by Laura Acton
“Crashed?” Jon’s eyes flared.
“His blood pressure bottomed out right after Dan spoke. Sent the medics into overdrive. The jargon is beyond my comprehension, but it didn’t sound good. Wish Jim had been on the helo. I trust him implicitly, and he would’ve explained things to me in normal language.” Bram restated his original question, “So anyone at the house?”
“No, not another soul. We went top to bottom three times. Did he say anything more than Bella?” Too wired to sit, Jon paced as he spoke.
Taking a seat beside Bram, Loki’s knee started to bounce.
Bram placed one hand on Loki’s shoulder. “Relax. Dan’s in excellent hands now. Dr. Fraser is with him.”
Loki shook his head. “But he was in terrible shape … they electrocuted him. There are huge blisters on his abdomen.”
Moving into the seat next to Loki, Ray put a hand on his friend’s knee to calm the motion. Ray worried like the others, but he wanted to reassure Loki and perhaps himself. No one voiced the thought, but he would bet everyone shared his belief that Dan wouldn’t be in such a precarious condition if they had been aware of his abduction and found him yesterday.
Trying to lighten things, he said, “Dan always looks ten times worse than he is with the way he bruises. Recall the first time we saw his contusions?”
His words generated a light chuckle from the guys but confused Kinsey who was unaware of Broderick’s colorful background. Although accepted by everyone, well almost everyone, she stayed apart from the rest of the group. She could tell how tight-knit the team was and decided it would be best for her to give them a little space and not insert herself into their clique.
Bram’s banked rage kicked up as he imbued his tone with intense hatred. “What about the four dirty cops? We are going after them, right? Bring them to justice for what they did to Dan?”
Nick paced as he answered with an equal mix of frustration, anger, and worry reflected in his voice. “Delta Team is handling it for now with Fulco and Arbor. A task force has been put together to recover prisoners who were released in error. They found the woman who hacked into the system. Theresa Morales is only seventeen. Pablo Nores manipulated her, so I’m not sure what charges the Crown Attorney will bring against her.”
Remembering the intensity of Dan’s anxiety Bram said, “We need to find out who Bella is. The fear when he gazed at me was unmistakable. Perhaps there is a connection to the case?”
Jon turned his gaze to Nick. “We should call the general. He would want to be informed Dan is injured.”
Loki said, “What about Lexa, Bram did you call her?” Loki missed the glance exchanged between Jon and Nick as he peered at Bram waiting for an answer.
Bram didn’t miss it though, but he only shook his head. “No didn’t want to worry her until we know more about his injuries.”
Loki gaped at him with an incredulous expression. “Do you have a death wish or something? Lexa will kill us all if we keep her in the dark about this. They’re so close, best friends, partners. We all saw the tears in Dan’s eyes when she got shot.” Loki pulled out his phone, stood, and strode away to call Lexa.
Nick didn’t want to place the call to the general but phoned him anyways. Dan’s family needed to be made aware. He wondered as he dialed if the entire Broderick clan would be camping out in the hospital within hours as they did after Dan had been shot in the chest last summer.
Returning, Loki plopped down and sighed. “Her phone went to voicemail. I freaking hate voicemail now. I left her a message, but if she doesn’t call me back within thirty minutes, I’m driving over.”
Hanging up, Nick turned to his team. “Both of Dan’s parents are out of country. Dan’s father is in Afghanistan, and his mother is visiting their daughter in France. General Broderick is unable to leave at this time, but indicated his wife would be on the next flight out of Paris.”
“Should we expect a Broderick invasion?” Ray asked.
“Not this time. Dan’s uncles and cousins wiped out their accrued leaves staying here when he was in the coma. Also asked about his unit buddies and they are not in country now. Dan is solely in our care this time. I promised to keep him apprised of his condition.”
“Must pain the general to be so far from Dan when he’s hurt and not be able to come.” Bram understood the depth of love William possessed for his son and the divide which separated them for many years.
Jon tensed as he spied a grim Dr. Fraser entering the waiting area and heading straight for them. “Fraser’s coming,” he alerted the others, and they all stood as the doctor approached.
