by Laura Acton
Maintaining patient privacy, Elise only peered at Dan, allowing him to answer if he chose.
Dan looked up at Lexa and wanted to set her mind at ease. “She was one of my nurses after captivity. Took excellent care of me a couple of times while I was in Afghanistan.” He grinned at Elise.
A genuine smile lit Elise’s face. She recalled the tight-knit unit and how they supported one another whenever one was injured. “So you’re now one of Toronto’s finest. What about your other buddies, Patch, Brody, Blaze, Winds, Ripsaw, and Mason?”
Recalling she dated Patch for several months, Dan shared, “You might run into Patch. Jim is now a Toronto paramedic. He is newly married to a surgical nurse who works here. You may know her, Heather Barkley … now Shea.”
“Still too new to have met everyone. I’m happy for him. Patch is one among several men who deserve all the joy life offers. And the others? Are they still in Special Forces?”
His adrenaline almost depleted, Dan comprehended with the crash would come awareness of his pain. His voice became soft as he answered, “Brody and Ripsaw are gone. The rest of the guys are fine.”
Lexa registered the word fine, and said, “I hate to break up this reunion, but can I have a private moment with Dan? I must ask him about the attack.”
Noting the pain lines edging his eyes, Elise understood he never allowed pain to show, but she learned to read him in the months she cared for him. “I’ll go arrange for the medication with Rowan. Dan, a pleasure to see you again, but I hope this is the last time you are here as a patient.”
Dan only lifted his chin in acknowledgment. Once alone with Lexa, he turned his eyes to her. “Thanks, for what you said to Nurse Ratchet.”
Lexa leaned down and tenderly kissed Dan, as she stroked his hair. Pulling back, she said, “Rest now.”
Letting go of her hand, Dan caressed her cheek. “Stay with me, please.”
Surprised by his request, Lexa smiled. “No place I’d rather be.”
Dan closed his eyes unable to meet Lexa’s as he confessed, “I hurt … a lot.”
“Relief is coming soon.” The door opening and a new nurse entering with a cup of water and a small plastic pill container signaled the arrival of a sedative and pain meds. Lexa supported Dan’s head as he swallowed the tablets.
Gale Rowan, quietly said, “These should take effect shortly. I’m going to dim the lights in here to help you relax. I’ll be back in about ten minutes. If you need anything before, I’ll be in the other room.” She stepped to the exit and turned off three of the four overhead lights.
When they were alone again, Lexa began to run her fingers through Dan’s hair, knowing the light massage brought him comfort. She gazed into his eyes as she recalled the earlier revelation. “When I pulled over Brody, the reason I offered an escort was the sincerity in his tone. His concern for you showed in his jade eyes. He truly loved you as only a brother can.”
Dan’s hand moved to the dog tag he still wore. He slipped it off his neck and reached for Lexa’s hand. “Will you hold this for me? I don’t want to lose it, and they’ll probably make me remove the metal chain for the tests.”
Lexa closed her hand over the tag. “When you wake, Brody’s tag will be back on.”
Becoming drowsy, the combined effect of the sedative, pain medication, and adrenaline crash, Dan only smiled and closed his eyes.
Another piece of Lexa’s fortification crumbled away with the trust Dan showed her in admitting his pain and asking him to hold on to a prized possession. A single tear rolled down her cheek. A sign of both joy and sadness. No man ever treated her so well, and she worried about how much it would hurt if she had to give him up … because, despite their vigilance, even the most guarded secrets find a way to come out.
A tiny voice of optimism murmured, “With any luck, the rules binding you might change before then.”
St. Michael’s Hospital – Room 1033 – 12:20 a.m.
“Dan said the man was attacking Loki?” Nick repeated, his voice conveying disbelief as he stared at his sleeping techie.
Jon flicked on the bright lights and began searching the room. Not finding anything obvious on the flooring, he knelt and checked under the bed. Spying a syringe, he said, “Hand me a glove. I found something.”
Nick went to the sink area and pulled an examination glove from the box, returning to Jon. “What did you find?”
Reaching under and picking up the item, Jon sat back on his heels. “This. Dan wasn’t hallucinating or dreaming.”
