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

by Laura Acton

  Upon sighting the wheelchair, he released a soft sigh. When Ron appeared, Scott hoped others would follow, but the door closed behind the two, which left Minna, Vanessa, Dan, and Loki with the Bartons. Scott lowered his shaking arms and switched the gun’s safety mechanism back on.

  He remained hidden and silent so as not to startle them as Ron helped Landry out of the chair, got to his knees and dragged the doctor past the surgery doors and around the corner. Scott approved of Ron’s approach since Landry’s wheelchair would’ve been visible from inside the operating room via the long, narrow windows.

  Scott leaned back, exhaustion claiming him as his eyelids closed, and he breathed shallowly to prevent himself from coughing.

  Out of Noah’s line of sight in the main corridor, Ron breathed a sigh of relief. Now he only had to carry Doc Landry upstairs. He shifted positions preparing to lift Landry in a firemen’s hold. He almost screamed and would’ve if the unexpected hand clamped over his mouth had not been there.

  A voice scarcely above a whisper, spoke in his ear, “I’m Sergeant Price. JTF2. No sounds when I release you.”

  Immeasurably relieved, Ron nodded, and the gloved hand moved away. He turned and discovered two soldiers dressed in Arctic camo. “Thank God the cavalry is here. The Bartons are—”

  Price’s hand covered the man’s mouth again, cutting him off as he made a hand signal to Vinson and pointed toward a rolling cart.

  With Price’s gesture, Vinson spotted the reflection, which showed someone lying in wait behind a cart. Uncertain if the person was a friend or a tango, Vinson approached stealthily. He discovered one of the Brodericks with his eyes shut and a gun in his lap. Observing the pistol’s safety on, he grinned, pleased he wouldn’t be accidentally shot when making his presence known.

  Vinson noted the injured man, who sported a bandaged thigh soiled by weird colored drainage, appeared to be ill, his face quite pale and sweaty. Unsure which Broderick he found, having not met Dan in person, and with the cousins possessing an uncanny resemblance, he kept his volume low as he asked, “Are you, Dan or Scott?”

  His lids flying upward, Scott jerked, startled by the question. Taking note of the uniform, he chided himself for being sloppy and allowing his attention to wane enough to be caught unaware.

  “Sorry to surprise you. I’m Vinson, your father or uncle sent us.”

  Scott wanted to laugh with relief but only said, “My uncle. I’m Scott.”

  Vinson turned and used hand signals to indicate he located Scott. He spied Price help the other man lift the older man and move them to the stairwell as the sergeant instructed him to obtain information from Scott.

  Quietly Vinson said, “Sitrep.”

  Scott wiped away more perspiration and muffled a cough in the crook of his elbow before providing details. “Four hostages in the surgery with both Bartons. Ron and Landry, who went around the corner to the stairs were in the room so can provide info on the state inside. Noah Barton possess two firearms. An S&W with a fifteen-round magazine, though I’m uncertain how many remain. He also took Loki’s Glock 19 with a full magazine.

  “I’m not sure what details you were provided, how much the general overheard, but the current hostages include Dr. Vanessa Chardin, Nurse Minna Lundgren, and two TRF officers, Loki and Dan, who is incapacitated.” Scott choked up as he said, “I’m unsure if they amputated Dan’s leg.”

  Vinson gulped at the thought, having come close to facing that possibility himself not long ago. He relayed the information to Price, and while he waited for orders, he said, “Sit tight. My sarge will speak to the others and devise a plan to rescue everyone.”

  Scott slumped against the wall. He nodded, wiping moisture from his forehead once again. He fought hard to stifle a coughing fit, but it refused to be stopped, and Scott hacked in earnest. Gasping for breath afterward, the rattling in Scott’s chest became more pronounced.

  Vinson radioed in a quiet voice, “Sarge, I need Hinder or Thorson, Scott isn’t faring well. He is having trouble breathing and appears to be feverish.”

  From inside the stairwell, Price ordered, “Thorson, Ramos, Forbes, to me. Hinder, Welch, proceed upstairs and secure the area. Vinson, Scott’s coughing might be a give-away, and we don’t want to tip our hand yet. If he can evac himself, send him to my position. If not, drag him to me.”

  Each man acknowledged Price’s orders with a soft, “Roger.”

  Close to Scott’s ear, Vinson inquired, “Can you move yourself to the stairs? If you can’t, I’ll help.”

