WHITEOUT: Above And Beyond (Beauty 0f Life Book 10)

by Laura Acton

  Ron followed Maisie’s instructions on how to scrub properly. He had never been in an OR and hoped he could handle whatever they needed from him because excessive blood made him queasy. After drying his hands, Ron followed Maisie into the other room. “Maisie, why is there a glass wall separating the sinks and the operation area?”

  Maisie smiled as she slid a gown over Ron’s arms and tied it in the back for him. After helping him put on gloves, she handed Ron a mask and answered, “The glass is a washable surface which keeps the surgery free of germs, and it also provides a valuable training tool, since the staff can observe surgical procedures without having to scrub in. Here, put this on for your protection. We haven’t ruled out MRSA yet, so the precaution is necessary. It will also keep a more sterile field for Dan with his compromised system.”

  Putting on his mask, Ron looked at Dan, who now appeared to be waking as his eyes opened. He noted the same glazed feverish guise Dan had earlier and worried he might hallucinate again. Though him catching butterflies and calling Minna bossy had been funny. “Minna, is there anything you need my help with now?”

  “Just stay close. Dan’s fever is increasing. If he becomes disoriented or combative, I may require your assistance to restrain him before the nitrous kicks in again.” Minna glanced over at the doc and didn’t add he may need to help the dear man stand.

  Ron nodded and backed up to the wall, giving Maisie room to push Landry’s wheelchair to the operating table.

  His arthritic knees killing him, Landry admitted Maisie and Minna were right. He needed Ron’s help to stand. “Ron, my boy, give an old man a hand. I don’t want to touch anything with my hands, and I need leverage to rise. Me joints ain’t as smooth as they used to be. Gettin’ old is no fun.”

  “Sure beats the alternative,” Ron quipped as he came forward to assist.

  “True, true.” Landry chuckled as Ron stood in front of him, and the young buck slid hands under his armpits. When Ron lifted, Maisie pulled the wheelchair away, and Landry adjusted his stance. Once stabilized, he said, “Thanks. You may let go.”

  While Minna sterilized and draped Dan’s leg, Landry did another visual inspection of the wound. He double-checked the instruments and nodded at Minna’s efficiency. She was a damned fine nurse. Paying for part of her tuition had been one of the best things he and Maisie had ever done.

  As the nitrous began to wear off, Dan’s fevered mind swirled, mixing events and people from many parts of his life. Yankee held Sara as his little sister cried when a truck loaded with a missile slammed into the building that he was trapped inside. He mumbled, “Find green yoyo.”

  The One stood over him with a red-hot scalpel instead of needles. Pouffy, dressed up like a toy soldier in the Nutcracker, directed The One to cut his heart out and feed it to the twelve-winged creature. Brody stood beside him, holding a mega-sized Beauty. He whimpered, “Dark is gonna eat my heart. Brody, turn on the music.”

  His tilt-a-world spun again and now Buzz, Dutch, and Wilson skied down a mountain of sand trying to outrun killer snow bunnies with machetes and ended up consumed by an avalanche of snow. “Spit … down tells you up.”

  A pack of plaid elephants flew through a blizzard, and his dad rode the lead elephant, yelling, ‘The cavalry is coming.’ Nothing made sense and thoroughly confused him as he dropped into a vat of hot-pink Jack Daniels wrapped in a sleeping bag. As he struggled not to drown, Lexa’s amused, suppressed snicker filled his ears as she stared at his pink, short hairs. Dan muttered, “Pink, not funny.”

  “Watch out, Koala!” came out in a soft whisper, though he believed he shouted, as vicious, sharp-fanged drop bears wearing parachutes did a HAHO jump from a plane to snatch the golden token from Koala’s hand.

  “Shit, my turn to buy again?” tumbled out as Dan’s mind conjured an image of his team, unit, and cousins surrounding him, all holding beers as he sat at the bottom of a slippery slope covered in mud and milkshake mix, blood flowing freely from a massive hole in his chest.

  The carousel turning again, Lexa now wore his uniform pants, and she gripped the waist to hold them up as the extra fabric pooled at her ankles. Somehow, he managed to put hers on, and the guys rode unicycles as they laughed at him while Lexa bawled him out for stretching her pants. “Pranks … don’t hit me.”

