Linda Kay Silva - Delta Stevens 3 - Weathering the Storm (30 page)

Megan touched Delta’s face and smiled warmly. “You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met, that’s how you are.”

Delta shot a look over to Connie, who nodded. “Physically, you’re fine. Other than a few strands of singed hair, and some second degree burns on your legs and arms, you can consider yourself one lucky woman.”

Delta inspected her body. “That’s it? It feels like I spent the night inside a microwave.”

Connie nodded. “I’ll bet. Your jacket kept you from being fried alive.”

“Then why am I hooked up to the bottles?”

“Dehydration. The heat from the fire dried you like a fossil. It wasa lot hotter in there than you think.”

Delta sighed. “I don’t want to know how hot it was. Believe me, it was hot enough.”

Megan brought Delta’s hand to her lips and kissed it. “But you made it out okay and that’s the important thing. You saved lives, my love. Precious little lives.”

“Then, you’re not angry?”

“Angry?” Megan scowled. “About what?”

“About dinner. I really bailed on you when it—”

Megan placed her fingers over Delta’s mouth. “As always, Delta Stevens, you were as unpredictable as the shifting wind. And, as usual, you did what you thought was best under the circumstances. And, as usual, it paid off. How could I be angry with someone who risked her life to save children she didn’t even know?”

“But we had so much to talk about.”

“Yes, and we’ll still have that talk. But for now, I just want you to rest and relax and know that I’m right here.” Megan tapped Delta’s chest with a manicured finger. “And I always will be.”

Like some kind of shaman medicine, Megan’s words touched her spirit and radiated through her body, easing the aches and pains from her ordeal. If her heart was okay, her body would follow.

“I...needed to hear that.”

Megan grinned gently and set Delta’s hand down. “I know. But right now, we need to focus on getting you out of here.”

Nodding, Delta ran her hand through her hair. “Right. Tell me about the kids.”

“The children are a little shaky from the combination of drugs and smoke inhalation, but otherwise, they’re fine. I would imagine you’ll become quite a folk hero on the reservation.”

Delta tried to smile, but her face didn’t seem to want to cooperate. Suddenly, she remembered the Camaro. “Sal...”

“Don’t worry about Sal. Josh said it was insured and he was more than happy to help.”

“But we didn’t catch anybody, did we?”

Connie shook her head. “No, we didn’t, but you saved lives, Delta. That’s all that matters, and it’s something Sal and her buddies understand all too well.”

Delta looked thoughtfully at her hands. “I’ve seen them in action, Con. You have remarkable taste in friends.”

Connie brought one of Delta’s hands to her lips and gently kissed it. “Yes, I do. So don’t sweat it. You were great.”

Looking up from her burnt hands, Delta’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe. Does the captain think so, or did I nail down the lid to my own coffin?”

Connie shrugged. “Beats me. I’ve been too worried about you to care less what the almighty captain thinks. But don’t you worry.”

“Besides,” Megan added, “you’re a headlines grabber, my love. Look.” Holding the Los Angeles Times up for Delta to see, Megan beamed proudly.
Off Duty Cop Saves Kidnapped Children from Fiery Death
. The subtitle to the headline read,
Officer Delta Stevens of River Valley P.D. Saves the Day.
“The River Valley Reader
ran the story on the front page.”

Delta bowed her head and grinned. She knew there were others at work this very minute trying to keep her butt out of the sling for this one. Looking up at Connie, Delta’s left eyebrow rose in question. “Did Alex get that headline run?”

Connie nodded. “I think so. She called and told me she would do whatever she could to keep you out of trouble on this. You know she’d never let you go down without a fight.”

Delta smiled. This time, her face worked. “No, she wouldn’t.”

Clearing her throat, Connie bent over, kissed Delta’s forehead, and started for the door. “I’ll give you two some time alone and see just how long we can keep the wolves at bay.” Opening the door, Connie hesitated a moment. “Storm?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Cheer up, Chief. You’re never going to have to find out.”

Watching Connie disappear out the door, Delta told Megan, “She’s my best friend.”

“Yes, she is. And she just about drove herself mad with worry.”

Delta reached for Megan’s hand. “I’m glad you were here with her.”

“Well, someone had to be strong, and it didn’t look like it was going to be her. Actually,” Megan lightly touched Delta’s gauzed hand, “taking care of Connie forced me to be braver than I would have been.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want you to be so worried.”

“Honey, I worry all the time, you know that.”

“Yeah. I guess I do some pretty crazy things.”

“Yes, you do. And I love you anyway.”

“Enough to understand why I left you at Harry’s?”

“Yes.”

“Enough to believe me when I say that I support your decision to go on the internship?”

Megan leaned back. “Don’t be ridiculous. How can you even think of letting me go at a time like this? You really are crazy. Maybe that bump on your head scrambled your brains.”

“Meg—”

“No.” Abruptly standing, Megan stepped away from the bed. “I won’t hear any more. I’m not going and that’s final.”

“Meg, look. I’m a little charred around the edges, but I’ll be back to work before the weekend. I’m fine. Really I am.”

“Delta Stevens, you can be so pigheaded.”

“Pigheaded? I thought I was being supportive and understanding.”

Standing with her hands on her hips, Megan shook her head in exasperation. “If you weren’t sitting there like a piece of over-cooked meat, I’d put another knot on your forehead. God, even in a hospital, you can be such as ass.”

Delta smiled. “Then that must mean I’m okay.”

“The hell you are. You’re just a bigger pain in the butt, that’s all.”

“Maybe, but I’m your pain in the butt.”

