Emmy noticed the hand move stealthily around her midsection from the corner of her eye. Since her hands were holding a bowl full of dry ingredients, she was powerless to halt its progress. She set the bowl down abruptly and spun on her heel, catching the owner of the hand in the stomach with a well placed elbow.
Damon went down far too easily. She realized rather quickly that she’d just been had. Probably even played right into his obnoxious plan. She meant to tickle him but then his lips distracted her and suddenly he wasn’t in such a playful mood.
“You planned this, didn’t you?” she murmured against his lips.
“Not this, but I promise not to interfere with any plans you might have to seduce me,” he magnanimously offered. She laughed and set about seducing her husband. Fortunately, it didn’t prove to be difficult.
They had shed most of their clothing before the ringing phone penetrated their sensual niche. “That is not the phone,” Damon growled in protest. Emmy laughed and wriggled away from him to answer it. He stilled her progress.
“Oh no, we aren’t getting that. We do have an answering machine.” He restrained her with a quick movement and then rolled her back under him. She wound her arms around his neck and raised her lips to his. The answering machine beeped and Damon’s voice invited the caller to leave a message. They ignored the invitation, too caught up in each other to bother with a caller.
“Damon, Emmy, if you’re there, pick up the phone. This is an emergency,” Jenna’s voice exploded over the line and yanked them apart. They stared at each other like teenagers who had just been caught before simultaneously turning to stare at the phone.
With a mumbled expression Emmy was grateful she couldn’t hear, Damon reluctantly popped to his feet. He snatched up the phone and barked, “Jenna, this had better be good.”
Emmy watched his jaw drop as he listened. He swung around to stare at Emmy, his eyes appearing solemn.
His voice was far more subdued when he answered his sister. “We’ll be right there. What? Why do we have to wait? A setup? Hold on – they think it’s a setup? This is my best friend who’s been missing for well over two weeks. I don’t care if it’s a setup.” Damon shoved a hand through his hair and paced the floor.
“Yes, I know. I can drop Emmy off somewhere safe. Yeah, that’s true. I realize that. Okay, okay, we’ll wait until O’Maley gets here and Emmy will come along.”
He turned and stared at her.
“No, she’s hearing my part of the conversation, and yes, I’m certain I will be in trouble for assuming I could leave her somewhere safe. Thanks for reminding me Jenna, you’re a great sister.” Damon’s voice was dry by the time he finished his statement.
Emmy had already redressed and stalked menacingly toward him. He hung up the phone and grabbed her before she could do whatever she was planning, which fortunately for him, she hadn’t worked out yet. “Honey, I want you to be safe, that’s why I was planning to take you somewhere safe.”
“Yeah, where have I heard that before?” Her tone reeked of belligerence.
“Emmy, you know I don’t want anything to happen to you. I just got you back; I don’t want to lose you again.”
“Oh, and I’m thrilled with the idea of losing you. I didn’t just get you back again to have some maniacal creep kill you.”
“I’d feel better if I knew you were safe.”
“Oh yes, I’m totally helpless and unable to take care of myself. Like I need you to protect me.” Her voice rose to dire, angry tones.
The winds of never-never land threatened to overtake him. This was not a good sign. Somehow Damon was losing ground here and he had no idea why.
“I’m your husband, I’m supposed to protect you,” he reminded her.
“I can take care of myself. Just because I’m a research chef and I cook for a living doesn’t mean I’m the little woman in need of protection.”
Exasperation loomed before him. “I know that.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“Prove it.” Her hardened tone made him raise an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Prove it. Show me you trust me enough to let me go with you and O’Maley and don’t pamper me. Let me help you.”
“What are you talking about?” Yet he knew, he just didn’t want to fail this test.
“This is going down, Damon. Don’t play stupid with me. Something is going to happen tonight and none of us knows what. My interpretation of your conversation with Jenna is that Mark just showed up, right?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Okay, well, why did he show up? How did he get free? Who had him? Where has he been?” Emmy fired off the questions faster than a three-year old.
“That’s what they aren’t sure of. Jenna said Mark just showed up at her clinic with Derek Brewster. They crawled in through Jenna’s office window.”
“How?”
“Don’t know. Guess we have to wait until O’Maley gets here.”
