Becky knew it would be pointless asking her to turn her back. She gritted her teeth and reminded herself that men did this all the time. It was a perfectly normal bodily function after all.
She flushed the toilet afterwards and washed her hands, shocked to see how pale her face was in the mirror.
She had to get out of this, but how?
‘Why are you doing this?’ she asked the woman as she turned back to face her. ‘Can’t you see what a creep David is?’
The woman sneered at her. ‘He’s going to be a very rich creep if things go according to plan.’
‘You’re throwing your life away,’ Becky said. ‘Drugs are not going to buy you the sort of riches that count.’
‘Shut up and get back to the lounge room,’ Lyndal said, poking the pistol at her. ‘Your brother should be here any minute.’
Becky wished she had the courage to make a grab for the pistol. Lyndal was about the same height as her so she might be able to overpower her if she could take her by surprise.
She was still thinking about how she was going to do it when there was the sound of a knock at the door at the other end of the hall.
Lyndal ushered her back to the lounge room, shoving her into one of the seats as the well-dressed Carl went to answer the door.
Becky held her breath, wondering what Ben was going to say when he saw her sitting here with a gun trained on her.
But when Carl came back into the lounge room it wasn’t her brother that accompanied him.
It was Matt Daniels.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘SO, WE meet again, Dr Baxter,’ Matt said, his coffee-brown eyes stripped of all warmth.
Becky stared at him, her fear-flooded brain having trouble connecting the cold hard tone to the man who had treated her so nicely—was it only yesterday?
The man called Carl addressed Matt. ‘I heard you did a good job on Dubrovnik. He’s not expected to live.’
Matt gave a grunt of satisfaction, his eyes still on Becky’s.
‘You shot that cop?’ she gasped in shock.
Matt gave her a soulless smile. ‘He’d served his purpose, right, Carl?’
‘Right,’ Carl said, ‘Just as you will, Dr Baxter.’ He turned to Matt. ‘Any news from Baxter?’
‘He’s not responding,’ Matt said and shifting his steady gaze back to Becky’s, he added, ‘I think we might have to up the stakes a bit to get his attention.’
Becky didn’t like the sound of that, neither did she like the way Matt was looking at her as if she was going to be the means to do it. Her stomach gave a lurch of pure terror and she felt the urge to go the bathroom again.
Jack had been right. Matt Daniels was corrupt, drawn into some sort of drug network that played with people’s lives like pieces on a chessboard.
‘Why don’t we send him a photo via your phone of his sister after you’ve roughed her up a bit?’ Carl suggested.
‘Can I watch?’ David asked.
Matt gave him a dismissive look before turning back to look at Becky. ‘No, I think I’d like to have the pleasure all to myself.’
‘Take her out to the back room,’ Carl directed. ‘And keep the noise down or we’ll have the neighbours alerting the police.’
‘On your feet,’ Matt said to Becky.
Becky didn’t move.
Matt’s mouth tightened and he dragged her upright, his fingers biting into her flesh as he pushed her in front of him out of the room. ‘Keep moving and if you scream you’ll be sorry.’
Becky felt tears of disappointment, fear and anger sting her eyes. She could barely see for them as she stumbled in the direction Matt was pushing her, to a room on the right of the bathroom at the back of the house.
He closed the door once they were in the room and before he could speak she turned on him, her voice crackling with fury.
‘If you think I’m going to give you the satisfaction of hearing me beg for my life, then think again. I’m not scared of you, Matthew Daniels. I’m ashamed of you. I feel sorry for your parents and your poor sister who deserve much better than a piece of scum like you. How could you do it? How could you betray your colleagues? How could you get mixed up with those creeps out there?’
Matt put his finger to his lips in a gesture of silence.
Becky opened her mouth to continue her tirade but he stepped closer and, leaning down, whispered into her ear.
‘I can’t talk too loudly, this place is probably wired. Just do as I say. I’m not going to hurt you. Ben would kill me if I let anything happen to you.’
Becky’s eyes widened as she looked at him once he’d stepped back. ‘You’re not one of them?’ she whispered.
