“No. I was in the hall when Tatiana ran out and knocked me down. The door was open, so I came in and saw them on the floor. Liliya told me to call for ambulances, and she ran out the door.”
“Why were you in the hall?” the man asked.
Ed was distracted by the knife but looked back at the soldier. “Oh, I was going to my room. Two doors over.”
He looked at the medic, checking Ben’s wound. The man looked up at the soldiers and Ed.
“We’ll need help getting him up on the gurney. We need to keep him level, so the knife won’t move.”
Ed found himself lined up on one side of Ben. He slid his hands under Ben’s shoulder as five big soldiers took their own grips.
“On three, we lift. One. Two. Three!”
Ed did his part, and they smoothly lifted Ben straight up as the paramedic moved the gurney under him. They gently lowered him onto the bed then everyone stepped back as the paramedics strapped Ben down.
“We’ve got it from here, Ed. Thanks for your help. You should go to your room now,” their commander said.
“Why did you call him Wizard?” Ed asked.
The man flashed him a quick smile. “Because that’s what he is.”
Liliya appeared in the doorway, and Ed could see she was pissed off. He guessed she didn’t find Tatiana.
The commando’s leader looked at her. “Who are you?”
“Liliya Sokolov. One of Ben’s bodyguards.”
“Looks like you did a shit job of that. Where’s your partner?” the commander snapped.
“Gone. Likely on her way to Russia. She was the one who stabbed him.”
The commandos all shared looks and followed the medics with Ben out of the room.
The second team of paramedics entered and quickly transferred Evelyn to their stretcher and hustled her from the room.
Ed was pulled from the room by Liliya, who closed the door, then left him as she ran to the elevator bank.
He turned and walked back to his room. He stood facing the door, unsure what to do next.
The elevator dinged down the hall, and he turned to see who it was.
Louis, Dan, and Mark stepped from the car and approached him with smiles on their faces. The smiles faded as they saw Ed’s frown.
Then Louis saw the blood on Ed’s shirt and pant legs. He rushed forward. “Ed! What happened? Is that blood?” Dan and Mark quickly joined them.
Ed looked down at himself and realized he got this when he helped Ben onto the gurney.
“It’s not mine,” he said.
Louis looked into his eyes and saw he was dazed. “Ed, what happened?”
“Tatiana stabbed Ben. The knife… it was sticking out of him.” He gestured with a hand to the location the handle was poking out of his gut. “She ran away, and Liliya tried to catch her… but she got away. Tatiana also slashed Evelyn’s face.” He looked down at himself. “Some of this might be hers.”
“I don’t understand. Why would Ben’s bodyguard attack him?” Mark said.
Louis shook his head. “I don’t know. Ed, is Ben alive?”
Ed nodded. “He was when I helped lift him onto the gurney. A team of commandos sent by General Davis arrived to help, but they didn’t dress or look like any soldiers I’ve ever seen.” He frowned in confusion again as the expression on Tatiana’s face returned to his mind. She wasn’t showing anger when she slammed into him in the hall. He wasn’t so great at reading people, but he was sure she was desperate and afraid. Maybe it had been an accident?
Louis patted his arm. “Ed, this is what I want you to do.” He saw he had the man’s attention. “Go inside and take these clothes off in the bathroom. Rinse the blood from them in the bathtub. Take a hot shower, hang the wet clothes to dry, and get ready for bed. Before you go to sleep, I want you to call Grace and talk to her.”
Ed smiled and nodded. That was a good idea. She could help him figure this out. “Thank you. Good night!”
The others smiled, and he went inside. He had tasks to accomplish and a call to make.
-=-
After saying their goodnights to Mark, Dan followed Louis into his room as they needed to talk. They took seats across a small coffee table.
Dan nodded to Louis. “Smart thinking, telling him to call home.”
Louis looked at his partner. “I’m just following Grace’s request. She took me aside to speak to me when we hired Ed. She said if Ed ever seemed to be having a moral dilemma or was struggling with someone’s behavior, I was to suggest he call her.” Dan nodded in approval.
“The woman is his light in the dark,” Louis said with a gentle smile.
“I didn’t know you had the heart of a poet,” Dan said in surprise.
“How about this one:
There once was a man named Ben Shepherd
Whose project was the biggest on record
The Klein Group was thrilled
But Ben’s bodyguard killed
Now the deal has become just a turd.”
Dan scowled at his partner. “I take back the poetic heart comment.”
Louis shrugged. “But my point is made. The man is reportedly healthy as an ox, but what if he dies from this tonight? Was this contingency in our contract with him? I don’t think we contemplated the ramifications of doing business with someone who has three people protecting him from assassins. Real assassins, not the imaginary ones self-delusional people fear are after them.”
