stories and sagas
TWO HEARTS BEATING AS ONE HEART
James arrived in Barbados and found Caroline on the beach
drawing hearts in the sand with the help of her guide. At first, the guide
didn’t see James approach but when she did, James waved her off and he
walked up the beach to where Caroline was sitting.
“Shouldn’t you be drawing just one heart, Caroline?”
“James? James is that you?”
“Yes, my love, it’s me.”
Caroline cried and James kissed her.
How can I just let you walk away,
Just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking
Every breath with you, ooh
You’re the only one
Who really knew me at all
How can you just walk away from me,
When all I can do is
Watch you leave
Cos we’ve shared the laughter and the pain,
And even shared the tears
You’re the only one
Who really knew me at all…
It was James thinking of Caroline in Barbados, alone,
blind and without him.
It was Lily who was boarding the plane with Sam
on their way to Hong Kong on their first assignment together.
It was Michael Majors standing, lurking in the shadows
and who approached James.
James didn’t have time to talk with him
and didn’t want to tell him that Caroline was still alive.
James knew he was being selfish, but it was his wife,
who he deeply loved.
James was hurrying out of the main Dallas airport to catch
the Agency plane departing for Barbados.
He was not walking away,
he was running towards his soul mate, Caroline.
( to be continued)
Sam flew into Dallas and met up with James and Lily.
Sam had a lot to tell James but not in front of Lily.
Sam didn’t know that Lily came clean to James and told him everything,
well, almost everything.
“James, you mean to tell me that you trust her still?’
“Sam, we all make mistakes. Don’t we?”
Sam laughed and said, “What happened when I was gone?
Did you fall in love with Lily?”
James frowned at Sam. “Of course not.”
James put his arm around Sam’s shoulders and said,
“Let’s get a drink at the bar and you can tell me some news.”
The guys ordered doubles; scotch and water and took a seat
in the corner of the bar.
“Where’s Lily now?”
“She wanted to take a bubble bath and order room service.”
“Well, she is spoiled or did you train her that way,
James, after I left you two alone?”
“Sam, cut it out and tell me what you found out in California.”
“Prepare yourself, James, but Caroline is not dead. I saw her in a hospital
in San Francisco. She’s in bad shape, James.”
“What? You spoke to her?”
James couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Sam.
He took a long drink of scotch and waited for Sam to tell him more.
“Yes, I found her and spoke to her. There was an accident
in the lab where they were working ;
that new secret Chinese project exploded
and Caroline was severely injured.”
“Caroline was working on a secret project?”
“Yes, James unfortunately it has left her blind.”
“Blind? Like in she can’t see?”
James knew it was a dumb question but he was stunned.
“Yes.”
“She’s blind, but, how is she otherwise?”
“She was some burns on her body but other from
that she is fine. Caroline wanted to know how you and the kids were doing.
I didn’t tell her about your heart attack, I thought it would best if I didn’t.”
“Oh my God, Sam. When can I visit her?” James went into protection mode;
his heart was breaking over the news of wife being alive but injured.
“The Agency wants to keep her in SF but she wants
to be transferred to another place where it’s peaceful and quiet.
She wants to hear the ocean waves crashing on the sand,
even though she can’t see them.
“Where Sam? Where will I find her? I have to be with her. I’m
not walking away from her; not now, not ever.”
“I know, James. She just wants to be left alone.
She didn’t even want me to stay with her.”
“How did you find her?”
“Paul Chan lead me to her, he said that it was what Lily Lee wanted him to do.”
“Lily knew about the laboratory accident and that Caroline was still alive?”
“Paul told her just recently. When she found out, she begged him to do
something and so he finally told me. The Agency was totally against us
contacting Caroline but I threaten David, so he gave in
and told me the story. Sorry, James, but at least she is alive.”
“Yes, I’m very grateful for that. So, tell me Sam where does
she want to be transferred?”
“Do you remember where you two met for the first time?”
“Yes, Barbados. Is that where she is going?”
“Caroline is going to be transferred there tomorrow.
Don’t worry, James, I’ve arranged for the Agency plane
to take you there after Lily and I leave for Hong Kong, tonight.”
“Oh, so you got your new assignment.”
“Yes, I believe I’m being punished by the Agency.
Now, I’m going to have put up with the spoiled girl for a little longer.”
They laughed and toasted each other with another scotch.
But, James was thinking about Caroline.
( to be continued )
In the morning, Lily decided to come clean with her story to James.
She didn’t want any more secrets between them.
James was helping her live a new life as an Agent and she appreciated that.
She realized that Paul Chan didn’t give her a second chance like James.
She was growing to like, maybe even love James.
James listened to her story and smiled at her at the end.
“I’m proud of you Lily. You will make a Great agent.
Now, get your things together
we are meeting Sam in Dallas today.
Your first assignment will be with him
to Hong Kong.”
