Page 103 of Ground Truth

“Yeah. Thanks.”

He helped Flint climb aboard and fasten his harness.

As the helo lifted off, the worst of the tension drained from Flint’s body. He donned headphones to exclude the noise and closed his eyes.

The paramedics were working on Drake. They had an IV in him and were feeding him fluids. Which reminded Flint that his mouth tasted like he’d been on a two-day bender. He opened a bottle of water, swished it around in his mouth, and swallowed.

Not great. But the best he could do at the moment.

He and Drake were both alive, but barely.

Which was a damn sighted better than those other guys.

-

Chapter 49

Three days later

Switzerland

“Let me be certain I understand,” Ernst Hedinger said through gritted teeth. He was furious and he felt no need to conceal his anger. “Dr. Brand and ten members of your security team are dead. Ten. Atabei Hospital’s CEO is also dead. That’s eleven of my employees.Eleven. And thetwomen responsible are not only still alive, they’ve escaped. And you have no idea where they are.”

Bauer stood beside the breakfast table, feet shoulder-width apart, hands clasped behind his back. Hedinger had sent his private jet to fly Bauer from Atabei first thing that morning.

He didn’t point out that Hedinger himself had killed one of the eleven employees. And two others. For a total of thirteen dead.

Instead, he soaked up Hedinger’s rage like a sponge.

Because it was his job to do so.

And because Bauer failed. Hedinger’s anger was justified.

Bauer shouldn’t expect to live out the day.

“Howdid this happen?” Hedinger demanded, slamming his coffee cup hard against the table. It shattered, sending coffee and shards of fine bone china across the room.

“We became complacent, Herr Hedinger. Atabei was too perfect. Too quiet. We had no crime. No reason to believe crime could happen.” Bauer cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “We weren’t prepared. One hundred percent my fault, sir. I take full responsibility.”

His words only increased Hedinger’s seething rage.

He lowered the volume of his voice and spoke in clipped, steely words. “You are responsible. Your actions have cost me millions. An excellent surgeon is dead. The thriving business he ran has vanished. How do you propose to fix that?”

“I don’t believe I can, sir,” Bauer replied.

Hedinger’s fury pounded in his body from his toes to the tips of his ears.The insolence.

He wanted Bauer dead. But not instantly. A long, painful death.

Hedinger owned a collection of bayonets. He imagined driving a bayonet through Bauer’s stomach as the man screamed, twisting his guts with the sharp steel blade.

The only thing that stopped him was the stains Bauer’s blood would leave on his beautiful rugs.

Hedinger returned attention to his breakfast, leaving Bauer standing. He pushed the call button for his maid.

“Let me clear this mess, sir, and bring another cup,” she said obsequiously as she proceeded to do exactly that.

Moments later, she’d replaced his coffee and retreated with the trash, and he’d returned to his meal.

---