“Son of a bitch!” Nick’s hat came off for the third time in as many minutes as he raked one hand over his face, a nervous habit he displayed when trying to quell intense emotion.
Bram’s voice came over the headset, “Why would Loki be a target? Dan makes sense, but Loki?”
Sean said, “I got a few captures of a man in a black jacket and red cap, but none of them show his face. Whoever this is, did a damned good job of concealing himself.”
Noel entered the room. “I spoke with all the staff on the floor at the time of the attack. No one except their nurse even noticed anyone out of the ordinary.”
“You gonna call Gambrill?” Jon asked.
“Yeah, I hate to roust him from bed, but until we can figure what this is about, I want our guys guarded.” Nick pulled out his phone.
“What if Dan is the target and someone mixed up?” Noel suggested.
“Possible.” Jon set the needle on the counter on another glove. “I need an evidence bag. We need to send this to the lab to find out what’s in it.”
“I’ll grab one.” Noel trotted out of the room.
Nick’s head shook back and forth slowly as he stared at Loki, waiting for Gambrill to answer. Who would want to harm you? When the groggy voice of his commander came over the line, Nick said, “Sir, sorry to wake you. We have a situation at the hospital.”
Walter bolted up in bed, his mind immediately going to Dan’s well-being, but he covered his concern by saying, “What is going on?” He listened as Nick explained and moved out of the bedroom, so he didn’t wake his wife. Once in the hall, he said, “I’ll arrange for a protection detail tonight and contact Inspector Pope in the morning. Call me when you have word on Broderick’s condition. With nothing to go on, your team is off duty now, so get some rest.”
Nick hung up and relayed the details to Jon. “I’m staying here tonight.”
Jon nodded, understanding the place Loki held in Nick’s heart.
St. Michael’s Hospital – Room 1033 – 2:00 a.m.
Lexa followed Dan’s gurney into the room and found Boss dozing in a chair in the corner of the room. Her tender heart went out to Nick, a man who made a family out of his TRF team. As the orderlies left, Betty entered, and Lexa gave her a slight smile when she noted the two blankets.
“I assume you’re staying?” Betty whispered, handing over the blankets.
“Yes. How long has he been asleep?”
Nick blinked open his eyes. “Not sleeping, only inspecting the inside of my eyelids.” He stretched and yawned, noting Dan returned. “How’s our guy?”
Lexa dropped into one of the chairs, weary. “Thankfully, no new damage.”
“Good. You need to go home and rest now.” Nick shifted in his seat.
“No. I’m staying until Ray shows up in the morning. Noel agreed to cover for Ray the next few days, and Heath is going to take my shifts. Ray told me Dan will be staying with Loki when he is released. We plan to hang out at Loki’s home until both of them are in better shape and can protect themselves. You should head home.”
Nick grinned as he stood. “Assumed you would make arrangements to do something like that. Inspector Pope will likely show up by mid-morning. Try to be nice to him.”
Lexa smirked. “I will if he is. I swear that man has something against us.”
Yawning again, Nick moved to Lexa. “Are you sure you want to stay?” As she rolled her eyes, he chuckled. “Okay, stupid question. Loki’s been sle
eping peacefully. There is a uniform at the door and the elevator.”
“I know. I noted them when we returned.” Lexa continued, concern tempering her bearing as she viewed the exhaustion and anxiety present in Boss, “As tired as you are, shouldn’t you take a taxi home?”
Nick nodded. “Yeah, guess I will. I’ll swing by before shift tomorrow. Call if you need anything. Night.” Taking one last glance at his officers, Nick reluctantly left. He wanted to remain but appreciated he needed adequate sleep, or he put his team at risk in the field … something he would not deliberately do unless there was no other option. But Lexa presented him a choice. He ambled out with confidence both men would be safeguarded under Lexa’s watchful eye.
Pulling a chair to the corner which provided her a view of Dan’s face and the doorway, Lexa sat and settled in for a night of guard duty. She refused to allow either Dan or Loki to be harmed again. Silence descended in the dim room, and she sought to understand who might want to attack Loki.
