Hell & Back (Outbreak Task Force)

by Julie Rowe

  “Heading outside.”

  “Along with everyone else to a nice, well-known muster point,” Henry said in a drawl. “NSA, huh? When were you going to tell me that?”

  She was saved from having to come up with an answer by Henry’s phone.

  He put it on speaker and asked with a testy, “What?”

  “Have you got her out?” DS asked.

  “Not yet, it’s chaos up here.”

  “Well, hurry up.”

  “Is the bomb squad worried?”

  “Of course not, we’re all sitting around getting our nails done.” DS snorted. “They say it’s active and on a timer, but it’s glued down to the floor, so they can’t just pick it up and take it outside. They’re working on finding a chemical to break down the glue, but not the bomb.”

  “Glue?”

  “Yeah, that’s a new one for me, too. Where do you plan to take her?”

  “Planet Earth, specifically Atlanta, Georgia.”

  “Comedy would not be a good career choice for you.”

  “There are a lot of occupations I’d be shitty at.”

  “You think our calls aren’t private?” DS’s voice was hard.

  “Hell if I know, but the FAFO is fucking relentless. They’ve done too good a job at eliminating witnesses and targets, even if it takes them a couple, three tries to do it.”

  “I hate to say this, but…” DS’s voice trailed off for a moment. “But it’s looking more and more like someone we know is part of the FAFO.”

  “Who do we know who could do all this?”

  “I would have said no one, but it’s been one clusterfuck after another.” DS was silent for a couple of seconds. “The CDC isn’t the fortress of solitude. Maybe we’re looking in the wrong pocketbook.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Washington runs on favors and money, and at least one pharmaceutical company has come up in connection with the FAFO.”

  “They could afford more than one or two mercenaries,” Henry said slowly. “We need to look at Ketner’s involvement again.”

  “He was cleared by Homeland and the FBI.” There was a note of caution in DS’s voice that lit a fire in Henry’s gut.

  “I don’t care if the queen of England gave him a sick note. If the investigators were using an assumed timeline that’s too short or not casting a wide enough net in Washington, they might not have caught the big fish. Besides, why is he in protective custody unless an active threat has been made or sus—?”

  “Gotta move,” DS interrupted. “The bomb squad thinks they’ve counteracted the glue. They’re going to try to move the device.”

  Henry could hear the faint sound of running feet, fast breathing, and voices yelling, “Clear the area.”

  The background noise suddenly increased into a cacophony of people shouting, medical equipment alarms going off, and the sounds of a lot of people in too small a space.

  The fire in his gut ate away at his stomach until it was nothing but ash.

  “DS, what the fuck is happening?”

  “When I figure it out, I’ll let you know. There are staff, patients, and people off the street milling around in a panic. I’m going to fillet the flying dick fuckers who should be here and organizing this menagerie, but aren’t.” His voice was sharp enough to do the filleting all by itself.

  Ice crawled up Henry’s legs, the one he had and the one he didn’t. “Where’s security?”

  “Not here,” DS said, each word sounding like he’d use them for nails in more than one coffin. “I think your instincts are on target. This place isn’t safe.”

  Henry met Nate’s gaze and said, “We need to hurry.”

  Nate’s brows lowered over his eyes, and he mouthed, “What?”

  “Ever try driving an ambulance?” DS asked.

  “No, I prefer to drive something less flashy.”

  “Maybe you should star—”

  The line went dead at the same time as the floor rolled beneath Henry’s feet and threw him against the wall. Noise clapped his ears hard enough to make the whole world go silent for a few seconds.

  The bomb…DS…

  The lights flickered and went out. A second later, dim emergency lights blinked on, providing enough light to see ceiling tiles, wires, and debris falling from above. Smoke curled along the floor, biting at his nose in warning.

  Henry lurched to his feet and rushed over to Ruby. Thankfully, the chair had stayed upright, but some light debris had landed on her. Nothing heavy, but still, he picked the crap off her and tossed it to the side.

  Nate got to his feet and began helping. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  “Yes, are you?” she answered then glanced at Henry, the question still on her face.

  “Just ducky, thanks.”

  Nate looked around then said in a subdued tone, “They blew up a bomb inside a hospital.”

  “Fucking crazy assholes,” Henry muttered. “I should have expected this.”

  Nate stared at him like he’d suggested they fly to Mars without a spaceship. “How could anyone have expected this?”

  “This isn’t the first time the FAFO has bombed a hospital. It’s not even the second time. Those assholes have no conscience.”

  “Shit. What about DS?” Nate asked.

  “The line went dead. Let’s hope he didn’t.”

  Nate ran his hand through his hair, dislodging debris. “And here I thought my part-time job was dangerous.”

  The scent of burning wood, plastic, and God knew what else filled the air, and the fire alarm began to clang.

  “Let’s go,” Henry said.

  The hallway filled with staff trying to evacuate patients in it, most of them ambulatory, but there were a couple of stretchers on the move with patients on them as well.

  Maybe it was how confident Nate and he appeared as they moved unerringly toward the farthest stairwell from the source of the smoke—whatever the reason, a line of people followed them.

