Ghost Of A Chance

Ghost Of A Chance

Written Jade

Chapter 1

Elizabeth Orren was your average woman. She had average looks, average wants, and average dreams. One night, she witnessed an incident that rocked the foundation of her average life.

As she walked home from the store one night, she heard a commotion in one of the alleyways. Two rough looking thugs were intimidating a very big, nicely dressed man. "Give me your wallet," one of them said. "You don't want to do this," the big man said. "Oh, yeah? And why not?" "I don't want to hurt you."

One of the thugs laughed, and looked at the other. "He doesn't want to hurt us! Do you beleive that?" He pulled a switch blade out of his pocket, and said, "last chance. Your wallet, or your life." The big man grabbed the thugs hand that held the knife, then punched him in the face. The other thug rushed toward him, but ran into his cohort's blade. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen the third man hiding in the shadows. Elizabeth saw him come out of his hiding place with what appeared to be a pipe. "Look out," she yelled at him, but it was too late. He was hit hard in the back of the head.

The third man yelled to the other two, "let's get out of here." "We were supposed to kill him," the first replied. "Come on, before the cops get here. Pick him up, and let's go," he said as he motioned to the fallen thug. The two worse-for-wear thugs helped each other follow the third man away from Elizabeth.

When they were out of sight, she rushed to the fallen man's side. She checked his pulse, and it seemed slow. She checked his breathing, which seemed shallow and uneven. She lightly touched the back of his head. When she pulled her hand back, it was covered with blood. "Oh my God..." She reached into her pocket, and pulled out her cell phone. She punched in 911.

Twenty minutes later an ambulance and two police cars arrived. By then, Elizabeth had taken off her flannel shirt, and laid it under his head in her lap.

"Ma'am, let the medics help him," one of the officers said to her. Her hand stopped on his cheek. She hadn't realized she was stroking his cheek until then. She gently lifted his head off of her lap, and laid it on the shirt on the ground. She stood, and went to speak with the officer, as the paramedics began working on him.

"Are you related to the victim, miss..." "Orren. Elizabeth Orren, and no. I witnessed the attack." She relayed the events as the officer took notes. "Could you check for an ID before they take him? I would like to check on him at the hospital." "I thought you said they wanted his wallet?" "They did, but they didn't get it." "Odd," he mumbled. He turned to the medics. "You guys find some ID on him?" "I found his wallet," one said as he threw it to the officer. He opened it, and looked at the driver's license. "Sean O'Haire, 29 years old, 6' 6", 280 pounds, blue eyes, brown hair, and an organ donor," he read aloud. "Thank you, officer."

She started to walk away, but the officer stopped her. "I need your number, so I can contact you."

chapter 2

After giving the officer her phone number, Elizabeth walked home. She put her groceries away. Dinner was the last thing on her mind. She went in the bathroom to splash water on her face. That was when she saw all the blood on her T-shirt and jeans. She stripped out of her clothes, and took a hot shower.

After she dried off, and redressed in fresh clothes, she sat at her desk, hoping the ordeal would spark some inspiration for her novel. She turned on the computer, and opened the file for "Return to the Jungle". She read the previous chapter, leading up to where she left off. Her thoughts were interrupted several times by thoughts of Sean.

She asked herself, 'what if he has no family? What if he's near death? What if he's in a coma?' She called the hospital to check on him. The nurse said he was still unconscious. "Has anyone been notified of his whereabouts?" "There was no one to notify." "Thank you." She grabbed her purse, and went out the door.

Once Elizabeth arrived at the hospital, she went to the nurses' station. "Hi. I'm looking for Sean O'Haire. He should have gotten here about an hour ago." She typed on the computer keyboard, then looked back at her. "He's in room 210." "Thank you."

As she took the elevator ride to the second floor, she wondered why she came. After all, she didn't know the man. Then again, he was a very handsome stranger, that had no one else to be there for him. As the doors slid open, she thought, "I'll look like such an idiot if he's awake."

