Amish Christmas Emergency

by Dana R. Lynn

  He disconnected with the lieutenant.

  “It would make sense in an odd sort of way if he didn’t exist.”

  He glanced at Lexie, furrowing his brow in confusion. “Run that by me again? How does it make sense?”

  “Another doctor started the clinic a couple of years ago. Quinton came on staff later, not long after I arrived. The clinic is mostly funded by donations. And the doctors both poured their own resources into it. The clinic, while it will serve anyone, was set up primarily to service the Amish and Mennonite communities. If Quinton had to practice medicine with anonymity, that makes as much sense as anything else.”

  “So, we have checked in with all the patients in the pictures. The good news is that no one else has been attacked.”

  She shifted in her seat so that she was facing him. “The bad news is that they are still vulnerable.”

  “Yeah, maybe—”

  He bit off the word as a white full-sized pickup truck roared up behind them. The vehicle inched forward. They were on a long stretch of country road. There wasn’t much traffic. Why didn’t he just pass if he was in such a hurry?

  “Idiot,” Gavin muttered. “Just because you’re bigger, doesn’t mean I can’t give you a ticket.”

  He flipped on his lights and siren. Just a short blast to warn the guy off. It didn’t work. Instead, the driver moved closer. This wasn’t a careless driver. This was a man trying to run them down.

  “Hold on, Lexie!” Gavin sped up, but there wasn’t much he could do with the icy roads. Jabbing his radio, he waited for the dispatcher’s voice to come on.

  “Elise, it’s Jackson. I’m on Route 89. Someone in a pickup truck is trying to run me off the road.”

  The truck slammed into his bumper. His cruiser fishtailed. He steered the wheels into the swerve, straightening his vehicle. In his rearview mirror, he could see a man wearing a dark hood. His features were in shadows. Quinton?

  “What kind of car does the doctor drive?” he yelled across to Lexie. The truck was coming for them again. He pushed down on the accelerator, hoping to keep some distance between them.

  Lexie was scooched down in her seat, hands braced against the dashboard. “That’s his truck,” she replied, voice tight. “I’d know it anywhere. See the red streak on the fender? A red truck backed into him three months ago.”

  “Elise, I have a confirmation. The truck belongs to our suspect. I believe him to be armed and very dangerous.”

  “Hold tight, Jackson. Backup is en route to intercept.”

  Hold tight. That would be easier if the road weren’t so slippery. A sharp curve was directly in front. “Lord, please, help us make this curve.”

  “Amen,” Lexie muttered beside him. It was the second prayer she’d said in her life.

  They sailed around the corner, swerving. He felt the vehicle skidding out of control and held his breath. When the car straightened, he let his breath out and risked a look out the rearview window. He sucked in his breath again.

  “Stay down!” he commanded Lexie. She slid lower in her seat, her terrified eyes fastened on his face. “He’s got a gun!”

  Fortunately, the driver seemed to be having trouble keeping the truck in control at the high speeds. Flashing lights were coming from ahead of them. Backup was on its way. The truck slowed then did a very dangerous three-point turn in the middle of the state highway. It sped off in the opposite direction, spinning down the first road it past.

  Turning the wheel with both hands, Gavin pulled over to the soft shoulder to recover his composure and to allow the other police cars room to maneuver.

  The first cruiser zoomed past in pursuit of the truck. He recognized Miles Olsen at the wheel. He watched the sergeant’s cruiser turn down the road after the truck and disappear. In his mind he whispered a prayer for his colleague. The second cruiser pulled directly in front of their position, facing the wrong way.

  Claire Zerosky hopped out of the car, her short red hair flapping as she strode urgently to the driver’s window. He rolled the window down at her approach.

  “Y’all doing all right in there? Anyone hurt?”

  He read the real concern in her eyes. He’d never take the friends he’d made on the LaMar Pond PD for granted again.

