She looked surprised and embarrassed just before she looked away. Damn, I wish she hadn’t seen me. Creed thought to himself. If he were honest with himself, Creed would have wished he hadn’t seen her. He tried to push her from his mind and focus on his target objective. He bolted to the hospital, barely pausing to chunk the drinks into the first trash can he passed.
Just take things one step at a time, Creed. You know what you have to do. Play this by the book, and Williams will give you your freedom and possibly your family. You’ve wanted this forever, man. It’s right at the tip of your fingers. Just forget the girl. The ends justify the means. Move!
He kept this internal dialog going the entire run up the stairwell to the seventh floor and continued his silent pep talk even as he walked into the men’s restroom. He walked directly into the farther of the only two stalls and quickly pulled the tile away from the wall just behind the commode. He kept his vigil as he removed the plastic bag stuffed into the small hole he dug there days ago. Even as he removed the gun from the bag and slipped it up the sleeve of his right arm, he continued to chant, move, move, move, to himself.
Creed walked out the bathroom door, down the hallway, toward hospital room number 720. The nurses’ station was almost directly across from it, but the only two people there were deep in conversation. It was a nurse and a doctor flirting on the job. How cliché.
“Excuse me, nurse?” Creed flashed his two-hundred watt smile at her, and she immediately blushed.
“Hey Susan, I’ll catch up with you later,” the doctor said gruffly. He obviously didn’t like how his girl reacted to this guy.
“Okay, Jimmy…er, I mean, Dr. Reese,” the nurse stammered. She returned her full attention to the handsome stranger standing in front of her. His eyes were captivating; she couldn’t stop staring.
“Susan, was it?” Creed asked smoothly.
“Yes, that’s right,” she said coyly.
“Hey, listen, I was wondering if you could help me out? I’m a friend of the Winter family,” Creed said, casually pointing toward Margo’s room, “Alik, Evan and Meg are downstairs putting on a show for a pretty big crowd of people, and they asked me to come up here and check on their mom and Maze, their coyote, just until they get back,” Creed smiled widely and shrugged as though saying, Ah, shucks, ma’am. I’m a harmless guy with a bunch of paranoid friends and just trying to keep the peace.
“Oh, okay,” the nurse’s brow furrowed slightly as she tried to remember if she’d ever heard of a “friend of the family” that may come to visit. She couldn’t think of anyone, but then, she hadn’t been on duty for the last two days, so maybe there was a change in the orders.
“Listen, I can tell that guy, Jimmy, really has a thing for you, but between you and me…you can do a lot better. Maybe we could grab something to eat later? When do you get off?” Creed leaned over the counter and let his eyes smolder at the impressionable young nurse. He may have only been eighteen, but he had an aura about him that was edgy, rough and experienced. He easily could pass for twenty-five. He didn’t have much more time to waste with the girl, so he was laying it on thick.
Her hesitation was gone as she rounded the desk with a flirtatious sway to her hips and made her way Margo’s room. Creed ran his fingers through his hair, flashing a crooked grin at the nurse. Her fingers quivered as she typed in the code that unlocked the door. After peaking in at the patient herself, she stepped back out to the hallway and whispered, “My shift is over at seven-thirty.”
Creed smiled widely at the girl and said, “I’ll see you then, Susan.”
He turned and closed the door softly behind him. That’s when he heard the growling start.
13 The Third Degree
I was hopping mad. By the time the crowd dispersed and we were out of ear-shot from passersby, I was ready to scream, but, so were the boys.
“What do you mean you met someone?” Alik dove right in.
“What part of that sentence are you too dumb to understand?” I growled back.
“Who is he, Meg?” Evan asked simply. His face was tight with worry.
“He’s just a guy I met here at the hospital. He was visiting a sick friend. We started talking. It’s not big a deal!” I shot back.
“Not a big deal?” Alik’s sky-blue eyes flashed with fury. “What if this guy is a spy sent by Williams?”
