Lucky Like Us

by Jennifer Ryan

  Tyler shouldn’t have let Sam go in alone. Unless Sam provided a clear description, they might never find the man who did this. Attempted murder of an FBI agent and a federal judge’s daughter would send anyone into hiding for the rest of their lives. He didn’t even want to think about the danger Sam or Ms. Hamilton could be in if either of them could ID the Silver Fox.

  Chapter Four

  * * *

  “YOU NEED A hospital,” the doctor admonished for the third time.

  “Do the job I’m paying you more than your net worth to do and keep your mouth shut.”

  Settled into the deep leather chair, his foot propped on a matching ottoman, he leaned his head back and exhaled his frustration. The doctor pushed the needle through his numb skin and tied off another stitch.

  How did everything go so wrong? With his partner and the cop out of the way, he’d almost gotten away clean. Then the woman showed up and threatened everything he’d worked so hard to conceal. Elizabeth Hamilton. Damnit, did she recognize him? What difference did it make? Still, killing a beautiful, spirited woman like her left him unfulfilled. He’d have liked to keep and enjoy her for a while. Ever since he’d allowed himself to explore the undiscovered depths of his darker side, the more alive and the less dissatisfied he felt in his everyday world.

  The sting of the antiseptic against the scratches on his cheek brought him back to reality. The doctor had finished stitching and wrapping his foot. He wiggled his numb toes, thankful the short blade hadn’t done any major damage.

  “Get out,” he ordered once the doctor finished applying ointment to his face. Without a word, the doctor dropped a bottle of antibiotics and pain meds on the side table and left.

  Alone, he stared out the bank of windows of his high-rise condo. The city view usually calmed him, but tonight nothing soothed his frustration or disappointment. With Elizabeth and the potential to experience another new dark fantasy gone, he’d have to learn to live with it.

  Chapter Five

  * * *

  Friday, 6:27 A.M.

  St. Mary’s Hospital

  JUDGE HAMILTON AND his wife waited for the doctor to update them on their daughter’s condition. They hadn’t slept and were on pins and needles hoping for any word. Not known for his patience, waiting had completely zapped him of his limited stores. He’d already raised the roof with the doctors and administrators upon arriving last night, demanding to see his daughter and that she receive the best possible care. No expense would be spared to save her.

  His name and occupation opened all sorts of doors, but it didn’t mean anything when his daughter was in someone else’s hands. He was still left waiting for word on her condition, drinking burnt coffee, sitting in hard, vinyl-covered chairs, his shoes squeaking on the linoleum floor while he paced.

  His wife, Rachel, sat with Kay by the windows, holding hands, praying and hoping Elizabeth would be okay. Deputy Director Davies hadn’t been forthcoming about the extent of Elizabeth’s injuries, but stated it was imperative they get to the hospital immediately; Elizabeth’s life was in jeopardy.

  The dreaded phone call every parent feared and hoped would never come. These kinds of things happened to other people, right? Not to his family. Not to his baby girl. He wished he could wake up from this nightmare.

  The doctor came out the double doors leading to the surgical rooms. John hurried to meet him at the entrance of the waiting room. “How’s my daughter? What’s going on?”

  “Judge Hamilton. Mrs. Hamilton. I’m Doctor Watts. We’re still working on your daughter. Things have been touch and go, but she’s holding on. We’ve taken out both bullets and repaired her liver and removed her spleen. We’ve cleaned and stitched the gunshot wound to her arm. It wasn’t severe, and actually just left a long furrow in her skin and muscle. We’re about to fix her thigh where she was stabbed. We’ve stopped the bleeding temporarily so we could take care of the bullet wounds, but we still have to repair the muscle and tissue damage.”

  “Will she make it, Doctor?”

  “It’s too soon to tell. She’s been through a lot. She lost a lot of blood. It will be a couple more hours before she makes it to the recovery room. I’ll come back out as soon as we’ve finished with her leg.”