“Really, James? I’m excited and thank you, thank you for everything.”
Lily was so happy that James believed her story
and that she could still be an agent and not thrown out of the Agency.
( to be continued )
Will Lily just walk away or will she stay and face Sam and James?
Lily had a decision to make on this night…run or not to run…
She was tired and wanted to get some sleep. Maybe, that would help her decide
her fate with the Agency. Lily wanted to talk with James before Sam got to him.
Or did Sam already call James and alert him? Did he tell James the full story?
Lily laid her head on her pillow, plodding her escape or her new future.
Soon, Lily was fast asleep.
(to be continued)
That evening, Lily received a late night phone call from Paul Chan.
“Lily, they are on to you. You better get out, before it’s too late.”
“What are you talking about, Paul? They are on to me? I’m not doing
anything illegal, you are. I’ve been studying to be a Government agent;
I have my first assignment coming up soon.”
“You see Lily, you are crazy. I didn’t plan this alone, you helped me, so don’t keep thinking you are so innocent in this job. Sam is going to expose you. What will your new boyfriend, James, think about you when he hears about the real you. Stop kidding yourself, Lily.
Walk away tonight…run, Lily run.”
( to be continued )
After contemplating his next move, Sam thought it was best to fly back to Dallas.
He called James and ask him to meet
him in Dallas.
“Hello James, yes, I have news for you.
Come to Dallas and bring our new recruit,
Lily, because it concerns her too.”
“Is it serious, Sam?”
“Yes and no, just be there and we’ll meet at our favorite hotel.
That’s all I can tell you over the phone.”
Sam had one last thing to take care of in San Francisco.
( to be continued)
Sam Houston’s blood pressure was boiling by the time he spoke to David Davidson, head of the Agency.
“What are you telling me, David? You knew that creep Paul Chan was in San Francisco.”
“Calm down, Sam. There is more going on about this case that
you don’t know about. And I’m not at liberty to talk you about right now.”
“Oh Hell, with the secrets, I want to know what is going on.”
“It’s classified.”
“David, don’t tell me it’s classified and think I’m walking away.
I’ve been drugged, tied up and beaten, so I’m in this if you like it or not.
Besides, I have a top security clearance. So cut the bull, David. Tell me what’s going on.”
Sam was mad as hell and David was backed into a corner.
“If I tell you this Sam, you are not allowed to tell anyone,
including James Jamison. Do you understand?”
Sam agreed and waited for the information that David
was going to drop on Sam.
“It’s about the Chinese scientist , Dr. Lee, who we gave political asylum
to a few months ago. He was working on a new technology for China.
It was a weapon of sorts, I can’t give you all the details because our guys
are trying to improve it with
Dr. Lee’s input. We had a break through or we thought but
something went wrong and they started the project over again.”
“So, what does that have to do with Paul Chan?”
“Unfortunately, he has been working with the Chinese government
and they have a fast track on this weapon.
They used it one of our agents. That’s all I can say for now.
We have been following his every step waiting for a chance
to grab him and the weapon.”
“You mean he has it?”
“Yes, Sam he does. You have walked into a fine mess.
Why were you tracking Chan anyway?”
“We had a lead.”
“That was some good lead.”
( to be continued)
Sam was tied up and blind folded and sitting on
the ground in an abandon bank in Chinatown.
Paul’s associates in crime came to his rescue
when Sam was beating him up.
Sam didn’t know how long he had been in the building
but it seemed like forever.
He had been drugged.
He called out…no answer. Sam figured he was alone and
got his one hand down to his boot and pulled out a short knife.
He cut off his bindings around his hands and peeled off the blindfold.
He quickly surveyed the empty area,
then removed the ties around his ankles.
He was free. Now he needed
to find a way out before someone returned to check on him.
Once outside, he called the Agency.
Sam had figured out that there was more to this boyfriend
that anyone knew or so he thought.
(to be continued)
Back in Texas on the ranch, Lily was busy working with James on Agency training.
She didn’t know that
Sam was not around and she didn’t ask.
She read the manuals from the Agency
in the morning and took a swim in the pool afternoon.
It was after dinner that she got a phone call.
“No, Paul, I didn’t know he was going to San Francisco.”
“Why didn’t you warn me…you are so stupid.”
“I’m not stupid, so stop saying that to me.
How could I call you if I didn’t know , stupid.”
“Well, you are in this caper with me, so don’t forget it.”
“I wish for my sake I wasn’t in it
because I like what I’ve become over here. James is giving
me a second chance.”
“Oh, is he your new lover, Lily?”
“No, smarty, he’s not my boyfriend or lover. He’s strictly business.”
“That’s good for you because I would hate
to see him go with his precious wife, Caroline.”
“She’s still alive, right?”
“I haven’t killed her, if that’s what you mean.”
“What about Sam Houston, is he still in Chinatown?”
“Oh, yea. He’s still here.”
( to be continued)
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