Bruno rushed to my side and didn’t bother undoing the restraints he simply pulled a deadly looking knife out of his boot and cut the straps. He threw me in the van and I landed on the floor of the van in a heap. I had no idea what he was going to do with me nor did I care. I closed my eyes and tried to block out all thoughts of Mark. I could no longer feel my heart. It had broken into a million pieces and was gone.
Suddenly I was startled as something heavy landed on my right leg. I opened my eyes as Bruno threw the van in reverse and tore out of the warehouse. I could hear the sirens in the background getting louder, but as Bruno drove away they became a distant sound.
My eyes finally focused on the heavy weight on my legs. I gasped when I saw that it was Mark. Bruno had grabbed him before we fled from the building.
I cried at the sight of Mark’s body. Why would Bruno do this to me? I could not bear to look at Mark’s lifeless body.
“He’s still alive,” Bruno told me. “I felt a faint pulse before I grabbed him.”
I pulled my legs out from under Mark and kneeled at his side. I put my shaky fingertips to his neck and wept with joy when I felt the faint pulse under my fingers.
My hands became frantic as I searched for Mark’s wound. I pulled up his shirt that was soaked in his blood and found the wound. Darkness threatened to pull me under when I saw the blood flowing out of the wound but, I fought it back.
He needed me and I was not going to let anything get in the way of that.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and looked around franticly for something to staunch the bleeding. The van held the same equipment that had been in the lab. My scan of the interior told me there was nothing in the van that would help Mark.
I did the only thing I could think of, placing my hand over the wound to try and stop the steady flow. His warm blood ran between my fingers. I cried silent tears as I felt his pulse growing weaker.
“Please hurry,” I pleaded to Bruno in a broken voice. “He’s slipping away,” I said with a broken sob.
“The hospital’s right up the road,” he said.
I felt relief at his words as he began to slow the van down. I looked up thinking we were at the hospital, but to my dismay we were parked on the side of the road.
Bruno jumped out and jogged around the vehicle and opened the door.
“Why are we stopping? We have to hurry he’s dying!” I yelled at him in a hoarse voice.
Bruno stripped off his shirt and pushed it under my hands that were still pressed over Mark’s wound.
“I can’t take you the rest of the way, there will be too many questions. Drive the rest of the way, its right up the road. Tell the doctors that you were walking on the beach when some thugs jumped out and robbed you and shot your boyfriend.”
I looked at him in confusion.
“I don’t know if any of this talk about angels is true, but you didn’t deserve any of this,” he said as he turned to run away.
“Wait!” I yelled. I threw my arms around him and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you.”
I watched him for a brief moment as he jogged away and then adrenaline took over. I raced to the driver’s side and threw myself into the driver’s seat. I slammed the vehicle into gear and flew down the road. I hit the hospital parking lot going ninety and did not stop until I reached the emergency room.
I tore into the E.R. yelling that my boyfriend had been shot and was dying in my car. Several doctors rushed after me as I raced back to Mark.
Within moments they had him on a stretcher and had started C.P.R. I watched as they searched for a pulse. I fought to hold onto his hand and begged them to save him as they raced him into the hospital.
I felt a nurse tugging on my arm trying to pry me away from him, but I fought her off. I was not letting him go. I knew that as long as I continued to touch him, he wouldn’t die.
I felt the sharp pain of a needle being plunged into my throat. I felt my hand slip away from Mark’s and tried to call out, but it was too late. I didn’t get a chance to tell them how important it was for them to save him. That I could not survive without him.
I knew I was dreaming. I was sitting on the soft sand that I had sat on hundreds of times before. I looked around for Mark, but saw him nowhere. I sat and watched the waves approaching and the birds flying throughout the sky. It was actually quite peaceful. There was a slight breeze that carried the scent of the amusement park in the distance. Just when I was about ready to give up, I saw him approaching. I was surprised to see that he was not alone. Four others stood behind him.
I recognized Sam and Shawn and thought one of the other couples looked familiar too, but couldn’t place them.
Mark stopped in front of me and held out his hand to me.
I stood up and faced him. “Are you dead?” I asked him.
“I don’t know. This isn’t my dream, it’s yours.”