Harley never even looked up. She just licked a finger and flipped a page. Shrugging a shoulder, she said, "Yeah, so? Life’s a bitch."
"And so are you…Heather."
Instantly horrified, Rachel sucked in a breath. That popped out before she could stop herself. She never confronted anyone, Bancroft women never did. They just ignored the offending remark, smiled politely and asked about the weather.
The magazine tumbled to Harley’s lap and then the floor as she pushed to her feet. Rachel automatically backed up a step. Knuckles cracked. She was pretty sure they weren’t hers.
If she were to describe the woman glaring at her with deadly intent, she would say burly, strapping, and definitely capable.
"You wanna repeat that?" Harley growled, punctuating her question with a one-handed shove to her shoulder.
Rachel stumbled. No she did not want to repeat that. And getting her ass kicked was really not something she cared to consider either. She was not a coward, and could flip Harley on her back in the blink of an eye, but she didn’t need to draw any attention to herself by getting into a fight. Plastering on a mask of false bravado, she said, "I’m going to find Lizzy."
Spinning on her heel she marched away, feeling the sharp stab from the daggers Harley stared into her back. She didn’t pause in her quest to find the young girl. She checked each hallway and the cafeteria, but there was no sign of Lizzy.
Sighing, she padded back to the common area and dropped into a chair, making sure not to turn her back on Harley. The other woman had returned to the sofa and resumed reading.
So far, her interrogation skills sucked, as did her investigative skills. Even her interpersonal skills could use a touch-up.
She observed patients enter and leave the area, noting just how seriously ill some really were. She felt bad for never having given any thought to the people less fortunate. She chaired many charity events and raised funds for several issues, but those were just causes. She never considered who benefited from her efforts. She was fortunate to have everything she could want or need, yet she had never done anything but take advantage of her wealth.
She’d rectify that when she got out of this place.
Chapter Four
Ben raked a hand down his face and stood to stretch. It was time to conduct his last check of the building for the evening. The majority of the staff had already left for home. Only a handful remained. His shift ended in fifteen minutes and he would be replaced by the night guard, Dan Stone. In three days, he discovered that Dan was a decent guy, but when he wasn’t shagging Tia, he was sleeping on the job.
Rattling doorknobs as he passed to verify they were bolted, he turned a corner just as a head peeked out from a room at the far end of the hall. When dark brown eyes lit upon him, they widened. Then as quickly as it appeared, the head disappeared.
The head belonged to the jumpy Miss Mead.
Something about Kellie Mead didn’t add up. He couldn’t quite get a handle on her.
"Hi, sexy."
Ben spun around at the voice, surprised to see Tia gliding his way. He glanced over his shoulder, expecting to see Dan wandering up behind him. The hall was empty. He refocused on the nurse. She flashed him a "come hither" smile and her pink tongue darted out to whet her plump red lips. She slinked in front of him, her hands whipping out to grab his buttocks. She pulled him tight against her body.
"Mmm," she purred. "You have such a great ass."
She shimmied and damn if his body didn’t respond. She hummed approvingly and skimmed her hand down his torso. He guessed her intent and tried to shift but she possessed a surprisingly strong grip. His body told him to let her continue her quest, his mind yelled for him to stop before it was too late. He fought an inner battle, disgruntled to discover his mind winning. He grasped her upper arms and stepped back.
"If I’m not mistaken," he said, his voice strained, "you and Dan are an item, are you not?"
Surprise flickered in her eyes. She obviously thought he hadn’t picked up on her relationship with the other guard. Shrugging casually, she said, "No commitments," and slithered closer.
He decided he either deserved a medal for not poaching on another man’s territory, or a swift kick in the ass by the entire male population for turning down Tia’s advances. The woman was built like a Playboy bunny.
"I have to go," he said lamely, knowing if he didn’t hurry, his hormones would take over and accept her blatant offer. She slid a hand around his wrist, jerking him to a stop. He refused to turn around, afraid if he did, he would find out first-hand how soft the cushions were in the padded room.
