Drained (Edgars Family #6) - Suzanne Ferrell Page 0,120

of patrolmen came in behind pushing gurneys. One paramedic hurried to the man on the far stretcher, the other stopped in front of Kirk F, who waved him off.

“Go help him. I’m okay,” he said, his voice sounding less slurred.

“You’re sure?” the older man asked.

“I’m good. He needs you more.”

“Okay, but let me get this out of your first,” he said, pulling on gloves, then opening his kit. He removed the IV needle from Kirk F’s arm, slapped the four by four of gauze over it, then wrapped blue tape, the equivalent to medical duct tape all around his elbow to hold it in place. Then he pulled out an evidence bag from his kit and put the needle, blood tubing and the nearly empty blood bag inside. “You stay here, I’ll be back in a few to check on you.”

“He’s not going anywhere,” Aaron said, leaning one hip against the metal gurney and locking his gaze on the younger man who nodded his compliance.

“Don’t think my legs will hold me if I tried to run, anyway,” Kirk F said with a lop-sided grin.

“Oh, my God!”

They both turned to see Brianna hurrying through the chaos straight for them.

“Ma’am, you can’t come in here.” One of the patrol officers tried to stop her.

“It’s okay, Headley. She’s with us,” Aaron said, waving the cop off.

Brianna thanked her, then hurried over to them, pausing to look Kirk F over from head to toe, before pulling him into a hug.

“Thank God, you’re okay,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks when she loosened her hold and stepped back. “You are okay, right?”

“Yes, Boss lady. Except for feeling like a fool, a little wobbly from whatever asshole gave me and the sore elbow,” he nodded down to his now bandaged arm, “I’m okay.”

“Good, because I have someone who wants to talk to you,” she said and hit the dial button on her phone. “Yes, ma’am, he’s right here and in one piece.”

She handed the phone to Kirk F, who rolled his eyes and made a you-just-threw-me-under-the-bus expression as he took it.

“Hey, Nana,” he said. “No, I’m good…yes, I was stupid…no, it wasn’t Detective Jeffers’ idea…yes, you raised me better…”

Brianna stepped to the other side of Aaron, leaning against the gurney, her shoulder touching his.

“You’re mean,” he said, trying not to chuckle at their young friend’s lecture, even if he did deserve it.

“I figure she needed to hear his voice and he needed to get his butt chewed out by her before we start in on him.” She nodded to where the medics were working on the man on the stretcher. “Is he going to survive?”

“Don’t know. Medics are working on him. He was breathing when we got here. Kirk F was drugged and I didn’t want to leave him alone to go find out about the other guy.”

“I can stay with Kirk F now,” she said. “If you need to do police-y things.”

He arched one brow at her. “Police-y?”

“You know, stick your nose into things, ask questions, stand with your arms folded while you throw out scenarios,” she said, and then grinned. “Police-y things. Like Jaylon, Matt and Carson are doing over there.”

Just as she finished teasing him, Jaylon opened the metal door on the far side of the room. He turned suddenly, locking his gaze on Aaron. “You’re gonna want to come see this.”

“Go,” Brianna gave him a little push, all humor gone from her face. “I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know what’s inside there.”

38

Once they determined that the cold locker on the inside of the old meat packing plant was Armbruster’s actual “treasure room”, Aaron had called Anita Ramos’ team to the site to begin processing all the body parts they’d discovered inside the macabre room. The paramedics had stabilized Dr. Greenly, the older man and a former neurosurgeon they’d found on the second gurney and were ready to transport him. Aaron asked them to take a quick look at Kirk F. They did and determined that he really didn’t need to go to the hospital, but he was to contact a doctor if he felt bad in any way in the next twenty-four hours.

Satisfied Kirk F was okay to travel, Aaron had asked Brianna to drive him home.

“Nana won’t rest until she sets her eyes on him,” he said quietly as they watched the paramedics leave with their patient. “I’ll come get you when we’re done here, if that’s okay?”

She hadn’t wanted to see what Armbruster had inside that cold