“Listen, you two. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. He’s just a nice guy. They do exist, you know.”
“How do you know he’s a nice guy?” Evan asked.
“How do you know he’s not?” I yelled a bit too loudly. Lowering my voice I added, “Isn’t it possible a nice, normal guy would think I’m cute and want to get to know me better?” I felt angry tears welling up in my eyes.
“Well, of course. Cole’s crazy about you,” Alik said softly.
I felt the bitter sting of guilt in the pit of my stomach at the mention of Cole. Then a flash of resentment welled up. “I will not be made to feel guilty for allowing myself to experience some modicum of normalcy.”
“Let me put it to you this way, Meg,” Evan said calmly. “How would you feel if you found out Alik was keeping secret a relationship with a girl he just met here?”
My mouth opened, but no sound came out. How would I feel? I would feel furious at him for not staying focused on our life-and-death situation. I’d feel scared for him that he was going to get hurt when he has already been so hurt by life. And I guess I’d be wary of any girl who put a wedge between me and my brother when I needed to be able to lean on him the most.
I looked over at Alik, understanding more clearly why he reacted this way. “Oh, I hadn’t thought of it that way,” I said softly, trying to figure out a way to make things right. “Would it help if you met him?” I asked my brothers. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I regretted them. Did I just invite my brothers to come chaperone my twelve o’clock meeting with my dream guy?
“Yeah, actually. It would help,” Alik said smoothly.
Rolling my eyes in unrestrained frustration, I began walking and my brothers followed right behind me.
“Look, he’s just a regular guy; completely harmless. He’s been at the hospital visiting a friend who was in an accident,” I explained as we walked around the hospital to the front lawn where I was to meet Creed.
“Let us decide how harmless he is,” Evan muttered while chewing thoughtfully at the inside of his cheek.
14 The Scent of Death
The dim light from the window’s curtain only partially drawn was enough for him to see the coyote’s eyes and teeth. Maze was standing protectively at the foot of the woman’s bed, crouched and ready to attack. No amount of charm would affect this creature—Creed knew that. Animals were smarter than people in so many ways. He let the gun slip down to his hand and in the same fluid motion pulled the trigger. Maze yelped, jumped back and fell to the floor in a furry heap.
Excellent, he thought to himself.
He looked over at the bed and for the first time looked into the face of his target. Dr. Margo Winter lay motionless, save the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She was completely asleep. This couldn’t be any easier, he thought to himself as he grabbed a pillow that had been lying on a neatly folded blanket in the chair beside the woman.
He lifted the pillow and caught a familiar scent. Pulling the pillow toward his face, he inhaled deeply. It smelled exactly like Meg. The scent of her shampoo was on this pillow. She laid on this—slept her peaceful, naïve sleep. Pressed her cheek into this pillow and closed her eyes. His imagination was crisp.
Creed shook his head, trying to snap himself out of it. Quit thinking of the girl, and finish the job. When you’re done with this target, you can think about her. Just finish what you started before you run out of time! He scolded himself back into reality. The idea of running out of time and being in this room when Meg came back was enough to make him feel a wave of panic. He took a step toward the woman, leaned over he
r, and slipped the pillow up to her face. It was then that she opened her eyes and looked with terror into the face of her executioner.
15 He Was Just Here
“Where’s he from?” Alik asked
“How old is he?” Evan asked before I could answer Alik.
“How did you meet him?”
“Who is his ‘friend’?”
“What does he know about you?”
“For Pete’s sake, you two! You don’t even stop asking questions long enough to let me answer!” I was getting more nervous with every step. Introducing my brothers to this handsome guy I barely knew was really sounding like a crazy-stupid idea.
“I don’t know where he’s from. He’s about eighteen-years-old. I met him while taking Maze for a walk. I don’t know his friend, and he doesn’t even know my name!” I felt myself very close to the edge of panic as I looked around the lawn. Creed wasn’t there.
“Well, where is this mystery guy of yours?” Alik asked scanning the area.
