He paused at a cross-hall, not sure which direction to go. He heard an elevator down the hall to his right, and he stole a quick glance around. Amanda stepped inside and the guard turned and headed back in Bones’ direction. Crap! This wasn’t the plan! He needed to get to the elevator in time to see at which floor it stopped, or he’d have a hell of a time finding Orley’s room.
The footsteps came closer.
He looked around for somewhere to hide. He could deal with the kid if he had to, but he hated to involve someone who was just doing his job and had no idea what was going on. The only nearby door was the ladies’ room. The light was on, but at this time of night there was probably no one in there. He took a deep breath and ducked inside.
The first stall was occupied.
Hoping whoever was inside would not see his boots, he moved to the far wall and made his way to the last stall. Shutting himself in, he sat down on the toilet tank, toolbox on his lap and his feet on the seat. Hurry up, Lady! He checked his watch. Amanda was definitely off the elevator by now. He pulled out his phone to text her. No signal.
Just then a cell phone rang in the other stall, sounding like a fire alarm in the quiet room, and nearly eliciting a curse from Bones.
“Hello? Oh, hi! I’ve been meaning…” She dove into a lengthy conversation that left Bones fuming. He tried his cell phone again. Nothing. I need to find out who her carrier is, he thought. Perhaps he could slip out while she was talking. He didn’t know where he would go from there, but he could at least start looking.
“I’ve got to go,” the woman said. “We’ve got this problem patient up on the fourth floor. A grumpy old rancher who keeps telling us he’s been kidnapped. Totally paranoid. He’s due for another sedative in about five minutes.”
“Fourth floor,” Bones whispered too low to be heard. “At least I caught one break.”
Bones had no trouble finding Orley’s room. He just followed the sound of profanity.
“…putting no needle in me!” The rancher’s familiar voice lifted Bones’ spirits. He liked the tough old fellow and was glad he had not been hurt. The fact that Orley believed he was being held against his will only served to confirm his and Amanda’s suspicions.
“Mr. Orley, you need something to help you calm down,” the woman from downstairs was saying. “Your niece…”
“I done told you I don’t know this girl!” Obviously Amanda was in the room with them. Bones took a peek around the corner just as Orley turned toward him. The rancher scowled, but then his eyes widened as he realized who Bones was.
“It’s okay,” Bones mouthed, hoping Orley would understand that he and Amanda were there to help. Thankfully, Orley relaxed and quieted down.
“This will only take a moment, and then you’ll feel much better,” the nurse said. In short order she had given him the injection.
Orley looked at Bones as if to say, You’d better know what you’re doing. Bones gave him the “thumbs-up” and ducked into the bathroom just inside Orley’s doorway. He hid in the shower until Amanda came to tell him the nurse was gone.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Bones said to Orley as he hurried into the room. He helped the wobbly man to his feet.
“Damn stuff’s already gettin’ to me,” Orley mumbled. Amanda found his clothes and helped him get dressed.
“What’s going on here?” A muscular man with a square chin and a shaved head stepped through the door. He wore a white hospital coat and held a clipboard, but Bones could tell this was no doctor. “I haven’t discharged this patient.”
“My uncle wants to walk a little,” Amanda said. “He doesn’t feel comfortable wearing the gown, you know.”
“He can barely stand,” the man said. Orley’s knees were weak from the sedative. “Put him back in the bed now.” He took two steps before Bones’ presence finally registered. He glanced at the coveralls and toolbox, turned away, and then jerked back. Their eyes met and recognition shone in his face.
Bones swung his toolbox up at a tight angle, catching the fellow on the side of the head. The man had good reflexes, and was able to turn away from the blow, catching most of the force on the back of his head. He spun away, but recovered his balance quickly.
The man drew a pistol from the pocket of his coat, but Bones was ready. He swept a vicious crescent kick at the man, sending the gun flying across the room, and hurled his toolbox at the surprised man, who managed to dodge it. Bones leapt forward, landing a quick jab, and following with a right cross that just missed. Lab Coat Man bounced a punch off Bones’ solid abs, and struck with a knife hand that whistled past Bones’ throat.
A meaty fist appeared seemingly out of nowhere, catching the man clean on the chin, and he crumpled noiselessly to the floor. Bones turned to see Orley slumped against Amanda.
“That’s all I got left,” the rancher said. “Get me the hell out of here. There’s always at least two of ‘em around.”
They helped the stumbling rancher into the hall and back toward the elevator. Orley was heavy — years of ranching had turned him into a veritable chunk of muscle. Those muscles were not of much help, though, as the sedated rancher struggled to keep his feet under him.
“Hold him,” Amanda whispered, shifting the weight to Bones’ side and ducking out from under Orley’s arm. She disappeared around the corner and returned with a wheelchair.
“Nice,” Bones whispered. “I think I’m going to keep you around.”
“Like it’s up to you,” Amanda replied with a wink. “Give him to me and let’s get him out of here. Head for the elevator.”
Bones took a moment to get everything situated, took the wheelchair and headed down the corridor. Reaching the cross-hall he made the left that would take him to the bank of elevators. He heard footfalls behind him.
“Hey! Where are you going with that patient?”
He glanced over his shoulder to see a man in a security uniform round the corner at the far end of the hall. This was not the rent-a-cop from down the hall. This guy had every bit of the military bearing that Lab Coat Man had.
“What did you say?” Bones shouted. He quickened his pace and was careful to keep his body between the wheelchair and his pursuer. “I didn’t hear you!”
“Stop!” the man yelled and began trotting toward Bones. Good. The fellow wasn’t overly concerned yet. “What the hell are you doing taking a patient out of here anyway?”
“He’s being checked out. The nurse asked me to help her with him.” He looked back over his shoulder. The man was closing the distance quickly. Bones kept the dialogue going as he passed an empty nurse’s station. “She was blowing chunks. You should have seen it. I think she had pizza for dinner.”
“I’ll take care of the patient,” the man yelled. “Just leave him there for me.”
Bones stole one last glance at the elevators, only ten feet away, and saw that all of them were on the first floor. The man was no more than fifty feet away.
“Suit yourself,” Bones said. He turned and shoved the wheelchair through the nearest open door, a patient’s room, and ducked into a nearby stairwell. As the door swung shut behind him he heard a crash as the wheelchair spilled its contents: the toolbox he had hidden under a blanket. By now, Amanda and Orley were hopefully making their way out through the basement service exit they had discovered in the hospital floor plan they’d reviewed before attempting to retrieve the rancher. Angry voices told him he’d at least created a small diversion. He hoped he hadn’t hurt any patients in the process, but what could he do? If anyone was injured, at least they were already in a hospital.