Warrior Reborn (42 page)
Fortunately, none of the remaining children would suffer her fate or feel the impact of Salvatore’s vengeance.
He moved down the hallway, away from the memories of the window, and leaned against the far wall to wait for Briet.
“So they all clean?” he asked as she joined him.
“I checked them. So did Grimm. We’re ninety-nine percent certain, but you could check them as well?”
He shook his head. “Too obvious. It’s good none of them were affected before we were able to get the safeguards in place.”
Salvatore had activated his frequency—just over an hour after Tsu’s demolition of the plant. The fact that they knew almost to the minute when he did it, still gave Jason chills.
He remembered his nagging suspicion, the night they’d been administering the inhibitor, that he’d missed something. But they’d finished with all the children by six. All the parents had left. Mia and all the rest had returned to the Sanctum. Only he, Briet, and Grimm remained.
At nine o’clock, Tsu was due to execute the plan.
Jason’s gut had sent him back in to review the lists of kids one more time. He’d dragged Grimm with him, given that Arnault’s patient list was the only one without end-to-end physician accountability. Grimm had Arnault’s caseload and access to her computer files, while Jason searched through the master administrative list.
“Phin Murphy?” asked Grimm.
“No. He was in yesterday. Do you have the last list from Thurmont?”
Grimm read the names aloud as Jason compared them to his master list. “No, all of those are accounted for,” said Jason.
“How about Sheri’s last list?”
Jason shook his head when they’d finished that comparison. Those patients all correlated as well. He rubbed at his forehead with his knuckle. “Before Thurmont picked up her patients—are there entries after Sheri’s last record?”
“Only Thurmont’s.” Grimm searched for a moment. “Wait, there’s one that is…” He shook his head in annoyance. “This is keyed with the wrong dates. It sorts incorrectly and shows up in the middle of Sheri’s files.” Grimm focused for a second and frowned as he looked up. “Sanyu?”
“Shit.” Jason rolled his eyes. “That’s right. He picked up the patient load for a hot second until he could delegate.”
Grimm looked up again. “There’s a Jesse Chin on one of his lists. She’s not on any of the others. I can check further back?”
“No, that’s it.” Jason closed his eyes trying to get the specifics. “Her parents were being transferred to California. Happened about three weeks before Sheri’s death. The hospital in California agreed to pick up the protocol delivery.”
“They agreed?”
Jason waved away the question as he sorted through more files. “I worked it out. She was already a third of the way through the program, but she probably received the DNA anomaly. I moved her off our list, but her parents didn’t get the transfer and asked to rejoin the program here. I put Jessie back on Arnault’s list. Sanyu must have removed her thinking it was a mistake since she wasn’t on the previous list.” Jason clicked through several more screens and punched the top of his desk. “The treatment roster is separate from the doctor’s lists. She’s on the master roster, so she’s been receiving treatment. She just hasn’t been seeing Thurmont—probably attended by whoever was available on rotation. Since we did the calls from the doctor lists, she didn’t get called in for this special round.”
Jason rubbed his thumb over his fist as he looked at his watch, a feeling of suffocation welling up as he grabbed his phone. They were running out of time. “Tsu’s initiate time is nine, in ten minutes. He’s going in alone. I don’t think Frank’s people can even contact him to stop him at this point.”
If Jessie Chin didn’t get in here immediately, she’d be caught in the crossfire when Salvatore reacted. Jason palmed the phone considering what ploy to use for Jessie’s parents. “She has to come in now.”
“What are you going to tell her parents?” asked Grimm.
He shook his head.
“Give me the number.” Jason looked up as Grimm pulled out a cell phone. “Give me their number. I’m their new doctor. I’ll get them in here.”
He had.
At nine fifty-five, Jessie Chin’s parents met them in the emergency room.
Jason stared at the clock and watched Grimm talk to the vibrant little red headed girl seated on an empty gurney. Nine fifty-seven.