“Damon, you wouldn’t have the same respect for me, you wouldn’t care the same way about me if I cowered somewhere you deem safe while you went out and took down the big guy.” Her voice was calm and firm. Not a good sign for him winning this argument.
“No, I probably wouldn’t. Your willingness to participate, to hold your own is very attractive to me.” And it was. Just not in this situation, where the stakes were far too high. Sweat broke out along his upper lip.
“I know. That’s why I’m going with you.”
“O’Maley says you have to anyway. At least that’s what Jenna told me. He doesn’t want us separated. It makes sense. I’m just too involved with you to think in those terms. I don’t want anything to happen to you, so I automatically assume home is the safest place for you.” Fortunately, she must have heard the entreaty in his voice because she relented – sort of.
“Speaking of O’Maley, maybe you should put some clothes on. He might get the wrong impression if you’re undressed and I’m not.”
“We’ll return to what we were doing later,” he promised.
Her smile turned mysterious. “You hope so.” She was still mad enough at him that Damon was momentarily nonplussed. He decided he didn’t want to know if he wasn’t going to get properly seduced after all.
O’Maley arrived in a screech of brakes and tires. Emmy was grateful they weren’t actually in danger. His arrival would have freaked out anyone contemplating trouble. She and Damon didn’t give him time to crawl out of the vehicle. Instead they both climbed into his SUV.
Before they left the house, Emmy shut Winston in their bedroom, leaving both the closet and bathroom doors open. He could disappear faster than a magician’s assistant with that many options. If someone did break into their house, Winston would make himself scarce. For such a large cat, he could hide very adeptly.
O’Maley greeted them with an abrupt grunt. He backed out of the driveway and headed for Jenna’s office. “Matthews and Brewster showed up in Dr. Field’s office late today. Both are unharmed, but are experiencing side effects of whatever drugs they were given.”
“They seem okay otherwise?” Damon asked with an intense note to his voice. “And it’s obvious they were drugged?”
“Both are tired and vague. Dr. Fields has seen this before, and she says yes to them being drugged. They also have fevers and are unsteady on their feet. I’m not certain how they got into your sister’s office.”
“The key,” Emmy said absently.
“What?” O’Maley glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
“The key. Jenna keeps a key for family and friends outside the window of her office. If one of us gets hurt or scared, or whatever, you just use that key.”
O’Maley frowned. “That’s not safe.”
“Of course it is. There’s a security camera on that window at all times. The guard likely saw Mark, identified him and immediately called Jenna,” she countered.
“If I know Jenna, she probably handed the guards a picture of Mark and told them to call her the minute they saw him at the window,” Damon said.
Before O’Maley could comment Emmy asked, “Derek Brewster is with Mark?”
“Yes.”
“Did you notify the Hollingers?”
“Not yet. Nor do we plan to.”
“Why ever not? Marcy will be frantic.”
O’Maley hesitated, and when he answered, his answer was neat and tidy, but not overly informative. “The Hollingers are frequently in the media spotlight. We need Brewster and Matthews to stay hidden until we close this case.”
“Why do they need to be hidden?” she wondered.
“From what we could gather from talking briefly with both men, their captors have no idea they’re gone.”
She blinked. “Oh.”
“So it’s best not to lead them to that knowledge until you’re ready for them to know,” Damon concluded.
“Right. They’ll discover the men are gone eventually, but hopefully not from us.”
They pulled into the parking lot of Jenna’s clinic and O’Maley parked in the back lot, nearest the door. McCully had apparently been waiting for them, because she shoved the door open in welcome when they stepped from the SUV. O’Maley hustled them inside where Jenna came forward to hug both her and Damon. She wore a lab coat and her stethoscope hung limply around her neck.
“Hi, Brat.” Damon said when he pulled her close.
“Hi yourself, Pain.” Jenna replied. She searched Emmy’s face and only when she was satisfied with her survey did they hug. Words weren’t necessary between them. A look of understanding connected them as surely as the arms that now enclosed each other.
Damon started down the hall, she and Jenna followed, with the two detectives falling in behind. Damon stepped through a doorway and stopped so abruptly she and Jenna walked into him. The force didn’t move him, but O’Maley fortunately saw what was happening and caught them as the counterforce knocked them unsteady.
