Page 61 of A Colby Christmas Rescue

Noon

Lillian wanted food so they had to stop. Thankfully, she recognized where they were pretty quickly once they were on the main road and directed the driver to her favorite drive-through. Jamie wasn’t really hungry, but she understood the necessity of eating. She hadn’t gotten any sleep, so forgoing food was not a good idea. She needed her head clear and her body energized.

“So this is the place.” Jamie assessed the mansion where the doctor and his wife had been taken.

“This is it,” Poe said, surveying the estate as the car parked in front of the house.

It wasn’t as new as the doctor’s mansion, but it was every bit as ostentatious in its own right. The whole situation was over the line. One rich guy kidnapping another to get what he wanted. How screwed up was that? Maybe growing up a Colby made her understand at a fairly young age how completely upside down the world could be, but there were still times, like this one, when she just couldn’t get past the reality of how bad it really was. More than just upside down.

What was wrong with these people?

The part that bothered her the most in all this was that she actually got it. These people were desperate. Desperate people, no matter how wealthy, did desperate things, creating desperate situations.

Jamie got out of the car and held the door for Lillian. The girl was still shoving fries in her mouth when she got out. Poor thing, she really had been starving. Kids were like that. She remembered when she and Luke were that age. They were always clamoring for food—especially fast food.

The double front doors opened, and Abi stood in the doorway. “Welcome back.”

Jamie’s first thought was to punch him, but what kind of example would that set for Lillian? It was better if she behaved herself until the two of them had a minute alone to talk in privacy.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Jamie shot back. “I’d like to see my brother.”

Abi stepped aside and gestured for her to enter. “The doctor and Mrs. Case are waiting in the great room.”

Lillian stuck close to Jamie as they walked through the entry hall and on to the great room. Like the Case home, the whole place was decked out for Christmas with a massive tree and tons of garlands. Under the tree, dozens of wrapped presents waited.

Mrs. Case gasped and rushed to her daughter. She paid no attention to Jamie, which was good. Dr. Case did the same.

Poe gave her a nod from the other side of the room. Jamie responded in kind. This was the best part of what they did—reuniting families or couples after a situation had pulled them apart. They didn’t always get this moment.

After a good deal of hugging and weeping, Dr. Case stepped back from his family and walked toward Abi. “Let’s get this done.”

“Very well.” Abi gestured to the door. “You know the way.”

Jamie glanced at Poe. “I’m going with them.”

Poe nodded. “I’ll hang around here.”

Jamie hesitated. There were many things she wanted to say to him—things she probably should have said before now—but all of that would have to wait. Jamie needed to know what was happening with the doctor. This was the part that her brother’s life depended upon. Poe would look after the daughter and the wife.

She wasn’t allowing Abi or the doctor out of her sight until Luke was free. Whatever else happened, she intended to see that her brother was brought home safely.

Abi led the way down to the walkout basement area. There they walked through a massive game room and into a short corridor with no windows. At the end of that corridor was a door like one found on a bank vault. Jamie wasn’t sure whether to be startled or impressed. Abi entered the code as if he’d been here many times before. Jamie decided she could safely assume the owner of this place was Abi’s employer.

The door opened and they walked into a small curtained off area. The sort of space found in a mobile hospital setup. There was a sink, a temporary shower and a smaller curtained off dressing area. This, she surmised, was the prep area for the space beyond. No doubt a state-of-the-art surgical setup. Now she was totally impressed.

Case glanced back at Jamie and Abi and then started to strip off his clothes. He didn’t need a block of instructions on what came next. Jamie turned her back and gave him some privacy. When the water in the small shower started running, she faced Abi once more.

“This guy has a surgical suite in his basement?” Was this for real?

“When he made the decision to go this route, he went all out.”

Jamie shook her head. “This is way over-the-top, Abi.”

The water in the shower stopped, preventing the need for Abi to respond. Jamie kept her back to Case as he dressed in what she presumed would be his surgical scrubs and gown. A sense of dread that would not be tamped down climbed into her throat. What if the patient died? Case was unquestionably a skilled and highly sought after surgeon who hadn’t lost a single patient so far—according to his bio. But that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen. No matter that she and Abi had done what they were expected to do, would Luke still be released if the patient didn’t make it?

Focus on the now, Jamie. Don’t borrow trouble.

Case opened the curtained door and entered the surgery suite. The glimpse Jamie got of the room beyond this prep area was stunning. She couldn’t imagine the money spent to prepare for this...but then, what was the value of a loved one’s life? Most likely it was whatever a person possessed.

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