Sissie had been fast asleep when Donna burst into her room shouting, “Wake up. They’re here.”
It had been days since she’d had a good night’s sleep. There was something about this place that remedied that. Now Donna was pulling the blankets off as though there was an emergency.
As Sissie started to fully wake, she realized what was going on. They weren’t alone any longer. “Who’s here?” Sissie asked, now filled with panic. She threw the covers off. She still hadn’t gotten used to the cold, and she wore her sweatpants and sweatshirt to bed. All she needed to do was slip on her boots, and she was ready to go. The only thing she wished she had right now was a gun.
“I’m not sure. I think . . . I mean I hope it’s the people who brought us here. The chopper looked the same, but I couldn’t tell from this distance.”
“I’m glad you came and woke me. I want you to stay inside with the doors locked until we find out who’s here. Understood?”
Donna shook her head. “No way. We’re in this together. Dad told me to make sure you were okay.”
Turning to face Donna she said, “Funny, he told me the same about you. Now respect your elders, and keep your butt here.” Sissie didn’t wait for an argument. If whoever arrived wasn’t friendly, she needed them to believe she was alone. She’d protect Donna at all costs. Not because Ryan had asked her, but because she’d become very fond of her. Seeing her hurting would be worse than hurting herself.
Sissie headed to the front door and grabbed a warm parka on the way. It might not be snow-covered out there, but it was cold enough. She was about to open the door when she reconsidered going outside to confront their visitors alone. Looking around, she knew her options were limited. Taking Donna along was a liability. Sissie could read her and knew she could never pull a weapon on someone, never mind use it. Sissie, on the other hand, wasn’t that type of woman. If she had her gun, she’d have no problem putting a cap in an attacker’s ass.
She bolted for the kitchen and pulled open drawers. “What are you doing?” Donna asked from behind her.
Sissie found what she was looking for: a meat cleaver and a long cutting knife. With one in each hand, she turned to Donna and barked, “I told you to stay in that room.”
Donna’s eyes were wide with fear. “What are you going to do with those?”
She held them up to her, and with a serious tone, she said, “Protect our asses if I need to. If you want to help, you’ll do what I tell you.”
“Sissie, you’re just a woman like me.”
She snorted. “I’ve run a bar for as long as you’ve been alive. Trust me, I can handle myself. Please do what I asked.”
She couldn’t discuss things any longer. If she did, the element of surprise would be gone. Rushing to the front door, she left the cabin. Instantly the frigid air felt like pins pricking the sensitive skin on her bare face. That wasn’t going to hinder her efforts. If their visitors weren’t friendly, she needed to do whatever she could to stop them from getting to Donna.
Sissie was thankful the cabin was surrounded by thick trees. They provided ample hiding spots while leaving her with a clear view of the path below. That’s if they use the path. What the hell am I thinking? Bad guys weren’t going to leisurely walk up a path and knock politely on the front door. She knew she needed to make her way to the chopper. Get to them before they get to us.
She also wasn’t going to use the path to get there. The last thing she wanted was to be any more visible than she already was. Making her way to the landing pad, she heard voices through the trees. Stopping in her tracks, she held her breath and waited.
“I really think we need to tell them,” Bailey’s voice echoed in the open air.
Thank God. She was thrilled to know they weren’t being attacked. She was about to come out from her hiding place when she heard Don.
“Collins said Watson doesn’t want to see them.”
Bailey pleaded with her husband. “Don, if that were you, nothing would stop me from being by your side.”
“Honey, he doesn’t want them to see him like that. You heard Collins. He might not make it.”
Sissie felt faint. She needed to know exactly what was going on. Coming out from behind the tree, she stepped in front of them on the walkway. “What do you mean he might not make it?”
Bailey raised her hands in the air, and Don brushed her behind him. “What in the hell are you doing, Sissie?” he barked.
She’d forgotten the knives were in her hands. That was a much more forceful question than she wanted. But she had their attention. Lowering her hands, she said, “We weren’t expecting you, and if it were unwanted guests, I wasn’t going down without a fight.”
