“I can’t see how. Like you said, we got all the bad guys.”
“Yes, but they knew a lot of information about her and how to find her. Who knew where her cabin was and told them?”
“That’s a good question, but I think one of Naldo’s men must have followed her.”
“That’s what I thought, but she’s smart, and I’d bet Haley would be aware if she was followed.”
“What will you do about your suspicions?”
“Nothing right now. I’d be laughed at by most people and probably her most of all. If I can, I’ll get her to come stay with me for a while. I’m going to tell her what I’m thinking Friday.” Dirk grinned. “She’ll probably say I’m crazy and throw me out of her house.”
“I have a few days coming to me. It might be interesting to change my appearance a bit and hang around outside the FBI building.”
“Won’t Anais want to spend the time with you?”
“If she wants, I’ll take her along, but I expect she’ll be fine with me going alone.”
“See what the captain says.”
“Will do. Keep up the swimming.”
One more night, then he’d see Haley. I’m anxious like this is my first date ever, more anxious than for my test. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
“Here’s our lunch.” Ava set the filled tray on Haley’s desk. “I ordered for both of us. If I didn’t watch you, you’d never eat.”
“I’ve been flooded with paperwork since returning.” She pointed to a pile of paper. “I’m almost caught up.”
Haley cleared a spot for the tray of food.
“You love carrot cake, so I got that for you, and my favorite, chocolate, for me.”
“How about I have a bite of your chocolate? It does look good today.”
“I know what, we’ll share.” Ava cut both pieces of cake in half and placed the halves on each plate.
Haley was surprised at how hungry she was. She’d skipped lunch yesterday and the day before.
Ava kept Haley laughing as they ate their sandwiches, chips, and then the cake. “I believe you do like Kirk.”
“He’s growing on me, but there was a mention of children the other night, and I told him I didn’t want to have a family and probably can’t.”
“Have you been checked?”
Ava focused on her cake, not meeting Haley’s eyes. “I had a miscarriage once. My doctor said I’d never carry a child to full-term. I explained that to Kirk.”
“How did he take it?”
“He didn’t talk much after that, and he took me home shortly afterward.”
“I’m so sorry.” Haley touched Ava’s hand, and the other woman pulled back.
“I rarely tell people. I don’t want sympathy. I have a good life, and there are many men in the sea. How are you and Ranger doing?”
“You know me. I tend to retreat at the wrong times. We’re going to the movies tomorrow night. I’ll see how that goes.”
“He’s a handsome man.”
“Yes, and I do like him better than anyone I’ve dated.” Then Haley laughed. “And we’ve never even been on an official date, except to the fancy ball.” Haley leaned forward. “Don’t you dare tell him what I said.”
Ava traced an X over her chest with her fingertips, and said, “Cross my heart, I won’t. I promise I’ll never tell him.”
“Good.”
Ava pushed her plate aside. “I’m too full to eat both pieces of cake. I’m going to eat my half of the chocolate cake. Do you want the other half of the carrot cake?”
They are so good and I’m real hungry. Today, I think I like the chocolate cake the best, but I’ll eat both halves of the carrot cake, too. Let us eat cake!”
“How was the food?” one of the cooks asked Ava when she returned the trays.
“Delicious. We shared the cakes.”
The cook frowned. “I thought Miss Quinn liked carrot cake best.”
“She insisted we share. Haley said the chocolate was even better than the carrot cake today.”
“How did you like the carrot cake?”
“I was full. Haley ate all of the carrot cake and half of my chocolate cake.”
“Good, it didn’t go to waste,” the cook said and smiled.
Haley threw up for the third time that evening. “Damn, that’s what I get for eating so much after two days of skipping lunch.” She wiped her face and sat beside the toilet.
I’ll see how I am tomorrow. I’m looking forward to seeing Ranger. I hope I won’t have to break our date.
She got little sleep and crawled out of bed to notify work she was sick. Then she sat in the kitchen and made coffee, hoping to keep it down. When Haley’s phone rang around noon, she jumped and realized she’d dozed off at the table.
“Hello?” she said weakly.
“You sound terrible,” Dirk said.
“That’s how I feel. I’ve been sick all night. I think it’s something I ate for lunch at work. Are you calling about our date? I don’t think I can make it.”
“Of course you can’t, but I’m coming to get you.”
“No, I’d rather be at home, alone. I may get sick again.”
“I’m not taking no for an answer. I can handle one sick little lady. I’ll be there shortly,” he said and hung up.
“Well, when he sees me today, he’ll forget all about wanting to marry me.” Holding onto the walls, Haley made her way to the bathroom and threw up again.
Dirk was at the base and had passed his tests. He’d forgotten to tell Haley why he called when he realized she was sick. He knocked on the captain’s door.
“Come in.” Captain Buchanan smiled when he saw Ranger.“I heard you passed. Glad to have you back with us before we get another mission.”
“Thanks. Me, too. Captain, I’ve been thinking about Naldo.” Ranger sat in the chair across from Buchanan.
“What about him? We got all his group.”