She walked down the hall until she reached his room. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. She was surprised when she heard, "come in". She opened the door slowly, in case it was a doctor that answered. But Sean was awake, and sitting up in bed with his arms crossed over his bare chest.

"Hello, Mr. O'Haire. How is your head?" "It feels like someone tried to bash my brains in. Who are you? The hospital psychiatrist?" "Yeah. I'm here to shrink your head," she said as she sat in the chair next to his bed. "I'd rather not think of my head." "Actually, Mr. O'Haire..." "Sean," he said. "Sean, I saw what happened to you. I'm not with the hospital." "Oh." "I just wanted to come by, and make sure you would be alright." "I don't mean to sound rude, but what do you care? You don't know me." "True, but when you soak up someone's blood with the clothes you're wearing, it's hard to forget." "I suppose it is. Thank you for helping me, but as you see, I'm in good hands, now. There's no need to worry. You can go back to your normal life. You probably have a husband and kids to take care of." "Actually, I don't have either." "Now I see why you were worried. It's the maternal instinct. You don't have a family to worry about, so you were taking care of me."

"Actually, I was worried about a fellow human that needed help. And, you don't have to act like such an ass." "If I keep acting like an ass, will you leave?" She stood, and slung her purse strap over her shoulder. "Maybe I should have left you there to die." "Hold on. What's your name?" "Elizabeth," she said before walking out the door.

chapter 3

'The nerve of that man,' she thought to herself. 'I do something nice for a stranger, and he acts like an ungrateful asshole.' As she entered the apartment, she threw her purse and keys on the end table. She stripped out of her shirt and jeans as she made her way to the bedroom. She curled up under the covers on the bed. When she closed her eyes, her mind went back to the question they had both asked. 'Why do you care what happens to this stranger?' She pulled the blankets tighter around her, as she said, "it has to be his beautiful eyes."

It seemed like she had just fallen asleep when she awoke to someone calling her name. Without opening her eyes, she said, "what?" "Look at me, Elizabeth." She opened her eyes. Even though the room was pitch black, she saw Sean in full color standing beside her bed. "How the hell did you get in here," she yelled. "What the hell do you want?" "Your help, again." "Why should I? You're a stranger, remember?" "That was my other half speaking. The half that was trying to protect you." "Protect me from what? More of your smart ass remarks?" "No. Those idiots that looked like they were trying to steal my wallet. I know they were sent to kill me. I want you to help me find out why." "You'd know better than I would." "I have a couple ideas, but no real proof. Besides, God only knows when they'll let the physical me out of the hospital."

Elizabeth laid her head back down, and covered it with the blanket. "I'm dreaming," she mumbled. "No, you're not. If you don't beleive me, call the hospital in the morning, and ask me who my best friend is. His name is Mark Jindrak." "You'll just be an ass again, and I'll wind up hanging up on you." "Elizabeth, please..." His pleading voice played with her emotions. "Alright, alright... I'll call in the morning. You give me the wrong answer, and you're screwed." "Thank you." She groaned. "If you weren't so damn cute, I wouldn't help you at all."

Sean smiled down at her covered form. "You think I'm cute, huh?" "Didn't I just say that?" She uncovered herself. "By the way, how in the hell are you here, if you say you're in the hospital?" "We'll talk about it tomorrow." "No we won't, because I'm dreaming," she said.

Sean leaned over her. "You're beautiful when you're tired." She closed her eyes as he leaned closer. She felt cool lips touch her forehead. When she opened her eyes, he was gone.

chapter 4

When she woke up the next day, it was to the sound of the phone ringing. She looked at the clock, and saw that it was noon. "Shit." She picked up the receiver. "Hello." "You didn't call me this morning," a man's voice said. "Who is this?" "Your late night visitor." Her eyes went wide. "Sean?" "No, Mel Gibson," he said sarcastically. "Don't piss me off, or you're on your own." "You'll help me anyways, because you think I'm cute." "Goodbye." "Hold on! Hold on! Ok. I'm sorry. Will you please help me?" "What do you want from me? And why can't you get your best friend to do it?" "Mark's kinda high on my suspect list." "Oh, great..." "All you have to do is go to the dojo around three o'clock. Mark will be there, then. Tell him I asked you to clean out my locker. Strike up a conversation with him. My meta-physical half will be there to help you."