Halting, Malcolm Fraser understood these men and the need to be frank with them. Anything less and they would hound him for details. “I wish I had better news for you. Dan’s in rough shape. We moved him to ICU for close observation. The most severe injury is a grade three laceration of his liver. We are taking a watch and wait approach.
“Eighty to ninety percent of the time we can manage a tear without surgical intervention. However, if the repeat CT scan in six hours shows the bleeding is not stopping or if there is a progressive decline in the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels we will intervene surgically. We’ll be checking those levels every few hours.
“As for the rest of him, his is going to be exceedingly sore for weeks. Amazingly no broken ribs, but someone sure tried and left him with several hairline cracks. The electrical burns are second degree and you no doubt noticed the blistering. It appears the voltage was low enough that the lower dermis layers were not damaged.
“His muscles and ligaments in his shoulders and arms endured significant strain for an extended period. The laceration near his wrist required a couple of stitches, but the cut down his torso is superficial and only needed cleaning. The bullet graze on his arm will heal without sutures as will the abrasions to his ankles and wrists from the bindings.
“The hematoma on the side of his head will be tender as well as his jaw, but again he was darned lucky. I thought for sure the x-rays would reveal a fractured cheekbone, orbital socket, and or maxilla. Dan’s got a hard head. As you are well aware the bruising is significant, and his thigh and hip appear to have been hit repeatedly with a pipe or bar, so walking will be painful for him for some time as the muscles heal and inflammation reduces.
“Unfortunately, we must wait for the swelling of his right eye to go down before we can determine if he suffered any vision issues. He is dehydrated as well. Even if his liver stops bleeding and he doesn’t require surgery, Dan will be staying with us for at least a week on complete bed rest.”
Dr. Fraser observed the faces fall as he described Dan’s condition. He hated giving news like this, so he lightened his tone a bit. “As we all know Dantastic is a horrible patient and will likely try to leave AMA as soon as he can stand.” He received the small chuckles and grins he aimed for; he liked this group of guys a lot. They were always there for each other. “Dan is still unconscious. I do not want to sedate him but will if the young man tries to put one foot out of bed. I could use your help keeping him compliant.”
Nick nodded. “Consider it covered, plus we need to post a guard at the entrance to ICU. Dan’s current condition is related to an ongoing situation with several escaped prisoners. It is unlikely they will attempt to attack him here, but we will be taking appropriate precautions.”
“Understood. I will inform the head nurse in ICU. I assume you will be working with hospital security,” Fraser stated and received a nod. “Good. Now I realize you would like to visit him, but our ICU is rather full of patients at the moment. World going crazy or something. I can only allow one or two of you back at a time.”
Jon recognized Loki was on edge, and it would be best to give him something to do to calm and focus his mind on reducing his anxiety. Jon also needed to take proactive steps to alleviate the guilt which continued to grow in him. Dan would not be in this position if he did not lay into him so hard. He wished he had taken the time to listen and assess the situation
before jumping to conclusions and shooting off his mouth.
Shifting his gunmetal grey eyes to Nick, Jon suggested, “Boss, you and Bram should go first. The rest of us will get started with security. Loki and Ray, I need you to install surveillance cameras so we can monitor who goes into ICU and Dan’s room.”
Nick agreed with Jon’s plan and gave a brief nod before following Bram and Fraser through the ER doors.
Guilt, Curiosity, and Caution
20
May 8
St. Michael’s Hospital – ICU Room D – 5:45 p.m.
Nick stood next to Dan’s bed. He would never get used to seeing any of his team hurt. Given their job, this was a potential risk for every critical call, but in this case, Dan was not even at work. Guilt ate at Nick. If he had not forced Dan to take time off, he would not be lying here fighting for his life.
He removed his hat and rubbed his face as he sat in the only chair. I should’ve listened and approached both Dan and Lexa at the same time. I didn’t handle things right. Dan is here because I failed him. Yes, they broke the rules, but they always behaved as professionals on the job. Never once did I spot a time where their actions compromised the lives of civilians, the team, or subjects.
