“I know,” she said.
“And, uh, I’ll contact Keith and have him fill my spot.”
She nodded. “When will you be back?”
“Soon.”
The news had come at the worst time. Dalton was already snowed under with work and he really couldn’t pull himself away, but Jack had gone to bat for him numerous times and the fact that he had no one else to turn to made it even more important. Whether he could help his situation or not, was to be determined, at least he could find out the situation from him.
Finding a flight for New York at the last minute wasn’t the biggest challenge, it was telling his wife. Karen was supportive and had been more than reasonable through the ups and downs of work at the mission and a couple of run-ins with the law, but that’s because he kept his distance from Jack. Other than a few phone calls a month, Dalton had stayed out of the picture. It was safer that way, for him, for Karen and the baby, but now he didn’t have much choice. It wasn’t a ploy when he told the reporter that it was better for her to walk away, it was the truth — Jack was a ticking time bomb.
But, here he was breaking his own rule.
As Dalton pulled into the driveway outside his residence, he sat there for a minute or two contemplating what to say before killing the engine. It was early, too early for him to be home, Karen would know that. He only hoped she was out with the baby taking a walk in the park. At least that way he could phone her later from the airport. That wasn’t to be. As soon as he turned the key she called out. “John?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
She stepped out of the living room cradling the baby in one arm while fumbling a bottle. “You not feeling well?”
He closed the door behind him. “No, I’m good. Uh. Look, Karen, I have to go on a trip.”
“Where?”
“To New York.”
Her expression changed and she knew why just at the mention of where.
He spent the next ten minutes trying to get her to understand but his words fell short.
“You said you wouldn’t get involved. Even Jack told you to stay away. No matter what.”
“I know, I know I said that but he needs me.”
“And we don’t?”
“Karen.”
She put up a hand and walked into the living room. He followed and watched as she turned off the television and placed the baby down on the sofa, supporting her with cushions. “It’s just a couple of days, a week at the most. I… just need to know he’s okay.”
“And if he’s not?”
He shrugged. “I…”
She folded her arms and he went over and gave her a hug.
“Listen, I’ll be back before you know it.”
Karen didn’t look convinced. “You better be.”
3
Getting ready for her first day on the job, Hanna Cross couldn’t help but feel nervous at the thought of being surrounded by all that razor wire. It wasn’t like she hadn’t encountered danger. Eight years in a busy ER had put her in the path of many a crazy person. She’d been slapped, kicked, had her hair pulled and even been threatened with rape — all the things they failed to share with her in college as she pursued a career as a registered nurse.
But, it came with the job. However, there was a big difference between a city emergency room and a forensic hospital.
It had been a stroke of luck or maybe a curse to hear about the position of nurse-in-charge. A close friend whose husband worked security at Holbrook had told her about the position before it was advertised but failed to mention why it was available. She soon learned the truth at the interview. “She was murdered.” The interviewer’s words still echoed in her mind. They had to tell her but of course they were quick to explain it away as an unfortunate and rare event that should have never happened had the personal duress alarm system worked. RFID technology — radio frequency identification — was typically used for tracking vehicles or products but recent attempts to bump up security for staff had seen its introduction at Holbrook. Contained inside a card was a computer chip and transmitter that alerted dispatch, police and hospital staff to the location of the staff member. One pull and it would vibrate, let out an audible sound and cause the alarm to ring out. Within seconds the exact location and the last name of the person wearing it would be displayed across campus. Hanna had heard nothing but good things about the technology but had yet to see it in action.
Hearing about the demise of the previous head nurse didn’t instill confidence but bills had been piling up since the death of her mother. Hanna had left her job to take care of her due to cancer, and now she was feeling the wolves nipping at her heels. If she didn’t get a job fast, she would have to move in with her sister and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Ah you’ll be fine,” Beth, her longtime friend, said over the speaker. “You’ve worked with sick people before.”
“Yeah but not in a mental hospital.”
“How different can it be? Mental health is still health.”
Hanna stood in front of the mirror and second-guessed her attire that morning. “But we’re dealing with folks who should be locked up in prison.”
“Oh.” Hanna caught the drop in tone. “Well, they must have guards?”
“Outside the unit.”
“Oh,” Beth said again, sounding even more worried. “Well, look at it this way, if you die on the job, you died doing what you loved.” She burst out laughing and Hanna shook her head.
“Remind me not to call you for support the next time. Look, I gotta go.”
“Have a good day.”
“You sound like