“Stop calling him that. He’s no mystery, just a guy,” I said trying to sound composed. “I saw him at a distance while we were sparing. I don’t know how much he saw, but maybe it freaked him out.” I swallowed hard. “You know, regular girls don’t fight for fun like me,” my voice trailed off. I was looking at my sneakers wondering what I must have looked like to him. I felt heat spread up my neck and burn my ears and was thankful for my long hair right about then. When you feel like a freak, it’s nice to have a built in veil that can hide your pain.
“Maybe he just had to run to the bathroom,” Evan offered, gently.
“Not everyone has a fascination with bathroom plumbing like you, Ev,” Alik said. “Listen, Meg. We’d better head back to mom’s room. We’ll meet him some other time. Okay?” I felt my brother’s arm drape over my shoulders in an uncharacteristically affectionate way. I couldn’t help it. Hot tears of humiliation brimmed in my eyes. I couldn’t look at my brothers. The first time I’m to introduce them to a boy I liked, and the idiot stands me up!
“Who are we going to meet some other time?” a familiar voice spoke from behind us. I turned to see Cole’s gentle, smiling face. His green eyes matched the evergreens behind him. His dirty blond hair was just getting long enough to be called scruffy, even in his halfhearted attempt at gelling it up and off his forehead. He wore a soft brown fleece hoodie and faded blue jeans. His large hands were shoved into his front pockets in an obvious attempt to keep them warm against the cold Kansas day. I loved the way his wide smile made his nose crinkle just a little at the bridge. I felt as safe with Cole as I did with my brothers. And as I stood surrounded by my boys, I couldn’t help but compare Cole to Creed.
“Um…Meg? You wanna answer him? Or should I?” Alik said in a flat attempt at being politically correct.
“Oh, no one important, Cole,” I said walking up to him and wrapping my arm through his. I immediately felt a calmness flood through me. It was crystal clear when I was around him: Cole’s love for me was genuine and unconditional. Why would I allow myself to get swept up by a tall, dark stranger when I know where I should be? Why was Creed’s mysteriousness so darn sexy to me?
“We were just heading back to mom’s room,” I said changing the subject. “So, did the kids like our exhibition?”
My brothers were uncharacteristically silent as they fell into step behind me and Cole. I could feel their disapproval of me. What did they want me to say? Yeah, um…Cole. See, I know you love me and have proven you would risk your life for me and my family, but I kinda met some other guy and totally get hot and bothered every time he comes around. You good with that? I had to work to push their judgmental feelings away from me.
“The kids were stoked! They were cheering so loudly, the nurses came in and teased them that they would have to send everyone back to bed if they didn’t calm down. You should have seen their faces. These little sick kids, some of them with no hair, skinny and pale, all of them wearing their hospital gowns and slippers…they looked like they could sprout wings and fly with excitement watching you three!” Cole’s face flushed with happiness as he talked. He really did have a heart of gold.
“I’m glad they enjoyed it,” I said genuinely.
“I’ve watched you three spar lots of times, but it still makes me stare in amazement to see you do what you can do when, just to look at you, no one would suspect you were so tough,” Cole awkwardly complimented.
I looked up at him, and realized, not for the first time, that he was a pretty tall guy who probably outweighed me by fifty pounds. I raised my brow at him mischievously.
“Um…what I mean is, that you’re a girl; a feminine and fragile-looking girl. So when you switch into meta-mode it’s just…”
I giggled to myself, completely forgetting about Creed and being stood up; basking instead in Cole’s adorable glow of admiration.
“Dude, you passed awkward a while back and are fast approaching sappy,” Alik teased.
“Oh, be quiet, Ali,” I said protectively. “I think Cole’s observations are sweet.” I hugged his arm gently while we waited for the elevator to take us back up to the seventh floor.
The elevator was already pretty full of people who were sure to be stopping at every floor between here and the seventh floor when I felt a burst of adrenaline fueled by terror.
