“Does Logan know that you’re an FBI agent?”
“No. You’re the only one who knows. Oh, and I have a friend who lives in Pawleys Island who knows, but she’s not related to this case.”
“Are you going to tell him?”
“I think the jig is up. My cover is blown. I don’t see any reason why I can’t tell him. Do you think he’ll forgive me for lying to him?”
“I don’t know. I guess you’ll have to explain it to him and hope he understands.”
“Would you? If you were in his place.”
“Honestly, I don’t know. You’ve lied to the boy since day one. Do you love him?”
Lexie’s eyes shot open.
“Love? I haven’t known him that long.”
“No. But you’ve known him long enough to know if there’s potential for love.”
“He’s a sweet guy and I care for him. I’d say there’s definitely potential.”
Meade smiled.
“He seemed mighty concerned about you. He wanted to come with me and help look for you, but I told him it would be faster for me to leave from my house.”
“Lying. That’s the worst part about undercover work. I don’t mind lying to bad guys and targets, but I hate lying to people like you and Logan.”
“So, you do this all the time? The undercover stuff.”
“This is my second long-term case. I’m starting to wonder if I’m cut out for it.”
“From the looks of your head, I think you might need to consider another career choice,” Meade said, laughing. “Was your first case this rough?”
Lexie chuckled.
“I didn’t get beat up or shot on my last gig.”
“We’re almost to the hospital. What are you gonna tell them? I want to be on the same page as you.”
“I’m going to use my real name. No sense trying to stay in role at this point. My real name is Alexis Montgomery, but I go by Lexie in both worlds.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lexie Montgomery.”
***
Captain Meade parked near the emergency room entrance and helped Lexie through the automatic sliding doors and over to the check-in desk. He sat her in the chair and held her in place.
“Dear Lord, what happened to you?” the heavy-set nurse at intake asked.
Lexie knew that she looked bad and the fluorescent lighting wasn’t doing her any favors.
“I’ve been bashed in the head and beat up.”
“And shot,” Meade added.
“Yes. That, too.”
“Is this your father?” the nurse asked, motioning toward Captain Meade.
“No. He’s my friend.”
“I have to contact the police about the gunshot wound,” the nurse said.
“I understand,” Lexie said. “The FBI will be involved in the shooting investigation as well, but I’ve already contacted them.”
“Are you able to fill out some paperwork?”
“I think so. I don’t have my insurance card or my ID with me. I have a friend who went to my house to get it. He should be here soon.”
Lexie heard the automatic doors open and saw Zach burst through the door. He glanced around the waiting room until he spotted Lexie. He rushed over to in-take.
“Lexie. Are you all right? God, you look terrible.”
“Gee thanks, Zach.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Who is this man?” the nurse asked.
“He’s a colleague. You can coordinate the shooting investigation through him.”
Lexie found it harder and harder to stay upright. The room was spinning and she couldn’t make it stop. Captain Meade braced her to keep her from sliding out of the chair.
“I think this girl needs to lie down,” Captain Meade said.
The nurse called for a wheelchair. Within a minute, a male orderly appeared and helped Lexie into the wheel chair.
“We’ll finish the paperwork in the back. Let’s get you to a bed.”
Zach’s phone rang.
“It’s Don,” he said as he stepped out.
The orderly started to leave with Lexie when she reached out and grabbed Captain Meade by the arm.
“Can he come back with me?” she asked. Lexie didn’t recognize her own voice. It was the voice of a child instead of a grown woman.
“He sure can.”
“Will you stay with me?”
Captain Meade patted Lexie’s hand that held his arm.
“Of course I will.”
The sounds of doctors being paged over the intercom filled the air. The kind orderly helped Lexie into bed and covered her with a heated blanket.
“Sir, you’re welcome to take that chair in the corner.”
Captain Meade nodded and moved the chair so he was out of the way.
“Your nurse will be right in.”
“Thank you.”
“Your welcome. I hope you feel better soon.”
The orderly closed the curtain as he exited.
“Thanks for staying with me, Captain.”
The curtain opened and a middle aged, petite nurse walked in, carrying a medical chart. Her deep-set hazel eyes sparkled as she removed a pair of latex gloves from the box marked small. She put down the chart and snapped the gloves into place.
“Hello, Alexis. My name is Angela. How’re you feeling?”
“To be honest, I’ve had better days. And you can call me Lexie.”
“Lexie it is. Who’s the gentleman in the corner?”
“He’s my friend.”
“Do you need me to leave?” Meade asked.
“No. You’re fine for now.”
Nurse Angela ran the routine tests. When the doctor arrived, the room seemed to shrink. The burly man towered over the nurse. Despite his size, he had a kind face with a dimpled chin and eyebrows that looked like two caterpillars.
“Hello, Ms. Montgomery, I’m Dr. Stevens.”
The doctor’s soft voice and striking smile put Lexie at ease.
“Please call me Lexie.”
Dr. Stevens smiled.
“Would you like to tell me how you ended up in this condition?”