"This is fucked up." "I wouldn't have chose you, if I didn't know you had an open mind about the meta-physical, Ms. Orren. By the way, it hit me last night where I'd seen you before. I have your book." 'Heart of the Jungle' was about a ghost tribe that protected a young group of explorers, and helped them find safety from a mean band of poachers. "And I thought brawny men didn't know how to read."

"Alright. We're even, now. Will you please help me?" "You ruined my sleep twice; I might as well. Where's the dojo, and what does Mark look like?" She took a notebook and pen out of her nightstand, and wrote down notes as he spoke. "Alright," she said when he finished. "Three o'clock, White Tiger Dojo, big guy with nose length bowl cut..." Sean laughed at her description of Mark. "It took a really big bowl to cut his hair." Elizabeth laughed.

As their laughter died, Sean said, "thank you for helping me. I mean it. I owe you dinner when I get out of here." She blushed at the thought of going out with him. "That sounds good." "Then, it's a date."

"About this friend of your's... Is he mean, or what?" "Not really. I only have him on my suspect list, because we are two of the three front runners in a tournament." "That's a releif, I think." "I wouldn't put you in any danger, if I was aware of it." 'That's good,' she thought to herself. "What about the third person?" "He's from a different dojo. My meta-physical self will spy on him."

"What's the real deal on the meta-physical thing?" He laughed. "It's like the yin yang." "Good and evil? Love and hate?" "Passive and agressive. My meta-physical half is the passive. 'Agressive is always in my body. It's an ancient trick." "Ah. Leave it to the ancient people..." she teased. "They were crafty," he laughed. "I don't mean to push you, but you should probably get ready to meet with Mark. I'm sure he'd enjoy seeing you with your hair all over, and wearing only a bra and thong, but I doubt that's how you'd want to meet him." "Clothes are a must. How did you know how I look?" "Look behind you." She turned around, and saw his ghost-like figure. "Oh." She laid back on her side. "Are you going to follow me in the shower, too?" "He wouldn't, but I would," he teased. "Goodbye, Sean." "Bye, Lizzy."

chapter 5

Elizabeth arrived at the dojo at 2:55. "Do you see his car?" "Not yet. He'll be here." She looked at Sean for a long moment. "How can you pick on your friend for his haircut, when you look like you stuck your finger in a light socket?" "I thought we were done arguing." "I can't help it. You remind me of Animal from the Muppets." "Is that good or bad?" "Well, Animal is my favorite..." He smiled at her, then looked over her shoulder. "There he is." "Will he be able to see you?" "No." "Will I?" "If I let you."

Elizabeth stepped out of the car. "Mark?" "Who wants to know?" "Tell him you're my girlfriend," Sean said. "My name is Elizabeth. I'm Sean's girlfriend." "Where's Sean?" "Tell him what happened." She did. "Oh, shit! Is he going to be ok?" "He has a concussion, and probably won't be out of the hospital for awhile, but I think he'll live." "Good," Sean said. "I'll have to visit him. Why are you here?" "Sean asked me to get his bag from his locker. I was hoping you could show me which one is his." "Sure. Follow me."

As he turned away, she caught him laughing. "What is he laughing about?" Sean chuckled. "Think about it. Where would my locker be?" Elizabeth closed her eyes, and sighed. "The men's locker room?" "Exactly." "You are going to owe me so much more than dinner." "Dinner, movie, drinks... Hell, I'll even make breakfast in the morning." "Don't push it." He just laughed as he followed her inside.

