Reach For the Spy (41 page)

I yanked the mask
aside. “Don’t go,” I gasped. “Accelerant.”

Tom’s eyes widened and
he turned to shout at the scurrying figures in the driveway. They
fell back only seconds before the garage window shattered and
enormous gouts of flame belched out.

A bulky figure loomed
up out of the darkness and I recognized Wally Nodell’s handlebar
moustache. “Where the hell are the paramedics that drove the
ambulance?” he demanded. “We have to get this guy to the hospital.
He’s not waking up.”

“Inside,” I croaked.
Sick horror spread over Tom’s face. I squeezed his callused hand.
“Already… dead. You couldn’t... have helped...”

“Don’t talk. Just
breathe.” He held the mask over my face.

Wally spun around.
“You. You.” He jabbed his finger at two of the men. “Bring the
stretcher. Tom, you’ll drive. Take him first.” He jerked his thumb
at Spider’s still form. “Come back for her, then get back here
ASAP. We’re going to need everybody we’ve got.”

I struggled into
sitting position. “I can ride in the front. Save you a trip.”

Tom started to shake
his head, but Wally overrode him with a nod. “Do it.” He strode
away.

“I’m okay,” I reassured
Tom. My eyes and throat still burned, but the coughing had
subsided.

He helped me carefully
to my feet and lifted my arm over his shoulders while he supported
me with an arm around my waist.

“Just take it slow,” he
cautioned.

By the time we’d made
our way around to the front of the ambulance, Spider’s stretcher
had been loaded into the back. Tears streamed down my face, and I
wasn’t sure if they were from smoke or tear gas or emotion.

I trembled helplessly
in the seat. The tears wouldn’t stop. Kane, Germain, Spider. They
might all be dead or dying. My mind refused to deal with any of it.
I wrapped my arms around my body and folded over as slow numbness
descended.

“Aydan, stay with me!”
Tom’s hand shook my shoulder.

“I’m okay,” I mumbled.
“Don’t worry.”

“Aydan!”

“I’m fine.”

When we arrived at the
hospital, I pulled myself upright and opened the door. By the time
my feet touched the ground, Tom was already beside me. I looked up
into his sky-blue eyes and collapsed into him.

I could’ve stood up if
I’d wanted to. I just didn’t feel like it. Besides, I needed a
hug.

His arms were tight
around me, my bruised ribs screaming at the pressure. He lowered me
gently to the ground, shouting over his shoulder, but I couldn’t
understand what he was saying. I just kept holding onto him until
they pried me loose and loaded me onto a stretcher.

I opened my eyes to
Hellhound’s ugly face. He smiled and stroked his hand over my hair.
“Hey, darlin’, how ya doin?”

I smiled back, the
sight of his homely features warming my heart. “I’m okay,” I
whispered.

Sudden fear drove
through me as memory returned. I bolted upright. “Spider! Is
he...”

“He’s gonna be okay,
darlin’. Ya saved him.”

“What about Kane and
Germain?” The question slipped out before I could stop it, and I
cursed myself for the spasm of pain that twisted Arnie’s face.

“Aydan, John’s dead,”
he rasped softly. “Ya know that. Ya went to his funeral,
remember?”

“I’m sorry, Arnie, I
know. I just...”

“It’s okay, darlin’.
Why don't ya lie down for a bit.” He pressed me gently back onto
the pillow.

I clutched his hand.
“What are you doing here? I thought you left yesterday. How long
was I out? What day is it?”

“It’s okay, ya were
only out for a little while,” he comforted. “It’s still Thursday. I
tried to leave yesterday, but the goddam piece a’ shit timing belt
shredded about twenty miles outta town. Hadta get towed back here
an’ wait for the fuckin’ belt to get shipped up from Calgary so the
garage could fix it. I been at the hotel.”

“But how did you find
me here?”

“I was over jammin’ at
Eddy’s tonight when a coupla the guys got the call an’ hadta drop
everything to go to the fire. Somebody said they saw ya gettin’
pulled out. Ya know how that kinda shit travels in a small
town.”

He leaned over and
kissed me. “Ya had me worried there, darlin’.”

I grinned at him. “You
know you don’t have to worry about me. Only the good die young...”
My voice trailed off at the sudden sick realization that it might
be true.

We exchanged a twisted
smile.

Urgency hammered at me.
Those shots in the park...