Mark Matthews lay on one bed in the room while Derek Brewster occupied the other. Both men’s eyes were closed, their cheeks flushed with obvious fever. At the movement in the doorway, Mark’s eyes opened. He smiled when he saw who stood in the doorway. Damon returned the grin and they unabashedly exchanged a hug.
“Hey, big guy. Gave us a bit of a scare,” Damon told him.
“Yeah.” His eyelids drooped as though they were too heavy to remain open.
“Heard you put up an excellent fight.”
“Only problem was you weren’t at my back. They always get you in the back.” Mark’s voice was low with fatigue, but it was evident he had not been broken by his experience.
“Next time I’ll be there,” Damon vowed.
“We’re going to get these guys. We’re gonna get them if it’s the last thing I do.” Mark’s vow was quiet, but it held that same vein of determination that had first bonded them years ago.
“We’ll get them, Matthews. You and Brewster freeing yourselves helped. Now we have an idea where they are,” O’Maley said.
“We can get you back there. As soon as whatever Jenna gave us wears off, we’ll get you there,” Mark’s voice was fading fast, and those in the room watched as the medicine finally took hold.
Jenna laughed. “Leave it to Mark to set the record for fighting that particular sedative.”
“Brewster never awoke,” McCully murmured.
“Mark outweighs him by a good fifty pounds. I gave them similar doses so I’m not surprised Derek is out already,” Jenna replied. She wandered around the beds, checking vital signs and recording them on charts she plucked out of an obsolete filing cabinet in the storage area. She explained that she didn’t want to risk putting the files in their computer system.
“Was it wise to give them another drug after all they’ve already been given?” Emmy fretted.
“In this case, we’re pretty certain what they were given, but I only gave them an injection of aspirin, essentially. It’s quite mild, should help with their fevers and the rashes, and aid sleep. I’m monitoring them, as well, so I believe they’re safe,” Jenna explained.
“Okay,” Emmy agreed, trusting her friend to know what was best for her patients. Jenna had experience with drug patients and she wouldn’t take risks.
“How long will Matthews and Brewster be out?”
O’Maley was obviously growing antsy. Emmy figured he wanted to begin questioning the two men about where they had been held and record descriptions of anyone they had seen.
“I questioned both of them extensively while I checked them. Both were a bit out of it, but they answered most of my questions.” Jenna pointed to a tape recorder across the room on a shelf and O’Maley looked like he wanted to kiss her. He plucked the recorder from the shelf nearly before she finished pointing out the device. She motioned him down the hall and ushered he and McCully into her office. They settled in, notebooks open, pens poised as O’Maley hit the play button.
After Jenna left, TJ cocked a brow at O’Maley.
“Coulihan had something romantic going with Matthews,” she said into the silence before O’Maley could press the play button on the little recorder.
“Coulihan and Matthews?” he repeated, his red brows snapping together.
“Yep. Since she’s helped so much on this case, I figure we should at least call or text her and tell her he’s okay.”
“What if she decides to drop everything and come here?”
“She’s on duty, and besides, he’s out cold right now, and will be until her shift ends, I’d imagine,” TJ answered blandly.
“Got it all worked out there, McCully?”
“Of course. She’ll work better tonight if she knows he’s okay and safe. She was pretty upset thinking Matthews might be dead,” she answered honestly.
“Okay, call her, but don’t tell her where they are right now.”
“I agree. Just knowing he’s alive and well will appease her. For tonight at least.”
“Right,” he agreed.
TJ found the younger police officer’s phone number, knowing she would have the device on.
“Coulihan,” came the abrupt reply.
“Hey, it’s McCully.”
“McCully, have you got news on Mark?” Colleen Coulihan’s voice held hope, fear, despair, and resolve.
“I do. You’ll be happy to know he’s safe and sleeping comfortably,” she replied calmly. She didn’t miss the pretty cop’s exhalation of relief and tiny sob.
“He’s okay?” Coulihan asked in a small, hopeful voice.
“He’s fine. Lost weight and is a bit out of it from the drugs he was given, but he’s okay.” Across from her, O’Maley scribbled something into his notepad. She doubted he was listening.
“Where is he?”
