We All Sleep Alone (Finley Creek #11) - Calle J. Brookes Page 0,3

and Izzie—they had no damned business being there right now.

Every last one of them was in danger every minute they stayed out here. He took matters into his own hands. If Rafe wasn’t going to do something about them being out there—he was shocked he hadn’t already, with Jillian right there in harm’s way—then Allen damned well would. “You three! Triage tent. You don’t need to be here. If this thing comes down...” He didn’t think it would, but he wasn’t going to be stupid. He looked at Vincent. “Has the garage been searched?”

“My people are finishing now. No one is out here. Except for whoever is in there now.” Vincent turned toward the women. “Dr. Jacobson’s right. Get yourselves out of here, just to be on the safe side. No one but essential personnel should be out here.”

They protested, but they went.

Allen stayed.

If there was more than one person injured in that elevator, Rafe would need assistance.

He waited until the trio of nurses was gone before turning toward Rafe. The maintenance crew were setting up their crowbars. The obvious plan was to pry the elevator doors apart. “Did we lose anyone?”

Rafe shook his head. “Not yet. We have some with critical injuries. Some of our pediatrics and PICU nurses have lacerations and contusions. A few broken bones. Some of their patients were too near the windows, and they covered them as best they could, even bodily. But we got lucky. It could have been so much worse.“

“Walk-ins?“

“They’re coming in by the dozens.“ Rafe’s words were grim. Allen understood. Things were going to get worse before they got better. “We’re diverting who we can and triaging the rest. The night isn’t over. This storm is tracking into Oklahoma now. Someone said the radio says there may be more to come.“

Allen didn’t know if the hospital could withstand another hit. He’d done Rafe’s job before; he didn’t envy the man now at all. “How much damage so far?“

“Hospital. City hall. Four public schools. Half the downtown district. A third of Boethe Street and public housing. Hundreds of private residences, churches, and businesses.”

Anything else Rafe was going to say was put on hold when the maintenance supervisor called for their help. The men were going to pry open the doors and hold them as long as possible. Someone would have to pull the occupants out as fast as they possibly could.

“Now!” Vincent ordered, pushing against one of the six crowbars with his whole body. The metal shrieked as it was shoved open.

Rafe and Allen reached in. A warm body was lifted straight into Allen’s arms. He pulled back. Rafe grabbed the bottom half, and they lifted.

Finley Coulter weighed next to nothing—being made of cotton candy and fairy dust—it took mere seconds to pull her out. Allen held her close to his chest until he could put her back on her feet. People had started to buzz Fin’s name around as one possible missing.

He was damned glad to find her now. She was one they’d all been worrying about. “Glad to see you, kid. You ok?”

She nodded. “Bumps and bruises. Virat—”

Allen turned back. His colleague Virat Patel, assistant chief of trauma, was being pulled out of the elevator by Rafe and Vincent.

He had a contusion over his brow. But he was in one piece.

“Is Nikkie Jean in there with you?“ Allen asked.

Virat shook his head. Rafe looked sharply at Allen. “Nikkie Jean’s missing?”

“I don’t know. She clocked out a few minutes before the sirens sounded.“ He’d run over to his office across the street, passing Nikkie Jean on her way out. He’d made it back in time to grab Izzie as the storm hit.

He’d been worried about Nikkie Jean since.

She could be out there anywhere.

“Ok, everyone out of the garage. Vincent, keep it blocked off. We don’t need anyone anywhere near this structure,” Rafe said. “We’re sure everyone’s out?“

Vincent already had his radio out. “I’m pulling the last of my people out now. They found a security guard unconscious behind a car. Hard hit to the head from debris. They’re getting him out and blocking all the entrances now. Said they’ve searched everywhere.“

Rafe looked at Allen. “You go back to triage. Everyone reports to you. Virat, Fin? The two of you capable of running teams?“

“Of course,” Fin said. Virat just nodded, big and silent right behind her.

“I want each of you to get a team together. We have called in our backups now. We’re getting a rush of walk-ins from downtown in less