SEAL's RESOLVE - Rebecca Deel Page 0,17
his chest. He seriously needed to have that checked. “Always.” With that, he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He took a minute to call Josh.
“Cahill.”
“It’s Rafe. We might need a man with a badge.”
“I’m in the hospital lobby. Two minutes.” Josh ended the call.
Rafe walked out to the corridor and stood in the doorway, blocking the orderly’s access to the room.
The dark-haired man glanced uneasily at the three men barring his path. “Look, the scan won’t take long, but if I don’t take Ms. Stewart now, her test could be delayed for hours.”
Rafe used a hand signal to warn Jon and Jackson of trouble. “Dr. Anderson didn’t authorize the scan.”
Sweat beaded on the man’s forehead. “I’ll sort this out.”
“Dr. Anderson will be here soon. You can sort it out with him.”
A frown. “Dr. Henderson authorized the test, not Anderson. I have to speak to Henderson.” The orderly started to back away when Jon moved, blocking the man’s retreat.
“You wouldn’t want to disappoint Doc Anderson,” Jon murmured, his voice soft and his gaze glacial.
“You can’t keep me here against my will.”
Rafe pointed to Josh. “He wants to talk to you.”
“Sorry, man.” The orderly shook his head. “I have a schedule to keep.”
Josh flashed his badge. “I have questions for you first.”
Dr. Anderson hurried up the corridor, frowning. “Who are you?” he demanded of the orderly. “Where’s your hospital badge?”
The guy swallowed hard and glanced down at the front of his shirt. “I must have lost it somewhere.”
“I haven’t seen you before.”
“I’m a new hire.”
A frown. “Who sent you to get my patient?”
The orderly clammed up.
“He claims Dr. Henderson sent him,” Rafe said.
“We don’t have a physician named Henderson on staff.”
The orderly tried to dodge around Jon and escape. Rafe’s teammate slammed him against the wall face first. “Running is not wise or good for your health.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Am I threatening this man, Officer Cahill?”
Josh rolled his eyes. “Sounds like he’s offering smart advice to me. You should listen to him. What’s your name?”
No response.
“Want to tell me what you’re really doing here?”
Again, nothing.
Josh sighed. “I was looking forward to having breakfast with my wife. Looks like I’ll miss that.” He cinched the man’s wrists with a pair of handcuffs he’d pulled from his pocket. Durango’s leader easily controlled the man’s struggles. “Let’s talk at the station.”
“Need a hand?” Jon asked.
“I’ve got him.” He glanced at Rafe. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Rafe gave him a chin lift in acknowledgment. Once Josh and the stranger left the floor, Rafe turned to Dr. Anderson. “I’ll find out if Kristi’s ready to see you. You’re releasing her now?”
A troubled expression settled on the doctor’s face. “Under the circumstances, I think that would be wise.”
“Wait here.” Rafe returned to the room and closed the door before knocking on the bathroom door. “It’s Rafe. Are you ready to see Dr. Anderson now?”
Kristi flung open the door. “If that means I can leave the hospital, you bet I’m ready.”
He scanned her, pleased that she looked steadier now than she did when he carried her into the hospital. “Anderson is waiting in the hall.” He cupped her elbow as she walked to the bed.
She studied his face. “Is everything all right?”
“The orderly is a fake. He doesn’t have hospital ID and claimed to have orders from a doctor who doesn’t exist.”
“They found me,” she whispered.
“Yes.”
“How? Did someone follow us from Gatlinburg?”
He shook his head. “We would have noticed a tail. My guess is someone else accessed the information on your tracker and followed the signal here.”
“I’m not safe, am I?”
“You’re as safe as we can make you.”
“I want the tracker out.”
“When we’re in a secure location, we’ll talk about the tracker.” He opened the corridor door and motioned for Anderson to come inside.
“Wait outside, Mr. Torres. I won’t be long.”
He looked at Kristi, eyebrow raised in a silent question. If she wanted him to stay, he wouldn’t budge no matter what Anderson wanted.
“I’ll be fine.”
Anderson frowned. “We won’t be long, Mr. Torres. The sooner you step into the hall, the quicker your friend will be ready to leave.”
“I’ll be outside the door, Kristi.”
Five minutes later, Dr. Anderson walked into the corridor. “The nurse will bring her discharge papers. If her headaches persist more than a few days, take her to a doctor.”
Rafe held out his hand. “Thanks, Doc. I appreciate you taking such good care of her.”
“Who is she to you, Mr. Torres?”
“I’m on her protection detail.”
“Is that all?”
His face burned. “She’s a friend,” he