by Rebecca York
“And be a coward?”
His voice turned fierce. “That’s not being a coward. I have to focus, and I can’t do it if I’m worried about you.”
“Okay,”
Hoping she wasn’t lying, he pocketed his keys, jumped out of the car and started for the building.
oOo
Jenny climbed out of the passenger seat and into the back of the car. Her heart was in her throat as she watched Grant move toward the medical facility. He looked like a man who was caught between speed, urgency and the knowledge that he could end up dead in the next few moments.
He turned back, and when he saw her still sitting up, he gave her a fierce look. She nodded and scooted to the floor, hating that she was using none of the skills she’d acquired while she’d been in the VR. A lot of good they were doing her when all she could manage now was to hide. But she did understand Grant’s point of view. And she’d given him enough grief for one evening.
She had been in turmoil ever since he’d knocked on her motel room door, and she’d met him with a gun in her hand. The look in his eyes had made her heart squeeze painfully. He’d been angry, hurt, worried about her. There was no way she could have shot him, but when she’d put the gun down, she’d braced for him to slap her, or shake her, or show his anger in some physical way as her kidnapper would have done.
She’d gotten used to living with violence, and she’d been half afraid all men were like that. Now she knew for sure that Grant Bradley was different. Instead of lashing out, he’d wrapped her close and let her cry in his arms.
Now he was hurtling headlong toward danger—danger that she had provoked. She simply couldn’t get away from that fact.
Unable to cower on the floor, she popped up again, her gaze zeroing in on him as he reached the entrance to the building, flattened himself against the wall and cautiously looked around the corner, then darted back out of the line of sight.
It took all her willpower to stay in the car. She wanted to do something. Yet at the same time, she knew he was right. If she got caught, all of this would have been for nothing.
She kept her gaze glued to Grant. He was moving forward again, and she tensed, sure he was about to go into the building. At that moment, a headlight in the rearview mirror made her head swing around. Two cars were coming down the narrow road. The drivers switched off their lights when they were still behind her.
Who were they? The men Brand Marshall had brought? Or reinforcements for the bad guys?
She saw Grant whirl as the lead car approached. Then she could tell from his posture that it was the Decorah men who had arrived.
The vehicle glided to a stop. Several men got out and conferred with Grant.
One of them rounded the car, and she couldn’t see what he was doing on the other side. Moments later, a big dog—it must have been a dog—trotted into the street. Men stopped beside him, putting something onto the front of his head. It looked like a camera. Maybe the dog was going to be their eyes and ears inside the patient facility.
Grant reached to open the door, and the animal slipped in.
She should go back to her position on the floor, but she simply couldn’t do it.
oOo
The situation was rapidly slipping out of control. Lily raised her hand to her cheek, pressing against the stinging slap the leader of the thugs had delivered. She looked from the man who had slapped her to the patients and back again. She’d agreed to be the director here to give these people a safe place after she’d realized Dr. Hamilton was using them for his own purposes. In the time it took to grab a quick breath, everything had changed—for her and them.
When Mack shouted, “Leave her the hell alone,” her attention snapped to him.
Buzz Cut tipped his head to the side, staring at him. “You said you didn’t know these people. It sounds like you care about this broad.”
When Mack didn’t answer, the man smiled. “What’s she to you—your sweetie?”
Lily willed Mack not to answer and make things worse. But they were going rapidly downhill on their own.
“I don’t like to see women abused,” he answered through gritted teeth.
“We can change things around if that’s gonna work better,” the thug said. Turning to one of his men, he ordered, “Grab him.”
Lily wanted to scream, but she knew it was only going to make her look weak.
While the other henchman kept his gun trained on the group of captives, the Asian guy came around behind Mack and grabbed his hands. The leader also put down his weapon on the desk. Taking a step forward, he drew back his hand, then punched Mack in the gut.
He doubled over, gasping for breath.
“Stop it!” Lily cried out.
Ignoring the plea, the thug went on in a conversational tone, “Sounds like we have a nice situation going here. He cares about you. And you care about him.”
“You animal,” she whispered under her breath.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing.” She turned her head, trying to judge Mack’s condition.
His face took on a look that could have meant his thoughts had turned inward. But she knew him too well for that. He was reaching out to his brother.
Was Grant already here? And if so, what could he do against three armed men who were holding hostages?
She tried to read Mack’s expression, but he was keeping it deliberately neutral.
“You want me to start shooting patients?” the ringleader asked like he was a teacher considering adding to a homework assignment because the members of the class had been giving him a hard time. “Which one should I take out first? How about that slack-jawed girl in the corner with the drool on her chin? She looks pretty worthless.”
Lily couldn’t hold back a gasp. He was talking about her sister, Shelly. “No. Please.”
“Then tell me where you’re hiding Jenny Seaver.”
Lily fought her fear and frustration. “I’m not hiding her. I was telling you the truth. She disappeared while I was busy.”
Buzz Cut thought about it while the one who had been holding Mack turned him loose and came back to join his friends.
