Rules of Engagement (Lexi Graves Mysteries, 11)

by Camilla Chafer

  The doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe. I looked toward the floor, waiting patiently before I began to frown. All the doctors and nurses who had passed me on their way to and from Mom's dinner table set-up wore sneakers or very unattractive, rubber slip-ons. This doctor wore a nice pair of dress shoes. Not fancy, shiny ones but something was not quite right.

  In fact, it was very wrong.

  "Doctor?" I said, much firmer now. "Doctor, I need an update."

  The man reached for the drip tube, opening the extra line. I crossed the few steps and grabbed his arm. He twisted around and swung an uppercut, connecting with my ribs, and tossing me back onto the bed against Solomon’s legs. I let out a yelp as he knocked the air out of me. I swung back to deck him, clocking him on the jaw. Pain exploded in my knuckles when my fist connected. He shoved me backwards and reached for the drip, only much more urgently now.

  I jumped on the man's back, dragging his hands from the drip and dug in my nails until he dropped the syringe. He yanked his arm forwards before driving his elbow backwards, right into me. Grunting, I clung on, straining to use my body weight to throw him off balance. When my lungs finally filled, I screamed and Delgado burst through the door.

  The man stumbled backwards, knocking me into Delgado. The two of us fell into a heap, crashing against Solomon's bed and sliding onto the floor.

  The man darted out the door in a flash.

  I scrambled to my feet and raced after him. Fletcher and Flaherty bounded after me.

  A glimpse of his white coat disappeared through the door to the stairwell. I lurched forwards. If this was supposed to be another warning, courtesy of Mooch, I fully intended to catch him and make him pay.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I descended the stairs at a full run, following the white coat as it tore around the corners, two flights ahead of me. Footsteps thundered behind me. I took a second to grab hold of the rail, steadying myself and looking up. Fletcher, Flaherty and Maddox were right behind me. "Solomon?" I nearly heaved his name.

  "Delgado's got him," said Fletcher. "Don’t worry. He's okay."

  I reached the next landing before he could finish talking, then raced forwards and down again, gliding my hand on the railing to stop from stumbling. On the next landing, I jumped over the discarded white jacket and skidded onto the next flight. Below us, a door banged open, then crashed back against its frame. "We need to split up," yelled Fletcher, stumbling when we all reached the bottom within seconds of each other. He grimaced and grabbed his leg, hopping forwards.

  "Are you okay?" I asked.

  "Fine," huffed Fletcher, his eyes wincing with pain. "Was that guy doing what I think he was doing?"

  I nodded. "He tried to inject something into Solomon's drip line. He wasn't a doctor."

  "Figured that out already," grunted Fletcher.

  “Where was the police officer on guard?” I asked. “He was supposed to check everyone!”

  “I don’t know,” said Flaherty.

  "It doesn’t matter right now. Take the left side, we'll take the right," said Maddox. "Is this guy armed?"

  "I only saw a syringe," I said as Maddox eased the door open.

  "What happened? I heard a commotion then I saw the three of you taking off and it occurred to me that I was the only one armed. Am I the only one armed?" He checked. We nodded. "Damn," said Maddox. "I was hoping one of you managed to sneak in a weapon somehow."

  Now probably wasn't the time to tell him he was right and I had accidentally smuggled a gun into the hospital, but right now, it was in Delgado's hand who was guarding the room and had raised the alarm.

  "What did he look like?" asked Maddox.

  "Six foot-ish, maybe a little shorter. Short dark hair. Caucasian. He wore scrubs and dress shoes. The shoes were the identifying factor – they stuck out."

  "The fighting confirmed it," said Fletcher.

  "Let's go," I said. "He must have headed for the parking lot. We need to find out who he is and more importantly, who sent him." I didn't need to say what everyone else must have been thinking: this was not a slapdash, Mikey Gibbs assassination attempt. It was a dangerously audacious move for him to dress as a doctor, strolling past everyone on the ward before he so boldly attempted to inject something into Solomon's drip. Whatever the warning was, the second attempt could only mean it hadn't gotten through to the intended target. This warning could have been the final one. And it could have ended in Solomon's death if I hadn't noticed the man's damn dress shoes!