  “I’m good. Lexie?” He turned his gaze on her, scanning for any injuries. They’d taken those turns pretty hard. He didn’t think she’d been banged around too badly, but he wasn’t taking chances.

  “I’m good. Glad to see you, Claire.” The smile she flashed at the other woman was warm.

  Sergeant Zerosky laughed. The urgency rolled away from her. “You guys gave me a scare.”

  The radio crackled as Olsen spoke. “I found the truck. The vehicle had crashed on Burgundy Road. The suspect has fled the scene. I’m in pursuit. I repeat, the suspect is on foot, and he’s armed.”

  Dr. Quinton was on the loose.

  ELEVEN

  Despite all their efforts, Dr. Quinton had not been found. Noah Hostetler had been released from the hospital. He and his family had left the same day to stay with another family. Alexa was relieved to know that they, at least, would be out of danger.

  “If I have to stay in this house too much longer, I’m going to lose my mind.” She moved her piece, the thimble, around the Monopoly board. And groaned as she landed on Park Place, which Claire owned.

  The sergeant smirked. “Maybe not crazy, but if you keep playing this way, you’ll be out of money.”

  “It’s fake money, so it doesn’t count,” Alexa grumbled. She cast her eyes toward the windows. It was snowing again. Next week was Christmas. She’d not paid too much attention to the holiday in the past. It just seemed more of a commercial thing than a spiritual one. But since she’d been reading the Bible that had belonged to Gavin’s uncle, she was starting to change her mind. She especially liked how both he and Gavin had made notes in the margins. It had never occurred to her before that people could make connections with the book. When this was all over, she was going to give the Bible back to Gavin, and she was going to get her own. Then she could start making her own connections and notes. Besides, she knew that the Bible was something he had cherished.

  The front door burst open. She jumped, screeching. When Gavin strode into the room, she wilted back in her chair, glaring at him.

  “Did you have to do that? You startled me. I thought for sure we’d been found.”

  Her pulse thudded in her veins. Not all because she was startled, though. She was chagrined by how happy she was to see him. He hadn’t stopped by at all, the day before. Nor had she talked to him. Instead, he’d called and talked with Claire then hung up. Claire, however, made sure to relay to Alexa that he had specifically asked about Alexa. Several times.

  My, it was good to see him. She had missed him yesterday. She liked the other officers, but she was growing very fond of Gavin’s presence. Too fond.

  Claire smiled and started to clear up the board.

  Gavin cocked his head at his colleague, eyebrow raised. “I told Claire I’d be here today.”

  She shot her glare toward the redhead.

  “You said you might stop by. I wasn’t going to get Alexa’s hopes up and then have you bail on us.”

  Alexa flushed. Was she that obvious?

  “So Gavin,” she said, flashing him her best innocent smile, “what do you know?”

  He chuckled when he heard his own phrase turned back on him. “That’s my line. But I’ll answer. What I know is that we are out of here. The chief wants us to head to the hospital in Chicago to see what we can find about Dr. Quinton.”

  She stood and moved to the window. It would be nice to get out. But she didn’t understand. “I thought you said he was in Witness Protection.”

  “That was a theory we floated, but it didn’t check out. He wasn’t being protected by any government agency. Whic
h is why we need to go to see what he was into. And I told the chief you could be useful in the interview.”

  She wasn’t so sure. She didn’t like the thought of going into her old hospital again where people she’d worked with had turned on her. She’d been the recipient of too much gossip and malicious whispers to want to go back. Still, she would do it if it helped catch Quinton.

  And if it would get her out of the safe house.

  “Sold.”

  She made it out to the car in record time. Gavin wasn’t driving his cruiser today. Instead, he was driving a pickup truck that had seen better days. But it was meticulously clean. She so wasn’t surprised. He was, however, wearing his police uniform. Which made sense. He was going on police business.

  Then they drove into the airport. He grabbed a backpack from the truck and they headed in. The plane was already boarding. They sat in their seats. That’s when what she was doing hit her. She was on a plane.

