Page 65 of Invincible
“You don’t think I can carry you off this ship?”he asked.He knew he was being cantankerous, but he was just too damn tired to care.The medic kept trying to take her, then dancing away when Knox looked at him.
“I think you’re being a horse’s ass to the man who’s just trying to do his job.Now, stop being so hardheaded and let someone help you,” Greer said with a scowl.If she wasn’t careful, he might just chuck her over the side into the water anyway.
“You went, what, a whole three hours without bitching at me?Must be a record,” he growled back.
“Here, you’d better take her.I can’t be held responsible for what I might do to stop that wicked mouth,” he mumbled, catching a small smile on her face right before she turned into the medic’s shoulder.
The man quickly headed down the side of the boat, transferring her to a stretcher at the bottom of the gangway.Watching her being wheeled toward one of the ambulances, he began to follow the others toward the gangway when the same EMT appeared next to him.
“She said to come get you.She didn’t want you passing out before making it to the ambulance,” the man said, firmly gripping Knox’s large biceps in his hand.
“And how are you going to stop me from hitting the deck if I pass out?”he asked.
“I can at least try to keep you from rolling off the side.”With a shrug, Knox started after Dex, who already had Tyler on the gangway.
Leading Knox to one of the ambulances, the EMT laid him on one of the gurneys, with his feet hanging off the end.Carefully removing the wraps, he cleaned the head wound again before wrapping it back up in clean gauze.
“They can give you something for the pain when you get to the ER.I think it’ll just need butterflies, but you will have an odd groove in your head in the end.”Was the guy trying to make him feel better or worse?
The ride to the hospital seemed like it took hours, though Knox figured it wasn’t more than fifteen minutes.
Since he was capable of stepping out of the ambulance, they sat him in a wheelchair to push him into the ER.He could hear Greer arguing with some poor intern behind one of the curtains as he went by.He also was positive the smacking noises from another was Tyler and Dex making out.Rolling his eyes only made his head hurt worse.
Once he was in one of the curtained cubicles, they moved him onto the bed.His feet still hung off the end.A doctor drifted in to assess him, then a nurse hooked up an IV.She explained that she was pumping painkillers into the line, which was the last thing he remembered before he sank into darkness.
Andreas felt the plane’s tires connect to the runway as it set down in Washington, DC.It was late evening and he was looking forward to a good meal and a full night’s rest before meeting with his boss tomorrow.Their accounts were now richer thanks to the payment that had been sent the moment the container touched the deck of the ship.
He had been promised a position as head of the entire human smuggling operation for The Family in the United States.His days of flying first class would soon be a distant memory.He had already picked out his private plane from one of the magazines he had purchased before the flight.
Walking past the flight attendant on his way off the plane, he gave her a wink.He had already made arrangements to have his driver pick her up tomorrow night.She had forty hours off before heading to her next destination and he planned to make the most out of part of it.
Carrying his attaché case, he strolled into the gate area, daydreaming about the steak waiting for him.
“FBI.On the ground,” was shouted at him the moment he cleared the waiting area.For a brief moment, he debated looking over his shoulder to see who they were yelling at.There had to be at least two dozen FBI agents in Kevlar vests surrounding him with their guns pointed at his body.
“I said on the ground,” someone shouted again.His case was ripped out of his hand and his feet were swept out from under him.
“Andreas Tirich, we are arresting you on the charges of kidnapping, trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution just to get started.”His hands were wrenched behind his back and he felt cold metal encase his wrists.
Pulling him to his feet, the man he assumed was in charge stepped over to him.
“And whenwe’refinished with you, I know a group of district attorneys in Harris County, Texas, just itching to get their hands on you.They still enforce the death penalty for first-degree murder.”
“Lawyer,” Andreas responded with a sneer.He was pushed roughly forward, surrounded by agents.Marveling at the efficiency it must have taken to clear this part of the busy airport of civilians, he didn’t worry too much.
The Seven would take care of this pesky issue soon enough.They would never take a chance on him revealing anything about their business to the feds.He would be out by morning, not much worse for wear.With any luck, he would be out in time for breakfast before the flight attendant arrived at his apartment.
