Tracer

by Dustin Stevens

  “It is,” Riley said. “But not just them. Anybody in Tier Two with a positive test is now subject to quarantine. Has to get their entire herd tested for three years thereafter.

  “That’s a new regulation there. Has plenty of people up in arms around the state.”

  “I bet,” Drake said. Nodded. Let his gaze pass to the windows along the wall for a moment.

  Outside, a thin spray of snow was beginning to fall. Drake watched as the wind whipped it past the window. Against the thick boughs of a pine tree.

  “So, aside from being a direct threat to a rancher’s livelihood-” Drake said. Was cut off before he could get any further.

  “It absolutely is,” Riley said. Nodded for emphasis. “You get hit the wrong time of year and have your herd quarantined, you could be in real trouble. Not to mention the enormous cost and pain in the ass of testing.”

  Drake smirked at Riley’s frank assessment. Pushed forth with the remainder of his question.

  “Aside from that though, what direct threat does brucellosis cause?”

  Riley smacked his leg. Shook his head from side to side.

  “I’m such an idiot sometimes. I forgot the damn punch line. The real concern is that it can be passed on to humans.”

  Drake’s jaw dropped open. He stared across at Riley. Waited for him to continue.

  “That’s right,” Riley said. Saw Drake’s response and smirked. “People that come in contact with fluids, tainted meat, anything, are also susceptible.”

  A shudder ran the length of Drake’s spine. He paused a moment. Worked his tongue around inside his mouth. Tried to form some saliva.

  “How bad?”

  Riley held up a hand. Pressed his thumb and forefinger together. Began there and switched to a new finger with each symptom he rattled off.

  “Fever, chills, sweats, joint pains. Backache, weight loss, reduced appetite. It’s nothing to be taken lightly, for sure.”

  Drake ran through the list in his mind.

  “Could it be fatal?”

  “Not often,” Riley said. “But not unheard of. Anytime you have a disruption of the body’s equilibrium, it is possible.”

  One last question crept into the back of Drake’s mind. Part of him didn’t want to ask it. The rest knew he’d be remiss if he left without addressing it.

  He wouldn’t be doing Lukas or Sara right if he didn’t.

  “Let me ask you this,” Drake said. “If a major producer found brucellosis in his herd, how far might he go to cover it up?”

  Riley looked right back at him. Paused a long moment. Shook his head to the side.

  “Best guess? As far as he had to.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Twenty-two hours.

  In a week, Sara had left Hamilton Memorial Hospital for a total of twenty-two hours.

  The first two nights she spent sleeping in the chair beside Lukas’s bed. The next three, she went home to catch four fitful hours. Shower. Head back in.

  The other ten hours were scattered over the course of seven days.

  A quick trip out to the farm to speak with their only employee, Louis Malten. De facto ranch manager for the time being.

  A couple of quick food runs.

  A shower each morning.

  The remainder of the time she spent in or nearby Lukas’s room.

  The bulk of her adult life had been spent tied to the ranch. Cooking meals for her father and Louis. Doing endless loads of laundry.

  Helping with branding. Calving. Vaccinating.

  When Lukas left eight years before, she became an indispensible part of the operation. Deep down, she always feared her father would have rather had a boy to help work the ranch.

  Spent her days determined to prove she was just as capable as her brother.

  Despite that, there was always a disconnect. Something that told her she wasn’t quite on the level with her father and Lukas.

  She was good enough to help work the fields. Run irrigation lines. Move cows to summer pasture.

  Not once had she ever seen the company books.

  Even in his death, her father had been explicit in his Will. That part of the operation was to be handled by Lukas.

  Now that her father was gone, Lukas was in a coma, her world had narrowed to the confines of the hospital.

  There was no doubt work she could be doing. Needed to be doing. But she couldn’t bring herself to leave.

  They were a fairly small operation. Enough to provide for the family. Pay Louis.

  It was nothing one man couldn’t handle on his own for a week.

