Forgotten Memories (SWAT: Top Cops Book 4) (13 page)

Was Eric impaired in some way? Was that contributing to his irrational behavior? Nothing else made sense.

“Head back toward the motel,” Nate urged. “There’s nothing you can do until they’ve arrested him.”

“Okay, keep me posted,” Shane said.

Gabby disconnected from the call and then reached out to put her hand on his arm. “Can’t we head over in that direction?” she asked. “What if Eric hits some innocent bystander? At least I can help provide medical care.”

Shane hesitated and she could tell he wanted to head toward the interstate, too. But then he shook his head. “I can’t risk your safety, Gabby. I’m sure there are fire trucks trailing the State Police for just that reason.”

Gabby sat back in her seat with a frustrated sigh. She really, really wanted to come face-to-face with Eric, to confront him with everything that had happened. Now that they knew he was here in the area for sure, it seemed likely that he was responsible for the kidnapping, breaking into her house, the assault on Richard, and for attacking Royce in her old call room.

She thought about the notes she had locked away in her bank’s safe-deposit box. Notes that she’d all but forgotten about until this nightmare started.

The sound of a chopper flying overhead interrupted her thoughts. Peering through the window, she frowned when she realized it wasn’t the distinctive blue-and-orange LifeLine helicopter.

“It’s a police chopper,” Shane said as it passed them by. “That doesn’t sound good, Ambrose must still be on the move.”

Gabby’s stomach clenched and she closed her eyes to pray for the safety of the officers, the innocent people on the road and even for Eric Ambrose.

Dear Lord, please keep everyone safe in Your care.

The tension eased and she glanced over at Shane. “We can’t just go back to our motel.”

“I know, I feel the same way. I’ll head west but will stay on the highways, avoiding the interstate.”

Gabby nodded in relief, because even though she couldn’t help feeling her skills might be needed if someone got hurt, she didn’t want to interfere in the police chase. And she took comfort in the fact that if Eric was indeed responsible for the danger surrounding her, then it would soon be over.

Which meant she wouldn’t need to be stuck to Shane like a burr.

Her stomach twisted again and she tried to focus on the police helicopter hovering overhead.

“Shane? Does the interstate go over this highway?”

Before he could respond, she saw a low-slung black sports car come racing over the bridge ahead, several police cars with their swirling lights and screeching sirens close behind.

There was a large truck hugging the left side of the road, trying to get out of the way, but not far enough. The front bumper of the black sports car clipped the van and spun wildly, with tires squealing.

As if the watching an action movie in slow motion, she saw the sports car flip over the guardrail and land on its roof on the highway below.

“Pull over, pull over!” Gabby cried, fumbling for the door handle. She could hardly believe what she was seeing, her worst fears coming true.

“Wait for me,” Shane ordered, jerking the car off onto the shoulder and stopping abruptly.

Gabby already had her door open and was running toward the upside-down car, her heart in her throat. No matter how she felt about Eric on a personal level, she couldn’t deny him the medical assistance he deserved.

She could feel Shane beside her when she reached the car. Dropping down, she peered through the broken driver’s-side window, half afraid of what she’d find.

The driver was belted in, hanging upside down. Shane pulled out a knife to cut through the seat belt. Between the two of them, they tugged the driver to safety.

But it wasn’t Eric Ambrose. The driver of Eric’s car was Joe Chasco.

A shiver crept down Gabby’s spine as she reached out to check Joe’s pulse. When it was absent, she quickly began CPR. She had no idea why Joe was driving Eric’s car, but she was disturbed to know that Eric was still out there. Somewhere.

Maybe even watching them.

THIRTEEN

S
hane knelt beside Gabby, intending to help her do CPR, but before he could take his turn at performing chest compressions, the paramedic team arrived.

Three firefighters gently but firmly eased Gabby out of the way, reassuring her that they could take it from here.

“I’m a trauma surgeon at Trinity Medical Center,” she protested. But the firefighters didn’t budge, obviously too intent on their patient.

