Meant to Be (31 page)

“
You won’t be in another
few minutes.” She nodded to the nurse who stood near his IV bag
with a syringe.

“
No! No! Don’t!” The sound
of his voice made his head pound like it was in a torture device
and caused the machine to start beeping again.

“
I’m sorry,” Dr. Bradley
said, “but you’re scheduled for another surgery on your leg. In the
meantime, I’ll look into the missing Lauren.”

Rad thought by the tone of her voice
she knew more than she was admitting, but he had no time to dwell
on it. He fought with every ounce of strength to combat the effect
of the drug, but it was no use. He looked up pleadingly at the
nurse, then at the empty syringe, and remembered nothing
more.

Rad lay in his bed two days later
staring at the ceiling when he heard someone enter the
room.

“
Did you have a nice talk
with your CO?” Dr. Bradley said the words lightly as if the two of
them were friends who had known each other for years.

Rad shrugged. “I guess.”

“
I take it he couldn’t
tell you anything.”

“
Nothing I didn’t already
know.”

Dr. Bradley sighed and sat down. “I’m
sorry about the other day. The surgery was scheduled. There was
nothing I could do.”

Rad didn’t respond.

“
Well, look what I brought
you.” She stood and pushed the wheelchair a little closer to the
bed. “I thought a nice spin in the courtyard would do you
good.”

“
A wheelchair?” Rad stared
at it for a moment, and then raised his gaze to meet hers. “No
thank you.”

Dr. Bradley shook her head. “Look,
superman. Your leg was blown apart and you basically bled out on
the way here, so no need to feel like a weakling for sitting in a
wheelchair for a few weeks.”

Rad just turned away. He was tired of
arguing with her. All he wanted to do was get out of the hospital
so he could start looking for Lauren. McDunna had promised him he
was doing everything in his power to find her, but Rad wanted to do
more.

“
Your chart says you’re
not eating much.”

Rad didn’t know if she was trying to
make conversation or actually wanted to discuss his eating habits.
“Maybe it should tell you I’m not hungry.”

When he looked up at her silence, she
was biting her lip.

“
I’m trying to make you
better so you can get out of here.”

“
Here’s an idea.” He
turned his head away and stared at the ceiling as he talked. “If I
could get out of here, I would probably eat—and then I would feel
better.”

“
Radcliff, if you think
I’m going to partake in your pity party, you are grossly mistaken.
The only way you are going to get out of here is if your health
improves. And the only way your health is going to improve is if
you eat.”

The phone on the stand beside Rad
rang, and Dr. Bradley reached down and answered it. “Hello?” She
looked at Rad sternly. “Yes, he’s here. Hold on.”

She handed him the phone. “It’s
someone named Wynn.”

Rad took the phone. “Hey, brother.
When you coming to break me out of this joint?”

He watched Dr. Bradley roll her eyes,
and then proceeded to talk to Wynn as if she were no longer in the
room.

“
Yeah, that was my
doctor.” He cocked his head to the side and squinted as he stared
her. “Yeah, I guess so. She’s kind of tall, blonde… What’s she
wearing?” Again he studied the doctor, who was wearing navy blue
scrubs. “Right now she’s got on this little short skirt and heels.
Yes, high heels. Red. They match her lipstick.”

Not pausing in his conversation, Rad
said, “Hold on, I’ll ask.” He smiled and moved the phone away from
his mouth. “He wants to know if you give sponge baths.”

Dr. Bradley grabbed the phone. “When
can you come get him?”

She handed the phone back to Rad and
turned to leave. “I’m going to see about getting your discharge
papers together. You’ll be moving to a rehab building. I’ll make a
call to warn the staff.”

Chapter 30

Wynn sat at a table in the
exclusive Georgetown pub, squeezed in between Heather on one side
and Rad on the other. Joining them in the celebration of Rad’s
release from Walter Reed were Pops and Annie, Reese, Crockett, Bipp
and Holly. They had all decided to splurge for a night of good food
and good company over drinks in Washington, DC.

A fireplace blazed along the far wall,
giving off a warm glow that danced and shimmered in concert with
the soft light of the candles at their table and in every window.
The mantel was draped with boughs of pine decorated with red
ribbons, and a large Christmas tree dominated one corner. It was
homey and festive and warm.

Wynn lifted his nearly empty glass
into the air. “To brothers,” he said as glasses clinked together.
“To friendship,” Heather added as the clinking
continued.

“
I’ll
drink to that.” Rad lifted his glass unsteadily, killed it in one
swallow, and then set it down with a resounding
clank
.

Heather touched Wynn’s arm. “I need a
refill. Let’s go to the bar.”

“
I’ll just grab a—” Wynn
turned to wave down a waitress but felt Heather kick him under the
table. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, giving her a questioning
look. “Let’s go the bar. It’s probably quicker.”

Guiding his fiancée through the crowd
with his hand on the small of her back, he leaned down and
whispered, “What’s up?”

“
I don’t think Rad is his
old self. I’m worried about him.”

Wynn laughed as he leaned on the bar
and hailed a bartender from the other end. “He almost lost his
leg—and his life—a month ago. He’s not one hundred percent
yet.”

“
It’s not his leg,”
Heather said as he ordered the drinks. “It’s Lauren. Isn’t there
anything you guys can do?”

“
Believe me, we’ve been
trying to move heaven and earth but it’s not easy dealing with that
type of bureaucracy.” He paid for the drinks and turned to head
back to the table. “I know what you mean though. It’s like the
spark has gone out of his eyes.”

“
It’s worse than that.”
Heather took her drink from his hand. “I’m worried about him. His
heart is so big and it’s breaking. You can see the pain on his
face. I’m afraid he’ll do something crazy.”

