Forgotten Memories (SWAT: Top Cops Book 4) (4 page)

“Right this way,” the nurse replied. “Are you sure she’s not hurt?”

“I’m sure.” Shane’s tone was firm enough that the nurse didn’t argue.

Gabby must have dozed again, because the next thing she knew, she was being set carefully down in a bed.

“Rest now, Gabby,” Shane murmured, brushing her hair away from her face in a soothing gesture. “You’re safe here. I’ll be just outside the door if you need anything.”

She wanted to assure him that wasn’t necessary, but he flipped the light switch off and left her alone, closing the door behind him.

And this time, she didn’t bother to fight against the desperate need to sleep.

* * *

“So now what?” Nate asked as Shane closed the door of the call room behind him.

Good question. “I need a favor,” he said. “Will you stay here outside her room for a few minutes?”

“Why, where are you going?” Nate asked suspiciously.

Shane had a feeling his buddy wasn’t going to like his plan. “I want to head over to Gabby’s house,” he admitted. “Just to make sure everything is okay.”

“So what if it is?” Nate countered. “That doesn’t mean Creighton won’t show up hours from now, looking for her there.”

“I know, but my gut is telling me to check her place out now,” he repeated. “Thirty minutes. Give me thirty minutes.”

Nate let out a heavy sigh. “Fine, take your half hour. But how are you going to find her house?”

“I’m hoping one of the nurses knows her address,” he said. He decided against calling his sister, Leah, because it was the middle of the night and he didn’t want to risk waking her son, Ben, or her husband, Isaac, who also happened to be a member of their SWAT team. Since Isaac was off this weekend, Shane knew he wouldn’t appreciate being dragged into this mess.

Besides, Gabby’s safety was
his
responsibility.

Getting the location of Gabby’s home was way too easy. Stacy, the triage nurse who’d showed them to Gabby’s call room, had been able to give him everything but the actual house number.

“She lives in the third house from the corner, on the west side of Rivera Street,” Stacy said. “It’s a brown ranch-style house with tan shutters on the front window. I live in the four-family apartment that’s two blocks over and have seen her there several times.”

“Thanks,” Shane said. “Deputy Nathan Freemont will be waiting here until I return. If you can spare a chair for him, I’d appreciate it.”

“Oh, uh, sure, no problem.” Stacy frowned. “Is Dr. Gabby in trouble?”

Shane debated how much to tell her. “No, of course she’s not in trouble. We just want to be sure she’s safe, that’s all.”

Stacy looked as if she wanted to ask more questions, but he abruptly turned and strode toward the doors leading outside.

After sweeping his gaze around the area to make sure he didn’t see anything amiss, he jogged across the street to the surface parking lot where he’d left his sheriff’s deputy vehicle.

Following Stacy’s directions wasn’t difficult and he slowed his speed when he approached Gabby’s house. The windows were dark, although there was a small light on over the side-entrance doorway.

Instead of stopping, he drove past, circling the block to park on the next street. Shane silently got out of the car and then walked between the two houses into Gabby’s backyard.

There were two young maple trees and he hovered behind the one closest to the side entrance to the house, looking for any signs of an intruder.

If he were Creighton, he’d make Gabby’s house his next stop. Shane fully believed the guy was either here himself or had sent yet another flunky to keep an eye on the place.

Shane stayed where he was for what seemed like hours but was probably only fifteen minutes. He was just about to give up so that he could fulfill his thirty-minute promise, when he saw a light flicker inside the house.

His heart thumped heavily in his chest as he carefully pulled his .38 from his shoulder holster. The light had almost instantly vanished, and for several seconds he wondered if he’d imagined the entire thing.

But then he saw the light flicker again, in a different location, and knew his instincts had been right.

Someone was inside Gabby’s house.

This time he didn’t hesitate to call for backup and it wasn’t because he was worried about Griff being ticked off with him. He wanted the house surrounded as soon as possible.

This time the intruder wasn’t going to get away.

After giving the dispatcher the location, he darted from the tree over to the house, plastering himself against the brick. He carefully peeked around the corner to the side entrance.

The light was still on, but from the back of the house he couldn’t see the front door. He needed a better position so he could watch both doorways.

The neighbor’s yard was his best option. Shane made his way carefully around the neighbor’s house, hoping that no one would catch a glimpse of him and yell out, giving away his position. The fact that it was the middle of the night worked in his favor.

