Mission Undercover

by Virginia Vaughan

  Disappointment filled her. They needed that card, but it was gone and so was their only chance of getting into Sherri’s office and looking for evidence.

  “Use mine,” Marcy said, slipping it into Holly’s hand.

  Holly clutched it, thankful to her friend, then gave her a big hug. “You don’t know what this means to me.”

  Marcy eyed her. “This Blake fellow...do you trust him?”

  She didn’t even have to consider the question. Her answer came immediately without hesitation. “Absolutely, I trust him.” She knew it was true. She’d grown to trust Blake completely and she had no doubt that he was her only chance for getting out of this town alive.

  That was all Marcy needed to hear. “Stay safe, Holly.” She adjusted the hat on Holly’s head then headed out. “I’ll make sure the coast is clear so you can slip by unnoticed.” She disappeared through the doors and Holly saw her stop a nurse heading for the break room. Holly was able to slip by them without being seen and headed quickly toward the back hallway to the access door where Blake was waiting. She slipped the card through the reader and the door unlocked.

  Blake hurried inside, agitation pouring off him. “I was getting worried. What took you so long?”

  “I’ll explain later.” She held up the card. “I got it. Let’s go.”

  Coming here had been a risk, but it was one they’d had to take. They needed to see the billing invoices, and Holly grew more and more excited as they neared the hallway that housed Sherri Livingston’s office. She used the access card to open the hallway doors that were always locked and again on the suite of offices that housed the billing department.

  “It’s down here on the right,” Holly told him, turning to look to make certain no one had seen them.

  Blake stopped in front of the door marked Sherri Livingston, Accounts Payable Supervisor. There was no place to swipe the card, but the door was locked so he pulled out a knife and quickly jimmied the lock and the door slipped open. Holly realized she’d been holding her breath as the door opened, but released it when no alarm sounded.

  He ushered her inside and closed the door behind them.

  Holly hurried to Sherri’s desk and started digging through her inbox. Finding nothing, she moved to the file drawers on either side of the desk while Blake pulled open the big filing cabinet and began searching. The drawers revealed nothing helpful, so Holly turned on Sherri’s computer.

  All the hospital staff’s logon information started with their extension number and Holly was quickly able to figure it out. However, when it asked for a password, she stopped. She had no idea what Sherri’s password was and no idea how to find it. She searched through the drawers again and around the computer, hoping Sherri had written it down somewhere the way some people did. She didn’t find it. But the handmade, framed photo on her desk gave Holly an idea. It was a picture of her daughter with her name written in dried pasta on the frame. Many people used their kids’ names as passwords so Holly took a chance and typed it in.

  The screen popped up.

  Blake leaned over her. “Pull up her saved documents.”

  Holly did as he instructed, checking for document titles featuring the name of the company that furnished their cleaning supplies. She finally found one and double-clicked on it to open it up. Just as she’d suspected, the billing error appeared on this invoice, as well, and Sherri had made a notation on the scanned copy that it had been paid in full with hospital funds. She pulled up another invoice from the same company for a different month and saw that the same amount had been ordered and paid for. She quickly printed out several copies to prove Sherri had been actively hiding the large order of supplies and fraudulently using the hospital’s money to cover the expense.

  “What should we do now?” Holly asked him.

  “What’s the fastest way to the loading dock? I’d like to get a look at their records, as well.”

  She nodded and started to point out the direction for him, but footfalls outside the door caught her attention. “Someone’s coming,” she whispered.

  She shut down the computer while he clicked off the lights. Blake peeked out the door then whispered, “Security,” to her. Holly’s heart thudded in her chest. It would be disastrous if they were discovered in there, but she had to wonder why they’d come. Was this a routine check of the offices, or had they somehow been alerted when she’d used Marcy’s access card to enter the suite?

  The footsteps on the tiled floor outside grew louder. Blake softly closed the door again then pulled her across the room and to the floor, crawling under the desk. Holly squeezed in beside him. Her breath caught when the door opened and a beam of light swept the room. She could see it and crouched closer against the desk. Her head was lying on his chest and she could hear the steady beat of his heart. No panic for him. He stayed calm and cool under pressure, and she liked that. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against him as the beam of light continued to sweep.

  Holly held her breath again and felt panic begin to rise inside her. If they were caught here, they might be handed over to the police. Mason would surely enact his wrath on them then. Blake must have sensed her rising agitation because he tightened his grip and locked eyes with her, his eyes somehow conveying a reassurance that everything would be okay. She was already calming down as the security guard closed and locked the door, leaving them once again in darkness.

  “Are you all right?” Blake whispered, his warm breath gentle on her ear.

  “I’m okay.”

  She crawled out from beneath the desk and he did the same, stopping for only a moment to survey her, decide obviously that she was indeed okay, and then move to the door. He softly opened it and peeked into the hallway.

  “It’s clear. We need to go now before he comes back this way.”

  Holly hurried down the hall toward the loading docks. She knew they’d once again escaped detection, and it was all because of Blake.