  Right after the meeting, Sara was back in the hospital. The staff had long since given up trying to move her along.

  Most of the place cleared out right at five. Friday before a long holiday weekend. Only essential staff on hand.

  By ten, it was deserted.

  Sara walked the halls alone for over an hour. Smiled at a handful of people. Kept her gaze aimed down, watching the overhead light reflect off the tile floor.

  Let her mind wander.

  Tried to connect the dots between what the Sheriff told her about the incident. What Drake had found. What she knew about Lukas.

  Wondered about what would happen the next morning.

  If there would be a large public spectacle. If Lukas’s body could take the pressure of waking up.

  She sensed something different the moment she rounded the last corner. Saw the shadow pass across the open doorway to Lukas’s room.

  Gone were any of the things she’d been chewing on just a moment before. In their place was a single thought.

  It was not uncommon for a nurse to swing by on occasion and check things.

  Not once had they done it without turning the lights on.

  Sara’s mouth went dry. Her steps reduced to six inches at a time as she crept forward. Pushed a hand into the pocket of her sweatshirt.

  Made sure her cell-phone was still in place.

  Swinging wide, she came up on the far side of the hallway. Peered into the room.

  Saw nothing.

  The hair at the nape of her neck stood on end as she inched forward. Tried to run her tongue over her lips. Drew in shallow breaths through her nose.

  Crept to the edge of the room.

  In the half-darkness, she could see Lukas lying in bed. Hear the same rhythmic sounds of his breathing apparatus and heart rate monitor.

  “Hello?” she whispered. Took two steps into the room.

  The blow hit her full in the shoulder.

  Body-to-body contact that lifted her into the air. Tossed her against the door standing open. Deposited her on the ground in a heap.

  Stars danced in front of her eyes. The air was driven from her lungs.

  Between gasps, Sara rolled onto her stomach. Heard the sound of boots slapping against tile.

  She pushed herself out into the hallway just far enough to see the back of a man running away. Nothing more than a glimpse before disappearing.

  Body on fire, Sara pressed her cheek flat against the floor. Let the cool tile soothe her skin.

  Fought to slow her heart rate. To regain normal breathing.

  After a few moments, she pushed herself to a seated position. Fished her phone from the pouch in her sweatshirt.

  Typed out a quick text message and hit send.

  Get here. Now.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Forty seconds.

  That was the only difference between Rink pulling into the parking lot of Hamilton Memorial and Drake right behind him.

  Rink was the first one out. Held a stainless steel wrench with a two inch head in his hand. Stood and stared at Drake’s truck.

  Relaxed as he realized who it was. Tossed the implement into the bed of his truck.

  Drake emerged to hear the sound of metal-on-metal contact.

  “I saw your headlights behind me the whole way down,” Rink said. “Thought for a minute I might have a tail too.”

  “I figured that wa
s you,” Drake said. Fell in beside Rink. Walked together for the door. “Couldn’t imagine anybody else that would drive fast enough I never caught them.”

  “Actually, I laid off the gas just a bit hoping you were following me,” Rink said.

  Didn’t explain further. Didn’t have to.

  “What do you know?” Drake asked. Ignored the statement. Focused them back to their reason for being there.

  “Nothing,” Rink said. Shook his head in disgust. “You?”

  Drake gave a twist of the head. Stepped through the double door. Headed towards the intensive care ward.

  “Same. I got a text from her an hour ago. I tried hitting her back, but she’s gone silent.”

  “Yeah,” Rink said. Nodded. “We had a game tonight or I would have been here.”

  The last sentence came out almost as an apology.

  Drake nodded at the statement. Said nothing.

  No words of condolences were going to help anything right now. They both felt guilty. No point trying to avoid it.

  They rounded a corner and came into view of Lukas’s room at the same time.

  Sara sat in a chair in the hallway outside, leaning forward, chewing on a thumbnail. Staring at nothing on the opposite wall.

