Green Table

ELEVEN

Cooper felt proud that he had managed to order, and get breakfast and back to the condo all within half an hour. Parking his cruiser out front he leaned over the seat to grab the two coffees and a bag of muffins. Before opening his door and walking onto the driveway.
It only took moments from when he looked up that he saw a man holding his right leg as he ran out of the yard, looking at the condo door he saw it swinging in the draft.
Dropping the goods he sat for a brief moment contemplating whether he wanted to chase after the wounded man or go inside and find Renae. Rushing to the car he swung the door open, and punching in distress code into the computer stationed on the dash, alerting the station.
Knowing she was more important than the chase he ran inside, choosing not to make the mistakes of his father. He called her name and praying she would answer him. Nothing, he heard nothing.
Panic flooded his mind, he was suppose to protect her yet he left her alone. How could he think that was okay? This wasn't the first time someone had threatened them, and now the threat was becoming a reality. Cooper grew more frantic as he followed the blood trail left by the assailant he made his way to the bedroom slow and quietly. Drawing his revolver, there was a chance it wasn't just one person that broke in. The door was mostly shut and he couldn't see inside. Gulping he stopped at the door, his fears encasing him making it hard to breathe. He didn't want to see what was possible he'd find. The though of her gone, lost before he even had the chance scared him. But if she was alive and injured then he was just wasting time, he was becoming a coward. Pushing open the door slowly, he scanned the room searching for any signs of life. The room was clear, lowering the pistol he stopped waiting to see if he could hear breathing. Moments passed and all he could hear was his heart beating out of his chest. exhaling he tried calming his nerves, and that's when he heard it; her soft sobs coming from the closet. Reaching for the door handle he carefully tried the knob, the door was locked.
"Renae it's me Cooper. Can you open the door?" Nothing happened, "Renae if you are in there and won't open the door I will have to assume your hurt and kick it in."
A small click signaled the door being unlocked and without hesitation Cooper pried it open.
On the floor sat a curled up Renae, the pistol across the closet. She looked to be unharmed causing Cooper to sigh and relax. Crouching low he reached out and pulled her into his lap her head rested on his chest.
"What happened?"
She looked up at his face, her eyes swollen and puffy.
"I-" she stammered, "I-" exhaling she calmed herself down to speak. Cooper watched her chest rise and fall heavily.
"I shot him, I think on the back of his leg." He nodded in confirmation.
Cooper phone rang pulling it out he looked at the caller ID and guiltily answered it, "where are you?" He growled, he was unhappy at the lack of attention this was getting from his cohorts. "We are on our way, you typed a number in wrong." Of course I did. Looking down at the whimpering woman his hard face softened, "Renae I will catch the bastard." She nodded at the declaration.
Turning his focus back at the caller he gritted his teeth, "Get here quickly, please bring my files. Tell the chief I will be leaving back to Quartz after this." Cooper then hung up the phone, bringing his full focus back to Renae. "Cooper?" Her voice was only a squeak. He hummed in response patting down her hair as she spoke, "he said I wasn't who he was looking for." Cooper froze his face paled and his palms got sweaty, this was a hit job meant for him. It all started to make sense they needed Renae, but they didn't need him. In fact the more he was around the more their plans were ruined. It made sense, but yet his involvement put Renae in danger.
"I'm so sorry Renae, it should have been me." His face winced, "and to make it worse I wasn't there to protect you." Cooper hung his head low, he was ashamed it hadn't even been twenty-four hours and he had failed. Renae's small and gentle hands cupped his jaw, "I'm alright, see." She wiggled around showing her lack of bruising and blood. "I'm not hurt." She could tell he was less then convinced, "You protected me by showing me how to protect myself." And in a way she was right, her hands and reassuring words comforted him to where he didn't feel as guilty anymore.