Dan sighed. “So, we cancel the rest of the appointments and contact the companies we’re ready to create contracts with and let them know we’re in a holding pattern for word on Ben’s health.”
Louis pondered that for a moment. “Let me call Ben’s lawyer, Walter Greyson. He needs to be informed if he hasn’t already been. We can ask him what the contingency plans are.”
Dan nodded.
Louis dialed the number and waited while it connected.
“Walter Greyson and Associates. How may I direct your call?”
“Hi, this is Louis Klein calling to speak to Walter Greyson, please.”
“Certainly, Mr. Klein. Hold, please.”
A moment later, Walter’s voice came on. “Walter speaking. What can I do for you, Mr. Klein?”
“Hi Walter, please call me Louis. I have my partner, Dan, with me. May I put you on speaker?”
“Certainly.”
Louis pressed the button and put the phone on the table between them. They leaned toward the phone. “Can you hear us?” Louis asked.
“Yes,” Walter said.
“I take it from your sunny mood you haven’t received news from Ben’s team here,” Louis said gently.
There was a momentary pause. “No, I haven’t. What’s happened?”
“Ed Walters, an employee of mine, witnessed the aftermath. He informed me that Ben was stabbed in the abdomen with a knife, apparently by his bodyguard, Tatiana Pushkin. Ben was rushed to a hospital, but we have no information on which one or what his condition currently is. Apparently, Evelyn Killcade was slashed across the face and taken to the hospital. Only Liliya Sokolov remains with him as Tatiana fled the hotel. You might be able to get more information if you have the number for General Davis, as he sent a team of commandos to protect Ben. They arrived after the attack and went to the hospital with Ben and Evelyn.”
Walter was quiet for a moment. “Shit.”
Dan and Louis shared a look as Walter’s voice wobbled.
“Okay. I do have a number I can call to reach the General. I’ll see if I can find out more.”
“Evelyn was arranging our flights and hotels, and I think we’re going to have to put off the rest of the tour, cancel the appointments, and either stay in Germany with Ben until we can fly him home or arrange commercial flights home. Unfortunately, we don’t have any of the contact numbers to take care of these things for her.”
Walter’s voice sounded a little firmer now that he had a plan. “I’ll call you back as soon as I’ve reached the General. Thank you for contacting me. I will do what I can from here. If you could contact the hotel front desk and see about extending your stay for a day or two, that would be helpful.”
“We will do that immediately. Thanks, Walter.”
“Thanks. Bye.” The line went dead.
Louis and Dan shared another look then Louis picked up the handset on the room’s phone. He’d deal with that now.
He hoped Walter got some good news from the soldiers the General sent to help Ben.
-=-
Ed rested back against his headboard with the phone on his lap. It had taken a few minutes to figure out how to make a long-distance call, but it was finally ringing.
“Hello?” Grace’s voice immediately made him feel better.
“Hi Grace!” he said.
“Ed! What time is it there?”
He looked at the digital clock next to the bed. “Just a little after eleven.”
“Shouldn’t you be going to bed? You have an early flight to Paris, right?” she said with a smile in her voice.
“I-I don’t know if we’re going to go to Paris, London, or New York. Ben was stabbed tonight by one of his bodyguards. He was rushed to the hospital, but I don’t know how bad his injury is.”
“Oh my god, Ed! Are you okay?” she gasped.
Ed shook his head. “I’m really sad about Ben. He’s such a nice man, and he was in so much pain. I hope he’ll be all right. I don’t understand why his own bodyguard would do this. I knew she hadn’t been very happy during this trip. She has such a bad temper, but her stabbing Ben doesn’t make sense.”
“I’m so sorry you went through this, and I’m sure Ben will be okay now that he’s at the hospital. You’ve talked to Louis about this?”
“Yes, he was the one who told me to call you before I went to bed. After I washed all of Ben’s blood from my clothes, I mean.”
Grace was quiet, and he heard muffled sounds, then she came back on. “Until you have more information on what happened with this bodyguard, there isn’t any point in trying to figure out why she did it. She might not have been mentally stable. In the meantime, listen to Louis and Dan, and I’m sure they’ll keep on top of this situation. If you have more questions or just want to talk, please call me.”
“Thanks, Grace. I knew you’d know what to do. I love you! Send my love to our daughters and to the ladies.”
“I will, Ed. Get some sleep now. Things will be clearer in the morning, I promise. I love you, too!”
Ed smiled and hung up. He connected his phone to its charger and turned off the light.
He knew he’d sleep better now that he’d spoken with Grace. She always understood.