by Dale Mayer
In her room, she lay down, dragging her laptop to her and considered the latest news. She opened her document and added in the new bits and pieces. Now that they knew the identity of the man downstairs, the pieces were starting to fall into place.
Then gun runners had come to find Levi but she’d seen them.
They decided to leave no witness so killing her was simple and efficient and made sense.
The leader in this enterprise thought his cousin could handle Megan alone so he’d gone after his real target – Levi, but so far he’d escaped capture. And that was a little worrisome.
Still, the shooter had been seen again and again. And this answer sure beat a traitor amongst them. The company with the HVAC contract on base had better be looking for another line of work as getting their contract renewed wasn’t looking so good.
She entered all the notes, closed the laptop, then snuggled lower on the bed.
Her eyes were already falling closed. She curled up in a ball and tried to forget the chaos going on downstairs.
She’d seen enough death today.
*
Evan studied the front door security system of the private hospital. They could see it was off. The question was why? Was it connected to a power outage or something more sinister? Evan studied the interior. The nurses still walked along the hallway and there was emergency lighting running along the floor as the generator worked to keep the basics functioning. Dane pushed against the door but it was closed. And locked. With a hard look at each other, they slipped around to the closest window and checked for access. The elevators would have been compromised with the power outage, but they still had to get in to gain access to the stairs. They kept moving around the building. Dane gave a low hard exclamation. Evan raced to his side and found a small circle cut out at the emergency exit door. Right. Cut off the power, gain access to the back and you were in. Nice and simple. And too damn easy.
They moved inside and upstairs. They passed no one. And outside of the nurses on the main floor they saw no one else. It was in the wee hours of the morning and chances were good there was only a skeleton staff on, but they should have seen someone.
On Levi’s floor, they opened the door to sounds of guns cocking.
“It’s Evan and Dane,” Evan said quickly.
“Step into the hallway,” Ice said in a low hard voice.
Evan, knowing she was struggling to identify him in the half-light walked forward, his weapon out but his arms up showing he wasn’t planning on shooting her.
“Ice, it’s me.”
She studied him for a moment then nodded. “Dane?”
Dane stepped out. “Here. You okay?”
She nodded. “So far. But we got word that someone is after Levi. Now the power is out. The police are on their way but we’re ready if someone attacks.”
“That’s what we heard too. So here we are,” Dane said adding, “they gained access through the side door.”
“There’s evidence of an intruder,” Evan said. “We came in the same way but there’s no sign of anyone.”
Benji and Ice exchanged hard looks. Benji nodded to one of the other men. “Go take a closer look.”
“Or we’ll find him on his way up,” Benji said. “If he’s here, we’ll find him.” At his motion, the two men walked to the closest set of stairs and disappeared.
“And where’s Megan?” Ice asked. “Or is she downstairs.”
“At the safe house,” Dane said.
“The one that was compromised?” she asked in surprise. “Interesting choice.”
“There are good men working there,” he protested. “Besides, she wanted to stay.”
“Give her distance and that girl will put it to good use.” She turned and walked back toward the rooms. She nodded at the man standing guard and opened the door to where Levi lay. Walking in behind Ice, Evan caught Levi easing back and pulling his hand out from under the sheets.
Of course. He was armed. In his situation Evan would want to be too. “Trouble?”
“Not yet,” Levi said.
“And yet you’re not answering communications?”
Levi shook his head. “We’re afraid someone is tracking the phones. Benji just bought us new ones.”
“Someone could have let us know,” Evan complained.
“We’re not sure who knows what at the moment.” Levi eyed him. “Just being careful.”
“Tell him,” Ice said from the doorway. “We only found out a few minutes ago.”
Evan’s gaze switched from one to the other. “What? Tell me.”
“A man was found on base, stripped to his underwear and unconscious. Taken to the hospital an hour ago where he was identified as Brian Manchester.”
Evan waited for him to continue. “And?”
“He’s military police.”
“Shit,” Dane said.
Evan froze. “So the shooter is wearing a military police uniform?”
He pulled out his phone to call Megan. Then realized he hadn’t given her his old phone yet. His heart racing, he called Chase.
And got no answer.
His feet were already moving to the doorway. He called Brett next. And got no answer.
“What’s the matter,” Ice called.
Evan spun to realize she’d followed him to the stairs and that Dane was at his side. “I left Megan in the safe house with a dead body and a half dozen military police.”
She gasped. “Oh no.”
“And she has no phone. And the two SEALs with her are not answering.”
“Hurry.” She held up her phone. “I’ll contact Mason.”
Evan nodded but didn’t waste his breath answering. He was already running down the stairs. He had to get back to her.
He couldn’t afford to lose what he’d just gotten back.
Chapter 27
She woke up slowly. An inner disquiet of something wrong. The house was silent. Had the men all finished their work and left? No, it was too silent. She sniffed the air. It smelled…off.
Shit.