  “Doctor, tell us. What are her chances?” He worked with the law, encountered the many shades of gray in his line of work. This was black and white. He needed to know, absolutely, if his daughter would make it.

  “I don’t want to give you false hope. Life is fragile, and sometimes even when people have a great chance things turn out in the worst possible way. Elizabeth’s condition is extremely critical.” Doctor Watts put his hand on John’s shoulder. “If I had to guess, I’d say she’s a fighter. That can make all the difference in a case like this one. We’re doing everything we can for her. Let’s get her out of surgery and into the ICU. I’ll let you see her for a few minutes once she’s settled.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be waiting.”

  The doctor hurried back to the operating room where John’s Ellie Girl lay waiting for him to save her. John held his wife while she held hands with Kay. Both women cried softly.

  “Oh, John. She has to make it. She has to. What was she doing out in the street? How did this happen?” Rachel asked while she held him tight, her face buried in his chest.

  They’d all asked that question more than a few times over the past eight hours. He didn’t have an answer, except for what little information Kay had provided. He shuddered thinking about it.

  John knew his daughter. She was the type of person who would climb the tallest tree to save a cat. She fed the homeless, was a friend to everyone, and her trust was given without strings attached. He loved her ability to see the good in everyone. He had no doubt she’d gone out to help the agent, and when danger presented itself she’d done everything possible to help save him at her own risk.

  Deputy Director Davies returned to speak with them again, another reminder of how Elizabeth had gotten here. “Judge Hamilton. Any word on your daughter?”

  “She’s still in surgery. They took out both bullets and repaired her liver, took out her spleen, fixed the gunshot wound to her arm. They’re repairing the stab wound to her thigh.”

  John took a menacing step toward the agent. “Let’s see if that list covers the damage done to my daughter when she tried to save your agent’s life.”

  Losing his temper and shouting at the agent didn’t help, but the FBI had a lot of explaining to do. His daughter shouldn’t have had to provide backup for a federal agent. The fact that only one agent was found at the scene weighed on his mind. He was clearheaded enough to realize whatever case the agent was working had gone terribly wrong. If there had been more agents, maybe his daughter wouldn’t have been hurt.

  “What the hell happened, and how the hell did my daughter get involved?” he bellowed.

  “Nothing I say will make you or your wife feel better. Unfortunately, I haven’t put all the pieces together.”

  Before John could go off again, he continued, “Our agent suffered a beating, was drugged, and shot twice in the back. His bulletproof vest saved his life. The doctors gave him something to counteract the drug he was given, but he hasn’t regained consciousness.” Deputy Director Davies sighed and put his hands on his hips. “I don’t know what happened. The assignment was a simple meeting with a contact. Something went wrong, and he was taken out of the rendezvous place, past the agent watching outside. We don’t know how he ended up six blocks away at your daughter’s home.”

  “My daughter saved his life. She told Kay there was a man—alone—in the street. Not under her car. Elizabeth must have somehow gotten him to safety. What happened to her after is another matter entirely. Obviously, had Agent Turner been doing his job, he wouldn’t have endangered innocent civilians,” John shouted.

  Kay stepped up to them. “Wait, I just remembered. She said she heard a sound like fireworks. That must have been the shots fired at your agent. I didn�
�t remember until now, but everything happened so fast. One minute we were talking about Jarred, and the next she’s telling me to call the police.”

  Deputy Director Davies nodded his agreement. “How Agent Turner got under her car, who rammed the car, and how she got hurt are still questions I want answers to as much as you do.”

  “When Agent Turner wakes up, I want to hear his explanation about how Elizabeth ended up almost . . .” John couldn’t finish the sentence. He couldn’t say almost dead. It was unthinkable.

  “I’ll let you talk to him, but you have to understand, Judge Hamilton, he was drugged and may not remember. Also, you know he can’t comment on the case. Agent Turner won’t be able to tell you who hurt Elizabeth, especially if it was our suspect in the case.”