Mack wavered on his feet but stayed standing.
The leader looked at the three captives. “Okay, I’ve got another idea that might make you talk,” he said, addressing Mack. Turning to Lily, he ordered, “Take off your clothes.”
She couldn’t believe that she’d heard him right. “What?”
“Take off your clothes. The guys and I want to see what you’ve got. And if you can’t give us Jenny, you might as well give us some fun.”
To her horror, Lily saw the anger flare on Mack’s face. My God, if he did something stupid like speaking up again he could get himself killed. “Don’t,” she murmured.
He was turned toward her, and his lips formed one word. “Stall.”
She acknowledged with a small nod.
Probably Buzz Cut was enjoying lording it over this group of helpless people. Maybe he was even glad that he had to exert some pressure to find Jenny. Obviously he thought he was totally in charge. She prayed he was going to be very surprised when he found out how wrong he was.
Trying to draw out the moment, Lily took a step back, thrust out her chest, and raised her head like a performer on stage. She could tell from the way the bad guys were watching that they liked the little show, yet this wasn’t a part she really knew how to play.
“Hurry up,” Buzz Cut ordered.
Unable to look at the thug, she kept her gaze focused somewhere over his shoulder as her hands went to the front of her scrub shirt.
She didn’t have to pretend her fingers were shaking as she fumbled with the buttons
All of the men with guns were focused on her, and she saw something they didn’t. At the far end of the reception area, the door had eased open. Moments later, a wolf stuck its head around the security desk in the anteroom. The animal had to be one of the Marshalls. They had sent him in to scope out the interior.
>
There was something attached to the top of his head. As he swung from side to side, she realized it must be a camera. He came quietly down the hall, paused in the doorway for several moments, and then silently backed up.
Chapter Eleven
Lily had felt a spurt of hope when she saw the wolf. She couldn’t stop her spirits from sinking as she watched him withdraw.
Her attention zinged back to her chief captor when he snapped, “Get on with it, or I’m gonna help you out.”
Knowing his patience was wearing thin, she closed her eyes for a moment, steeling herself to keep the performance going as long as she had to. But what if that meant taking off all her clothes and letting the goons drag her into the next room?
Struggling to thrust that thought out of her mind, she finished unbuttoning the top, then began to tug it off her shoulders so that her only garment above the waist was her bra. Thank God she’d worn a practical one this morning. Not one of the lacy numbers that Mack liked.
The men watched with greedy expressions, undoubtedly anticipating what they were going to do to her.
“Take that off too. Let’s see your tits,” one of them shouted.
It was then that she saw the door ease open again and armed Decorah Security men coming into the front of the facility, taking up positions. But she knew they couldn’t shoot, not when the three hostages were in the line of fire.
Lily struggled to keep up her performance and hold the thugs attention as she sensuously reached behind her, fingering the hooks at the back of her bra.
It was all working—until one of the invaders must have sensed movement behind him. Or perhaps her expression had changed enough to alert him to danger. He whirled and lay down a blast of automatic gunfire.
The others turned as well, blasting away.
As the shooting started, Mack’s gaze swept the room in frustration. Lily knew he was searching for a weapon. Before he could get himself killed, she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the dressing room. He gave her a surprised look, then let her tug him out of the line of fire. When they were in the dressing area, he turned the tables, yanking her to the floor. As bullets slammed into the doorframe, he came down on top of her, shielding her body from the barrage.
Terry leaped in seconds behind them, hitting the floor farther back in the room and hugging the cold tiles with his arms over his head.
oOo
Beyond the dressing room, Grant and the other Decorah agents exchanged fire with the bad guys.
Brand ducked low behind the security desk, using it as a shield as he kept firing. He saw one of the bad guys go down. The other two kept shooting, both of them moving toward the lobby, laying down fire as they went. The Decorah men were forced back. One of the invaders was stuck in the reception area. The other barreled toward the door, spraying a steady stream of fire that kept the rescuers pinned down.
They were unable to drop him, and he exited the building.
Brand, who was closest to the main room, charged into the patient area, intent on making sure the captives were okay.
The other two Decorah men leaped toward the exit and kept firing at the fleeing man, but he forced them to take cover as he returned fire.
oOo
Inside the dressing room, Mack continued to shield Lily with his body. She pressed her hands over her ears, trying to dampen the sound of the gun battle and praying that the bad guys weren’t coming in to shoot Mack.
The barrage seemed to go on for a century. Then the sound of the automatic weapons receded into the distance. When the clatter of the assault rifles stopped, she could hear running feet. Mack started to get up.
“No,” she shouted as he scrambled to his feet.
He yanked himself free and grabbed the bench, holding it in front of himself as he moved toward the door.
Before he reached it, Brand Marshall charged in.
“All clear.” His gaze swept over them. “You all right?”
“Yes,” they answered.
Mack put down the bench and helped Lily to her feet. From the shelves she grabbed another scrub suit top and put it on so that she was covered up again.