Moving as soundlessly as she could, she slipped to her feet and hobbled to the window. Damn it. Another second story window. Her ankle ached at the thought. She lifted the window and peered out into early morning. And of course below was a cement patio. She massaged her temples as she considered the shitty option in front of her. Nothing to break her fall and nothing short of a sheet to help her get to the ground in one piece.
A stair creaked. Damn it. She knew that stair.
She took a deep breath and raced to the bathroom and locked herself in. She searched for a way out. Another window, smaller but almost close enough to get to the small balcony attached to the spare room. Below was a grassy slope. Much better for landing. She wiggled out ignoring her ribs screaming at the awkward movement and the stitches pulling hard. When a sharp stab hit her she figured she’d ripped another one and swore.
Finally, she was hanging by her hands and shuffling to the railing on the side when she heard pounding on the bathroom door. She lunged for the railing and slipped, catching the vertical bar and sliding down to where it ended at the floor of the deck. The movement too hard and too fast and too painful to hold on. She lost her grip, sending her crashing to the ground.
At the last minute she managed to hold back her scream of pain.
She lay there for a second then her mind screamed, Run.
Scrambling to her feet, biting her teeth, she bolted for the back fence. It was high but she clambered up, panic driving her movement, she reached up and threw herself over. And landed on something hard. Shudders wracked her body. She lay still waiting for the shock to recede long enough for the orders to get through the blitz in her brain.
Move. Move. Move.
And she was off and racing across the street. She didn’t know when her legs failed her, but she felt like she’d sprinted for twenty miles. When she hit the end of her rope, she was done. As in she splatted on the ground, sobs wracking her frame. Her ankle screa
ming in agony.
Dear God, when was this going to end?
She rolled onto her back and stared at the gray sky and the pale rosy tint and tried to catch her breath. Sobs poured forth and her body trembled with fatigue. Her mind was still sorting through the fading haze of panic.
Then the rain started.
She lay letting the cool drops hit her overheated skin as she tried to figure out what she was going to do from here.
When she sat up and looked around she realized she’d been instinctive even in her wild flight. She’d seen this area, been here before on her way to North Island. There should be heavy security yet she lay here like a dead man, and there was no one around to see her.
It took more effort than she wanted to get to her feet only to crumple to the ground again, crying out when she put weight on her ankle. It hurt …she stared at her leg, which was swollen and purplish looking. Now she’d done it. She had to let Evan know where she was – somehow.
And what had happened to the men left behind to guard her?
Or, and this made her cringe – had she run for nothing?
That would be the worst.
No, her mind immediately rejected that. The worst would be if she had been attacked or taken captive. There were so many things worse than being embarrassed. She lay back down and waited to be rescued.
*
“Slow down, Evan!” Dane raced behind him. “There could be someone outside waiting for one of us.”
“Maybe, but not likely. They’re going to be at the damn safe house attacking Megan.”
Dane raced ahead. “I’ll drive. You keep trying to raise someone at the house.”
Evan sucked his breath in, reached for control and got into the passenger side. He called both Chase and Brett again but got no answer. They might have had their phones taken away from them, but he doubted that would happen while they were still conscious. It wasn’t in their training to do so. Unless…fighting back was going to hurt Megan.
His heart raced and he clenched his fingers as he tried to calm the panic in his soul. They weren’t far away. But it seemed like they were going to another state. Thick silence filled the cab as Dane drove to the house.
They were two blocks away when he heard the sirens. Dear God, please let them not be going to the same place. Please.
The ambulance turned onto the street in front of them. He gritted his teeth as they turned into the driveway of the safe house.
Before Dane had parked Evan was out and running. Only to have several men grab and hold him back. A heated exchange followed.
Dane grabbed Evan and forced him back several feet. “Easy. She’s not there.”
Evan froze. “What?”
“She’s not in there. The house was gassed. We found two military police and the two SEALs. They are being treated and will be fine. A third military police officer was seen at the house and is now missing – presumably he’s the cousin we’re looking for.”
Evan shook his head. “Did he take Megan?”
“I didn’t say that. And knowing Megan I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion so fast either.” Dane motioned to the side of the house. “We can’t go inside. Let’s see if she managed to escape.”
“We left her in the living room.”
“Doesn’t mean she stayed there. In a house with strangers and a dead body, she’d have gone back to her room.”
Evan raced through the back of the house and studied the ground.
“She jumped and fell.” Dane pointed out the scuffed up ground and the soft imprints on the lawn as they raced to the fence. Evan jumped the fence and picked up the trail on the other side. Only they ran to the pavement and the road was dry and clear. He could see she turned left at high speed but he didn’t know how long or how far she’d gone.
“I’m going after her,” he called back to Dane.
“Stay in touch. I’ll see if there is anything else to find here.”
Tracking wasn’t instinctive for Evan – not like it was for Shadow and Hawk. But he’d learned to be darned good at it, and that would be enough. It had to be.
