by Unknown
"It's fine, really." Again, she attempted to pull her hand from his but Kaiden held on. "I think we should concentrate all our efforts on figuring out what Nathan is up to now so I can try to get my life back."
"The life you had before you met Nathan or…"
"The life I had twenty four hours ago before some government desk jockey thought I was a terrorist or an assistant terrorist or whatever."
This time when she tried to pull away, he let her. What she said had truth to it. The case had to be the primary objective, especially now that they might have a target. Or at least a target location.
The weekday traffic was light so they made it to the hospital in under ten minutes. Kaiden pulled his truck into the visitor's parking lot and found a spot under a tree he could back into.
Tactical parking is what Cara had called his need to be backed into any parking spot. Kaiden viewed it as an easy way to make a quick escape should the need arise. Cara thought it was just another one of his deficiencies in their marriage. Come to think of it, she mocked pretty much everything he did. Katie didn't say a word though as he drove up and down lanes of parking spaces looking for the right one.
"We have to enter through that door." Katie pointed to a detached building to the side of the main hospital building.
Kaiden double checked the locks on the truck and felt for the gun on his hip and the knife in his pocket. He did the same thing every time he exited his vehicle, no matter what vehicle he drove. More habits Cara had found repulsive.
Without thinking he reached for Katie's hand as they walked. She shot him a sideways glance as she withdrew her hand and started digging around in her pocketbook.
"Sorry," he mumbled, not sorry at all.
Katie didn't respond. She pulled her driver's license from her wallet and held it in her hand as they entered the building. An elderly gentleman dressed in a hospital security uniform rose from his seat behind a large desk to meet her.
"Miss Katie! They've been looking for you!"
"Who's been looking for her?" Kaiden asked before Katie even had a chance to answer.
"Who are you? You don't work here," the security officer demanded. "He with you, Miss Katie?"
"It's all right, Harold. He's a law enforcement officer."
"I don't see no badge." Harold scowled at Kaiden.
"Government agents don't have to answer to rent a cops," Kaiden snapped.
Katie placed a hand on Kaiden's arm as she turned to the security officer. "He's okay, Harold, really. He has been protecting me since last night."
Harold shot Kaiden a suspicious glance. "I could protect you, Miss Katie. You dump the dead weight there and let me take over. What do you need protectin' from anyway?"
"Right now, probably the people looking for me."
"You better get up there and tell them you didn't do it." The older man completely turned his back on Kaiden
"Do what, Harold?" Katie asked, smiling sweetly at the old man.
Kaiden found himself experiencing an attack of jealousy. Squashing the old green eyed monster, he stepped around Katie putting himself in the guard's sightline again.
"Don't say anything else to him, Katie. For all we know, he's in on it." Taking Katie by the elbow, Kaiden steered her around the front desk and toward a hall with a large sign pointing toward an elevator.
"I ain't in on nothin'!" Harold called after them even as he grabbed the receiver of the phone.
"Right now he is calling up to your unit," Kaiden said as he pressed the up button by the elevator. "Who is he going to reach? Is there anything I need to know before we get out of this elevator again?"
"Harold is a harmless old man who works here part time to supplement his social security. Why did you have to be so rude?" Katie demanded.
"Rude? You think I was the rude one? Seriously? Were you not standing there? That old man was probably planning six ways to murder me where I stood."
"Next you are probably going to insist that Harold is in on it with Nathan too."
"It's possible." Kaiden shrugged.
"You heard him, he doesn't know anything."
"Perhaps. Now tell me, who was he calling?" Kaiden asked.
"Most likely my supervisor. The floor is under lock and key and Harold doesn't like you."
The elevator doors slid open and Kaiden followed Katie inside. After pushing the button for the fourth floor, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall. Her eyes watched the doors grimly.
Great job, James. Now she won't even look at you.
Kaiden figured the best plan for the moment was to remain quiet. It didn't matter to him that the unit was under lock and key. One good thing about working for the feds—doors opened for him.
When they reached the fourth floor, Katie led the way to the infectious disease department. The hospital was unusual in that it appeared to have a research facility right there in the medical treatment area. He imagined that might be necessary for some of the more obscure ailments and diseases that could potentially crop up.
What could they have in there that Nathan Marks might find useful in a terrorist attack?
"Do you all store things here like anthrax?" Katie shot him a look that asked him if he was stupid or something.
"No. This isn't a government facility. We just deal with infectious diseases people get in the real world. Like staph, MRSA and Legionnaires' disease."
"Legionnaires' disease?" Kaiden had never heard of that one.
"It sort of presents like pneumonia or the flu but worsens quickly. After two or three days of symptoms the person will have chest pain, cough up blood, have nausea or vomiting and experience mental confusion."
"Do people die from it?"
"Legionnaires' is sporadic. It's not really the first thing someone thinks of when their patient presents with pneumonia or flu-like symptoms. A doctor has to think to look for it. If not diagnosed properly it can lead to septic shock, respiratory or kidney failure."
"So, it's pretty much a death sentence?"
Katie shrugged. "It doesn't have to be. The disease is very treatable, as long as it's diagnosed properly. If nothing else, it will catch someone's attention. It just takes a lot to diagnose it."
