Читать книгу Intensive Care Crisis - Karen Kirst - Страница 19

Audrey wasn’t answering her phone. Julian knocked on her door again, willing her to open it. He’d spent the night tossing and turning, entertaining various scenarios that made it impossible to sleep. She shouldn’t be alone. Alone, she was at the mercy of a would-be killer. He never should’ve agreed to keep this from her father. Gunny Harris lived for two things—his only child and the Corps, in that order. The emotional wounds would be beyond repair if anything happened to her. Harris would be a broken man, and Julian would be to blame.

He took the elevator to the ground level and entered the parking lot, tension tightening his shoulders at the sight of her older model Jetta. Cheering and whistles reached him from the activity fields between the apartment building and gym. A volleyball game was in progress. He wove through the vehicles to reach the spectators—out to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather—and spotted her at the net. The vise in his chest loosened.

She was fine.

She didn’t need him.

He started to turn away, to return to his apartment and another dull morning, which would stretch into a duller afternoon, when she leaped into the air and spiked the ball. He was accustomed to seeing her in hospital scrubs. Today she sported a white T-shirt, red shorts and red, black and white sneakers. Slightly taller than average, with a lean torso and long, tanned legs, Audrey was a neat package of athleticism and grace.

Julian drifted closer to watch the game. By the time it was over, he was certain she’d played on a college-level team. He would’ve put the question to her if he hadn’t been waylaid by a buddy from church who wasn’t shy in asking when Julian planned to return.

When he looked around again, most of the players and spectators had dispersed. Audrey must’ve returned to her place. Ignoring the odd sense of disappointment, he walked past the line of cars closest to the field. The one in the last slot caught his attention.

It was a sleek Mercedes with blacked-out windows. Because of its price tag, the vehicle alone was cause for a second look. The owner aroused more than mere curiosity. Steroid-sized muscles strained his designer suit. His face was mostly hidden by sunglasses and a bushy mustache. Because of his career, Julian had interacted with enough dirtbags to recognize the type. What was he doing at their complex? Running down some idiot who’d borrowed money from the wrong people? Checking up on a low-level drug pusher?

Their complex wouldn’t be considered ultraluxurious, but neither was it low-end. The monthly fee was affordable for single professionals and young married couples, and out of reach for the type of resident who’d dally in petty crime.

Unless...

Foreboding niggled at the base of his skull. What if the man was here for an altogether different reason? One involving a hospital cover-up?

* * *

Audrey carried the sack of volleyballs to the storage closet, her mind on a certain spectator who had shaken her concentration. She hadn’t been surprised to see Julian on the edge of the crowd, despite the fact he hadn’t shown interest in group activities before. Honor spilled through his veins, and duty was etched in his DNA. He’d assumed the role of protector because she was his superior’s daughter. She was an obligation, plain and simple. She’d been reminded of that truth last night, when he’d quickly shut down her offer. Sharing a meal would’ve meant they were more than passing acquaintances brought together by outrageous circumstances. Sharing a meal would’ve meant he was interested in getting to know her better. He wasn’t.

She embraced the disappointment, the sting of rejection. It was a timely reminder—her heart wasn’t ready for a relationship. Not even casual friendship, which she’d seen other women do but hadn’t ever experienced herself. She and Seth had been full-on serious from the start. The sad part? Audrey was fairly certain Julian would make a wonderful friend.

She moved past mirrored walls and stacks of barbells. The quiet unnerved her. The exercise gym was unusually empty, no doubt on account of the unusually warm weather.

Skirting the large, complex pulley-and-weight station, she entered the rear hallway, then set down the sack and unlocked the double closet doors with the key she’d gotten from the main office. A creaking sound echoed through the gym. Breath hitching, she whirled around and nearly stumbled over the balls. The lights were off, and shadows lurked on either end of the hall.

“Hello?”

The men’s bathroom was to her left, the women’s on her right. Maybe they were occupied.

Wishing she didn’t have a reason to be paranoid, Audrey entered the walk-in closet and emptied the balls into a metal container. Then she hung the sack on a wall hook. Impatient to be outside and around other people, she closed the doors with more force than necessary. She tried to jam the key into the knob and accidentally dropped it. When she bent to retrieve it, she heard heavy breathing behind her.

Panicked, she shot upward and spun around in time to see a giant man in a suit swinging a barbell at her head. She tried to dodge it. The blow landed on her upper arm, knocking her sideways. Pain radiated through her.

Pushing off the doorjamb, she sprinted past him. He put out a foot. She went sprawling face-first onto the thin carpet. Rolling beneath a weight bench, she screamed when the barbell slammed into the cushioned seat, the force sending vibrations through the metal legs. Terror exploded inside. This man was going to crush her skull with that thing.

