Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #2 (36 page)

She'd dealt with a number of gunshot wounds in the ER when she'd been on rounds at the hospital, but this time was different. Because this time it was personal.

And because, even all these years after her silly college-age crush, she still felt as if her heart was about to explode out of her chest when he looked at her.

Grant leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes as the car jolted over another bump in the road. “Those crazy smoke bombs worked.”

“Yes, they did, but I need you to stay with me, Grant.” She applied direct pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, but he needed to be in an ER with access to a complete trauma team. “Open your eyes, Grant, and talk to me.”

He obeyed and looked up at her, wincing at every bump they went over. “Have I told you how pretty you are?”

She ignored his question, and continued checking his vitals. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I was shot.”

She smiled. He clearly still had his sense of humor, but adrenaline was good at blocking out most of the initial pain. The tough part was going to be when the adrenaline wore off.

“So what's the verdict?” he asked.

“Considering how stubborn you are, I'm pretty sure you're going to make it.”

She wasn't ready to tell him the truth. That he was losing too much blood and that she could only improvise so much. She was tired of makeshift clinics, the lack of supplies, and having to make do. What if she couldn't save him?

She pushed back the thought. His eyes were closing again.

“Grant...I need you to stay with me.”

He wasn't responding.

“I never should have kissed you,” she whispered, not even trying to hold back the tears. “Or fallen in love with you.”

Fallen in love with him?

No. Maddie pushed closed the door to her heart, wishing she could escape the confines of the car. And his nearness. She'd been a fool to let her emotions go this far.

“Grant?”

She looked outside the car window. Their driver was racing toward the airstrip, past swampy mangroves, but they were running out of time.

“There's the plane,” Antonio said.

“Any sign of Reid or his men?” she asked, studying the terrain, her heart pounding.

Antonio shook his head a moment later. “If they are out there, I don't see them.”

Maddie swallowed hard, hoping he was right. Because if they weren't here yet, they were on their way.

Colton was waiting for them on the runway.

“He's been shot,” she shouted as Antonio helped her get Grant out of the car. Grant moaned at the movement, but at least he was conscious.

“Get in quickly,” Colton said. “I can fly you to a hospital on the mainland.”

Maddie thanked him as Antonio and Colton helped Grant onto the plane, praying that they made it to the hospital in time to save him. Praying that the men after them didn't find them.

Grant groaned again as she helped him settle into a seat.

“Grant...there's no way you're leaving me now.” She said as the plane headed down the remote runway, with still no sign of Reid or his men. “I need you to hang in there.”

Please, God...

Because what was happening right now was the very reason she'd hesitated to consider a relationship with him in the first place. Her fear that something would happen to him and she'd end up losing both him...and her heart.

SEVENTEEN

M
addie leaned against the windowsill and watched Grant sleep. The remote missionary hospital, a couple hundred miles from the cluster of islands they'd escaped from, had become a place of refuge for the injured in the province. The long line that waited for medical help outside was proof of that.

It was also where Grant's life had been saved, and—she prayed—where Reid Johnson wouldn't be able to find them. For the moment, there was nothing more she could do but wait and pray that all of this would be over soon. She reached up and rubbed her temples, feeling the tension from her headache slowly spread down her neck and back. After assisting with Grant's surgery, she was exhausted. Dr. Sauer, a surgeon from Alabama who'd performed the operation, had encouraged her to go to the hospital's guesthouse and get some rest, but despite her fatigue she wasn't ready to leave. Not yet.

The doctor had managed to repair the damage left behind by the bullet, which meant, barring an infection or some other unexpected complication, Grant should not only recover completely, but hopefully regain full use of his arm as well.

So why did she still feel so...off course?

The past few hours had been a frightening, but she'd forced herself to lay aside all her emotions and concentrate on Grant simply as a patient, not as someone who'd managed to capture her heart. Now those emotions she'd repressed were threatening to detonate.

An ebony-skinned nurse walked into the quiet room and started taking vital signs of one of the other patients. The long rectangular room, with its pale blue walls, row of beds and a scattering of monitoring machines, was basic, but she'd found the staff to be not only efficient, but compassionate.

“I understand the two of you have been through quite an ordeal.” The young nurse smiling across the room at her didn't look like she could be more than twenty.

“It's been a difficult few days,” Maddie said. “It's Julia, right?”

She nodded. “I could bring you some tea?”

Maddie smiled at the offer, appreciating her concern. “Thank you, but I'm not going to stay much longer.”

“Good, because you look tired. He's going to sleep for a while, but he's going to be fine. You should get some rest. Maybe something to eat.”

Maddie knew she was right. She hadn't eaten in hours, and if she didn't get something into her system, she'd be the one needing medical attention. But she wasn't ready to go. Not yet.

