“Jake should be arriving there anytime. They got quite a head start on us so keep an eye out for him.”
“How did you get The Lord’s helicopter? I’m sure it wasn’t offered to you willingly.”
“The Gladiator can be very persuasive.”
Rob chuckled, glad that he’d had the special ops soldier watching his friend’s back. “Did he sustain any injuries?”
“Negative. Not a Goddam scratch on him.”
“He’s one of the best. I’m glad he was there with you.”
“He saved my ass, that’s for sure. Took out two men in the blink of an eye. I like this guy, Rob. He may just be headed for a promotion.”
“Yeah, well, I think he’s earned some time off first. You included, Gary.”
“Yeah. I think I’m going to take the family back to the States for a break. Catch up with the folks.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’m going to hang around here for a while and make sure Kate and Jake are okay.”
Rob could hear the sound of a helicopter overhead and realized that it must be Jake. “Gary, I think Jake’s just arrived. I gotta go.”
“We’ll be there shortly, too. Can you meet us on the rooftop? We have a present for you.”
“A present?”
“Yeah. I think you’re really going to like it.”
“Oh?”
“Can’t say any more. Just meet us on the rooftop. We’ll see you shortly.”
With that Gary hung up, leaving Rob confused but without time to analyze it. He raced back into emergency and awaited Jake.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Kate had had a restless night since her parents and Jake had gone. She was grieving for Jake, not knowing what had happened to him or if he was still alive. Darla had come in during the night at Kate’s request to administer some more pain medication. Her internal injuries were causing her grief, as were her broken bones and head trauma. The last twenty-four hours had seemed like a dream but she knew it had been real. Jake had been beside her when she’d woken and now he was gone. A piece of herself had vanished with him and now it felt like there was a gaping chasm in her chest where her heart had been. It didn’t seem fair to have him back in her life only to have him ripped away again.
In the next instant, her mind flicked to Carlos and how he had lied her. A man she’d let into her private world and opened herself up to as far as her emotions were concerned. That hurt more than anything. Knowing she had trusted him enough to let herself start to feel happiness again. Her father’s instincts had been right. Her instincts had been right. Maybe if she’d pushed a little harder when they’d first met she could have avoided the extra pain that came from finding out the truth after she’d let her guard down. It was something she didn’t do easily.
An announcement brought her back into the moment. It was in Italian but sounded urgent. She heard a nurse hurry past her door, answering whatever call had been made, thankful that it wasn’t herself they were rushing to.
Pushing up onto her elbows, trying to find a position that would help ease her malaise, she moved partly onto her side so that she faced the door. Thoughts turned back to Jake and the way he had caressed her and kissed her before he disappeared. She wanted to feel his beautiful mouth massaging hers with their plump softness. The way her body responded to his even with life-threatening injuries. Without a doubt he had brought her out of the coma in record time. There was no possible way that she should have even been conscious yet. She’d been so close to death and then endured extensive surgery. She should have been in a coma for weeks, not days. The medical staff had told her how miraculous her recovery had been. They’d never seen anything like it. There had been more at play than just being young and healthy, that’s for sure. It was almost like Jake’s ethereal energy had been strong enough to pull her from the brink.
Snippets of images, whether real or made up had her closing her eyes so as to immerse herself in their vividness. Naked on a beach, clinging to Jake’s rock hard body as he hovered above her, his face an open book of desire, eyes scorching, chest heaving, listening to his gravelly voice chant her name on the crest of a wave of pleasure.
The hospital faded as she became lost to the dream or memory, whatever it was.
A massive house flashed into her mind’s eye. Large windows. Timber inside. Black satin. A bed large enough to get lost in. They were all pieces of a giant puzzle that would require piecing together at some stage. Jake was pulling her onto the black satin and nothing was going to stop her from drowning in the tsunami of sensation.
And then without warning a sudden feeling of Jake being nearby gripped her as she looked to the door and the sounds of an arriving emergency filled the halls once again. She gripped the sheets in fear.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
It wasn’t long before the emergency department was sent into bedlam once again. With Jake’s arrival, doctors were swarming around the oblivious patient, questioning the medics who, even though they were American from the military base, could speak basic Italian. It was enough to relay information about their patient to the staff so they knew what they were dealing with.
Rob was at Jake’s bedside as soon as he appeared through the elevator doors. With a chest wound that had previously undergone surgery, the medics needed to determine what course of action would follow.
Rob hung back with the military medics to ask how Jake was.
“Sir, his heart and lung function is good now. We’ve managed to stabilize the tachycardia. Blood pressure normal. We checked the surgical wound while in transit and it appears to be healing well. Other than that, it’s hard to tell. He’s been unconscious the whole time, so we were unable to glean anything about his mental state.”
Rob grimaced and changed the subject. “What are your instructions now? Do you have to wait for Gary?”
“Yes, sir. Do you know his arrival time?”
Rob looked at his watch. Fifteen minutes had already elapsed since Jake’s arrival so Gary should be landing shortly. “He’ll be here soon. I suggest we head up to the rooftop to wait.”
“Affirmative.”