  They reached the door. Nate opened it, stuck his head inside, and looked around.

  “No smoke. It looks clear,” he reported as he pushed the door wide, found a piece of debris nearby, and propped open the door with it.

  Henry parked the wheelchair to one side and motioned for the people piled up behind them to go ahead. Some of them hurried forward and all but stumbled down the stairs. Henry helped Ruby to stand, wrapped the blanket around her, and picked her up, cradling her in his arms.

  Nate took the IV bag and dropped it into Ruby’s lap. He met Henry’s gaze. “Good to go?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Let me know when you need a break,” Nate said, going down the steps in front of them.

  “Are you calling me fat?” Ruby asked in an irritated tone.

  “You could stand to lose ten pounds.”

  Definitely brother and sister. “I’m good,” Henry said before Ruby could verbally eviscerate her sibling.

  “Yeah,” Ruby’s brother said with a nod. “You look like you’ve seen the inside of a gym more than once.” His pace down the stairs was steady and careful.

  Ruby growled something unintelligible.

  “Physical therapy has been part of my daily routine for years.”

  Nate glanced at Henry’s prosthetic leg. “Does it hinder you?”

  “It’s more of a problem for other people than it is for me,” Henry said, following Nate down one flight of stairs.

  “How’s that?”

  “They expect me to act like I’m crippled, which usually means slower, weaker, and less capable.”

  “And you’re none of those things?”

  “Nope. I’ve adapted nicely, thank you very much.”

  Nate grinned at him, the first happy expression he’d seen on the guy’s face. “It’s good to be underestim
ated—gives you an edge.”

  “Sometimes,” Henry said as he navigated Ruby and himself around a tight corner. She had her arms around his neck and her head tucked into the hollow of his shoulder. She’d placed the IV bag, along with most of the tubing, between them. “Sometimes it’s a pain in my ass.”

  More patients came down behind them, most accompanied by a nurse or a family member. Above them, two hospital staff members carried a stretcher down like they were moving furniture. Their patient was awake, unfortunately, and in hysterics. The screaming echoed through the stairwell, building on itself until it was all he could hear.

  He kept his focus on the stairs—stumbling would result in injury to Ruby—and Nate kept a close eye on them and didn’t push for more speed. Which was a good thing, since every so often Ruby would sneak in a little nuzzle and kiss to his neck. It made him want to sit down right on the stairs and return her kisses with a whole lot of interest.

  They passed the second-floor landing, but the number of people in the stairwell had increased to the point where they were resorting to pushing and shoving. In addition to the hysterical lady behind them, others were crying or begging for those in front to hurry. One man not far from Henry began to shout they were all going to die.

  Ruby winced.

  “Shut it,” Henry said in his best drill sergeant tone to the guy losing his cool. “Before you start a stampede.”

  The man blubbered something incoherent and grabbed hold of the back of Henry’s shirt.

  Henry bared his teeth and said through them, “Let go.”

  Another blast boomed and battered the walls, causing most of the people in the stairwell to scream.

  Shit. Just what they didn’t need. All these people in a panic.

  Chapter Eighteen

  6:17 a.m.

  A few people started to shove their way down the stairs, but there wasn’t room and they just got pushed back.

  A couple of folks fell hard against Henry, knocking him sideways and all but pushing him on top of the people below them.

  Nate compensated by stepping up and bracing his body, but it was a near thing. “We can’t stay here,” he shouted.

  Henry tried to see what was happening below him, but the crowd of people hadn’t moved at all. “No one is going anywhere,” he called back to the crowd trying to move downward.

  “What’s the holdup?” someone asked.

  “The door’s blocked,” a man about a flight of stairs lower shouted.

  “On which floor?” Henry asked.

  “The first.”

  “Do the stairs go lower?”

  “Yes, but that’s the basement. Won’t we get trapped down there?”

  “Better the basement than getting trampled in here.”

  “Okay,” the man said. He turned and shouted at some people in front of him, and slowly, the mass of people began to move.

  A wave of hope flowed through the crowd, and most of the pushing and shoving evaporated into steady steps downward.

  Henry did a visual check of Ruby and her IV bag and tubing. Everything seemed intact, but the bag of saline would be empty soon.

  They didn’t have replacements or even bandages to cover the hole if they took the IV out.

  Huh. They hadn’t thought too far ahead.

  Henry checked the people around them, looking for someone who might have a bandage in their pocket. One uniformed nurse with a shoulder bag was helping an elderly lady down the stairs only a few steps away.

  “Do you have any Band-Aids?” he asked her. He lifted Ruby to indicate her. “Her IV bag is going to empty soon. We need to take it out.”

  “Yeah, I think so,” she said with a wince and rummaged around in her bag.

  The woman tucked them into Ruby’s blankets.

  Finally, they were able to start moving downward. It took a few minutes to move past the first-floor doorway and down to the basement door. They emerged from the stairwell into a barely lit hallway filled with people all trying to find their way out.

  As soon as they were out of the path of the people coming down behind them, Nate and Henry stepped out of the way.

