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“She’s gone,” Brittany sobbed. “He took her.” She pushed away from Jenna. “Find him. Find my baby.” When she staggered backward, the nurse slid an arm around her.
Jenna met the nurse’s gaze. “Take care of her. I’m going after the man who took the baby.”
“I’ll call security. They’ll lock down the hospital until the baby’s found.” Angie, hampered by supporting Brittany’s waist, moved toward the nurses’ station.
Jenna ran to the far end of the hallway and burst through the door. The janitor had a head start on her. Would it be too much of a lead for her to catch him before he left the hospital?
She didn’t know, but she did know she had to try. Her baby niece’s life depended on it.
CHAPTER 2
“Man, I appreciate you getting me to the hospital when you did,” August Walsh’s head lolled on the pillow, his words slurring slightly from the effects of the anesthesia and pain medications. “I mean, you had better things to do than take me for emergency surgery. Will your new boss be put out when you show up late?”
Cliff Cranston shook his head. “I called Stone while you were in the OR. He’s fine. Showing up a day late won’t make a difference. He doesn’t have an assignment for me at the moment. I’d just be twiddling my thumbs or looking for ways to get in trouble if I have nothing else to do. So, you’re saving me from giving Stone a bad first impression.”
Gus closed his eyes and sighed. “I’ve been shot, hit by shrapnel and thrown from a vehicle. None of that hurt like those gallstones.”
“I’ve heard women say it’s worse pain than giving birth,” Cliff said.
“Remind me not to give birth to kidney stones,” Gus said, his voice trailing off. For a long moment, he was silent.
Cliff walked to the window overlooking the parking lot below, feeling caged by the walls around him.
“Dude, you don’t have to stay,” Gus said.
Cliff turned to face him. “I told you I don’t have anywhere else to be.”
“I’m just going to sleep.” Gus frowned. “For that matter, I can have someone from the Brighter Days Rehab Ranch come get me when they release me tomorrow. No use sticking around watching my IV drip.”
Cliff’s lips twitched. “I don’t mind,” he lied. He’d rather be anywhere than in a hospital. The only other times he’d been in hospitals were when someone was dying. His dad died of a heart attack in a hospital. His mother went in for a routine hysterectomy and died of an aneurysm.
His best friend had died in a hospital after their last mission in Syria. That situation had been in a field hospital where he’d been taken to be stabilized prior to medical evacuation back to Ramstein, Germany. Only Dutton hadn’t stabilized. He’d bled out before they could plug all the holes from the IED that had blown shrapnel through him.
“Seriously,” Gus said, closing his eyes again. “You got me here. Now, leave. You’re making me nervous.”
“Why?” Cliff asked.
“Because I’d be nervous if I were in your shoes.” He raised his free hand to push his hair off his forehead. “I hate hospitals. I can’t imagine you like them any better. Go to West Yellowstone. Start your new job. You got me this far. I can make it the rest of the way without your help.”
“Brighter Days knows you’re here in Bozeman,” Cliff said aloud, more for himself than Gus. “Hannah, the physical therapist, said she’d head to town to check on you in the morning.”
“See?” Gus met and held Cliff’s gaze. “You have no reason to hang out here. Unless you’re afraid of moving on to your next career. Maybe you’re just as in need of therapy for PTSD as I am. In that case, stay and check yourself in to rehab at Brighter Days.”
Cliff’s eyebrows drew together into a V over his nose. “I’m fine.”
“Yeah. So you say.” Gus lay back against the pillow. “Prove it. Go to West Yellowstone. Join the Brotherhood Protectors. Save the world you couldn’t save back in Syria.”
Gus’s challenge was like a giant fist gripping his heart, squeezing so hard his chest hurt. There was more truth in Gus’s words than Cliff cared to admit.
“Okay,” Cliff finally said. “I’m going. I’ll call Hannah at Brighter Days and let her know she’ll need to get you back to the ranch.”
Gus sighed. “Good. I might finally get some rest.”
Cliff laughed. “You’re an asshole.”
Gus grinned, his eyes remaining closed. “And you’re a dumbass, making me jump through hoops to get you to leave me in peace.”
“You have your cell phone on the nightstand. If you need anything…don’t call me,” Cliff said.