  She. Was. On. A. Plane.

  “Lexie? You okay?” Gavin leaned in so close, she could feel his breath on her face. Even that couldn’t distract her from her present crisis.

  “Um, no. Maybe I should have mentioned this before. But I have a serious fear of flying.”

  He took her hand. “It’s going to be fine. You know, planes are safer than cars. Your chances of dying on a plane—”

  “Gavin!” she said through clenched teeth. “That is so not helpful.”

  They took off a few minutes later, and she squished her eyes closed as tightly as she could. The plane lurched a few times. Was it tipping? Her eyes flew open.

  She became aware that Gavin was stroking her hand and wrist.

  “It’s fine, Lexie. It’s just the plane setting its course. No worries.”

  Breathe. She needed to breathe and relax. This was going to be fine. In an hour and a half, they’d be in Chicago. She’d worry about the trip back when she got to that point.

  Twenty minutes later, she hit another moment of panic. Her stomach grumbled. She’d been so busy worrying about getting ready to go with Gavin, she’d neglected to eat her midmorning snack. She knew better than that, but time got away from her.

  She looked at Gavin, panicked. He was calmly searching through his backpack. Reaching in deep, he brought out a plastic bag with an apple, a wedge of cheese and an ice pack. She stared in wonder. This man knew her so well. Even Brett rarely thought of her needs as a person with diabetes.

  Thanking him, she reached for the bag from his hand. Electricity shot up her arm as their fingers met. Grabbing the bag, she moved her arm back from his. She took a bite of the apple, discreetly peeking up at him through her lashes. He was calmly watching the skyline out the window. Irritated, she crunched loudly on her apple. He obviously wasn’t as affected by her as she was by him.

  Another spot of rough turbulence hit.

  Whatever happened, she hoped she wouldn’t embarrass herself in front of Gavin by passing out. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to live something like that down.

  The flight attendant came by with their snacks a few minutes later. The young man across from her tore into his bag of peanuts and popped an entire handful of them into his mouth.

  The girl sitting beside him next to the window said something to him, and he began to laugh.

  Alexa watched as he gasped. Then his hands went to his throat. Peanuts dribbled from his mouth. He continued to make the universal sign for choking.

  “Peter?” the girl said. Then she began to shriek. “Peter! Someone help me!”

  Alexa was already unbuckled and rising from her seat.

  “Ma’am, please remain—”

  “I’m a nurse,” Alexa said briskly, brushing past the flight attendant. “That man’s choking.”

  She was aware of Gavin standing beside her.

  “Gavin, I need to get him standing, and I need him balanced so I can help him.”

  Squatting down next to the man, she stared into his panicked eyes. Her own panic had disappeared in the face of his distress. “Sir, I’m a nurse. Are you choking?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay. I’m going to help you, okay?”

  Again, the man nodded. She could hear a slight rasp. Some air was getting through.

  “Gavin, help me get him into a standing position. I need you to keep him from falling over.” She commanded him, her whole attention focused on the man in need. On some level, she was aware that the other passengers were watching them. She couldn’t worry about them. The young man’s color was gone. Soon, he might pass out.

  Without a word, Gavin helped the man to stand. He braced his legs on the sides of the narrow aisle and held the man steady while Alexa slipped behind the man and efficiently brought her arms around the choking patient and placed the thumb of her left fist against his diaphragm. Moving her other hand on top of the first, she jerked them in and up. On the third attempt, a peanut shot from the man’s mouth, and he wilted.

  Gavin caught him before he could knock Alexa off her feet. Together, they eased the man back into his seat.

  Alexa was pleased to note that his color was returning to his face. He was breathing freely, although there was still a harsh sound to it.

  “Is he going to be fine?”

  Alexa turned to see the flight attendants were hovering near her. The one she’d shoved her way past earlier was looking at her with concerned eyes.