  Thank You, God, that he’s on my side.

  But now she wondered about the access card in her pocket. Had her best friend ratted her out to security?

  She couldn’t believe that and decided it must have just been a coincidence that he’d come by. After all, he hadn’t searched the office, only scanned it with his light.

  While she was still wondering about Marcy, they arrived at the loading dock. It appeared to be empty. The crew had probably gone home for the day. They approached the office and it, too, was empty. Holly used the access card to unlock the door and pushed it open. She held her breath, waiting to see if an alarm would sound. None did.

  He hurried inside and picked up the manifest. “There’s no record here of a shipment that large. Someone on the loading dock is working with them or being paid off to look the other way.”

  “We need to speak to Ben Casey. He’s the loading dock manager. If a shipment came through here, he knew about it. He recently lost his wife of forty-three years to cancer. It was a long, hard struggle for him.”

  Blake nodded. “Losing someone you love can do strange things to a person. It’s possible he’s simply been too preoccupied with her illness and his own grief that someone was able to pull this off without his knowledge.”

  She hoped that was what it was, but even during his wife’s prolonged illness, Holly knew he’d had his eye on everything. He’d told her once that the job was what kept him going; having something to focus on besides the illness had been his lifeline.

  “He’s a very sweet man. I hope he’s not involved.”

  She saw the doubt in Blake’s face and it didn’t surprise her. It was obvious that Mr. Casey had, at the very least, known something fishy was happening on his docks. But had he been complicit or even involved in moving the chemicals? And if he was, did he have any idea they were using it to make drugs that were targeted to kids?

&n
bsp; She sighed, realizing that at this point, very little would surprise her.

  * * *

  They left the loading dock with Ben Casey’s address in their possession. They’d been fortunate and found a note posted on the bulletin board with his name and address. Blake supposed he’d put it there in case any of his employees needed to reach him, but he was glad he’d posted it. Blake was determined to speak with the man and find out what he knew. He knew Holly was hesitant. She wanted to believe the best in people, but he was more likely to believe the worst. He hated that about himself. It was a fallout from his experience with the ambush and, again, his betrayal by Miranda. In fact, he’d gotten to the point where his first instinct was always to expect the worst in people.

  But as he slid into the driver’s seat of the small sedan, he realized he wanted to believe the best in Holly. His feelings for her were changing. It was becoming a natural instinct to trust her. He was already depending on her in a way he hadn’t depended on anybody since his time in the military—which made sense since they were in a fight for their lives. Lord, guard my heart. Don’t let me fall for someone unworthy of Your plan.

  He placed the key in the ignition and turned the engine. It roared to life, much louder than it should have been. It took a moment to realize it was more than just the engine he was hearing. Something flashed in the corner of his eye and he spun his head to see a huge dump truck barreling toward them. Holly saw it, too, and they reacted at nearly the same moment as the monster slammed into them.

  SEVEN

  Holly screamed and tried to grab for something to hold on to. She felt the metal around her start to give. The dump truck hit them on the front just near his door—an inch more his way and Blake would be dead. He pressed down on the accelerator, but the engine died. The crunching continued as they were pushed into another car, ultimately sealing off both doors for their escape.

  “We have to get out,” he said, reaching for his seat belt. Holly unbuckled and crawled over the seat, stopping when she realized Blake wasn’t moving.

  “I’m stuck,” he told her, pressing the button on his seat belt with no effect. “You go! Kick out the back window and get out!”

  Her eyes widened as the dump truck rammed them again. This time, without her seat belt, she went flying across the seat and slammed against the passenger window. Her head hit the glass with a thud and pain riddled through her. Nausea grabbed her and she thought she might lose consciousness. She fought it. If she passed out, she was dead, and so was Blake. But she couldn’t stop the groan that escaped her lips as she moved back toward him.

  “Holly! Are you okay?” She heard the terror in his voice and tried to reassure him with a gentle nod that sent waves of pain rushing through her again.

  She leaned over the seat and fiddled with his seat belt, trying to get it to give.

  “It’s locked,” Blake stated. “Just go.”

  “No, I’m not leaving you. Can you wriggle free of it?”

  “No, it locked on impact.” Fear glowed in his eyes. “Holly, you have to get out.”

  She wasn’t going to just leave him. Outside, the truck’s engine roared again as it backed up, ready to ram them once more.

  “Do you have a knife on you?”

  “No, I lost it in the water.”

  She glanced around the car for something she could use to cut the belt. Shattered pieces of glass lay on the floor and seat. She picked up one of them and used it to slice through the fabric. The sharp edges cut into her hands and stung, but she kept on going. She couldn’t—she wouldn’t—leave him. Relief flooded her when Blake pulled against the belt and it gave. But they weren’t out of the woods yet. They still had to get out of the car. Blake wiggled around and put all his strength into kicking out the passenger window. She felt a rush of relief when it shattered.

  “Go!” he said, motioning for her to go through first.

