Her Undercover Defender

by Debra Webb

  “That’s okay.” She smiled. “I’m past the stage where I need the extra shifts just to get by.”

  “That’s good news,” he replied. “At this stage, my patient will get bored quickly waiting for test results. He could use your company if you have time.”

  She was immediately curious about the situation, but she knew better than to ask outside of his office. Many of his projects were sensitive, proprietary developments. “I’m happy to stop by and say hello.”

  “I appreciate that. I’ll get your name on the visitors’ list as soon as I’m back upstairs.”

  Terri smiled. Dr. Palmer was a rock star in the biotech field, and getting into his ward when he had a patient was often like gaining access to a hot nightclub in New York.

  Franklin slid out of the booth. “Now I must drop in on a certain new employee in HR.”

  Terri laughed. “If you scare him away...” Franklin could be more than a little intimidating when he wanted to be.

  “Then we’ll know for sure he wasn’t good enough for you.”

  “Ha-ha. Just play nice,” she warned.

  “You have my word,” he replied, giving her shoulder a squeeze as he left.

  Terri finished her lunch, her mind on the family she’d started with and the family of friends she was building. Change was an inevitable part of life and for the first time in a long while, she wasn’t afraid of what new surprise was waiting around the corner.

  When she returned to her floor, the spring in her step faded as all eyes turned her way. It seemed everyone was gathered near the nurses station. Waiting for her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Not a single thing.” Janet beamed at her and pointed to a lush bouquet filling the space between two monitors. “Those just arrived from Flower Ever After. For you.”

  “Oh.” It was all she could manage. The florist on King Street was considered one of the best in the area for any occasion. A frosted glass vase in pale pink anchored an exquisite arrangement of pale white lilies, bright tulips and deep glossy holly.

  “Go on, open the card.”

  “Right.” Her hand shook as she reached for the small white envelope, trying to keep her expectations in check. It was clear that “little bird” had told quite a few people about her possibly-a-date last night, but this was likely Trey’s way of sucking up rather than a romantic gesture from David.

  She couldn’t hold back the smile as she read the brief message in David’s handwriting:

  To chase away first date jitters.

  —David.

  “Well?” Janet clearly spoke for the entire group staring at her. “It’s from the new hunk in HR, isn’t it?”

  She laughed. The nickname given to David was too ridiculous. Fitting but ridiculous. “Yes.”

  “Give us details.”

  “No,” Terri said, burying her nose in the soft fragrance of the cheerful flowers. “We have patients to take care of.”

  “One detail,” Janet begged, leading a chorus of agreement.

  Terri pretended to think about it. “Two details.” Everyone’s eyes lit up. “He’s a perfect gentleman,” she said, ignoring the ensuing groans. “And that new mac-and-cheese place on King Street is fabulous.”

  She shooed them all back to work and tucked the card into her pocket, not wanting to let it out of her sight. What did it mean that he’d written the note himself rather than just call in an order? With the sweet scent of the lilies tickling her nose, she warned herself not to read too much between the lines of what appeared to be a romantic gesture.

  Rushing headlong into something serious could break their friendship, and that was the last thing she wanted.

  * * *

  DAVID HAD HAD better days. He’d slept fitfully, dreaming of Terri. Giving up on sleep, he’d rolled out of bed for an early workout. After he’d showered and dressed, with his first cup of coffee in hand, he checked the bugs at the Barnhart place. Hearing the unmistakable return of Terri’s brother, he’d nearly choked.

  Casey’s team was already analyzing every word the bugs had caught, and David had known it was time to up his game. He ordered the flowers for Terri on his way to work and then had been caught up in meetings all day. Her shift would be over in less than two hours. Sketchy brother or not, he’d had a good time last night, and after that kiss sending flowers seemed like the right thing to do. He didn’t want to come off as overeager, but he didn’t want her thinking he was a jerk, either. At least not any sooner than necessary.

  He’d barely settled at his desk when the text alert came through that Dr. Palmer had admitted his patient for a procedure earlier this morning. It put him in full agreement with the analysts that Trey’s return to the States at this time was no coincidence. The doctor’s research wasn’t widely publicized, making David wonder how Rediscover had known when to send Trey in.

  If he could just get upstairs to see Terri. It would be nice to know if she liked the flowers, but he really wanted firsthand assurance that she was okay with Trey’s return. Although the HR post kept him busy, the lack of a physical challenge gave him far too much time to think about the potential threats and the woman who might be unknowingly caught up in a problem beyond her comprehension.

  He was almost antsy by the time he was finally able to get a few minutes away from his desk. It was impossible not to think about what kind of reaction was waiting for him upstairs. Maybe flowers had been a mistake. He didn’t want her booting him to the curb right when Casey needed him to stick close.

  Reminding himself of his primary job, David swung by the security desk and said hello to a couple of guys he played racquetball with. It gave him an excuse to make sure everything was running smoothly in and around the hospital. With nothing obviously out of place, he headed for the main lobby elevators to check on Terri. He planned to walk the corridors near Palmer’s research wing on his way back to his desk.

