The curtains billowed in the doorway of Harper’s room as more people ran down the hallway outside it. Eli stood by the curtain, his back to the wall, pistol in his right hand pointing down at the floor as he peered out the crack. Caleb had shoved Harper’s bed against the wall on the left, as far from the curtained doorway as he could get it. And he, too, stood guard, at the foot of her bed, gun in hand as he kept himself between her and the doorway.
Her frustration mounted as she clutched the bed rail, keeping quiet as they’d ordered her the moment code blue was called on Room 14. Was that the gunman’s room? Even if it was, why were Caleb and Eli acting as if they thought a battalion was about to lay siege to her room?
The curtain billowed again. She leaned to the side to look around Caleb and saw Gage standing just inside the room. He cast a quick glance her way then spoke in low tones to Eli. Before she could ask him what was going on, he slipped back out and Eli jerked the curtain almost all the way shut again, leaving only a slit for him to keep an eye on what was happening outside her room.
Just when Harper was ready to hop off the bed and try to make a jail break, Gage entered the room again. This time, when he spoke to Eli, Eli holstered his gun and stepped outside the curtain. Gage strode to the bed and sent Caleb out, as well. He eyed the wonky way the bed was pressed up against the wall and gave her what seemed to be a reluctant smile.
“Want me to straighten out your bed?”
“I want you to tell me what’s going on.”
He rolled the bed back into position and slid the three orange guest chairs all on the far side of the bed, closest to the door, before taking up a stance on the other side, his back to the wall. “Our gunman had a medical emergency. Caleb and Eli guarded you in case it was a diversion so someone could slip inside your room.”
She stared at him in surprise. “Was it? A diversion?”
“Not as far as I can tell. No one tried to get past Eli.”
“And?”
“And what?”
She sighed. “You’re being awfully tight-lipped. What happened? Is the gunman okay?”
“They couldn’t revive him.”
She pressed her hand against her chest. “What happened? Were his injuries worse than the doctors realized?”
“No one’s sure at this point. But it looks like a heart attack.”
“Looks like?”
Before he could respond, a knock sounded. Eli moved the curtain to let her stepmother and Secret Service agent Faulk into the room. Her mother was smiling and holding two cups of coffee, but stopped when she saw them, her smile fading.
“Is something wrong?” she asked. “You both look like someone kicked your favorite dog.”
Harper started to reassure her but Gage spoke first.
“Faulk, I heard you were assigned to protect Mrs. Manning these days. Where were you earlier this morning when she was here alone?”
The agent stopped, his eyes widening. “I was told she was being looked after by your team, so I went to the cafeteria. Was there a problem?”
“Leave him alone, Bishop.” Julia headed to the bed and set the coffee cups on the tray beside it. “You’re not a Secret Service agent anymore, so it’s none of your concern.”
“Julia,” Harper chastised, “don’t speak that way to Gage.”
“It’s okay,” Gage assured her. “Where have you been, Mrs. Manning? You missed the excitement.”
She frowned and gestured at the coffee cups. “I think it’s obvious where I’ve been. I wanted to get my daughter a decent cup of coffee. That stuff at the nurse’s station is awful. The cafeteria’s not much better. I threw some cream and sugar in to hopefully make it drinkable. Why? What did I miss?”
Another knock sounded and this time Cynthia and Dean entered the room, each of them carrying a soda and a small bag, presumably of snacks. Cynthia had been smiling at her boyfriend but her smile disappeared when she stopped at the end of the bed, looking at each of them. “Who died?”
“Interesting you should ask,” Gage said. “The gunman just passed away. I’ll ask you and Dean the same question I just asked your mother. Where did you two disappear to for so long? You both left before me and I’ve been gone far longer than I expected. The vending machines aren’t that far away.”
Cynthia rolled her eyes, unfazed, and crossed to the other side of the bed. “I think your boyfriend is accusing us of having something to do with that slimeball’s death.”
Julia gasped. “Bishop, how dare you—”
“Julia,” Harper interrupted. “Cynthia, everyone, would you please give me and Gage a few moments alone?”
Her stepmother sputtered in outrage. Cynthia grabbed her arm and hauled her toward the doorway, with Faulk and Dean following behind.
“Come on, Mom. Harper’s had enough of your drama for one morning.” She winked at Harper, earning a glare from her mom.