She mentally reviewed a multitude of calls the team responded to and warrants they served over the years. The perpetrator could be any one of dozens of hard-core subjects they apprehended, but in reality, Lexa couldn’t think of a specific person who would target the fun-loving, happy-go-lucky man. None of this makes any sense.
A new thought popped into her head as she stared at Dan. What if Loki was targeted solely to hurt someone Dan cares about? With Plouffe’s Machiavellian tendencies and demonstrated history of hurting Dan to get at General Broderick, perhaps he now includes Dan in his vengeful thoughts and has decided to go after the members of Alpha Team.
Curiosity Might Kill This Cat
15
January 8
Loki’s Home – 2:00 p.m.
Ray returned to the family room with two glasses of milk wearing a smile. “Your ma insists you and Dan drink all this with your snack.”
Loki reached for one cup, but no smile came to his face. He distractedly dipped a chocolate chip cookie into the cold beverage and absently lifted it to his mouth. Ever since he woke this morning and found out he had been the target of the attack and not Dan, his mind thought of nothing else.
Coming into the room with a tea for herself and a soda for Ray, Lexa handed off the can to Ray and took a seat on the sofa’s arm next to Loki. She massaged the back of his neck, helping to lessen his headache. “Where’s your grin?”
In the recliner, with the footrest up and tilted halfway back, Dan observed the scene. When Loki didn’t respond, he said, “I’m sorry someone sought to hurt you to express their anger at me.” For Dan that was the only explanation. Plouffe had to be behind last night’s attack, or one of the many people who hated him … the list was long, too long.
Chestnut brown eyes filled with concern lifted and stared at Dan. “Who says they went after you? I’ve been a cop a long time. I’m sure I made a few enemies … just can’t figure out who.”
Donata bustled in, beaming and happy Loki’s friends decided to help bring them home today and stay for dinner. “I’m going to walk to the grocery store. I’ll be back soon,” she proudly spoke English.
Fear lit Loki’s eyes. They hid the incident from her, not wanting her to worry. Before he could tell Ma that she couldn’t go, Lexa stood and spoke.
“I’d be happy to drive you. I want to pick up a couple of things at the store too.” Lexa flicked a knowing glance at Loki and noted his anxiety ease back down a notch or two.
Once the three men sat alone in the house and the alarm system reactivated, Loki peered at Ray and Dan. “I can think of one possibility.”
Ray’s brows lifted. “What?”
Instead of answering, Loki rose and strode into the spare room. A short time later he set a folder in Dan’s lap and resumed his seat. Turning his eyes on Ray, he sighed. “I might’ve inadvertently stirred up a hornet’s nest. Last summer, when I researched Dan’s past and learned new … um … skills.”
“You mean more hacking stuff?” Ray said as he glanced over at the file Dan opened, wondering what it contained.
“Yeah. Well, I decided to search for stuff about my pa. Ma never talked much about him, and I was curious.” He snorted. “Curiosity might kill this cat.”
Dan flipped through the photos and the printout of emails, and he began to understand why Loki might believe his stepfather murdered his father.
Confused, Ray asked, “What do you mean? What did you find?”
“I think Narciso murdered Leonardo, but I can’t find the smoking gun, and the Italian police ruled the crash an accident.”
“What the fuck?” Ray’s eyes popped open. Loki’s change in behavior over the last months started to make sense. “This is what’s been hanging over you … why you’ve been off.”
Brushing his errant lock of hair from his forehead, Loki nodded. “If I’m right … Ma and Sonia … well, they’ll be hurt. I don’t want to do that, but if Narciso did, he can’t get away with it.” Anger filled Loki’s eyes. “I want revenge for taking away the man who would’ve loved me. My real father wouldn’t have treated me like shit or tormented me for existing.
“And Ma and Gina. They didn’t deserve the crap he threw their way. I can’t fathom why he married Ma. The way he made her feel inferior and kept her dependent on him. It makes me so furious. And how he treated Gina … like she didn’t exist. Never once a kind word for her.”
Loki inhaled deeply and exhaled with force, attempting to contain rage built over a lifetime of abuse. His head pounded anew as his stress level rose.
