A Piece of Candi

"Brett, you need to come and see this." My secretary called me from my office and into the lobby. She pointed to the television and the craziness that was on the screen. "Isn't that Candi's station?"

I stared at it for a moment, and then realized what was I was looking at. The phone rang and she walked to answer it, "Halifield, Cox, and Mailen. This is Debra, how can I direct your call?" She looked at me, the color draining from her face, "Brett, it's the police. They want to talk to you about Candi."

I looked her funny, "The police?" I walked to the desk and took the phone from her, "This is Brett Mailen; how can I help you?"

The voice on the other end was deep, "This is Police Chief Maddox. Is your wife Candice Evelyn?"

"Yes, is there a problem with my wife?"

"Sir, I'm not sure if you are aware of the situation, but there is a man holding your wife and several people hostage."

"DOUG!" was my immediate reaction.

"What was that?" Maddox replied.

"I'll be right down there. Thank you for contacting me." I turned to Debra, "someone is holding hostages at the station, and Candi is one of them. That's what all that mess is down there." I pointed at the television, "If he hurts them I'll kill him!"

"Brett, Them?"

"If it's Doug, and he hurts her and the baby, I'm going to kill him." I grabbed my jacket and my keys, watching Debra's expression change, "Candi is pregnant. We weren't going to tell any one until the holidays."

"Oh god Brett, I hope she's going to be all right." She was about to break down in tears.

I stood at the door and turned back to look at Debra, "She will be, as soon as I get to her."

When I arrived at the television studio, I approached an officer and I told him who I was, and that I was supposed to speak with Captain Maddox. He walked me to where the captain stood and introduced me.

We listened to the negotiator talking, when the call ended and he relayed the demands, "He wants safe passage to the airport and a plane for himself and his wife."

"Its Douglas Harper isn't it?" I bluntly asked him.

"Yes. Do you know him?" Maddox asked.

"Long story short, he used to be my best friend. Candi used to be his wife, she is now my wife, and he's still angry." I looked at him holding back every ounce of anger I had, "My wife is pregnant."

"There's one more thing," the guy negotiating looked at me, "He said he'll kill her if he can't get out of here with her."

The SWAT team was scrambling around and Maddox quietly discussed the situation deciding the best course of action to take. As they made plans to get the hostages out without any harm coming to them, I made my way out of sight of everyone towards the back of the building. I knew Candi's code to the electronic lock at the back door and let myself in.

As I approached the open double doors that lead to the hallway and the greenroom, I saw Doug standing just inside the door to the greenroom. My dilemma was how to get him to come to me, and keep him occupied so that they could get away. Dilemma solved.

"Brett, I'll kill her," he stood in the hallway holding the gun to her side; she looked horrified.

"No you won't, she's your only ticket out of here. You kill her, your dead."

"I've got other hostages'."

"You may have, but they aren't as important to you as she is, now are they?" I was edging closer to him.

"Stop right there Mailen!" He moved the gun to her head.

"Come on Doug, you don't want to hurt her, and you know it. It's me you really want, it always has been."

"I've already shot one bitch today, shooting another won't make any difference to me!"

I looked at him strangely, "what are you talking about?"

"Beverly, that whore! She deserved it, fucking around on me the way she was, lying to me the whole time. I had all the proof I needed when I saw her with Tommy Jensen. I knew she was lying to me the whole damn time we were together!" he took a deep breath an evil smile crept over his face, "I watched her lay there and die, bleeding all over that white carpet, and Jensen, I filled his ass full of holes too!"

I was so shocked at what he was telling me, and suddenly realized I had to try to get through to him a different way, "let Candi and the others go, and you can have me."

"She's not going anywhere." He cocked the gun.

"Then let everyone else go, and Candi and I will stay."

He pulled back to the room and screamed for everyone to get out, popping off two shots into the ceiling. As they passed me, I reminded them to stay calm, and run when they got outside, incase he started shooting. I didn't know where his mind was at the moment, but I knew it wasn't right. As soon as I saw the last person go out the door, I walked into the room where he held Candi.