After a long three minutes, he was hidden along the front of the neighbor’s house, where he could see both doorways. He crouched down to wait.

Almost instantly, the front door opened a crack and a figure emerged. There was no sign of his backup, but he refused to let this guy get away.

“Stop, police!” he said, stepping out of the shadows.

The figure on the porch lifted a gun and Shane hit the ground mere seconds before the shot echoed and a bullet whizzed over his head.

By the time he looked up, the figure was gone.

No! He was getting away!

Shane leaped up and dashed over to Gabby’s front yard, frantically searching for a sign of the intruder. But he was gone, vanished somewhere into the night.

Leaving Shane to wonder if the guy had found what he was looking for inside Gabby’s house? Or not?

He hadn’t seen anything in the interloper’s hands, but that didn’t mean much. But he obviously needed to keep a vigilant watch over Gabby, until he could be absolutely sure she was safe.

FOUR

G
abby woke up, momentarily confused by the darkness. When she figured out she was in a twin-size bed, she surmised she was in a call room rather than at home. She turned over and peered at the tiny alarm clock located on the bedside table. The red numbers read eleven o’clock, but was that morning or night? Without a window for natural light, it was difficult to tell. Especially since she couldn’t remember what time it had been when she’d returned to the call room in the first place.

She turned on the lamp located next to the clock and slid out of bed, running a hand through her tangled curls. Her stomach cramped with hunger and her mouth was desert dry, so she headed into the small bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later she felt more human, even though without a blow-dryer she was forced to let her curly red hair air-dry. She checked her pager, to make sure she hadn’t missed any calls, before opening the door to leave.

She took one step and tripped over the prone figure of Shane lying on the floor across the doorway.

“Oomph,”
he grunted as she landed, without much grace, directly on top of him.

“Sorry, sorry,” she muttered, shrinking away from him as much as possible as she tried to disentangle herself from his large, muscular frame.

“My fault,” Shane assured her, managing to shift her to the side so he could rise to his feet. He offered her a hand up and she struggled to hide her reaction to him. “You look better this morning, Gabby, but how are you feeling?”

“Fine. Hungry,” she added as the events from the night before came rushing back. Staring into his mesmerizing blue eyes, she visualized everything with distinct clarity. Had she really allowed Shane to carry her into the hospital like some fairy-tale damsel in distress? What was
wrong
with her? She hadn’t gotten to where she was, the youngest trauma surgeon on staff at Trinity Medical Center, by being weak. Her colleagues would never respect her if she continued to allow that sort of behavior to happen.

Time to get back on track. She wasn’t the timid, vulnerable girl she’d been as a new resident. Damon had taken advantage of her innocence, but no way would she allow that to happen again.

“Let’s grab some breakfast,” Shane suggested.

The thought of sharing a meal with the strikingly handsome deputy filled her with a strange sense of panic. “Oh, I’m sure you have work to do, and so do I,” she hedged.

“I don’t have anything pressing and we need to talk,” Shane said, his expression grim. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Someone broke into your house last night.”

“What?” She’d assumed he had been with her the entire time since Nate had driven them back to the hospital. “When? What happened?”

“Let’s eat, and then talk,” Shane said, placing his hand in the small of her back. “Which way to the cafeteria?”

She didn’t appreciate his evasiveness, but she was too hungry at the moment to argue with him. “Follow me,” Gabby said, heading down the corridor and then taking a series of turns. She knew all the shortcuts and took a back staircase that came out right near the cafeteria.

The place was busy since it was eleven-thirty in the morning and the lunch crowd was already packed in. She longed for breakfast, her favorite meal of the day, but the hospital cafeteria stopped serving bacon and eggs by nine-thirty, so she settled for a grilled-chicken sandwich and a salad.

Shane ordered a roast beef sandwich and then followed her to the checkout line. He pulled out his wallet, but she waved him away. “I’ll put this on my ID badge,” she murmured.

“No, I’m paying,” Shane said in a clipped tone. He pinned the cashier with a stern look and of course the woman was happy to accept his cash.

Gabby grimaced, belatedly realizing she must have offended his pride, although that certainly hadn’t been her intention. In the world of medicine, she was accustomed to colleagues paying for each other regardless of gender.

Besides, she didn’t want to give Shane the impression that this was personal.

“Thanks,” she said when they carried their trays to one of the few empty tables in the back of the room. “I really appreciate it.”