“Coulihan, you’re still on duty, girl, you need to relax and finish your shift. We’re not telling anyone where he is because the captors don’t know he’s gone, at least they didn’t when he escaped.”
“He escaped?” Coulihan asked breathlessly.
“He did. He’s a smart, resourceful guy.”
“Brave, too,” Coulihan added. “When can I see him?”
“I’ll talk to O’Maley about it and we’ll see. Right now his safety is our first priority,” TJ explained firmly. At the mention of his name, her geeky partner looked up, frowned at her, and returned to his notes. He flipped through several pages, wrote something, and then flipped to a different page.
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t want you to compromise that,” Coulihan interjected quickly.
“I know you want to see him, but we’re already going against police procedure just telling you he’s alive and well.”
“I know. At least I know I’ll see him again,” Coulihan agreed.
“This call was for that very purpose.”
“McCully?”
“Yes?” She leaned over the table, trying to see what O’Maley wrote. Her angle was wrong for viewing.
“What about guard duty? You’ll probably need to set up guards eventually, right?”
“Probably, why?”
“As soon as some of the other officers are told where he is...”
She figured out where Coulihan was going, and laughed. “You certainly don’t give up, do you? Once we start letting the department know, we’ll tell you where he is, deal?”
“Deal. Thank you for calling me. I needed to know he’s safe.”
“I know,” TJ replied before they hung up.
O’Maley’s eyes gleamed in the overhead lights. “Coulihan’s got it bad, huh?”
“Yeah, I’d say so,” she agreed as they finally hit the play button on the recorder.
Damon looked up when Jenna entered the patient room after showing the cops into her office. She spent some time monitoring her patients and recording her observations. Emmy was noticeably absent. When Jenna commented on her absence, he grinned and shook his head. “Where can you usually find Emmy, especially when there’re plenty of appreciative males?”
Jenna laughed and left the room. He followed her. The facility kitchen was located in the center of the building. This was the main reason why Damon had thought it safe for Emmy to remain alone in there.
They stood in the doorway together, and watched Emmy as she bent industriously over a bowl, mixing something. The oven was on, if the little red light was any indication, and there were ingredient trails across the counter and floor. He saw Jenna smile from the corner of his eye.
“O’Maley hit the grocery store on his way home tonight. Said he wasn’t certain why, because he never eats at home,” Jenna murmured. “He ended up bringing everything in here.”
“Didn’t take Emmy long to discover the provisions, did it?” Damon grinned. He laughed softly, very amused at his wife’s penchant for taking care of everyone. He also had a feeling she might need something to take her mind off the case. She once told him that when she didn’t have answers she baked because that was one area where she did have answers.
“I’ll bet O’Maley is getting shortbread cookies,” he deduced.
“No, I’m getting shortbread cookies. O’Maley is otherwise occupied,” Jenna told her brother firmly.
“Not so occupied that I won’t be able to eat a cookie or three,” O’Maley said behind them.
Damon was surprised Jenna didn’t jump, he certainly did. She never even flinched. It was almost like she had known he was there... He wasn’t surprised when she disagreed with the huge detective.
“Emmy is making those cookies for me, not for you. I’ve liked them longer.”
O’Maley ignored her. “I hope she puts chocolate on them.” He brushed past Damon, then physically picked Jenna up by her elbows, and entered the room carrying her. “Emmy, we want chocolate on those shortbreads, is that possible?” Emmy didn’t blink at the sight of O’Maley dangling Jenna inches from the floor.
Jenna sniffed the air like a puppy on the scent of a treat. “You’ve got a batch in already,” she stated.
Emmy smiled. “Yes, they should be ready to come out in a few minutes. I’m melting the chocolate to dip them in right now.”
O’Maley set Jenna back on her feet, then nudged her behind him. Thus, he made it to the stove first to dip a huge finger into the heated chocolate. “I’ve got good taste in chocolate,” he told Emmy after sampling the melted chocolate bar in the saucepan.
Emmy smiled at Jenna attempting to reach around O’Maley’s bulk. Jenna was straining to swipe her own finger in the pot, but O’Maley seemed quite adept at thwarting her efforts. He must have a sister, Damon concluded.
