standing beside her for a moment, his hand on her shoulder to let her know he was there.
It was close to four in the morning when he appeared again at her elbow. 'The story has broken. The corridor is a mob scene of reporters.' He paused. 'And Pilsner's here.'
She couldn't worry about Pilsner now. 'We expected it, didn't we?'
He nodded. 'There's no way I'm going to let him in here, but I thought you ought to know.' He looked at Evan's still form. 'I didn't want it to come as a shock when you left the room.'
He meant when Evan died.
'Has he regained consciousness at all?' Gabe asked.
She shook her head.
'I spoke to the doctor. He may not.'
'I don't care. No one is certain how much awareness people have in a coma. He could know I'm here.'
Gabe nodded and left the room
Evan stirred a little before dawn. His lids fluttered and then slowly opened and focused on her face. For a moment she thought he didn't recognize her, but then he said, 'Mushy… always… were.'
'You told me it was one of my failings.'
His smile was the sardonic one she knew so well. 'Came running… to my… deathbed.'
He knew he was going to die. She wouldn't insult him by denying it. She nodded jerkily.
'I… wouldn't have come to… yours.'
She swallowed. 'I think you would.'
He looked at her and a flicker of expression crossed his face. 'Maybe…'
He lapsed back into unconsciousness and died a few minutes later.
She sat there looking at him. 'You would have come, Evan,' she whispered fiercely. 'Why couldn't you say it? Blast you, I
The tears she had held back were suddenly flowing down her cheeks as she stood up and walked stiffly to the door.
Gabe.
She had to get to Gabe.
NINE
Gabe came to her the minute she appeared in the hall. He took one look at her tear-stained face and enveloped her in his arms. Lord, how she needed him now. Warmth. Safety. Life.
'He's gone?' he asked in a low voice.
She nodded. 'A few minutes ago. I can't stop crying. Evan would have hated it…' She was vaguely conscious that the hall was full of people, cameras, lights. She looked over Gabe's shoulder and saw Pilsner standing across the corridor, a uniformed guard by his side. She smiled crookedly. 'Hello, Mr. Pilsner. Sorry to keep you waiting.'
He nodded. 'I'm genuinely sorry that I have to intrude on such an unhappy occasion.' He wasn't being untruthful; he was genuinely sympathetic, but it wouldn't keep him from doing what he believed was right.
Gabe thrust a handkerchief into her hand. 'Go to the rest room and wash your face with cold water. It will make you feel better. I'll go to the nurses' station and make the arrangements for Evan.'
'Cremation,' she said. 'He hated funerals.'
'Let me handle it.' He turned her around and gave her a push down the hall. 'It's the last door before you reach the turn in the corridor. I'll be here when you get back.' He turned to stare challengingly at Pilsner. 'I assume that's all right with you?' he asked.
Pilsner hesitated and then nodded to the guard. 'Wait outside for her. Keep those reporters out of there and off her back.'
That was nice of him, she thought dully as she entered the rest room. He was probably a very kind man when his job wasn't involved, the home type who barbecued for the wife and kids every weekend.
The bathroom was deserted, thank heavens. She passed a row of stalls with half-open doors and stopped at the basins at the end of the room. The mirrors reflected an outer image that looked as bad as she felt inside- tousled hair and red swollen eyes, tear-streaked cheeks. Dammit, whycouldn't she stop crying? She started splashing cold water on her face.
'Ronnie.'
She jumped and whirled to see a man coming out of one of the stalls. 'Dan!'
'Come on. We haven't got much time.' He gestured to an oak door to the left of the basins. 'That door connects with the men's rest room. I broke the lock earlier.'
'You want me to go into the men's room?'
'The entrance to the men's room is around the corner of the corridor.' He pushed her through the door and slammed it behind them, then pulled her past a row of urinals. 'Look, I know you're in shock, but just let me lead you. Okay?'
She wasn't capable of doing anything else at the moment.
He glanced cautiously out the door into the corridor and then said, 'Come on.' He dragged her at a half run down the corridor toward the emergency exit and down the steps to the sixth floor. 'We'll take the elevator from this floor. It's faster than the stairs.' As he ushered her into the elevator he said. 'There's a car waiting outside to take us to the helicopter.'
'You planned all this?'
'Gabe planned it. There was no way he was going to let Pilsner grab you.' He made a face. 'Though I take credit for spending two very uncomfortable hours in that toilet stall ducking a stream of ladies while I was waiting for you to appear.'
The elevator doors opened and he ushered her quickly through the lobby to the car waiting at the curb.
'Gabe figures it will be at least fifteen minutes before they send someone in to check on you.' He glanced at his watch. 'That gives us ten to get out of the city.' He motioned to the driver to go as he got into the car beside her. 'Gabe will stall them as long as he can, but when Pilsner starts getting nervous, he'll slip away.' He stared at her pale face. 'Are you taking any of this in?'
She nodded. 'How will Gabe get to the helicopter?'
'There's another car around the corner and two blocks down the street. We were afraid the timing would be too close for him to have it wait in front of the hospital. He didn't want to be followed to the helicopter.' He smiled gently. 'Don't worry, we've got it all covered. You'll be back in Tanadahl in no time and Pilsner will be wiping egg off his face.'
Gabe arrived at the helicopter thirty minutes after Dan and Ronnie, and by that time she had emerged from her emotional stupor enough to be worried at the delay and very relieved at his appearance.
'How did it go?' Dan asked as Gabe climbed into the helicopter.
'I had no trouble evading Pilsner, but I had to run six blocks north and double back to get away from the reporters. Let's get out of here.' As the helicopter lifted off Gabe asked Ronnie, 'How do you feel?'
'I'm not sure. Everything has happened so fast.'
'I had to get you out of there.'
'I know. It's just…' She leaned back and closed her eyes. 'Will you get into trouble?'
'We'll have to see. Pilsner wasn't pleased. We'll face that when we have to.'
'I never meant to get you into trouble. I just had to see Evan.'
'One good rescue deserves another, and any risk I ran was a drop in the bucket compared to what you did in Said Ababa.' He loosened her seat belt and pulled her sideways to rest againsthis shoulder. 'Try to sleep until we get back to Tanadahl.'
She doubted if she could sleep, but she relaxed against him. She could hear the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear. He was all the comfort she had never had, the emotional safety Evan had never given her. He was