“Arnie, do you know if
Dr. Roth is working tonight?”

“Yeah, she was in here
a few minutes ago.”

“Would you mind getting
her if she’s not too busy?”

“Sure thing, darlin’.”
He rose and left.

A few minutes later,
Dr. Roth stepped into the cubicle and pulled the curtain closed
behind her. I motioned her closer to the bed, and her eyes
sharpened as she bent down.

“What is it?” she asked
softly.

“Have you heard from
K... Germain?” I whispered.

“No. Should I
have?”

“Oh, God.” I squeezed
my eyes shut. “Somebody needs to go over to the park right
away.”

By the time I reopened
my eyes, she was already texting, her face grim. “Where,
exactly?”

I described the
clearing as best I could as her fingers flew. “Should we send a
tactical team? Ambulance?”

“I... don’t know. It
might be too late for that. But I don’t know.” I buried my face in
my hands.

“Don’t worry.” She
patted my shoulder. “Just rest. We’ll deal with it. I’ll keep you
posted.”

As she whisked out of
the cubicle, Hellhound returned to his post in the chair beside my
bed. I clung to his hand and he eyed me with concern. “Darlin’,
it’s okay, you’re safe now.”

He stroked my hair, and
I loosened my grip with an effort of will and tried to relax
against the pillow. “I know. Thanks.”

I let my eyes gradually
drift closed and feigned sleep while I strained my ears for sounds
outside the cubicle.

Long minutes later, my
eyes flew open at the soft swish of fabric. Dr. Roth stood at the
foot of my bed, wearing a troubled expression.

I smiled up at
Hellhound. “Thanks for coming, but you don’t need to sit with me.
Why don’t you go back to the hotel and get some sleep?”

“You might as well,”
the doctor agreed. “She’s in no danger, but we’ll hold her
overnight just as a precaution.”

“I can stay if ya
want,” he offered.

“No, that’s okay. Go
back and get some rest.”

His shrewd gaze flicked
between the doctor and me, and comprehension filled his eyes. He
nodded and rose. “See ya in the mornin’, then, darlin’.” He frowned
slightly as he squeezed my hand. “Take care.” He shot Dr. Roth a
suspicious glance as he left.

She bent over the bed
to whisper. “There’s nobody at the park. Nothing but signs of
struggle and an empty tear gas canister.”

“Any blood?” I didn’t
really want to know, but I had to ask.

“No.”

My breath went out of
me in a rush of relief.

“What happened?” she
demanded.

“Stemp and K...” I bit
off what I was going to say. Kane was still officially dead as far
as I knew. Please, God, don’t let him really be dead.

“Stemp and Germain were
there. Somebody tossed tear gas. I heard shots and bodies falling.
Then Mike Connor snatched me.”

She stiffened. “Mike
Connor? The paramedic?”

“Yes. He was a sleeper
agent for Fuzzy Bunny.”

She jerked upright and
snatched out her phone. “Where did you see him last?”

“He’s dead.”

Her shoulders eased and
she stared down at me, frowning. “Where’s the body?”

“Inside the house.
Probably burned beyond recognition by now.”

Her frown deepened.
“You set a fire to cover your tracks?”

“No. He set the fire.
He planned to leave Clyde Webb inside.”

“You need to be
debriefed as soon as possible.” She turned and swished through the
curtains before I could stop her.

I spent a miserable
night, dozing and waking at the slightest sound. Dr. Roth still
hadn’t managed to track down Germain by the time she left at the
end of her shift. Worry gnawed at me while I tossed and turned.

At six A.M., I caught
myself looking at my watch for the umpteenth time. I groaned and
rolled over, resisting the urge to bury my head under the pillow. I
had to get out and start looking for Kane and Germain.

Despite my momentary
lapse of faith when Germain had turned his gun on Kane, I still
believed he was one of the good guys. I knew exactly what it was
like to discover an apparently dead man still living and breathing.
Hell, I’d pulled my gun on Kane, too.

The swish of the
cubicle curtains made me jerk upright. Cold fear pulsed through my
veins at the sight of Stemp’s expressionless face. He was flanked
by two armed men, their eyes darting alertly around the cubicle,
hands hovering near their weapons.

“Get dressed,” Stemp
snapped. “You’re being discharged.”

