Luna shook her head. “No, if I don’t manage to slip out in time, I want you to leave with Lexi and Max. I can take our SUV.”
“No way.” Oliver sure wouldn’t leave her here to fend for herself. Once the hospital staff noticed Lexi was gone, they’d immediately know that Luna was involved. “Out of the question. I’ll come for you.”
Before Luna could protest, he limped down the corridor holding his side, but nobody really paid any attention to him. After turning the corner, he walked down another empty hallway until he finally stood in front of Lexi’s room. He pressed his thumb to the door scanner. As his fingerprints were not in the system, a light flashed red, but the keypad lit up. He keyed in the combination Luna had given him, and the lock clicked open. Sliding inside, he took one last look out at the empty corridor, then shut the door behind him.
The sleeping girl in the hospital bed looked exactly as he remembered her from their video chat, but her long red hair was matted and her skin was ashen.
She opened her eyes and blinked. “Oliver?”
“Yes. I’m here with your sister. Can you get up?”
She struggled to sit up. “Where’s Luna?” Her voice sounded weak and slightly slurred. She was probably drugged.
“We’ll meet her outside. But we have to hurry. I’ll pick you up and carry you. Okay?”
Lexi nodded with heavy eyes.
As she shoved at her blanket, he realized that she was only wearing a hospital gown. If he carried her like this, nobody would believe her to be an injured guest. He held out his hand. “Wait. Do you have any clothes here?”
She finger-combed her long hair. “Yes. Behind you.”
He turned and opened the white closet. Nothing in there looked remotely like something she’d have worn to a gala, but that couldn’t be helped. Luckily, she seemed to have a black phase at the moment. He pulled a pair of black pants from a hanger, a gray top, and her black coat and carried them over to her. “Put that on.” Then he grabbed her black boots and placed them next to her bed before he turned around to give her some privacy.
As soon as she’d pulled on the top, pants, and a pair of socks that were rolled up in her boots, he helped her into her coat and slipped the boots on her feet. “Okay, that should work.”
Lexi seemed a little more awake now, so he asked, “Two questions. Is there a way out of here without passing the front desk? And do we need to take anything else with us? Meds or gadgets?”
“There’s another way. I can show you. And I get shots here but no other medication.”
“Okay. He opened the door carefully and peeked outside. The coast was still clear.
He hoisted Lexi up into his arms, and although she weighed almost nothing, his freshly tormented kidney protested with a sharp sting. He pressed his lips together and strode through the door. “Where to?”
Max already waited in his truck outside GovCorp’s back gate as Oliver and Lexi made it to the street. He held the rear door open, and Oliver lifted the girl on to the cabin’s back seat.
His back was positively on fire, but the sight of Luna jogging out the door in her high heels and tight dress made up for everything. He’d been worried she wouldn’t be able to sneak out in time. But so far, this whole thing had worked like a charm.
She didn’t slow down and would have almost skidded into the rear door if Oliver hadn’t grabbed her elbow.
Lexi leaned out the door and practically fell into Luna’s arms, tackle-hugging her.
Watching them, Oliver frowned. Lexi might be weakened, but she could probably still break Luna's rib cage if she squeezed her sister any tighter. With her hybrid genes, the girl had to be much stronger than she looked.
Luna hugged her little sister back with one arm, but with her free hand she reached for Oliver and squeezed his hand, mouthing thank you with glowing eyes.
He swallowed hard and squeezed her hand back, unable to let go of Luna.
Max cleared his throat behind them. “I hate to break up the hug fest, but we have to get going.”
And he was right. Red and blue flickering lights and wailing sirens announced more ambulances arriving.
Luna let go of Oliver’s hand, and a sudden feeling of loss coursed through him as he watched her whispering something into Lexi’s hair. The girl let go of Luna and scooted back onto the back seat so Luna could climb in next to her.
Max rounded the hood of his truck and jumped into the driver’s seat while Oliver rode shotgun.