"Stay right there Mailen."

"Candi, are you all right?" Stupid question to ask in that moment, I know, but I wanted her to look at me, focus on me. She swallowed hard, I knew that she wasn't, but at least I was there now. "Candi, we're going to be fine, I'll take care of everything." I glanced back at Doug, not sure what to read in his expression.

"Just turn around and walk away Mailen, my wife and I are going to take a little trip, somewhere that we won't have you, or anyone else interfering in our life any longer."

"I'm not your wife any more, I'm Brett's wife now." She stated, standing up to him.

He turned her around to face him, "Don't sass me you bitch!" he slapped her, and she rocked back and forth in his arms as he cursed at her.

She threw her hands up to block his, "stop Doug, stop!" she frantically whispered to him, "Please Doug, stop, I'm pregnant... just, just let me go."

"You fucking whore, you're no better than any of the rest of the bitches in this world!" he put the gun to her head again, grinding it into her temple. "I'll let you go, when I've used you up and you're dead!"

I stepped closer to him, I had to do something because he was growing angrier and now I knew he would kill her without hesitation, "Candice. Baby, everything is going to be all right. I promise."

"Stay still Mailen. I'll put a hole through her pretty head and you'll have neither one of them."

"Brett." She whimpered. I don't think he heard her, but I did.

"Candi, remember what I taught you, breathe deep, stay calm, think about how strong you have to be to protect the baby."

"Yeah Brett, its going to be all right, you'll be dead, and I'll have my wife back, and my life, and all the fun I always had with her."

"You're the one who fucked up your own life Doug." I watched his eyes, he was loosing confidence in the situation, I could tell because he had the same reaction in college a few times when we spared, or he got into a fight at a bar. I got closer, and he pointed the gun at me. I was relieved, but I wasn't.

"I didn't fuck anything up; it was this little bitch here!" He pulled her hair, making her head yank back, spitting the words into her face, "If it wasn't for her, we would be living comfortable in our home, and my job would be going good, and my girlfriends would be keeping me satisfied." He ran the barrel of the gun down her face and to her neck, stopping to point it at her chest, "And I'd still have my precious Candi to take out all of my anger on when I got home."

"Please Doug, for once in your life, think about someone besides yourself." She begged him.

"I am, I'm thinking about you, and how well you're going to suit me once I get you away from here. After we take care of your little pregnancy problem, you can serve as a sex slave to myself and others, since you're so happy to provide the service to horny men." He licked his lips, "Yes, that would be a fine job for you, you bitch! You can make me good money spreading your legs for all those people who want a taste of flesh!"

"You're delusional Doug!" She shouted right before she hit him. She swung around and caught him off guard, knocking him off balance, causing the loss of his grip on her.

When I saw what she had done, I went running towards Doug at full speed, with all intentions of taking him down. I was so focused on Doug, I never heard the sound of the gun firing, but felt the sharp stinging of the bullet hitting me in my shoulder as I rushed towards him.

The pain slowed me by a few steps, and I still don't know how I managed it, but I knocked the gun away and was on top of him, on my way to beating him senseless.

Somehow, he got away from me and managed to get to his feet, coming at me again but before he could reach me, I got to mine. Noise of gunfire came again, and it knocked Doug away from me. As a sharp pain shot through my leg, I watched Doug collapse to the floor before me in a mangled heap. I looked to see the gun in Candi's hand; she was shaking so hard, I was surprised she was holding it up still. I cautiously approached Candi and took the gun from her hand.

"Did I kill him?" she had this blank look on her face. He moaned, and believe it or not, I was relieved.

"No baby, you didn't." I turned her to look at me, "Candi, thank you."

"Just doing what I should have done so long ago, being brave, and standing up for myself." A small smile lit up her face. I went down on my knees, finally feeling the pain of the bullets that had pierced my body. "BRETT!" Candi bent down to face me, panic on her face.

"I'm all right." I touched my shoulder where he had shot me earlier, "this one hurts, but I think my leg is deeper." I put my hand on my leg, 'You shot me.' Trying to make her feel better about the accident, my "Pirates" humor sucked at that moment.

