Game of Fear (Montgomery Justice #3)(90)

Deb had no time to answer, no time to think. She and Gabe worked side by side. Her best leads to her sister now lay unconscious. Deb prayed they made it through, so they could tell her where Ashley was, before it was too late.

As Zach flew them through the ever-increasing darkness, Deb shivered.

What if it was already too late?





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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO




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DEB PACED IN the waiting room while Gabe spoke to his brother Nick in low tones.

The small town had only one surgeon, and Dave had needed the OR first. The bullet had come close to his heart. He was in a coma on a ventilator. They didn’t know if he’d wake up.

Justin had gone into surgery to repair his spleen. The kid was banged up, but alive. Gabe had gotten hold of both sets of parents. They’d probably be here soon.

If only they could’ve found Justin and Dave sooner. Maybe if she’d flown faster, made better choices.

Deb rubbed her hands over her face. Southwestern Idaho was a huge area. So was the bombing range. How could they find Ashley in time if they didn’t know where?

A surgeon pushed through the double doors and mopped his face. Exhaustion tugged at his eyes.

“How is Justin?” Deb practically lunged in the guy’s face. “When can I speak with him?”

“I should only be talking to his parents, but these are unusual circumstances. I can only give you a brief. He came through the surgery okay. I’m more concerned about his head wound. We’re doing everything we can to keep the swelling down.”

Deb’s tension ratcheted higher, and Gabe joined her, his hand on her shoulder.

“As far as talking to him . . .” The doctor shrugged. “I have no idea when he’ll wake up, or if he’ll remember. In traumas like this, sometimes memories of what happened just before the accident never return. It can vary from losing minutes to days or more. He’s going into recovery now. If you’re the praying kind, you might want to start.”

The surgeon turned around and headed back to his patients.

“Ashley can’t wait.” Deb rubbed her tired eyes.

“Nick is making some calls,” Gabe said. “As soon as they’re stable, we’ll move them to a more secure location.”

Deb nodded. She walked to the edge of the waiting room and looked out the window. The lights of Reno twinkled, but looming over them, a large, black monstrosity of a mountain shadowed the foothills.

Gabe moved in behind her and rested two hands on her shoulders. She leaned back into his warmth. She knew Gabe’s touch, his scent. Over the last few days she’d become accustomed to him.

He kissed her hair gently. “What are you thinking?”

“That I’m so thankful you’re safe, but Ashley’s still out there.” Deb closed her eyes. “She might be dead.”

He squeezed the muscles and kneaded them slightly. “You can’t give up. She got Justin and Dave out.”

“Stupid girl didn’t come with them. She played hero.” Deb’s voice cracked.

“She did what she had to do. She’s a hero. Just like her big sister.”

Gabe turned Deb around and drew her tightly into his arms. “Our cavalry rented a hotel room across the street to plan and brought some of Zach’s best gadgets.”

“We have to get out there looking.” She could hear the slight hysteria tingeing her voice.

“I know you’re beat, but my brothers have been working on a plan while we were here. They’re close.”

“How?” Deb insisted. “All we know is a warehouse in southwestern Idaho.”

“That matches up with Ernie’s cryptic Idaho message before he died. Steve Paretti spoke with Grace. After getting her and her son to safety, she had written down the name of the construction company in her notebook. I guess she’s been trying to nail Jeff Gasmerati for a long time.”

A spark of hope sparked within Deb. “Can we track that information?”

“Luke’s researching a company that bought a big tract of land around here in the last several years. Whitney’s matching it with the FBI’s list of possible Gasmerati shell companies. They’re close.”

Deb glanced over at Nick, who had the cell phone to his ear. She lowered her voice. “Whitney is with your brothers? Do they know who she is?”

“Yeah, and she pretty much told them to man up. Zach’s watching out for her.”

Deb’s phone rang. She looked down. “Oh, no. It’s my father.” She let out a slow breath and picked up. “Hello?”

The General didn’t speak for a moment. “Deb? I . . . uh . . .”

She hadn’t heard him stutter like that since . . . Fear clamped her gut. She braced herself. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Ben.” Her father’s voice went thick with emotion. “There’s been an explosion. The Army lost all communication with his unit.”

He paused. She didn’t want to hear it.

“Deb, they think Ben’s dead.”

She froze. No. Not true. Not possible.

With both hands, she clutched at Gabe, her mind strangely numb. She couldn’t think, couldn’t feel.