In her usual resourcefulness, Jenna solved the O’Maley-blocking-the-chocolate problem. She poked him then shoved. Damon was rather familiar with that trick. It allowed Jenna an opening to jab a finger into the chocolate. The timer dinged and O’Maley picked up Jenna again and moved her out of the way as he reached for a hot pad.
“You know, my assistance is required here. Moving me out of the way is hindering the process,” Jenna informed him loftily.
“How?” he challenged.
“O’Maley, I don’t have all night, where’s the coffee?” McCully’s voice broke in before Jenna answered.
McCully took in the scene before her and laughed. “Ah, the big bad detective is felled by a simple shortbread cookie.”
“A shortbread cookie with chocolate,” O’Maley corrected her. He and Jenna worked quickly. As he took them off the baking sheet she dipped the underside in the melted chocolate. Before the chocolate had time to set completely O’Maley and Jenna dug into them. A mug of coffee in one hand and a cookie in the other, they settled at the table in the kitchen area.
McCully returned to Jenna’s office for their notes and the three of them discussed the contents of the tape. Damon kept an eye on Emmy as she traveled between the fridge, sink, and stove. He doubted she missed anything they said.
The detectives had only listened to the first side, because O’Maley decided he needed coffee. Damon knew McCully had seen Emmy disappear into the kitchen with his groceries. She must have suspected shortbread cookies were on the way.
At least, McCully didn’t seem in the least surprised to find her partner ensconced in the kitchen where the shortbreads were. Despite his penchant for the cookies, O’Maley remained utterly focused on the case.
Emmy produced a delicious meal with O’Maley’s groceries and they all enjoyed it, but no one lingered. In the hour they were there, both O’Maley and McCully kept super busy.
The two detectives sent out general coordinates for some preliminary analysis on the area Matthews and Brewster described. They awaited news on the most promising locations. O’Maley announced that he needed to see those places for himself and he launched into plans to make that happen. He put a team on call to head out and Damon suspected that would happen the minute they were cleared to do so. O’Maley also decided to install a couple of guards here at the clinic so he and McCully would be free to join in the search. Damon hadn’t heard who they selected. So long as Emmy, Jenna, Mark, and Brewster were safe, he didn’t much care.
He and McCully had explored the clinic before he left to pick up Damon and Emmy and they both liked what they saw. The facility had plenty of cameras and a surveillance team of armed guards. With all that back up, he didn’t think they’d need more than a couple of cops.
He took the time to introduce Coulihan, his first choice for a guard, to Emmy and Jenna. Sedgewick could help her. O’Maley called his chief, knowing the man had been wanting to yank Coulihan off rookie duty for a while anyway. She was older than the others and she had the brains and drive to take her far in this profession. Plus she and Sedgewick had already helped them out on the case, so they knew some of the basics. Coulihan’s feelings for one of the kidnapped might cause a problem, but O’Maley figured she’d gun him down if he didn’t call her in to protect Matthews. Since she was smart enough to get rid of his body and not say a word, it further nudged her up the scale. Having feelings for one of the men would also mean she meant business to anyone seeking to harm them.
Matthews’s information about someone coming to check on them in the morning and evening was most likely accurate, so he decided to start there for his and McCully’s part of the evening activities. If they timed it right, and arrived at the locations soon, they might be able to ambush the person who would be sent to check on the captives tonight. That person also might be persuaded to spill more information to aid this case. Most lower level criminals were interested in a plea bargain.
O’Maley savored the blood rushing through his veins and the cause wasn’t just Emmy Fields’s chocolate shortbread cookies or Jenna Fields. He knew the case was nearing completion. The chase had sped up and O’Maley intended to be the victor.
“Jenna, I think Mark just woke up.” Emmy gently shook Jenna, who was dozing on the sofa in her office. Jenna awoke quickly, years of medical training and subsequent long hours obvious in her immediate coherence. She rolled off the sofa and grabbed her stethoscope off the desk.
Emmy followed her out the door and into the room where Mark and Derek Brewster rested. Damon was sacked out on one of the couches in the reception area. Emmy had had to fight with him to rest, but she did eventually succeed. She was feeling too edgy to sleep she told him, and she needed to make something for when the men awoke. It was evident neither man had been well fed during their stay with the drug experimenters. Jeans that had once fit well hung on Mark’s frame. Sunken cheeks and several new hollows were excellent indications to Emmy that Mark hadn’t eaten much. She didn’t know Derek Brewster, but thought he looked exceptionally thin, too.
