Page 26 of In Hiding

Jake shrugged. “There’s not a lot he can do, but thanks.”

“She has the best surgeon, I assure you.” She nodded to where Will sat. “Tell her son we’re doing everything we can.”

~

They watched emergencies come and go as they waited. Every time a new patient burst through the doors, Will would leap to his feet, a look of expectation on his face. Jake rode the rollercoaster ride with the kid, growing increasingly desperate for news with each passing hour. All he saw was the teen become more anxious with each unanswered spark of hope.

Jake considered distracting them both with conversation, hoping he could use the time to pull information from Sarah’s son, but it wasn’t fair. The kid only wanted to know if his mother was safe and the disappointment brought on by the silence seemed too cruel for words.

By the time night fell, exhaustion got the better of the boy. He fought sleep for a good half hour before succumbing, slumping in the hard-plastic chair of the waiting room. With his head twisted down to his shoulder, he looked uncomfortable, but sleep would do him good. Julie carried over a hospital blanket and draped it over Will’s legs. Jake smiled his thanks.

“My shift is about to end,” she said softly. “Can I get you anything before I go?”

He raised an eyebrow. “My boss, back in one piece?”

Sitting on the chair beside him, she laid a hand on his forearm and smiled. “It’s good you stayed with him.”

“He’s just a kid and his mum is hurt.”

She had eyes the color of honey that seemed to peer into his soul. “And you’re practically a stranger. That doesn’t make either of you worry any less. I wanted to ask this morning but didn’t get a chance. Were you a Shadow Soldier like Magnus?”

The reference swept his mind back in time, but he shook his head. “We went through military training together and I had hoped we’d be put in the same team, but we weren’t. There were some who thought I was a bad influence.” He chuckled at the memory, his perception of history telling a different tale.

“And I was wrong.”

Jake started as a voice sounded behind him. Twisting in his chair, he turned to find the very man who’d called him a bad influence standing at the ready. Though he hadn’t seen Damien McCafferty in more than a decade, there was no mistaking him. The gray beard that covered half his face didn’t hide his identity, but age hadn’t wearied the man. Indeed, he stood tall and strong, lean, and muscular.

“Langley.”

Jake hadn’t forgotten the anger he’d harbored toward the commander who separated him from his mates, nor could he ignore the path Damien’s decision had set him on. He stood and faced the man he’d once looked up to as a father figure. Unexpected fury tore through him, but he reigned it in because now wasn’t the right time.

“You need coffee.”

Jake blinked. “I need news.”

Damien nodded, heading toward the coffee machine, saying over his shoulder, “And my daughter will bring it to you when she’s done. In the meantime, you need to rest.”

Jake glanced at Julie, who blushed. “I thought he could provide company. Was I wrong to call him?”

Marveling at the small world they lived in, he shook his head. “His daughter?”

“Is the trauma surgeon.” She smiled. “I promise, she knows what she’s doing. It shouldn’t be too much longer now.” She glanced over at Damien. “Will you be okay?”

Jake had hated Damien for assigning him to Grant Walters’s command, and the anger had encouraged him to make many terrible decisions. It had filled him with the need for vengeance for so long Jake didn’t know if he could let go of the grudge. “I will. Thank you.”

She gave a nod and excused herself, leaving the three of them in the waiting area. He watched Damien wait for the machine to spit out two cups and carry them back across the room. Jake needed the caffeine like he needed a hole in the head, but seeing Will struggle to stay awake made him acutely aware of the fatigue singing through his body. With a nod, he took the paper cup and drank.

“How long has it been?”

“Too long,” Jake offered. “Or not long enough, I’m not sure.”

The wise blue-gray eyes appraised him. “The latter, then. For that, I am sorry. I knew Walters was an ass. I didn’t know he was capable of the things he did.”

And what things are those? Did he know the former sergeant was a womanizer? Did he know he treated his men with contempt? Did he know he’d kidnapped his own grandchild in hopes of raising him as his own? That he tried to kill his own son?

Coffee turned sour in Jake’s gut and he sat.

“That’s a heavy burden resting on your shoulders, Jake.”

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