“Give 'em to me,” Lee says moving toward me. I stand awkwardly, completely in a daze as I gently hand over the twins. “Come on. Come to Grandpa.”
“No, want Daddy,” Leo whines as I hand him over.
“It's okay, buddy. Daddy will be right back,” I tell him. “You stay with Grandpa.” I turn toward Conner and look him in the eye. “Where is she?”
“Cubicle four.”
I rush from the room and sprint down the hospital corridor as my mind wonders frantically about Samantha. What is she doing here? Is she alright? Is it the baby?
I see Lucas standing outside a cubicle with the curtain drawn, phone up to his ear. He looks up when he sees me rushing toward him, but I don't slow down. I move past him, reaching around the curtain and stepping behind it. My eyes take in the scene, barely grasping the specifics. I see Sam lying on a bed, looking pale and fragile. She has an IV hooked up, and all the usual monitors keeping a record of her heart rate and blood pressure. Mom and Lois are standing nearby, and Dr. Lake is sitting on a stool, writing in a chart. And I hear the now familiar swishing sound of our baby's heartbeat. Sam looks up when I enter the space.
“Where are they?” she asks frantically. “Lucas said you found them! Why aren't they with you?”
“Yes, we found them,” I assure her as I sit down on the side of her bed, gently taking her by the shoulders and pushing her back against the pillows. “We found them. Relax, baby.”
“Where are they? Why aren't they with you?” she practically screams.
“Shh, Sam … they're okay.”
She is completely distraught, and immediately Dr. Lake is at our sides with an admonishing glare. “Samantha, you absolutely must calm down,” she says soothingly, placing her hand on Sam's belly. “I understand what you're going through. But the twins are safe now, and this little guy really needs for you to pull it together.”
She gives Samantha a stern look and then glances to the fetal monitor. And I'm suddenly flooded with feelings of fear and guilt. So much guilt. My mind briefly recalls Sam's words from a couple of hours ago about this being all her fault, but I know that it's mine.
“What happened?” I ask anyone who will listen as I take Sam's hand in my own. “Why is Sam here?”
“Where are the twins, Josh?” she asks again, tears falling as she ignores my question.
“They're down the hall, baby. In a room just like this one, waiting for a doctor to check them out.”
“You left them alone?” she wails.
“No, of course they're not alone, Sam. They're with Lee and Dave and they are perfectly safe,” I explain to her as I caress her face with my free hand. “They didn't appear to have been harmed in any way. But I brought them here anyway just as a precaution. I left them with Lee so that I could come check on you! Why are you here, baby? What happened?”
“I'm fine, I just want to see my babies!”
“She is not fine,” Lois speaks up. “She doubled over in pain, Josh. Twice! If Olivia and I hadn't been there … I don't know what might've happened.”
“Please let me see my babies,” Sam sobs.
“Samantha, honey … would you feel better if Lois and I go sit with Lee and check on the twins?” Mom asks her.
“I want to see my babies,” she says, crying openly now. “Please, bring them to me.” And I feel so completely torn.
“Dr. Lake?” I ask helplessly, turning to look at her. She sighs heavily as she looks at me.
“When Sam arrived here, she was extremely agitated, as she is now. And it seems to have subsided, but I haven't been able to determine a cause for her earlier pain. I suspect it has to do with her elevated blood pressure. The fetal monitor indicates that, so far, baby Pierce isn't showing any signs of distress. But that could all change very quickly if we can't get Samantha's blood pressure down.”
“Well, she had high blood pressure with the twins,” I say urgently, as if the doctor needs a reminder. “You said that was fairly common with multiples.”
“Yes. And that history is what's put Sam at a higher risk of developing it now. But this is different than last time. Samantha's blood pressure is now dangerously high.We simply have to reduce some of this anxiety she's under right now.”
“Well, can we bring the twins in here?” I ask her. “Can't they be checked out here, in this room, where Sam can see them?”
“I really don't know if that's a good idea,” she says.