  He blinked and found himself trapped in an elevator, running in circles, trying to evade giant gumballs with glass teeth which wanted to bite his ass. “Where’s my guillotine?”

  The whirlpool turned him again, and four men in uniform with raccoon faces and rat bodies drooled white foam as they beat the crap out of him with broomsticks in a basement. The fattest masked rat sat on a chair, and it collapsed under the weight, causing Dan to chuckle until the raccoon-rat plopped down on his torso, crushing the air out of him.

  As he labored to breathe, Dan ended up in a cornfield maze full of body parts, but a tank sat in the middle. “Shy, they can’t dismember us in the tank. I can crash it. Brody taught me how.”

  Dan’s head moved back and forth, mumbling. The room’s occupants stared at one another, unable to make sense of his ramblings, but all caught the undertone of fear in its timbre.

  Maisie peered at her husband. “Should we use a general? The dear boy doesn’t need to be in more pain.”

  “No, not after I reviewed the file Loki shared and what he is experiencing now. Apparently, Dan truly does not do well with coming out of sedation, and I prefer not to put him under without a qualified anesthesiologist here. Also, with his previous lung problems, I don’t want to chance depressing his respiration more than it already is. If necessary, we can use more nitrous. He seems to tolerate the gas.”

  Ron lightly chuckled. “Um, Doc, are you so sure Dan tolerates nitrous? I sure would hate to see him on general if this is considered tolerating.”

  Releasing a sigh, Landry said, “I think this is mostly the fever. Minna, my girl, are you finished prepping the area?”

  “Yes. He’s prepared.”

  Considering one of Landry’s statements and accustomed to assisting him in the early years of his practice, before opening their store, Maisie asked, “If you are worried about his breathing, shouldn’t he be on oxygen as a precaution?”

  Laundry flashed a smile at his wife. “Yes, quite right. With the infection and rising fever, well, this boy is famous for throwing me for a loop, so better safe than sorry. My darling, would you please grab a saturation monitor for Minna. And Minna, please start a low-concentration flow with a nasal cannula.”

  Once the oxygen was in place, and Dan’s O2 stats documented, Landry picked up a scalpel and began to operate.

  Game On

  39

  November 24

  Hospital – Hallway – 7:40 p.m.

  Having stopped in the men’s room first to relieve himself, Noah spotted Yasmin as she passed by the entrance. Although he couldn’t kill anyone yet, he did have time for a little diversion. He and Jonas had been on the road for a long time, and a man had needs. Noah was tired of taking care of them one-handed in the shower. Yasmin was a juicy little morsel, and she would calm his inner beast for a while … whether she wanted to or not.

  Exiting the restroom, Noah stalked her like prey and stealthily sidled up next to the nurse. “Hello again.”

  Yasmin jumped. Where the heck did he come from? She stopped short of entering the pharmacy. Her voice wobbled, a little unsteady with him so close. “Officer Bartonella, you startled me. Did you need something?”

  Noah leaned in close, trapping Yasmin against the wall and exhaled. “Well, now that you ask, how ‘bout taking a break with me?”

  Barely suppressing a shudder, Yasmin responded by putting her hands on his upper torso and pushing against him. He didn’t budge. Unable to tamp down on her fear, she shook as she said, “My patients need me.”

  “They won’t go anywhere while we get to know one another better.” Noah pressed his body against Yasmin’s.

  Hospital – ER Treatment A
rea – 7:40 p.m.

  While he waited to ensure the others were safe in the operating room, Loki went to the closet Minna indicated contained the soft restraints they kept for use with combative patients. He obtained three padded cuffs since Minna strapped one of Jonas’ hands to his chest to prevent further damage to the wounded shoulder. Cautiously, Loki approached Jonas’s bed.

  If the cold-blooded killer possessed the slightest inkling they discovered his and his equally murderous brother’s identities, things might turn ugly fast. Although Dan and the rest were now safely away, Loki wished Scott could be too, but having backup would be smart.

  He studied Jonas a moment, and by all appearances, the man was still in a drugged state of sleep, but looks could be deceiving. Loki considered whether to restrain his wrist or ankles first. The lower limbs would prevent him from running or kicking, so he opted for legs first. Setting the cuffs on the rolling exam table, Loki moved anything the felon might use as a weapon beyond Jonas’ reach.