They were standing outside the door of the unit. Katie pressed a buzzer and peered through the window.
Kaiden could see from over her shoulder that the floor was deserted. "Where is everyone?"
"I don't know." Katie pushed the buzzer button again. A full minute later a woman dressed in a black business suit approached the door, her lips set in a thin line.
"That's my boss."
"Why isn't she wearing scrubs or something?"
"No, not my floor supervisor. The big boss. Eileen is an administrator and is married to one of the members of the board of directors."
"Well, she doesn't look too happy."
"I know."
Eileen stepped up to a desk and pushed a button. When the buzzer sounded, Katie pulled open the door to the unit and they stepped in.
"Ms. McCoy." Eileen nodded curtly.
Kaiden stepped forward, badge in hand. "Good morning, Ma'am. I'm Agent James."
Eileen looked him up and down before turning her back and walking away. "Follow me."
Kaiden watched her, reluctant to go anywhere with the angry looking Eileen but Katie seemed relatively unconcerned. Maybe the woman simply lacked personality.
And basic manners.
After passing through a short hallway, Eileen stopped in front of a conference room. Inside stood a woman dressed in a lab coat, a second woman wearing scrubs and white nursing shoes, and a man in a suit. The man looked completely out of place to Kaiden.
The man in the suit eyed Kaiden suspiciously but didn't say anything. Both of the women smiled brightly. James men had that effect on women. Kaiden found it to be both a blessing and curse in his line of work.
"Is this your attorney?" The woman in the scrubs asked, nodding toward Kaiden.
&
nbsp; "Do I need an attorney?"
"Have you done something wrong?" Eileen asked.
"No."
Kaiden stepped forward again and introduced himself to the rest of the group. "Agent James."
"Of what agency?" the man in the suit asked.
"Homeland Security."
The room fell so silent you could have heard a pin drop. Kaiden looked from one curious face to the next before settling himself in one of the desk chairs arranged around the oval table. Katie followed, sitting on the edge of the chair next to him. He couldn't blame her for looking so uncomfortable. Eileen looked like an executioner standing over her firing squad of hospital administrators.
The man in the suit rose and extended his hand to Kaiden. "Name's Bill Murphy, CEO of the hospital. That's Sandra Wells in the lab coat and Sally Mays, one of the shift supervisors. You have already met Eileen Danske."
Kaiden shook the man's hand and offered a nod to the women. "What exactly is going on here? Ms. McCoy came in to report a lost ID badge yet you all seem to be expecting her."
"Why would she bring an agent of Homeland Security to report a lost ID badge?" Bill asked shooting a look at Katie.
Kaiden answered before Katie could. "Ms. McCoy was the victim of a crime last night in which her ID was stolen from her home. We believe there might be a connection to an open case."
Sandra sucked in a breath.
"Do you know something, Ms. Wells?" Kaiden asked.
"I don't know. Maybe."
"Maybe?" Kaiden asked, getting annoyed.
"Well, someone broke into the lab early this morning with Katie's card. Several samples used for research were stolen."
"You keep research samples in a hospital lab?"
"Just things we use to help treat the patients—for testing antibiotics and antivirals and things like that."
"Sandra, what was missing?" Sally asked.
"Two vials containing Legionnaires' bacteria."
The same bug they were discussing in the elevator. Kaiden shot a sideways look at Katie. She looked really surprised.
"I really don't understand, why Legionnaires'?" Eileen asked.
"Now that is the question, isn't it?" Bill replied.
"Are you sure that is all that is missing?" Kaiden asked.
"I checked twice. We don't really have anything too life threatening in this particular lab. No anthrax or anything like that. I don't understand what anyone would want with it," Sandra answered, smiling at him. She looked at him like she wanted to throw him over the conference table and do him right there. He rose from the chair and pulled Katie up after him. "Thank you all for your time."
"Where exactly are you going?" Eileen demanded.
Her attitude got on his nerves. He preferred Sandra's 'do me' eyes over Eileen's go screw attitude and he didn't really have time for either. "Did you need something else from Ms. McCoy? She came here to report her missing ID but you already knew about it."
"Someone broke into the lab. How do we know it wasn't her?" Eileen motioned toward Katie.
"Why would I steal Legionnaires'?" Katie demanded, speaking for the first time.
"I don't know. Why don't you tell us?"
"Now, Eileen. We don't know she did it," Bill said.
"Please." Eileen threw her hands on her hips. "Who breaks into someone's house to steal hospital ID and then chooses something as innocuous as Legionnaires' disease to rip off from a lab?"
"Eileen, you don't really think Katie had anything to do with that?" Sally asked. "She hasn't even worked here long enough to know where to find the stuff."
"Exactly why I think it's her. She skipped the entire hiring process because she was friends with the Marks family. Why our hospital? Why this unit?"
"How dare you!" Katie exclaimed. "I got this job because I am a damned good nurse and I wanted to live near my fiancé. Mr. Marks just got me the interview."
Bill turned a deep shade of crimson as he loosened his neck tie. "Well, actually…"
Katie whipped around to face Bill. "Well, actually… what?"