Shane took her arm, drawing her off to the side. “They know what they’re doing, Gabby. And as talented as you are, even you can’t do surgery out here.”

“I know, I know,” she muttered, pushing her hair away from her face. She turned to face him, her expression serious. “Shane, that’s not Eric Ambrose. It’s Joe Chasco.”

“What?” Since he’d only seen grainy driver’s license photos, he hadn’t noticed the difference. But now every one of his instincts went on red alert. He quickly put his arm around Gabby’s slender frame, sweeping his gaze over the area that was fast filling up with police and other emergency vehicles. “We need to get out of here. And I’m calling Nate to fill him in on what’s going on.”

She nodded, clinging to his side and walking along as if she was on pins and needles about what this switcheroo meant. Shane kept his arm around her as they headed back to the sedan. He started the car and then backed away from the emergency vehicles that had partly blocked them in.

“Here,” Gabby said, holding out the phone with Nate’s name on the screen. “It’s on speaker.”

He was continuously impressed with her ability to remain calm in a crisis, and it occurred to him that while she clearly wasn’t a cop, she often thought like one. She was a great partner.

In more ways than one.

“Yeah?” Nate answered, pulling Shane’s attention away from his distracting thoughts.

“Ambrose wasn’t the driver, Chasco was,” he said bluntly. “They must have swapped cars. We need to get an APB out on Chasco’s vehicle.”

“Will do,” Nate responded. “You’d better make sure to keep the doc safely out of sight.”

Yeah, no kidding. “I will. But we have to figure out what Ambrose’s plan is. And why on earth Chasco would go along to this extent.”

“Doesn’t make sense,” Nate muttered. “Unless Ambrose convinced Chasco that he had as much to lose if Gabby’s notes were published in a public forum as Ambrose did.”

“Maybe, but it still seems extreme. Chasco’s in rough shape,” Shane told him. “Gabby had to start CPR. There’s a really good chance he won’t make it.”

“Joe’s always been a bit reckless,” Gabby interjected. “When you mentioned Eric was involved in a high-speed chase, I was surprised, because that isn’t Eric’s style. He’s cold and calculating, to the point of being emotionless. Joe’s biggest flaw is that he’s arrogant, and I suspect he figured he could handle the chase, no problem.”

There was a moment of silence and he and Nate digested Gabby’s comments. “Where do you think Ambrose is headed?” Shane finally asked. “The hospital?”

“Maybe,” Nate responded. “Could be that he decided that hiring muscle wasn’t working so well and that he’s better off doing the job himself.”

Gabby reached out to Shane. “We need to warn the hospital administration,” she told him urgently. “Ambrose is a physician, he’ll know how to blend in.”

“Understood. Nate? I need you to apprise Griff of this latest turn of events. And I think we should beef up the number of deputies patrolling the hospital inside and out on the grounds. Give everyone Chasco’s license plates.”

“Okay, but Griff is going to want you there, too,” Nate said drily.

Shane knew his buddy was right. The fact that today was his normal day off didn’t mean squat when it came to situations like this. The SWAT team was always on call. In fact, he liked that part of his job, being a part of the team.

But no way was he leaving Gabby alone. Not with Ambrose on the loose. “I need someone to cover for me,” he said. “What about Isaac?”

“I’ll try, but I think he’s scheduled to work second shift tonight. Jenna was out of town for a couple of days, but she’s back. I’ll see if I can catch up with her.”

Jenna Reed was one of the few females to make the SWAT team, and was known to be one of their best sharpshooters, right behind Caleb O’Malley. “Okay, thanks. Keep me posted.”

“Be warned, you may hear from Griff even if I do get Jenna to cover for you,” Nate said before disconnecting from the call.

Shane fully expected to hear from his boss, so the warning wasn’t necessary.

Gabby glanced at him, her delicate brow puckered in a frown. “Please don’t get in trouble on my account,” she said softly. “I’ll be fine at the motel if you need to go in.”

Shane was already shaking his head before she finished speaking. “No way, Gabby. I’m staying with you, end of discussion.”