Frantic half-formed
plans darted through my brain while I gaped at him. Safest to stay
here and make a big fuss. No way I was going with him. I was just
opening my mouth to scream when he spoke again.

“Now. Or he dies.” He
twitched the curtain aside to reveal another large man holding
Spider by the arm. The gun was only visible because I knew to look
for it. The busy hospital staff would never notice. Spider’s face
was bone-white.

I slowly swung my feet
over the edge of the bed, yanking the gown down in an attempt at
modesty. I had half-expected Stemp to make me strip while he
watched, but he nodded shortly. “That’s better. We’ll be right
outside. Don’t try anything.”

He withdrew and pulled
the curtain across. I tottered to the locker, my heart pounding. By
the time I’d dressed slowly, my mind was still devoid of any useful
strategy. If Stemp was here and Kane and Germain were nowhere to be
seen, then my plan was utterly destroyed. Stemp and Connor must
have been working together. Why hadn’t I thought of that?

My stupidity had cost
Kane and Germain their lives. Would probably cost Spider’s life.
And ultimately mine, after hours or days or weeks of torture.

I swallowed hard and
clamped down on terror.

“Hurry up.” Stemp’s
voice was hard.

The cubicle wavered and
I realized I was hyperventilating. I leaned heavily on the bed and
tried to slow my breathing. That worked for a few seconds until the
swish of the cubicle curtain made me suck in a startled breath
again.

Stemp glowered at me.
“Let’s go.”

His hard hand wrapped
around my arm, crushing the aching bruises, and he ushered me
briskly out of the hospital and into a waiting van.

When the van stopped at
Sirius Dynamics, I was surprised. I was even more surprised when we
all entered the lobby and Stemp retrieved our security fobs from
the wicket. Spider was still being held, but the guard in the
wicket didn’t seem to notice as the other men blocked his view.

When Stemp approached
the door to the secured facility, my heart picked up the pace yet
again. The door opened and he waved us all inside. Three big armed
men. Spider, Stemp and me. I was gasping for air before the door
even closed.

Crammed into the
enclosed space, I grappled for control while the adrenaline surged
through my system. When the door released and Stemp moved forward,
I stumbled on shaking legs and would have fallen if the two men
hadn’t grabbed my arms. Stemp eyed me impassively while they
half-dragged, half-carried me down the stairs.

Instead of our usual
right-turn toward the labs, Stemp turned left down a concrete
corridor. I managed to get my legs under me, but my captors kept a
firm and painful grasp on my upper arms. Spider walked stiffly
ahead of me with his escort.

We passed several
glassed-in rooms, featureless except for benches bolted to the
walls. As we arrived at the last one, my distracted brain finally
processed what I was seeing. Our armed guards stood aside and
raised their weapons. Stemp punched a code into the keypad and the
heavy tempered-glass door slid open.

Kane and Germain stood
tensely while Spider and I were shoved inside with them. The glass
door slid closed, and Stemp leaned against it from the outside. He
regarded us with his habitual indifferent expression. “Now we’re
going to talk.”

I don’t know how long
we would have stood staring at him if Spider hadn’t collapsed to
the floor.

I fell to my knees
beside him in desperate fear, but he was already sitting up, gaping
at Kane as if he was seeing a ghost. Which, in his mind, he
was.

“You’re... alive...?”
he whispered.

“For now,” Kane
snapped. He glowered at Stemp. “What do you want?”

“Information.” Stemp
turned his reptilian gaze on me. “We’ll start with you. Who’s your
contact at Fuzzy Bunny?”

“I don’t have a contact
at Fuzzy Bunny,” I quavered. I swallowed hard, cursing my trembling
and trying to steady my voice.

“Then what were you
doing at the park, setting up a fake memorial to a man you
obviously knew was still alive? Getting ready to fake your
abduction by Fuzzy Bunny? Who’s your contact?”

I glared at him and
stayed silent. He locked eyes with me, and neither of us moved or
spoke.

After a few seconds, he
glanced over at the armed men. “Fine.” He punched the code to
release the door again. “Put her in the time-delay chamber. Lock
both doors.” His eyes glinted dangerously at me. “Just start
screaming when you’re ready to tell me what I want to know.”

I jerked my chin up and
stiffened my knees in an attempt to hide my violent tremors.

“No!” Spider scrambled
to his feet as the men approached. “I’ll tell you.”