Page 92 of Last Chance

Sawyer squeezed her hand. “I’ll take care of it. Be back in a minute.” He walked to the desk and spoke to Daisy. After confirming she had the number for Fortress, Sawyer walked a few paces away and called Zane.

“What’s the latest on David Moran?” his friend asked instead of a formal greeting. After an update, he whistled. “Buddy, I hate to hear that about anyone. Look, just because David had excellent care within minutes of the bleed doesn’t mean he’ll recover fully. As good as they are, doctors aren’t miracle workers. Sometimes, the best care in the world isn’t enough to reverse the damage.”

Zane knew that from personal experience. An IED had injured the Navy SEAL in the Sand Box and, despite heroic efforts of the medical personnel, he was paralyzed and rode a wheelchair from one place to another.

“This is going to be a long road to recovery, and the surgery and therapy might not be totally successful,” Zane continued. “I don’t want to hurt her, but Janie should be prepared for that outcome.”

“She knows it’s a possibility, Z. Although Jesse was careful, he was straight with her.”

“Sorry,” the tech guru muttered. “Sore spot.”

“No apology necessary, my friend. If David has side effects from the brain bleed, Janie will need someone who’s been through something similar and come out the other side to a full and successful life, though a different one.”

“Keep us updated, all right? It’s obvious Janie is important to you. If we can help her or her brother, we will.”

“Thanks, Z. The hospital is supposed to call with updates on David’s condition. Make sure the person covering the comm system knows to contact me immediately.”

“I’ll take care of it. Do you want a satellite phone for Janie and a set of tracking jewelry?”

“The sooner, the better.”

“Done. I’ll have an operative deliver both to the safe house. He or she will send you a text to let you know they’re on the way.”

“Good. Surprise visitors won’t be greeted with kindness.”

“Copy that.”

Sawyer ended the call and returned to the family waiting room. “All set. Daisy has the contact information for Fortress. The tech and communication staff know to contact me if a call comes through from the hospital.”

Relief flooded Janie’s face. “That’s great. I’ll have to put together a gift bag for Zane’s wife in thanks for all his extra work on my behalf.”

“Unnecessary, but Claire will love it.” He held out his hand to Janie. “Let’s get you home so you can rest. You won’t sleep in the waiting room.” Neither would he nor his teammates. Too much movement and too many exits to watch while protecting Janie.

He and his teammates headed for the stairs. Minutes later, they reached the first floor exit.

Max held up his fist to signal the others to wait, then opened the door enough to see the parking lot and scan for threats. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded.

Excellent. The sooner Sawyer escorted Janie away from here, the better. His skin was crawling. Not a good sign. “Spiders,” he murmured to Jesse and Max.

They both palmed their weapons. Jesse fell in behind Janie while Max led the way to the vehicles.

Somewhere nearby, a vehicle’s engine idled. Sawyer scanned the parking lot. No vehicles had their lights on, so he couldn’t pinpoint the location. He didn’t like it.

Max’s head swiveled to the right. “Dark truck,” he said over his shoulder.

“Copy.”

“What’s wrong?” Janie whispered, pressing closer to Sawyer’s side.

“We have company. Hear the engine running?”

She nodded.

“No lights on inside or out.”

“Not again.”

“We’ll handle it,” Jesse said. “You do exactly what Sawyer tells you to do. Max and I have your backs.”

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