“Oh, my God! Mom!” I whipped around toward my brothers relaying the urgency with my eyes as I felt more terror gushing toward me.
16 Eyes Wide Open
Evan grabbed the elevator doors and pushed them back open for us to run out. Alik was ahead of me and Evan was beside me. We ran, full-speed toward the exit sign above the doors leading to the hospital’s stairwell. We took the stairs two and three at a time, nearly flying, till we arrived at the seventh floor doors and slapped them open. We didn’t stop running until we got to mom’s hospital room door.
Two nurses were standing, stunned and confused in the hallway, as though they knew something just happened, but hadn’t had time to register what.
I heard a soft whimper coming from inside—her door left slightly ajar. Alik kicked it open with his foot. Evan and I were at his heels, ready for battle. There was mom, eyes wide with fear, tears spilling down. She was sitting up in her hospital bed, pointing to the corner of the room. My eyes scanned the room quickly to determine what she was so upset about when I saw it. There was a silver mound of fur in the corner of the room, half under a chair. It was Maze. He was panting softly, but otherwise not moving.
Alik and Evan rushed to mom checking her for any injuries, blood—anything to have explained what was happening. I rushed to my best friend’s side and gently held his face in my hands. He was fighting to keep his eyes open and let out a whimper just for me. It was all I could do to keep from screaming in pain and fury at whatever it was that hurt my Maze.
Even as I ran my hands over his fur gently, searching for a wound, blood or something, I was silently screaming at myself for having left mom and Maze alone. Damn it! If Maze is hurt, it is my fault. I’m such a hot-headed idiot! What the hell was I thinking, leaving him alone to protect mom? Damn it! I should know better!
Feeling and seeing nothing unusual on Maze’s right side, I slipped my hands under him to gently roll him over so I could examine the other side. My hands felt something immediately and upon me jarring the object, Maze whimpered painfully. Completing the roll, I could now see his left flank and there, right in the shoulder, was a syringe-like object still stuck in his muscle. I yanked it out and set it on the table beside me thinking I may need to have it studied to figure out what it was, but I was hoping it was just a tranquilizer.
Just! Just? Are you freakin’ kidding me? If Maze was shot by anything, Williams’ is in on it. If Williams is behind this, then mom probably stared into the face of death moments ago. He’s not letting up. Williams is ready to finish what he started, Meg.
“Mom, are you okay? What happened?” My voice cracked with emotion. I felt torn between fear and f
ury.
My mother’s eyes were streaming tears as she slowly shook her head. The boys stood on either side of her protectively. Both of them looked like they were ready to rip the head off the person or persons responsible for hurting our family. I was right there with them. The seething anger I felt boiling deep inside me was literally making me see red.
“That’s it. We’re leaving…now!” Alik’s voice was icy and absolute.
I nodded in agreement, afraid if I opened my mouth to speak, I’d burst into flames of rage. Instead, I turned to the small closet in mom’s hospital room and grabbed her suitcase. My hands began grabbing her things and throwing them in automatically. A ringing that existed only in my head muffled the voices in the room. Alik was taking charge, and I was eternally grateful to him for doing that. I couldn’t think straight through my rage. Mom was almost killed and Maze was hurt trying to defend her while I was unfocused and girly-stupid over some dork who...I shook my head hard. Stop it. Focus, Meg. Get mom to safety first then berate yourself over your stupidity.
“Evan, call the ER and get Dr. Andrews and Cole up here,” Alik said coolly.
“Where are we going, Alik?” Evan asked logically.
“We’ll decide when we’re en route.”
“I may have a suggestion,” Evan added as he picked up the hospital room phone.
“Don’t say anything while we’re in this room. We may have ears listening,” Alik and Evan nodded knowingly to one another.
Mom’s suitcase was stuffed, so I dove back into the closet looking for bags I could fill with the remaining items. Finding what I needed, I rushed into the bathroom to gather toiletries. I jumped when there was a knock at the door.
Winter's Storm: Retribution (Winter's Saga #2) Page 7