Don smiled down at her. “I already knew that about you, but damn, Sissie, what did you think knives were going to do if those bastards had shown up here?”
She shrugged. “I ain’t the one who dragged my ass all the way out into the boonies and didn’t leave me a gun. Hell, out here you should at least have a shotgun for huntin’. But you’re tryin’ to change the subject. Tell me what you meant when you said he might not make it.” She raised one hand again, pointing the knife at Don. “Don’t tempt me to use this on you.” Don knew there was no way she’d hurt either of them, but she needed him to understand, she needed to know.
Don said, “I can’t tell you.”
Bailey stepped out from behind Don and said, “But I can.” She shot her husband a warning look. Sissie was glad to see Bailey was back to her old self. “Maybe we can go inside and talk. You look like you’re about to turn blue.”
Sissie didn’t feel the cold any longer, but going inside meant Donna was going to hear about her father as well. This wasn’t just about what Sissie wanted. She knew she never had the chance to say goodbye to her mother, Janet. If Ryan was injured, she knew Donna had to be there by his side. It’s her place, not mine.
They made their way up the path. Sissie called out for Donna, who had surprisingly followed her instructions. When she came out from her hiding place, the concern on her face turned to joy. “Yes. Company.” Sissie knew that smile wasn’t going to be there long.
“Donna, come sit. They’re here to talk to us about your father.”
As expected, the atmosphere of the room changed. Donna didn’t sit. Instead, she grabbed Sissie’s hand and asked, “What’s wrong with Dad?”
Sissie wrapped an arm around her and brought her to the couch. If she was right, they should be sitting for what they were about to be told. “I don’t know yet. Don was just about to tell us, weren’t you, Don?”
He nodded. She had no problem putting him on the spot. Donna didn’t let go of Sissie’s hand as they both waited. Bailey joined them on the couch and held Donna’s other hand. Sissie felt sick. She could tell by Bailey’s manner that it was bad. Really bad.
Inside she was a hot mess. But she needed to be strong right now for Donna. There would be a time later when she was alone that she could break.
“Your father’s very sick.”
Sissie was shocked. She expected the word injured, or shot, not sick. “He didn’t look sick a few days ago in Honeywell. What happened, Don?”
“Sissie, you know we’re not supposed to talk about this.”
She didn’t care right now what Mark or Don wanted. This was about Donna and what she needed. “But that’s not gonna stop you right?”
Turning to Donna, he said in a very gentle voice, “Ryan was injected with the same thing that killed your mother. They’re doing everything they can right now to save him.”
Sissie felt Donna tense before she broke down crying. She pulled her into her arms. “Not Dad, too.”
As she tried to comfort Donna, Sissie said, “We need you to take us to him.”
“Sissie, you know he said—”
“Don, she lost her mother already. Let her be there with her father.” She knew this wasn’t only about Donna. She needed to be there as well. The thought of losing Ryan was breaking her heart. She hadn’t realized how much he meant to her until she’d heard Don and Bailey on the pathway. Her life without him would be forever empty.
Bailey got off the couch and went to her husband. “Don, you know what we need to do.”
He nodded. “Then we’ll leave now.”
Donna pulled away from Sissie. “I’ll grab my things.”
“Leave them. Let’s just go.” Something told her time was precious. She only hoped they’d make it before . . . anything more happened to him.
Donna nodded and grabbed a coat. “Let’s go to Dad.” They followed Bailey and Don to the chopper. She had no idea where they were headed or what they were about to see. Preparation would be impossible. Ryan had informed Sissie some of what Janet had gone through in her battle to live. It sounded horrible, and she knew Janet had suffered terribly. She was positive Ryan had left out a lot as to not disturb her any more. Now Ryan was going through the same thing.
Ryan had told Donna even fewer details. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. It would be a greater shock when they arrived. Telling Donna now wasn’t going to change anything. Besides, she didn’t know what to say. All she knew was what Don had shared, and that was very limited. Her imagination was running rampant, and she pictured him lying there with tubes on life support. It was a possibility, and she didn’t want that to be a reality. What if he didn’t make it? What would happen then?