“Sorry to keep you up past your bed time.” Grimm smiled. Briet monitored administration of the protocol, made the appropriate notes in Jessie’s file and a few minutes later withdrew a blood sample.
Jason watched everything, his body frozen with focused calculation of the time on the wall clock. Straight up ten o’clock.
She gave him a quick look of concurrence. He nodded for her to make a slide, or a blot on paper, anything to allow them to check the child’s blood. Briet leaned away to retrieve a box of bandages and a pile of comic books for Jessie. “I’m going to do this quickly. You probably won’t even feel it while you’re looking through those. Pick any one you like.”
The whole procedure was over by the time she was finished talking, no more than five minutes after ten.
“Here.” Briet passed him a cardboard strip with a dot of blood, then turned back to finish bandaging Jessie’s arm as Grimm spoke with the parents at the far edge of the gurney.
The drop in focus was smooth, practiced. Jason almost dropped the sample as he registered the results.
The DNA splice had been activated. The inhibitor had blessedly preformed its function and shielded Jessie. The nanites were present, active only long enough for the inhibitor’s frequency to employ and destroy them.
He looked at the clock. Ten minutes after ten.
Minutes between a child’s promise of life and a painful death.
Briet confirmed his findings and Grimm checked the child one more time before releasing her to her parents.
He hadn’t slept that night. Briet hadn’t either and he hadn’t let her out of his arms for even a second.
Jason shook his head to dispel the memories. The play-out of the race against time and the too-close call were still enough to make his heart skip a beat. He blinked and registered Briet’s arm around his waist as she waited for him to come back to earth. She didn’t have to read his mind to know where his thoughts had been. He touched his forehead to hers to dispel the final image. “Are they all done?”
“They’ve all reached the end of this last cycle, which is excellent. It’s a waiting game now, but the odds of total remission are good.” She pressed a quick kiss and pulled him away from the wall.
Arm wrapped around Briet’s shoulders, he walked her through the swinging door into the hospital atrium to a bench beneath the skylights. He sat down and pulled her to his lap and into his arms.
“Do you have more to do here? I’ve finished upstairs.”
She slid her arms around his neck. “I have some results to key in but I can do that from the lighthouse or home.”
He ran his hands along her arms and cupped her waist, bringing her close for a kiss. The warmth of her body provided needed peace. He stared into her eyes as his ears registered a drumming sound. He pushed her back, puzzled, but the sound continued.
“Do you hear that?” He moved them both to stand, released her, and then looked around. “It’s gone.”
“What?” She turned to look over her shoulder. His hands slid around her body pressing against her back, molding her closer to him. Nothing.
His hands slide back to cup her waist and the rapid thrum—no, a ticking sound returned.
He leaned down, his mouth to her ear. “Stay still.” He discretely held his hands away and the sound stopped. He put his hand back along her spine and nothing. He placed his hand on her stomach and the ticking returned.
“Where’s Grimm?” He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the door of the nearest stairwell, checking for people.
“He went back to the Sanctum. Jason, what is wrong?”
“Take us to Grimm, right now.”
“Jason?”
“Please.”
They
folded
outside the council room. The open doorway framed Turen, Tsu, Grimm and Quan engaged in discussion.
Jason kept a hold of Briet’s hand and stepped part of the way inside, catching Grimm’s eye. “I need a minute.”
Grimm left the conversation without comment and followed Jason and Briet a few steps from the door.
“Could you please check her? I—there is this sound. Not normal. Like a…”
A bomb ticking
. Fortunately, he caught the look on Briet’s face before he spit out the words.
She shook her head in puzzlement at Grimm. “I’m fine.” With a shrug, she followed them both a few steps to a more secluded spot and tilted up her chin, giving Grimm access to her neck.
His fingers started with her neck, then moved to her wrists and over her heart. With a closed expression, he glanced at Jason and then pressed his palm over her stomach.