"Just so you know what you are missing." She slapped something in his hand, moved past him, tossed her long black hair over her shoulder and sashayed away. His eyes glued to the enticing sway of her hips.
Shaking his head to clear the erotic image, he glanced on the item in his palm. A cold sweat erupted across his brow and his breath hitched. His head snapped up to find Tia wiggling her fingers at him as she disappeared around a corner. He looked back at the picture of the very naked nurse in a pose that would make even Hugh Heffner blush.
He definitely deserved the kick.
Tucking the photo in his pocket, he passed the common area and noticed the janitor mopping the floor. He nodded a friendly greeting and the young man smiled before returning to his task.
He had spent his first few days and nights learning the layout of the hospital, locating security cameras and discovering what doors were locked or restricted. Tonight, he planned on a more in-depth search while Dan and Tia practiced the horizontal mambo in the padded room.
Dan arrived for work and they spoke for a few minutes before he pretended to retreat to his room. Hiding around the corner, he watched Dan approach Tia. She chatted on the phone, swatting at the guard’s roaming hands. With her long black hair and exotic looks, she was stunning. He refused to speculate on what it would be like if it were him instead of Dan rolling around with her on the cushioned mats.
Feet shuffled across the floor. He plastered himself against the wall as a patient wandered down the hall mumbling to himself, a crucifix in his hands.
"Go back to your room Gary," Dan ordered.
Gary made no indication that he heard the command.
Dan muttered a curse and marched purposefully forward, blocking Gary’s path. The man jumped back and blinked rapidly.
"Beware the bogeyman."
Dan dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling and puffed out a long-suffering sigh. "Yeah, yeah, the bogeyman, I got it. I'll be careful. Let’s go." Clasping Gary’s shoulders, he pivoted him around and urged him back to his room.
Ben melted further into the shadows as Tia disconnected her call, donned a pair of rubber gloves and withdrew a key from a drawer under the counter. Bending, she unlocked a cabinet and removed a syringe and vial of clear liquid. The needle slid easily into the bottle, the belly of the shot filling rapidly. Tia replaced the vial in the cabinet, relocked it and hurried after Dan. As soon as they emerged from Gary’s room, Dan shoved Tia against the wall. They mauled each other, hands groping in the heat of passion. She wrapped one leg around his hip and dropped the used syringe to thread her hands through his hair.
Somehow, Dan managed to maneuver them down the hall to the padded room. Moving soundlessly, Ben peeked into the window. Light from the hallway illuminated the two writhing bodies on the floor. He silently flipped the bolt, trapping them inside. A quick glance assured him that neither occupant noticed.
Moving quickly but stealthily, he lifted the key ring Tia dropped in her desk drawer minutes earlier and located the one for the examination room. From there, he could get inside Frederick’s office. Extracting a small box from his pocket, he pressed the key inside to make a perfect impression. He stuffed the box into his jeans and padded to the exam room, sliding the key into the lock. After the telltale click, he returned the key ring to its original spot and then slipped inside.
Using the shaft of a
mber moonlight spilling through the window, he carefully navigated across the floor. Pulling out a penlight, he searched two leaded glass-front cabinets but they only contained generic supplies of bandages, cotton balls and tongue depressors. He surveyed the room, spotting nothing suspicious. He jiggled the handle to the doctor’s office and just as he hoped, it sprung open easily.
He was a pretty decent hacker and he had hacked into all of the Institute’s files before he started the undercover op. There was surprisingly little information to be found. Certainly no patient files. He assumed they didn’t want confidential medical data getting into the wrong hands. That meant he had to find the hard copies.
Entering Frederick’s private domain, he flicked the light over the desk and furniture, noting the casual elegance of the room. The beam settled on a filing cabinet in the corner. He started forward when faint voices in the hall stopped him cold.