“I don’t think we got the real head of his group and maybe some of the other groups we’re fighting.”
Buchanan leaned back in his chair. “Why do you believe there’s someone else?”
“I never understood how Naldo found the cabin, and I’ve wondered how he paid for all his men, traveling, weapons, and any other expense. A few days ago, I discussed with Shadow my suspicions that Haley might still be in danger.”
“What’s happened to make you more certain and come to me?
“Haley and I had a date tonight for the movies. I called to tell her my good news, and she sounded awful. She’d been up all night, sick. I think whoever’s out there may have poisoned her.”
“Or she might have eaten something a bit off.”
“True, but can we take a chance that I’m wrong?”
Niall sat back in his seat. He looked out the window, and for a few minutes, the room was silent. Then he nodded and turned to Ranger.
“You’re right. We can’t take that chance, but I’ll have to run this past the Commander. Meanwhile, can you get her to your house where you can control the environment?”
“Yes, she’s too weak to protest. I’ll carry her out and insist she goes with me.”
“Are you going to tell her what you think about her sickness?”
“I may have to, or she’ll fight me while I’m driving her to my house. But I doubt she has the energy to do much protesting. She has the right to know what we suspect. I’ll explain it all to her after we get to my house.”
“Good. If Haley gets much worse, you may need to stop at the hospital and have them look at her. It’d be a good idea to stop there on your way home. They can test her for poison.”
“Okay, I’ll take her straight there.”
“And I’ll call as soon as I talk with the Commander. I imagine he’ll want you to be with her and for her to get the tests done.”
Ranger got in his car. Imaging Haley’s response to his high-handedness, he said, “Honey, this is one time you’ll do as I say for your sake.”
Ranger knocked on the door. No one answered. He peeked in a window and didn’t see Haley. Grabbing his cell out of its holder, he dialed 911. No sense in him breaking in. He had no doubt she needed to go to the hospital and quickly.
The emergency crew arrived within five minutes. “We have a station right down the hill,” one paramedic said as a fire truck pulled in behind the ambulance.
“I talked to my girlfriend earlier, and she told me about being sick all night. I came to take her to the hospital and got no answer,” Ranger explained to the firefighters as they broke into her house.
They found Haley unconscious in the bathroom. There was some blood in the toilet.
The medics started an IV, and a firefighter brought in a gurney. They were in contact with the closest Emergency Room. The older paramedic looked at Ranger.
“Did she say what made her sick?”
“She said it started after lunch yesterday.”
“Where does she work?”
“At the FBI office.”
“We’ll call on the way and see if anyone else has gotten sick.”
“Can I ride with her?” Ranger showed his ID. “I think her life might be in danger. I suspect someone poisoned her.”
“All right come on. There’s no time to waste. I’ll have one of the firefighters call the FBI. They’ll also board up her front door before leaving.”
“I almost forgot. I didn’t see Sampson, her puppy. Maybe they could look for him.”
“We’ll see.” The doors on the ambulance shut, and they took off fast.
Ranger sat beside Haley. She’d never know he was there, but he held her hand anyway. They had her on oxygen, an IV, and gave her some intravenous medicine.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long before they drove up to the emergency entrance. Ranger hopped out of the way as the crew ran inside with the gurney. His phone rang as he followed.
“Ranger, I talked with Captain Buchanan,” Jackson said. “The Commander agreed for our team to stay on alert to handle this. He agreed with you about a person higher up the food chain than Naldo who might want Haley gone. Where are you?”
“I’m outside the emergency room of the hospital closest to her house.” Ranger cleared his throat before he could speak further. “She’s bad, Jackson. They may have taken her out on the first try.”
“Haley’s a tough lady. Don’t give up on her now. Several of our guys will join you there. The Commander will call the hospital, now that we know where she is, and get permission for us to protect her around the clock.”
“Thanks. I’m going in to see if I can find out any news. Oh, before I forget, do you know where Sampson might be? He wasn’t in the house, and I know she’d be frantic if he got out during the commotion.”
“Don’t worry about him. I talked Haley into letting Sampson stay with us during her first week back at work. Our son’s fallen love with him. We need to find a puppy for him soon.”
“That’s one less worry. I’ll call you later. I see one of the paramedics walking toward me.”
When Ranger saw the man’s expression, he knew it wasn’t good. “They’ve moved her up to Intensive Care. She’s critical. I wish she’d have called us last night.”
“I talked to her earlier, and she sounded weak from vomiting, but not like she is now.”
“I’ll be honest with you. The admitting doctor said her only chance is if she got rid of enough of the poison on her own.”
“I understand and appreciate all you’ve done. What floor is the ICU?”
“Third, but if you aren’t family, I don’t think they’ll let you inside.”
“Oh, yes, they will.” He turned and strode to the nearest elevator.
The ICU door was locked. Ranger put his finger on the ring button and kept it there. An indignant nurse opened the door.
“There are very sick people in here. Are you a lunatic or something?”
“Sorry, but you have my future wife in there, and she may be dying. I insist on being by her side.”
The nurse looked at her ledger. “Is she Haley Quinn?”
