Page 42 of Operation: Unify

“I don’t blame you.” He had much the same feeling.

“When the strongest guy you’ve ever known gets knocked off his feet time after time in one of these buildings, you start to lose confidence in what they can do.”

He gripped her hand, knowing she was talking about him. “But look what they did for Melinda.” That was nothing short of a miracle. She’d been unresponsive when the ambulance had rushed her away from the scene.

“I suppose you’re right, but they thought you were fine twice before it was the truth.”

He didn’t need the reminder, though there were parts of his stay that he couldn’t recall no matter how hard he tried. The first week was a blur that had nothing to ground him in reality, making the memories difficult to place.

As they made their way down the hallway, following the signs to the hospital rooms, Connor kept watch for anything that looked suspicious. While it was unlikely Tod would try anything there, he was running out of time to silence Lacy and Melinda.

The desk area was in the middle of the floor with the room surrounding it in a circle. The woman sitting there looked up from her desk and waited for them to come to her.

“Hi, I’m here to see Melinda McFarland.”

“Are you Lacy?” she glanced between Lacy and Connor.

“I am. This is Connor. We just got a call saying I could see her.” Lacy gripped his hand tighter.

The nurse nodded. “She mentioned both of you by name. I know I’m not supposed to let any men in there, but she wouldn’t have given the okay if she was worried about you. She gave me two names who are absolutely not allowed in. Keep the door open and be sure you’re on your way out by ten.”

Connor appreciated that they would let him go into the room, but that seemed to be less secure than what she’d said at first on the phone. The nurse wrote down the room number on a sticky note, so she didn’t have to say it out loud and sent them down the hall.

Lacy followed the direction, then turned left down the circular hall that would lead back to the desk eventually. When they reached the room, the door was slightly ajar and beeping noises came from the inside. Connor opened the door for her and held it as Lacy headed in to see Melinda.

He left the door open a few inches and pulled two folding chairs off the wall, setting up one for Lacy and one for himself.

“It’s good to see you.” Melinda’s voice was hoarse and weak.

Lacy grabbed the mug of ice water on the table and held it to Melinda’s lips, then sat back down after she’d had a drink. “I’m shocked at how quickly you turned around.”

Melinda chuckled. “All I could think about was getting well enough to tell the police what happened. I told them everything I know, which isn’t much. Tod didn’t tell me why he was doing anything. I know there’s some plan. It involves money. That’s the reason he wants me dead. I don’t understand all of it, but ifI die, he’s going to get a huge payout. Somehow, his brother is involved too.”

“That’s what we thought. Randy helped us for a while, but since his father is good friends with Cal, Tod’s brother, it seemed like they were tracking his whereabouts. He’s now at home.”

Melinda frowned. “This town is so small. Everyone knows everyone else. They wouldn’t have had to make many calls to find Randy.” She slid down lower in the bed. “The police finally listened to me. Especially when my doctor came in and made them look at my ex-rays and files, confirming that my injuries were consistent with classic physical abuse. I know that doctors try to help people get out of situations, but I was never allowed to talk to a doctor without my husband there. I was never able to tell them he gave me those injuries. They may have suspected, but they can’t accuse someone on a hunch. At least, they can’t in small town America.”

“I’m glad they listened. We were told that they are looking for Tod right now.”

“Yes, that’s what they told me, too. They also asked me if I had anywhere safe to go tomorrow afternoon. That’s when they’re releasing me. I don’t have insurance so they’re releasing me as soon as they can. I’ll still be needing pain meds and lots of rest, but they feel I can get those at home.”

Lacy snorted. “Not likely. And with the hotel shut down, where can you go?”

“I have no idea.”

Lacy turned to him. “Wayside. It’s time to go home. Melinda will be safe if she leaves the state. We can have her prescription moved to a pharmacy close to us.”

He hadn’t expected her to want to leave by tomorrow. They couldn’t. Viceroy was still on the loose. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

Melinda squinted at him then coughed until Lacy got up to help her get another drink. Lacy looked at him with questions furrowing her brow. “Connor, it would be safer for her there than here. For as long as she is sitting in this bed, she’s at risk.”

“And you don’t think putting her in a car for hours isn’t a risk?” He couldn’t believe she was suggesting this move right after she’d almost been killed. “What happens if she can’t handle the drive? We’d be in the middle of nowhere. No help in sight. That’s dangerous, Lacy.”

Lacy leaned over Melinda and said something to her quietly, then tugged the blankets up and headed for the door. It was clear she wanted him to follow even though she’d said nothing. He gave Melinda a nod of goodbye and before he could close the door behind him, Lacy lit into him in the hall.

“This isn’t about Melinda and her safety. This is about you and your brothers. You don’t want to see them. You made the arrangements, but now you see a way out of doing it and you don’t want to. I’m not accusing you of being weak. I get why you wouldn’t want to face them, but this is important. This is her life.”

“Is it? I hadn’t noticed.” This was probably not the time for sarcasm, but that was his second language.

---