  He pulled out his phone. “Now is a good time to check in.”

  Henry punched in the number for his boss, Dr. Rodrigues. She answered on the first ring.

  “Where are you?” Her demand was made in a tone he’d only heard from her a couple of times before. Both of those instances involved people trying to kill her or kill her personal security guard, Dozer.

  “In the hospital’s basement,” he answered. “Nate and I have Ruby with us. We managed to get down here via the stairs. It’s FUBAR here, boss. At least one bomb, maybe two, have been detonated inside the hospital. Have you heard from DS? He was close to the first blast.”

  “He’s fine. Pissed off, but fine. He’s helping with the recovery of victims from the bomb’s location.”

  He explained their situation, and Rodrigues paused then said, “Do you have transportation?”

  “I borrowed River’s truck. It’s in the parking lot.”

  She sighed. “Get Ruby and her brother out of there. I’ll find a hospital and let you know where to take her. Just get out and start driving. Dozer told me law enforcement and first responders are on their way to the hospital, and the police believe there’s an active shooter, bomber, or whatever still there. Be careful and go now.”

  The order had him standing a little straighter. “Yes, ma’am.” He ended the call and looked at Nate.

  Nate’s phone rang; after a glance at it, he accepted the call. “Mom, you and Dad okay?”

  Whatever she said had Nate looking around like he expected bad guys to jump out at them from everywhere.

  “Now what?” Ruby asked, sounding more irritated than tired.

  “Got it,” Nate said. “Stay safe.” He ended the call and looked not at Ruby, but at Henry. “They were headed to their car, still some distance away, when some jackass in a panic backed into their vehicle. Unfortunately for the jackass, their car blew up.”

  “Of course it did.” Ruby shook her head. “Maybe we should just walk.”

  “Yeah,” Henry said slowly. “Or use a ride share.”

  “The last time I used one of those, I got kidnapped,” Nate pointed out.

  Henry got to his feet, holding Ruby against his chest. “Let’s get outside first.”

  Nate started walking. “Where are we supposed to take her?”

  “Anywhere but here.”

  People had been coming down the stairs in a steady stream, afraid and on the edge of panic. They joined the throng, following the overhead exit signs.

  Two loud gunshots tore the shredded veneer of civilization completely away from the crowd, sending them on a wild stampede down the hall, screaming and shoving.

  God damn it, when would these assholes stop?

  Henry and Nate were forced to run or get trampled. Nate took point, pushing anyone who got too close away from them. Someone tripped and fell on him, taking him to the floor. Henry had to jump over both of them, but he landed off balance and slammed against the wall. He managed to turn so he took the brunt of the hit rather than Ruby, but she still made a pain-filled moan.

  Another gunshot made most of the crowd duck, and a bullet chipped a divot out of the concrete wall next to Henry’s head.

  Fuck. They were trapped in the mass of people, with someone who was likely trying to kill Nate, Ruby, him, or all three of them.

  A shootout here would result in a lot of collateral damage, but he had to defend Ruby, Nate, and himself. The best way to do that was take out the fucker shooting at them.

  Ruby had grabbed her IV bag to prevent it from falling and ripping the needle out of her arm when he’d leaped over her brother. She held it up slightly. A second later the nearly empty IV bag exploded.

&
nbsp; No choice now. It was kill or be killed.

  He knelt to put her down, but a group of three or four women ran right into him, knocking him off balance. He ended up curled around her.

  About thirty feet away, close to the stairwell they’d come down, stood a man wearing a surgical gown. His face was expressionless, and he was looking right at Henry. He raised a hand and fired a couple of shots, but at an angle that was too low to make a head or body shot.

  A woman next to Henry screamed and collapsed, her leg spattered with blood.

  Another shot hit Henry this time. It pinged against his prosthetic leg and ricocheted into the wall.

  Was that fucker trying to wound him so he could make the kill up close and personal?

  He glanced in Nate’s direction and found him trying to get to his feet, but the press of people kept knocking him off balance. Henry waved at him to stay down and mimed shooting a gun with the hand behind Ruby’s back. Nate reached behind himself, but a voice stopped him.

  “Hands in the air.”

  Ruby’s brother raised his hands and held his position.

  Ruby clutched at him, panting, every breath sweeping across his neck in tight bursts. Henry had no time to tell her to pull the gun out of the back of his pants, no time to tell her how fucking sexy she was every moment of every day. No time at all.

  He focused on finding the human shark in the crowd who thought he’d smelled blood in the water. There, closing in with a sick smile on his face, was a predator.

  Asshole.

  But he wasn’t shooting yet. What did the guy want? To have a little chat before he put bullets into a few brains?

  “Are you fucking crazy?” he bellowed at the man who smoothly navigated the rough water of human beings in his way as if they weren’t there at all. “Why the fuck would you set off a couple of bombs in a hospital?”

  The man smiled, and it turned Henry’s stomach to stone. He pointed his weapon at Henry almost casually, as if the task of murder had become so practiced and easy it was boring.

  “It was on my bucket list.”

  Holy shit, the dude really was nuts.