by KaLyn Cooper
“Over here, then, please.” The man pulled back an office chair.
As Jack sat down, Tom Gillpatrick’s face appeared on the small computer-style screen in front of him.
“You’re welcome,” Gillpatrick said by way of greeting. “Tell me, honestly, how is she?”
It took Jack a few seconds to catch up. “Were you able to trace the video feed to where it was being sent?”
“Yes. That end has also been handled. We happened to have a few members of our SOG in the area.” Gillpatrick referred to the CIA’s Special Operations Group. They recruited the best of the best from the Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces. Those men were certifiably crazy. Jack wondered who they’d been chasing in Baghdad.
“Jack, don’t fuck with me. Is she okay?” Concern penetrated each word.
He stared at Tom Gillpatrick’s picture on the screen, debating what to tell him. Jack was equally as anxious for news. He glanced at the wall of screens and watched Will and Lady Kite carry Katlin over to Nita as the team doctor pulled bloody gloves off her hands.
Not wanting to share any more than he had to, Jack asked, “Tell me what you know, and I’ll add what I can to it.”
“Katlin gave me the name of Jonathan’s contact who thought he had the lead on the new Hezbollah leader. We’ve been running the man’s name through everything we have and can’t find anything on him. He’s a ghost. Even our local assets connected directly to the Islamic State have never heard of him.” Gillpatrick was telling Jack so much more than he knew.
Out of the corner of his eye, Robert waved his tablet. He’d find out who the fuck this lying piece of shit was, and he’d be dead as soon as Jack could assign an assassin.
Nobody tried to kill his woman.
“We’re taking a deeper look at him, too,” Jack admitted. With the flick of his finger, the tech at the bio station put Katlin’s vitals onto the corner of his screen. “It took them a while, but they finally got Katlin out of the damaged vehicle. Nita is triaging her now. I can tell you that her vitals are improving. As soon as everyone is stabilized, they are heading straight to the airport. I want them all back on U.S. soil as soon as possible and the fastest way to do that is on the Black Swan jet. I just hope someone is healthy enough to fly it home.”
Tom Gillpatrick grinned. “I have a few people in the area who could get them back here.”
“That’s the fastest bird within two hundred miles.” Jack returned to grin. “Those ladies aren’t going to let anyone fly their plane but them.”
“You’re right. Keep me posted as to Katlin’s condition. DD CIA out.” Gillpatrick’s picture disappeared from the screen, but Jack didn’t move or speak until he received the all-clear. It was a commonly used trick to turn off the camera yet leave the connection open. It was always surprising what people would say when they didn’t think the other party was watching or listening.
“Mr. Director, you’re clear.”
Jack’s phone buzzed a unique pattern which was Mrs. Ward’s way of telling him that he was needed back in his office immediately. She was a wonderful assistant. Someone higher up the food chain was hunting him, so he’d better leave.
“I want an hourly update on this team.” What he really wanted was to know how Katlin was doing.
Five hours later, Jack was back in the Operations Center. The Black Swan jet was screaming through the sky. They were more than halfway home on what should have been a thirteen-hour flight.
“Operations, we need fuel and a fast turn,” Grace said from the cockpit. “Flying at this speed, we’re burning through it.”
“Working on it,” a tech called out.
“I need to talk to a neurologist, immediately,” Nita said in her controlled professional voice. She continued giving the latest update as she went from patient to patient at forty-thousand feet in the air.
Jack glanced toward Robert. “Find me the best neurologist in the system. I want him here by the time they land.”
“The Army’s chief of neurology is at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.” Robert had been impressive all day during this crisis, often anticipating Jack’s needs before he even asked. “He’s been in surgery for the past three hours, but his staff has orders to have him call me as soon as he comes out.”
“Control, get him on the line as soon as you can. Nita, how bad is she?” Jack said, ignoring all the other wounded on the plane.
“I don’t know,” Nita said quietly. “Her brain is swelling, she’s bleeding from every hole in her head, and she never regained consciousness.”