Audrey flipped to her stomach and crawled from beneath the bench. Leaping to her feet, she raced for the nearest exit, only to skid to a stop. A second man—younger and slighter but no less a threat—blocked her escape. There was no going around him.

She was trapped.

A scream ripped through the narrow room, and it wasn’t hers.

Time seemed to screech to a halt. At the far end, another volleyball player stood frozen in her tracks. The goon with the twenty-five-pound weight glued to his fist snarled at his partner. “You were supposed to lock this place down.”

“Must’ve missed one,” the other retorted.

Weight Guy charged toward her.

“Laney, run!” Audrey shouted.

When the petite redhead didn’t react, Audrey raced after her attacker, vaulted onto the guy’s back and latched onto his thick neck.

Laney’s eyes bugged.

“Go, go!”

At last, she bolted. Her retreating footsteps were like nails in a coffin. Audrey was now alone with two attackers. Not ordinary men. Muscle-bound henchmen with eyes dead to human compassion. Coldhearted killers.

Trying to cut off his air supply was impossible. The room spun as he turned a circle and slammed her into the weight station. Sharp metal jarred her shoulder blades and spine and dug into her flesh. Her head snapped back.

He shifted, and she slid to her knees. Spots danced in her vision. Her stomach lurched.

In an instant, the second man was there. “Go get the other one. Conner’s still at the car. He can help you. I’ll deal with the nurse.”

She heard a clink above her. A long, rubber-encased handle clattered to the floor nearby. Before she could summon the energy to flee, a beefy hand closed over her neck and hauled her to her feet.

Audrey gagged and clawed at his grip. His pale eyes drilled into hers. Ruthless. Merciless.

“You’ve caused my boss enough trouble,” he growled. “No more.”

Before she could guess what he was about, he’d pushed her beneath the high lat muscle pull-down and looped twin cables around her neck. He reached behind her, and she heard the slide of the metal clip in the thin, black weights attached to the pull-down bar. The wire went taut, pinching her skin, forcing her onto her tiptoes.

“Four hundred pounds should do it.”

Her mind went blank. As soon as he let go of her, the cables stretched, the weights slapped into place and lifted her several inches off the floor.

She dangled in midair, unable to breathe. She kicked and squirmed.

Pain ripped through her. Her neck felt like it was about to separate from her body.

Please, God. Help. I’m not ready—

The bald, gold-jewelry-draped goon smirked. “No use fighting it, babe.”

He crossed his arms and watched her struggle with frightening impassivity. His was the last face she’d ever see. A cruel, evil being taking delight in her fight to cling to life.

Her lungs strained for oxygen. A familiar sensation.

Was he the same one who’d attempted to strangle her at the hospital?

Audrey grew light-headed. Her thoughts became disjointed.

She ceased moving. The agony was too great.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on her dad’s face. He’d loved her well. She would die thinking about him, not the end of unfulfilled dreams.

* * *

Julian left the flashy car and mystery man behind and was retracing his steps when a redhead burst through the gym’s side door, her face a white mask of disbelief. Her frantic gaze locked onto him.

“Audrey,” she gasped, chest heaving. “Two men... I—I—”

He gripped her shoulders. “Go to the office and call the police.”

“Police.” Her throat convulsed. “Right.”

“Walk, don’t run. Act casual.” He jerked his head toward the Mercedes tucked close to the apartment-building entrance. “Avoid that area. Take the long way around the outdoor pool.”

“Okay.”

Julian couldn’t delay. He’d have to trust she would follow his instructions and avoid the man who might very well be the getaway driver. Unsheathing his weapon from the ankle holster beneath his pants, he entered the gym and searched the space behind the check-in counter. The tiny office was closed on the weekends, and the locked door suggested no one was inside.

His ears strained for sounds of struggle. The silence weighed on him. Blanking his mind to possible implications, he left the counter area and passed the water fountains and childcare room. Up ahead, treadmills and elliptical machines were parked in front of mounted televisions. There were no mirrors in that section that could give him a glimpse of Audrey’s situation.

The adrenaline priming his body for confrontation left no room for fear. His training ruled his actions and decisions. So when a suited man turned the corner and headed straight for him, Julian fired two shots without blinking, one for each kneecap.

Curses blistered the air as the man went down. Quickly divesting the man of his single weapon, Julian flattened against the wall and peered around the corner. Kneecap Guy’s cohort was on his way to investigate. That didn’t faze him.

What caused ice-cold dread to spread through him was the sight of Audrey’s limp form dangling from the weight station. He couldn’t be too late. Not again.