He shook his head, his voice low. ‘They think I am. Dubrovnik was working for them but he tried to skim some cream off the top. The police wanted him alive. The company wanted him dead. I took the middle ground.’
He took a small capsule out of his trouser leg pocket and handed it to her.
‘What’s this?’ She turned it over in her hands.
‘It’s a capsule of fake blood. I want you to give a couple of decent yelps as if I’ve hit you, then chew on that and I’ll take a couple of photos to show Carl.’
‘But what about Ben? What will he think when he sees the photos?’
He smiled. ‘He’ll know you’re safe.’
‘You’ve planned this?’
‘I didn’t plan for you to be brought here,’ he said. ‘David is a loose cannon, I’m afraid. I think you and Jack seriously annoyed him by saving Dubrovnik’s life. Also, he has a score to settle with Ben.’ He clenched and unclenched his fist. ‘Ready?’
She nodded.
He swung a punch into the wall and she yelped, not because he’d told her to but because he’d genuinely scared her.
‘Good,’ he said. ‘One more then chew the capsule.’
He thumped the cupboard this time. She gave another yelp and started chewing. Red liquid spilled from the sides of her mouth, dripping over her blouse and skirt.
‘Lean against the wall there and look dazed,’ he instructed, and aimed his phone at her.
‘That’ll be easy,’ she mumbled, doing as he directed.
He checked the shots and showed them to her. ‘What do you think?’
She peered at the small screen and gave a little shudder. ‘Not my best angle but this hasn’t been a great day for me.’
‘It’ll be over soon,’ he said. Moving across the room, he reached behind the window-blind and opened the window.
‘What are you doing?’ she whispered.
‘I’m letting some much-needed fresh air into this house,’ he said with a conspiratorial smile. ‘Come on, it’s show time again. Just act bushed and do whatever you’re told.’
Becky stumbled back towards the lounge room with him, wondering if Jack was angry with her for not showing up as arranged.
If only he knew!
Jack looked at his watch for the tenth time and frowned. He’d called ICU and the staff had informed him Becky had left over an hour ago. He’d been tied up talking to the police for longer than he’d expected. They’d insisted on a twenty-four-hour watch on the patient, who was still hovering between life and death, with no sure bets on either side as yet.
Jack had tried Becky’s mobile but the message service indicated it was switched off. When he tried her pager it, too, signalled it was out of range.
He went to the window to look down at the car park and his frown deepened when he saw the space where Becky’s car had been parked was now empty.
He had just reached for his keys when his pager rang and he unclipped it from his belt to answer it. ‘Colcannon.’
‘Jack, it’s me, Ben.’
‘Ben!’
‘They’ve got her, Jack.’
Jack felt his stomach turn over. ‘What?’
‘The company has Becky,’ Ben said. ‘They planted a guy in the hospital. He’s been working as an orderly. He’s taken her as bait.’
‘Oh, God!’
‘Listen,’ Ben said. ‘I want you to drive to this address…’ He read it out to him and Jack scribbled it down with trembling fingers.
‘Don’t park anywhere near the house. Keep well back. There’s a room at the back of the house, a window has been left open.’
‘What about the police?’ Jack asked. ‘Shouldn’t we?’
‘I’m acting independently until I know what the score is,’ Ben told him. ‘I’m probably going to be hauled over the coals for involving you as it is, but I don’t want to put Becky in any more danger. Just get to the house and lie low in that room. Turn your phone to silent and I’ll text you with any further directions.’
Jack drove to the house in the quiet unassuming street a few kilometres from the hospital and parked well away from the house. He could see Becky’s car parked behind a silver Mercedes and in spite of the stress and fear churning his stomach he couldn’t help a tiny wry smile as he noticed the crooked angle of her car and a bright pink scratch along the side of the Mercedes.
He made his way to the rear of the building, finding the window Ben had told him would be open. He eased himself up over the sill and dropped into the room with a soft thud, his eyes going immediately to the bright splattering of what looked like blood on the carpet in the middle of the room.
Matt shoved Becky back into the chair she’d been sitting in earlier. ‘Sit down and shut the hell up.’