As the chopper lifted off the ground, she and Donna held hands, needing each other. It would take more strength than she thought she had in her. Her heart was still fragile from losing Jack. He was one of her closest friends, and it felt so surreal that he was gone. She didn’t say goodbye or thank him for so many years of friendship. And now the thought of losing Ryan? She realized for the first time, she might lose the only man she’d ever loved.
Looking out the window, she fought back tears. They weren’t going to help Donna, and if they started flowing, she wouldn’t be able to turn them off.
As they cleared the trees, she saw two eagles soaring toward the clouds. They glided effortlessly through the air. Then abruptly, each flew in a different direction. It was a beautiful scene, but in her heart, all she felt was the distance growing between the two birds until she couldn’t see either of them any longer. She hoped this wasn’t a sign of what was to come with her and Ryan.
Donna give her hand a tight squeeze. “It’s going to be okay, Sissie. He’s the strongest man I know. If anyone can make it, he can.”
She nodded. “I know. He’ll be okay.” They were words said not only for Donna, but for herself as well. She knew there was only one thing left for her to do. Pray.
“There has to be more you can do,” Ryan said as he looked at the heart monitor.
He could see Marina struggling to hold her composure as she answered him. “If we would’ve gotten there earlier, maybe things would be different. I don’t know. I’ve tried everything I can.”
He strained to lift himself up. He wanted to see Henri, but once again all he could see was the monitor. No matter how horrible he felt, it was Henri he was concerned about. His heartbeat was slowing down, and he no longer breathed on his own. Ryan knew Henri was in really bad shape when he’d seen him in the warehouse. Collins had said Henri was too weak to speak when they moved them to the secure lab in the bunker.
Ryan tried speaking, and instead of words, he began coughing uncontrollably. Catching his breath became difficult. Marina grabbed the oxygen mask that he’d removed a few minutes ago, and placed it back over his face. There were things he needed to know, stuff that needed to be said. Raising his hand to pull it off again, Marina stopped him, saying, “Stop fighting. It will only make the coughing worse.”
She didn’t need to tell him that. His body had delivered that message loud and clear. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try. There were things he couldn’t change, and Henri’s health failing was one of them. Before he could say what he wanted, he had to do as Marina instructed. Closing his eyes, he took slow deep breaths. The pain in his lungs seemed to be increasing with each attack. Jeremy had told him things were going to go quickly. It had been thirty-six hours since he’d been given the lethal injection. No one had to tell him, he already knew his fate. He’d never forgotten what Janet went through. Now he was watching Henri face the same thing at an accelerated rate.
“Don’t give up, Ryan.” Marina was doing everything she could, but she couldn’t promise him a damn thing. Hope was all he had right now. “I’m going to give you another dose. I’ve altered it once again. It’s a combination of strong antibiotics as well as other components that normally don’t appear in medication, but I think are needed at this point.”
She’d already given him several doses since he arrived. As far as Ryan could tell, there wasn’t any improvement. In fact, he was worse than when he first arrived. It would’ve been easy for him to deny more treatment, but Collins had made it clear that Marina was his only hope at beating this. It wouldn’t take long from when she delivered the medication intravenously before he felt groggy and was out cold. It didn’t last long, but if he only had another day or so to live, he’d rather not spend it knocked out.
Being awake wasn’t so sweet either. It provided him time to think about Donna and Sissie and missing them was worse than any pain he was going through. He’d received word they were okay, and that comforted him. What troubled him wasn’t the fact he was facing death, but it would leave them all alone. Because of them, he had to fight. Giving up wasn’t an option. No matter what Marina wanted to try, he’d allow it as long as it meant there was hope. With his eyes closed, he nodded and waited.
He heard her leaving the room to gather the supplies for his injection. Everything they used on him was in the testing phase so even if he survived, he had no idea what the lasting side effects would be. When there was no improvement, she let him know she was going to make some alterations to the formula. It was crystal clear why the terrorists wanted her so badly. She was damn good at her job. Right now, he was hoping for exceptional.