She was quiet for a long moment. “Thank you, Shane. It means a lot to me that you care so much about keeping me safe. But I hate knowing that you might get in trouble because of me. What if Griff fires you?”

He didn’t want to think about losing his job—the career that was so important to him—but nothing was more important than keeping Gabby safe.

Nothing.

And if Griff couldn’t accept that, well then he didn’t want the job after all.

“It will be fine,” he said reassuringly. “Griff will understand.” He hoped.

Gabby left her hand resting on his arm and he couldn’t help smiling as he drove, despite the rather grim circumstances they faced.

Yeah, he was in trouble as far as Gabby was concerned. Deep, deep trouble.

And for some reason, he couldn’t drum up the energy to care.

* * *

Gabby noticed that Shane made sure to take the long route back to their motel, just in case Armbrose had in fact been watching them. He kept shifting his gaze to the rearview mirror to be certain they weren’t followed.

“I doubt he’s behind us,” she said.

Shane glanced at her in surprise. “What makes you say that?” he asked curiously.

She shrugged. “The more I think about it, the more I believe Eric used Joe as a diversion. Something to keep the police preoccupied so he could be somewhere else.”

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Shane’s mouth. “You’re thinking like a cop,” he said with obvious approval.

Her cheeks warmed and she hoped he wouldn’t notice. “I also think there’s a strong possibility that he might have asked Joe to rent a car, rather than truly swapping rides.”

Shane’s eyebrows levered upward. “I had that same thought,” he said slowly. “Which is part of the reason I’m not leaving you at the motel alone.”

She didn’t say anything more as he finally pulled into the motel parking lot. This time, she knew the routine and hung back so that Shane could go in first, checking out both rooms to make sure they were clear.

“Let’s get these phones charged up and activated,” he said. “Then you can notify the hospital administrator about the possible threat.”

It didn’t take long, since she’d already started charging the first phone while they were in the car. She almost forgot it was Sunday when she picked up the disposable phone; those moments she’d spent with Shane in church seemed to have taken place a long time ago. She missed the sense of peace that had washed over her.

“Hospital operator, how may I direct your call?”

“I need you to page the chief medical officer for me,” she said. “I’ll hold the line.”

Gabby tried to think of how to convince the CMO, Andrew Beecher, of the very real threat. She had no doubt that Ambrose had picked a Sunday on purpose, knowing that there was only a skeletal administrative staff on during weekends.

But what did Eric plan to do? Simply look for her? Or was he planning something more sinister? She didn’t trust him one bit. After all, this was the same man who’d put patients in harm’s way just to discredit her.

“This is Drew Beecher,” a deep male voice said.

“Drew, it’s Gabriella,” she said. “I’m sorry to bother you on a Sunday, but there’s a serious situation you need to know about.”

“I’m here at the hospital,” her boss admitted. “What’s wrong?”

Gabby took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Did you hear about Brandon being attacked?”

“Yes, I’m the one who ultimately approved your leave of absence.”

“I’m in danger, and I believe a surgeon by the name of Eric Ambrose is behind the attacks. And the sheriff’s department thinks Eric is on his way to Trinity Medical Center.”

“What is this guy capable of?” Drew asked.

“Anything,” she admitted candidly. “I think he’s probably looking for me, but he is capable of hurting innocent people who might get in his way.”

“Are you sure?” Drew asked, his tone laced with skepticism.

She couldn’t blame him for his attitude; after all, she wouldn’t have believed it herself if she hadn’t experienced it firsthand. “Yes, I’m absolutely certain he’s unpredictable and dangerous. The sheriff’s department is planning to send out several deputies, but you need to help make sure every provider and staff member there is also aware.” She glanced at Shane, who was listening intently. “I’ll ask the deputies to get you a photograph of Eric and I’d like you to put it up everywhere you can think of.”

“All right,” Drew agreed slowly. “If you’re that worried, we’ll take all the necessary precautions.”