When he turned in his seat, he saw Lexi resting in Luna’s arms with her eyes closed, and Luna gave him a radiant smile that lit up his heart. “I can’t believe we got her.”
“You did great tonight. Lexi will be safe with the Committee.” He smiled back at her. “It’s over.”
An ambulance already pulled up right behind them as Max’s truck pulled away from the curb. At the same moment, a blue van cut in front of them and stopped right in front of the truck, effectively boxing them in.
Luna craned her head from the back seat. “What’s going on?”
Max honked the horn a couple of times and met her eyes in the rearview. “I don’t know. The van is blocking our way.
“Shit.” Oliver got out of the truck and yelled at Max, “I’ll take care of it. You pull away as soon as the way is clear and don’t stop. I will take our SUV.” He pointed to the side street where they’d left their vehicle earlier.
Then he pulled open Luna’s door. “Give me the SIG.”
She paled, and her pulse jumped as she handed him the firearm from her purse. “Be careful.”
Weapon in hand, Oliver inched closer to the van. Just when he reached the passenger side, the driver door opened and a young man jumped out of the vehicle. At the same time, a black jeep came to a screeching halt next to the van. The van’s driver wretched the jeep’s passenger door open, and as soon as he was halfway inside, the jeep sped away.
A police officer approached Oliver, and after a quick look inside the van, they started a frantic-looking discussion. Then Oliver dove into the van from the passenger side.
A second later, he drove off onto GovCorp’s property toward the big empty employee parking lot.
Fear tightened Luna’s chest. “What is going on?”
Max just shook his head, keeping his focus on the van.
Just as the vehicle neared a cluster of firs, a loud explosion thundered, and flames engulfed the van, licking high at the sky.
A bomb. Luna’s fingers dug into the headrest in front of her. There must have been a bomb in the van.
For a second, Max went rigid in the driver seat. Then he pulled from the curb and floored it toward the parking lot. As they neared the corner, thick smoke burned her lungs. Max stopped the truck and jumped out.
“Lexi, stay inside.” Fear clawed at Luna’s guts, and her shaking hand slipped off the door handle twice before the door opened, and she got out as well.
Luna’s heart almost stopped as she saw Oliver appear from behind the burning trees, shrouded in a cloud of smoke. Soaked with blood, he staggered away from what was left of the burning vehicle. After a few steps, he dropped down to his knees.
A police car blazed by with screaming sirens and stopped in front of Oliver. From the direction of GovCorp’s hospital wing, a security guard came jogging with a gurney. Another police car followed.
Seeing Oliver like this made it hard for her to think straight. But she knew the police would close off the parking lot, and then Lexi would be trapped here. She yelled at Max over the blaring sirens. “Take Lexi to the Committee. I’ll stay with Oliver.”
Frowning, Max got back into the truck. “He’d want you to come with me.”
Shaking her head, she started heading toward Oliver who was lifted on the gurney by the security guards. A trickle of relief spread through her as Max turned the truck around and sped off the premises. At least Lexi would be safe.
Now Luna ran toward Oliver as fast as she could manage in the stupid heels. She barely noted the
icy wind that tore at her light dress. “I’m his wife.” Tinged with terror, her voice barely obeyed her.
Oliver was conscious and gave her a frown, but his whisper came out as a low, barely discernible rasp. “Why are you still here?”
“How can you ask that?” She let her eyes roam his body and took in his injuries. He had gashes and lacerations all over his body, but as she took a closer look, most of them didn’t look too serious—at least not for a GV. His right hand, however, had a deep gash across the palm, and he was bleeding profusely from his shoulder.
As they reached the hospital again, a nurse Luna didn’t know took over the gurney and wheeled Oliver down the same corridor that led toward Lexi’s former room.
Luna’s throat tightened as she heard a familiar voice behind them in the distance. Terror slid through her instantly. Oh no, not him. He couldn’t be here now. She slowly turned around, and her worst fear came true.
Dr. Fry was talking to a big, young man she didn’t recognize. Thankfully both were deep into a heated discussion, ignoring everyone around them.