By the time they stepped outside onto the roof from the stairwell, they could spot the chopper in the distance with its lights on. The sky had lightened with the dawning of a new day with the sun having risen but still low in the sky. It had seemed a lifetime ago since Rob had stood in the same spot watching Kate’s body get wheeled from the helicopter into the hospital. He hoped this was the last time he’d have to stand awaiting the arrival of someone he cared about.
It took around ten minutes for the chopper to hover slowly to the ground. The Gladiator was the first one to open his door and Rob could see the large man disembark backwards while aiming his rifle at the pilot. The back door then opened as Gary and a stranger alit. Rob’s eyes briefly met the stranger’s and for a second he thought the man looked familiar but needed to get to his friend.
Rob rushed over to Gary, momentarily ignoring the other man.
“Shit, Gary! You look like you’ve been to hell and back!”
“It’s great to see you too, Rob.” Gary attempted a smile but it was more of a wince.
Seeing that Gary was upright, he turned his attention on The Gladiator, who stood against the open door of the chopper with his gun still aimed on the pilot, who sat unmoving with a solemn look on his face.
The Gladiator nodded at Gary and even managed a slight smirk, which was as good as a smile on the unemotional soldier’s face. “Sir. Good to see you again.”
Rob walked to The Gladiator and gave him a hearty slap on the back in a show of macho praise. “Well done, soldier. You’ve been an essential element to this mission. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Thank you. Just doing my job.”
“I know but it’s a job you’ve done exceptionally well.”
The soldier almost looked uncomfortable but compliments were always something Rob fed his staff and The Gladiator was no different.
Gary piped up with the latest set of instructions. Return to base. I want the pilot held for interrogation at headquarters along with this man here.” He pointed to Carlos. “We need to find out all they know about The Organization and exactly what part they played in it. When I’m done here, I’ll call and get you to come get me. It may be a couple of days, though.”
“Yes, sir.” The Gladiator saluted Gary before getting into the chopper next to the pilot to wait.
Rob was suddenly curious. “Who is this? You said he’s from The Organization. He looks familiar.” He pointed to Carlos who hadn’t uttered a word.
“This, my friend, is my present to you.”
Rob looked confused. “Present? What are you talking about?”
Gary smiled through his pain. “Robert Fitzpatrick, I’d like you to meet none other than Carlos Santini!”
It hit Rob then. He’d seen Carlos’ face in the image Gary had emailed him during the flight to Italy. He couldn’t believe the scruffy looking man standing before him was the same man in the photo. And yet, now that he looked into his enemy’s face, he knew without a doubt they were one and the same.
He didn’t hesitate in lunging for Carlos. Grabbing him by the shirt front and balling it in his fist, he pulled Carlos in closer. “You! You’re the prick who has caused all this to my family, you parasite! Do you have any idea what I want to do to you right now? Huh?”
Before he could stop himself his fist was pulled back and he had punched Carlos in the face, hard and fast. It knocked Carlos backward but Rob still had him by the shirt with one hand, so he pulled Carlos forward, keeping him on his feet so he could throw another three good punches.
Rob could hear teeth cracking under his fingers and it egged him on harder.
Carlos’ face was covered in blood, his nose spread out to double its original size.
Gary stepped in. “Okay, Rob. I know you want to finish this but we need to keep him alive for questioning, remember?”
Rob’s knuckles were bleeding but rage kept him numb. “My daughter cared for you, fuckwit! Look at what you’ve gone and done. She’s lying in this very hospital because of you!”
Carlos froze, blood pouring from his mouth and nose and two swelling eyes. He appeared confused. “What? She’s here? In hothpital?” His speech had been impaired by the loss of some teeth.
“Don’t give me that look of, ‘I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!’ You put her here. She fell and I know you’re responsible somehow. Was she running from you? Was that it?” Rob was screaming, finally getting his chance to let out all the pent up emotion that weighed him down.
Carlos was still swaying from being hit numerous times. “She was fine when I left. Well, she wasn’t fine. She had been sick, but I assure you, I didn’t push her from anything.”
Rob couldn’t hear anything other than his own anger. “You lying piece of dirt! You make me sick!” He was shaking hard, unable to rein in his temper.
Gary interjected again. “Look, standing out here squabbling isn’t going to solve anything. Rob, I know you’re angry and you have every right to be, but we need to get him back to base and let my men handle him. You’ve proved your point.”
“Proved my point! Fuck that, Gary! I’m only just getting started with this shit for brains!”
“Look, if you want, you can return to Rome with me once I recover to make sure he gets what he deserves.”
Rob’s face twisted. “Christ. You keep me out of the final showdown. I was sitting here going out of my mind and now you bring me the one person I have wanted to terminate for so long and you’re letting him walk away? What about my family, Gary? What about other people’s families that he’s hurt through the drug trade?”
“I know. I really do. But killing this son of a bitch will be too good for him. Think about it. We’ll use him to get all the information we need and then we’ll send him away to rot in some jail for the rest of his days. He’ll wish we had killed him. I’ll even let you wail on him some more before the keys are thrown away.”