“Thank you.” She momentarily closed her eyes on a flash of relief. Thankfully, Drew Beecher was a decent guy and had believed her. “I’ll give you a number where I can be reached.”

Shane frowned but didn’t say anything as she rattled off the number of her new disposable phone.

“I’ll let you know if we find him,” Drew said before ending the call.

She set her phone aside with a small sigh. “I hate that I’m causing so much trouble, for you and everyone at the hospital.”

“You’re not the one at fault,” Shane reminded her.

“I know it’s Eric’s fault. But I was thinking that it might be best if I destroy my notes.”

Ironically, Shane didn’t try to talk her out of it. “That is a possible solution, except that we would need to let Ambrose know or he’ll keep searching.”

She ground her teeth in frustration. “And I can’t get at the safe-deposit box until tomorrow morning. I shouldn’t have kept them after all this time.”

“There’s no point in beating yourself up over decisions you made a long time ago,” Shane admonished gently. “You could have destroyed his career back when the incidents happened, but you didn’t. But that does bring up a good point. Why do you think Ambrose came after you now? Just because of the lawsuit?”

Her head started to ache again, not the same stabbing with an ice-pick type of pain, but a throbbing that had everything to do with stress. “I guess so.”

“How did he know you were still here? I imagine physicians move around a bit.”

She lifted her shoulder. “I guess maybe he saw the news report.”

“That’s it!” Shane burst out. “The airport shooting! You were the trauma surgeon on duty that weekend—I saw you being interviewed on television.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t remind me. I don’t know why they were interested in talking to me...it was the victims and their families that deserved the attention.”

But Shane didn’t seem to be listening. “That was a little over ten days ago, right? And the incident made national news especially since the airport had to be shut down for over twenty-four hours. That has to be it. Ambrose must have seen the news and realized that you were still a threat.”

“Maybe,” she acknowledged, although she didn’t see why the news report would have caused Eric to come after her. It wouldn’t be too hard to figure out where she was working if he really wanted to.

The exhaustion that she’d managed to ignore for the past several hours came rushing back.

“I think I’ll rest for a while,” she murmured, even though the very idea of sleep seemed impossible. “Will you come and get me if you hear anything about Eric?”

“Of course,” Shane assured her. “And I’ll be right here if you need anything.”

Gabby didn’t doubt it for a second. She remembered how he came barreling into her call room in the early-morning hours when he’d heard her screaming in the throes of a nightmare. Hard to believe that was just twelve hours ago.

So much had transpired since then, she thought as she crossed through the connecting door into her room. No wonder she was feeling so mentally and physically drained.

She crawled into bed fully dressed, just in case they needed to leave in a hurry. When she closed her eyes, it wasn’t the more horrifying memories that crowded her mind.

No—the one thing that flashed into her mind’s eye was the look of surprise and delight on Shane’s face when she’d wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Shane’s embrace had managed to banish the fear she’d experienced at being pinned beneath Damon. So much so that all she could think of was Shane. His strong arms, his woodsy scent. The way his kiss had left her wanting more.

Somehow she must have fallen asleep, because when she abruptly woke up, she was surrounded by darkness.

She sat up, shoving her tangled curls away from her face, looking around the small motel room. She frowned, wondering what had woken her up.

A noise? Throwing aside the covers, she eased out of the bed, taking a moment to slide her feet into her comfy walking shoes. She couldn’t hear any sounds from the other side of the connecting door, so she assumed Shane must be sleeping too. He certainly deserved the rest.

Heavy curtains shrouded the window, so she lifted a corner, peering out onto the parking lot.

Then she heard it again, a soft tapping sound.

She froze, her heart pounding in her chest. There was no one at her window, and the tapping sounded tinny, as if someone was rapping against glass rather than the hard, dense wooden door.

Shane’s room? She drew open her side of the connecting doors and then gently pushed at the door on Shane’s side. It swung open easily and she tiptoed into his room.

There it was again, a soft tapping on the window. Fear gripped her by the throat and she crouched over Shane’s prone figure to shake his shoulder.