“Are the others stabilized? Can they make it to D.C.?” Jack asked, more because he was expected to, not that he was really interested in anyone but Katlin.
“Kurt should be operated on immediately. He took a lot of shrapnel from the bomb. Time could make a lot of difference in his recovery,” Nita explained. “Tori has dozens of cuts and gashes from the broken glass, as well as a concussion. I’ve got butterfly bandages holding them together but she’s going to need a plastic surgeon.”
“Already done,” Robert reassured him. “She’s in-flight from Miami, now.”
Good. Tori Denton was a truly beautiful woman, just not his type. She’d been one of the highest-paid teenage models and had grown more gorgeous with age. Jack would hate to see her smooth latte skin marred by this incident.
They were still five hours out, but Jack sent a reminder to human resources about Jonathan’s body. They would handle everything, although Jack would be expected at the funeral. Ben, Kurt, Tori, and Katlin would be immediately transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Nita would most likely go with them. That only left Kyle, Will, Lei Lu, and Grace.
Jack didn’t want anybody to contact Alex Wolf. Engaged wasn’t considered immediate family and he wasn’t active duty military or high in the government to be allowed in the facility to see Katlin. Jack would take care of her and see to all her needs. He would take her to his home so she could recuperate. She would be so grateful to him for helping her in her time of need that she would never leave him.
With his plans set, he needed to keep Lei Lu and Grace quarantined, at least for the first few days. Maybe a week. He’d have to play that by ear. Under the auspices of a deep debrief due to the severity of the accident and loss of life, he would insist that they stay within the confines of the Homeland Security offices…without contact with the outside world.
Jack grinned as he left the Operations Center with new purpose.
5
Alex leaned back in the butter-soft seats of the production company’s Learjet flying from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Los Angeles. His job was done. It had taken a week, but they’d finally captured JJ’s stalker. The man was currently sitting in a Mexican jail, a hell Alex wouldn’t wish on anyone—except that guy.
Jae had taken the bed in the back to get her beauty rest and a spa treatment, in case any paparazzi were waiting at the airport when they landed. She wanted to look her best. Supposedly, she’d been stressed during the entire week they’d spent at the private beach resort flushing out her stalker.
The only thing Alex ever saw her do was check her social media, lay naked in the sun, and consume alcohol-saturated fruity drinks. Oh, and paw at him while taking selfies. They’d agreed before leaving L.A. that Alex would appear to be her new boyfriend, making him the stalker’s new target.
The plan worked, but Alex was nervous that Katlin would see his picture all over social media with JJ before he had an opportunity to explain to her that it was just the job. Several of the photos looked extremely intimate, but he never touched Jae in any sexual way the entire time.
All Alex needed was a few minutes to explain it to her. She knew he was nothing like her first husband, Tyler Malone, who honestly believed there was a line-of-sight clause on his wedding vows. Unless Katlin was next to him, the man didn’t know how to keep his cock inside his pants.
They had texted and emailed several times while she was gone but hadn�
��t spoken. He told her he was headed to Mexico on a job trying to catch a stalker. He just hadn’t mentioned the client. He doubted that Katlin even knew that he and JJ had grown up together, or that they’d dated a few years before. Unfortunately, the paparazzi was well aware of his past with JJ and they’d made references to their reconnection multiple times.
It would be okay. It had to be. He loved Katlin and she loved him. They were going to be married. When, he had no idea. He needed to lock Katlin down on that soon.
They needed to set a date. She needed to plan a wedding. Although Alex’s first wedding was quick and inexpensive, Katlin’s had been the total opposite. She and her mother had spent nearly a year planning everything, from renting guesthouses to transportation to the United States Naval Academy Chapel, then on to the reception venue. Her wedding to Ty was as orchestrated—and perfect—as possible.
If she wanted the big white dress and full Catholic Mass again, Alex would be sure she got it.