  “Yeah, I can.” Scott flopped down on his belly. His strength fading, but possessing the Broderick pigheadedness, Scott determined to make it without help. Army crawling, he made it to the opposite wall, and right before he started to cross the operating room doors, another coughing fit overtook him.

  Drained after it ceased, Scott dug deep in his reserves to propel himself across the threshold and around the corner before collapsing from absolute exhaustion as another urge to cough welled in him. He didn’t resist as the sergeant’s hands scooped under his armpits and dragged him to the stairway.

  Hospital – Surgery

  After securing the door, Loki glanced at Dan again, glad he appeared to be still under the influence of the nitrous, though this was the longest it ever took for him to rouse from laughing gas. Refocusing on Noah, Loki took a breath and exhaled gradually. He needed to speak loudly to cover any sounds Ron and Landry might make on their exit and engage Noah in dialog long enough for them to reach safety.

  Uncertain his second attempt would net the desired result, especially when dealing with a psychopath, Loki ventured to use his previous tactic, but with a slight modification. “Vanessa and Minna worked hard to help your brother. They’re compassionate people who want him to heal. Would be a shame to let their efforts got to waste if his wound becomes infected. If you allow them to go to the pharmacy to obtain antibiotics, they can package the meds and set the bag on the counter in the waiting area before going into the ER.”

  Loki used his expressive face to communicate a sense of openness. “I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to facilitate you leaving as soon as Jonas is ready, and to keep everyone safe. Once Jonas wakes, I can put him in the snowcat for you since he will be too groggy to climb in without assistance. We wouldn’t want him falling and hurting himself.

  “You guys can be long gone before the storm breaks. Should give you two days or more to disappear since we have no method of communicating to the outside world. No one needs to die tonight.”

  Loki had no intention of allowing them to leave without a fight, but he wanted everyone out of harm’s way before endeavoring to take Noah into custody. He hoped Scott was in the hall and would assist, but if not, Loki wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t try to end the Bartons’ murderous reign of terror which lasted for almost two and a half years.

  Noah peered at his little brother, considering Loki’s points. Neither woman appeared strong enough to lift Jonas, and he would need antibiotics. However, he was unwilling to let the women waltz out of here with no guarantee they would procure the right medications. Noah needed a few minutes to think on this and adjust his plan.

  Happy beyond measure, Dan smiled as Lexa sauntered over to him, carrying a plate of oatmeal raisin walnut and double-chocolate chunk cookies fresh from the oven. He enjoyed spending lazy days off ensconced on the couch with Sexy Lexie, doing not much of anything … just being with the woman he loved.

  She approached slowly, tempting him with the delicious aroma. He barely moved his hand, planning to grab an oatmeal one, but stopped short as pain shot through his arm. Lexa set the plate down and held out two pills. “Not so fast, soldier. Take your meds first, then I’ll feed you a treat.”

  Dan grumbled, “You’re killing me here,” as Lexa’s lilting laugh filled his ears. After he swallowed the pills, she sat on the sofa’s arm and carded her fingers through his hair. His Beauty never made him feel weak when he needed rel
ief, so he let his shields drop and accepted the comfort she offered.

  Loki’s eyes whipped to Dan, wondering if he made a snide remark about his negotiation style. However, Loki reconsidered when Dan’s dopey, lopsided grin, contradicted his words. He realized his buddy must be semi-conscious and possibly in a delusional state, particularly when Dan muttered, “Took my meds. Me want cookies now.”

  Although needing to concentrate on the matter at hand, Loki almost chuckled and briefly wondered what memory prompted his friend to conjure up cookies. Recalling Scott’s story about Scarlett Fever, he chalked it up to something in Dan’s childhood then gave Noah his full attention as he waited for a response to his proposal.

  Enjoying a cold winter’s day cuddled up beside Lexa, Dan happily munched on his cookie and grinned when Lexa’s tongue darted out to lick a bit of melted chocolate from her upper lip. The sensual movement caused Dan to murmurer, “Mmmmm, tasty.”

  Noah’s internal deliberations were interrupted by another sound from the blond. Not catching the quiet words, Noah demanded, “What did he say?”

  “Think he’s dreaming about cookies.” To divert Noah’s attention from Dan, Loki said, “You have me as a hostage. One is enough.”

  Narrowing his eyes on the raven-haired cop, Noah became suspicious. The man didn’t talk like a wimpy computer geek. This required more thought.

