The Shadow of Mudflap (A Foxtrot Team Novel #1) (16 page)

She shook her head in denial before whispering, “Mudflap…”

He grabbed her chin and turned her face so she could only see him. “Shanae, snap out of it. I need you here first. There are personnel already over there.”

Already? How was that possible? Had she blacked out when the explosion happened? Oh my God! She couldn’t see the front of the building, but even from her angle, she could see that it was gone. She began to hyperventilate.

“Shanae! Focus! I need your help or this kid is going to bleed out. Now!”

Years of trauma training kicked in and she began to help Cord stabilize Ridge. The bone in his leg had severed the artery. If they didn’t get the bleeding stopped, he was going to be dead in less than two minutes. That had to be her entire focus now, regardless of whether the love of her life had just died twenty feet away.

She loved him. She swallowed down a sob as the realization hit her. This was the wrong fucking time to realize that.

Game 9 Results:

Texas Tech (4): 27

vs.

Texas (3): 24

Week 10 (first half): It Takes the Whole Team

Halftime Texting

Shanae
: I know you won’t get this since I’m watching you unconscious in your hospital bed and your phone was destroyed by the bomb.

Shanae
: You scared me today. I thought I’d lost you.

Shanae
: Don’t ever do that to me again, okay?

Shanae
: I like you. I mean I really, really like you. So much more than I should.

Shanae
: Damn, you weren’t supposed to sneak into my heart, Mudflap.

Shanae
: I need you to wake up now, okay?

Mudflap

Mudflap swallowed hard against the swell of nausea that came from simply trying to turn his head. Goddamn, that hurt. What happened?

It felt like someone had stuck his head in a vice.

And left it there.

For about two fucking months.

He couldn’t hold back the groan that came from deep in his chest.

Cold hands grabbed and stroked his palm, reassuring him even through the waves of pain pounding at him. Then he sensed her nearby, not just holding his hand. Smelled her. The sweetest whiff of Shanae floated under his nose as she lightly brushed her lips across his cheek. Regardless of the pain, he turned to that sensation, needing more of it.

“Mudflap,” she whispered into his ear. “Come on, baby. Come back to me. Let me see those beautiful eyes of yours.”

He swallowed, willing the drums in his head to stop and the nausea to abate. Because no matter how bad it hurt right now, tossing his cookies was going to make it hurt a hell of a lot more. And he wanted to see her, too.

She continued to stroke him. The need to see her finally won out over his pain and rolling stomach and he managed to pry his eyes open.

Her golden brown eyes glistened with unshed tears, but her smile was huge. “Hey you,” she whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. “It’s good to finally have you back.”

“Wha…” He swallowed against the pounding in his head. His entire body throbbed with pain. “What happened?”

She put a straw to his lips and the sip of water helped to center him a bit. He hadn’t realized how thirsty he was. He glanced around the sterile hospital room. How long had he been out?

“There was a car bomb in a Texas Tech maintenance truck parked near the front door of the training center this morning. You were right there when it went off. Everyone agrees it’s a miracle you survived. Even more amazing is the fact that besides bruises and abrasions, you just have a bad concussion. Somehow, the way that you were standing saved your life.”

“What time is it?”

She looked down at her watch. “Around three o’clock in the morning. You’ve been in and out of consciousness all day, but this is the first time your eyes look like you’re really here with me. Do you remember anything since the blast?”

“No.” He swallowed against the shooting pain in his head. He was beginning to remember the explosion, though. He’d bent over to pick up another damn gold coin. First, Grant. Now, him. Waylaid by a coin. That couldn’t be just a coincidence, could it? “I saw something glinting on the ground. I think it may have been another coin.”

Everything in Shanae’s body language stilled. She knew something. He could see it in her eyes, but just as he had that thought, another one occurred to him. “Ridge, he was there, too. Is he okay?”

