Catch (Coronado Series Book 4) Page 18

  Frank leaned over the roof, locked the camera against the front window, and checked his monitor. Images came up of two men moving toward the offices. It appeared like they were the only ones in the place. He spoke into his headset. “Two hostiles walking toward the back. They exited a door on bravo red.”

  Derick came over the headset. “Confirm, bravo red. Frank, stay up there, and keep us informed. We’re going to cut the electricity and go in shortly.”

  “Roger that,” Frank responded.

  Travis applied the C4 to the back door and waited until he got the signal from Derick. Everyone had their NV goggles in place and were ready to go in. They were in their usual Y formation and gave Derick the signal.

  Derick spoke into his headset. “Go time. Let’s get Rachel out of here and bring her home.”

  Travis lit the C4, and it blew the door off the hinges. He stepped away and assumed the cover position for the door as the other men entered the building.

  David was on point with Ed, and Sean was behind them. They were going to locate the brothers, and Chris was going to the front in search of Rachel.

  David and the guys started clearing rooms from the rear and came up to a locked door. David signaled to Chris move ahead toward the front in search of Rachel. David undid the lock, Ed threw a flash bang inside, and the three men entered. David was yelling, “Down. Get down. Hands where I can see them.”

  Ed saw one of the men raise a gun, and he responded by shooting it out of his hand. “Stay down,” he yelled.

  Sean stepped toward the other man and subdued him as Ed took the shooter and kicked the gun out of his way. David called into his mic, “Hostiles secure. Sitrep, Chris?”

  “Opening locked door on bravo red. Backup as available.” Chris disengaged the lock, opened the door slowly, and scanned the room. No hostiles appeared, and he finally looked down at the ground. He saw Rachel tied up and lying facedown on the floor with a pool of blood around her legs. “Ambulance. Get me a fucking ambulance. NOW! Get the lights on.” He untied the ropes that bound her feet and hands.

  He threw off his NV goggles and knelt down in front of her. He took her arm and checked for a pulse. There was one. “Honey, it’s me. I came to get you. Don’t worry about anything now. I’m going to take care of you.” He checked her body gently and quickly for a gunshot or knife wound and found none. He kissed her face and saw her eyelashes flutter against his skin. He lifted his face and saw a brief glimpse of her lavender eyes. “Stay with me, honey. We have our whole lives together.”

  Derick ran in. “Ambulance two minutes away. Let me check her, Chris.” The power came on, and the room was illuminated with a bright overhead light.

  “No one touches her but me.” Chris stared down, and she appeared broken. She was deathly pale and had a bruise across her right cheek. “I didn’t find a knife or gunshot wound. But there’s blood. Maybe it’s someone else’s.” He glanced at Derick hopefully. This by far was the most pain that he’d ever experienced in his life. How had he not protected her?

  “Chris, I’m a medic. Remember?” Moving next to Rachel, he began checking her. “I’m going to help her.”

  Chris nodded and moved to the side so Derick could take a look. “Be gentle.”

  “I know, man. Trust me. I just want to see what we’re dealing with.” He ran his hands from her head to her shoulders and noticed that her arm was in an unnatural position against her side. It was probably broken. He continued to run his hands down her torso and felt her ribs. One seemed to be out of alignment. “She has a broken rib and perhaps a broken arm.” He heard Chris let out a stream of curses as he held Rachel’s hand. “Does she let you use that language in front of her?” Derick asked.

  “Not really.”

  “She might be able to hear you, so clean it up,” Derick said.

  “Quit worrying about my language and do your job.”

  Derick turned back toward Rachel, moved farther down her body, and checked her legs. “Chris, the ambulance is going to be here in a minute, and we are going to get her to the hospital. No gunshot or knife wound.”

  “Anything we can do in the meantime?”

  Derick shook his head. Her pants were soaked in blood. He hoped like hell that he was wrong about what had happened to her. But he probably wasn’t.

