CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
RAN STOOD IN THE STERILE CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE WAITING ROOM of the Sunderland Royal Hospital in Kayll Road, a compound of tan-and-white brick buildings three to four stories high. Doctors in white lab coats and nurses in pale blue scrubs hurried impatiently past him, too busy to notice another worried face.
While Eve, Jesse, Violet, and Zane sat in the waiting room behind glass windows, Ran paced the hallway, too tense to stay in one spot for long. Sharing the same restless energy, Luke had removed his robe, leaving him in his jeans and white dress shirt, and walked over to St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church, just a short distance away.
Luke had gone to pray for Katie, who lay in the Neuroscience ICU with a traumatic brain injury. Ran wished with everything inside him that he was the one lying in the room instead of Katie.
He blew out a slow breath. This was all his fault. He was the one responsible for the members of the team. He had known going in tonight could be dangerous. He never should have let the others come along.
Ran thought of Eve and why he had gone to Sunderland in the first place. He and the team had flown all the way from Seattle to help Eve, but as things progressed, he should have realized he was in way over his head.
Ran was no expert on the paranormal. He was well read and open-minded, but he had never experienced anything like the madness he had witnessed in the asylum tonight. Even Luke seemed unable to handle the level of Satanic evil they had encountered.
“Ran . . . ? Are you okay?”
He looked up at the sound of Eve’s voice. Was he okay? Definitely not.
“I’m worried. The doctor says the swelling on the brain hasn’t lessened. They’re waiting to see how things progress, but there’s a chance she’ll need surgery to release the pressure.”
“I know,” Eve said softly.
Katie had been racing up the aisle toward the door when one of the heavy slate roof tiles had hit her in the back of the head. Thank God Zane had seen what happened, braved the vicious onslaught to reach her, and carried her to safety. But by then it was too late.
Willard had driven the limo like a madman, rushing to the emergency room at Sunderland Royal. In minutes, Katie had been swept off to one of the curtained enclosures.
Ran felt Eve’s hand settle gently on his arm. “Katie’s going to be okay. You have to believe that.”
He rubbed a hand over his jaw, felt the roughness of his late-night beard. They’d been at the hospital all night. It was still dark outside, but dawn wasn’t far away.
“I’ve got a call in to one of the best brain surgeons in England,” Ran said. “If Katie needs an operation, I’ll have him flown directly here.”
“It hasn’t come to that yet,” Eve said. “Katie’s young and strong. We have to wait and pray she’ll be okay.”
But Ran wasn’t good at waiting. Or praying for that matter.
“I’ll leave the praying to Luke. If anyone can convince God to intervene, it’s Lucas Devereaux. I just wish there was something I could do.”
“You did do something,” Eve said. “Because of you, we got the children safely away from that monster in the orphanage.”
Ran made no reply. It all seemed surreal. If it weren’t for the woman lying in the ICU, he might be able to convince himself none of it had actually happened.
“Violet and I are going to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee,” Eve said. “Can I bring you back something?”
“I’m fine.”
Eve went up on her toes and kissed his cheek, left to join Violet, and the women headed down the hall.
A few minutes later, Zane walked up. “Any news?”
Ran noticed the worry that drew Zane’s dark eyebrows together, the stiffness in his shoulders that betrayed the tension he was feeling.
“Nothing you haven’t heard already.” His gaze met Zane’s. “If it hadn’t been for you, Katie could have been hurt even worse.” Perhaps even killed. “You’ve been a real asset to the team, Zane. I’m glad to have you with us.”
“I shouldn’t have waited outside. As soon as I heard the commotion, I should have gone into the chapel. Maybe I could have gotten Kate out before she was hurt.”
“What happened wasn’t your fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”
Zane shook his head. “I don’t think so. I didn’t see everything that happened, but I saw enough. I’m not a religious person, but after what happened to the kids at Victoria Hall, and what went on in that chapel, I’m pretty sure there’s a battle going on here between good and evil. I think good mostly won tonight.”