When they were gone, and the sound of their bickering faded down the hall, Harper threw the covers off and wrestled the railing down so she could sit on the side of the bed. “My sister got that part right, for sure. I’m tired of drama. Of all the drama. Tired of being told to be quiet and treated like a child who can’t handle the truth. And I don’t appreciate you practically accusing my family of murder. Even if they were cold, bloodthirsty killers, how would they have gotten into the gunman’s room, much less caused him to have a heart attack?”
“He was sedated and handcuffed to the bed. Apparently, that was enough for the cop guarding his room to leave his post and flirt with the nurses at the nursing station farther down the hall. Anyone could have slipped inside his room.”
“Check the cameras,” she snapped. “Those little surveillance bubbles on the ceiling are all over this place. Then once you see my mom and sister haven’t gone near that man’s room, you can come back and apologize. To all of us.”
His jaw tightened. “Actually, checking the cameras was the first thing we did. But they’re pointed at the main entrance to the ER corridor, not the entrances to each room.”
“Okay. Then I’m sure you can clearly see when my mom and sister left and when they came back. Which was obviously after the code blue.”
“Funny thing about that, too. There’s a good ten-minute gap I can’t account for in their movements around the hospital.”
She blinked. “Good grief. You’re serious, aren’t you? You really think they could be involved.”
He sighed and straightened. “As I’ve said before, everyone’s a suspect. Anything is possible.”
“Well, how about this as an explanation for that ten-minute gap. Knowing my mother and sister, they probably stopped at the waiting room inside the ER to argue about something stupid, as usual, before coming into my room.”
“I’ll be sure to ask them about it.”
“Good grief.”
The curtain slid back a few feet and a tech stepped into the room carrying vials of blood in a plastic tray. Behind him, Eli pulled the curtain closed again.
“Hello there.” He smiled at both of them and set his tray on the end of the bed. “I’m here to take a blood sample. Need to check your ID bracelet first.” He scanned the bar code on her wrist. “Let’s see who we have. Harper Manning?”
She nodded and confirmed her birth date. As the tech drew the sample, she asked, “Why are you drawing blood when I’m supposed to get out of here soon? Where’s the doctor anyway? He should have been here by now.”
He shrugged. “I just follow the orders the doctors write up. Sorry, ma’am. Maybe the nurses can answer your questions.”
“Thanks. I’ll be sure to ask them.”
Gage stood on the other side of the bed, watching in silence.
The tech printed a label from the scanner and attached it to the blood vial, then gathered up his trash and put it in the medical waste container attached to the wall. “Thank you, Ms. Manning. I hope you feel better soon.”
She smiled her thanks. When he left, she pinned Gage with a glare, ready to tear into him. But he was already pushing away from the wall and heading for the doorway.
“Gage, wait. We need to talk.”
“I need to take care of a few things first.” He whipped the curtain back and left.
“Oh no you don’t,” she muttered. She slid to the edge of the bed and yanked the tape off her IV.
Eli took a step forward as if to stop her. She narrowed her eyes in warning. He immediately retreated to the curtain.
Biting her lip, she slowly pulled the plastic needle out, then laid it with the tubing over the IV pump. After locating her clothes in the closet, she tossed them on the bed and aimed a taunting look at Eli. He promptly stepped outside the room. Once dressed, she headed off into battle.
The battle lasted all of five seconds, the time it took for Eli to grab her arm in the hallway and pull her back into the room.
“Ms. Manning, I’m sorry. But I’m under strict orders to keep an eye on you.”
She shoved his hand off her arm. “Keep an eye on me? Do you mean make sure I don’t go into another patient’s room and kill them?”
His eyes widened. “Um, no, ma’am. My orders are to protect you, to keep you safe.”
“It’s Eli, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She gritted her teeth. “Eli, I’m pretty sure you’re older than me. Can we drop the ma’am?”
“Yes, ah, Ms. Manning.”
She crossed her arms. “Where’s Gage?”
“In a meeting.”
“Another meeting? I’m sure it has to do with me. I’d like to join that meeting. Where is it?”
“I can’t tell you that. But I assure you that he’ll be back soon and—”
“Eli?”
“Yes?”
“If you don’t take me to Gage right now, I’m going to open every door in this hospital until I find him. And if you grab my arm again or try to stop me in any way, my father’s lawyers will slam you with an assault charge that will have you tied up in court for the next decade and drain all your assets. Pick a side, but do it fast. Because I’m leaving, Right now.”