“When I heard it was your father that was brought into the ER, I knew I had to stay with him. I tried to call, but I guess you were already on your way here. I hope you don’t mind, but I called your church to let them know.”
“Denise, how is he?” Laura asked.
“He’s in a coma and the doctors are worried about his breathing.”
“I want to see him,” she said.
Denise nodded. “I’ll take you back.” She put her arm around Laura’s shoulders and led her away.
Colton started to follow, but the nurse stopped him. “Only two can visit at a time. You’ll have to wait out here.”
“I’ll be fine,” Laura assured him, then disappeared behind the double doors leading into the ICU. He wasn’t happy to be separated from her, but he supposed she was safe enough inside the intensive care unit.
Colton found himself surrounded by folks he didn’t know. Church friends of Laura’s tried to introduce themselves. He liked most of them mainly because they’d come to show their support for her. “We’ve missed seeing her in Sunday school,” one woman told him. “Laura has drifted away from us since this mess with her father started.”
“You know about her problems with her father?” he asked.
“Well, she’s never talked to me about it, but everyone knows about her father’s gambling. She’s struggled for a while trying to help him. Laura is a nurturer like her mother was.”
“You knew her mother?”
“Yes, we were friends. I knew her mother before she died. She was a beautiful woman and Laura reminds me so much of her, only much more jaded. I suppose its natural after all she’s been through.” The woman hesitated briefly, then went on. “Laura and my son, Lance, dated for a while and I hoped something would happen between them, but I suppose it wasn’t meant to be. Sadly, my Lance likes the gaming tables like so many people these days. Laura couldn’t see herself getting involved with someone who reminded her so much of her father.”
Her words were a harsh reminder for Colton that Laura could never fall for a guy like him.
Before he left her, the woman pulled on his arm. “Please tell Laura I’m praying for her.”
“I will. And thank you.”
He knew the power of prayer. He also knew Laura needed as many prayers as she could get.
It had to mean a lot to her that so many people had arrived to support her. He knew from experience how important it was to have people who cared. When he was in trouble—drinking and gambling—heading for rock bottom, his ranger brothers had been there to help him up.
Laura might feel alone, but she wasn’t.
* * *
Denise walked her to the last room in the unit but stopped in front of a closed curtain. She pulled back the curtain and Laura gasped when she saw the figure in the bed. She hardly recognized her father. His face was swollen and discolored from the beating and his head was wrapped in a bandage. The rest of his body seemed to be knitted together with bandages and stitches and hooked to machines. As a nurse, she was used to seeing the monitors and lifesaving apparatus, but this was her father and she wasn’t used to seeing him this way. Seeing him unmoving in the bed caused a flash of fear and grief she hadn’t expected.
Stop it, she chided herself. Stop acting like a little child afraid of losing her daddy.
She pushed back the emotion welling inside her and forced herself to examine him clinically. She glanced at the machine that monitored his vitals and saw that his blood pressure was low but his heart rate steady. Her father appeared to be stabilized, but she knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet. He was still in danger of succumbing to his injuries and would remain in ICU until he regained consciousness and was stable enough for the breathing tube to be removed.
A tear slipped from her eye despite her best effort to prevent it. She reached out and took his hand. She wanted to remain closed off to him forever, but how could she do that now with him like this? He’d surely paid a high price for his decisions. No one deserved the beating he’d endured or the long recovery that lay ahead of him.
“I’ll give you a few minutes,” Denise said as she slipped quietly from the area and left Laura alone.
She pulled up a chair beside his bed and listened to the hum of the breathing machine. She was still angry, but she was afraid, too. She’d already lost so much and, despite her hurt and disillusionment, she wasn’t ready to lose her father, too.
* * *
Laura refused to leave the hospital. In fact, she refused to leave the ICU waiting room even though the hospital’s policy would only allow her to visit with her father for fifteen minutes every four hours. But she didn’t want to leave in case there was a change in his condition.
She wasn’t the only one. Another family also appeared to be camped out in the same area waiting for news. Colton noticed they had blankets and books and snacks. They’d come prepared for a long stay and Colton wished he’d been half as prepared. He would have brought his gun, but the hospital’s security measures only allowed sworn officers to carry inside the hospital. Even the security staff wasn’t armed. So he’d left his gun locked in his truck in the parking garage. He contemplated going to get it regardless. They were sitting ducks in this waiting room, easy prey for Randall and his men.
He hadn’t expected this. He’d known Randall might target Bill Jackson, but to beat him so badly? Logically, it didn’t make sense. Bill couldn’t repay Randall in this condition, and if Randall thought that nearly killing her father would endear Laura to him, then he was crazier than Colton could have believed.
He took advantage of the lapse of time between visits to phone Detective Merle for an update on the case against Randall. Thankfully, the detective had news.
“Fingerprints found at the scene of the Duncan murder match two of Randall’s known associates. We’re bringing both men in for questioning.”