After the clatter of the assault rifles, the facility was strangely quiet.
When she stepped into the main room, two of the invaders were lying in pools of blood on the tile floor, one near where he had originally been standing, and the other closer to the door.
She didn’t see the third man, the one she’d called Buzz Cut.
“What happened?” Mack asked, looking at the Decorah men. It seemed that on short notice, Grant had been able to round up Brand and Cole Marshall, plus Wyatt Granger.
Brand answered. “We got one of them right away. The other two took cover, then started pushing their way into the lobby area, shooting as they came. We got two of them. The other escaped.
She looked at the two dead men. “The leader was the one who got away.”
“Okay.”
Lily went into the supply room, found two sheets and draped them over the dead men.
“The head guy was one fierce bastard,” Brand said. “It looked like he was determined to escape—or get killed.”
She looked at the Decorah agents, then turned toward Mack “Where’s Grant?”
“He went to make sure Jenny’s safe.”
Lily stared around the ruined facility. “Thank God the patients were at the side of the room. But we’d better check to make sure none of them and none of the life support equipment was hit,” she said to Terry.
As she spoke, she hurried to her sister’s bed. Shelly was lying there as peacefully as if nothing had happened. It was always so strange to see what she really looked like. In the VR, she was a little girl—the same age as when she’d gone into a coma. But in the real world, her body had matured into an adult’s. And when Lily saw her like this, she couldn’t help thinking about how different her sister’s life could have been.
Lily laid a hand on Shelly’s brow, then touched the pulse in her neck, reassured by the steady rhythm. As she checked the telemetry, she spoke softly to her sister, even though she knew Shelly wasn’t going to respond. “Thank God you’re okay.”
When she’d made sure Shelly was fine, she turned back to see how Terry was doing. He hardly looked in condition to check anything, but he dutifully began going from bed to bed, following her orders, making sure that everybody was okay and all the equipment was operational.
When he caught his breath, she gave him a questioning look. “What?”
“Jonas Corker took a bullet.”
“How is he?”
“Dead.”
“Oh no.”
She’d left him in a bed close to the center of the room, and he’d been in the line of fire.
“I’m sorry,” Mack said. “But I think he wasn’t going to work out, anyway.”
“Yes, but . . .”
“We have to worry about the living now,” her husband clipped out.
“Right.” Lily focused on the Decorah men. “All of you are okay?”
“I could use a bandage on my arm, so I don’t keep dripping blood on this shirt,” Wyatt Granger said.
Lily crossed to him and saw blood oozing through the fabric of his sleeve.
“Take off your shirt.”
“It’s just a graze.”
“We’ll see.”
Wyatt unbuttoned and shrugged out of his shirt, and she looked at the wound. “Okay, you’re right.”
“Yeah, I can move it.”
“But you still need a bandage and antibiotics.”
She had just finished with Wyatt when movement in the doorway made her head snap up.
Jenny was standing there, not quite steady on her feet, clutching Grant’s hand. She was dressed in Lily’s clothes and looking like she wished she was on the other side of the continental United States.
Her gaze skidded to the white sheets on the floor, then quickly away again.
When she caught Lily’s eye, she looked like s
he was going to cry. Straightening her shoulders, she said, “I’m sorry.”
Everything had been happening so fast that Lily hadn’t know what she would do or say when they brought Jenny back—if they could bring her back. But here she was, looking like she’d survived an earthquake.
Lily opened her mouth and heard herself remarking, “Running away wasn’t the smartest thing you ever did.”
The young woman lowered her head. “I can see that now. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You could have trusted us,” Grant said in a gritty voice.
She kept her focus downward as she spoke. “The whole time I was in the VR, I thought I was putting you all in danger. And I was right,” she added, sweeping her arm around the carnage.
“We would have been better prepared if you’d leveled with us,” Grant said, not making it any easier on her.
She dragged in a breath and let it out before saying, “I understand that now.”
“How long were you planning your—escape?” Lily asked.
“I don’t know.” She kept her gaze on Lily. “You knew I was waking up.”
“Yes.”
“I was trying to play it down so you wouldn’t realize I was so close to the surface. And I started thinking I could get away. Like Mack did.”
“I didn’t advise that for him, either,” Lily continued. “Let me check you out.”
“Don’t’ make me go back into the VR,” Jenny said.
“We’ll see.”
To get away from their audience, she gathered up a stethoscope and other equipment and ushered Jenny down the hall to the staff lounge.
“Sit down,” she said, sweeping her arm toward the bed where she sometimes slept if she had to stay on duty.
Jenny remained on her feet. “I stole your purse and your clothes—and your car,” she murmured.
“I won’t say ‘that’s okay.’ But I think I understand. You thought you were getting us out of danger—even when you were putting your own welfare at risk. But those guys came here, and they thought we were lying about your leaving. When they didn’t find you, they started threatening us. They were going to kill patients to get us to talk.”
Jenny winced. “I guess I wasn’t thinking straight. I figured that if they came here and didn’t find me, they’d go away.”