She met Mark in the hall leading to the locker room. Once they reached the locker room, Mark stuck his head in, to make sure it was empty. When he saw no one, he lead her in, and to Sean's locker. "Thank you," she said. "No problem."

"Ask him about the tournament. Ask him where he stands in it," Sean said. "So, how is the tournament going?" "Pretty good. If Sean's out, Rob and I are tied for first." "If he comes back?" "He'd be in first, and we'd be tied for second. If he misses the matches tomorrow night, he'll be out. Sean's not scheduled for a match tonight." "Who is he fighting tomorrow night, if he shows?" "He fights me tomorrow, and Rob Saturday."

"How good is he? He hasn't shown me." Mark chuckled. "Modesty is his strong point... He's a second degree black belt. He's the highest ranking guy in the tourney." "He must be pretty good, then." "But he has one hell of a temper, at times. He put Rob in the hospital a few years back, because he kicked Sean in the 'jewels' on accident." "Ouch. And now they have to fight again?" "Yeah, and Rob's pretty pissed about the last time." "I can imagine. Thanks for the help. I think I need to get back to Sean. He's been a bit stir crazy." "It was nice to meet you. And, tell Sean he has to have his ass out of bed by tomorrow night." "I will."

After grabbing his gym bag from the locker, Elizabeth left the dojo with Sean close behind. "Well, what do you think," she asked once they were in the car. "I don't think it was him. He wouldn't have said he and Rob were in first with me out." "So he's smarter than he looks?" He just smiled. "Who is this Rob guy anyways?" "Rob Van Dam. He is the best that the Black Dragon dojo has to offer. He's just as good as I am, but he doesn't focus." "So, you both pose a threat to each other in the tourney... Signs are pointing to him."

Chapter 6

Elizabeth went to the hospital to see Sean after leaving the dojo. After all, she didn't want to keep his smelly gym bag in her car until he got out. When she got up to his room, she was surprised to find him out of bed, and practicing his karate.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Mr. O'Haire," she teased. "I hate laying in bed, unless I have good company." Ignoring his comment, she asked, "what has the doctor said?" "He's releasing me tomorrow morning." Just in time for your match tomorrow night." Would you like to come with me?" "I'll let you know tonight. I'm going to the tourney tonight."

His blue eyes sparkled as he smiled at her. "You are?" "I thought I might do a little snooping. I can get a press pass. That could help me get a few good interviews with some of the other contestants." "A press pass?" "I work for the newspaper, sometimes." He nodded, and stroked his goatee. "Be careful, and stay away from Rob and his crew." "I don't know what he looks like." "He's kind of a pretty boy. He has long brown hair, brown eyes, and he dresses a bit flashier than the rest."

"I'll keep an eye out for him. I should get ready to go. I just wanted to drop this off, because it stinks." "I guess your workout clothes always smell clean?" "'Workout' is not in my vocabulary." "What if I gave you a workout," he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "What kind of workout do you have in mind?" "The kind that includes you, me and a bed." "How do you know I don't have a husband or boyfriend?" "He would have been in bed with you this morning, instead of my other half." "Good point. Well, maybe you'll have to show me your routine, someday. Right now, I need to get ready for the tourney."

Before he released her from his arms, he kissed her. "Be carefull, Lizzy." "I will, Sean." She kissed him, before leaving.

Chapter 7

After spending an hour convincing Amanda, her best friend and editor of the Georgia Sun, that she could have a scoop for her, she walked away withproof that she worked for the paper. Upon arrival at the tourney, she got a press pass, and went in search of the contestants.

While she was walking around, she came upon a group surrounding one of the contestants. They seemed to be either reporters, or women vying for his attention. He had brown hair, brown eyes, and wore a black leotard looking outfit with the letters "RVD" on the front. 'Rob Van Dam,' she thought to herself.

"Rob," she called out over the crowd. He couldn't hear her. She squeezed her way through the crowd, then called again. When he turned to her, she asked, "what are your chances of winning, now that Sean O'Haire may be out?" "What's your name?" "Elizabeth Orren. I'm with the Georgia Sun." "Well, Elizabeth, I'd say they're really good. After all, I am..." He pointed to himself three times while the crowd shouted out his initials. She wanted to roll her eyes, but didn't.