She doubted the men could handle what they had enjoyed for supper. But she wanted something nourishing and settling, so she made a hearty chicken soup from their supper remains.
Emmy found the carrots and celery marked with Jenna’s name and all of the seasonings in the cabinets. She also happened across several packets of leftover takeout crackers that actually weren’t stale. She decided biscuits might be welcome so long as their stomachs didn’t wage a major protest. If the two patients didn’t eat them, the others might.
The two cops, Coulihan and Sedgewick, who O’Maley and McCully arranged to guard them, arrived around six and came into the kitchen periodically for coffee and Emmy was certain, to check on her. She knew one of them passed through the reception area and Jenna’s office while checking on the patients. She liked both of them and was grateful they were there.
Standing in the doorway to the patients’ room, she watched as Jenna performed a quick examination. Mark opened his eyes and watched Jenna as she took his vitals. “Dr. Birdbrain caring for me. The world really is coming to an end.” Emmy was thankful he felt well enough to joke.
“Counselor Hotair is back and feeling frisky,” Jenna shot back with a relieved grin. She made a show of unwrapping the sterile syringe and attaching the needle. Mark raised an eyebrow.
“What are you planning on doing with that?” He sounded suspicious.
“I’m planning to poke it into your butt.”
“Well, geez Jenna, you could have just asked to see my butt,” Mark leered at her and Emmy laughed with Jenna, feeling a welcome sense of relief at having him back.
She turned to see the blond cop, Coulihan, behind her with a mysterious, sweet smile on her face. Emmy hadn’t missed the caress to Mark’s cheek or the way the pretty cop had tunneled her fingers through his hair. And if the possessive look in her eyes was any indication, there was definitely something going on between the two. Emmy wondered if this was the cop who pulled him over – that lady had singlehandedly reignited the sparkle in his eyes.
Since he was awake, Emmy left the room to make up a tray for him. When she returned, he was effusive with his praise. The pretty cop stayed near his bed, although her eyes swept over Derek Brewster and the room frequently. Coulihan made certain Mark ate everything Emmy brought him. Emmy noticed he didn’t fuss at all about her care.
She was thankful she’d thought to make the soup when Derek Brewster stirred. In typical male fashion, he regained consciousness at the smell of food. Two things that obviously interested Derek Brewster were sleep and food. So far he was too groggy to recognize his doctor was hot, but it was only a matter of time.
Especially when he saw that not only his doctor, but also Coulihan and McCully were quite attractive, too. Of course, McCully had left and he seemed to get treated to Coulihan’s backside more often than not, so Emmy figured Jenna would soon be the object of his admiration.
While Mark’s maturity-added weight aided him in defying the drugs in his system, Derek Brewster’s youthful resilience assisted his own recovery. Emmy grinned as she ladled Derek’s third helping of soup into his bowl. Food was definitely leaving a marked improvement in his condition. Mark had stopped after two large helpings, but Derek seemed to be going strong. She offered him some biscuits, which were heartily accepted. Mark stirred with interest at their smell, so she offered him a few, too. Eventually, both men dropped into a comfortable, contented slumber that Emmy saw Jenna noted with what looked like professional satisfaction.
Coulihan returned to her security duties, although Emmy noticed she made many more passes through the patients’ room than the other cop. Jenna was delighted with their progress and after some final checks, returned to her sofa.
Emmy cleaned up the kitchen, then found her way to the reception area. She contemplated crawling onto one of the unoccupied couches, but decided the occupied one looked far more interesting. She hadn’t even slung both legs onto the sofa as she crowded Damon before he whipped over and smushed her against the couch back. “It’s about time you got here. Now I’ll be able to go to sleep,” he growled sleepily.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were waiting?” she demanded.
“Mark sure seemed to appreciate that soup. Besides, you wouldn’t have slept knowing someone might go hungry.”
“There might be some truth in that.”
Damon kissed her, and they snuggled.
Emmy longed for an uneventful night.
She hoped they hadn’t forgotten what uneventful meant.