  Chris whispered in her ear, “Honey, we’re going to get through this.” He looked over at his friend and watched him nod. They stared at one another and heard the ambulance siren. Soon, the front door opened, and paramedics ran into the room with a stretcher.

  ***

  Chris rode in the back of ambulance with Rachel and held her hand. The paramedic was pumping fluids into her and asked him what her blood type was. “She’s O negative. I’m O positive. I can get some people down for blood donation if we need it.”

  “Let’s wait and see what the doctor says.”

  Chris nodded, leaned down, and kissed her head. “We’re going to get through this, honey. No doubt about it.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Chris followed Rachel into the ER and held her hand as the paramedics relayed her vital signs to the waiting nurses. They immediately rolled her into a room, and the ER doctor entered and started evaluating her condition.

  Chris offered information that he thought would be helpful. “She was abducted between 1500 and 1600 this afternoon. We believe that she has damage to her ribs and her left arm. She’s also had substantial blood loss in the pelvic region, and it’s not her period.”

  The doctor glanced up questioningly. “Who are you?”

  “I’m her fiancé, and we rescued her at approximately 1730 today. The ambulance was there within minutes of our discovery, and she’s been checked initially by myself as well as a Navy medic.”

  “So you’re a Navy SEAL?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Retired.”

  “She’s lucky to have you. Why don’t you move outside the room and let us finish the examination?”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. I can’t do that. The only time she’s been out of my sight in the last two months, she got abducted. I can’t let that happen again.”

  She gave him a sympathetic look. “Fine, you can stay.”

  Chris nodded and moved toward the wall so he wouldn’t be in the way. He was never going to leave her side again. This was too high a price to pay. They’d probably lost their baby today, and he wasn’t sure how they were going to recover from the loss.

  ***

  Chris waited in the hall while the nurses cleaned Rachel up and got her into a gown. They were waiting for someone to come and cast her arm. Apparently, she had suffered a fracture, and they wanted it set before she had the procedure for her miscarriage. Rachel had been around six weeks pregnant. That thought kept buzzing around in his head, and he didn’t know how he was going to tell her. They must have made the baby the first week they were intimate. It was a good thing that he was here taking care of Rachel and not anywhere near Dean. Because he would’ve killed the son of a bitch for taking this away from them.

  He heard his name called, glanced down the hall, and saw Derick walking toward him. They shook hands and were silent as they stood in the hall. “I brought your go bag. I figured you two would be here for a couple of days. Gracie said she would put a bag together for Rachel. I’ll go pick her up and take her to your house and have her get the things she thinks Rachel will need.”

  “Thanks, man.” He opened his bag, pulled out the keys to the house, and gave him the code for the alarm. “All of Rachel’s stuff is in the left-hand drawers, and her clothes are in the closet. Have Gracie pack her pajamas and some sweats. Don’t bring anything that is tight around the waist.”

  Derick put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry you guys lost the baby.”

  Chris stared down at his feet and was unable to speak. Of all of the difficult things he’d gone through in his life, this was the hardest. He finally looked at his good friend and nodded. There were no words to say. “Thanks for your
help. Tell Gracie thanks, too.”

  “No thanks necessary.”

  “Dean and Mick are in lockup, and Robert is keeping me up-to-date. Gracie said she would follow the trial and do whatever is necessary to make sure that the two of them are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. It appears like it was the brother who orchestrated the events today. Apparently, Dean had nothing to do with it.”

  “Oh, he had everything to do with it. He started this bullshit a year ago, and he didn’t get Rachel medical care as soon as he found out. He left her tied up and hurt on a dirty floor in the gym for God knows how long. As far as I’m concerned, that guy has the blood of our child on his hands.”

  “We will follow this and make sure that he and his brother get what they deserve.”

  Chris turned as a nurse opened the door and walked out. “I’m going back in. Thanks for all of your help.”

  “I’ll be back with Gracie in a couple of hours.”

