Girls Like Us(68)

“Call Luz. Make sure she’s safe. She’s a key witness, Sarah. They’ll get to her. They’ll hunt her down.”

“I’ll take care of her. You just stay alive. You hear me, friend?” She’s screaming at me, and yet I hardly hear her. I’m slipping into an almost dreamlike state, somewhere between waking and unconsciousness.

“I’ll be fine,” I whisper into the phone, just as it slips through my fingers. My eyes close. The car runs off the road and hits something, hard and fast. The last thing I hear is the hard pop of the airbag deploying. Then there is nothing. Only darkness.





26.



My eyes open. The light is so bright it burns. I let out a small moan and squeeze them shut. I feel my body hurtling through space. A wave of nausea rolls up from my stomach. I turn my face to the side, preparing to vomit.

“Nell.” A familiar voice. More urgently this time: “Nell! Can you hear me?”

“Sam?” I croak, peaking through one eye. I can’t see anything, it’s all a blur. But I can hear him. He’s right beside me. I feel a wash of relief.

“Sir, you’re going to have to stand back now,” an unfamiliar voice dictates. “She’s going into surgery.”

“Nell! Can you hear me? I’m right here. You’re going to be okay.”

“Sam!” I try to sit up, but I can’t. My head feels like it’s made of lead. I force my eyes open. A doctor, wearing a mask, trots alongside me. The white walls pass in the blur. We stop; I hear doors opening. I’m on a stretcher, I realize. Overhead are the halogen lights of a hospital. I don’t remember how I got here or how long it’s been since I was pulled out of the stolen station wagon. The last thing I remember was the punch of the airbag and the sickening sound of crumpling metal.

“Ma’am.” The doctor sounds agitated. “Please try not to move. We’re bringing you in for surgery. Everything’s fine. Just need to stitch you up. Okay? Try to relax.”

“Sam!” I shout. “Where’s Lee?”

Lightman doesn’t answer. He doesn’t have to. In the back of my mind, a voice reminds me: Lee is dead. Lee’s car exploded in the driveway. The doors swing shut behind us. Someone is adjusting my IV; I feel a warm surge of fluid flooding my veins. My eyes drop closed, and I slip back into a deep, hard sleep.





27.



There she is.”

My eyes flicker open. I look right and then left. Lightman beams at me from my bedside.

I attempt a smile back. Pain radiates through my body. “Where am I?”

“You’re at Southampton Hospital. You just came out of surgery. You’re going to be just fine.”

“What happened?”

“When the car bomb went off in your driveway, the windows shattered. You were cut up pretty badly. You ended up passing out while you were driving to the airport. You’ve lost a lot of blood. Thank God you were on the phone with Sarah. She knew where you were. I came and got you myself.”

“Where is Lee?” I am awake now, alert. Everything comes rushing back. The sound. The smoke. Running across the sawgrass. “Is Lee—”

“He’s gone, Nell.” Lightman puts his hand on mine. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sure?”

He nods. His eyes well up. He takes off his glasses and dabs them dry. “It could’ve been you, you know. We found one on your truck, too.”

For a few seconds, we are both quiet.

“We got them,” Lightman says, finally. “We arrested them all.”

“Dorsey? Calabrese?”

“Yes. And DaSilva and Anastas. A bunch of others, too.”

“What about Meachem?”

“He’s out of the country. We can’t—”

“Don’t tell me he’s going to get off for this.”

“He’s not. He won’t. It may just take some time.”

“What about the others? The clients? The men at Meachem’s parties?”

“We have a lot of evidence, Nell. We’re going through it now. This will all come out in due time. The important thing is that we got Dorsey and Calabrese. And they’re done for. But you, you need to rest. You’ve been through a helluva lot.”

“What about Luz? Is she safe?”

Lightman nods. “Safe. She and Miguel left from Gabreski a few hours ago. They’ll go into protective custody. Luz has been amazing. She’s already given us some really helpful information, about Calabrese, the organization, the involvement of the SCPD, and the clients she met at Meachem’s.”

He pauses. I can tell he’s holding something back.

“What is it?”

He sniffs back tears. “You gave me a scare, that’s all. I’m glad you’re all right.”

“Any idea when I can get out of here?”

“Another day or so. I’ll arrange for you to come back to DC.” He points his finger at me. There are tears sliding down his cheeks. “And this time, you are going to therapy.”

I laugh. Then I’m in his arms. I press my face against his chest and let out a sob.

“Lee was a good guy,” I whisper.

“He was.”