  Fletcher and Flaherty peeled off, jogging beyond the pillars. Maddox and I moved to the right. "This looks like the east wing exit," he said. "It makes sense that he'd leave this way rather than from the front. It's easier to get lost and he avoids any cameras."

  "Do you think there's a vehicle parked somewhere near?"

  "My guess is he parked up in the east lot, just like the regular... Lexi! Get down!"

  A shot cracked off the pillar behind my head just as Maddox knocked me to the floor, landing on top of me in a tangle of limbs. "Did it hit you?" he asked, his voice low.

  "I don't think so." I patted my head, then my shoulders and sides.

  "First time for everything," said Maddox. He pulled himself upright and we edged around the pillar. With his gun upfront, he peeked around, then pulled back.

  "I didn't even hear the gunshot," I whispered.

  "He's using a silencer. I saw the gun but not the shooter. We need to stay down. We're practically sitting ducks."

  "If we didn't hear it, Fletcher and Flaherty definitely didn't!"

  "They went the other direction. They should be out of harm's way for now. I don't see anyone and I'm not sure I heard any footsteps. We need to move! We can't stay here. He might circle around and try again."

  "I'm with you," I said, shuffling onto my knees. I turned, resting my back against the pillar and looked around for an escape route. Less than twenty feet away was the door from where we just exited. It was slightly ajar. If we went that way, we'd probably have been safe but we might also get shot at — and even hit — in the process. I wasn't a huge fan of that option. Tried it. Didn't like it. Plus, if we got inside, Fletcher and Flaherty were still outside, unarmed, and hunting the wannabe assassin they thought was only armed with a syringe. Maddox and I could split up and try and surround the shooter, but I was unarmed, which put me at a huge disadvantage. That reminded me, "Where did the gun come from?" I asked.

  "Huh?"

  "There's so much security at the entrances. No one can bring in a gun."

  "I did."

  "You're FBI and you have a shiny badge. My brothers had their guns and they're police officers..." I trailed off and gulped.

  "Don't say it," said Maddox as he palmed his face.

  "What if he's an officer too?" I said.

  "I really wish you hadn't said that."

  I gulped. "Me too."

  "Maybe he stashed it somewhere to grab on the way out. It looks like he had an escape route planned."

  "Maybe but I don't see why he'd need one. He obviously thought he was going to get in and out while in full disguise as a doctor. He didn't even plan on shooting Solomon. He only had a syringe."

  "He probably planned on being out of here before we even figured out someone tampered with the medication, but he still had a back-up plan. Lexi, if this guy were a member of the police force, and he took the time to take a pop at you, you're not safe! Did you see his face inside?"

  "Not really. It all happened so fast. I realized he wasn't a doctor, we fought, and he ran."

  "He doesn't know then if you can identify him. All he knows is you two fought and you ran after him. You might be able to identify him. He's not going to leave you alone."

  "In a few minutes, the area should be swarming with police officers," I said before shrieking when another shot hit the pillar, merely inches from my right ear. Maddox grabbed my hand and pulled it and we took off for the front of the hospital. Something grazed my arm and I
stumbled but Maddox didn't stop pulling me along after him, diving between the cars as we ran into the parking lot.

  Far away, came the squeal of police sirens. We didn't stop running until we reached Maddox's SUV. He beeped it open and we climbed in. "Get down and stay down," said Maddox. I hit the floor and Maddox hit the gas, tearing out of the lot.

  "I never even saw him," I said. "Damn. That bullet got my jacket."

  Maddox darted a look down to me. "But not you?"

  I pressed the area and examined my fingers. No blood. "No."

  "Lucky," he muttered.

  "We can't leave Solomon," I said, realizing we were speeding away.

  "We can't stay! Lexi, he just tried to kill you!"

  "But..."

  "I'm taking you to a safe house. We'll get a description out to every cop in the city but until this guy is caught, you need to stay out of sight."

