"Is there something wrong, sir?" Nolan asked.
"No. You go back to your book on tape," Jed told him. "I'm just being cautious."
Nolan closed the car door. Jed turned around just as Dom came around the building.
"Anything?" Jed asked.
"Nothing obvious," Dom said.
"Damn!"
"Go on in and have lunch with Ms. Beaumont and the others," Dom suggested. "I'll keep watch out here."
Before Jed could reply, the front doors to Rudy's swung open and Grace came rushing outside, Kate at her side. Holy hell. His mind screamed, "Go back inside!"
"She wouldn't stay put," Kate said. "She was concerned because y'all were taking so long."
"Jed, is everything all right?" Grace asked.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere a shot rang out. Kate knocked Grace to the sidewalk, covered Grace with her body and pulled her 9 mm, all in record time. Simultaneously Dom pulled his weapon and took cover, while Jed rushed toward Grace. Another shot rang out.
"Second story window across the street," Dom hollered. "Man with a rifle."
"Go after him," Jed ordered as he went down on his knees beside Grace and Kate. He lifted Kate up and when he did, he saw that both she and Grace were covered in blood. Bright red, fresh blood. Grace lay flat on her back on the sidewalk, her face chalk-white, her beige blouse and brown silk jacket soaked in blood.
"Grace? God damn it, Blondie, why didn't you stay inside and wait for me?"
Chapter 19
The waiting room of St. Camille Hospital 's surgery unit held an assortment of concerned men and women. Dom Shea paced the floor in a circle, then went into the hall and tromped restlessly up and down the long corridor. J.J. Blair stood gazing out the row of windows overlooking the rear parking lot. Hudson Prentice sat alone in the corner, practically comatose, not saying a word nor responding to anything said to him. Elsa Leone perched precariously on the edge of the vinyl sofa right beside Grace, while Jed kept guard on the other side. When Jed had first realized that it was Kate who'd been hit and not Grace, he'd been thankful, relieved that Grace wasn't hurt, then felt guilty because of Kate. She'd taken a bullet in the shoulder, which had gone clean through and cut out a chunk of flesh as it exited. All the blood on Kate and Grace had belonged to Kate, who'd risked her life to save the client, as she'd been trained to do. Dom blamed himself. Jed blamed himself. Hell, even Grace said it was all her fault. In a case like this, there was always enough blame to go around.
Even now, four hours after arriving at the hospital, Grace's face was still pale and her hands, which she held tightly in her lap, still trembled. And despite Elsa's best efforts to wash off the blood from Grace's clothes when she'd taken her employer into the ladies' room shortly after they'd arrived, her jacket, skirt and blouse still held the copper-red stains, slightly faded and smudged, but plainly evident. Kate's blood had splattered Grace's face and hair, which Elsa had managed to clean quite well.
"What time is it?" Grace asked.
"Six-twenty-five," Elsa replied, her gaze focused on the electric wall clock above the door.
"Kate's been in surgery over four hours," Grace said. "Why is it taking so long? Why hasn't someone come out and told us how she's doing?" Although Grace's eyes remained dry, her voice quivered with emotion.
Jed put his arm around Grace's shoulders and pulled her to him, then he reached down and covered her tightly clasped, shaky hands with one of his hands, then squeezed. "Let me take you home. You're exhausted and filthy and-"
"After Kate comes out of surgery. Not until then." She looked at him, a strained expression on her face, and he realized she was doing her level best not to cry.
"Sure thing. We'll stay right here."
"I wish Dom had been able to find the rifleman before he got away," Grace said. "If he was a hired killer, the police won't be able to find him, will they?"
"The guy who pulled the trigger isn't all that important," Jed told her. "It's the man who hired him that we want. And even if the police were to apprehend the shooter, he won't give up the name of his employer."
"Booth Fortier."
Jed nodded.
"It could have been me. It was supposed to be me. If Kate hadn't-" Grace's voice cracked.
Rafe Devlin showed up in the doorway, a wild look in his eyes. "How's Kate? I just got word that she'd taken a bullet for Ms. Beaumont."
Before Jed could respond, Elsa stared at Rafe and asked, "Who is that man?"
"Another Dundee agent," Grace replied.
"Oh… yes, of course," Elsa said. "I should have known."
Jed wasn't sure why Elsa fixed her gaze on Rafe, but he got the feeling that she knew him… or thought she knew him.
J.J. came away from the window and met Rafe at the door. "Kate's in surgery. We're just waiting to hear something."
"How bad was it?" Rafe asked.
"Bad enough," J.J. said. "But probably not lethal."
"Thank God."
A cell phone rang. Everyone glanced around trying to figure out whose phone was ringing.
"Mr. Prentice, I believe that's your phone," Elsa said.
Hudson Prentice nodded, then reached into his jacket and pulled out the phone, hit the On button and placed the phone to his ear. "Yes?"
All eyes were on Sheffield Media, Inc.'s senior vice-president.
"It's a business call," Prentice said, speaking for the first time since arriving at the hospital. "I'll take it in the men's room."
A couple of minutes after Hudson disappeared into the rest room, Dr. Williamson came to the waiting area and asked for Kate Malone's family. All four Dundee agents went straight to him.
"Ms. Malone came through surgery without any complications," the doctor said. "She's young and strong and the bullet didn't hit any vital organs or sever a major artery. Barring any unexpected problems, I anticipate a full recovery. Of course, as with all cases of this type, the first twenty-four hours are crucial."
"When can we see her?" J.J. asked.
"She'll be in Surgical Intensive Care for several days. Check with the SIC nurses about a visiting time."
Dom followed up with half a dozen more questions, which the doctor answered, then when Dr. Williamson left, Dom said, "I'll stay here tonight. I can bunk out on the sofa." He looked at Jed. "Is that okay with you?"
"Yes, it's fine." Jed glanced from Rafe to J.J. "You two will stay with us at Belle Foret, then the three of you can take shifts here at the hospital until we know Kate's out of the woods. And you will also be able to provide backup protection for Grace."
"Sounds like a plan to me," J.J. said. "Should we ask for a replacement agent for Kate?"
Jed grimaced. "I don't think that will be necessary." He glanced at Rafe and then at Dom. "Do we all agree we can handle things with the team that's in place?"
"Yeah," Rafe replied.
Dom nodded.
"I'm taking Grace home now," Jed told them.
"Do you need me to go home with you?" Elsa asked Grace.
"Thank you, but no. You should go home. Troy 's coming by this evening, isn't he?"
"Oh, God, in all the hullabaloo I'd forgotten."
"You go see your brother. I'll be all right," Grace said. "Jed will take good care of me."
"You can count on that." Jed helped Grace to her feet, then led her from the waiting room. As he passed J.J. and Rafe, he said, "J.J., you come with us now. Go to the parking area and ask Nolan to bring the Rolls around." J.J. nodded, then hurried down the hall. Jed looked at Rafe. "Check on Prentice." Jed caught the look of understanding in Rafe's eyes. "When you find him, tell him to go home."
"Will do."
A few minutes later when Jed, Grace and J.J. emerged from the elevator on the first floor, Grace stopped abruptly. "Oh, mercy. I didn't think to call Laverna and tell her not to follow through with our special plans for dinner."
"Don't worry about it," Jed assured her. "Nolan's been in touch with her. I'm sure she realized whatever dinner plans you'd made needed to be canceled."