  With one last assessing gaze, Loki drew a deep breath. Now or never. He attached one leg restraint without Barton stirring. Moving to the opposite side, he started to buckle the second one when Jonas spoke.

  “What are you doing?” Jonas woke in a groggy state, but when he couldn’t move his right leg, he yanked the left from the raven-haired man.

  Loki captured Jonas’ limb and with substantial difficulty, secured the cuff to his ankle as Jonas let out a piercing scream. First grabbing the wrist restraint, Loki seized the struggling man’s arm. “Be calm, and you won’t be hurt, Jonas. This is for your protection, as well as ours.”

  Spotting the gun held by the other patient, Jonas’ eyes widened and realized the gig was up. “Noah! Noah! Help! They know who we are. They have guns. Help me, Noah!”

  Hospital – Hallway – 7:43 p.m.

  A scream from the ER interrupted Noah’s plans to dally with Yasmin. His head whipped toward the entrance recognizing Jonas’ voice. Seizing Yasmin’s hand, Noah dragged her with him as he unholstered his pistol.

  Hospital – ER Treatment Area – 7:45 p.m.

  Loki managed to secure the restraint and wished he’d thought to gag Jonas before starting. He made such a ruckus Noah was bound to hear. Loki grabbed a cloth and shoved it in Jonas’ mouth.

  Removing his handgun from where he tucked in at the waist of his back, Loki undid the safety as he hurried toward Scott. “Plans changed. Gotta move you. You’re too open here.”

  Scott swung his feet off his bed. “The shit just hit the fan, didn’t it? Noah will be storming in here soon.”

  “Yep.” Loki took most of Scott’s weight, moving him to the chair behind a curtain, the only cover available. Returning to the bed, he snagged the satellite phone and crossed to Scott again. “Make the call when you think best.”

  Taking cover opposite Scott, which provided a better line of sight to the entrance, Loki prepared for Noah’s arrival. This isn’t the way I wanted this to go down, but oh well. Guess it is game on. Loki donned his TRF persona, all business, nerves on the back burner, his resolve and hands both steady.

  Scott hated being incapacitated if the situation went from bad to worse, and Loki needed help. He hoped they maintained control, and Noah didn’t start shooting. In preparation, Scott dialed in the direct number to Uncle Will but didn’t press the send button. With the phone low on battery, he wouldn’t waste the precious resource until necessary.

  He chose his uncle because, as the Special Forces commander, William was uniquely qualified to send the cavalry. General Broderick’s men were trained to function in any weather condition, and the Arctic base in Yukon, where Danny grew up, provided them ample practice for operating in blizzards.

  And Scott was aware the Air Force also put their best pilots through a rigorous all-weather flight training curriculum. Adam went through the program years ago, and Zach completed the course only a month ago. They both learned to fly in hostile weather and how to push the equipment to the limit when air support was needed for Uncle Will’s units.

  When the door began to open, Scott took a steadying breath, sent up a silent prayer everyone came out of this alive and drew on his Navy training to remain calm and prepared for almost any eventuality.

  Not a stupid man, Noah would never go charging into the room without first finding out what he faced. He placed the barrel of his gun to the back of Yasmin’s head and pushed her into entry ahead of him. “What do you see?”

  Terrified and shaking, Yasmin stammered, “A patient in a bed. He’s restrained with a gag in his mouth.”

  “Who else?” Noah demanded.

  “No one. The ER is empty except for him.”

  From his position, Loki spotted the pistol pointed at Yasmin. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her voice came out unsteady. Dang. I didn’t want this to turn into a hostage situation, but it did.

  Loki eyed Scott before he said, “Noah Barton, this is Loki. I need you to lower your weapon and release Yasmin. No one needs to be harmed.”

  “Not happening.” Noah scanned for the techie, who didn’t sound timid as he expected. He missed something in his assessment of the computer geek. The use of his real last name and Jonas being cuffed to the bed told him Loki figured out who they were. He only wished he could determine exactly who he was up against. Is he some Dudley Do-Right wanna be or something more?