“
I’ll
have a talk with him.” Wynn paused a moment to let someone squeeze
by and had walked only a few steps more before he froze in place,
causing Heather to almost collide with him. “Holy
shit
.”

When Heather followed his gaze to the
doorway, her reaction was even stronger. “Fu-u-ck.”

Wynn stared down at her and smiled.
“Damn, Heather. I’ve never heard you say that word before.
Ever.”

“
I’ve never had reason to
use it.” Heather put her hand on her stomach. “I think I’m going to
be sick.”

Standing in the doorway, looking like
an actress arriving on stage, was none other than Angela Powers
with her cousin Jackie at her side. Dressed to the nines in a tight
red dress with matching shoes, she looked like she had just stepped
out of a fashion catalog.

Wynn didn’t know whether to be angry
or amused, but decided on the latter. Angie might be able to
manipulate and coerce Washington insiders, but the guys at the
table in the corner were not going to fall for her sweet talk and
flattery. If she wanted to try playing with the big boys, it might
be fun to watch her getting taught a lesson she would never
forget.

“
Oh, come on. Play along.”
Wynn nudged Heather with his elbow. “This should be
good.”

Angela’s eyes roam the room as if
seeking someone. When she spotted the table, she moved through the
crowd slowly and regally as if she were a celebrity walking down
the red carpet. The only things missing to complete that picture
were flashing cameras and an adoring crowd.

“
Poor, Rad,” Heather
whispered as Angela went straight to his chair, leaned down, and
kissed him on the cheek.

By the time Wynn and Heather made
their way back to the table through the crowd, Angela and Jackie
had helped themselves to their two empty chairs.

“
Oh, look,” Angela said
when she saw them, “the whole gang is here.” Even though it was
obvious she had taken the couple’s seats, she made no effort to
move. Instead, she waved down a waitress and ordered two drinks as
if she were simply a late-arriving guest.

“
I hear you guys really
kicked some ass over there.” She kind of leaned into Rad. “I’m
sorry about your injuries during that rescue. I hope you’re
recovery is going smoothly.”

Wynn watched Rad’s hand tighten around
his glass, but he made no comment. Neither did anyone else. In
fact, if the people sitting around the table had been the only ones
in the room, you could have heard a pin drop.

“
What
rescue
is that?” Since no one else seemed capable of
speaking, Wynn decided to see how much she knew. He casually pulled
a chair from another table for Heather, and then found one for
himself.

Angela didn’t blink as she gazed
around the table at the serious faces. “Oh,” she said, putting her
hand across her mouth dramatically, “maybe I’m not supposed to know
that.”

Just then the waitress brought the new
arrivals’ drinks and the table grew silent again. Wynn studied
Angela as he tried to figure out her motive in divulging highly
classified information to this group of men. He knew her well
enough to comprehend she hadn’t dropped that bombshell by accident.
The question was, did she know more? Like where Lauren was? Or was
she bluffing because she wanted something? Like, Rad. The news of
her sudden divorce from Senator Powers had just started to hit the
news.

“
Hey, brother,” Wynn said,
looking at Rad and playing dumb, “I thought your records said it
was a training accident.”

Rad’s chest was rising and falling as
if he’d just run a sprint. His gaze drifted from the wall he’d been
staring at to Wynn. “Yeah, that’s what the official record
says.”

Angela cackled with
laughter. “When will you boys learn that
classified
information doesn’t mean
anything as long as you have sources in high places?” She took a
long, leisurely sip of her drink. “Doctors, lawyers,
politicians—it’s all in who you know.”

“
Things are classified for
a reason,” Heather said icily. “Like to protect innocent people
from those who would intentionally do them harm simply to get ahead
in their career.”

This time it was Wynn who kicked
Heather under the table.

Angela’s eyes slanted into mere slits
as she stared at Heather. “I don’t know what you’re trying to
insinuate, but I don’t like your tone.”

“
Calm down, Angela.” Wynn
leaned forward. “She’s not insinuating anything—”

“
That’s
right. She’s not
insinuating
anything.” Pops didn’t let Wynn finish. “She’s
merely stating the fact that if it weren’t for you, nobody would
have been taken captive and Rad wouldn’t have been injured rescuing
them. That’s all.”

Angela’s drink hit the table with a
loud bang. “How dare you!” She looked at Rad as if he should do
something, and do something he did.

“
Back off, guys,” he said.
“Leave Angie alone.”

Wynn had to work hard to suppress a
smile. He knew Angie was one smart cookie, but she was sitting with
a tableful of seasoned interrogators. They all wanted to find out
what she was hiding, but understood she wasn’t the type who could
be threatened or intimidated. That would just make her dig in. No.
She needed to be coddled and massaged, made to believe she was the
one in charge.

Pops had taken the first step to reel
her in using the “bad cop” ruse, and Rad was going in for the kill
as the “good cop.”

“
This is a celebration,
and I propose a toast.” Rad held his glass in the air. “Here’s to
getting the job done.” He clinked his glass against Angie’s. “No
matter one’s occupation.”

All the guys at the table smiled and
raised their glasses, understanding the scheme, while the wives and
girlfriends appeared bewildered and confused, refusing to take part
in the toast.

Rad waved at the waitress. “A round
for the table, on me.” She nodded, but he grabbed her arm before
she walked away. “Make mine a double this time.”

Drinks continued to flow, and although
the conversation was more stilted since Angie’s arrival, there were
plenty of stories about the good ‘ole days and exploits that grew
more daring and dangerous each time they were told.

Rad leaned back and grimaced when his
leg hit the table.

“
You poor thing.” Angie
put her hand on his thigh. “I hope it’s not too
painful.”

Rad actually winced when her hand made
contact, and Wynn knew it wasn’t from the pain of the injury—it was
from the amount of self-control it took not to forcefully remove
her hand from his leg and her body from the room.