Stepping fully into the exercise area, he trained his weapon and shot the man’s gun hand. Hissing in agony, he dropped his weapon and, after a second’s indecision, escaped through the side door.

Julian kicked the gun under a stack of barbells for the authorities to retrieve later. He reached Audrey and immediately took her weight, positioning her against his shoulder to lessen the tension on her neck. “Audrey, can you hear me?”

He glanced up into her motionless face. Her cheeks and lips still held the blush of color. A good sign. Images of the burning wreckage and the faces of his unresponsive team members poked at his composure. He had asked them the same question. Over and over until his voice had gone hoarse.

Can you hear me? Wake up. Hold on. The ambulance is coming.

He shook his head to dislodge the memories. Focus, Tan. Audrey’s life depends upon your actions.

Dragging a weight bench over with his foot, he positioned her shoes on the soft pad and, not letting go, climbed onto it and unwound the cables with one hand. The flutter of her heartbeat and small, panting breaths filled him with relief. He kept his ears open for foreign sounds. If the guy at the Mercedes was indeed part of the operation, he’d come to see what was taking his buddies so long.

Finally, when he had her free, he climbed down, hoisted her into his arms and dashed for the women’s bathroom. The locker rooms with toilet stalls were in the adjoining indoor-pool section. These consisted of one-room units with locks on the doors.

He yanked open the door, ignoring the responding ache in his injured wrist, and gently laid her on the tiles against the wall opposite the sink. After sliding the bolt into place, he returned to her side and did a quick scan for obvious injuries. He would’ve liked to hold her, to cushion her head in his lap, but he didn’t want to exacerbate any hidden injuries. Instead, he smoothed his fingers over her forehead and down her cheek.

His pulse raced when she arced toward the caress.

“Audrey, you’re safe now.”

A groan escaped her parted lips. She reached up and would’ve touched her throat, but he clasped her hand to prevent germs from entering the open scratches. There weren’t many. Mostly the welts were puffy and red. Her eyes flew open.

“Julian.” Her brow knitted. “How did we get in here?”

He explained about the thug outside with his flashy ride, as well as her volleyball teammate.

Terror filled her eyes. “Is Laney safe?”

“I sent her on a roundabout course to the office,” he explained. He couldn’t verify that her friend had reached her destination.

“Where are my attackers?”

“One fled on foot, and the other is incapacitated. There could be a third one who will help them evade authorities.” Julian made a quick call to the police. Disconnecting, he said, “Your friend made it to the office, because several units are already en route. We’ve been instructed to remain here until they say it’s safe to come out.”

Chest heaving, she started to sit up.

“Whoa, steady.” He moved to assist her, retracting his hand when she hissed in pain. “What’s wrong with your shoulder?”

Easing to a sitting position, she rested her head against the wall and balanced herself with both palms on the floor. “I got in the way of a barbell.”

Julian shifted closer and lifted her sleeve. The flesh was a mass of dark purple. Concealing a burst of anger, he said evenly, “You’ll need to get that examined.”

She gingerly rotated her shoulder and raised her arm up and down. “Doesn’t feel broken.”

“Still, I’m calling for an ambulance.” He took out his cell.

“No.” Her fingers closed over his wrist. “I’m not going to the hospital.”

The entreaty in her eyes was at odds with the militant angle of her chin.

“After what you’ve endured, you need to be evaluated by a physician. At the very least, you’ll need X-rays of that arm and shoulder.”

Her fingertips pressed into his pulse point. “This is personal, Julian. I want to decide who knows and who doesn’t. If I go there for treatment, every employee will be talking about it.”

A shiver ripped through her, and he noticed how cold her fingers were. Tucking away his cell, he covered her fingers with his hand and tried to warm them.

“I can take you to Wilmington.”

“I’m fine.” She studied his face and sighed. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll call Lincoln. He’s a surgeon and good friend.”

Julian refused to give voice to curiosity. Whether or not she had a boyfriend was none of his business. “Call him.”

“I’ll ask him to come to my apartment.”

“Make it my apartment.”

The protest brewing on her lips died a quick death. “I can’t stay in mine, can I?”

“Not anytime soon. You’re welcome to my guest bedroom as long as you need it.”

Her mouth twisted. “That would mean dragging you deeper into this. Putting you in harm’s way. I’ll go to a hotel—”

“I’m already in this with you.” The thought of Audrey facing these monsters alone was untenable. “I’ve thwarted the enemy’s plans. I’ve wounded two of their own. My name’s on the hit list along with yours.”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “You did that for me.”

“I’d do it again if it meant saving you.”