Finally a break in the case. But Colton knew tying Randall to the attack was still a tricky situation. “Do you think they’ll name Randall?”
“I’ll do my best to convince them, but it won’t be the first time someone has taken the wrap for Randall. He’s a charismatic guy and he commands a lot of loyalty from those he employs. Right now, all we have is the ability to place them at the scene of the murder. Hopefully forensics will give us more evidence against them, but we won’t get the full results of that for a while.”
“Thanks for keeping us updated,” Colton told Merle.
“I’ll let you know if I come across any new developments.”
He hung up and turned to Laura, who was listening intently.
“Nothing,” she said, not phrasing it as a question but a statement.
He wished the news was better. He wished he could tell her the cops had Randall dead to rights and he would never bother her again. But he couldn’t say that, not yet. He was determined he would and soon. “They’re still investigating.”
She sighed wearily. “That man thinks he’s bulletproof and maybe he is.”
“No, Merle seems like a good cop. He’ll find something. And he’s allowing Blake to go through his files as a backup. He wants to bring down Randall as much as we do.”
“No, not as much as me.” She turned to look at him and her green eyes reflected fear and sorrow. “It isn’t his life on the line if he doesn’t.”
* * *
The crowd had dispersed and many of her friends had gone home for the night. Several had offered to stay with her, but she’d insisted she was fine. Besides, she had Colton to stay with her and she was confident he wasn’t going anywhere. She felt better knowing he was close by. And Denise was right downstairs working a shift in the ER and had promised to check on her during her break.
“Can I get you something?” Colton asked gently.
“I’m fine.”
“You need to eat something,” he insisted, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. Honestly, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten anything.
“The cafete
ria is probably still open. We won’t have to be gone long.”
“I’m not leaving.”
He sighed. “Then how about something from the vending machine? I saw one down the hall by the elevator.”
She nodded. “Fine.”
She watched him walk down the hall. She wasn’t hungry, but he was right about keeping up her strength. He was looking out for her and she needed to remember to show her appreciation more instead of snapping at him.
The phone on the wall rang. Laura knew it was used to alert family members of updates on patients. Her heart lurched. She saw the woman from the other family tense as well, before getting up to answer it. She picked up the phone, then glanced at Laura.
“Family of Bill Jackson?”
Laura sucked in a breath. Why were they calling her? Had her father’s condition changed? She stood and the woman held out the phone for her.
Laura took the phone and answered breathlessly. “Yes? Hello? This is Laura Jackson.”
“Miss Jackson, Dr. Braxton would like to speak with you about your father’s condition. He’s waiting for you in room 17 at the end of the hallway.” The nurse’s voice was curt and to the point.
“Is something wrong?”
“You really need to meet with Dr. Braxton. He’s waiting for you now.” The click of the phone indicated the nurse had disconnected. Laura hung up the phone and glanced around for Colton, but he wasn’t yet back from the snack machines.
Should she wait for him to return? But then, what if Dr. Braxton left? She knew from experience that if she wanted to speak with a doctor, she’d better grab the chance when she had it or he would be gone. It was unusual for physicians to make rounds this late in the day, but it wasn’t unheard of. Her mind ticked off all the things that could be wrong. Perhaps her father’s blood pressure had dropped or the doctor needed her okay to perform some lifesaving operation?
She approached the woman who had answered the phone. “Would you tell my friend when he returns that I’ve gone to meet with the doctor?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
Laura hurried down the hall. She glanced at the numbers on the door. Room 17 was at the very end and the door was ajar. She pushed it open. The room was dark with the lights off and the curtains drawn.
“Hello? Dr. Braxton?”
She pushed back the curtain blocking half the room and peeked around it.
Something was wrong. Did she have the right room? Hadn’t the nurse said room 17? She was certain of it.
Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind and clamped his hand over her mouth, his arms surrounding her. She tried to scream, but the hand over her mouth prevented it.
She’d walked right into a trap.
SIX
Colton fed a dollar through the vending machine money changer, hit the button for a bag of chips, then bent to get it. When he stood again, he saw a man leaning against the doorjamb watching him. The man was tall and dressed in a neat suit and tie. His shoes shone and his hair did, too, from too much grease slicking it back.
Colton tensed. This wasn’t just some man waiting to use the vending machine. “Who are you?” he demanded.
The stranger didn’t flinch. “I’m here on behalf of Chuck Randall, Mr. Blackwell. I’m here to offer you a deal.”
Colton started to reach for his gun, then realized he’d left it in his truck. “What kind of deal?”
The man pulled out an envelope and held it out to Colton. The stranger opened the envelope and Colton saw a large stash of bills. The man flicked his fingers over the bills as if counting them.
“Mr. Randall is prepared to offer you a substantial reward for the return of Laura Jackson. I’m here on his behalf, hoping we can work something out. You see, we know she’s here. We could take her by force—”
“You could try,” Colton said as menacingly as he could.
“—but we would much rather end this peacefully.”