Ran said nothing.
Zane looked up hopefully as a door opened down the hall. “That’s the doctor. Maybe he’s got news.”
Good news, I hope, Ran thought as Zane took off and Ran fell in behind him. It was becoming more and more apparent that Zane had feelings for his teammate. Ran wondered if Katie’s feelings ran in the same direction. Since they worked together, it wasn’t a good idea, but there was no rule against it.
At the moment, Ran just wanted Katie to get well.
As the doctor approached, he and Zane both increased their stride. Eve and Violet walked up to join them just as the doctor arrived. Dr. Rishi Patel was Indian, a dark, slender, smoothed-faced man with course black hair.
“I have news,” the doctor said. “I know how anxious you all are.”
“No question of that,” Ran said. “What can you tell us, Doctor?”
“The best news is, unlike many traumatic brain injuries, such as those caused by a car accident, a fall down the stairs, or an assault, in this case, only one area of the brain has been affected. Ms. Collins has been sedated, though she can be awakened quite easily to check her mental status.”
“What else?” Ran pressed.
“We’re using hypertonic saline to control the pressure in the brain. The drug draws out the extra water and allows the kidneys to filter it out of the blood. We are hoping to avoid surgery, but we won’t know if that is possible for at least another day.”
“As soon as she’s released from the ICU, I want her moved to a private room,” Ran said.
“I understand. Your very generous donation to the hospital revitalization fund should certainly make that possible.”
Patel turned to the rest of the group. “Visitors’ hours are long over. Even if that were not the case, there is nothing more any of you can do for Ms. Collins at this time. I would advise you to return to your hotel, get some rest, and come back later in the day. Perhaps we will know more by then.”
Tucking his clipboard beneath his arm, the doctor turned and walked off down the hall.
“He’s giving us good advice,” Ran said.
“I’m staying,” Zane said.
“So am I,” said Eve.
“Me too,” said Jesse and Violet at the same time.
Ran just shook his head. “Fine, we’ll take turns. I’m going back to the hotel to shower and change. I’m taking Violet with me. None of us got any sleep last night. We’ll nap, get something to eat, and come back in a couple of hours. Then Jesse, Zane, and Eve can do the same.”
“I’m not leaving,” Zane said stubbornly.
“We’ll see,” Ran said, hoping the man’s common sense would kick in by the time he returned. “Violet, you ready?”
Obviously exhausted, the older woman made no protest. Ran walked over to Eve. “Sure you don’t want to come with us?”
“Not this time, but I’ll be ready for a break when you get back.”
Ran leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
As he walked away, anxious to leave the hospital smells and sadness behind, Ran thought about the woman in the ICU. What if that woman were Eve? What if she had been injured, or even killed?
Losing his wife and child had nearly destroyed him. The thought of losing Eve, another woman he loved, was simply unbearable. As he strode down the corridor, his stomach pulled into a hard, tight knot.
Another woman he loved. The words rang in his head. Ran told himself he was too jaded to fall in love again, too far beyond those youthful dreams.
And yet he loved Eve.
His jaw clenched. True or not, it didn’t really matter. The attack on Katie had shown him he’d been right from the start. He wasn’t prepared for a long-term relationship with Eve. He couldn’t handle the thought of losing her.
Ran simply couldn’t survive it.
* * *
Lucas sat in a pew at the back of St. Gabriel’s Church, his rosary beads in his hand. The old stone church, built in the ’20s, had high arched ceilings and beautiful paned windows. It was quiet inside. At this early hour of the morning, the huge nave was empty except for a heavyset man in the front row and an old woman lighting candles near the altar.
Luke took a weary breath. After last night, he was tired clear to the bone. Drained of every ounce of strength.
Over the years, he had done a number of exorcisms. He knew the tremendous mental strength it took to engage a powerful entity. Relying on the forces God could provide, he had mostly been successful.