“I’m an FBI agent and I was injured in the line of duty. I guess you could say I pissed off the wrong group of people. To sum it up, I was clocked in the head, held hostage, beat up, and shot in the arm while escaping.”
Dr. Stevens tipped his head to the side.
“I’m, ahh … I’m not easily surprised, but you’ve managed to surprise me.”
Dr. Stevens washed his hands, then put on a pair of extra-large latex gloves.
“Her temperature and blood pressure are both a bit high, Doctor.”
“She looks pretty dehydrated. Let’s get some fluids going and I want to start with the head wound.”
The doctor turned Lexie’s head so he could get a better look at the wound. He situated a bright light directly over the wound. Nurse Angela pushed a table that held a variety of medical instruments over to the doctor. The doctor selected a small pair of tweezers and used the instrument to extract slivers of wood.
“You must have been hit with a large stick—there are shards of wood embedded in the wound. I’m going to order a CT scan. I want to see the extent of the trauma. I’m going to keep you overnight for observation.”
“What? I need to go home.”
“Lexie, you sustained a very serious head injury. You’re lucky to be alive.”
“Listen to the doctor, girl,” Captain Meade said. “Better safe than sorry.”
Dr. Stevens continued to clean the wound.
“We can make you comfortable tonight, run a few tests, and your friend can pick you up tomorrow.”
Lexie sighed.
“If you think it’s necessary.”
“I do. Nurse could you order the CT scan and get her admitted? I want to examine the gunshot wound as well as the rest of her injuries.”
“Of course, Doctor.”
“My co-worker should be
in the waiting room with my insurance card,” Lexie said.
Lexie grimaced from the pain as the doctor continued to clean the wound.
“You’re going to need some sutures in this laceration, but I’m going to wait until after the CT scan. Let me have a look at your arm.”
Lexie showed her injured arm to the doctor. Lexie jumped as he cleaned the wound.
“Sorry. I know it burns. You’re one lucky girl. The bullet grazed your upper arm. You’ll have a scar, but no permanent damage. An inch over and the bullet would’ve shattered the bone.”
“I keep hearing how lucky I am, but right now I feel like I’ve been run over by a semi. Are you sure I need to stay in the hospital tonight?”
“I’m sure. Where else are you having pain?”
“My ribs are sore and I’m having trouble breathing deep. My right ankle is throbbing as well.”
Dr. Stevens pulled up Lexie’s shirt and gently touched her black and blue ribs. Lexie jumped and whimpered. He moved down and examined her muddy swollen ankle.
“We’re going to need to x-ray your ribs and ankle to rule out any breaks. When did you last eat?”
“I’m not sure. Two days ago, maybe. I’ve had water, but no food.”
The nurse returned to the area.
“She’s been admitted, Doctor. X-ray should be here in a few minutes to take her for her CT scan.”
“Thank you, Angela. Can you order a set of x-rays for her ribs and right ankle, too?”
“Of course.”
Angela patted Lexie on the left foot.
“Your colleague arrived with insurance information. He wants to come back and see you. I told him that he would be able to see you after you get back from x-ray. He also said he needs to see your friend for a few minutes,” she said, motioning toward Captain Meade.
A young orderly dressed in light blue scrubs stuck his head inside the curtain.
“Is the patient ready to go to x-ray?” he asked.
“She is,” Angela answered. “Lexie, I’ll walk your friend back to the waiting room and he can visit you when you’re settled in your room.”
Captain Meade stood and before he left, he touched Lexie on the shoulder. “I’ll be right outside, kid.”
“Thanks, Captain.”
***
Lexie woke up in her private hospital room. The smell of bland food and cleaning supplies filled the air. Limited in motion by the IV in her right arm, she tried sitting up. That’s when she noticed Don sitting in the corner. He pulled his chair over next to her bed.
“Hey, sleeping beauty.”
“How long have I been out?”
Lexie’s voice sounded hoarse and foreign to her own ears.
“A couple of hours. The doctor said you needed your rest, so I didn’t wake you.”
“Where’s Captain Meade?”
“He’s safe. Zach took him to a hotel for the night.”
“What about Logan? Did someone find Logan?”
“The Sheriff’s Office sent a deputy to his address. His house was locked and no one was home.”
Lexie fumbled around until she found the bed remote. The bed made a loud noise as she found a more comfortable position.
“You gave us a scare.”
Lexie gave Don a thin smile.
“Sorry. It wasn’t one of my better moments.”
“I’m glad you’re going to recover. Do you feel like telling me the whole story?”
“Do you have a shot of bourbon?”
Don laughed.
“I didn’t have time to smuggle in booze. You’ll have to settle for a cup of water.”
Don poured one from a nearby plastic jug filled with ice water and handed it to her. She sucked in a breath and grimaced when she had to use her left arm to take the cup.
Lexie recounted the story from the beginning, including the terror she felt when Otis Ray tortured and tried to rape her. She also came clean with Don about her blossoming relationship with Logan and the fact that she rented her boat from him.
Don listened without interruption.
“Can the targets trace the boat back to Logan?”