That did it. Fighting a battle she knew she couldn’t win, Megan smiled. “We’ll talk about it later.” Bending over and kissing Delta’s forehead, Megan lightly brushed her lips across Delta’s. “Right now, I want you to get some rest.” Tenderly kissing Delta’s lips, Megan paused over the large bandage on Delta’s eyebrow before gently laying her lips on the gauze. Hugging Megan gingerly, Delta realized she was exhausted and light-headed. “If the captain’s out there, you better send him in. I’m getting a little tired.”

“You sure you want to see him now?”

Delta nodded and leaned back against her pillows. “Better now than later. I just want to get it over with.”

“Do you think Alexandria was able to help?”

Grinning and feeling the last of the painkiller wearing off, Delta nodded. “You can bet she’s the one responsible for the front page story.”

“Well, she owed it to you, didn’t she?” Turning around, Megan blew Delta a kiss. “You’ve got five minutes with your precious captain, and that’s it. If he doesn’t say what he needs to say in that time, tough shit. If you won’t take care of yourself, then I’m going to. You got that?”

Delta smiled as she saluted. Her head was throbbing and her eyes were beginning to hurt again. “Five minutes. After that, I promise to rest.”

“Good.” Walking back and kissing Delta on the lips, Megan held her breath. “I do love you so.”

“I know. Me too.” Watching Megan stride out the door, Delta thought how good it was to be alive, no matter how shitty she felt. And boy, did she feel shitty.

“Was Lady Luck with me or what?” Lifting the covers Delta surveyed her bandaged legs. Her shins were wrapped in the same kind of white gauzy material as her hands, but other than that, she could detect no major injuries. Reaching her hand up to her head, she carefully felt the egg-shaped bump protruding from her forehead, another injury inflicted by that nasty plate glass window. In the middle of the bump sat a huge chasm-like gash about three inches long stitched together with what felt like wire.

“Great. Now I have just the perfect accessory to wear with the scar on my thigh.” Running her fingers down her thigh to the place where Elson Zuckerman had imbedded a Chinese throwing star, Delta involuntarily winced. At thirty years old, her body resembled Joe Namath’s knees.

As Delta finished her checklist of injuries, there was a light knock on the door, followed by the head of Captain Henry.

“Your friend says you’re ready to see us now?”

Delta straightened. “Us?”

“The chief came as soon as he heard. Feel up to it?”

Delta nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable that the chief was choosing this opportunity to ding her. “Why not? Come on in.”

Lumbering through the door like a sailor walking into a hair salon, Captain Henry stood stiffly at the door and waited for Police Chief Walker to enter. Delta had met the thin and balding chief on a couple of occasions, none of which were worth remembering. Politically, he was too closely allied to the mayor to be of any real service to his officers, but Delta appreciated the fact that he gave his female officers the same respect he gave to his men. Secretly, she and Connie both thought he might be gay, but they’d never jeopardize their careers by vocalizing those thoughts. He was here, and right now, she had to deal with whatever he had to say.

“Captain. Chief Walker.” Delta nodded her head at the two as they stood on either side of the bed like a pair of stone bookends. The captain was still in uniform but Chief Walker was wearing a gray sweat suit with a torn front pocket. It was the first time Delta had seen him in casual clothes. She wondered if he had been jogging before coming to the hospital.

“Officer Stevens. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, Chief, it has.” Now she remembered. Their last two meetings were the result of “questionable actions on the part of a law enforcement officer out of the line of duty,” or so read the final report. It did not surprise her that he was here with her now, not just because one of his officers had been hurt in the line of duty, but because it was exceptionally good PR to make a statement to the press from the hospital where the wounded cop was recovering. Delta was astute enough politically to recognize a PR ploy when she saw one.

Nonetheless, that PR might be the one thing that kept her neck from the guillotine. In fact, Delta was counting on that.

“How are you feeling?” The chief asked, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his sweats.

“I’m fine, sir, really. I should be back at work in a day or two.”

“Excellent.”

“Yes, and speaking of excellent,” Captain Henry added, “You’ve done one hell of a fine job saving those kids. The department is proud of you.”

“Thank you. I hate to be rude, Captain, but I’m feeling a little light-headed and wish you’d say whatever it is you have to say.”

Chief Walker shook his head. “You never change, do you, Stevens?”

“It doesn’t appear so, sir. ”

The captain and chief exchanged glances and nodded to each other before calling a secretary in to take the report. While Delta hadn’t been surprised that the two men were in her room, she was surprised that they actually brought a secretary with them. They must think Delta had more information than she actually had.

After the secretary settled in, Delta spent ten minutes telling her story. She told everything except the fact that the Camaro and the bug had been planted, that she had seen two men killed in the desert, and that they had been on the case since its inception. Basically, she told them nothing.

“Let me get this straight, Stevens,” The chief said, eyeing Captain Henry suspiciously. “You and Rivera put two-and-two together about the children being Indians—”

“Native Americans, sir.”

“Whatever. And then you discover there is some kind of stolen vehicle pattern, so out of the blue you decide to chase after a red Camaro that zips right in front of you?”

Delta nodded. “That’s about it. It was a hunch, sir. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“I see.”

The secretary glanced up from her pad and grinned slightly at Delta.

“I have great hunches,” Delta said, shrugging.

“So it would seem.” Captain Henry paced over to the window and stared out. Delta could hear it coming like a Mack truck down a gravel road. “Is that the only suspicion you and Rivera have regarding this case?”

Delta nodded.

Returning to the bed, Captain Henry pulled a chair up and leaned close to Delta. “Stevens, there are three federal agents outside who don’t believe that. They don’t believe that you just decided to jump into your car and race after a red Camaro. They don’t believe that you and your partner just happened to end up at the same bar on your night off, and they sure as hell don’t believe that you aren’t witholding information from them. Do you get my meaning?”