  "I can stay out of sight at the hospital!"

  "He just strolled in past countless police officers! It's way too risky."

  "But... I might recognize him."

  "Who says he'll come back? Mikey Gibbs is already in custody, and there's someone that hired him, and probably someone beyond that who’s calling the shots. Now there's this guy. How many more people are going to be sent after Solomon? And now they could be after you! And don't even get me started on Duncan O'Malley showing up, fresh from the grave!"

  "He's going to look a little deeper into things," I said. "Can I get up now?"

  "No!"

  I slumped in the footwell, my knees up against my chest and my arms tucked around my legs.

  "Sorry," said Maddox. "I just want you to stay out of sight."

  "How do you know he's not following us right now?"

  Maddox rolled his eyes. "Because I'm looking for him," he said. "I am trained for this, though, thinking about it, they should give every cop or agent a Lexi Graves to train with because there's nothing they can't learn with you."

  "Aww," I said, brightening.

  "It's not a compliment! You're terrifying!"

  "Oh."

  "Did he say anything?"

  "No."

  "I suppose it was too much to hope for a soliloquy on why he wanted to kill Solomon." Maddox sighed, then hung a hard right and I bounced against the door.

  "Where are we going?" I asked, splaying my arms to steady myself.

  "There's a safe house not too far from my apartment. We'll go there and lie low."

  "My family will be freaking out! I need to call them. And the hospital! I need to call the hospital!"

  I reached for my phone and found my pocket empty. I thrust a hand into my other pocket and also patted my jeans. "I must have dropped it," I said. "Now they'll definitely think I've been kidnapped."

  "I'll get word you haven’t been. It's a good thing you lost your phone. No one can track you now."

  "You have your phone."

  "No one is trying to kill me!" Maddox scrambled for his phone. I reached for it, but instead of handing it to me, he pulled the SIM card out and switched it off, dropping it into the door pocket. "Just in case," he explained. "There's a burner in the glove compartment. Every cell number you need is plugged into it."

  I popped the compartment and scrabbled in the near empty area until my fingers connected with a small, plastic rectangle. I powered it on and scrolled the phone list, deciding on Delgado. I hit the button and he answered with a terse, "Yes?"

  "It's Lexi," I said.

  "Le —"

  "Don't say my name!" I hissed as Maddox flapped a warning hand.

  "What happened?" asked Delgado. "Fletcher and Flaherty came back. They had your phone but said there was no sign of you. We thought you and Maddox were both kidnapped."

  "Someone took a couple of shots at Maddox and me," I explained. "I think it was the same guy I interrupted. How's Solomon? Are you with him?"

  "I'm here and he's fine. A real doctor checked him over and switched out the drip just to be sure. There was a syringe on the floor that hadn't been dispensed. Garrett bagged it. Solomon is completely unaware. His pulse is strong and he's stable."

  "Thank heavens," I said, the tension draining from me at last. "Does anyone know what was in the syringe?"

  "No clue. Garrett turned up just after the fight and said he'll get it tested. This guy just walked past us! I can't believe I let it happen..."

  "He walked past all of us. We were so distracted that the white coat just looked like any other doctor."

  "Doesn't matter," said Delgado. "I didn't do my job. Where are you now? Are you coming in?"

  "No. Maddox is taking me to a safe house. He thinks they'll have concerns about me identifying the man and that he’ll come after me again especially if he got into the hospital that easy..." I trailed off, waiting for Delgado to tell me to come back, and promise to guard us both.

  "Maddox is right," he said. "You need to stay out of sight until we figure this out. I can't help but think this must be a warning to you after all."

  "But I haven't done anything!" Delgado snorted and I continued, "Not recently anyway. Was there a note?"

  "What kind of note?"

  "If this were a warning, there should be a note. Like 'pay up and he's safe' or 'do this and we'll back off' or something of that nature? Nothing?" I asked when Delgado didn't jump in.

  "Nothing," he confirmed. "But this happened twice now, and both times, in front of you."