“The boat is registered in his brother’s name, but Logan and Liam live together. The boat registration comes back to their address. I overheard the pilot talking about his boss’s connections. Supposedly this guy they call Ghost Runner has some sort of law enforcement contact.”
“Did he mention any names?”
“No.”
Don put his head back and stared at the ceiling.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Lexie asked.
Don straightened his head and looked at Lexie.
“Someone tossed your apartment.”
“What?”
“When I arrived at your place to get your ID from the safe, the condo was trashed.”
“What about the safe?”
“They found the safe, but didn’t get it open. Because of its size and weight, they couldn’t take it with them.”
“They found my place. How did they find my apartment?”
“I don’t know.”
“It had to be Tony’s piece of shit source.”
“We’re certainly not ruling him out.”
“What’s our next step?”
“I telephonically briefed the United States Attorney’s Office. The Assistant United States Attorney assigned to the case is waiting for me to call him after I debrief you. He’s researching Cat Island to find out who owns the island and if we need a search warrant for the cabin.”
“How did you know about the cabin?”
“Captain Meade told us.”
“I don’t remember telling him about the cabin.”
“That’s strange. How would he know about the cabin? Are you sure you didn’t mention it to him?”
“I don’t remember. I must have. Who knows what all I told him?”
“You told him your real name and identity.”
Lexie glared at Don.
“I didn’t have much of a choice. Besides, he saved my life. I think he deserved to know the truth.”
Don stood, walked over and stared out the small window.
“I owe you an apology,” Don said. “You were right. The ELF actions were a cover up for the drug smuggling operation. I should’ve given your theory more credence from the start.”
Don turned and faced Lexie.
“However, you shouldn’t have taken matters into your own hands. Renting a boat, conducting surveillance on your own, not sharing your plans with me or Zach. You were nearly killed.”
“In hindsight, I should’ve handled things a little differently. But in my defense, I was operating without a contact agent and with very few resources. I did the best that I could. I wanted to gather enough evidence to push forward with my theory. I didn’t plan for things to go this bad.”
“Just so you know, the Special Agent in Charge is driving down from Columbia tomorrow. He’s meeting with me at 10:00. Depending on when you get released tomorrow, I’m sure he’ll want to meet with you, too.”
“Can this case go any further south?”
“Zach will gather your personal items from your condo tomorrow. He’ll get you moved to a safe location. I’ve requested to use the Evidence Response Team for the search of the island and the cabin.”
“Can I go with you when you search the cabin?”
“If the doctor clears you, then I think having you there would be helpful.”
“I’m worried about Captain Meade. Do you think he’ll be safe once he returns home?”
“I would prefer that he not return home until after we get everyone in custody. When I mentioned that idea, he muttered something about being able to take care of himself. He also said he can’t leave his dog. We were lucky to get him to stay in the hotel tonight.”
Lexie chuckled.
“He can be a little stubborn.”
“Can I pour you some more water?”
“Please.”
Lexie
handed Don the cup. He re-filled the cup and placed it back in her hand.
“I’m not going to lie to you, Lexie, the situation is dire. The SAC is on the war path. He referred to our operation as a mishandled, unprofessional wreck and called you a rogue undercover agent.”
“Well, at least he’s not mad,” Lexie said, grinning.
“It’s not funny. He’s talking about getting the Office of Professional Responsibility involved.”
“Screw OPR,” Lexie said. “They’re just internal affairs with a fancy name. I worked this case to the best of my ability. If they want to come in and play Monday morning quarterback, then let them.”
“We need to stick together and nip this thing in the bud. If that means we have to suck up our pride and play nice with the SAC to keep him from referring the case to OPR, then that’s what we have to do.”
A knock on the door halted the conversation. A full-figured African American nurse poked her head in the door.
“Hey there. I’m Sabrina, your nurse for tonight. I need to check your vitals.”
“I need to get out of here anyway,” Don said. “Big day tomorrow. I’ll call and check on you in the morning. Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, reaching inside a Verizon bag. “Here’s a loaner cell phone for you. It’s all charged and the number is written on a slip of paper inside the box. I programed my and Zach’s numbers into the phone for you. Call me if you need anything tonight.”
“I will. Thanks, Don.”
“See you in the morning. Try to stay out of trouble.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.”
Don left the room, leaving Lexie alone with Sabrina.
“How are you feeling?” Sabrina asked.
“Better than a few hours ago.”
“That’s because the pain meds have kicked in. A little sleep will do you a world of good.”
Sabrina placed the thermometer in Lexie’s mouth. After it beeped, she removed it.
“Your temperature is still a little high, but the antibiotics should kick in soon. Let’s check your blood pressure.”
The blood pressure cuff tightened around Lexie’s arm.
“Your blood pressure is normal now.”
“I’m glad something is normal.”
“I’m going to check the wound on your arm.”
Lexie squirmed when Sabrina removed the bandage.
“There doesn’t appear to be any infection. Girl, you’re all scraped up. Looks like you got in a fight with a bobcat and lost.”
Beyond the Cabin Page 15