The nurse’s blonde ponytail swung as she opened the door to their right, and as soon as she’d wheeled Oliver’s gurney inside, Luna pulled the door closed. She could hear Fry’s voice just a second later on the other side of the door. Holding her breath, she waited until she couldn’t hear him any longer and peeked outside. He was gone, at least for now.
The door swooshed open, and Luna almost jumped, heart racing. But it was only an elderly doctor who barely spared her a look on his way to Oliver’s gurney.
Oliver’s eyes bored into her questioningly, but she shook her head, pointing her chin at the doctor’s back.
The nurse hurried out of the room, and the doctor hooked him up with an IV and took a quick inventory of his injuries. “You were lucky. Nothing too serious.” Placing Oliver’s hand on the vitals scanner, he asked, “What happened to you? I thought the police had taken care of all of those Fronters by now.”
Oliver answered in a faint voice. “Car bomb at the back entrance.” The doctor rounded the gurney and pulled a stool to the edge of the gurney. He cleaned the gash in Oliver’s other hand and shook his head. “If you ask me, those Fronters are anything but crazy. To me, they seem more and more like a well-organized terrorist group.”
Luna’s pulse still pounded in her ears, but she tried not to show her fear. “A group with considerable funds.”
“Exactly.” The doctor finished stitching up Oliver’s palm and rushed toward the door. “I’m sorry, but we’re bursting with patients. I’ll send a nurse to take care of your other wounds.” Oliver sat up on the bed. “That won’t be necessary. We have a good doctor on hand where we live.”
The doctor shrugged. “I would advise against leaving, but it’s up to you. You should wait at least until the drip is empty.” Then he finally rushed out the door.
Luna watched Oliver as he sat up straighter. “Normally I’d be against it, but you’re right. We need to get out of here ASAP.”
Oliver arced his eyebrows. “Why?”
Luna bit her lower lip. “Fry is here. I just saw him in the hallway.”
“What?” Oliver jumped to his feet. With a low groan, he immediately sank back onto the gurney. “Damn. My head’s still spinning.” He pinched the bridge of his nose with his unharmed hand before he looked Luna in the eye. “You need to get the hell out of here before Fry discovers Lexi is gone and finds us.”
“I’m not leaving without you.”
Though Oliver glared at her, she stood her ground as memories assaulted her of how Dr. Fry had threatened to turn him rogue again if she wouldn't cooperate. “I won't leave without you. Save your breath trying to make me.”
Oliver sank back on the bed, covering his eyes with his arm. “Okay, but I want you to wait for me at the front desk. If you see Fry, you get the hell out of his way and text me where he is. I need a few more minutes.”
The fact that he didn't argue sent a wave of concern through her. It didn’t feel right to leave Oliver alone, but if push came to shove and Fry found him in the hospital room, she’d probably be more in Oliver’s way than helpful. “I’ll keep my eyes open.”
Oliver’s expression relaxed. “You do that.”
Luna carefully opened the door and peeked outside before she stepped out into the thankfully empty hallway.
She reached the front desk, and Zach stood there, greeting her with a frown. “Where have you been? You just disappeared.”
She explained that Oliver had headed outside to help some injured people and he got wounded by the car bomb that went off in the parking lot. At least it wasn’t a complete lie if she counted Lexi as injured instead of sick.
“Is he okay?” Zach put a hand on her shoulder and guided her around the desk, pointing at one of the white swivel chairs.
Luna gladly sat down. This way she still had a good view of the hallways, but she was a little more concealed. “Thank you. It’s nothing too serious.”
“Good to hear.” He gave her another pat on the shoulder before he headed toward the emergency room with his tablet in hand.
He almost collided with Dr. Fry and his associate, whoever the big man at his side might be. One look at the scientist’s pinched face revealed that he was livid. He roamed the entrance area and studied the patients.
Keeping low, she prayed Fry wouldn't turn around and notice her.
But the scientist was busy showing a tablet around the waiting patients. Red-faced and gesticulating wildly, he held it under the nose of a woman Luna recognized as the mother of the little boy Oliver had saved.