  A short distance down the hall, a uniformed deputy loitered. Young guy. Short-cropped hair. Looked no more than a week removed from the Academy.

  His body tensed as Drake and Rink approached, his hand reaching for his hip.

  Just as fast, he went slack as Sara saw them. Stood in greeting.

  Drake eased up a half-step as they approached. Made sure Rink was the first to arrive.

  Watched as he wrapped Sara in an oversized hug. Pulled back after a moment. Ran his hands down either side of her face. Cupped her chin.

  “What happened? Are you okay? Is Lukas?”

  Drake stood by in silence. It was as he had suspected all along.

  Sara’s eyes were red and puffy, the rims of her nostrils raw. Still, her face was dry as she looked up at Rink.

  Over to Drake.

  “There was someone here. Someone in the room with Lukas.”

  The words came out low, just above a whisper.

  As the last one came out, her face crinkled. Shoulders lifted with a shudder.

  “Shh,” Rink said. Led her back down to the chair. Sat in the one beside it. Laid a hand on her back. “It’s okay, we’re here now. What happened?”

  Sara sniffled several more moments. Wiped her face with the cuff of her sweatshirt. Looked up at each of them.

  “Two hours ago I decided to go for a walk.” She motioned with a hand towards the empty hallway. “As you can see, there’s nobody here. Just wanted to stretch my legs for a minute.”

  Drake and Rink both listened in silence.

  “When I came back, I don’t know why, but I just had this feeling that something was wrong. I got a little closer and saw a shadow in the reflection in the window there.”

  She motioned with her chin towards the glass behind Drake.

  “I came in to see if Lukas was okay. Barely made it inside before someone tackled me, knocked me against the door.”

  Drake could see the knuckles on Rink’s hand grow white beneath his skin.

  Felt the same hostility rise within him.

  “Who was it?” Drake asked. Voice low. Thick. “Were you able to get a look at him?”

  Sara shook her head. Sniffed. “No. He knocked me to the ground. I rolled out in time to see him running down the hall, but that was all.”

  Silence fell amongst the group.

  Drake chewed at his bottom lip. Added the story to the facts he’d been running through his head since leaving Missoula.

  Rink raised his gaze to Drake. Said what they were both thinking.

  “It’s got to be him.”

  “It does,” Drake agreed.

  Drake shifted his attention to the young deputy pacing at the end of the hall. Watched as he pretended not to be glancing over at them.

  “I’ll be back,” Drake said. Walked down towards the deputy.

  The guy stopped pacing, looking like he might vomit or open fire as Drake approached.

  “Evening,” Drake said. Let his southern drawl climb out slow and easy.

  “Evening,” the young man replied. A brass nameplate on his coat revealed his last name to be Keogh.

  His gaze flicked from Drake to Rink and Sara. Back again.

  He had thick brown hair mashed from being beneath his hat. Hollow cheeks. Pale skin without a single bit of facial stubble.

  “You family?” Keogh asked.

  “He’s family,” Drake said. Motioned over his shoulder. “I’m a friend. And their lawyer.”

  Keogh’s Adam’s Apple bobbed as he swallowed.

  “You guys been able to track down anything yet?” Drake asked.

  Again Keogh looked at him, to Rink and Sara sitting nearby. Seemed to decide whatever he was debating in his mind.

  “Looks like one guy, white, posing as a janitor. Came in pushing a broom, went into Lukas Webb’s room. A few minutes later Sara Webb arrived and scared him off.”

  Drake nodded, processing the information.

  “So she wasn’t the primary target.”

  Not a question. A realization.

  Keogh shook his head. “We don’t think so. It looks like whoever it was targeted Lukas. She just happened to come along before anything could happen.”

  Another nod from Drake. He turned and glanced to see Rink looking back at him. Sara staring at the opposite wall.

  He looked up into the corner. Motioned to the white camera mounted on a miniature pedestal.

  “Able to pull anything at all from there?”