“I'm working till midnight,” Julia said. “I could give you a call when he wakes up or if anything changes. Are you planning to stay at the guesthouse?”

“Yes, and thank you. I would appreciate that.”

Maddie slid into the plastic chair beside Grant's bed as Julia left the room. The pain of almost losing him engulfed her, and not for the first time, she questioned her decision. But in her heart she knew it was what she had to do.

No matter what she felt, there were still certain things she couldn't ignore. Sixty million mines still left unexploded in seventy countries...sixty-five people maimed or killed every day... This was why Grant did what he did. But the facts didn't lie. One of these days, unless he was very lucky, Grant Reese was going to end up another statistic on a humanitarian website. Like her brother. That was something she couldn't face.

The fact was he deactivated land mines for a living.

She'd seen too many maimed bodies. Too many broken spirits. She couldn't deal with that happening again to someone she cared for. Not again.

“I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're going to make it.” She took his hand, careful not to disturb the IV or wake him up. “But you
are
going to make it.”

Just not with her.

Grant's face was pale, reminding her of how close they came to losing him. Any longer without the emergency medical care he'd finally received, and he might not have survived. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she wasn't going to cry. She'd cried enough the past few days. Out of frustration. Out of fear. All she wanted to do right now was put all of this behind her.

“How is he?”

Maddie looked up. Antonio stood in the doorway.

“Stable. Resting.” She pulled her hand away, and wiped away a stray tear. “The surgery went well. The doctor believes he was able to repair the damage. He'll have to do a few weeks of physical therapy once he's back in the States, but at this point at least, the outlook is good.”

“I'm glad to hear that. I'm sorry I haven't been by until now, but I've been working with Colton the past couple hours to figure a way out of our situation with Reid. I'm heading back to the guesthouse now and thought you might want to come with me. Ana's resting there after her doctor's appointment. She's going to be fine.”

She smiled her relief. “Thank you for making sure she was okay, so I could stay with Grant during the surgery.”

“Of course. I'm just glad he's okay. They're serving dinner soon, and you'll be able to call your parents. With your story already making headlines, I have a feeling Alistair's photos are going to make the news as well. They're going to need to hear what's going on from you first.”

She nodded and grabbed her backpack, wondering how much she should tell her mother. Because while the past few hours she'd focused on Grant, she knew that wasn't the only crisis they were facing. As long as Reid was still out there, their lives were still in danger.

“What about Reid?” she asked.

“Colton has been in touch with a contact at the embassy in Dakar.”

“Dakar?” She hesitated in the doorway, the fear in her gut pronounced. “Someone we can trust?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“We were able to send him all the contents on the flash drive.”

All she could do was pray he was right and that this was someone who could stop Reid, because they couldn't afford to be wrong. Not on this. But she knew she couldn't keep focusing on the what-ifs. Like what would have happened if Grant hadn't insisted she give him the flash drive? Or if they'd searched Grant before they escaped the police station and found the flash drive. There were simply too many.

Maddie followed Antonio outside the surgical ward, along a brick path that followed the outside wall, faded by the relentless beating of the sun. Women sat with their children, waiting to see a doctor, beneath the overhanging eaves where a slight breeze stirred the late afternoon heat, bringing with it the fragrant scents of the surrounding orange trees that smelled like a mixture of jasmine and honey.

Halfway to the guesthouse that was situated on the far side of the hospital compound, he stopped to face her. “Colton and I found out something else.”

“What is it?”

“Reid's secretary was found dead this morning in her home.”

Maddie sucked in a breath of air. “She was the one who talked to Sam.”

“That's what it looks like. Or at least what Reid thought.”

“Then why did he need to question me? Why not just kill us all from the start?”

“Maybe he wanted to make sure he'd sealed off any other leaks. Make sure he wasn't missing someone.”

“Where is Reid?”

Antonio started walking again. “They haven't found him yet.”

That wasn't the news she'd wanted to hear. “What do you mean they haven't found him?”

“Apparently he left the island not long after we did on his own private plane. But no one knows where he went.”

“Do you think he can track us here?”

“It's possible, even though our flight plan was to the capital, not here. We've spoken to the hospital administration. They've agreed to add a few more guards until we leave.”

She slowed her steps. Bougainvillea lined the cement wall, purple, white and orange, but all she could see was Reid and his arrogant expression when he'd looked at her. He was going to do anything he could to find her. “There's still a chance we're putting the hospital and everyone at risk here until he's arrested.”

“Like I said, we'll take precautions, but I don't think he'll be able to track us here.”

She hurried to catch up with Antonio. Maybe he was right, but she'd seen how determined Reid was. He found a way to track them down before. There were no guarantees he wouldn't find a way to do it again.