Glancing around the airplane cabin where his men slept, Alex decided it was safe for him to check the special app on his phone. Sliding in earbuds, he opened the program custom-made by his computer guru. A map of the spinning world began to hone in on her location, finding her unique tracking signal. It placed her over the Atlantic Ocean.
She was headed home.
Excitement filled him. He would see her soon.
He clicked on the sound and listened to her heartbeat, the way he did every night as he fell asleep. It was his way of keeping her close. Her heartbeat was very slow which usually meant she was either sleeping or meditating.
Immediately, he speed-dialed her. He desperately wanted to hear her voice, and did, the recorded one. Alex hated leaving voicemail, but it was a good place to start with his explanation. Maybe they were between satellite signals.
Before he tried again, he booked his flight from L.A. to Washington D.C.. She would definitely beat him home, but he would be there as soon as he could.
Over the next several hours, Alex tried, and failed, to get in touch with Katlin.
While waiting in the private terminal for his flight to D.C., Alex’s phone vibrated in his side pocket. Deep in conversation with a Fortune 100 CEO, he almost ignored the call. At the last second, he checked the caller ID.
GRACE flashed on the screen.
Fuck.
He swiped the answer icon and stood. “I’m very sorry. I need to take this.” He stepped away and stared out the windows, seeing nothing, concentrating on her words.
“Alex,” Grace said in a whisper before he could even say hello. “Don’t say anything. Just listen. Katlin is being taken to Walter Reed Hospital in D.C. She’s hurt…bad. Brain injury. RPG exploded next to the car on her side. I’m in the cockpit and being watched. I’ll call you again as soon as I can, but that may be a while. We’re all on lockdown.”
“Lieutenant Hall.” Alex heard a stern male voice in the background. “Are you finished with all your shutdown procedures? We need to leave. Now.”
The connection ended.
Alex couldn’t breathe.
He’d seen by her tracker that Katlin was moving toward the U.S.A. and anxiously waited for her usual call. As he saw her get closer, he was disappointed that she hadn’t called yet, but he thought she might be the pilot on that leg, not that it’d stopped her in the past.
Alex had never considered that she couldn’t call him. That she wasn’t physically able to call.
Bad. Grace had said she was bad. Fuck, no. He couldn’t lose her. He had so many plans for them.
He had to get to Washington D.C.. He would go straight to the hospital.
6
“Can you please tell me what room Katlin Callahan is in?” Alex asked the elderly woman in the pink smock behind the Information Desk.
“One-minute, young man,” she replied in an aged, gravelly voice. Using one finger and staring at the keyboard, the white-haired woman typed in each letter. “I’m sorry, we don’t have a Katlin Callahan here. Let me try one more time. How do you spell that?”
As Alex spoke every letter clearly, it was followed by a keyboard click.
“No, sir, no Katlin Callahan. You might want to try another hospital. There are several in this area.” She patted his hand resting on the tall counter. “Have you tried her cell phone?”
Oh hell yes. He wanted so bad to tell this woman that she needed to keep looking. “Maybe she’s under another name,” he suggested. Kat had so many AKAs and he didn’t know half of them. “She was brought in a few hours ago with a head injury.”
“You should try the Emergency Room. She may still be there,” the elderly woman offered.
“Thank you,” was all Alex said as he stepped away and dialed his D.C. center. His quest had started in the ER since that’s where they’d initially taken her.
“Brett,” he ordered his computer guru, “I need you to get into the records at Walter Reed Hospital and find Katlin. They admitted her earlier today.”
“No need, sir. Lei Lu texted me on her throwaway phone. Katlin was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. They put her under L. Hawk.”
Thank God for Brett. He amended his thought. Thank God for Lei Lu.
With this new information, Alex and Top were able to get Katlin’s room number and the complicated directions to that wing.