"Oh god, Brett!" She put her arms around me and held me close to her, "Don't die on my Brett, I need you."

"I'm not going to die baby. 'It's just a flesh wound'." I said in my funniest Python voice.

She giggled, and I looked up to see my beautiful wife smiling, bringing her to kiss me.

Of course we were interrupted by the police when the rushed the room.

***

After they finished dressing my wounds in the emergency room, I wheeled up to Candi's hospital room, and waited outside the doorway while they attended to her. I was glad they chose to keep her overnight, and I didn't feel the need to interrupt the conversation she was having with the doctor about her wounds and the baby.

"That was pretty brave of you, going in there after her." police chief Maddox approached me from behind.

"Well, it took me fifteen years to have her at my side; I wasn't letting a nutcase like Doug take her away that easily, especially since I knew that nutcase so well."

"I'm sorry about your ex-wife."

I took a deep breath, "I am too. Candi tried to warn her." I looked up at him, "I'm sorry about the guy she was with; he was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"When I talked to his mother, she said they were planning on getting married in the spring."

"It's too bad that they had to loose their lives because of Doug." I looked back into the doorway at Candi, when she saw me, she smiled.

"If it's any consolation, no one has to ever worry about Douglas Harper again. The wounds sustained from the bullet your wife put in him was fatal. That one shot pierced his spleen, and well, let's just say he was paid back for his evil wrath."

"I don't know if that will make Candi feel better or worse."

"Well, I don't think she needs to know right now. I'm sure that they will be announcing it on the local news soon enough." He patted my shoulder, "For a Lawyer, you sure make one hell of a cop."

"I was going to be a cop, but thought I would do better behind the bench than outside of it."

"If you're ever interested, I could make a recommendation."

"Thanks, but I think I'll stick to the side of the law I'm good at." I reached up and shook his hand.

As he started to walk away, and turned back to me, "She's a very brave woman, you should be very proud of her. The both of you saved a lot of lives today."

"Yes, and the most important one was the one we made together." I whispered.

Candi returned home three days after the confrontation, and felt a peace within herself she never had. They kept her a few extra days just to be safe, and I spent that time trying to figure out how to maneuver around the house in my wheelchair.

I couldn't use crutches because of my left shoulder, so I was stuck in the chair for a little longer than I would have liked. It was a good thing we had a small elevator in the house, or I would have never been able to get to the second floor alone.

Since the incident with Doug, we had decided to tell everyone of the pregnancy. We thought it was too precious to keep to ourselves any longer considering what he had just experienced.

Candi had several of her co-workers sending her gifts and flowers, and visiting us at home for the few weeks she had taken off to recover and help me as well. She was asked to do a few talk shows, but declined stating that her health was not at its best, and she did not need the stress. However, she did do an exclusive interview with her boss for the studio, and things were left alone after that.

***

Several months later, I came home from work one afternoon to find the house quiet, with the exception of soft music playing from somewhere in the house.

I left my things in the office and made my way up to our room to discover my lovely wife waiting my arrival. She lay naked in our bed, her middle expanded quite well now that she was in her fifth month of her pregnancy, and I thought she never looked lovelier.

"Hello my sexy husband." She purred, stoking her swollen nipples. I felt myself stiffen instantly.

"Hello Beautiful." I was pulling my tie from my neck and unbuttoning my shirt as quickly as I could.

"Could I interest you in a bit of play time lover?" she licked her fingers and ran them down her breast, over her belly and to her leg, that she moved enough to allow her fingers to brush her swollen pussy lips.

"You can interest me in anything that has to do with you baby." I knelt down in front of her and caught her hand, bringing it to my lips and licked her flavor from them.

"Make love with me Brett." Her soft words entranced me, just as her love-filled eyes did.

"Come here baby." I pulled her to me and kissed her deeply, running my hands all over her body, enjoying every part of her I could. We made love late into the evening, experiencing each other with delicate pleasure, and heated love.

Life has never been better, and I have every piece of Candi I have ever wanted.