  Keogh’s mouth drew into a tight line as he shook his head. “Not really. White male. Average height and build. He had a hat pulled low as he approached. Was running away from the camera as he left.”

  Average height and build. Fit with Drake’s recollection of McIlvaine.

  “Any of the other cameras?”

  Another twist of the head. “Nothing clear. The guy knew what he was doing. Stayed in dark spots, kept his face hidden.”

  Drake nodded.

  Disappointed, but not surprised.

  A few other questions came to mind. Tinged with anger, there was no way to ask them without sounding accusatory.

  Drake opted to let them pass.

  “Thanks,” Drake said. “We’ll be here all night if anything comes up, please.”

  Keogh nodded. Exhaled. Looked relieved.

  “Will do.”

  Drake left him at the end of the hall. Returned to his spot across from Rink and Sara. Leaned against the wall. Shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “Anything?” Rink asked.

  Drake pursed his lips. Shook his head.

  “Very little. One guy, white, medium height and weight.”

  “Sounds like him,” Rink said. Bit more vitriol around the edges.

  “Could be,” Drake conceded. Retreated back into his thoughts. Let the gnawing ideas from the recesses of his mind come together.

  Form a cohesive plan.

  His eyes glazed over as he tried to draw a linear connection between everything that was happening. Tried to coalesce everything he’d learned in the last few days.

  “Where you at right now?” Rink asked.

  Drake blinked himself alert.

  “Just thinking,” Drake said.

  Sara glanced up. Focused her attention on him.

  “About?” Rink asked.

  Drake looked over at Sara. Nudged his chin at the door behind her.

  “What time are they scheduled to wake Lukas?”

  A puff of air passed over Sara’s lips. Her eyes grew a bit wider as she looked up at him.

  “Um, ten o’clock. Why?”

  Drake nodded, did the math backward in his head.

  A little less than ten hours. After a week, it bore to reason there wouldn’t be much difference.


  “If we got the doctor to agree to wake him now, would you sign off on it?”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Solumedrol.

  Fancy name for hydrocortisone.

  Reversing agent of choice for medically induced comas.

  Raises blood pressure. Increases metabolism. Uses the body’s natural processes to regain consciousness.

  The attending physician wasn’t crazy about the idea of waking Lukas early.

  Not that the loss of ten hours would have any harmful effect. More that she knew his primary physician wanted to be the one to do it.

  Be on hand when the Sheriff’s department walked in. Answer any questions that might arise.

  Stand in front of the flashbulbs.

  Drake and Sara were prepared to wait until morning if the doctor gave a valid medical reason for doing so. Were not about to stand around so a small-town doc could have his moment in the sun.

  The attending laughed when they told her their decision. Made sure they went on the record as stating she had cautioned them to wait.

  Injected the reversing agent. Removed his breathing tube. Put him under an oxygen mask.

  Told them it would be an hour or two before Lukas was awake and coherent.

  Turned out she was right on both fronts.

  An hour after the chemical went into his IV, Lukas’s eyes fluttered open. Stared at the ceiling. Made no attempt to focus.

  Beside him, Sara sat on the edge of her seat. Gripped his hand in both hers. Ignored the tears dripping off her chin.

  In the doorway stood Drake and Rink.

  Both unmoving. Both silent.

  A half hour after his eyes opened, Lukas pulled the mask aside. Resumed breathing on his own.

  Winced a few times with the effort.

  Tried to mumble something incoherent. Was told by Sara to wait.

  Two hours after the reversing agent was administered, Lukas raised his hands to his eyes. Wiped the crusted sleep from them.

  Shook his head from side to side.

  “Holy shit,” he muttered. “What happened?”

  New tears streamed down Sara’s face as she sat beside him. Tried to respond. Gave up, lowered her face towards the floor and cried.

  Lukas looked past her to Rink and Drake in the doorway. His face crinkled into confusion.

  “Rink?”

  Rink raised his chin upward in salute. “Hey man, how you feeling?”