Page 58 of Army Ranger Redemption

“Any other wounds? Any allergies? Preexisting conditions?” The EMT in charge rattled off the series of questions in staccato.

“Some cuts on his hands. No allergies. No preexisting conditions, unless you count drug and alcohol addictions.”

“Current?”

“Recovering—about a year sober.”

More sirens followed and Jim staggered out the front door and down the steps, his bloody hands in front of him.

Scarlett left the deputy’s side to rush to his. “Is he still...?”

“He’s still alive but unconscious.”

One of the EMTs blew past him on his way to the ambulance and Jim watched as he rolled a gurney out the back doors.

Just like for Rusty, but Jim prayed for a different outcome this time.

The deputy was mouthing words at him, but Jim couldn’t make sense out of anything he was saying.

As the EMTs loaded Dax into the ambulance, Jim broke away from Scarlett.

“I’m coming with.”

“We need to work on him in the back. Follow us to the emergency room.”

Scarlett joined him and pressed a fresh towel into his hands. “You take my car. I’ll finish talking to the deputy and we’ll meet you at the hospital.”

Wiping his hands on the towel, he nodded and returned to the car where he and Scarlett had just shared some moments of closeness.

He gulped as he threw the car into Reverse. She had to get out of here, away from Timberline. She had to demonstrate to the perpetrator of this mayhem that she had no interest in the Timberline Trio case. But for him?

This had just gotten personal, and he’d go to hell and back to find out who’d tried to murder Dax. He’d already been to hell and back once. What was one more trip?

He followed the revolving lights of the ambulance, mumbling the same prayers he’d recited each time his captors had dragged another prisoner from the cells, prayers that hadn’t done a lot of good back then. He couldn’t do anything else for Dax at this point, but the attack on his brother had just amped up his resolve to get to the bottom of this mystery.

The ambulance pulled up to the entrance of the emergency room, and Jim swung around it to find a parking space in the lot to the left of the hospital.

By the time he had parked and returned to the entrance, the EMTs had already unloaded Dax and wheeled him into the building.

He hunched over the reception desk. “That ambulance just brought my brother in—Dax Kennedy. Can you tell the doctor in charge I’m here and will be waiting for news?”

The nurse took down his info and went back to her computer.

Jim wandered around the waiting room, studying the vending machine, getting a cup of water and shuffling through a few golf and hunting magazines.

He tapped on the counter. “Any news yet?”

“No, sir.” This time she didn’t even look up from her computer.

Heaving out a breath, he slumped in a plastic chair next to a woman flipping through a fishing magazine, her face tight and her knuckles white.

The door of the emergency room burst open and Scarlett rushed through with Deputy Stevens on her heels. She flung herself into the chair next to him, bringing the damp, cold air in with her.

“Have you heard anything? Is Dax okay?”

“Nope, and I haven’t talked to anyone yet, either.”

She tipped her head toward the deputy talking to the nurse at the front desk. “Maybe he’ll have better luck. He wants to talk to the doctor.”

“Did Dax say anything to you, or was he already unconscious?”

“He was already unconscious.”

“You didn’t see or notice anything?”

“No. Was there anything in the garage?”

“Dax had left his tools and a motorcycle part on the floor, sort of like he’d been called away suddenly. I figured he’d gone in the house to get something to drink or answer the phone. Thought you’d find him inside.”

“I did.” Her jaw tightened.

“Scarlett, you need to—”

“Mr. Kennedy?”

Jim jerked his head around and answered the doctor who’d stepped into the waiting room. “Yeah, that’s me.”

He crossed the room with Scarlett beside him and the deputy tagging along behind them.

“I’m Dr. Verona.” He pushed up his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “It’s bad. Your brother lost a lot of blood.”

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