  “I want to know what happened to our daughter.” He gave his wife’s shoulder a squeeze. She’d been holding on to him and listening to the whole exchange, though he figured her mind was in the operating room with his Ellie Girl.

  “I want to know that too,” Patrick added, walking into the waiting room to join his parents. He had no idea what happened to his sister. When he’d checked his voicemail and heard the message, he’d gone directly to the airport, catching the first flight home. He’d tried his father’s cell a number of times with no luck and decided better to get there and find out what happened to his little sister than waste time.

  “Patrick. I’m so glad you’re here. She’s still in surgery.” His mother transferred her grip from his dad to him and held tight, probably thanking God he was safe and sound.

  “You said in the message she’d been hurt and to get here. I’m here. Now somebody tell me what’s happened to my sister.”

  Patrick, their younger brother, Daniel, and Elizabeth had their family squabbles and petty rivalries, but they were friends. They talked often and looked after each other. He’d had several girlfriends who wished he’d talk to them as much as he talked to his sister.

  Patrick listened intently as Kay and Deputy Director Davies filled him in on what happened. The looks on his parents’ faces said it all. Elizabeth was barely hanging on.

  “My God. Will she be okay?” Patrick ran a hand through his hair and gave his mother a squeeze. The feel of her, real and warm at his side, was a comfort.

  “The doctor said he’d be back out in another hour or two.” Deep lines etched his father’s face with concern. He didn’t want to see any of his children hurting. The fact that Elizabeth lie helpless in the operating room, and his father was unable to help her, had to be sobering for the man.

  “Another hour or two? How long has she been in there?” It had taken him a while to get a flight out of Los Angeles and make it to the hospital. He’d received the call hours ago. Had she been in surgery all this time?

  “Over eight hours,” his dad confirmed, eyes filled with worry.

  The FBI agent took his leave from the family.

  “Has anyone talked to Daniel?” Patrick wanted to see his brother. If he couldn’t get to his sister, at least he and Daniel could keep vigil together.

  As if Daniel had been summoned from thin air, he appeared behind their father looking solemn and disheveled. Patrick took in his brother’s bent six-foot frame, shoulders slumped. His dark eyes were grave. Daniel’s hair, thicker and straighter than Patrick’s, was a mess. Elizabeth shared the same brown hair, but Elizabeth had their mother’s sky blue eyes. Patrick hoped he’d get to see them full of mischief and love again.

  “Am I too late? Is she . . .?” Daniel swallowed hard and stared down at the floor. The thought of life without his sister was too much to bear for either of them.

  Patrick embraced his younger brother and gave him the news that Elizabeth was still in surgery. He walked Daniel over to a small couch by a window and explained what they knew so far. Their mother joined them and they all sat looking out the window at the dawn of a new day, a day they all hoped Elizabeth would live to see.

  Their dad paced the room and watched over the family. They sat waiting for the doctor to bring news of their beloved Elizabeth. Kay came back with coffee for everyone. Two hours of waiting turned into more than three before the doctor finally arrived.

  Deputy Director Davies joined the family to hear the doctor’s report.

  “She’s out of surgery and in recovery. We’re sending her up to ICU. We repaired the damage to her thigh, though it was touch and go for a while. We lost her once on the table, but we got her back. I want you to understand the severity of her injuries. They are life threatening. We’ll take her recovery one hour at a time. To say she’s lucky, well, I’m sure you can all imagine how lucky she is. We’ll keep her heavily sedated, and she probably won’t wake for several days. I’ll let you see her for a few minutes once she’s moved into the ICU. Two at a time would be best. I suggest after that you all go home and get some sleep. Do you have any questions?”

  “Her mother and I want to stay with her. We don’t want her to be alone.”

  “You can see her for a few minutes, but after, I really insist you go home. There’s nothing you can do for her. The best thing for her right now is rest.

  “Give us time to get her settled. I’ll send the nurse out when you can go back and see her. She isn’t out of the woods. We’ll see how things progress.”

  The doctor walked away, and Patrick hoped he’d never see the terrified looks on his parents’ faces ever again.