“Yes.”
“All right, but be quiet. Any more disturbance from you and we’ll throw you out for good.”
“You and what army,” he muttered as he walked through the door.
“What did you say, young man?” She sucked in a huffy breath and stood straighter.
Ranger almost smiled. She had to be at least sixty, with a large bosom that moved when she took a deep breath and knowledgeable eyes, but she was all of five foot three.
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I’ll tell you a secret. I’m a Navy SEAL, and you put fear into me. I respect you, and I’ll try to handle my emotions better.”
She patted his cheek. “I hope she makes it for you and for her own sake.” Then she pointed to the glass-enclosed area where several people worked over Haley. “Don’t get in their way or ask too many questions. Time is of the essence.”
“Will do.” He saluted her and she smiled.
When Ranger entered, a man wearing a stethoscope glanced at Ranger. “Are you family?”
“I’m her fiancé,” he lied. “I won’t get in the way.”
The doctor pulled him to the side and said in a low tone, “We’ve taken blood to find out what type of poison she consumed. Do you know if anyone else ate what she did?”
“Not sure. I’ll check.”
“I won’t try to build your hopes up. We need to find out the type of poison and hope we have an antidote that will help.”
“The others are leaving. Can I sit and talk to my fiancée? Maybe hearing my voice will make her fight harder.”
“I doubt it, but I’ve seen a few unexplained miracles. I wouldn’t mind seeing another. Miss Quinn’s young. I hope your fiancée will have a long life ahead of her.” The doctor stepped out and closed the glass door to the cubicle.
Before he sat beside her, Ranger called Captain Buchanan and explained the situation. “I’m not leaving here unless she gets better.”
“No problem. We’ve been allowed to send some of our men to search the FBI building. The administrator sent the staff home. I’ll let you know if we find anything. Don’t lose hope.”
“No way.” Ranger moved a chair to Haley’s bedside. He put down the bedside rail and leaned over her. Her face was deathly pale, and her breathing barely there.
He kissed her lips. “I’m here, and I’m not leaving. You are going to fight this and come back to me. I have no doubt I want to marry you.” He chuckled soundlessly. “I’m sure you’ll demand we know each other better, and we can do it at my house. You’ll be safe there. When I’m not home, someone from another team will be guarding the house until this killer or would-be killer is tried and put in jail. Accept it. I won’t take no for an answer.”
Ranger thought her lips tried to turn up in a smile. “You hear me. I’m going to hold your hand and not let go. You won’t slip away from me.”
At one point, he lay his head beside her and prayed.
A flurry outside Haley’s cubicle brought his head up. The doctor and a woman in a white jacket carrying a tray opened the door and came in.
“Mary has found out what poisoned her, and she has the antidote. Stand back and let her give it intravenously. It’s dangerous to give it intravenously, but it needs to work fast, and I think it’s worth the risk,” the doctor said. He added, “It’s her only chance.”
“Haley must have something to give her the strength to fight. Her breathing has stopped a few times,” Ranger said.
The doctor motioned to Mary, who set the tray on Haley’s bedside table and prepared to dispense the medicine through the IV tube. She gave the medicine very slowly.
The older nurse came into the cubicle and whispered to Ranger, “There are several big men outside with her family.”
“Please tell them she’s receiving some special medicine, and I’ll come out and let her family in shortly.”
After the medicine went into her vein, the three stood and watched Haley’s breathing. “I think her respirations are a bit more normal,” Ranger said.
“I agree. This medicine may help, but Miss Quinn still has a long way to go before getting her health back.”
“She’ll have help. You save her, Doc, and we’ll keep her going.”
He laughed. “I’ve never met a more determined fiancé or husband.” He patted Ranger’s back. “Good work.” Then he took his stethoscope and listened to Haley’s heart and lungs. When he raised his head, he smiled. “She’s better already. There’s a chance, a better chance than she had before.”
Ranger leaned down and spoke softly in Haley’s ear. “You’re going to be all right. We’ll get married and have wonderful children and live happily ever after. Believe me. All you need to do is keeping fighting. Something I know you do well.”
He went to meet her family and let them in, but not before he noticed her eyelids flutter after he kissed her cheek.
Ranger’s eyes immediately went to Haley’s mom. Haley looked more like the older woman than any of the others in the room. An older man sat by Mrs. Quinn. He looked stoic, almost angry. The three brothers favored their father in looks, but stood off to the side away from their parents. They all moved toward Ranger when he entered the waiting room.
The older man surged to his feet, demanding, “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Haley’s fiancé and the only one here to see to her care until you and her mother arrived.”
Mrs. Quinn spoke in a soft voice, almost tentatively, as though she expected to be told to shut up. “I’m glad you were with her. How is she?”
“I’ll be honest. Haley’s been close to death. They gave her the antitoxin, although it’s past time for it, in the hopes it can save her.”
Mrs. Quinn gasped, and one son moved quickly to her side. “Sit down, Mom.” He helped her back to the sofa and sat beside her.
The SEAL’s Surprise Mate - Rachel McNeely Page 11