Chapter 28
She stretched and rested, stretched and rested. And still didn’t see anyone. If she could borrow a phone she could call for help. She hadn’t planned to run as far or as blind. Most of the men on base were in better shape and could run longer than she could. What if the killer had just stayed behind her and waited until she ran out of energy? She’d have no fight left in her then. Hell, she had none now. She could barely move for the tremors wracking her legs.
Her gaze landed on a bench under a tree off to the side. She contemplated the distance and her ability to reach it. It wasn’t a park area or a walking trail, but it was a solid looking piece and she was desperate to find a safe place to wait. Yet, her mind wouldn’t stop circling. With a heavy sigh, she hopped and hobbled to the bench where she sat down on the wood and leaned back. Her ribs had gone silent. Maybe that was good, but her ankle was making the most noise now, and her heart. It was still slamming inside of her chest.
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
And dozed, surfacing every few minutes to make sure she was safe then falling under again. Until she heard a cough.
She woke up and bolted to her feet and cried out, but her sore muscles already bunching up to take off again.
“Whoa, easy.”
She was snatched up and held tight. She couldn’t even struggle she was so tired.
“Take it easy, Megan. You’re safe again.” Evan stroked her back up and down slowly, just holding her, calming her and…maybe himself. “I’ve got you. Take it easy.”
Finally, she recognized it was him and wrapped her arms around him tight. “You’re not leaving me again,” she cried in a low voice. “Whenever you do, something horrible happens.”
“I won’t. Never again until this is over.”
She shuddered. “Not even then.”
With the last of her waning strength she burrowed close. He was sweaty and hot and she loved it. All of him. He’d come after her. To find her when she couldn’t find her way back. Oh God, if he had, so could the asshole.
She pulled back and looked around. “The asshole could still be out there.”
“He could be,” Evan admitted. “He knocked the men at the house out with gas. They’ll be fine but they are pissed.”
“I’m so sorry,” she cried. “If I had left with you then they’d be safe.”
“Maybe or maybe not.” He tugged her closer. “We can’t second guess what anyone is going to do. He’s been methodical and determined so far.”
“So he’s going to try again,” she said in a dull voice, hating to know that this asshole was going to be after her until he was caught. “We need to find him first.”
“We’re working on it.”
She nodded. “I know. I’m sorry.”
He helped her back to the bench and sat down with her. “Let me call for a ride. We need to get you off that ankle.”
Just the reminder of her ankle brought the pain to the forefront.
Oh God, that hurt. She shuddered under the waves of pain.
They both studied the purplish swollen joint. “I’m going to be off work for longer than a few days now aren’t I?”
He nodded. “You’ll be at least ten days getting this back to normal. I want it X-rayed again to make sure you haven’t done more damage.”
It looked bad.
He pulled out his phone and checked in with Mason. She listened, leaning against his chest as he arranged for a vehicle to pick them up, ending with she needs to go to the hospital again.
Again. That was way too many times in the last few days. She closed her eyes, willed herself to step back from the pain, retreating further into the darkness in her mind.
*
Evan slipped his phone into his pocket. He checked out Megan’s breathing and smiled to hear the slow steady sound. She was falling asleep. Perfect. To think of her alone in the bat
hroom…having to make that decision to jump… Dear God. He’d known it had been wrong to leave her behind. But it had also seemed like the best answer. Now however… Not happening again. Not until this asshole was taken down.
He searched the area. This was one of the more deserted corners of North Island with a few empty storage buildings on the side. In terms of disappearing it wasn’t bad but if she were caught here, that was a different story.
A truck drove up a few minutes later. Followed by a second truck. He smiled to see his friends step out. They raced to his side. He held up a finger to let them know she was sleeping. They slowed and surrounded the two and never said a word. He stood up slowly, Megan cradled against his chest and carried her to the passenger side of the first truck. Dane was driving. In the back and not getting out were Chase and Brett. He studied their angry faces and nodded. “She’s fine.”
“She’s not if the hospital is the next stop,” Chase said, keeping his voice low.
“Look at her ankle,” Evan explained. “It was sprained before she fled.”
Everyone looked at the ugly joint and turned to get back into their vehicles.
“Let’s get going.” Dane hopped in and turned on the engine. He drove off toward the hospital. Evan leaned his head back. “Thanks for coming.”
Dane gave a curt, “Always.”
A few minutes later, Evan opened his eyes to see the private medical hospital.
“I’m not sure she should be here,” Evan said. “We know the place has been compromised.”
“They have beefed up security and done a full sweep of the building. They are expecting her. Ice set it up.”
Right. Megan mattered to her too and here Ice could keep an eye on her as well. Handy that Ice’s father was the director of the hospital.
Evan carried Megan inside. She was still sleeping. The good thing about a private hospital was that it was…well…private. She was taken directly into an observation room and checked over while Evan did the paperwork. Then she was X-rayed. As he lifted her off the X-ray table, refusing to let the orderlies do it, she woke up.