“Of course, it's a good idea,” I shoot back, not meaning to sound belligerent. “Look at her! The twins have been missing for nearly twelve hours. Basically kidnapped out of our yard, and my wife has been going nuts that entire time! Now you tell me how seeing them safe and sound won't help lower her blood pressure?”
“Lieutenant, hospital policy …”
“Pardon my French, but fuck hospital policy,” I say loudly, glaring at the doctor for a moment. I turn to our moms. “Would you two go get the twins, please. Cubicle 16.”
“Of course,” Lois says, and she and Mom turn and exit the room.
“Lieutenant Pierce …”
“Excuse me, but I couldn't help overhearing this little conversation,” Lucas says, stepping into the cubicle. “Dr. Lake, I know you're aware of our family's generous support of this hospital over the years. In fact our mother, who just stepped out to get her grandchildren, sits on the board of this hospital … are you aware of that?”
“Yes, Mr. Colby,” she says, her face reddening slightly.
Lucas nods his head. “Then I don't even need to finish my speech, do I?”
She hesitates a moment. “No, sir,” she quietly agrees, turning back to Sam's medical chart.
Lucas puts his hands in his pockets and turns toward us. “How you doing, Pita?” he asks softly, and I can see the concern in his eyes.
“I'll be better once I see my babies,” she says softly.
“Karen told me to tell you to hang in there,” he says, smiling at her.
“What is she doing up at this awful hour?” Sam asks.
Lucas' smile gets bigger. “She's been worried sick. Just like the rest of us. And I just called Meg. She made me promise to let her know the minute anything happened.”
“Lucas, thank you for staying at the house when we got the call about the twins,” I tell him.
“No problem. I've got some info for you,” he says, looking at me pointedly. “But we can talk about that later.”
I nod at him, knowing that this must be about the security issue, but before I can comment Lois walks into the cubicle carrying Livvie in her arms. Mom is right behind her with Leo.
“Mommy!” They cry out for her in unison.
“Oh, my God!” Samantha bursts into tears when she sees them, and she tries to sit up.
“Wait a minute, baby,” I tell her as I adjust the automatic bed, raising it up into a sitting position. She reaches for them with eager hands.
“Careful,” I mumble as Lois lowers Livvie onto the bed and into Samantha's arms. I take Leo from Mom and gently sit him on the bed next to her. She wraps both her arms around them as tight as she can manage with her IV. And I can't help the smile of relief I feel at seeing them in her arms where they belong.
“Oh, my beautiful babies; I am so happy to see you!”
“Mommy, we goed for a ride,” Leo tells her.
“I know you did. But you scared Mommy half to death and you must never ever do that again, okay?”
“Kay,” they say in stereo.
With her arms still embracing them, she reaches out her hand to me, and I take it, holding it tightly in both of mine. “Thank you,” she mouths to me. I bend down, bringing her hand to my lips, and kissing the back of it.
“We actually ran into the doctor when we went to get them,” Mom says, looking from me to Sam.
“What'd she say?” I ask.
“She said they're both perfectly fine. No signs of … any sort of trauma,” she says, trying to be delicate. But I know what she means, and I a
m hugely relieved. The thought of some sick fuck touching my kids inappropriately makes me want to split someone's head in two. Sam and I exchange a grateful glance at that news.
Half an hour later, the doctor is amazed when Samantha's blood pressure is almost back down to the normal range. Almost. It is still elevated, but nothing like it was when she was brought in. And thankfully, the pain that brought her here hasn't returned. Baby boy Pierce has shown no signs of distress the entire time.
“Does this mean I can go home?” Sam asks. And the doctor looks at her with a dubious expression.
“Samantha, I really would like to admit you. Just so that you can get some much needed rest.”
“Dr. Lake … do you honestly believe that I would be able to rest here alone? Without my children, who have been missing for half a day!”