As if the woman felt Luna’s gaze on her, she lifted her head and looked her straight in the eye.
Luna’s heartbeat thudded in her ears, and her mouth went dry.
But the woman gave her a barely noticeable nod and pointed Fry toward GovCorp’s main entrance. The opposite direction from where Luna was sitting.
After they showed the tablet to another woman who only shook her head, Fry and his associate finally rushed out the exit.
Luna slumped back in the chair, as relief washed through her. The woman had just bought them some precious time. Time she’d have to use. She jumped to her feet and hurried down the corridor to Oliver’s room, wishing she could dim her heels’ angry echoes.
Oliver tried to sit upright again as Luna stormed into his room. “We’re out of time. Fry’s in the lobby, and I’m pretty sure he’s looking for us.”
“Damn it. He must have noticed Lexi’s disappearance.” The doctor had probably checked the security feed. Oliver hadn’t been very careful carrying Lexi outside. He’d been more concerned about being fast.
Luna stepped closer. “Can you get up?”
“Sure.” He pressed his lips together and slowly rose to his feet. The world started spinning, and he swayed.
“Oliver.” Luna put her arm around his waist.
Though the situation was anything but funny, a laugh bubbled up his throat. “You can’t support me.”
Concern swam in Luna’s big eyes. “No, but I can steady you.”
Oliver closed his eyes for another second, and then he ripped the IV needle from his arm. “Okay. Let’s go.”
After a few steps, Oliver’s vision cleared, but he still moved down the corridor one step at a time with an arm around Luna’s shoulder.
Each time they heard or met someone on their way down the hallway, Luna held her breath, though she tried not to show her fear.
“They have to be on the premises. Her sister and that GV of hers are the only ones who could have taken the girl.” Fry’s voice echoed not too far behind them.
Oliver’s pulse pounded, sending a flare of fire through him. Whatever had been in that last IV was no doubt speeding up the healing process. But at a cost. His breath tore in and out of his chest, but he couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen into his system, let alone move at a pace faster than a one-year-old.
Luna’s eyes went big, and her gaze
jumped to the row of doors labeled medical supplies to their right. She checked the first one. Locked.
Fry’s voice drifted closer. Oliver expected him to turn the corner at any moment.
Luna tried the rest of the three doors, and the last one finally opened.
They shuffled inside, and Luna pulled the door closed behind them, letting her other hand roam the side of the doorway.
Oliver leaned against the door. “No lights. Use your phone and see if we can use anything in here.”
“Okay.” Luna held up her phone while walking down the built-in shelving unit stuffed with boxes of bandaging, gloves, and other hospital supplies, finding nothing that could be used as a weapon. Theoretically, he could have put the IV stand next to him to good use defending themselves. But at that moment, he mainly grabbed the smooth metal pole to keep himself upright.
Outside, Fry’s voice was getting closer. He seemed to be arguing with another man.
Rubber soles squeaked on the hallway’s tiles, but the sounds soon faded.
Luna threw him a relieved look. But footsteps sounded off outside again.
Oliver barely managed to scoot away from the door as it opened and the lights went on.
Steadying himself with one hand clutching the IV pole, he wrapped his other arm around the guy’s neck and squeezed.
Luna’s breath hitched. “Oliver, don’t. It’s Zach.”
But the nurse already went limp in Oliver’s sleeper hold. “We can’t let anybody stop us now. He’ll only be out for a few minutes. Then he’ll be fine.”
Leaning forward, Oliver let Zach’s body slip to the ground as gently as he could manage. “We need to go.”
Luna’s brow creased, and she bit her lower lip as her gaze swept over the unconscious nurse, but then she rounded his body and peeked outside. “Clear.”
After what seemed like half an eternity, they finally reached their SUV and Oliver took the passenger seat. The decision to leave the vehicle in the narrow side street had been gold. Main street was utterly clogged with police, press, and bystanders.
Adrenaline Heat Page 16