"I can give you a private interview after the matches, if you'd like," he said. "Thank you." 'His narcicism,' she thought, 'would be his undoing.' "It might be nice to give an interview to a woman, instead of all these guys." She laughed, only to be polite.>> She took a seat, and watched the competitors fight each other. The last match of the night was Rob versus Mark for the second place slot. Within two minutes, Rob had Mark on his back, in a helpless position. As he walked around Mark in victory, he spotted Elizabeth in the crowd. He went through the crowd to get to her. "Let me change, so we can get something to eat, while you're interviewing me." "Alright."

Twenty minutes later, Rob met her at her seat. His hair was wet, and pulled back in a ponytail. He smelled of soap and cologne. He wore a pair of dress slacks and a button down shirt with dragons on it. "Are you ready?" "I... Uh, yeah."

They walked to a little cafe, just around the corner. Once they placed their orders, she started with the questions. "How old are you?" "28. How old are you?" "27." "Kinda young for a journalist." "I write books, but I also do some special reports for the Sun. And, I thought I was interviewing you?" "Maybe we can interview each other." "Ok. Are you married?" "No

. Are you?" "No, but I'm seeing someone." "What did he think of you coming to the tourney tonight?" "He loved the idea." "Even to interview guys like me?" "Actually, he didn't like the idea of me interviewing you. He's more of a Sean O'Haire fan. A scowl came over his face, then disappeared quickly. "He was probably just worried about me charming you." "Maybe. It wouldn't take much. I mean, you are a handsome man." Rob smiled at her. "Thank you."

Once their food arrived, Elizabeth asked questions between bites. "How long have you practiced karate?" "Since I was 3. I was an energetic kid. My parents thought it was a good way for me to work it off." "Why don't you wear a gi, like the others?" "When you are different, you stand out. When you stand out, people remember you. Besides, I get too hot in the gi."

She decided to get down to what she needed to know. "I've heard about a personal fued between you and Sean O'Haire, that stems from a match a few years ago. Any truth to it?" His nostrils flared, and his lips curled into a frown. "Yeah. He got kicked in the nuts, and I got a broken nose, broken ribs, torn ligiments in my knee and a fractured arm. I was looking forward to fighting him tomorrow. Of course, I'd like to thank whoever put him in the hospital, as well." "Do you know of anyone, besides yourself, that wants him out of the tourney?" He thought for a moment. "No. I'm sure I'm their number one suspect. But that woul be without honor. If I was going to kick his ass, I would do it in a match, like he did to me. Embarass him in front of everyone."

Once they were finished eating, the bill was laid on the table. Elizabeth snatched it up. "My treat," she said. "Thank you for the interview, Mr. Van Dam." "It was my pleasure, Ms. Orren. Thank you for dinner." She paid the bill, then went home. She never noticed the car that followed her.

Chapter 8

As soon as Elizabeth got home, she threw her purse on the couch, and went into her bedroom, to get ready for bed. Sitting upon her bed, leaning against the headboard, was Sean. Well, his meta-physical half, anyways. By the look on his face, she could tell he wasn't happy. "And I thought you were the passive side." "I asked you to stay away from Rob." "Yeah, you did. I interviewed him, and nothing happened..." "Except one thing. You were followed home from the cafe." "You were with me all night, weren't you?"

Sean stood from the bed. "Did you hear what I said? You were followed home. Look out the damn window. Rob's parked right behind you." "Yeah, right." To humor him, she walked over to the window, and peeked out. There was a black Lincoln Towncar parked behind her. "Shit." "I wish you would have listened to me." "Well, I didn't, so what should I do?" "Is there another way out of here?" "The fire escape." "Rob would see you. Any other way?"