Bill cleared his throat as he glanced from Katie to Kaiden and back to Katie before dropping his gaze to the floor. "Mrs. Marks sits on the board of directors. She may have put in a word for you. Like, we had to give you a job."
"This keeps getting better and better," Kaiden heard her mumble.
"There is no way Ms. McCoy could have broken into your lab. I can assure you that she was in protective custody all night."
"I could use a little protective custody myself." He heard Sandra whisper to Sally. Sally whispered something back that he couldn't quite make out but they both broke into large smiles. He offered up a smile in return that made them giggle like school girls before continuing on. Their attention annoyed him but he felt like he needed to stay on the good side of the two women, just in case.
"I would suggest you disable the access cards to the lab and minimize the people who come and go until we figure out what is going on."
Bill nodded his agreement. "Eileen, put the lab on lockdown. No one in or out except for Sandra and Sally."
"What if one of them is working with Nathan?" Katie asked with a scowl aimed at the other women.
"What are you accusing us of?" Sandra demanded.
"I'm not accusing anyone of anything; I'm simply saying there are obviously some behind the scenes tricks that go on around here."
"One of those tricks got you your job," Sally snapped.
Katie threw her hands on her hips and glared at Sally. "I can assure you that had I known, I wouldn't have taken the job. I had a position at home that I was very happy with."
Kaiden reached into his pocket and pulled out some business cards that he distributed around the room. "Please contact me if anything else happens or if you think of anything that might be useful to the investigation. Ms. McCoy will be in protective custody for the duration of the case so please place her on paid leave until such time she can return to work safely."
"I don't suppose you can tell us anything about this case?" Bill asked.
"I'm sorry, sir, it's classified."
"Paid leave is a little uncharacteristic in this type of situation," Eileen said as she folded her arms across her chest.
"So, the hospital has been in this situation before?" Kaiden asked, his tone hard. "Perhaps there needs to be another investigation opened up here?"
Bill stepped between them, holding his hands out like a referee in a professional fight. "I can assure you and the federal government that there is no reason for any kind of investigation. Ms. McCoy is on paid leave effective immediately. Please, figure who took the stuff and why before the news venues get ahold of the information."
Kaiden nodded and extended a hand to Bill. "Thank you, sir. I'll be in touch."
With his hand at the small of her back, Kaiden directed Katie from the room. She didn't say anything on the way out but he heard Sandra and Sally whispering. This part of Katie's life had definitely come to a close.
Chapter Eight
Katie didn't speak until they stepped into the elevator and the doors whisked closed. She watched Kaiden push the number to the ground floor before sagging against the wall of the car.
"I'll never be able to go back to this place. Thank you for getting them to pay me for a while; it will give me time to look for new work."
Kaiden leaned against another wall, crossing his arms on his chest. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. I mean, finding out how you got the job and everything."
She sighed. "It's okay. It fits with everything else that has happened with Nathan. I really should have known better. There is no way a guy like him from a wealthy, powerful family like that could have actually loved me. I never should have left my home and my friends to come here."
"I don't know, I'm kinda glad that you did."
His eyes smoldered as his gaze bore straight through her. The crystal blue had turned dark and intense, much like the heat rising in her veins. Katie forced
herself to look away. She couldn't afford to indulge her physical needs at the moment. Why did he keep doing that to her?
Fortunately, the elevator began to slow down. In a second they would be out of that small space full of sexual tension so thick she could have cut it with a knife. The car ground to a stop with a jerk, throwing Katie forward, straight in to Kaiden's arms. The tension tripled as she felt the hardness of his chest and the tightness of his muscular arms as they wrapped around her.
"Don't worry, I've got you," he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. His fingers caressed her back and Katie's knees went weak
Suddenly the lights flashed and the elevator jerked again, harder than before. They tumbled to the floor in a heap as the car shifted. A loud groan sounded from the elevator shaft above them as the raised side dropped suddenly.
"What the hell…?" Kaiden cursed as the lights flashed one last time, plunging them into complete darkness.
"What's go-going on?" Katie asked.
"I think one of the cables snapped on the elevator."
"That's not good." She wasn't sure why she said it and the words sounded ridiculous even to her own ears.
Kaiden chuckled. "No, it's not. I need you to get up so I can get my phone out of my back pocket."
"What?" Katie hadn't realized that when the car dropped she had fallen on top of Kaiden and was now clinging to him with a death grip.
"I never in a million years ever want to say this to you again, believe me. I really need you to get off of me so I can call for help."
Katie groaned as it finally hit her she was stretched out on top of him. "I'm sorry!" She scrambled to get up but Kaiden grabbed her in a big bear hug.
"Stop!"
"But you said…"
"I know. But you have to move slowly. I don't want the car to swing. If a cable is broken…"
"Moving fast would be a bad thing?"
"A very bad thing."
"We crash to our death?" she said with a nervous laugh.
"Yeah, something like that."
The car suddenly filled with light as the doors to the elevator slid open. A fire fighter stood looking down on them with a huge grin on his face. A small crowd had gathered behind him. Moving slowly, Katie shifted to the side of Kaiden and rose to her feet. Kaiden stood by her side in a matter of seconds.