Shane gave a curt nod, glancing around as if looking for somewhere more private. Unfortunately, there weren’t many open spaces, much less anything offering privacy.

They took their seats and Shane closed his eyes and bowed his head for a moment before he picked up his roast beef. She was a little surprised by his quick prayer but didn’t say anything as she dug into her salad with gusto. Neither one of them spoke as they concentrated on their food.

Once her stomach was full, she eased back in her seat, feeling like her old self. Amazing what sleep and food could do. She pushed her empty plate aside, grimacing when she realized that she’d finished her chicken sandwich and her salad, while Shane was still eating his roast beef. Working in health care, she tended to eat at warp speed in case she was interrupted by a trauma call.

“Did you come up for air?” Shane asked, flashing a wry grin. His smile transformed his rugged features and it occurred to her that this was the first time she’d seen him smile.

“Probably not,” she admitted, hoping her fair skin didn’t betray her embarrassment. “I’ve learned to eat fast or skip meals.”

“I understand—trust me, it’s the same thing for us. Seems that the minute we sit down to eat, we get called out for one thing or another.”

She nodded, pushed her empty tray aside and leaned forward. “Okay, so tell me what happened last night,” she said in a hushed voice. “How do you know my house was broken into?”

“I was there,” he said, his expression turning serious. “But I’d rather not talk here, it’s too crowded. Give me a few minutes to finish up and then we’ll head over to your place. I need to know what, if anything, is missing.”

Patience wasn’t one of her strengths, but Gabby nodded and tried not to tap her fingers restlessly on the table while he finished eating. The thought of someone going through her personal things bothered her deeply.

Had he stayed here at the hospital all night because of the break-in at her home? She was oddly touched that Shane had felt it necessary to sleep on the floor in front of her room. She couldn’t imagine what the staff had thought about that. He couldn’t have been very comfortable, and she hoped he wasn’t putting his job in jeopardy by spending so much time with her. After all, his boss, Lieutenant Vaughn, hadn’t seemed too happy with Shane last night.

“Do you want anything else?” he asked, rising to his feet.

“No, I’m fine, thanks.”

He took her tray and stacked it on top of his before making his way over to the conveyor belt near the exit.

“I’m parked in the structure,” he said as she led the way back to the ER.

“Me, too,” she admitted. “I’ll meet you at my place.”

“No, we’ll drive together,” Shane said, an underlying edge of steel lacing his tone. “You can’t stay there, Gabby.”

She had to tamp down a flash of temper. Of course she knew that staying at her house wasn’t an option. “Thanks, I appreciate your advice.”

“This isn’t advice, it’s nonnegotiable,” Shane said bluntly as he held the door open for her.

She scowled but then ducked her head as they walked into the bright, blinding sunlight. She paused and blinked, giving her eyes a chance to adjust.

Shane waited at her side, keeping pace as she began to walk. As they approached the parking structure, she remembered that her car keys, cell phone and driver’s license had been in the pocket of her lab coat, which was buried in the dirt and leaves somewhere in the middle of the woods. With a sigh, she acknowledged she couldn’t drive her car right now, even if she wanted to.

“This way,” he said, lightly touching her arm to steer her to the right.

The deputy-issue vehicle wasn’t exactly inconspicuous, and as they approached the car, she winced when one of her colleagues strode past them, acknowledging her with a brief yet curious nod.

Personal news tended to ripple through the hospital grapevine at an alarming rate, and back when things had exploded between her and Damon, it seemed as if everyone had looked at her differently. In the years since, she’d tried to fade into the background, unwilling to jeopardize what she’d worked so hard to achieve. Healing patients was her calling. Her mission. Her life.

Shane, with his dark brown hair, broad shoulders and strong jaw, was far too big, muscular and attractive for her peace of mind. The sooner she figured out what Creighton wanted, or who he was really after, the better.

Because Deputy Shane Hawkins was a dangerous distraction she couldn’t afford.

* * *

Shane hoped that once Gabby saw the mess left behind in her home, she’d realize that she couldn’t stay there. He’d been forced to bite his tongue several times in the face of her stubbornness.

Yet, oddly enough, he was glad her feistiness had returned. He’d enjoyed the way she’d curled up beside him in the back of Nate’s car, and carrying her into the hospital hadn’t exactly been a hardship. But he liked how she stood up for herself and imagined that she’d had to do that often in her role as a trauma surgeon.