Luke had never encountered evil as strong as he’d faced in the chapel last night. The demon had already killed one man. Criminal or not, the man was dead. Kate Collins lay in a coma in the hospital in critical condition.
Luke had been praying for Katie’s recovery since his arrival at St. Gabriel’s. He’d had no word of her condition, but he believed his prayers would help.
Luke had also prayed for guidance, a prayer that had been answered. He was prepared to undertake the task God had set for him.
Luke couldn’t leave Sunderland without destroying the evil in the asylum. An abandoned building was dangerous. Most people steered clear. But the orphanage had recently been purchased. The new owner would be refurbishing the place to use as a rest home. The elderly occupants would be vulnerable to any sort of attack.
Luke had no choice but to face the Satanic menace in the asylum and purge it.
He rubbed a hand over his face. He needed rest, needed to regain his strength. There were at least two entities in the orphanage, one far more powerful than the other. The dominant entity was the face of evil itself. It would take every ounce of Luke’s strength, along with all the help God gave him, to deal with it.
Once the more powerful entity was eliminated, the other spirit would go to whatever place God ordained.
Luke looked up at the sound of the heavy door swinging open and the echo of footsteps coming down the aisle. Ransom King strode toward him, his clothes wrinkled, the shadow of a beard along his jaw, looking nearly as exhausted as Luke.
He rose from the pew. “You have news?”
“Not much. Katie’s still in a coma, but it looks like the doctors think that’s a good thing at the moment. Helps her deal with the pain and gives her body time to heal. She’s had all the necessary tests, CAT scan, MRI, whatever else they needed. We have a surgeon lined up if it comes to that, but the decision hasn’t been made yet. For now, it’s a waiting game.”
Sometimes no news was good news. “Let’s talk outside.” Luke led the way up the aisle out of the church into the anteroom.
“I appreciate the update,” Luke said.
“I had the limo take Violet on to the hotel. The driver is coming back for us.”
Luke’s head came up.
“Don’t bother to argue. You look even worse than I do. You need to get something to eat and some rest. Then we can figure out what to do.”
“From here on out, there’s no we involved. I’ll deal with the problem at the asylum. That’s why I came here.”
“Fine, but I’m the one who brought you. That means I’m responsible for what happens to you.”
Luke shook his head. “You aren’t responsible for any of this. Evil is responsible.”
“I’ll concede that much. We’re facing pure malevolence, and together we’ll figure out how to defeat it. In the meantime, we both need to recover our strength. The car should be back by now. Let’s go.”
Luke had been friends with Ran King long enough to know he wouldn’t back down. Besides, Ran was right. Luke had to collect his strength. They settled into the back of the limo, and the driver headed for the hotel.
“What about Eve?” Luke asked.
“She’s with Zane and Jesse at the hospital. We’re taking turns. I’m hoping they’ll have more news by the time I get back.”
“So . . . you and Eve? How are the two of you faring?”
Ran’s features darkened. Luke could almost see his friend shutting down. “Our work here is almost finished. As soon as it is, I’ll be returning to Seattle.”
“And Eve is staying here? Are you sure that’s what you want?” Luke couldn’t miss the turbulence in his friend’s blue eyes.
“It’s the very last thing I want. The truth is, after what happened to Sabrina and Chrissy, I’m not willing to risk getting in too deep. If the two of us were together and something happened to Eve, I couldn’t . . . I couldn’t handle it, Luke. I just can’t take the risk.”
“Some things are worth the risk. You’re still young. The two of you could make a family. You could both live long, happy lives. Accidents happen, yes. But there is no reason to believe God will take Eve from you.”
Ran just shook his head.
“Think about it, at least.”
Ran made no reply.
Worried about his friend, Luke leaned back in the seat of the Bentley and closed his eyes. The weariness he was feeling swept over him. He was sound asleep by the time the limo drove the few blocks back to the hotel.