THE WIDOWER.

CHAPTER 20.

Nora breathed profusely as she put down her gun. Her hands were shaking and she could not think straight.
The entire night they had been chasing the same man they saw and now he lay dead.
"Yes sir, we have the other suspects tied down and we have the location of the other suspects." Richard was talking to James on the other side of the truck.
She was not guilty of putting the criminals behind bars or even the one she had shot.
When she took this job she knew her hands would be bathed with blood and she would go to any length to protect the citizens of her country.
She felt nausea and her heart beat way too fast. She leaned back on her car.
That's when it sank she had been stabbed. "Richard? I think I am hurt." She said weakly.
He sprang quickly to where Nora was leaning and inspected the wound.
"How bad is it?" She breathed.
"You need a doctor to sew you up." Richard responded.
Nora's eyelids were dropping as he moved her to the car. The last thought she had was that of not seeing her family and friends anymore especially CJ.
Richard drove her to the hospital leaving the other officers to take care of the mess as journalist trickled down to get the breaking news.
The sun was coloring the sky. He knew he should have called the ambulance but the urgency he felt could not allow him wait a little longer.

****
Nora's phone rang for tenth time as Richard stared at it. There two callers Jade and a new name he had not heard of.
"A boyfriend? A sibling? No Nora has no siblings. A new friend?." The crazy thoughts ran through his mind. He decided not to worry for what mattered was Nora's recovery. The surgery took place and fortunately no internal organs were damaged. Richard felt guilty of not picking Jade's call. Suddenly a new number called and he dismissed it but he thought of answering it thinking it was important. He heard a male voice speaking on the other side.
"Who is this? Where is Nora?" The over confident voice spoke.
"She cannot talk right now she is busy." Richard dismissed his demands.
"Let her know I called. Tell her CJ called." The voice said hanging up.
Richard was overwhelmed by the familiarity between Nora and this CJ . He hated his heart was constricting with a streak of jealousy. He shoved the thought far away from his mind.
Jade called and this time Richard picked, " where's Nora and don't you dare lie to me." Jade screamed from the other side of the line.
" Hey Jade, there's been an accident and Nora was hurt but she is stable right now." He tried to assure Jade.
"Send me the hospital address right now. I am on my way." She commanded hanging up.
Richard did that as he played with the car keys thinking about Nora. She was everything he wanted in a woman.
He remembered the first time he joined the criminal department and saw her, he knew he wanted to work with her.
Everything about her spoke she is always in charge. He did not cower from her cold demeanor and aloof nature like all the males in the office.
When he dropped his engineering course after losing interest his father almost flipped the entire world. Richard was his pride compared to his two brothers and sister who had taken another different journey in terms of career.
He being a son of a very renown engineer who owned the biggest construction company in the country did not abode well with quitting engineering to pursue criminal studies.
Regardless, his father loved and supported him. He wanted the best for his children.
On his first day in the field he saw Nora in action and her shooting skills were excellent. He got more intrigued and he would say luck  was on his side when James said he was going to be her partner.
Nora was angry and he did every errand she sent him on because she did not like him around her. He tried flirting earning him a threat to shoot him at close range and say he tried to attack her.
Being among the two most respected women in the office, Richard was falling way too fast.
He saw a glimpse of himself settling down and retiring from his womanizing ways. He hoped but again a man can only hope. He heard before from her that he was not her type but that did not deter him. He would do anything for her.
  The doctor walked towards him calling him signifying that all surgery was done.
He was relieved and for the first time in a long while he thanked God for the miracle.
"She is stable but she needs rest. All medicine is prescribed there." He said handing him a paper.
" she is in the second room down the hallway." He offered as Richard skipped towards the room.
Opening he saw her chest rise and fall. He pulled the chair and watched her. He saw her scar on her collar bone and he wanted to ask where she got it from but Nora was so secretive with her life. Apart from Jade, Nora doesn't speak about any other family member.
He heard the door being knocked an hour later. In walked Jade with her husband holding her hand and another man whom he had never met before.
Jade rushed towards Nora's bed in tears while her husband soothed her. The new guy folded his hands and leaned on the wall calm and poised. Jade turned towards Richard , "what really happened?" She queried him with a look that Richard knew better not to lie.
"She was fighting a suspect and the man had a knife he stabs her and she shoots him dead." Richard explained.
Jade's tears brimmed afresh and she looked at Nora. The calm guy face betrayed every emotion. His eyes never left Nora. He shifted and moved closer to the bed. He moved closer and took her hand and he did something that Richard did not expect.
He started praying while Jade and her husband agreed.
"Lord I thank you for Nora's life. Even in this situation you are still Lord and I bless your holy name because there is no other like you. Lord we are praying for quick recovery and healing of Nora. You are our healer therefore take control of this situation. we love you and in Jesus name we ask and believe." He finished with a sigh. Richard felt lost and awkward so he decided to keep quiet.
"When was the last time he prayed?" He asked himself. Dismissing the thought he watched the trio.
The stranger did not let go of her hand instead he petted it.
"She is a strong fighter. She will overcome this. I have seen her come through some tough ones and she is a warrior trust me. Don't worry CJ." Jade uttered while facing the guy.
Richard was now alert. He was CJ, the guy he had talked to on the phone. He felt his guard go up and his disliking for this CJ character heightened.