  Chris stepped into the room. Rachel was sitting up a little with her arm wrapped. “Hi, honey.” He saw tears start to slip down her face, and he gathered her in his arms as much as he was able. She was hooked up to several monitors, which made it difficult. “I’m here, Rachel, and I’m never leaving your side again.” He felt her move into his embrace as she buried her face in his neck. Holding her hand and stroking her hair were the only things he could do for her right now. They had a long road of recovery in front of them, and unfortunately, the physical healing was going to be the least of it.

  Rachel held on to Chris’s hand tightly as she tried to crawl into him. She had a feeling there was more wrong with her than a fractured arm and bumps and bruises. “Tell me what else is wrong, Chris. The nurses kept telling me that I had to wait and speak to the doctor.”

  He looked down into her eyes and dreaded what he was about to tell her. It would be better coming from him than a doctor. “Honey, you had a miscarriage. You were six weeks pregnant.” He studied her face closely and saw that the information was not computing. Her eyes were large, and she was shaking her head in disbelief. “The initial examination the doctor did suggests that there is no long-term damage. A specialist is coming down after your arm is set and giving you a full examination.”

  “But I’ve been on birth control. How could I get pregnant?”

  “I think the old-fashioned way. Nothing is one hundred percent effective.”

  “We made a baby together?”

  “Yes, we made a baby.” He was worried that the information was going to overwhelm her. She didn’t seem to be reacting to it.

  “Chris, it’s too much. My brain can’t process this. What’s wrong with me? I can’t feel anything.”

  “It’s probably your mind’s way of protecting itself. It happens to soldiers when we are in combat. Sometimes, it takes a while for things to hit. It can take a day, a week, or a couple of months. Let’s take this one step at a time. Let’s get you physically better, and then we can deal with the rest.”

  “I didn’t know that I wanted a baby.”

  “Me, either, honey. Later on, when we’re ready, we can make another one.”

  They were interrupted when a doctor walked in with a tray filled with supplies to make a cast. “I understand that you would like a pink cast?”

  Rachel glanced at Chris and gave him a small smile. He said, “I figured, since pink is your favorite color, you would want to have a pink cast.”

  “Thanks, Chris.” She pulled him closer and whispered in his ear, “I love you. Thank you for saving me.”

  He kissed her head and choked on a big ball of emotion. He felt responsible for Dean getting a hold of her. He never should have left her alone. “Love you, Rach. Always have, always will.”

  The doctor cleared his throat, and Chris moved away so Rachel could get her pink cast put on. Watching the doctor reminded him that he should have her stuff moved over from the condo. He pulled out his phone, texted David, and asked him to enlist help from a couple of guys. When they got home, he wanted Rachel to have all of her stuff around her. He texted Birdie and asked her to find some peonies for Rachel, since it was her favorite flower.

  Rachel glanced over with big eyes. “Everything okay?”

  Kissing her head, he responded, “Just getting some things organized. Derick and Gracie are going over to the house, and Gracie is packing for you. They should be back later on tonight.”

  “That’s sweet of her. I’m lucky to have so many good friends.”

  He squeezed her hand and then checked his phone when David texted him with confirmation that they would move everything over from her condo.

  ***

  Rachel lay in bed with her arm in a cast and studied the partially closed door of the bathroom. Chris was taking a shower, and she enjoyed the smell of his soap as it floated out on the steam from the hot water. She had been given some medication that was supposed to help with the pain in her arm, as well as the cramps she was experiencing. It seems that getting kicked in the stomach had some lingering effects.

  She heard the water go off, and she closed her eyes as the medication began to take effect. Chris popped his head out the door with a towel wrapped around his waist. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m feeling the effects of the medication. I’m about to fall asleep.”

  “I’ll be out in a few. I’ll be right next to you in the chair.”

  “See if you can squeeze in the bed. I’ll scoot over and try to give you room.”

  He stepped out of the bathroom and came up next to the bed. “Let me move you.” He gently lifted her and moved her next to the rail. “Are you sure you want me to get in bed? Honey, that isn’t going to give you any room.”