There's a visible battle of wills as they eye one another. Finally, the doctor looks away, checking the monitors again as she sighs. “Alright. I'm going to let you go home. Only because I believe you might rest better there. But I want to caution you both,” she says, looking from Samantha to me. “You are not out of the woods. This extreme stress has a direct effect on your blood pressure. If it remains elevated, it can become detrimental to the baby. I want to see you in my office in two days to keep a watch on it. Do we have a deal?”
“She'll be there,” I assure her.
“Okay. And if you experience any more pain, come in immediately,” Dr. Lake instructs.
Feeling more than slightly relieved to be taking my family home, safe and sound, I stand and run my hands through my hair as I take a deep breath. What a fucking day this has been. Checking my watch, I note that it's after 3 am, and I suddenly feel so tired. But I know that it's not over yet. This little game … it's nowhere near finished, and the stakes just got raised a few notches.
I watch as Mom gathers the kids' coats from Lee, and she and Lois take charge of them while I help Sam get dressed. And as our little entourage prepares to leave the hospital, I spot Dave Conner standing at the nurses station.
“Dave. I thought you'd gone home by now,” I tell him as I stand with my arm around Samantha's waist.
“I've got some news you should hear,” he says, glancing Sam's way. I look at Sam and lightly squeeze her to me.
“It's okay,” I reply. “Whatever it is, you can say it.” I'm done keeping her in the dark under the guise of 'protecting her.'
“I made a call to a buddy of mine who works at the Washington State Penn as a prison guard. He wasn't too happy about the hour, but I reminded him that he owed me one,” Dave says.
“I'm not even going to ask,” I tell him, and he smiles.
“Well, it turns out he knows both subjects well because he just happens to work in their cell block. Seems Scruggs and Echols spent the last four years as neighbors. They weren't cellmates, but they were in the same section. And they spent a lot of time together, talking and comparing notes. Guess they took a liking to one another since they were in for similar crimes.”
“I knew it,” I mutter quietly. “I knew there was a connection.”
“Who's Scruggs?” Samantha asks, looking from me to Conner.
“I will fill you in on everything in the car, okay?” I say, looking her in the eye. “I promise.”
She nods at me, and I turn back to Conner. “So, that son of a bitch sent Scruggs our way.”
“Maybe not,” Conner says. “According to my friend, it was no secret around the cell block that Scruggs had a short list of people he was gunning for when he got out. The woman … Sarah Townsend, was at the top of the list. As was the female public defender who handled his case. Lucky for her, she got married and left the country three years ago. But your name was on that list too.”
“My name? Because I arrested him?”
“Yep. Guess Scruggs feels that if you hadn't caught up to him that night, he wouldn't have spent the last thirteen years in prison.”
“So he and Echols bonded over their mutual hatred for me. Nice,” I say with a smirk.
“Yeah, well … that may be how it began,” Conner says. “But there's no question that Sam plays into it as well. I mean, Echols had Scruggs showering her with weird gifts and phone calls for a reason.”
“Yeah,” I mumble, remembering the comment about Sam in the note. I feel her sag against me and I look down at her. She looks as wiped out as the twins do. “I'm taking my family home, Dave. Thanks for everything today, man.”
“No problem. Lindy was real relieved when I gave her call and told her the twins had been located,” he says, referring to his wife.
“Go home and give that little girl of yours a hug from her Uncle Josh and Aunt Samantha.”
He smiles at me. “I will do that.”
We all head out then, and on the ride home, as promised, Lee and I fill Samantha in on the whole sordid tale. All about Bo Scruggs and how our lives intersected one random night. And I tell Lee everything that Conner told us before we left the hospital.
By the time we all pile out of the cars and into the house, I am bone tired, but I know that I can't stop now. Running on fumes, I still have things to do before I can sleep. And first on my agenda is taking care of Sam.
The twins are completely zonked out. They both fell asleep in Mommy's arms back at the hospital, and I have no doubt that they'll sleep for hours after their adventure. Samantha, on the other hand, I fear might be a challenge.
I find her in the nursery, quietly supervising as Mom and Lois put the twins to bed, and I wrap my arms around her from behind. She leans into me as I hold her. “Baby, I know that you're going to have a hard time hearing this right now because you don't want to let them out of your sight,” I whisper in her ear. “And believe me, I get that. But they're going to sleep for hours, Sam. Why don't you go to bed too?”