Before she could answer, there was a knock on the door. Elizabeth went to the door, and looked out the peep hole. She unlocked, then opened, the door. "Damn you," she said. "What? No 'glad to see you out of the hospital'?" Sean handed her a dozen roses. "Thank you, but this won't make up for scaring the shit out of me." "I had to get your attention. You didn't listen, and that could have been very dangerous." "Okay, I get the point. What are you doing here, anyways?" "The doc said since I was well enough to keep my balance, he'd let me out. I believe I promised you a night out."

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Thank you, but I've already had dinner." "So have I. What about dessert?" "No, I haven't had dessert." "What do you want?" he asked as he laid his hands on her hips. Her hands went to his shoulders. "Can I have you?" Sean leaned down, and kissed her. As he deepened the kiss, he took off his long coat, and threw it on the couch. Elizabeth's hands slid to his collar, and began unbuttoning his shirt. When she got to the last button, Sean grabbed her hands. "Let's go to the bedroom," he whispered.

Elizabeth lead him into her bedroom, where he took over, and slowly stripped her of her clothes. "Lay down on the bed," Sean told her. As she laid down with her head on the pillows, he undid the last button on his shirt, and laid it over the arm of the chair. Elizabeth got comfortable, then looked up at him, waiting for him to join her. Sean stood at the foot of the bed, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back. A slight glow appeared around his body. Then, his passive side split from his body. It appeared as if his spirit was escaping.

As Sean's passive side joined Elizabeth on the bed, his physical self sat in the chair to watch. Elizabeth watched as his ghost like figure crawled up her body. Her nipple instantly puckered as his cool lips closed around the bud. Her skin became covered with goosebumps, as Sean licked, kissed, and teased her body. She reached out to touch him, but her hand went through him.

When Elizabeth felt his warm lips touch her's, her eyes snapped open in shock. As she realized he had become one again, her arms wrapped around his neck, and she returned the kiss. She hadn't noticed that he took his pants off, until he laid over her, and his erection rested on her thigh. She opened her legs for him, and he positioned himself for entry. He slid inside her, and made love to her, until they came to an explosive climax. Exhausted and spent, he laid down beside her, and took her into his arms. They shared a kiss, before she laid her head on his chest, and fell asleep.

chapter 9

Elizabeth awoke at two o'clock. She tried to move closer to Sean, then realized he wasn't beside her. She leaned up on her elbow, and looked around the room. She spotted him standing naked by the window, looking out at the lightly falling rain in the streetlight's glow. "What's the matter, Sean?" "I can't sleep. I shouldn't be here." "What?" "Those assholes that were sent to kill me... If they found out I'm ou of the hospital, and came back to finish the job, you would be in danger." "How would they know to look for you here?" "You gave Rob your last name. He could track you down. And, if Mark goes to visit me in the hospital, I'm not there. He'll go to my house. When he sees I'm not there either, he'll know I'm with you." "But he doesn't know my last name." "True, so he couldn't track you down, but Rob could. And, if someone followed you, they would know. I didn't see anyone follow me, but we shouldn't take the risk."

"So, you're leaving," Elizabeth said. "You understand why, don't you?" "Yes, of course." Sean turned away from the window, then sat beside her on the bed. He petted her cheek with his thumb. "I don't want to go, but I'd hate myself for the rest of my life if anything happened to you." Elizabeth looked up at him, even though his face was hidden in the shadows. He leaned over and kissed her, before getting up, and getting dressed. Once dressed, he kissed her again, and said, "we will keep in touch through my other half. Once this is all over, I will come back for you." "I'll be waiting for you." "Goodbye, Lizzy." "Bye, Sean." She followed him to the door, and locked it behind him. Then, she went back to bed.

Half an hour later, Elizabeth awoke. She heard a faint noise in her apartment. Then, she saw a shadow moving. "Who's there?" "Hello, love. I thought your boyfriend would never leave." It was the voice of the third man in the alley. "Oh, shit..." "Now, now... There's no need for such language." "Come on, Jonesie. Let's get her, and get the hell out of here." That was the voice of the knife weilding thug.