He spun wildly as the voices neared, desperately searching for a place to hide. Long flowing curtains adorned the large window. Perfect. He leaped onto the wide sill and draped the rough mauve fabric around his body.
A key jangled and then the door whipped open. He cringed as fluorescent lighting bathed the space in a harsh white glow. Careful not to ruffle the fabric, he peered around the curtain. Dr. Frederick Bexley strode inside, dressed in a tux and carrying a briefcase. Ben remembered hearing of a benefit at the local hospital to raise funds for a new children’s wing. As a board member, Frederick would be required to attend.
The doctor carefully arranged his briefcase on his desk and spun the combination lock. Extracting a thin manila folder and a set of keys, he padded around the desk to the same filing cabinet Ben had been about to search. Frederick unlocked the second drawer, flipped through some files and stuck his inside. The drawer slid shut with a click.
Returning to his briefcase, he lobbed the keys inside and removed a cell phone, quickly punching a series of numbers. His foot tapped a staccato beat on the tile floor while he waited for the party on the other end to answer.
"It’s taken care of," he said without preamble. "Yes, everything went just as planned." A pause. "No, no surprises." He listened for a moment longer and then said, "Right. I’ll see you later."
He hung up just as the door sprung open to reveal a statuesque blonde in five-inch heels, dressed in a sparkling black dress that had to have been painted on her lush figure. She sashayed over to the doctor, who watched her progress with open approval, never taking his eyes off her as he tossed the phone inside and closed his briefcase. The blonde plastered herself against him, their mouths coming together in a panting, sloppy kiss. He unzipped the back of her dress and impatiently shoved it off her shoulders, exposing two surgically enhanced breasts. Ben groaned silently as Frederick’s hands groped the abundant mounds.
What the hell was in the water around here? Was everyone having sex? Everyone, apparently, but him.
Frederick flung her to the sofa and pounced on top. Ben’s pulse thumped erratically, a bead of sweat trickled from his temple. Yep, he was going to die. He couldn’t stay here and listen to the blonde’s cries of "Ooh Freddie, yes, yes," much longer.
He didn’t need to worry about being trapped…he remembered his walkie-talkie a fraction too late when a shrill buzz splintered the air.
Chapter Five
Ring.
How would Ben explain his presence in Frederick Bexley’s private office? Cowering behind the drapes, no less. He closed his eyes, his mind churning with excuses as he waited for the curtain to be ripped aside, his hiding place exposed.
Nothing happened.
His lids popped open as Frederick spoke in elegant, clipped tones. It took a few seconds before it registered in his brain that he wasn’t busted. The ring came from the desk phone. He let out a relieved exhale and quickly fingered the off switch on his walkie-talkie.
Frederick hung up, gave the blonde one last lingering kiss and informed her that they were needed at the event. He helped her to her feet and zipped the dress. Thank you, God.
Snatching his briefcase, the doctor wrapped an arm around the woman and they tottered out of the office. He removed his arm long enough to flip off the light and bolt the door.
Well, damn. Nothing like an unwelcome interruption interfering with his breaking and entering.
Dan would be paging him at any time and he didn’t want to get caught snooping. He waited a few minutes, retraced his steps through the exam room and eased the door open. No movement. With a relieved breath he slipped outside, turned and crashed into another person.
#
Although she hadn’t felt like talking, Rachel knew April’s visit with her mother didn’t go well. Upon returning to their shared room, April crawled into bed and cried silently into her pillow. Her heart broke for the girl.
She turned off all the lights, hoping that April might cry herself to sleep. April roused herself long enough to insist that Rachel feign sleep well before a high-pitched bell sounded through the open doorway and the lights flickered once, announcing medication disbursement. Lights would turn off for the night thirty minutes later.
"What happens when the nurse comes in at night?"
April pushed to a sitting position to answer, swiping a hand across her red nose. "If you aren’t already asleep, they give you a sedative that knocks you out."