  “Yes,” Alexa told her.

  The man’s girlfriend started to sob. “Thank you so much! He would have died if you and your boyfriend hadn’t been here to help.”

  Alexa felt a fierce blush burn her cheeks. She didn’t dare turn to look at Gavin. They thought he was her boyfriend? He must hate that.

  She mentally shrugged. That didn’t matter at the moment. She turned to the man the girl had called Peter.

  “Peter,” she said. The man opened his eyes. “I am going to ask you to see a doctor once we land, even though you are not choking anymore. Just as a precaution to make sure you didn’t do any damage.”

  “We’ll call the paramedics at the airport,” one of the flight attendants promised. “They can have him checked out as soon as we arrive in Chicago.”

  Emergency over, Alexa and Gavin returned to their seats. Awkwardness set in as she tried to ignore the numerous glances that kept being sent her way. She grimaced when she realized that someone was aiming a phone her way.

  Ugh. Just what she needed. Her face posted on social media. She turned her head away to avoid the camera.

  Her gaze met Gavin’s. She blinked at the admiration in his eyes.

  He leaned toward her. “You are amazing.”

  She blushed, ducking her head. Still, she couldn’t help the small thrill that went through her at his words. She’d never had anyone tell her she was amazing before.

  Her smile faded. He might think she was amazing. But that didn’t mean he was going to stay.

  * * *

  Gavin couldn’t believe the calm woman beside him was the same woman who’d been so afraid of flying. Her cheeks were a little red, but he rather thought that was due to all the people straining their necks to see her. The woman who had saved a man’s life on a plane.

  He’d told her she was amazing, and she was. How else would one describe a woman who had put aside her own fear in order to save a life, and then sat back down like she hadn’t done anything remarkable?

  Looking up, he saw a couple of teenage girls aiming their phones at him and Lexie. He gave them a level stare. They flushed and turned around again.

  Good. Lexie didn’t need the stress of strangers gaping at her. She was under enough pressure with that.

  Glancing at the time on his phone, he leaned toward her. The scent of her shampoo was becoming a familiar, comforting aroma.

  “Lexie? We’ll be arriving within an hour.”r />
  She looked up at him with a smile. “I’ll be glad to get off this plane. Gavin, I wanted to thank you for helping me earlier. I really appreciated it. I don’t know if I could have kept him steady by myself.”

  Gavin fought the irrational spurt of pride her words caused. He hadn’t done anything spectacular. Although he was thankful that he was in the position to assist her. It felt good to know that she relied on him.

  For a brief moment, he allowed himself the luxury of wondering what it would be like to be the man she relied on daily.

  He shook his head. He was not a man that would make a good companion for a woman. He didn’t have the charm of his brother. Plus, he was a cop.

  Leo had always said it was a good thing he’d never married. Gavin tended to believe him, having lived with the man. A cop’s life could be grueling. Not that he regretted becoming a cop. It was part of who he was.

  It was no good wishing for a future with any woman. Not even one who seemed to get him the way Alexa did.

  The moment they arrived at the hospital, Gavin could sense Alexa pulling away emotionally. The smile she’d worn that morning was gone, too, replaced by a blank look. Her gaze shifted neither right nor left. In fact, she walked with her chin up, her jaw set and her hands stuffed in her pockets. It was clear that they were also fisted.

  The need to protect her rose up inside him. He only wished he knew what he needed to protect her from. The stares he met from the hospital employees were varied. Some were visibly curious, others were harried. No one looked at her with hostility. Wait. There was one person who looked at her angrily.

  Uh-oh. The woman was coming closer.

  “You have some nerve showing your face here.” The woman pushed herself into Alexa’s space, belligerent.

  Lexie stiffened her already straight spine and stared the hostile woman down. “Chris. Always nice to see you, too.”

  “Ladies...”

  Chris turned her angry face on him. “Stay out of it, hotshot.”