“How long before it's safe for Grant to travel?” Antonio asked.

“The doctor said he wanted to watch him overnight. I'm sure after that—barring no signs of infection—he'll release him.”

“Until then, can I make a suggestion?” he asked as they crossed the lawn in front of the guesthouse.

She nodded.

“Call your parents, eat some dinner and get some rest. Everything will look different tomorrow.”

Ten minutes later, she picked up the handset of the landline and dialed her parents' number. After five rings, she began to wonder if anyone was home. On the sixth ring, the answering machine picked up.

Maddie clicked her fingernails against the top of the desk in the small guest room. She couldn't tell her parents what was going on with a message on the answering machine. But Antonio was right. If they found out through the wrong channels...

The answering machine beeped.

She started to hang up when someone answered.

“Mom?”

“Maddie?

She let out a sigh of relief. “Mom, I'm so glad you're home.”

“Where are you? Are you okay?”

She sat down on a padded chair. “It's a long story, but yes... I'm okay.”

“When are you coming home?”

Maddie filled in some of the details, saving the rest for when she was with them in person.

“You're sure you're okay?” her mom asked.

“I'm okay. I promise. Because Grant found me, just like he promised. And I'm going to be home for Christmas.”

* * *

Grant inhaled the bitter odor of the smoke and struggled to breathe. With his lungs burning from the fumes, he fought to pull himself away from the hot metal of the plane. Had they crashed?

A stab of pain ripped through his torso as a wave rushed over him, knocking him onto the deck of the ferry. Water crashed against the sides, spilling over onto the deck. People were panicking. They were sinking. All these people surrounding him and there was no land in sight.

And Maddie... Where was Maddie? He tried to look around, but he couldn't get up. An orange flare arched through the air. He searched the hazy atmosphere. If she was here, he had to find her...

* * *

Grant woke with a start. He could feel the beads of sweat running down his forehead as he opened his eyes to bright fluorescent lights. Turning to his side, he groaned as another wave of intense pain racked his shoulder. His lungs struggled to draw in a breath, and he tried to stop the surge of panic that ensued.

Where was he?

He could only remember snippets of details. They'd been running from something...through the smoke... Maddie, Antonio, Ana... They needed to get to the taxi...to get away from...Reid.

“I was shot.”

“It's about time you woke up. And yes, you took a bullet to the shoulder.”

He hadn't even realized he'd spoken the words aloud until someone answered him. A blurry figure hovered over him. He forced his eyes to work together and bring the subject into focus, but the small act left him tired, so he closed his eyes.

After a moment, he opened them again. This time the looming figure was clearer. Black hair, neatly braided. Ebony skin. Blue-and-white uniform. “Where am I?”

“In a mission hospital a couple hundred miles north of the capital. You've been through surgery to have your shoulder repaired. You were lucky to have one of the best specialists around.”

“What about...”

He wanted to say more, but his throat was so dry.

“Dr. Gilbert?” She handed him a glass of water.

“Yes.” He took a sip and nodded. “Is she okay?”

“She's tired, but fine.” The nurse checked the IV attached to his arm. “She's staying at the guesthouse that's connected with the hospital. I promised I'd call her as soon as you were awake.”

Ten minutes later he watched Maddie sit down beside him and take his hand. She brushed back a strand of hair across his forehead and smiled.

“Hey, trooper. You've been through a lot. I'm glad to see you awake.”

“You're okay?” His words came out choppy and horse, but he didn't care. He needed her to be okay.

“It's been a day I'd rather forget, but yeah... I'm okay.”

She was so beautiful. Her dark hair was swept back in a ponytail. Dark brows framed gorgeous cinnamon eyes. But she looked tired. Lines had formed under her eyes, probably from lack of sleep. Details of the day were beginning to emerge. Today could have ended so different.

“The doctor's pleased with the surgery,” she said. “You'll have a few weeks of PT ahead of you as soon as we can get you back to the States, but he expects a full recovery.”

He made an attempt to lift his hand. Everything felt so heavy and the effort produced nothing.

“Still a bit numb?” she asked.

He nodded.

“That will pass. They've got you on some pain medicine as well. You can let them know if the pain gets to be too much.”

“I'm okay for now,” he said.

He could see the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. He wanted to kiss her. Take her in his arms and tell her that in spite of everything they'd gone through, everything was going to be okay. To tell her that once all of this was over, he still wanted that chance to get to know her better. And as soon as he had his strength back and could think clearly, they'd figure out how.

Maddie squeezed his hand, then pulled away. “You need to go back to sleep. Antonio and I are working to get us flights back to the States tomorrow. And you're going to need your strength.”