Mantis (K19 Security Solutions Book 4)

by Heather Slade

  Kip drove cautiously on the slow and treacherous drive back to the house. Based on the number of cars on the road, they hadn’t been the only ones unprepared for the quick and drastic change in weather.

  “Slow down, you bastards,” Alegria heard Kip mutter at the other drivers.

  “Kip! Look out!” Minnie screamed moments later, right before a car careened into the side of theirs, making impact right near the back passenger door, where Alegria was sitting.

  —:—

  Mantis paced back and forth in the waiting room, hoping the next person who walked out of the double doors would have news for him.

  His father had gone to see if he could find coffee, and his mother was sitting near the window. She’d been shaken up by the car’s impact and had seen a doctor in the emergency room, but outside of a few bruises, she had no apparent signs of injury.

  “You should go home,” he told them when his father returned to the waiting room. Mantis had ridden in the ambulance with Alegria and had no idea how they’d even gotten to the hospital. His dad’s car wasn’t drivable. “I guess you don’t have a car.”

  “Larry and his son brought us here and left the truck. It has chains and a plow, so if it gets worse, we’ll still be able to get home,” his dad told him.

  Mantis tried again to convince them to go get some rest, but they insisted they were staying, especially when the doctor came out and said Alegria was being taken directly into emergency surgery.

  When the nurse came out at the next one-hour interval, she told Mantis that the surgeons were getting ready to close. “I’ll need you to sign this,” she said, handing him a clipboard.

  “What is it?”

  “I need your signature as her medical power of attorney.”

  Mantis hadn’t considered that he’d still be listed as such. Why hadn’t she changed it to either Dutch or Doc? It was something they’d have to discuss later. Maybe she didn’t realize it was still him.

  “Hey, Doc,” Mantis said when he answered his call.

  “I’m trying to reach Dutch. No luck yet.”

  “Thanks for the update. If you do talk to him, could you ask him if he’s coming back?”

  Doc didn’t answer right away, but he could hear his wife asking a question in the background.

  “What did Merrigan say?” Mantis asked.

  “How bad is it? Do I need to pull him from this op before he leaves for Mogadishu?”

  If Mantis were her boyfriend, and Dutch just their friend, he would’ve said there was no reason for him to abandon the op. But given their roles were reversed, he wasn’t sure what to say. “I guess I won’t be able to answer that until she’s out of surgery.”

  “Roger that.”

  “Maybe just tell him Alegria’s injuries are serious enough to warrant surgery, and it’s his decision whether he flies back.”

  “What about her parents?”

  Mantis hadn’t decided whether to contact them now or wait until he knew more.

  He checked the time. It was after eleven, which meant it was four in the morning in Marseille where they lived.

  “I’ll wait until she’s out of surgery, and then I’ll call them.”

  “I feel like this is my fault,” his mother said when Mantis put his phone back in his pocket.

  “Why?”

  “I’m the one who insisted we go out for dinner. If we’d just stayed home…”

  He walked over, sat down next to her, and rubbed her shoulder. “You know better than to think that way, Mom. It doesn’t do any good or change anything.”

  Mantis looked up when someone came through the double doors, and recognized the charge nurse who had come out an hour earlier.

  “Miss Mondreau is still in surgery,” she told him. “They were ready to close but then found more damage than they expected in the L1 to L5 area.”

  “She’s recovering from a gunshot wound and subsequent surgery. I informed your team of that before she was taken in.”

  The woman put her hand on his arm. “We were aware, Mr. Cassman. What I’m saying is, there’s more damage in that particular area than we expected.”

  He studied her when she repeated herself. “Are you saying there’s something that was missed in her previous surgery?”

  “No, I’m not saying that.”

  Mantis waited for her to continue, but she didn’t, which told him he was on the right track.

  “I need to get back.” She looked at her watch. “I’ll see you in an hour with another update.”

  “Wait,” he said when she started to walk away. “Is the damage something that could cause plantar neuropathy?”

  She nodded. “Possibly.”

  “What did she say?” his mother asked when the nurse left the waiting room.

  “They may have found something that would explain why her previous recovery wasn’t going as well as it could’ve been.”

  “Is that a good thing?”

  “I think so.”

  “Miss Mondreau is in the recovery room, but she’s asking for someone named Mantis. Is that you?” a different nurse asked another hour later.

  “That’s me,” he answered.

  “You can see her now. Follow me.”

  “Can you give me an update on her condition?”

  “Didn’t the doctor come and talk to you?”

  Mantis shook his head.

  “Wait here, then. I’ll go get him.”

  She wasn’t gone five minutes when the doctor came out the double doors.

  “Mr. Cassman?”

  He walked over to where the man stood. “How is she?” he asked.

  “It was rough going initially. She re-injured her vertebrae before it had healed. On the other hand, we were able to remove bullet fragments that may have been giving her pain.”

  “Could the fragments also cause neuropathy?”

  “Potentially.”