  When the elevator arrived, David stepped inside, along with several other people, and asked for Terri’s floor. When he looked up, Trey was jogging to catch the same car. The person closest to the buttons held the door, and David shifted back to make more room. Trey checked the lit buttons and faced the closing doors without requesting another floor. David wasn’t surprised he was going to see his sister and he was relieved Trey hadn’t pushed the number for Palmer’s floor.

  In the polite hush, David studied Trey. Either the file had been out-of-date, or he had been working out—hard—while he was off the radar. David reluctantly gave him credit for regaining the athleticism the accident had stolen.

  When the doors parted on Terri’s floor, Trey exited quickly and turned for the nurses station. David waited until the last moment, then stepped out and turned down the hall in the opposite direction. He cut through the central patient lounge, coming at the nurses station from the reverse side. He leaned against the wall outside a patient’s room and pulled out his phone. He sent a text message to the director while he listened, hoping to get a better sense of how things were between the Barnhart siblings.

  “Is Terri here?” David heard Trey ask. Did he really believe surprising her at work was a good idea? Based on the little his bugs had caught last night, David didn’t think so.

  “Well, well. Trey Barnhart, as I live and breathe.”

  David peeked around the corner at the new voice. Terri’s friend Suzette was advancing on Trey, her face fierce and angry. “What are you doing here?”

  “Hi, Suzette. I’m home for the break and—”

  “Don’t you lie to me.” Suzette jerked him toward the small kitchen behind the nurses station, and David lost the rest of the conversation. The body language told a pretty clear story. Suzette had Trey pinned back against the glass wall and was reading him the riot act. Apparently Terri had confided in Suzette about her brother’s disappearance.

  When Suzette allowed Trey to leave the kitchen, his face was flushed. His hands fisted at his sides and he was clearly struggling for self-control.

  “Wait here,
” Suzette ordered Trey. “I’ll find her.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Suzette snorted. “Give me a reason to call Security,” she challenged.

  David seconded that statement, studying Trey as Suzette went to find Terri. He wasn’t happy about the delay or interference, but he was pulling himself together. Before David could scold himself for wanting the brother to make a mistake, Terri was hurrying toward him.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  He gave her points for composure, though he could see the tension in the set of her mouth and the small furrow between her eyebrows.

  “I thought we could have lunch.”

  “I’ve already been to lunch. You should’ve called,” Terri replied.

  “Come on, give me five minutes. Someone can cover while we grab a coffee, right?”

  Alarms went off in David’s head. Had Trey already put something in motion for Rediscover? Was he trying to get Terri out of the way?

  “No. Thank you,” she added. “I’ll be home right after shift.”

  “Which ends when?” Trey asked, exasperated.

  “Three at the earliest.” She glanced around. “You need to go. I thought you said you were working today.”

  David made mental notes to piece together this chat with the conversation the bugs had picked up last night. Hopefully, the team could come up with a working theory.

  “Telecommuting.” He shrugged. “I set my own hours.”

  Cocky, David thought, his irritation mounting.

  “Lucky you.”

  “That’s right,” Trey agreed. “It’s a good job and I have a purpose. Isn’t that what you said you always wanted for me?”

  David gritted his teeth as Terri nodded her agreement.

  “That doesn’t mean you can waltz in here,” she warned, “whenever you want and put my job at risk.”

  “As if you don’t have the right connections to smooth over any trouble,” Trey challenged.

  That was pushing the line. David’s irritation inched closer to anger. If Trey had been like this frequently, Terri deserved a medal for not leaving him to fend for himself. After everything Terri had done, she didn’t deserve this crap from the only family she had left.

  “You need to leave now,” Terri said, backing away from her brother. “I need to get back to my patients.”

  “I can’t believe you won’t make time for me,” Trey grumbled. “Are those flowers for you?”

  “No,” she answered quickly. “A patient was discharged before they arrived.”

  “You’re lying.”

  And David wondered why. Trey’s snide laughter scraped at his nerves.

  “That’s why you don’t want me in the house. I’ll get between you and whoever you’re banging.” He laughed again. “You weren’t worried at all.”

  David’s hands clenched and it took all his control to stay out of it.

  “That’s enough,” Terri said in her brisk, official voice. “I don’t have time to convince you otherwise, Trey. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll see you at home.”

  “Sure.” Trey shoved his hands deep into his pockets and stalked toward the elevator.

  David was torn. He needed to follow Trey—and he would—but Terri looked upset. He counted to three and rounded the corner, sending her a warm smile when her eyes landed on him.

  “Hey,” he said, pretending he’d missed that train wreck. “You like the flowers?” He tipped his head toward the arrangement behind her.

  “They’re beautiful.” She glanced around, saw they were alone and reached across the desk, giving his hand a quick squeeze. “Thank you. I’d chat more, but I—” her gaze slid toward the elevators and back “—I’m running behind.”

  “Can I see you tonight?”

  “I’d like that...”

  “But?”

  She motioned him toward the kitchen and a bit more privacy. “Trey came home.”

  “What?” Inwardly, David breathed a sigh of relief that she’d told him right away. He didn’t have real cause to doubt her, but it made him feel better that she trusted him. “When?”