“He got hit by a lot of shrapnel. They got him stabilized enough late this afternoon so they could operate on his leg. He came out of surgery a few hours ago with several new pieces of hardware holding his leg together. He’s in ICU though, still in critical condition, but a lot of that is because he lost so much blood today. The broken bone in his leg nicked an artery and he almost died.”

“Will he be able to play football again?”

“They aren’t sure. The docs aren’t promising anything until they see how his physical therapy goes.”

“Was anyone else hurt?”

“No, but everyone was really shaken up. They went ahead to Austin for the game, although your brother really didn’t want to leave you. I promised him I’d take care of you. He should be here anytime now. He’s been on the phone almost constantly checking on you, even through the game.”

Mudflap winced. Of all the times for TC and the team to be distracted, this wasn’t the day for it. He was almost afraid to ask. “How’d they do?”

Her face broke into a huge smile. “They pulled it off. Tech won by three points. One more game and the Red Raiders should be headed toward the National Championship game.”

Mudflap

The next morning, TC came dragging in. Mudflap still had an excruciatingly painful headache, but they were letting him go home today. It said something about the shape TC was in that Mudflap felt bad to be the one in bed, when TC so obviously needed one.

“Shouldn’t you still be in Austin, celebrating with your team?” He must have spent the rest of the night driving after the game to already be back here.

TC rolled his exhausted eyes. “Like I could do that when two very important members of my team were here in the hospital. How are you feeling?”

“Surprisingly well, all things considered. Have a seat before you fall down. Shanae went in search of coffee and will be back in a little bit.  Have you been in to see Ridge yet?”

Ridge had been upgraded in condition during the night and had been moved to the room next door to Mudflap’s.

“No, I wanted to see you first. Are they letting you out today?”

“Yeah, I’m just waiting on some paperwork. Congratulations. I haven’t heard any of the details about the game, but I heard you all won.”

TC rubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah, this team is amazing. They’re reeling from everything, but they rallied at the end, not willing to give up on this dream. They’re fighters. They won this game for you, Ridge, and Coach Allred.”

“You have a good team, but you’re a good coach, too. It couldn’t have been easy to get on those buses and leave yesterday, for any of you. But you did it and then you all won. This team has the heart and talent to win the National Championship. You’re so close.”

TC looked overwhelmed with it all, so Mudflap sat up and gingerly swung his legs off the edge of the bed. “Come on. I haven’t gotten to see the kid yet. Think you can act as my spotter to make sure I don’t take a header? We can go tell him the good news if he hasn’t heard about the win yet.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

Mudflap’s head still pounded, but the good news was the vertigo wasn’t as bad today as it had been through the night. He was starting to feel like he really could leave the hospital today. They shuffled into the doorway of Ridge’s room where they found a lone nurse.

She glanced up at them as she bustled around the room. “Hello, Coach Davidson. Good game yesterday. Are you here to see Ridge?” At TC’s nod, she said, “He’s gone down for some tests.” She pulled a chair over for Mudflap. “I think it would be fine for you to sit here and wait for him. They should be back soon. He’s gonna be glad to see you. You have an amazing player here, Coach. All he wanted to know when he woke up was how Tech did last night.”

Both men chuckled. It definitely wasn’t a surprise to them that Ridge would have that kind of attitude, even with as much pain as he had to be in from the explosion. He was the kind of player every coach wanted— enthusiastic, positive, and a pure joy to have on the team.

After she left, Mudflap sat down in the chair, moaning as his body protested the rough treatment of the last twenty-four hours.

TC eyed him critically. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s just sore.”

TC glanced back out the window. “Are we doing the right thing here? It was a miracle no one was killed yesterday. How can we continue to play football and put these kids at risk? How can a football game be worth any of their lives?” TC’s voice lowered and broke with emotion. “It’s not. I can’t put them at risk like this anymore.”

“You can’t, Coach.” Ridge’s pained exclamation ripped out of his chest as the nurse rolled his bed into the room. The kid looked fierce with his bruised and swollen face, grimacing. “If you quit, they win. We can’t let the terrorists win. That’s what they want and that’s not what Tech football is about. If you quit, then you give up everything we’ve worked for all year. How can you even consider that? How could you do that to the team?”