  She scrambled over the seat and through the window, sliding onto the crushed car beside them then to the pavement. Blake slid through the window, too, but she saw him wince and realized he’d sliced his leg on a piece of glass. She grabbed his arm and tried to help him through as the big truck roared toward them. If they weren’t out of the way when it hit, they would be crushed.

  Blake shoved her to the side and jumped. Holly hit the pavement, screaming as the truck rammed again and the cars barely missed Blake’s leg before slamming into the concrete wall of the building. The sound of metal crushing was deafening, and Holly knew he’d managed to get out with only seconds to spare.

  Blake crawled to his feet. Blood was dripping down his face, but he grabbed her arms and pulled her up. She shuddered, realizing they would surely be dead if they’d been inside the car. But that wasn’t all. Her head was still ringing from the hit she’d sustained and she wasn’t all that steady on her feet.

  “I need a minute,” she said, trying to regain her balance.

  “I’m not sure we have a minute. We have to go now.” His voice held urgency and she knew he was right but worried he wouldn’t be able to run with that leg. She didn’t know if she could run, either, with her head spinning and nausea twisting her stomach. But she wouldn’t give in to it. Somehow she was on her feet. She hurried across the parking lot, Blake limping by her side. She draped his arm over her shoulder to help carry some of his weight and he didn’t protest, but Holly knew they were leaving a trail of blood behind them...a trail that would lead whoever was driving that truck right to them.

  She heard the big truck’s gears crack and knew the driver was following them. He roared across the parking lot, ignoring curbs and driving on the sidewalk as he aimed the truck their way. Holly noticed people emerging from the hospital, curious about the commotion. Hopefully, a crowd would frighten him away before he reached them. Even Mason—and she was certain it was Mason behind the wheel—couldn’t cover up murder with an audience. But instead she noticed the few who’d ventured out running back inside, too frightened to remain.

  Blake leaned on her and they rounded a corner as the dump truck rammed into a side building. She heard screams and the crack of concrete and metal, but didn’t stop running. She glanced back to see the truck’s door open and Mason tumble out. She heard the sound of police sirens approaching and stopped running only long enough to see Mason abandon the truck and take off into the woods.

  “We can’t be here when the police arrive.” Blake groaned, his face contorting in pain. He motioned at a minivan in the parking lot and they hurried to it. He grabbed a rock and slammed it against the window, causing it to shatter. They slid inside and he fiddled with the ignition wires until the engine roared to life.

  “Can you even drive?” she asked, uncertain by the pale color of his skin.

  Again, Holly didn’t like the idea of taking someone else’s vehicle, but she figured it was better than getting caught and killed once the police arrived. She had no doubt she and Blake both would have an “accident” if they found themselves locked in a jail cell.

  Blake slid the minivan into gear and took off out of the parking lot. Holly glanced back and saw police cars approaching the hospital from the other side of the lot. They would be busy securing the scene and taking witness statements. She felt herself start to relax as the whole incident seemed to be ending, but she knew it wasn’t over. Mason had come close to killing them, closer than she could believe. She didn’t know where he’d come from, or where he’d gotten the dump truck, or how he’d even known they were there.

  “The construction,” Blake said as if reading her mind. “He must have seen us, spotted the dump truck at the construction site and just went from there.”

  Blood dripped onto the seat. He was bleeding not only from the leg but from the wound in his side. “It must have reopened sliding out of the car. We need to get somewhere so I can tend to your wounds.”

  “I�
��m fine,” he said, but the pale color of his face told her differently.

  “Pull over,” she told him. “I’ll drive.”

  Instead of the argument she’d expected, he pulled to the curb and slid across the seat. She slipped into the driver’s seat.

  As she drove, her mind spun with what to do and where to go. Blake was on the seat beside her, barely holding on to consciousness. The fact that he’d voluntarily handed over the driving told her he was in bad shape. What would she do if something happened to him? She didn’t even know where Mason had come from when he’d barreled into them.

  It was up to her now to be strong and take care of him and that meant first of all finding a place to hide and figure out just how badly Blake was hurt. He slumped over the seat and a ripple of fear raced through her. What would she do if he was seriously hurt? Taking him back to the hospital would be as good as signing his death warrant, especially since they’d just escaped from there and the place would by now be swarming with police. But what choice would she have if he needed medical care greater than she could give him?

  She racked her brain, trying to think of somewhere they could go that Mason wouldn’t look for them. That ruled out her house. He would surely have it under surveillance now that he knew she’d returned there once. And she wouldn’t go back to Marcy’s and put her friend in any more danger.

  Lord, we need a safe place. Please help me find one.

  She groaned when an answer didn’t come right away. That’s what she got for turning to God for help. Just more proof that He was not on her side.

  She pulled the minivan to the side of the road and leaned into the steering wheel. Hot tears threatened her eyes, but she pushed them away. She couldn’t fall apart right now. Blake needed her to be the strong one.

  She didn’t have a light, but she checked his pupils and they seemed normal, yet he had lost consciousness. She didn’t think he had any serious head trauma, yet when she felt his head, she found a knot forming. Blood came back on her hand when she pulled it away.