When Loki halted, Dan said, “You have some interesting things in here.”
“What is in the file?”
Loki moved to Dan and Ray joined him. “Bits and pieces. I found an old email account my dad used. The data was encrypted with a special cipher, but I was able to crack it … guess my mind works like my pa’s as Ma says.”
He pointed to the few papers. “Most of the emails were routine business, but these two … well, read them.”
Ray chuckled. “Um, I can’t. I only know a bit of Italian and don’t read it.”
Dan translated a summary, “The conversation is between Leonardo and Narciso. Leonardo tells Narciso to stop negotiations with a firm he suspected to have ties with the mafia.”
A low whistle emitted from Ray. “Mafia?”
Loki nodded. “Yeah. And it gets worse.” He paced, his headache growing, as Dan continued to read.
“Loki’s dad indicates he lined up another firm and planned to meet Narciso in Palermo to begin talks with the new partnership which appeared to be clean. Loki’s stepfather writes back he is close to signing a deal with the original company for millions. Leonardo responds he doesn’t care about losing millions and would rather align with an honest company. He didn’t want dirty money to expand their business internationally.”
Returning to the recliner, Loki pulled out a couple of photos, tapping one showing a scene of a fiery crash. “These are from the police investigation. The accident happened on Via Bonanno Pietto which is a treacherous hairpin curved road with one lane in each direction. The report indicated Narciso slammed on his brakes when another car began to cross the center line.”
He jabbed at the pictures. “No skid marks. None. And on top of that,” his finger stopped and pointed to the right side of the car, “I’m well acquainted with blast patterns. This is the point of origin.”
Ray peered closely. “And what does that tell you?”
“There’s nothing combustible on that part of a car. The gas tank is at the rear. The fuel lines don’t run on side doors.”
Dan nodded. “Someone deliberately placed an explosive. That is the only explanation for this pattern.”
His voice agitated, Loki growled, “Only Narciso walked away alive. The other driver burnt up too. His statement doesn’t add up either.”
“In what way?” Ray sunk down in a chair.
“He reported he went to the passenger side and tried to pull my pa out but coul
dn’t unlatch his seatbelt. Look at the photos. The right door is jammed up against the wall. He couldn’t open it if he tried. He was driving, why not drag Leonardo out the driver’s door?” Loki dropped to the couch and raked a hand through his hair.
Flipping through the pages, Dan lit on another element and blew out a breath. “This is interesting.”
“What?” Ray’s gaze stayed on Loki, but he listened to Dan.
“Five years ago, Detective Lazzari was charged with concealing evidence in several cases dealing with the Palermo-based mafia, causing mistrials. When confronted, Lazzari gave up information which put several lower-level dons away for heroin trafficking in exchange for protective custody.” Dan peered at Loki. “How the hell did you find a document like this?”
A snort emitted from Loki as he met Dan’s eyes. “Same way I located Plouffe sold you to the terrorist … the darknet. A significant bounty still exists for Priamo Lazzari … dead or alive, preferably dead.”
His head pounding, Loki gripped it between his hands and leaned back on the couch. “All damning, but nothing proves Narciso murdered him. Thought this through front, back, and every which way and Narciso could claim he was disoriented after the crash which is why his statement is implausible.
“He might say the mafia put a hit on them when they tried to back out of the deal … claiming he is innocent. I’m unsure … it might be true. Narciso and Leonardo were by all accounts equal partners in the business and best friends since they met as children in primary school.
“The rest of the investigator’s notes, if they can be believed, indicate Leonardo had too much to drink that night. Narciso took the keys from him, insisting on driving. The witnesses at the restaurant they ate at said the two laughed through dinner and my pa swayed when he stood to leave.
“But with the way Narciso treated me growing up … I think he murdered my father. I just can’t figure out why he would marry Ma and mistreat her.” Sitting up straight, Loki’s eyes implored Dan. “I need help only you can provide. I’m at a dead end … can’t find the proof required on the internet and darknet. I gotta know if Narciso is a murdering bastard or if this was truly an accidental death. And if he killed him, … well, gotta decide what to do.”