Nick thought back to his suspicions in the Grand Citadel last summer. I was right. That is where things started for Lexa and Dan. Wait, no, Dan revealed their attraction began before they became teammates. As if fate threw them together. And me. I have a hand in their relationship growing. I kept pushing Lexa to get close to him to help the rest of us build a connection.
The kiss they shared in the sting operation back in December at the Tourterelle Boutique took on new meaning. No wonder they portrayed a loving couple so well … they weren’t pretending. Dan’s motive for offering to be the male decoy which put him in a dangerous position with the possibility of being shot in the chest again became apparent. Dan loves Lexa with all his heart and is willing to forfeit his life to keep her safe.
After a review of what occurred on the rooftop of the BDC’s hideout, Nick understood Dan possessed the capability to do his job even in the face of Lexa bleeding out in front of him. The rule was in place to prevent situations which would cause increased harm to officers or civilians. Nick bowed his head. He needed to review the last year with new eyes before talking with Lexa.
Bram noted Nick’s slumped body language and interpreted his demeanor as being the weight he carried by missing Dan’s call. If they found Dan a mere half-hour later, he would likely be dead. A heavy load for Nick to bear.
Viewing Dan’s black and blue, swollen face, Bram’s heart bled. Though Bram was only seven years older than Dan, he held a fatherly affection for him. It angered him that four rogue ex-cops put Dan in the hospital and almost killed him. With difficulty, Bram maintained a cap on his rage as his gaze moved to the saline and blood transfusion bags hanging on the IV pole.
Though Dan slept, Bram spoke to him anyway. “I promise you we will find Snow and the others. They won’t get away with attempting to murder you. We’ll hunt them down and bring them in. You stay strong. You’ve faced worse odds and came out on top. You’ll be back on the team in no time.”
He stopped and closed his eyes taking a moment to center himself. Bram’s thoughts shifted. They wouldn’t have abducted Dan if he had been at work yesterday. He should’ve been in start of shift briefing.
All efforts to calm his ire flew out of the window, his anger needing an outlet as he recalled his theories regarding Dan’s forced time off. Turning enraged blue-green eyes on Boss, Bram demanded, “Why was Dan on vacation?” He read guilt flittering across Nick’s face. “What did he do to warrant Jon jumping down his throat all day on the sixth followed by an unscheduled leave the next day? We’ve both been around the block. That doesn’t happen unless there is a significant cause. What is the reason?”
Nick only shook his head as he rose. He refused to cause further divide in the team. Dan needed Bram’s, Ray’s, and Loki’s support and he wouldn’t risk them being angry with Dan over dating Lexa. “Stay with him. He’s going to need someone he trusts when he wakes, and it won’t be me, Jon, or Lexa.” Without another remark, he left the room to check on the security measures and to call Glen for an update on Delta’s progress finding the convicts.
Dumbfounded, Bram watched Nick exit. Just what the devil is going on? He glanced back at Dan. For now, he would be here for Dan but he would sure as hell find out what occurred. Both Jon and Nick project guilty countenances. Why would Dan not trust Lexa or them? What did they do to him?
Pulling the chair closer, Bram started to sit as Dan’s left eye flickered open part way. Leaning close to be in Dan’s line of sight, he spoke soft with fatherly concern, “Hey, buddy, you’re gonna be okay. You are in rough shape, but we’re gonna take care of you.”
Groggy, his brain not firing on all cylinders, Dan at least recognized he lay in a dreaded hospital bed. As much as he hated hospitals, he would rather be lying here than in the basement. With his pain dulled but still present, Dan grasped he must’ve received heavy-duty meds. Wanting to rid the cotton balls from his mouth, he requested, “Water?”
“Sorry, no can do.” Bram lifted a cup and spoon. “Single ice chip only, no more. You aren’t allowed to have anything in your stomach.”
“Why?” Dan found it difficult to speak with a dry mouth and a sore jaw.
“You suffered a lacerated liver. You might require surgery, but with bed rest, the prognosis is the bleeding will stop, and you won’t need intervention. Are you in any pain?” Bram hoped Dan would be truthful with him.
“Little, bearable. Mostly floaty and muddled. Did you arrest them?”