  "I don't know what's going on, I swear." I sighed, knowing I could talk about this until I turned blue without getting any closer to what was really going on. "No one gave me any kind of message."

  "Phone call? Text? Maybe a..."

  "No, no, and whatever you were going to ask, no! Maybe someone will call. You have my phone." We hung up after Delgado said he would monitor it.

  "How's Solomon?" asked Maddox.

  "He'll never know a thing. Garrett is getting the syringe tested."

  Maddox turned another corner and we bumped along the road. I had no idea where we were since none of the buildings looked familiar. He turned again, and again and I wondered if we were turning in circles. Finally, Maddox slowed down and turned one last time before we slid into a garage. The door closed and the automatic lights came on. "You can get up now," said Maddox.

  "I don't think I can. My muscles are atrophied and they turned to jelly about ten minutes ago."

  "I could unwind you," he suggested. "Though I'm not sure where to start."

  "No need." I began to stretch, working my way out of the footwell in the most ungainly fashion until I could sit upright on the passenger seat. I popped the door open and climbed out awkwardly. Maddox walked around to join me at my side, then pressed a code into the keypad on the internal door. He pushed the door open and we walked inside. "It's pretty basic," he said, "but it's always stocked in case of emergencies. I can't go out and get anything so we'll have to make do with whatever's here. At least we already had dinner, thanks to your mom."

  "Yay," I said weakly as we stopped in the kitchen. I leaned against the counter, the cold taking over me as I began to shiver. Or was it fear?

  "Hey," said Maddox, walking over. "You're okay."

  "I know." My teeth were chattering.

  "No one will find us here. Solomon will have extra guards on duty. Garrett has enough leads to keep his squad up all night. We will figure this out. Don’t worry; Solomon will get justice."

  "Duncan O'Malley gave me his card," I said. "If I ever needed help."

  "I don't know what is going on between those two but I would be careful about asking for help from a man like O'Malley."

  "He must think a lot of Solomon to risk blowing whatever cover he previously maintained. He must have known I could tell someone he was alive."

  "I agree he risked a lot but to what end? So he could hold this over Solomon for the rest of his life? Or hold it over yours? Men like him don't give out favors and expect nothing in return, and I don’t care what he says."

  "I
asked him to find the guy that hired Mikey Gibbs, " I confessed. "Garrett said Mikey is too strung out to wear a wire."

  I waited for the admonishment but none came. Instead, Maddox said, "I'll check in with Garrett and get an update." He opened the refrigerator. "Do you want a drink?"

  "Water, please."

  "I was hoping for something stronger, but water it is," he said, extracting two bottles and handing one to me. He unscrewed the cap and nearly drank half the bottle in one gulp. "Let's take a look around."

  The whole house was very small. The kitchen opened into the living room with a new, cheap-looking couch and a TV. Two bedrooms and both had a double bed and a stack of clean linens. A clean, serviceable bathroom with a small collection of bathroom items in a plastic bag. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, hairbrushes, small bottles of shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. Shaving foam and a razor. Everything a person in hiding could want.

  "Have you used this place before?" I asked.

  "No, and I probably won't again. These places don't get reused."

  "Who knows about it?"

  "No one at MPD," said Maddox. "That's why I brought you here."

  "I'm really worried about the idea that someone from MPD could be behind this." I followed Maddox into the living room where he flopped down onto the couch and stretched his legs. I sat next to him, and leaned forwards, my elbows on my thighs, unable to settle.

  "It's probably not the case but it's something to think about," he said as he put his phone to his ear. "Garrett. Yeah, I'm with her. I've got her somewhere safe. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Lexi, he wants to speak to you."

  "Garrett?"

  "I have my crime scene guys picking bullets out of walls at the hospital. Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine. It was a narrow miss but we're both okay. Did you catch him?"

  "No, but I'm in the security room now going through the camera footage. I don't have a clear view of this guy. It looks like he evaded every camera and knew when to put his head down, and when to turn his back, or raise a hand."

  "Do you think he's connected to Mooch?"