  Chapter Six

  * * *

  Friday, 11:13 A.M.

  PEOPLE WHISPERED IN the room, saying something about a woman. Sam tried to fight the black ooze that crept in and stole his every thought and sent him back into the darkness. Someone touched his arm, probably to check the IV line he felt taped to his skin. At least now he knew he was in a hospital, though he couldn’t figure out for how long, or even how he got there.

  “She doesn’t look good.”

  “Looks like someone used her as a punching bag before they shot her. Her lip needs to be cleaned, and we should wash her face and hands before her family comes in to see her.”

  “Set up the monitors.”

  “Her fluids and meds are all in good shape. I’ve calibrated her doses.”

  Who were they talking about? A flash of memory came of a woman lying on top of him, before they tumbled over each other. He was under something, and she tried to get away. The harder he tried to concentrate, the foggier his brain, and the images dissipated into nothing. Too weak to hold on, he let the blackness close in again.

  He came back to himself some time later. Someone held his hand. They whispered close to his ear. Their warm breath brushed his cheek. He tried to concentrate on the familiar voice, someone he loved. He fought to hear them clearly.

  “Please, Sam. Wake up. Come back to us.”

  He recognized Jenna’s voice, soft, warm, loving. She clutched his hand. No matter how hard he tried to open his eyes, he couldn’t quite make it happen.

  “Sam. Please. Wake up. Can you hear me? Jack is on his way. He’s terrified. Please, Sam. Wake up.”

  Unable to open his eyes, he used what little strength he had to squeeze the hand holding his. He hoped she’d know he heard her. Her voice whispered with sadness and a trace of fear. His beautiful sister-in-law, he wanted to see her. What was she doing here? Wasn’t she in Colorado with Jack?

  “I felt you, Sam.” She returned his squeeze. “You can hear me. You’re going to be fine. They gave you some medicine to counteract the drug you were given. Your bulletproof vest saved you. Your back is severely bruised, so don’t try to move around. It will hurt. Your face is beat up, but you’re still the second most handsome man I’ve ever seen. I love you, Sam,” she said and kissed his hand. “Open your eyes for me.”

  Sam was relieved to know they knew he’d been drugged. He remembered feeling like he was floating, and he couldn’t think or reason anything out after his mind went fuzzy. He tried to answer Jenna’s plea. He couldn’t manage to open his heavy eyelids. The black ooze came in
and closed over him like a wave. He let it take him.

  Over the next few hours, he went in and out of consciousness. Jenna’s voice coaxed him to wake up, and he heard other voices he didn’t recognize, but he listened to them and tried not to slip away. They spoke about someone named Elizabeth. Somewhere inside him, he knew she was important. He wished he understood why.

  Sam slept restlessly. Never sure when he was aware of her, Jenna talked to him, hoping he heard her and knew he wasn’t alone. “You heard me, that’s all that matters. I need to leave for a few minutes and call Jack on the jet. He should arrive in San Francisco soon with the boys and Summer and her family. Everyone is coming. Jack is beyond frantic about you.

  “The whole family’s been worried about you for months. You’ve withdrawn from us and no one can figure out why. Your job’s stressful and takes up every bit of your time and energy. You’ve been riding the very edge of burnout for months, but something more is affecting you, Sam.

  “Jack and I wish we could convince you to take some time off to reevaluate your job and life and come back to us. You’ve been so distant lately. We miss you. With all you endure being undercover, you need your family to ground you. We’re here for you whenever you need us.”

  Jenna stepped toward the door. Judge Hamilton and his wife, Rachel, walked in. She’d met them on several occasions when she attended social functions representing Merrick International. She wondered why the Judge and his wife were here.

  “Judge Hamilton. Mrs. Hamilton. I’d say it’s nice to see you, but this doesn’t seem the place.”

  “Call me Rachel, dear. We’re here to see our daughter.” Rachel indicated the woman in the bed next to Sam’s and the light dawned.