“You mean the four dirty ex-cops who assaulted you?” Dan barely nodded. “Not yet. Turpin and his team are working with the task force. We have your back. They will not hurt you again. The rest of our team is setting up security here to prevent them from reaching you if they are stupid enough to attempt another attack.”
At the mention of security Dan’s gut churned and his distress became apparent in his eye and tone. “Bella? Is she safe?”
Bram couldn’t squeeze Dan’s left bicep to calm him as usual, due to the gunshot wound, so he clasped Dan’s hand to give him a connection. “Who is Bella? Tell me who she is, and I promise to do everything in my power to keep her safe.”
His body worn out, the need for sleep encouraged by a potent dosage of drugs, pulled on Dan. “Grand Dame Marbella Ridgewater,” he mumbled struggling to remain awake. As Bram told him he would check on her, the arms of Morpheus embraced Dan.
Hating to leave, but unable to use his cell in the room, Bram stepped out and found the nurse. “Stay with him. No one but his doctor or another TRF officer is allowed in his room. I need a phone.”
“I was about to do my checks on him. You can use the desk phone at the nurses’ station.” She pointed before entering the room to take a set of vitals on her patient.
Ridgewater Home
Nick pulled to a stop in front of the Ridgewater mansion with Jon in the passenger seat. After Bram called him from ICU with the full name of Bella, Nick recalled Mrs. Ridgewater had been one of Snow’s original targets. Dan had not woken again, so they were not able to ascertain why he worried for her safety. So, he and Jon decided to visit her home to speak with her. As they approached the portico, the door opened revealing a man who appeared to be in his mid to late fifties.
“Gentlemen, please follow me. Grand Dame Ridgewater will join you in a few moments.” Wilson showed Danny’s sergeant and tactical lead into the sitting room. “May I offer you coffee or tea while you wait?”
“Thank you, but no,” Nick replied as he trailed behind the man.
“Very well. Please make yourselves comfortable.” Wilson shut the door as he exited, leaving the men alone in the room.
Too tense to merely sit and wait, Jon and Nick wandered around the spacious and elegantly decorated room. Jon halted near a long, narrow table along the
back wall which contained dozens of framed pictures. Family photos he assumed as he scanned a variety of snapshots. His eyes landed on one then jumped to several more. “You need to see these, Nick.”
Nick joined him, and they both viewed photographs which made them grin. “Dan’s certainly got more than a case association with this woman.” His eyes fixed on a picture of a teenage Dan with longer hair, wearing a school track uniform, and his trademark WOW smile. Dan held a trophy aloft while standing next to a graceful woman with white hair.
Leaning closer, Nick read the plaque. “First Place Divisional Cross Country. Never realized he went to school in Toronto with his family from Ottawa, much less that he participated in sports.”
“I believe there is a lot we don’t know about him.” Jon studied one of a slightly older Dan. His haircut now a closer to a military style, he stood beside the same woman, and her hand encircled Dan’s waist. “This one is from his academy graduation. He’s in a cadet uniform, but holding his badge.”
Nick smiled. “Dan appears quite young. Can you imagine all the baby-face jokes he must’ve endured when he arrived at his division?”
Jon only gave a slight nod. He thought about someone so young going up against his training officer and turning him into Internal Affairs. Not many would possess the balls to do the right thing with only a month or so of service under his belt.
His gaze moved to several other pictures. Dan all muddy but grinning in a rugby uniform. One with him sitting with several elderly people in front of the Sunnydale Retirement Center. Dan clasping a hunting rifle kneeling next to a massive elk. Another with Dan decked out in climbing gear, beaming with one of his arms slung over the shoulders of the man who showed them into this room. This same man appeared with two others alongside Dan who wore a judo gi in the last photograph Jon scanned. Evidently, this man must be more than a butler or hired help.
Perusing the photos, Nick stopped on one which caused his grin to broaden. The winter scene with a quaint chalet in the background had a gangly young teenage girl who peered at Dan with puppy love written all over her face. Holding a snowboard, sandwiched between another young man who appeared to be a few years older and the white-haired lady, Dan displayed a lopsided grin and cold-kissed ruddy cheeks. “Dan seems quite happy in these photographs. I don’t see any younger or older of him though.”