Elizabeth slowly reached over, and turned on the bedside lamp. She looked up at the two men, while holding the covers up to her chin. She looked at the little guy with the black eye. "I hope your eye still hurts." Then she turned to the big one. "And I hope Sean gets the chance to kill you." "That's not nice, love." He turned to his cohort. "Get her, Nunzio." He went towards her. With no where to run, she sat in fear. He pulled the covers off of her, and grabbed her wrists.

"Well... You're quite an eyefull." Elizabeth managed to get her legs between them. With her feet on his stmach, she pushed with all her might, flipping him onto the floor. She stood, and backed into the corner as she eyed the two men. "Wanna try that with me, love?" She knew she couldn't. The big man probably had a hundred pounds on Nunzio. But she wasn't ready to give up without a fight. "Bring it on, Jonesie." He walked toward her with a smile on his face. Elizabeth punched him in the stomach. "Ow!" It felt like she had hit a brick wall. She tried again, this time aiming for his face. He pulled away, and she missed. "My turn." He backhanded her across the cheek, knocking her down onto the bed. She looked at him again, just as he swung to hit her other cheek. Her vision dimmed, then went black.

"Get up, Nunzio. You're embarassing yourself." "Yeah, yeah... She caught me by surprise." "Find something to put on her. We can't take her outside naked." "Do I look like a fashion guru?" "Get a black dress out of her closet. Every woman has one." After dressing her, the big man carried her to their van.

chapter 10

When Elizabeth woke up, she was in a room that was empty, except for the mattress she lay upon. "Where the hell am I," she mumbled. "Evidently, this is some kind of hideout for the hitmen." She looked around her, until she saw Sean's ghost-like figure. "What happened?" "Nathan Jones and Nunzio attacked you." "You know those two?" she asked, finally remembering the men. "Jones is a student at the Black Dragon. Nunzio used to work with Rob, before he hired him as a bodygaurd." "And, I'm here because..." "They either followed you or me. I'm so sorry, Lizzy." "Help me find a way out of here, and I'll forgive you."

The room had no windows, and only one door. "Shit." "There isn't much hope for escape. I'm sure the door is either locked, or someone's watching it," Sean said. Elizabeth smiled. "Is your physical half on the way?" she whispered. "Almost here. Why?" "I have an idea."

Elizabeth went to the door, and tried to open it. As suspected, it was locked. "Sorry, love. You're not getting out." "Then, can you come in? I hate sitting alone in the dark." "Step away from the door." She went back over to the mattress, and sat down. "I don't like your idea," Sean said. "Shhh..." The knob clicked, and the door opened.

The big bald man entered the room, and closed the door behind himself. "You're Jonesie, right?" "Jones." "Well, Mr. Jones, my name is Elizabeth." "I know." He stood with his back to the door, and arms crossed over his chest as he watched her. "You can come sit next to me. I don't bite." "What if I do, love?" "I might like it." He gave her a half-grin, as he dropped his arms, and sat next to her.

Elizabeth raised her hand, and slid her palm over his head, just above his ear. "You are a very handsome man. Why are you sitting here with me, instead of laying in bed with your woman?" "I don't have a woman," he said flatly. "Too bad. I bet you're a great lover." There was just enough light for her to see the blush in his cheeks, and the grin on his lips. "Is your boss on his way here?" "He won't be here for a few hours." Elizabeth moved closer to him. "We have time to kill... Why don't you show me how good you are?"

As he leaned over to kiss her, Elizabeth had an overwhelming feeling of being whole. Sean is here, she thought. She knew he was, because even though she was frightened at the time, she had the same feeling when he arrived at her apartment.

