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SARA WAS FIXING a salad when the phone rang. She reached for it, certain that it would be the nurse
giving her news of the cardiologist or Michelle with news about her job. It was neither.
 Sara? Eb Scott said solemnly.  Is that you?
She sat down hard, shaking. She remembered the nightmare she d had, almost as if her mind had
been connected to Wofford Patterson s in some strange manner.  It s Wolf. Something s happened to
Wolf!
He could hear the terror in her voice.  Slow down, it s okay. He s been shot, yes. We ve airlifted
him back to a hospital in Houston. He s very bad, but he s calling for you...
 I ll be on the next plane out of here!
 Get a limo to the airport, he said firmly.  I ll have a plane waiting for you, to take you straight to
Houston. Someone will meet you in the lobby at Sheridan with a sign. Go with him.
 Yes. Yes. She was sobbing.  He has to live. He must live!
 The doctors are doing everything they can. It s just...
 What?
 Contact the limo company. Then call me back. I ll tell you everything.
She phoned the service, begged for a car for an emergency and got one on the way. She called Eb
back while she directed Grayson to start packing for her.
 I ll explain in a minute, she told the other woman.
 Scott, came the reply when she d punched in the number.
 It s me. Tell me!
 He knows you went to the clinic, he said heavily.  He went crazy. You see, he didn t dare talk to
you that night. Ysera had a man in the theater. Wolf was scared to death that if she knew he had any
feelings for you at all, she d have you killed. She had the money and the means, and people in place to
do it. He took out a lot of women for a few weeks to throw her off the track.
 Dear God. She shivered. Tears ran down her cheeks.
 So he didn t care what happened after that, he said, hating to tell her.  He went after Ysera
himself.
 Oh, no, she groaned. She clenched her teeth.  She shot him!
 No. She called in one of her hired guns to do it. But she made a fatal error. Wolf had a .45 aimed at
her. When the henchman fired, so did he. I m not sure he meant to. He really wanted her in custody to
stand trial. It was reflex, when the bullet hit him.
She was sobbing now.  He must live, she whispered.  Or I can t. I can t. I won t! I won t live
without him!
 Sara, he said urgently,  Sara, he s still alive. You have to come up here. Tell him. It might be
enough...
She heard a car drive up. She looked out the window through tears.  The limo s here.
 The plane s landing at the airport now. It s a big DC-3. Ex-military, and no creature comforts, but
you ll get here safely. Okay?
 Okay. Eb...thank you!
 Thank you. He s my friend, too.
 Have you spoken to Gabriel?
 I can t, he said miserably.  There are things going on, classified things. I can t contact him and
neither can you. I m sorry. He d come, if he knew. Wolf is his best friend.
 I m on my way.
 I ll see you in Houston.
She hung up. Grayson had everything packed for a couple of nights. Sara kissed her cheek.
 Thanks. I m sorry. I must go. Her eyes were red.  He may die, she said with trembling lips.
 He ll be all right, Grayson said gently.  He will. You believe me. A man that tough isn t going to
go down without a fight.
Sara didn t question the strange remark. She was too upset. She just smiled and ran out to the car,
Grayson two steps behind with two rolling suitcases.
 I only need one, Sara said, looking at them.
 I ve locked up and phoned Marsden to look after everything in the house. I m going with you,
she said firmly.  No way am I letting you go alone.
Sara started crying again.
 Come on, Grayson said gently.  Get inside. We need to leave.
Sara nodded through her tears and climbed into the backseat.
* * *
THE HOSPITAL WAS new and modern. It had long, wide corridors and modern lighting, with green
plants everywhere. Sara would have been impressed if she hadn t been so frightened. Eb Scott was
waiting for her. She ran into his arms and let him comfort her while she sobbed.
 He s holding his own, Eb said.  The hospital chaplain service has been of great help.
She drew back, dabbing at tears with an embroidered lace handkerchief.  Does he have any family
left? she asked.  I know he was a foster child, but maybe cousins?
He shook his head and smiled.  Just you and me. Figuratively speaking.
Sara put her hand on her belly and drew in a shaky breath.
Eb s face was a study in delighted shock as he met her eyes.
She flushed.  You can t know, she faltered.
 I have two of my own, he said with laughing green eyes.  I remember the symptoms very well
indeed. He pursed his lips.  So, you walked in the front door and out the back door of the clinic
without stopping?
She laughed self-consciously.  Something like that.
 When he s better, he told her,  he s going to take that out of my poor associate s hide, that he
didn t record the length of time you were actually in the clinic.
 He wasn t supposed to know, she said sadly.  I was trying to protect him.
 And he was trying to protect you.
She nodded. Tears stung her eyes, hot and salty.  When?
 When will we know? Soon, I hope, he said.
They sat down in the waiting area. There was a family nearby. An older woman was crying. Beside
her, a somber teenage boy was trying not to. She looked at them and managed a watery smile. They
gave her one back. Then they all waited.
Minutes passed. A doctor came out and spoke to the family nearby. The woman burst out with an
expression of such joy that Sara felt good for her. She laughed. The teenager beside her grinned from
ear to ear. They gave Sara a smile and a look of great sympathy as they followed the doctor down the
hall.
 At least someone has good news, Sara said heavily.  Oh, I wish we did!
 You didn t come alone? Eb asked, concerned.
He was thinking what might happen if Wolf didn t make it. She knew that, but she didn t say it out
loud.  Grayson came with me. She s my personal assistant. She managed a smile.  She wouldn t let
me come alone. She s lining up hotels and cars.
 Grayson? he asked slowly, and there was an odd look in his eyes.  Amelia Grayson?
She lifted both eyebrows.  You know her?
He smiled.  Never mind.
She started to ask what he meant when a man in surgical greens came out a door, pulling his mask
down on the way. He approached Eb.
Sara slid her hand into Eb s, terrified, praying, begging, as the man stopped just in front of them.
 The bullet did some damage, he told Eb.  Punctured a lung, broke part of a rib, ricocheted and
took a chunk out of his liver and nicked an intestine. But I m a great surgeon, he said with twinkling
eyes.  I excised the damaged tissue, removed the bone splinters, sewed up the intestine and removed
the bullet something I wouldn t have done if it had meant causing more trauma, he added. He
grimaced.  He s carrying enough lead as it is. His dark eyes narrowed.  You people keep my job
challenging.
Sara was almost glowing with relief. Tears rolled down from her tragic black eyes, staining her
cheeks as she stood still, listening, hoping.
Eb shrugged.  Think of it as practice. Look how much we give you.
He chuckled.  If you want to take him home, Micah Steele can take over. He s probably treated
more of these cases than even I have. Not to mention your guy Carson, who s back in training as a
physician in Jacobsville.
 All true. Eb shook hands.  Thanks. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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