“I cannot be bought. You go back and tell your boss that.”
“Mr. Blackwell, we’re not looking for a fight here,” the man said, “but we are prepared to act if you don’t cooperate.”
“Again. You can try. You go back and tell your boss that Laura Jackson is under my protection.”
“We’re also willing to offer you free play in any of Mr. Randall’s casinos. That’s free for life.”
“Not interested,” Colton retorted.
He quirked an eyebrow. “Are you sure? That’s free gaming for life.”
“No. I’m not that guy anymore.”
The man set the envelope on the machine, then slowly backed away. “This is just a down payment. There will be more to come. All you have to do is cooperate.” He turned and sauntered down the hall to the elevator, then was gone.
Colton stared at the envelope of cash. He fingered the bills and realized it was several thousand dollars. That was a lot of money. Randall thought he could sway Colton with cash or free gaming, but he was wrong.
He stuffed the envelope into his pocket. There might be a way to connect Randall to this cash.
Yet right now he had to get back to Laura. He’d been gone far too long already and didn’t want her to worry. Colton retrieved two sodas and the bag of chips from the vending machine, telling himself he would convince her to at least eat a few chips if nothing else. He hadn’t given up on getting her to eat something nutritious, but for the time being it would have to do.
He walked into the waiting room. Laura’s spot was empty. He glanced around but didn’t see her. A woman in the corner approached him.
“The doctor asked to see her,” she told him.
His heart dropped. Had her father’s status changed?
“Thank you.”
He dropped the snacks into an empty chair, then strode through the double doors and approached the nurses’ station. “I’m looking for Laura Jackson. She’s meeting with Dr. Braxton about her father. Can you tell me where they are?”
The nurse’s expression grew confused. “Dr. Braxton isn’t on the floor. He was called into an emergency surgery an hour ago. I haven’t seen Laura since her last visit with her father.”
Fear struck him. He rushed toward Bill Jackson’s curtained area and pushed open the curtain. She wasn’t there. He ran back into the waiting room.
Oh, God, keep her safe.
He heard a cry for help and spotted the door to the stairs close. He sprinted toward it. In the stairwell, he saw a man pulling Laura with him down the stairs as she fought against him.
“Let her go!” Colton shouted.
The man stopped and looked up at him, then raised his gun toward Colton. Laura screamed and grabbed for it, causing the gun to fire and a bullet to shoot past him. He hurried down the steps as Laura fought the man. Grasping the rails and lurching himself at the guy, Colton kicked the gun from his hand and knocked him against the wall and down several steps. The man scrambled back up the steps for the gun, but Colton reached it first. As he grabbed it, the man turned and took off down the stairs.
Colton’s first instinct was to rush after the man, but common sense prevailed. He wasn’t leaving Laura again.
“Are you all right?” he asked her.
She gingerly touched a cut on her forehead that was bleeding. “I think I’m okay.”
He pushed back her hair and examined the cut. “You may need stitches. I think we should go down to the ER and let them take a look at you.”
She agreed without argument.
He glanced at the doorway through which the would-be abductor had fled. The man was surely long gone by now, but that didn’t stop him from being cautious. He had the man’s gun, though, and he wouldn’t hesitate to use it if necessary. “Laura, did you recognize that man?”
She shook her head. “No, I’ve never seen him before.”
“Once we’re done in the ER, I want to go check out the hospital security footage. There might be an image of this guy on it that we can use to identify him.”
Laura�
��s friend Denise saw them enter the ER and rushed over. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“She was attacked in the stairwell.”
Denise checked the wound on her head. “You need stitches. Take her to room 6. I’ll do the procedure myself after I finish working up this patient.”
Colton helped Laura down the hall and into the room.
“Why don’t you go ahead to the security office?” she told him. “I’ll be fine here.”
No chance. He wasn’t leaving her unguarded. He arranged for two security officers to be stationed outside room 6, then phoned Detective Merle, who arrived within a half hour of Colton calling him.
Merle took the assailant’s gun, then headed for the security office and Colton joined him. The officer on duty pulled up the video surveillance feeds for the ICU floor. It captured an image of Laura being dragged from a room at the end of the hall and into a stairwell. Colton’s blood went cold when he saw the look of terror on her face. If anything had happened to her, he’d have no one to blame but himself.
Taking several deep breaths, he forced himself to calm down. He had a job to do here. Plain and simple. And he wouldn’t put Laura at risk by letting his personal feelings mess with his head.
Colton leaned toward the screen, watching intently. Her hands were on the assailant’s arms, trying to pull them away, but she was no match for his strength. The security officer cropped the image to show only the man’s profile, then emailed it to Detective Merle.
“He was watching out for the camera,” Merle said. “He kept his face covered and turned his head. I doubt we’ll be able to identify him based on this image. I want images of all the exits. Look for anyone leaving that matches the perpetrator’s build and attire.”
“I have another idea,” Colton said. “There was another man. He approached me at the vending machines. I think he was the diversion.”
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