When the door opened to the room, she jumped from the mattress, and ran to Sean's side. Sean went in, and did a spinning kick, hitting Jones in the head. Nathan fell back on the mattress with a thud. Sean took Elizabeth into his arms, and briefly held her. He pulled her back at arms length. "Did he hurt you?" "I'll be fine. He hasn't touched me since we've been here." "What was the point of getting him on the mattress?" She smiled at him. "Big men have problems getting up from short spots." Sean laughed, then kissed her forehead. "Let's get out of here."

As they walked out of the room, they heard a toilet flush, then a door opened. "Don't go in there for awhile, Jonesie," Nunzio said. "Don't worry. He won't," Sean said. "Who's there?" Sean's ghost-like figure appeared in front of Nunzio. "Hello." Nunzio ran away screaming. Elizabeth laughed as she took the arm he offered. "You have a way with people."

chapter 11

In an effort to keep her safe, Sean took Elizabeth home with him. As they walked into his condo, the living room seemed illuminated by the street lights off of several metallic objects. When he turned on the light, she saw that they were trophies. "Wow! How long have you been in karate?" "Almost as long as Rob has. I started when I was ten." She walked over to the shelves where they sat, and looked at them all. "You must be pretty good." "I win my fair share."

He stepped up behind her, and wrapped her in his arms. "You realize you have to be with me 24-7 until this is over, right?" She laid her head back on his chest. "I know. I don't mind." "What will we do with all of that time?" "You need some rest for your match tonight. I could use some sleep myself." "You're right, Lizzy. Follow me." He let go of her, and led her into the bedroom.

As she laid in his arms, listening to his soft breathing, she wondered if sleep would claim her. The last 24 hours held so much excitement that she wondered if she'd ever sleep again. That's when she heard the lock click on the door. "Sean," she whispered. When she didn't get a response, and the lock on the doorknob clicked, she shook him. "Sean!" "Yeah?" "Somebody's trying to get in the door."

He jumped out of bed, and hid behind the door as it opened. He grabbed the man as he closed the door. He threw him up against the wall and pulled his arm back. "Whoa! Sean, would you chill?" "Shan?" "Who the hell were you expecting?" Sean opened his closed fist and pushed Shan's head into the wall. "I should hit you for scaring the hell out of me." "OW!" "It's ok, Elizabeth. Come meet our intruder."

She pulled one of his shirts over her head, then walked into the living room. "Shan, this is Elizabeth Orren. Lizzy, this is my brother, Shan." "It's nice to meet you, Shan." "The pleasure is mine." He turned to Sean. "Your beter half said you could use a hand." "Damn it. I wish he hadn't visited you." "Me too. I wake up next to a ghost, and now I have to take your shit."

Elizabeth tried to keep from laughing, but couldn't. "What are you laughing at?" Sean asked. "Well, it is a shock to wake up next to your other half. I won't call him your better half." Sean smiled at her, and she returned it. "I hate to interrupt what could be a Kodak moment, but could someone fill in the blanks? Your passive side is very vague."

Elizabeth started a pot of coffee while Sean told Shan about the mess that occured in the previous days. "Why didn't you contact me sooner?" "Because I didn't want you involved. I can handle myself. If my passive side wasn't such a chicken, you wouldn't be here." "He wasn't worried about you. He was worried about your girlfriend. He said she was kidnapped." "Yeah, and I got her back. I'm not letting her out of my sight until I face Rob tomorrow night." "What about when you fight Mark tonight? Or during the match tomorrow? You can't watch her and fight." "No, but I can lock her in one of the dressing rooms." "How long would that last before she got out, or someone got in?"

"After the last round with Jones and Nunzio I think I'd stay in," Elizabeth said. "She can hold her own against Nunzio, but Jones roughed her up a bit," Sean said. "What do you expect? He out-weighs her by about two hundred pounds." Sean sighed as he looked at Elizabeth. "What do you think?" "I think he has a point. We both saw earlier that I'm safer with a whole person, than your other half. They waited for you to leave before coming after me."

Sean sighed. "Alright, Shan. You're going to watch her, and keep her out of trouble. If anything happens to her, it's your ass." "You have nothing to worry about, bro."

To Be Continued

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