Page 106 of Rules of Engagement

"Are you hurt?" both men asked me.

"No, but Damien said there's a man waiting at the hospital, which means Solomon and Anastasia could still be in danger. The moment word gets out that Damien is in police custody..." I trailed off, uncertain of exactly what would happen. Damien was panicked by the constant threats and it crossed my mind that there might be payback. It might not have been true that another man was waiting to exact revenge, but I didn't dare take the risk. "I think he has enough information now to take down the Niners and the Boston gang too. He's in as much danger now as Solomon," I explained.

"Leave it to me," said Garrett. "Maddox, can you take Lexi over to the hospital? I'll meet you there and get both of your statements."

"Let's go," said Maddox.

The whole floor was quiet. As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, I knew things had changed. Fletcher was waiting for us, his face solemn.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Solomon's fine. They took the ventilation tube out and he's breathing on his own. Dr. Forsythe said that was good news."

"No, that's great news!"

"It is. We're still on lockdown right now, hence the silence. Only authorized personnel are allowed in here."

Relief flooded me. "That's good too."

"I'm going to check in with Garrett," said Maddox. He reached for the elevator doors, holding them open. "The ambulance should be here any moment with Damien. You did really good."

"You saved the day," I said, hugging him quickly. "Thank you."

"Anytime," he said, kissing the top of my head before he stepped into the elevator, and raising one hand to say goodbye.

"Why's Damien in an ambulance?" asked Fletcher.

"I'll fill you in soon," I promised, "but the short story is: we've discovered the source of the threat. Damien got knocked out and, hopefully, he'll start filling in all the blanks very soon."

I could tell Fletcher wanted to ask me something else but instead, he directed me to a large room. Before we stepped in, I stopped him by placing my hand on his arm. "This was all because Damien owed the wrong people money," I said. "He's injured and he will be arrested when he comes around. There might be another imminent threat on Anastasia’s life. Maybe on mine too."

"You'll be safe here," said Fletcher. "Go inside and rest a while." He opened the door and I stepped into the room where Solomon lay. Anastasia sat at his bedside, reading a magazine, and Delgado was sitting in a chair. Sam's dinosaur was still on the bedside table, watching over him, and I smiled when I saw it. "You're back!" exclaimed Anastasia. "This is good news!"

Lily darted in, saving me from answering right away. "I heard you were here," said Lily. "Thank goodness you’re okay. I have been worried about you so much!"

"I'm here now," I said and Lily hugged me. "I'm okay, really. See? Still got my brave face on." I pointed to my face. Instead of letting go, Lily hugged me harder.

"What's that for?" I asked.

"Anyone who has to wear a brave face needs extra hugs. A brave face is the very definition of everything not being okay."

"The threat's not exactly gone, but it will be soon, I hope." I slumped into the unoccupied chair when Lily let go of me. I thought about the man Damien said was waiting for instructions and wondered if I should say something. The way Delgado kept checking his phone and giving me knowing looks suggested I didn't need to. Plus, I didn't want Anastasia to worry about her own safety on top of Solomon's. I reached for her hand and squeezed it, sorry that she would have to hear the whole story very soon; and even sorrier that it might split what was left of her family even further apart.

"You look tired," said Anastasia. "You should get some rest. Have you had a busy day?"

"Kinda," I said, stifling the yawn that persisted. I felt exhausted but wired. There was so much information still to process, and so much more to guess at. It would probably take weeks for me to unravel everything once Damien started to talk, if he started to talk.

"Take the cot," said Delgado. "Close your eyes and rest. You've been running around like the world is on fire for too many days. When did you last eat a proper meal?"

"I don't know." My body felt sluggish and unwilling to move. The cot seemed too far away. Delgado picked me up and carried me, gently adjusting the pillow under my head. Lily lay a blanket over me.

"Go to sleep," she whispered and I did.

When I awoke, it was fully dark and something smelled delicious. I stirred and pushed back the covers. Lily and Delgado had swapped chairs and Anastasia was missing. "Where's Anastasia?" I asked. Then I added, "How long was I asleep?"

"Two hours, and she's outside, getting something to eat and trying to drag information out of everyone."

I grimaced. "Is that what I smell?" I asked, pointing to a large paper bag on the table.

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