Shane pulled the passenger door open and waited as she slid into the seat. After shutting the door behind her, he rounded the car to climb in. Gabby didn’t say anything but twisted her hands in her lap as he backed up the vehicle and left the parking structure.

Once they were out on the road, she broke the tense silence. “Tell me what happened.”

He nodded, knowing she deserved the truth. “I went to your house after you fell asleep in the call room.”

“How did you know my address?” she asked.

“The nurse at the triage desk told me, which, by the way, isn’t good. I appreciate that I’m a cop so she no doubt felt I was trustworthy, but your coworkers shouldn’t be sharing your personal information with anyone else, and it’s better if you don’t confide in them, too.”

“I didn’t,” she protested. “You must have talked to Stacy Mueller—she lives close by and I’ve seen her around the neighborhood.”

“Yeah, Stacy.” Shane made a mental note to talk to the triage nurse again, to reinforce the need to keep Gabby’s information private. “Anyway, I went over to watch your place for a bit and saw a flicker of light inside. I made my way over to the neighbor’s house so I could keep an eye on your front and back doors. Sure enough, a tall guy dressed in black came out the front door. When I confronted him and identified myself as a cop, he took a shot at me and then ran off.”

“He
shot
at you?” Gabby asked, her voice rising in alarm. She reached out and lightly grasped his arm. “Were you hit? Are you all right?”

Once again, he was touched by her concern. He reminded himself that her worry over an injury wasn’t personal, she clearly took patient care very seriously. After all, she’d taken the risk of driving out to an isolated cabin to remove a bullet lodged in his shoulder. The IV antibiotics and fluids she’d given him had certainly saved his life. He wanted to believe the earnest determination in her eyes was only for him, but more likely the way she was with all her patients.

He needed to remember that she was someone he was trying to protect. Getting emotionally involved would only backfire, in a big way.

“I’m fine, but his shot was close enough that I hit the ground, which gave him the time he needed to get away. And since he had been wearing gloves, we don’t expect to get any fingerprints.”

“I can’t believe this,” she moaned. “What is going on? Why is this happening?”

He had the same questions, so he glanced over at her. “Are you sure you don’t know what this is all about?” he asked, trying to keep his tone nonthreatening. “You must have some idea what this guy wants from you.”

“I don’t,” Gabby insisted, clearly exasperated. “Why would I put my career, or more important, my life, on the line? This is crazy, my only hobbies are reading mysteries and running, my career is too demanding for anything more.”

Shane pulled into her driveway, letting the car idle as he turned in his seat to face her. “Gabby, listen, I can protect you if you tell me the truth,” he said in a gruff tone. “But if you lie to me and the truth comes out later, there won’t be anything I can do to help you.”

Gabby lifted her wide green eyes to his and he could clearly see the anguish reflected there. “I promise you that I have no idea what’s going on.”

Shane desperately wanted to believe her. “What about old boyfriends or maybe a former fiancé?” he pressed. “Surely you must have made some enemies over the past ten years.”

Gabby slowly shook her head. “I’ve spent the last decade completing medical school, finishing my residency and proving myself a capable trauma surgeon.” She hesitated, then continued, “There was one boyfriend during my residency, and I did break things off, but I can’t imagine he cares about that now all these years later.”

“You don’t know that for certain,” Shane said brusquely. “Anyone else?”

“Well, there were a couple of residents in the past ten years who resented me, basically making my life miserable, but I highly doubt either one of them is still holding a grudge.”

“Why don’t you give me their names anyway,” Shane said. “Including the guy you dated. It wouldn’t hurt to touch base with them.”

Gabby pressed her lips together in a frown. “It’s ridiculous to think they’re involved,” she reiterated.

“Then what’s the harm in doing a background check, and validating where all three of these guys were last night so we can cross them off the list?” There was a long pause before she conceded. “Fine. The man I dated briefly was Damon Keller—I have no clue where he is now. Eric Ambrose was the resident who resented me the most. I was chosen to be the chief resident over him and he did not take it well. But I heard he relocated to the East Coast somewhere.” She released a sharp breath, then continued, “Joe Chasco was another resident who didn’t appreciate the fact that I was given the position, either, and he and Eric made my life extremely difficult. Joe relocated to Chicago, I believe.”

Shane wrote the names down, intending to follow up on both of those guys. “Chicago isn’t that far away,” he said as he scribbled in his notebook. “Any other residents who resented you?”