“Ridge, you don’t understand.” TC looked to Ridge’s parents, standing beside his bed watching the drama play out. “Someone is trying to hurt us, you kids playing out there on that field. I couldn’t stand it if I had to turn around and tell any kid’s parents they died for a game and in the end, that’s all it is, Ridge. A game.”

“No, it’s not, not to us. To us, it’s about pride and legacy.” The kid swallowed hard as he glanced out the window, trying to gain control of his overwrought emotions.

He turned back to them, his expression calmer. “Tech football is about rooting for the team who usually doesn’t win, but you know what? Our fans stand by us, regardless. How can you even think about abandoning those fans when we finally have the chance to go all the way?”

Ridge closed his eyes for a moment, grimacing in pain. “You keep referring to us as kids, but every player out there is a man. Treat them with the respect they deserve, the respect they’ve earned. Give it to the team. Let them make the adult decision if that helps you sleep at night, but don’t you take this from them. You can’t take this from the team or the fans. And you sure as hell can’t let those crazy-assed terrorists win. That is
not
what Tech football is about.”

TC’s head dropped to his chest. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Ridge. It just kills me to see you here like this. You didn’t sign up for this kind of thing when you decided to go out and play football every weekend. But the team needs to know exactly what’s going on so they can decide whether to go on or not. I’m not going to put them at risk anymore without them knowing every single thing about what’s involved.”

Ridge’s breath sawed in and out, his eyes glittering with emotion and pain. He gave a sharp nod and then slumped back in bed, shutting his eyes in exhaustion.

TC turned to Ridge’s parents. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset him and I’m so sorry about what happened to him.”

Ridge’s mother rested a hand on TC’s upper arm. “It’s okay. We don’t blame you for this and you don’t need to blame yourself either. He’s right. You can’t let the terrorists win. Go out there and take this team to win the championship. That will make this,” she waved her hand over the hospital room and her wounded son, “so much easier.”

* * *

Monday morning, Mudflap lay in his bed at home, listening to the radio. He wasn’t cleared to go back to work until Thursday, so this morning he’d sent Shanae and TC off and crawled back into bed. His head still ached so he just laid there, letting the country music and the KLLL morning show flow over him. It was easier than trying to focus and look at anything.

Besides, he was curious to hear how Lubbock viewed the car bombing at the training center over the weekend.

Jeff, the morning show personality, did the lead-in. “And we know you’ve all heard the news by now about the car bomb at the training center while the Texas Tech football team was getting ready to leave for the big game against Texas.”

“It was a miracle that only two people were hurt, but it brings to question. Why in the world would someone want to attack the football team? I know that football is a big deal in Texas, but come on…” Kelli, the other dj, added.

“Agreed. All our thoughts and prayers go out to the player and team assistant that were hurt. We wish them a speedy recovery. But now we want to give you your chance to chime in. What’s your take on the bombing this weekend? Call KLLL and share your thoughts.”

They went to a song and Mudflap began to doze off. Damn, his head hurt. When they began talking again, he roused, working to focus on what they were saying.

“We have a caller on the line who says he has some insider information about the car bombing. Walter, are you there?”

“I’m here.” A gruff voice came across the lines. “These kids think football is all-important. It’s just a distraction. What they don’t realize is that there’s a higher power out there that’s going to rule. Justice will be found for those that deserve it. Liberation is the key. Domination from within is the only way.”

“O…kay.” The radio personality gave a nervous laugh. “Thanks for your input, Walter. That was an interesting take on it.”

“Yeah,” Kelli chimed in, “the weekend took its toll on everyone didn’t it? Wow!”

Mudflap turned off the radio and rubbed at his temples. Something that guy said pinged at him as important. What was it? Something about that phrasing— justice, liberation, domination.

His head hurt too much to think clearly. Maybe after a nap, his brain wouldn’t feel so scrambled and he’d be able to think clearly again.