Dillon shook his head. 'What are you going to do with her, Quinlan? This is highly irregular.'
Quinlan was holding her in his lap, her head cradled on his arm. He'd covered her with his black jacket.
It was warm in the car. 'We're going to wait until she comes out from under this drug, then see what she knows. Then we're going to clean everything up. How's that sound to you?''
'Like we'll be a couple of damned heroes.' Dillon sighed. 'Brammer won't like it. He'll probably try to transfer us to Alaska for not being team players. But, hey, don't sell a hero short.'
She woke up to see a strange man looking down at her, his nose not more than six inches from hers. It took her a moment to realize that he was indeed flesh and blood and not some specter dredged up from a drugged vision. Her lips felt cracked. It was hard to make herself talk, but she did.
'If Doctor Beadermeyer sent you, it won't matter.' She spit on him.
Dillon jerked back, wiped the back of his hand across his nose and cheek. 'I'm a hero, not a bad guy.
Beadermeyer didn't send me.'
Sally tried to sift through his words, make some sense of them. Her brain still felt like it wanted to sleep, like parts of it were numb, like an arm or leg that had been in a single position for too long. 'You're a hero?'
'Yeah, a real live hero.'
'Then James must be here.'
'You mean Quinlan?'
'Yes. He's a hero too. He was the first hero I ever met. I'm sorry I spit on you, but I thought you were another one of those horrible men.'
'It's okay. You just lie still and I'll get Quinlan.'
What did he think she would do? Jump up and race out of here, wherever here was?
'Good morning, Sally. Don't spit on me, okay?'
She stared up at him, so thirsty she could barely squeak out another word. Her brain was at last knitting itself back together, and all she could do was throw up her arms and pull him down to her. She said against his throat, 'I knew you'd come, I just knew it. I'm so thirsty, James. Can I have some water?'
'You all right? Really? Let me up just a little, okay?'
'Yes. I'm so glad you're not dead. Someone hit you and I was bending over you.' She pulled back from him, her fingers lightly tracing over the stitched wound over his left ear.
'I'm okay-don't worry about it.'
'I didn't know who'd done it to you. Then someone hit me over the head. I woke up with Bead^rmeyer Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
leaning over me. I was back in that place.'
'I know, but you're with me now and no one can possibly find you.' He said over his shoulder, 'Dillon, how about some water for the lady?''
'It's the drugs he gives me. They make my throat feel like a desert.'
She felt the tightening in him at her words.
'Here, I'll hold the glass for you.'
She drank her fill, then lay back and sighed. 'I'll be back to normal in about ten more minutes-at least that's my best guess. James, who is that man I spit on?''
'He's a good friend of mine, name of Dillon Savich. He and I got you out of the sanitarium last night.
Dillon, come and say hello to Sally.'
'Ma'am.'
'He said he was a hero, just like you, James.'
'It's possible. You can trust him, Sally.'
She nodded, such a slight movement really, and he watched her eyes close again. 'You're not ready to eat something?''
'No, not yet. You won't leave, will you?'
'Not ever.'
He would have sworn that the corners of her mouth turned up just a bit into a very slight smile. Without thinking, he leaned down and kissed her closed mouth. 'I'm glad I've got you again. When I woke up in David Mountebank's house, my head pounding like a watermelon with a stake in it, he told me you were gone. I've never been so scared in my life. You're not going to be out of my sight again, Sally.'
'That sounds good to me,' she said. In the next moment, she was asleep. Not unconscious but asleep, real sleep.
Quinlan rose and looked down at her. He straightened the light blanket over her chest. He smoothed her hair back on the pillow. He thought of that little man they'd found in her room and knew that if he ever saw him again, he'd kill him.
And Beadermeyer. He couldn't wait to get his hands on Dr. Beadermeyer.
'How does it feel to be the most important person in the whole universe, Quinlan?'