  “If you don’t mind, then I don’t mind.”

  Kissing her head, he stared down at her closed eyes. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Her breathing started to even out, and he figured she was out for the night. He went back into the bathroom and finished up. When he returned, he studied Rachel and wondered if he should get in. He was a big man, and there was no way he was going to fit next to her. She said she wanted me in bed, so I’ll just figure out a way. Lying down, he lifted her up and wrapped his arm around her. Even when she was drugged up on pain meds, her body knew where it wanted to be as she curled into him. He closed his eyes and shifted until he was sure that she was comfortable. “Night, Rach. Love you.”

  A nurse came in several hours later to check on Rachel and was surprised to see the two of them in bed together. She didn’t have the heart to make the man get up. Her patient was curled into him and was holding his hand. Sometimes, in situations like this, it was best for love and comfort to do a little of the healing. She’d heard about what happened to the woman, and she knew the emotional healing that this couple needed to do was going to take a lot of time and effort. Being kidnapped and assaulted and losing a baby all in one day was a lot for a woman, and her man, to get through.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Chris sat in the waiting room while Rachel was getting an MRI. It was a precaution the doctor wanted to take to make sure that she wouldn’t have any long-lasting repercussions. Of course, that was only the physical part of the equation. The mental and emotional parts were going to be a completely different story for both of them. He got up, stood at the window, and looked out sightlessly as the anger swirled in his head. Even though the doctor assured him that Rachel’s miscarriage could’ve happened without the abduction, in his heart, he blamed Dean and Mick. In fact, he was going to ask Gracie if they could add murder to the charges the brothers were facing. He didn’t think it would stick to them, but it was worth a shot.

  The nurse came out and told him that he could go in and see Rachel. He nodded and followed the nurse back through the doors. It was important to focus on Rachel and her recovery and not the two men that caused this. If he did, then he was going to be eaten up by anger, and that wouldn’t help her at all. He had a feeling that it was going to be a while before Rachel was ok
ay. No one walked away from a year of this bullshit without some serious damage. In fact, he was going to call the doctor who helped him with his PTSD and see if he could recommend someone for Rachel. She was definitely going to need someone to talk to after she recovered from the physical damage Dean had caused.

  ***

  It was late afternoon and Rachel wanted a shower. “Honey,” Chris said, “I’m not sure if they are going to let you take one or not. Let’s ask the nurse and see what she says.”

  “If I don’t have a shower, then I’m not going to get better,” Rachel said. “I can’t stand it anymore.”

  “Let me go and ask, and I’ll be right back.”

  “Tell me what she really says and not something that you make up.”

  “Rach, I’m here to help you.”

  “I know, but you are overcautious, and I want a shower.”

  “Message received.”

  She watched him walk out of the room in search of a nurse. Sitting back in the bed, she let out a sigh and tried to take a calming breath. She wanted to go home and rewind the clock to a year ago and refuse Dean’s advances. The question that she asked herself a hundred times a day was, Why did I ever go on one date with him? The cost of those two months of dating was overwhelming her as she lay in the hospital bed. But at some point, she was going to have to let it go. If she didn’t learn how and move on, then she was going to be stuck in this groove of regret.

  She had an amazing man in her life who loved her, and that was the blessing she needed to focus on. He was beginning to feel like the center of her world, and she was going to think of that and the new beginning they had with each other. They were living together now, and she should start thinking about what she was going to do to the house and not about the pain of the last year. She wondered if she still had her sewing machine packed away. She hadn’t unpacked it at her condo, but hopefully, it was in one of the boxes. She could start with curtains. The house definitely needed curtains.

  The door opened, and Chris returned with a smile on his face. “Your wish is being granted. A nurse is going to help you take a shower.” He picked up the bag that Gracie had brought last night and put it on the foot of the bed. “Take a look and tell me if you need anything else.” He pulled out a pair of polka-dot pajamas and held them up. “Do you want these or your yoga pants?”