  Dan’s cozy cookie interlude with Lexa dissolved into the ether as he blinked open his lashes. Hot as hell, yet freezing as if in a Yukon winter, the surreal images surrounding him, as discombobulated as a Salvador Dali painting, confounded him. Nothing made a lick of sense. He was in Central Bank, a hospital, Lexa’s home, the cabin, and a hazy-white fog all at the same time.

  The elements unexpectedly shifted and morphed whenever he tried to focus on one. Various disconnected odors assaulted his olfactory senses … blood, antiseptic, acrid smoke, tar, oatmeal cookies, and jasmine. The eerie quiet disconcerted Dan as his ears couldn’t pick up a shred of sound.

  His physical environment wasn’t the only confusing thing. Brody stood beside him in a glow of golden light, carding fingers through his hair. Brody’s mouth moved as if speaking, and although Dan couldn’t hear anything, his chosen brother’s touch calmed his racing pulse.

  Across the ever-changing chamber, veiled in diaphanous mist, Noah, who he dubbed Trigger-happy man in the bank, held a gun to Lexa’s head. Her eyes connected with his, and he read fear as a serpent-bat-like thing coiled around Barton’s neck, and a forked tongue flicked near the murderer’s ear.

  Moving his gaze away when the monstrous snake-like creature turned tawny viper eyes on him and produced an evil smile, he found Loki at his feet. His teammate stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his real pa Leonardo and both their gazes centered on Barton.

  Dan struggled to discern what was real versus imagined because it all appeared shimmery and viscous. His head throbbed as unwanted nausea kicked up. Seeking solace in his brother’s jade eyes, in a raspy, unsteady voice, Dan said, “Brody, I’m gonna be sick.” He started to gag and roll to the side, but pain shot through his shoulder, and a moan escaped.

  When Dan called out for Brody, Loki began moving towards him, but Noah ordered him to stay put, aiming the second gun at him. Loki halted, having noted a change in Noah’s eyes in the last few minutes. They became colder, and dare he say less human as if he were a predator sizing up prey. Though desiring to help Dan, he stood stock still as his buddy heaved painfully.

  Reacting to a person in distress, Vanessa moved with speed, dropping the supplies she packed for Jonas on a table and grabbing an emesis basin. She placed it against Dan’s cheek in time to catch the watery bile he expelled. “Relax. You’re going to be alright. Just a negative reaction to the nitrous.”

  After disgorging mostly nothing, Dan’s stomach settled as he spat. The foul taste in his mouth almost made him hurl again. He felt like shit, hot, cold, and achy, but sound returned, and he recognized Vanessa’s voice. He ventured to open his eyelids, and thankfully the bewildering world began to clarify as Dr. Chardin’s hunter green eyes replaced Brody’s jade orbs. Scanning the room, he found Loki stood alone, no sign of Leonardo, Noah threatened Minna, not Lexa, and there were no bat-serpents, or golden glows anywhere.

  Releasing a shuddering breath, Dan refocused on the doctor. “Hate coming out of anesthesia … sucks.”

  Vanessa dabbed Dan’s lips with a piece of gauze. “Vomiting is never pleasant. Let me raise you a bit so you can rinse your mouth.” She pressed a button on the table to elevate the head enough for him to take a little water without choking. Turning to Noah, she said, “I’m going to dump this basin and grab him some water.”

  Noah nodded as he studied the blond man who possessed a unique shade of blue eyes. I know him…

  Murderous Rage

  46

  November 24

  Hospital – Surgery

  Those sapphire eyes combined with the gravelly voice flooded Noah with memories and recognition. “You’re him! The crazy son of a bitch who killed Ralph. You’re fucking Rambo from Central Bank.”

  Loki cringed. Vanessa gaped. Minna trembled and squeezed her eyes shut as the barrel of the gun pressed harder into her temple.

  Sensing a threat and unwilling to remain in a vulnerable position, Dan pushed himself up with one hand, twisted, and swung his legs off the edge of the table. Throbbing pain throughout his body, predominantly centered in his skull, shoulder, and leg, coupled with a rapid change of position, left him woozy. He squinted, struggling to focus on Trigger-happy man, as dizziness made him sway. “Should’ve killed you.”

  “Quiet, Dan,” Loki urged as Noah pushed Minna forward into the gap between his brother’s gurney and the operating table where Dan sat.

