a gun to her side. He looked crazed and wild.
“He’s on something. Those men the Feds talked to said he was doing drugs as well as dealing,” Sandman said, holding his position and telling the other deputies and men in town who were carrying to stay back.
Ford looked to the right and saw Ghost. He was easing the side door of the SUV open.
“You’re not leaving here with her. She’s mine!” Ford stated, stepping closer.
“Ford.” Sandman said his name and he looked at his friend firmly. He must have seen what Ghost was doing, too, as he stood right next to Ford.
“Not anymore.” He started to place the truck into drive. When Lois slammed her arms against his head he grabbed her, too, and they tumbled from the SUV and Ghost dove on top of Cornero, striking him and pulling him from Lois’s body. He was handcuffed and under arrest in a flash.
“Holy shit. Good job, Ghost,” Sandman said. Ford and Ghost carefully rolled Lois to her back and looked over her injuries. “Jesus, baby. Oh, God, you’re all banged up,” Ghost said and caressed her arm, then tried to push the material of her dress up over her breast to cover her.
“You saved me. You stopped him from taking me,” she said and then began to cry. “Oh, God, Ford, you were shot. He shot you,” she stated and looked at him.
“It’s just a flesh wound. It’s all over, honey. It’s done,” Ford said to her and then the paramedics came over to treat Lois as Sandman took Cornero into custody.
“I want to go home, Ford, Ghost. I want to go home with you now,” she said.
He held her gaze and gave her a wink and a smile. “Okay, beauty, we’ve got you.”
Epilogue