Unlike what Jeremy had injected in him, hers didn’t burn. If anything it left a cold feeling throughout his body. As though he was semi-comatose. He wasn’t looking forward to that either.
He heard the door open again. Marina returned a lot faster than he’d expected. She must have had everything prepared when she’d left. She is fast, but no one’s that fast.
This time he felt her warm hand touch his before giving him a gentle squeeze. She hadn’t touched him like that before, at least not that he was aware of, but with his conditions worsening, she was probably trying to comfort him with her sweet bedside manner. His breathing calmed, and he could speak. “I’m ready.”
“And I’m here, Dad.”
He knew he was dreaming, but he forced his eyes open and prepared himself for the sight of Marina. He was wrong. Donna was standing by his bedside. She was holding his hand.
“What are yo—?”
“Don’t try to talk. The . . . doctor I guess, said she’d be in shortly.” Donna reached her hand out and ran it across his brow.
Ryan didn’t want her here. However, seeing her, he couldn’t bear it if she left. They might not have much time, but whatever they did have left, he wasn’t going to push her away. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Dad, where else would I be but by your side?”
He could see the concern written all over her face. It was too hard to talk through the oxygen mask. Reaching up with his other hand, he pulled it over his head.
“You need that,” Donna said, trying to get him to keep it on.
“All I need is to see that you are okay.” He needed to control his emotions because raising his heart rate would also increase his labored breathing. The last thing he wanted was to go into distress in front of her. She’d been through too much already. Knowing he added to the pain in her life, broke his heart.
Donna stopped trying to put the mask on him. Maybe he didn’t look as bad as he felt. He knew Marina would be in at any moment, and it’d be too late for him to say what he needed to.
“Donna, I want you to know how proud I am of you.”
She tightened her hand around his. “Don’t you start talking like that, Dad. I’ll think you’re giving up. And guess what? You can’t do that because I need you. Do you hear me?”
He knew she needed him, and he needed her more. She was at a turning point in her life, and he was amazed at what a beautiful, strong, and courageous woman she’d become. They were all words in his heart just waiting to flow through his lips. If he did say them, she’d know it was worse than expected. But she was here, and it was only getting worse for him as each hour went by. What was she going to do when he was in the same shape as Henri in the other room?
She didn’t take her eyes off him, so it was possible she hadn’t noticed the other room. He wasn’t able to see Henri, only his monitors, but he was pretty sure Donna could because she was standing.
If she saw him, it would scare the shit out of her. Donna knew Henri because he’d worked for Ryan since Donna was a bouncing baby on his knee. Although he never made it official, Henri was more like a partner than an employee. He was torn as to what to do. Tell her himself or let her see on her own? Either scenario was going to be difficult for her.
Then he’d thought about his conversation with Sissie and what she’d say to him if she were here. Take the bull by the horns. “Donna, I need to tell you something.”
“Later, Dad. Save your strength.”
He tried to sound as forceful as he could, but even that came across weak. “Now. It’s about Henri.”
“Mr. Brown? What about him?” Donna asked.
“He’s sick, too. Very sick, Donna. Sicker than I am.” He didn’t need to tell her where he was headed to. With his free hand, he pointed to the glass window on the left of him.
Donna’s face turned white and her fingers trembled against his. She looked like she was about to faint. He wished he could sit up, hold her, give her his strength, but he had none to give.
Instead, he saw tiny hands touch her shoulders, and the sweet voice of his angel say, “I’m here, Donna. It’s okay. Just think about your dad and nothing else.”
“Sissie.” His voice cracked as he called out to her. She didn’t step any closer, and he knew why. She was taking care of Donna for him. She was her support when Ryan couldn’t be. Amazing woman. My angel.
“I’m here, Ryan. We’re not goin’ anywhere. You just rest and know we’re here.”
Ryan hadn’t even noticed Marina was in the room until he felt the cold flow of the medication taking effect. No. Not now. There’s so much more to say. I don’t want to miss a moment with them.
“Siss . . .” Take care of her for me. It was too late. He couldn’t lift his lids and sleep overtook him.