  Mantis followed the doctor to the recovery room. Seeing her on a gurney for the second time in only a few weeks shook him. The strongest woman he’d ever known looked weak and broken, something she wasn’t any more used to than he was.

  “Hey, Flygirl,” he whispered, running his fingers through her hair.

  She groaned and opened her lids. “Again?” she asked, her eyes darting around the room. “What happened? I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.”

  “We got sideswiped by another car.”

  Alegria closed her eyes. “I remember.” Her eyes opened wide. “Your parents?”

  “Out in the waiting room. They’re both fine.”

  She closed her eyes again.

  “Get some rest, mon coeur. I’ll be right here.”

  He watched her try to shift positions and then give up. “Can I help? Are you uncomfortable?”

  “Mantis?”

  “Yeah, sweetheart?”

  “I can’t move my legs.”

  He looked over at the nurse, who was typing into a computer. She got up when Alegria spoke and picked up a phone.

  A couple of minutes later, the doctor who had spoken to him earlier stood by her bedside and rested his hand on her arm. “How are you doing, Miss Mondreau?”

  “She can’t move her legs,” Mantis told him.

  He nodded and moved the sheet covering the lower half of her body. “It could be the effects of the anesthesia. You did have an epidural. Let’s see how you feel in another hour.”

  Mantis nodded and brushed Alegria’s hair from her forehead.

  After telling them he’d check back in, the doctor left and a different nurse came to take Alegria’s vitals. “We’re getting a room ready for her now,” she told him.

  “Do you want me to ask Dutch to come back?” he asked her.

  She shook her head.

  “What about your parents?”

  “No,” she murmured.

  “Sir, you’ll have to step out for a moment,” said yet another nurse.

  Alegria opened her eyes and reached for his hand. “Don’t
go,” she whispered.

  “I’ll be right outside. As soon as they’ll let me, I’ll come back in.”

  “No!” she pleaded, this time clutching his hand.

  “It’s okay,” the nurse murmured. “You can stay.”

  Once Alegria was in a regular room on the surgical floor and had fallen asleep, Mantis stepped right outside the door and called Dutch. It went straight to voicemail, so he called Doc to give him an update.

  “It’s probably just the epidural,” he told him. “Although the doctor seemed surprised that she couldn’t move her legs.”

  “Is there anything we can do?” Doc asked.

  Mantis scrubbed his face with his hand. “I’m not sure how to handle this.”

  “Meaning?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. For now, I’ll stay with her.”

  “How is she?” asked his mom, walking up just as he ended the call with Doc.

  “Sore, groggy…”

  “What aren’t you saying, Son?” asked his Dad.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing. I should get back in there in case she wakes up.” Mantis hugged both of his parents. “You should head home. I’ll let you know more later. I…uh…she doesn’t want me to leave.”

  “We’ll bring you a change of clothes when we come back,” Minnie said to him and then turned to his dad. “Kip, why don’t you pull the truck up while I talk to Gehring.”

  His father looked confused, but only momentarily. Once he was gone, his mother looped her arm through her son’s.

  “Okay, it’s just you and me. Tell me what’s really going on.”

  “Alegria can’t move her legs.”

  —:—

  Every time she closed her eyes, Alegria flashed back to the moment right before the crash. Was the universe punishing her for her decision to end things with Dutch? Mantis had asked if she wanted Dutch called back from the op, but she didn’t. It was Mantis she wanted with her—so much she couldn’t stand the idea of him leaving her side.

  She could hear him outside of the room, talking to his parents, but not clearly enough that she could follow their conversation.

  “You’re awake,” he said, poking his head around the corner of the doorway.

  She nodded, wishing he was close enough that she could feel the comfort of his touch.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” said his mom, walking in before him. She leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Can I do anything for you?”

  Alegria shook her head. “No, but thanks.”

  “Kip and I will be back later. If you change your mind, Gehring can call us.”

  When his mother left, Mantis pulled a chair closer to her bedside, sat down, and held her hand.

  “Don’t leave,” she said again.

  “I’m not goin’ anywhere, Flygirl.”

  “My head hurts.”

  “Do you want me to call for the nurse?”

  “No.”

  “Does this help?” he asked, running his fingers through her hair.

  “It does,” she whispered, tears spilling from her eyes.

  “Don’t cry, mon coeur. You’re going to feel better after you get some more rest.”

  She closed her eyes again. Something was telling her Mantis was wrong.

  Chapter 17

  Dutch

  Dutch’s phone blew up when he turned it on after the plane he was on landed in Germany. He’d missed several calls, had messages waiting, and texts marked urgent from Mantis and Doc.

  He read Doc’s first.

  There’s been an accident.

  He scrubbed his face with his hand, fearing the worst and not wanting to confirm it.

  Before he could answer Doc’s text, something heavy hit his head, and then everything went black. The phone he’d been holding in his hand now lay by the side of the road.

  Chapter 18

  Mantis and Alegria

  Every time Alegria tried to move, Mantis woke up. “Any better?” he’d ask, hoping the effects of the epidural were wearing off.