She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Then she turns to look up at me. “Are you coming too?”
“I have a few things I need to take care of first. But I promise that I'll come join you as soon as I'm done. Will you keep the bed warm for me?” I ask her. Studying her eyes, I can tell that she wants to protest. But she is so tired. She nods her head in agreement, and I slowly lead her across the hall to our bedroom. I help her get out of her clothes and into some pajamas, and then put her to bed, lightly kissing her forehead. I sit with her for a few minutes, and it doesn't take long for her to fall asleep.
Kissing her forehead once more, I quietly leave the room and venture back downstairs to the kitchen where I find Lee and Lucas sitting at the table. Mom is making a pot of coffee.
“Mom, why don't you go home and get some sleep?” I tell her.
“Don't be silly,” she says, never looking up from her task. “I'm not going home while you and Samantha need me. I'm going to make this pot of coffee for you men, 'cause I can tell you've got some sort of strategy session brewing. And then I'm going upstairs to lie down in the guest room.”
I smile to myself at her words. And I know better than to try and argue with her. “Where's Lois?” I ask.
“She's upstairs, sitting in the nursery. We're taking shifts.”
My smile gets bigger. Four years ago when I first met the woman, I never would have imagined Lois Colby doing something so maternal. But she's been amazing the last fifteen or so hours.
When the coffee is brewed and poured, and Mom heads upstairs to sleep, I'm left alone at the table with Lucas and Lee. We talk in more detail about Scruggs and Echols. And I know that Dave has already issued a fresh warrant for Scruggs' arrest. Problem is, no one seems to know where to find the bastard.
“You should both be in bed,” I say with a tired sigh as I stare into my cup of steaming coffee.
“Yeah, well … it's been one hell of a night. And it's not exactly over, is it?” Lee says. “I'll sleep when my family's safe.”
I can't help but smile at his words. Lee and I have always been more like father and son than friends. Even back when I was a kid and getting thumped on
by my real old man. His total adoption of me as one of his own still surprises me at times.
“So, Lucas … you said you had some information for me?” I ask him.
“Mmm,” he mumbles, swallowing a sip of his coffee. “Thanks for reminding me. Hang on.” He gets up and ventures into the family room, and I look at Lee with a frown. He shrugs his shoulders at me. Lucas is only gone a few seconds, and he returns carrying a manila folder in his hands. He sighs as he sits back down.
“Okay. So, security is finally in place,” Lucas says. “Martin has set up two, six-man teams to patrol the grounds in two twelve-hour shifts each day. Plus a close protection detail for Samantha, and one for the twins. That's a total of eight men. He asked if he should set one up for you too, but I just looked at him like he was nuts,” he smiles.
“Good call,” I say, laughing slightly.
“This is the file on your team,” he says, sliding the folder across the table to me. “It's got all the pertinent background information on each member. They were all hand-picked by Martin so, you can rest assured they know their shit. The point man, Clayton, will be expecting to meet with you within the next couple of days to talk about protocol. Things like setting up CCTV cameras and where, whether or not you're going to want a presence inside the house or not, how you and Sam are going to want things done concerning the children … that sort of thing.”
“Six-man teams?” I ask, sounding surprised. “That seems big.”
“Well, it's a large property,” Lucas answers with a frown. “And if I were you, I would assign half of them to the edge of the woods down there.”
I take a deep breath and run my hands anxiously through my hair. And I shake my head slightly because I know that he has a point.
“The woods worry me too. God, when I think about all the times over the last four years that Lee and I have gone into those woods to hunt, and left Sam here alone with the twins. Sometimes for two or three days at a time,” I say quietly. And my voice breaks as I try to push back the terrifying thoughts running through my mind.
“Would you listen to yourselves!”
Samantha's voice takes me by surprise, and we all turn to see her standing at the bottom of the back staircase.
Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set Page 98