Rob could see the logic in it but still thought keeping the guy alive was too good for him.
“Fine, but I’m returning with you to Rome. I want to see his ass get hauled through the dirt and want to be there when that key gets thrown away.”
“You have my word.”
Just as Gary was about to walk Carlos away, Rob took another swing into Carlos’ stomach good and hard, winding the criminal. “That’s for my brother. You may not have pulled the trigger but you’re no different than the guy who did!”
“Here, Gary, let me!” Rob reefed Carlos away from Gary, dragging him to the chopper then literally throwing him inside before slamming the door and giving The Gladiator the okay to take off.
Rob put his arm around Gary’s shoulders to help him walk into the hospital. “I still feel like I’ve been short-changed, Gary.”
“I know but I’ll make sure the guy suffers in prison. You know I will.”
It gave Rob little comfort but what could he do. At least Kate was free of Carlos now. She would be safer because of it.
“How’s Jake?”
“Still out of it but they were taking him for some scans to determine just what sort of patch up job was done on his chest wound.”
“The guy’s been through a lot. I hope he makes a full recovery.”
“Me too.”
Once inside the hospital Gary was finally seen by the first available doctor. His shoulder wound was sterilized and dressed, his nose cleaned up and then he was taken for x-rays of his knee and chest.
Rob went to get a strong coffee and then sat and waited for eight o’clock when visiting hours started. He’d be meeting Jenny in Kate’s room.
Rob looked at the time. It was 7 a.m. He only had to wait an hour. That would give him just enough time to try and get his head around the couple of days and enjoy his morning coffee before delivering the news to his daughter that she’d been praying for.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Kate dozed and then woke again at around 7:30 a.m. to Maria coming in to check on her. Darla had gone home an hour ago at the end of her shift. Kate was panicked.
“Good-a morning, Kate!” Maria said. a little too cheery for being early morning as she pushed a wheelchair into the room.
“I need to see Jake!”
Maria stopped at Kate’s rudeness and scowled, “I don’t-a know what-a you say.”
Frustrated, Kate spoke louder, “A man named Jake is here. I need to see him.”
Maria strode over to the bed, trying to push Kate back down onto the bed. “Miss Kate! You-a need to-a settle down. I don’t-a know Jake. I have-a some good news, though. This morning we get-a you up into chair to go-a to bathroom.”
Kate exhaled, only slightly appeased. Maybe if she was allowed out of bed she could go and see Jake. No one had told her he was here but she knew. She could feel him close.
“How-a is your pain?”
“It’s not too bad at the moment. I was given pain relief last night and haven’t needed any more.”
“Good. Breakfast will be-a here soon. You eat and I come-a back then.”
“Fine!” Kate huffed. She knew this woman wouldn’t help her find Jake so she would wait for her parents to arrive.
Still only eating light food, some mushy oats with a drizzle of honey were brought in with a cup of white coffee. Maria had agreed that coffee should be okay seeing as though it was liquid and the mushy oats would be easier to digest than a full on cooked breakfast.
Kate was hungry, and even though the oats hadn’t looked particularly appetizing, once she took the first bite she dug into it like it would be her last meal. The coffee, as weak as it was, seemed to be just what she needed in order to start feeling half human again. With her stomach having shrunk and only being fed through a drip, she was full to the brim when she’d finished, satisfied and looking forward to the visit from her parents.
Her dreams had been all ab
out Jake earlier that morning. They’d both been standing in a long tunnel. Kate was running as fast as she could towards him but she didn’t appear to be gaining any ground. He was standing far away with his arm outstretched towards her and that riveting smile engulfing his handsome face. She desperately needed to reach him but something was holding her back.
Jake called out, “Hurry, Kate. We don’t have much time.”
“I’m trying. I can’t seem to get any closer.”
“You can do it, baby. I know you can. Keep trying.”
She did keep trying with all the force she could muster but it was no use. She was stuck. And then she noticed Jake getting smaller and smaller as she screamed out his name. “Jake! Don’t go! Wait! Don’t leave me! I need you!”
With that she’d woken up, disoriented and with sweat on her brow, as if she had physically been trying to run through the tunnel. Her breathing was labored and it had taken her a minute to get her bearings and realize it had been a dream. More of a nightmare, really.
Now as she lay in bed waiting for her breakfast tray to be taken away, she hoped it wasn’t some crazy omen letting her know that Jake hadn’t made it.
No. Don’t think that. He’s going to be fine. I still feel him. Unless…
What if she could feel him even if he was dead? What if she would always feel him? A new urgent fear consumed her. She wasn’t going to rest until she either saw him or was told that he was okay.
She took deep breaths trying to calm herself down. The oats in her stomach now felt like a rock had settled there.
She had to try and think about something else to stop herself losing it. She was getting up and out of bed soon. That would need all her attention. Just to get blood moving to her extremities would be a blessing.
Maria returned. She removed the breakfast tray from the bed to a spare space of wall to await collection. She pushed the wheelchair brought in earlier over to the bed.
She lifted away Kate’s blankets and proceeded to explain what she wanted Kate to do.
Instinctual 2 Page 17