  “Let Lexa go!” Dan demanded as his fevered mind recreated the surreal world. The tawny-eyed serpent-bat reappeared, hissing in Barton’s ear as the bastard threatened Lexa. A primal need to protect her surged forth as his target moved closer.

  “Who the hell is Lexa?” Noah asked at the same time as Loki ground out between gritted teeth, “Dan, shut up and lay down.”

  “He’s hallucinating. Must think I’m his teammate, again,” Minna accidentally let slip as her body quaked.

  Dan blinked several times as the frightened, petite woman in Noah’s grasp kept altering. Lexa. Minna. My Beauty. Minna. Lexa. Unable to decipher reality, he growled.

  “You’re a cop?” Noah glared at Dan with murderous rage.

  “No,” Loki lied, striving to divert Noah’s attention as Dan’s confused gaze fixated on Minna.

  Instinctively, Vanessa inched backward towards the supply area as tension rose. Her heart pounded as she caught Minna’s aghast expression. Her friend appeared horrified that she inadvertently revealed Dan’s profession.

  When the snake-like creature transformed into a strikingly handsome man with shaggy, reddish-brown hair, tawny eyes, and wings of coal-black, Dan’s brows scrunched in disbelief. Sweat rolled from his forehead into an eye, causing him to squeeze both shut, and raise a hand to rub the stinging one.

  “BRODY!” Leonardo yelled into the ethereal mist as Bernael, Samael’s most devoted minion, morphed into his natural state and stood beside Noah. He prayed Brody had recharged enough to protect Daniel.

  Heeding the panicked call, Brody materialized, still only half-charged after the morning’s events. He needed no explanation for Leo’s summons as he beheld the fallen angel who sought to blacken Danny’s soul for Samael.

  Wrapping his wings protectively around his mortal brother, Brody chanted an archaic invocation Hamon taught him, “Lord, grant my charge strength. Prepare him for battle. Fill his heart, mind, and soul with light and keep him safe from evil.”

  As Brody babbled on, Bernael smiled. Samael would reward him well for finally succeeding. Planning his victory, Bernael hissed to Noah, “Loki’s lying. They are threats to you and Jonas. Kill them both.”

  Noah shoved Minna away and began li
fting his arm to aim at Dan’s head, keeping the other gun trained on Loki. He recalled the blond braggart’s words in Central Bank and flung them back at Dan with a slight modification. “I never miss either. You’ll both be dead before you can blink.”

  In millisecond before Noah’s fingers pulled the triggers, igniting the powder and propelling rounds out of both barrels, four guardian angels and two humans reacted. By the time the sound registered, several things had already occurred unnaturally fast in the corporeal world but in slow motion on the guardian’s ethereal plane.

  Unable to move in front of Dan in time and not possessing enough energy to stop the bullet as he had with Plouffe, Brody pulled to the side and backward, taking a wing-wrapped Danny with him and out of the projectile’s trajectory. With his eyes closed and stinging, and his mind muddled by fever, Dan didn’t perceive the threat and believed he became woozy and swayed.

  At the foot of Dan’s bed, Loki witnessed Noah’s escalation as the gun moved in Dan’s direction. He lunged for his teammate, intending to knock him to safety. Regrettably, Leo’s assist, flapping his wings to propel Loki forward with angelic speed, also lifted Loki higher than expected, and with Brody pulling backward, his son missed Dan altogether and landed on the floor.

  Vanessa reached for Minna, snagging her sleeve and tugging the screaming nurse with her as she back peddled through the archway of the sterile supply room. Unbeknownst to either, two female angels assisted them in their speedy departure from the central portion of the operating room.

  By the time Dan registered the guns’ reports, he had righted his body and cleared his eyes of moisture. Bewildered, he peered down at the floor, shocked to discover Loki on his back with closed eyes, crimson blossoming on his shirt, and spreading on the linoleum in a rapidly-increasing puddle.

  Noah scrutinized the bullet hole in the recovery room door behind where Loki had stood. His gaze moved to Dan, who sat unharmed on the table, before progressing to Loki’s unmoving form on the ground. Flummoxed, Noah continued to stare at the growing pool of blood. How the hell did I miss both shots? How did Loki end up there with a slug in his gut and not his head? As Minna’s shrieking intruded, interrupting his thoughts, Noah started to shift his focus again. Fury mounting, Noah determined to finish off the cocky blond.