  Each time she’d answer the same way, “Nothing has changed.”

  He checked his phone, hoping there was word from either Dutch or Doc, but hadn’t heard from either of them. Soon, the doctor should be in, and maybe they’d get a better idea why she still couldn’t move her legs.

  “Good morning,” he said when she opened her eyes and met his gaze. He brushed the hair from her forehead like he had so many times in the last few hours. He couldn’t explain it, but it was as though he had to have some part of his body touching hers at all times. “Are you hungry?”

  She shook her head. “Not really. You can get something to eat though.”

  Mantis looked at his phone again. It was almost eight. Not that he’d leave her anyway, but he wouldn’t risk even a quick trip to the cafeteria knowing he might miss the doctor.

  “Good morning,” said his mother, walking into the room with something that smelled so good it made Mantis’ stomach growl.

  “What’s in there?” he asked, reaching for the bag.

  She swatted his hand. “Something for Alegria.”

  Alegria smiled when his mom handed the bag to her. It was a beautiful sight to see. He couldn’t remember if she’d smiled at all since the surgery.

  “Warm croissants. Yum,” she murmured.

  “There’s raspberry jam in the bottom of the bag too.”

  He was starving, but the idea that his mother had found something Alegria wanted to eat kept him from asking her to share.

  “Why don’t you take a break,” suggested his mother. “I’ll stay with Alegria.”

  Mantis shook his head. “I don’t want to miss the doctor,” he muttered. When neither appeared to have heard him, he stood and went into the hallway.

  “Mantis,” said Doc, answering his call on the first ring.

  “I just realized how early it is out there.”

  “Early? Zero six hundred?” Doc laughed. “Laird makes sure we don’t sleep past sunrise.”

  “Right,” Mantis had no desire to talk about Doc and Merrigan’s baby. He wanted answers.

  “Where the hell is Dutch?”

  “I wish I knew. Still no response.”

  “Are you worried?”

  “Not yet. It isn’t like he hasn’t pulled this shit before.”

  Mantis nodded, even though Doc couldn’t see him do it. This wasn’t the first time Dutch had gone dark during prep for an op. The fact that he was doing it after Doc had left messages that Alegria had been in an accident, pissed him the hell off.

  “Let me know when you hear from him.”

  “Are you okay?” his mother asked, stepping into the hallway where he stood shaking his head and staring at his phone.

  “Yeah. I’d be better if Dutch would return my phone calls.”

  “There may be a reason he isn’t.”

  Mantis looked up from his phone and at his mother. “What are you talking about?”

  “Come with me,” she said, putting her arm through his.

  Mantis shook his arm free. “I can’t leave right now. I don’t want to miss hearing what the doctor has to say.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell you here, but keep your voice down.” His mother grasped his arm for a second time. “He’s doing it on purpose.”

  “Mom,” he sighed. “I can’t do this right now.”

  “Dutch wants the two of you to figure things out, and he doesn’t think you can do it with him in the middle. He must’ve sensed you’d invite her to come home with you and that she’d agree.”

  “I’m sorry, but there’s no way he ‘sensed’ anything.”

  “Maybe he knows you both better than you think.”

  “Bottom line this for me. What you’re saying is he’s intentionally not responding?”

  “I believe so.”

  “Alegria was in a car accident, had emergency surgery, and can’t move her legs, but he’s playing games. Fuck him.”

  “Gehring—”

  “No, Mom
. This is bullshit.”

  Mantis saw the doctor walking past the nurses’ station and went back into Alegria’s room. It was clear by the look on her face that she’d heard at least part of their conversation.

  “There’s nothing in the MRI or CT scan that would explain the paralysis, and at this point, I’m hesitant to open you up again until you’ve had a chance to heal.”

  Alegria turned her head and looked out the window. The doctor didn’t seem fazed by her lack of response.

  “In the meantime, we’re hopeful that things will progress as they should and the paralysis either goes away completely or, at the very least, diminishes.”

  “Thank you,” said Mantis, since Alegria had stopped communicating or even acknowledging the man was in the room.

  “I’ll check back later in the day,” he said before walking back out to the hallway.

  “Talk to me, Flygirl.”

  “What were you saying about Dutch?”

  “Neither Doc nor I have been able to reach him.”

  “From what I could overhear, Dutch is staying away intentionally. Is that right?”

  “In theory.” Mantis reached over to touch her face, and she moved away from him. “What’s going on?”

  “My parents are arriving this afternoon.”

  “Your parents? I didn’t realize—”

  “That I am capable of using a phone?”

  He shook his head. This was hardly the first time he’d seen Alegria in bitch mode. He’d learned long ago to walk away when she got like this, but that wasn’t something he could do now. “Try to get some rest,” he murmured.

  “I don’t want to rest,” she snapped. “All I’ve done is sleep.”

  “It’s what your body needs to heal.”

  By the look on her face, Mantis knew every word he said was only making things worse.

  “Tell you what, maybe I’ll head home for a little while and let you have some time to yourself.”