Page 53 of Longest Ride

Fletch shook his head and ran back to his truck. “Shit, girl. You are getting in deeper and deeper. Pretty soon you won’t be able to get out.”

Fletch turned on the strobes, stomped the gas and headed south.

Huntsville Trauma Unit.

I parked the Freightliner at the loading dock at the back of the hospital and the guys working there didn’t give me a second glance.

I shoved my gun deep into my waistband and ran through the hallway next to the kitchen trying to memorize the way I’d have to bring Eldon out.

Should be simple enough. He’d be on a stretcher and all I had to do was push him to the door.

With a happy heart, I took the elevator to Eldon’s floor, smiled at the nurses, and went into the ICU.

Eldon didn’t look happy to see me. “I told you not to come back, Tammy. There is a Texas Ranger watching me and he’s looking for you.”

“That would be Fletcher. He’s nice.”

“Yeah, not a bad guy. Why are you here? I told you we had no future. I’m headed for Austin in a couple of days, and I’ll be in the jail infirmary until my court date rolls around.”

I leaned down and kissed Eldon. “I came back to take you out of here.”

“No, Tammy. You try a stupid stunt like that, and you’ll get us both killed. Don’t do it, Tammy. Please don’t. Please.”

“Don’t worry, Eldon. I have it all figured out. I have a plan and it’s going to work.”

“Whatever your plan is, it won’t work. The hospital has security and I’m chained to the bed.”

“Huh. I forgot about that.” I pulled my gun out of my waistband and shot the chain.

Eldon’s hand fell free. He rubbed his wrist and winced in pain. The bullet had grazed him but there wasn’t too much blood. I could fix it.

Three nurses and two orderlies came running into the unit followed by two security guards in dark blue uniforms.

I pointed my gun at them. “Put Eldon on a stretcher. I’m taking him home.”

“He’s not ready to leave,” said the head nurse. “His vital signs aren’t stable.”

One of the uniformed guards came towards me with his hand out. “Give me that gun, young lady. You’re not removing this patient.”

Bang.

I shot him in the leg, and he dropped to the floor.

I waved my gun at them and hollered, “Get me the stretcher and put Eldon on it.”

“Stop it, Tammy,” yelled Eldon. “I want to stay in the hospital. Don’t do this.”

An orderly in blue scrubs came running in with a stretcher and with the help of one of the nurses, they rolled Eldon onto the stretcher and secured him.

“Everybody lay on the floor with your hands on your heads and I won’t shoot you. You try to stop me, and I won’t hesitate. I’m a crack shot and if I aim for your head, I won’t miss.”

The staff took me seriously and got down on the floor of the ICU. I didn’t have to shoot anybody else, and I had clear sailing to the elevator.

We went down to the main floor and then I turned Eldon around and headed for the kitchen and the back way out of the hospital.

“Don’t do this, Tammy. I don’t want to go with you.”

“Of course you do, Eldon. We love each other and we’re going to go to Canada and get married just like we planned.”

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