  Loki wished Boss was here to negotiate, but he would do his best. “No one is going anywhere due to the storm. You got no place to go. Lower the gun and release Yasmin.”

  Noah was about to push Yasmin into the room when he caught sight of the female doctor. Recalling her name, he yelled, “Vanessa, come here, or I blow Yasmin’s brains out.”

  Vanessa saw Noah grab Yasmin and tried to retreat down the hall without being seen, but with nowhere to hide, her luck ran out. Reluctantly, she started forward as instructed. Her heart raced with fear. Frightened Barton would follow through and kill Yasmin.

  “Faster, or she dies,” Noah bellowed as Vanessa inched toward him.

  Loki and Scott shared a glance. The game changed. Everything they knew about Noah led them to believe he wouldn’t hesitate to kill the young nurse. When Scott pointed to the sat phone, Loki held up a hand indicating wait a moment. He needed to determine where this was headed.

  When Vanessa entered the ER in front of Noah, Loki shifted his position slightly as he attempted to channel Boss. Though a bit odd, Loki almost heard Boss’ voice in his ear and the warmth of his hand on his back. Your life and those of everyone here are more important than capturing the Bartons. Do whatever is necessary to keep everyone safe. “Noah, Jonas needs care. I want to end this peacefully. If you hurt Vanessa, she won’t be able to tend your brother.”

  Noah ignored Loki, turning his gaze to Jonas. Pushing Vanessa’s back, he barked, “Ungag Jonas and release those restraints. Then you tell me how my brother is doing.”

  Vanessa moved forward to do as instructed. She would rely on Loki to handle the situation, and he did not tell her not to. As she pulled out the rag, Jonas said, “They must be cops, Noah. How are we gonna get out of here?”

  “Quiet, Jonas. Let the doctor examine you,” Noah stated in a calmer voice.

  Loki had to slow things down, de-escalate if possible, especially since the only way out of here during the storm was the snowcat. Calming Noah would be the best approach for now.

  Scott whispered, “When you speak next, drop clues and details of our situation. The more info you can give, the better plan he can formulate.” He pointed to the satellite phone.

  “Follow my cue.” Loki nodded, understanding who Scott chose to contact. He put up five fingers and slowly put one after another down.

  When the fifth finger went down, Scott pressed the button. He listened for it to connect before whispering, “Uncle Will, need help. Listen close,” before turning it outward to pick up sounds better. He gave Loki a thumbs up.

  Loki spoke loudly, “Noah Barton, Jonas needs surgery to remove
the bullet. Doc Landry is the only surgeon. He, Maisie, Minna, and Ron are operating on Dan now because he might lose his leg to infection. If you put the gun down, Vanessa and Yasmin can prep your brother for surgery. You can’t go anywhere in this storm. We’re all stuck in the hospital until the roads are cleared.”

  “You forget the snowcat,” Noah shouted back. “Once Jonas is patched up, we will leave.”

  “Okay, a sound plan, but there are people here who do not need to be hurt in the meantime. Scott, for one, he can’t harm you. He can’t walk. I’m aware you checked on all nine of the patients and their families on the second floor. I did too. They’re no threat to you. In fact, you should let Yasmin go. That is too many patients for Vera to take care of by herself.” Loki attempted to pack in as much information as possible without seeming weird.

  “You’re more than a computer geek, aren’t you?” Noah responded.

  “Yes.”

  “Who the hell are you? Answer or Yasmin dies.”

  With Noah’s lack of conscience, Loki had no choice but to answer or watch the nurse be murdered. “I’m a constable in Toronto.”

  “What about the other two? Are they pigs also?” Jonas chimed in.

  “Both are severely injured. Neither are threats to you. Leave them out of this.” Loki tried not to answer.

  Noah wanted to pace, but he could not give Loki a clear target. The cop was not coming out. “Show yourself, or I blow Yasmin’s head off.”

  Keeping his weapon leveled at Noah, Loki moved from cover. “I’m here.”

  “Where is Scott?” Noah queried.

  Scott moved the phone behind him to conceal it and tucked his gun under the pillow within reach before tugging the curtain aside only enough to be visible sitting behind a bed. “Over here.”

  Noah’s eyes whipped to the opposite side. “Stand up.”