Jason held his breath as Grimm shifted his fingers to the right and to the left, higher toward the division of her rib cage and finally finished, stood back.
“All perfectly normal.”
Jason felt the cold chill of relief sweep through his body. “She’s okay?” Not a bomb.
“She’s just fine. So is your daughter.”
Jason glanced at Briet’s face, witnessing the quick flicker of joy in her eyes.
A daughter! He put his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close, more to hold himself up than to support her. His hand pressed again over her stomach and the light rhythm, so significant now, drummed like thunder against his palm.
Damn, they’d done it.
“Can you feel this?” he asked her, awed by the sound and the reality.
She shook her head and glanced at Grimm.
“The fathers have this connection.” He gave the explanation as if supernatural babies were a common occurrence. “The mother’s bond evolves in the usual way. Did you think she was going to explode?” Humor laced Grimm’s tone.
Jason frowned at Grimm’s attempt to extract enjoyment from his worry but the vibration under his hand was too compelling for him to care. “The beat’s so strong.”
“Eventually, you’ll feel emotions, too. Some may be intense, but it’s like walking. She’ll try things out and learn.” Grimm must have taken pity on him, giving him more details because he was acting several brain cells short of sentient.
He just nodded as Grimm laughed. “If you don’t need anything more I’ll leave you two to celebrate.”
“Thank you,” Jason murmured and pulled Briet with him down the hallway, out the central doorway to the gardens, and to the fields beyond. He needed space. Hell, he needed air.
A few yards off the path, he found a mossy patch with enough shade beneath a tree laced with budding branches. He sat, pulled Briet into his lap, and leaned back, holding her, too stunned to know what to say.
“It’s going to be okay.” She smiled as her fingers outlined his lips and feathered between his brows, her process for making his frowns disappear.
He closed his eyes and let her fingers transfer a measure of calm, then looked into her beautiful eyes. “I’m so glad the trial is over. I’ll breathe easier knowing you and the baby will be here, safe.” His hand covered her stomach as he tucked her head beneath his chin. He might look like a moron hugging her so close, needing the sound of their baby, desperately needing to hold them both. He didn’t care.
“I guess it’s a little antiquated wanting to lock you up for your safety?”
“Not the first time I’ve heard the theory.” She laughed. “A little Cro-Magnon, but I know how to deal with a protective male. I do have Ansgar for a brother.”
“You have him wrapped around your little finger.” He pulled her closer. “I don’t suppose I could just take off all your clothes and make love to you out here?”
“I rather thought that was the point of this place.” Her laugh triggered a coil of desire in his body.
Ah, yes, Eden.
His hand slipped beneath her shirt, searching for absolution in the satiny softness of her skin, finding it in the rhythm of her pulse and the background tempo of their daughter’s heartbeat. One by one, he undid the pearl buttons of her white dress-shirt until her skin was free to his touch. He’d learned to listen to his gut a long time ago. For once, it had come up with a truly pleasurable idea, a perfect way to christen their new beginning. He tilted her head up, her face inches away. “I’m—” He couldn’t force the words from his chest.
“I know,” she said with a smile to light his world. “I love you, too.”
No. Love wasn’t nearly enough, not a big enough word, not a big enough feeling. Not sufficient to address lives so precious that they gave him hope. And courage. He touched a stray sprig of her hair and lowered his lips to hers as his hand drifted again to her stomach.
“I can’t begin to say all of what I’m feeling, Briet. But I need you to know it’s here, inside of me. Absolutely incredible and I’m going to spend forever making sure you know.”
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KH LeMoyne writes romance: fantasy, futuristic and paranormal. A former technology specialist, she lives in Maryland with her wonderful husband and corgis. You can find out more about new releases and her stories at:
website:
http://khlemoyne.com/
blog:
http://fantasypoweredbylove.com/
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or email at
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BOOKS BY KH LeMoyne
:
The Guardians of Eden
Betrayal’s Shadow
Warrior Reborn
Destiny’s Mark