  “Late last night,” she said on a sigh. “Total surprise. I can’t get into all of it right now. He looks good,” she said. “In fact, you just missed him.”

  “Huh.” David crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you okay? Did he tell you where he’s been?”

  “I’m not sure I’m all right, but I am relieved,” she admitted.

  “You don’t look it.”

  “It’s just—well...” She rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead. “It’s complicated. Let me spend tonight catching up with my brother. I’ll text you.”

  “Do that. Whatever you need, Terri, count on me.”

  Her eyes went soft. “Thank you.”

  “Take care,” he said as they parted ways.

  David didn’t like this. It might have been unprofessional to put Terri’s feelings ahead of the mission, but he didn’t regret it. He told himself he’d been verifying that she wasn’t willingly tangled up with Trey’s problems. Taking the elevator back to the main lobby, David walked a circuit of the public area. Not seeing Trey, he returned to his desk and used his access to check out the security feed for any sign of the brother on the hospital grounds.

  He picked up someone who resembled Trey heading for the parking garage, and David kept moving through the various camera views to track his progress. There. Trey had gone to the parking garage all right, then back into the hospital through the outpatient entrance.

  “What the hell are you up to?” David muttered at the screen as he watched Trey enter an elevator heading down. He couldn’t think of any reason Trey would need to be in the morgue, which was the only hospital department in the basement. Determined to head off a problem, David left his desk to get eyes on Trey.

  Chapter Six

  David took the stairs two at a time down to the morgue level. If he was lucky, he’d catch Trey causing trouble. The morgue was in the original part of the building. He was betting Trey didn’t know there was only one way out that wouldn’t trip alarms and have the Charleston Police Department flooding the hospital campus.

  He stepped out of the stairwell, easing the door closed so it wouldn’t slam and tip Trey off. He heard the distinct squeak of shoes on the industrial flooring and followed the sounds.

  What could Trey want down here?

  David’s research of MUSC had begun with his training for the HR position, before he’d left the Specialist headquarters. He’d learned the location of every department and lab, and since he’d been on site, he’d personally discovered every shortcut, corner and error on the building plans.

  He heard a door slam farther along the hallway and skidded to a stop. That wasn’t the morgue. The morgue door had been replaced with a secure electronic system. The only other destinations down here were service areas for power, maintenance and infrastructure.

  David swore, moving with more care toward the service access doors, doors that would slam. If he rushed inside, it would be too easy for the brother to get by him and escape. At his current position, he could still cut off Trey if he tried to get back to the main hospital levels.

  Suddenly the lights went out. The hallway was nothing more than a black tunnel with vague glowing smudges from the emergency exit signs. His heart rate picking up, David put his back to the nearest wall and waited. The generators would kick on soon to power safety lighting throughout the hospital as well as the essential medical equipment for patients upstairs.

  As part of orientation, every hospital employee was trained for various types of emergencies from a localized fire to a terrorist attack. Too bad David didn’t know which end of the emergency scale he was dealing with down here.

  Trey didn’t emerge, but David wasn’t ready to give up his post covering the only logical escape route.

  David squinted into the darkness and held his breath to listen for other sounds. If the generators had kicked
in, he couldn’t hear them, and no lights in this area recovered. His gut went cold. To cut both the main power and the redundancy precautions would take a coordinated strike and more than one person.

  He heard the squeak of shoes and pressed back against the wall. A shape loped through the gloom, heading directly for the stairwell. It could only be Trey. Sirens were audible now, even down here. Soon, the hospital would be crawling with police and other personnel eager to sort out the problem. David just had to keep Trey from escaping.

  He leaped out as Trey passed him, driving him into the opposite wall. The air rushed out of his lungs with a loud oof. David dodged Trey’s effort to block him, and his fist glanced off a dark knit mask covering his face. That seemed like an excessive precaution considering the lack of light.

  David tugged at the mask while Trey squirmed, though it was still too dark to make a positive ID. He wanted to pound him for causing trouble, despite the potential of breaking his hand if he missed and hit the concrete wall. He jerked Trey back to the center of the hallway and spun him around. Pushing at the back of his knee, he planned to pin him until the lights came back on.

  Trey had other ideas. Curling into a ball, he rolled out of reach. David lunged and caught a fist full of fabric. He yanked, but Trey shook him off and left him with a useless jacket. What he wouldn’t give for better lighting. His best option was to get the guy turned around and hope he ran the wrong way.

  David went on the offensive, diving low for the guy’s shoes. He caught him at the knee and took a heel to the ribs. In or out of water, David knew how to regulate his breathing. He scrambled for a better angle to get him down again. In the dark, he tripped over the coat. Picking it up, he leaped and wrapped it over Trey’s head.

  The younger man fought to get the jacket off his face. He stumbled backward, his voice muffled but the nature of the language clear enough as he used his body to pin David to the wall. David held on like a sandbur, pulling the jacket tight around his face until his body went slack and his knees buckled.

  “What the hell are you up to, Trey?” he asked as he eased his limp body toward the floor.