‘Go to hell,’ she snapped back, wiping her hand across her blood-smeared mouth.
‘Bitch.’
‘Pig.’
‘Cut it out,’ Carl growled at them. ‘You sent that photo?’
Matt gave a single nod. ‘If that doesn’t work, I have something else in mind.’
Carl’s lip curled upwards in a cynical smile. ‘You’re one sick cookie, Daniels.’
‘You’d better believe it.’
‘David, check the street to see if any cops are about,’ Carl said.
David left the room and came back a short time later. ‘Nothing. It’s all quiet.’
‘I need to use the bathroom again,’ Becky said.
Lyndal rolled her eyes and stubbed out her cigarette as she began to get to her feet.
‘I’ll take her,’ Matt said, waving Lyndal back down in her chair. ‘It’ll be my pleasure.’
Carl laughed and fingered the cold steel of the gun he was holding. ‘Why don’t you take her into one of the back rooms and get it over with? It’ll be one more thing to press Ben Baxter’s buttons with, a photo of his sister being done by a colleague.’
Becky threw him a contemptuous glare that encompassed both David and Lyndal as well. ‘I hope you all rot in hell.’
Matt took her arm and dragged her from the room. ‘Come on, motormouth. Let’s go.’
He waited until they were in the bathroom before asking, ‘Do you really need to go?’
She nodded and shifted from foot to foot. ‘Sorry, but my bladder is hopeless when I’m scared.’
‘I can’t turn my back in case Carl or David looks down this way but I’ll shut my eyes, OK?’
‘All right.’
After she was finished Becky flushed the toilet and moved across to wash her hands. ‘You can open your eyes now.’ She washed her face and rinsed out her mouth but she still looked as if she’d been given a punch. Her eyes were shadowed and her cheeks pale, her hair almost standing on end in fear.
‘I look a total mess.’ She turned from the mirror to see Matt listening to an earpiece he’d inserted in his ear.
He took it out and hid it again. ‘Listen, Becky.’ He leaned in to whisper to her. ‘I’m going to take you to the room we were in before. There will be someone in there to help you escape. Just get away from the house as fast as you can.’
He moved her to the room he’d used before. Opening the door, Becky came face to face with Jack.
‘Get her out of the house,’ Matt instructed him in a low urgent tone. ‘Ben is about to make his move.’
As he spoke there was the sound of a hard knock at the front door. Becky reached for Jack’s outstretched hand and gripped it tightly.
‘Go on!’ Matt said, pushing them towards the window.
Jack hoisted Becky up over the window-sill and she dropped to the garden bed below. She watched as he came down to join her, taking her hand in his and pulling her towards the side of the house where the lounge room was situated.
‘Are you all right?’ Jack whispered, quickly running his eyes and hands over her.
‘I’m fine,’ she said somewhat breathlessly.
‘You’ve got blood on your shirt.’ His eyes went to her breasts.
‘It’s fake.’
‘Fake?’
‘Matt gave it to me. He’s not corrupt, Jack. He’s doing a double-agent thing. He’s trying to help Ben. He shot the cop you operated on. He was an informer or something.’
Jack’s hand tightened on hers. ‘Listen, I think I can hear them. You stay here out of sight. I’m going back to the window we came out of to get back inside.’
‘Jack! No!’
‘Shh!’ Jack held his finger to his mouth. ‘Just stay out of sight in that hedge, there.’
Becky watched as he hoisted himself back over the window-sill, disappearing into the house. But instead of hiding where he’d instructed, she edged closer to the curtained French doors of the lounge room, her back pressed flat to the wall of the house as she listened to what was going on inside.
‘Where’s my sister?’ Ben was asking, his tone rough and angry.
‘She’s tied up in the back room,’ Matt said. ‘She doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut so I shut it for her.’
‘You bastard!’
‘Where’s the CM?’ Carl asked. ‘The shipment arrived two hours ago. My people haven’t arrived with it yet and I want to know why.’
‘It’s coming.’
‘So is Christmas, but I want that stuff in my hands before I hand over your sister,’ Carl said.
‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible,’ Matt said as he pulled a gun and pointed it at Carl’s head. ‘You’re under arrest, Carlos Mandolos, for the illegal trafficking of drugs. You have the right to remain silent—’
David’s gun boomed, but Ben had anticipated it. He shot him in the chest. David went down in a crumpled heap and Lyndal reached for her pistol, but Ben knocked it out of her hand and snapped a pair of handcuffs on her, securing her to the arm of the heavy recliner chair she’d been sitting in.
Carl made a grab for Matt’s gun, and another shot put a hole in the ceiling, sending plaster dust all over them. Blood was pouring from a wound on Matt’s shoulder from the first bullet David had fired, and Ben could see his hold on Carl was loosening.
Suddenly Carl had Matt’s gun, and Matt was slipping to the floor unconscious.
‘Drop it, Baxter, or I’ll blow your head off,’ Carl bit out.
Ben hated this part. This was what happened in the movies. It wasn’t supposed to happen in real life. He dropped his gun on the floor.
‘Kick it towards me,’ Carl commanded.
Ben gave it a small kick.
‘Further.’
‘If you want it, come and get it.’
‘You think you’re so smart,’ Carl said through clenched teeth. ‘But you’re not smart enough to get out of this. I’m going to shoot your guts out and then I’m going to do your sister. By the time I’m finished with her no one will recognise her.’
Ben laughed. ‘My sister is miles away by now, you jackass. Why don’t you leave this stuff to the professionals? You’re an amateur, Mandolos, you don’t even know who’s for or against you in this operation. It’s over. The haul was collected by the drug squad hours ago. Dubrovnik was too stupid to clear up after himself—he left a trail everywhere he went.’
Carl gestured for Ben to move away from the door. ‘Stand over there. Now say goodbye, Baxter.’
Becky could stand no more. Without thinking of t
he consequences, she threw her whole weight against the French doors, the force of her entry pulling the heavy curtains off their tracks, wrapping her like a mummy as the shattered glass fell around her.
‘Well, well, well,’ Carl drawled as he dragged her to her feet, the gun still trained on Ben. ‘Looks like your sister can’t bear to be away from you.’
Becky gave Ben an agonised look.
‘Let her go,’ Ben said, his voice raw. ‘She has nothing to do with this.’
‘No, I don’t think I will let her go.’ Carl smiled a hateful smile as he dragged Becky closer to his body, the click of his gun’s safety catch being released making her flinch.
Becky watched as Ben’s throat moved up and down in a swallow and her legs loosened with dread as she mentally prepared herself for the horror of seeing her brother executed in front of her.
‘Let her go,’ said a deep voice behind Carl.
Carl swung around to face Jack, firing off a bullet that missed him by mere millimetres. Ben moved like lightning, his swift punch to Carl’s head dropping him like a bird from the sky. He picked up the still smoking gun.
‘Say goodbye, Mandolos,’ he said, snapping handcuffs on him. ‘You’re going away for a very long time.’
Becky suddenly found herself in Jack’s arms but later couldn’t quite recall how she’d got there. Surely her legs hadn’t been stable enough to make the distance?
‘You got your doctor’s bag with you?’ Ben asked Jack as he straightened from handcuffing the unconscious prisoner. ‘Better have a look at Matt while I call in reinforcements.’
Jack quickly retrieved the EMST emergency kit from where he’d left it in the back room, but when he returned Becky had already removed Matt’s shirt and applied pressure to halt the bleeding from the bullet path across his right deltoid muscle. He handed her a pressure dressing and after sufficient pressure the bleeding slowed and then stopped. With still shaking fingers Becky inserted a cannula and started the one bag of normal saline from Jack’s kit. Matt was soon ready for transport to St Patrick’s A and E for definitive care.
The ambulance had come and gone while the police were still taking everyone’s statements and dealing with all the investigation formalities. Finally they were cleared to leave and Becky gratefully accepted a lift with Jack, not trusting herself to drive in her state of sheer exhaustion.
A Surgeon Worth Waiting For Page 17