Pasting on one of his lady-killer smiles, Alex approached the Adult Intensive Care Unit nurses’ desk. Several women jumped up to talk to him as he laid his left hand on the high counter, assuring that they saw no gold wedding band. He flirted with several of them as he introduced himself as Alex Wolf, the owner of Guardian Security, and gave each of them his business card.
Alex knew that only immediate family members could see a patient in ICU and he didn’t know who had medical power of attorney for Kat. Most likely their attorney and high school friend, Barry, was in charge of medical decisions for her if she was incapacitated. It could take hours before that paperwork was processed through the system.
Deciding to keep it close to the truth, Alex said conspiratorially, ”We all know L Hawk is not her real name. Katlin’s family is not able to come so they asked me to check on her and report back to them. I’m an old family friend. Her attorney is faxing the paperwork to the hospital today.” He certainly hoped the last was true.
“Oh, but her husband was here just a little while ago,” a perky redhead offered.
“That’s impossible, she’s not married,” Alex retorted. “What did he look like? Katlin’s life may be in danger.”
The red-headed nurse widened her eyes. “He told us he was her husband, so we let him in to see her.”
“What did he look like,” Alex insisted.
The short brunette stepped up to the counter. “He was tall, about your height, and very handsome, distinguished.”
“He was dressed very well, like a senator, and acted like he was in charge,” the redhead added.
“About forty, but he looks younger,” a second brunette nurse called over her shoulder but didn’t leave her computer.
“You’ve just described her boss, Jack. He’s not her husband. He only wishes he was.” Several nurses stared at Alex and drew in a breath between clenched teeth.
“It’s okay, ladies. He won’t harm her, but others might. I may talk with your security force and put a bodyguard on her,” Alex said. “Please, what can you tell me about her condition?”
At that moment, a very tired physician in blue scrubs walked up to the desk and grabbed a thick notebook.
The cute little redhead said, “Alex, this is Doctor Tobias, her neurologist. Doctor, this is Alex Wolf. He needs to update the family of Ms. Hawk.”
Alex held out his hand. “Can we talk privately somewhere, perhaps in Katlin’s room so I can get a look at her to assure her family of her condition?” The doctor looked at the nursing desk and all heads bobbed in approval.
“This way.” The mid-fifties doctor with greying temples pointed toward the inner u
nit where beds were separated only by curtains, all facing the Nursing Center. Several nurses walked around the six patients, checking liquid drips and monitors, always talking with the patients, using their names. He walked beyond the open area to a glass-enclosed room where a nurse was sitting beside Katlin, holding her hand and reading the Washington Post to her.
Looking at his business card, Dr. Tobias said, “Mr. Wolf, this is highly unusual, but nothing about this case is normal so I’m just going with it.” The doctor stared at him for a long moment, but Alex couldn’t take his eyes off Kat.
Her face was swollen on the right side. The mottled red splotches made her blond eyebrows and eyelashes stand out, like they’d done for a week after she’d gotten badly sunburned at the beach when they were in high school. Tiny little gashes speckled her beautiful face; larger ones were delicately stitched with minute thread.
Alex’s heart seized. He couldn’t breathe. Behind his eyes, a burning sensation grew to a blazing bonfire, but he fought back tears.
“You know her, don’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question.
“Yes, very well. How is Kat?” Alex said as he walked over and took her un-bandaged hand. The other arm lay atop the sheets, wrapped in gauze from her shoulder to her fingertips.
“Nurse, give us a minute.”
“Certainly, doctor,” she said on her way out the private-room door.
“Is that her real name, Kat?” the doctor asked.
“Yes. If you’re taking care of her, you deserve to know a few things about her. Let’s start with what you know, and I’ll fill in some of the blanks,” Alex offered.
“I was ordered to leave all my patients and incoming neurology residents at Fort Hood, immediately board a private jet, and take care of this woman. She must be important.”
“She is to me,” Alex admitted.
“Do you know what happened to her?”
“I was told an RPG, a rocket-propelled grenade, impacted near her side of a car. I was told she has a head injury and that she was here. That’s it,” Alex explained.