"If you fake it, they leave you alone?"
The muted glow from the hallway illuminated April's swollen eyes. "Well, Tia does. I don’t like taking—"
She inhaled suddenly as the overhead light flicked on, freezing her in place. Rachel snapped her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. She felt wretched for leaving April to face the consequences of her actions.
Cracking one lid, she peeked as the nurse wheeled a cart over to April’s bed. The nurse was a stunning brunette in a tight white dress, but her uniform looked more like a stripper’s version of a nurse’s outfit with a scandalously short skirt and a zipper running down the front. The woman had it unzipped halfway down, revealing world-class cleavage.
"I’m sorry April, but I have to give you your medication through a shot tonight."
April made a distressed sound and Rachel cringed, knowing this was all her fault.
"I’m sorry honey," the pretty nurse continued, "but I ran out of the pills and the pharmacist won’t be in until morning."
Donning a pair of latex gloves, she flipped the cap off a syringe and dispensed the plunger, shooting a few drops in the air. Dipping a cotton ball in alcohol, she swabbed April’s arm.
Rachel bit back a sob at the look of stark terror on the girl’s face.
The nurse slid the needle into a vein and emptied the shot. April whimpered. "I’m sorry," the nurse soothed as she brushed the hair off April’s forehead. "You know I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t absolutely have to, but I’m specifically instructed to make sure you take the medication each and every night."
The nurse continued on conversationally, tucking the sheet around her shoulders as her lids drooped. Rachel realized she was distracting April from the effects of the shot.
"You should feel special, you know. You are the only patient I’m required to verify has taken the sleeping medication nightly. I know it’s easier when you just swallow a pill. But I had to use the shot because they check the level of medication in the bottle."
April’s head lulled to the side, her breath evening out in slumber. Tia smiled and stood, depositing the used needle and cotton ball in a bag labeled hazardous waste. After jotting notations on a chart, she approached Rachel’s bed. Rachel concentrated on breathing evenly, praying the ruse worked.
Thankfully, it did. The nurse snapped out the light and exited the room.
As soon as the door clicked shut, she bolted upright, the covers tumbling to her waist. "April, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen. April?"
No response.
She jumped out of bed and carefully made her way over to the other girl. "April?" A light snore greeted
her question. She wasn’t faking; the shot had knocked her out.
Rachel felt horrible. April didn’t deserve that after the day she had with her mother. She consoled herself by deciding a sound sleep might be the best thing for her roommate after being so distraught earlier.
Perching on the edge of her bed, she waited for what she hoped to be an hour. She needed to make sure the nurse finished her rounds. April rolled over and sighed faintly. She hated being responsible for her drug-induced sleep, but selfishly it did help her cause. Until they became better acquainted, she didn’t want to answer questions about why she snuck out in the middle of the night.
Tiptoeing to the door, she spared one last glance at the other bed just as her toe met solid wood. She bit her tongue to avoid screaming in agony, but couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped. April stirred and rolled but didn’t wake. Rachel gallantly shook off the sting. Pain or no pain, she had some exploring to do.
Carefully prying the door open, she poked her head out, first looking one way and then the other. She had no sooner swiveled her head around when she spotted the security guard. Jerking her head back, she silently closed the door. Hopefully he hadn’t seen her.
She crawled back into bed and considered calling her sister but it was late. Although Ari would still be up, she didn’t have anything to report. She warned Ari that she wouldn’t be able to call for a few days anyway. She waited anxiously for what seemed forever but was probably no longer than half an hour before she checked the hallway one more time. Empty. Perfect.
Padding silently in her slippers, she stuck close to the cold stone walls. She was alert and on guard, prepared to fake sleepwalking if caught.
Spying the nurse’s station, it appeared to be unoccupied. She hurried faster and unceremoniously slammed into something as solid as a concrete wall.
Committed Page 5