He rushed to him, touched his shoulder. The deputy keeled over onto the floor. Brick felt his chest constrict as the man’s hat fell away and he saw the blood and the large goose egg on the deputy’s forehead. He quickly checked the man’s pulse in his neck—strong—before rushing into Natalie Berkshire’s room.
Just as he’d known, the bed was empty. He swore. Hadn’t he known she wasn’t catatonic? Just as he’d known that she’d spoken to Mo. He quickly looked around. The bathroom door was closed. “Natalie?” He stepped to the door and grabbed the knob. “Natalie?” No answer.
He opened the door. Of course the room was empty.
Because Natalie Berkshire was gone.
He started to pull out his phone when he heard a moan coming from somewhere in the room. The sound froze his blood. He wasn’t alone in here after all?
Brick spun around. The room was still empty. Another moan. He caught movement under the bed and rushed to push the bed aside. The nurse lay on the floor, gagged and bound with IV tubing. She was attired in nothing but panties and a hospital gown.
As he pulled off the gag and began to untie her, she said, “She jumped me. She took my uniform, my bra, my socks and shoes. She...” The nurse began to cry. “She threatened me. Said if I made a sound...”
“How long ago did she leave?” Brick asked as he freed her.
“Five minutes, maybe more.”
At the sound of the deputy regaining consciousness out in the hall, Brick rushed out. “Take care of the nurse and call this in.”
“The nurse?” The deputy touched the bump on his head gingerly. His eyes widened as if he realized at last what had happened. “The patient. Is she...?”
“Gone.”
“I don’t know what happened.”
“Say that to my father,” Brick called as he ran down the hall.
He told himself that the woman might not have gotten out of the building yet. She was wearing scrubs—just like every other nurse.
Brick took the stairs three at a time and burst out on the lower floor to race for the front door. After pushing out through it, he stopped to glance around the parking lot. He didn’t see her.
At the growl of a motorcycle, he spun around and saw a woman in scrubs roar past. Her hair was a dark wave behind her as Natalie Berkshire sailed away.
Brick ran to his pickup and went after her. But he hadn’t gone two blocks when he realized he’d lost her. He called it in, but didn’t hold out any hope that she would be caught. The dispatcher told him that a young man who’d been in the hospital parking lot was calling to say that a nurse had shoved him off his motorcycle and taken it.
Brick pulled over, slamming his fist down on the wheel. Natalie was in the wind. What were their chances that they could find her? At the moment, she wasn’t wanted by the law for anything but questioning. Her life was in danger, though, and she had to know that. Without money or transportation other than a stolen motorcycle, where would she go? Her car had been impounded. And considering what was found in her car, she’d already been running scared before she was abducted. What would she do now?
His cell phone rang.
“I get only one call so don’t make me waste it.” He recognized the voice at once, a little sultry, definitely direct. “I just heard the news here at the jail,” Mo said. “Natalie has taken off. I suspected she’d pull something like this. But I can help you find her if we hurry.”
He scoffed. “Too bad you’re behind bars.”
“Listen,” Mo said. “I know this woman. I knew she would run when she was released from jail. I knew she’d take off the way she has. You’ll never find her without my help. You want the blood of her next victim on your hands? Give it some thought. Then get me out of here.” She hung up.
Brick shook his head as he disconnected. He was on a forced medical leave and she was suspended. Neither of them had any authority to go after Natalie. Mo really thought he would spring her?
He knew she’d be out by morning, once she went before a judge. But at least for the moment she was locked up. Unfortunately, that didn’t make Natalie safe. Who knew who all was after the woman?
He sat in his pickup for a moment, his mind a rabbit warren of thoughts. What if Mo was right? What if the real person in danger was Natalie’s next client?
Starting the pickup, he drove to his apartment. On the way, he half expected to see Natalie in his neighborhood. He knew it wasn’t logical. Just as he knew he would always be expecting to see her somewhere until she turned up again. If she ever did. He still hadn’t decided if she was a victim or a possible serial killer.
Mo Mortensen thought she knew, but she was too personally involved. He couldn’t trust her judgment any more than his own.
At his apartment, he walked in, closing the door behind him. He stood just inside looking around the studio apartment as if seeing it for the first time. Nothing about the space reflected him in any way. It was as if no one lived here. Clearly, it was a hiding place, not a home.
He sighed as he pulled off his Stetson and raked a hand through his hair. His father was right. He wasn’t healed. Nor did he have any idea how to put himself back together again. He felt unsure of everything—except the steady beat of his heart. He was alive. He’d survived a bullet. Maybe he could survive the rest. Maybe. But not here in this colorless, empty apartment.
Brick walked over to
