Code 15 (17 page)

“I know it’s a silly request—I mean, asking for a woman doctor—but I think I’d be more comfortable.”

“It’s not a problem. A lot of women do it.” Denise then whispered, “To tell you the truth, I feel the same way.”

Faith had no idea why Steve had made such a big point about telling her to request a woman doctor. She just assumed it was part of the survey. When Denise walked out of the room, Faith checked her watch.

Six minutes later, the glass door slid open.

“Miss Russo?” Morgan asked holding out her hand. “I’m Dr. Connolly.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Faith answered, shaking her hand.

“Tell me about your fall.”

“It was kind of stupid. I was taking a bike ride earlier this evening and fell.” She flexed her leg and rubbed her knee.

“Did you hit your head or injure any other part of your body?”

“No, just my knee.”

“Let’s have a look,” Morgan said, putting the chart on the counter.

“Sure.”

Morgan moved to the exam table and gently extended Faith’s right leg. There was no swelling or bruising of her knee. When Morgan finished her exams she said, “It really doesn’t look too bad. I think you were pretty lucky.”

“That’s good news.”

Morgan spent the next few minutes questioning Faith regarding her general health and the details of the accident. When she was finished, she pulled her stethoscope from around her neck and listened to Faith’s hearth and lungs. She then checked her other leg, her arms, and completed her exam by feeling Faith’s belly.

“How’s your tummy feel?”

“Fine.”

When Morgan was finished she stepped back and sat down on a small chair.

“Well, I don’t see any swelling of the knee and it’s not too tender to movement. It’s probably just a mild sprain. But just to be on the safe side, I think we should get an X-ray.”

Anticipating Morgan’s suggestion, Faith inquired, “Do you think that’s really necessary?”

“I’d hate to miss something,” Morgan answered.

“I just found out I’m pregnant, Dr. Connolly, and if you think it’s just a mild sprain, I’d rather skip the X-ray.”

“Have you had any vaginal bleeding or cramps since the fall?”

“No. Everything’s fine.”

“Who’s your obstetrician?”

Faith’s mind went blank. “I feel so stupid,” she said. “I just can’t think of his name right now.”

“It’s not important. We can cover your abdomen with a lead apron. There will be absolutely no risk to the baby.”

Faith paused for a moment, pretending to think about Morgan’s suggestion. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m just not comfortable, Dr. Connolly.”

“I understand. I’ll have the nurse fix you up with a knee brace. I’ll come back after it’s on to give you your discharge instructions.”

“Thanks,” she told Morgan, sitting up and moving to the end of the bed.

Faith was especially careful to make mental notes of everything that occurred. She liked Dr. Connolly, finding her attentive and caring. Overall, she was quite pleased with the care she’d received. Impressing Steve was very important to her. She wanted to make sure the report she gave him was detailed and accurate.

A few minutes later, Denise returned with a knee brace and showed Faith how to put it on. Just as she finished securing the last Velcro strap, Morgan came back in.

“Thanks,” Faith said.

“No problem,” Denise told her. “We Olympic cyclists have to stick together.” She walked over to the other side of the exam room and returned with a clipboard. “I just need you to sign here. As soon as Dr. Connolly is finished, you’re out of here.”

Morgan walked over to the examination table and checked the placement of the knee brace.

“How does it feel?”

“Pretty good,” Faith answered, counting the minutes until she could get it off.

Morgan finished writing the prescription and tore it off the pad. “Here’s something for pain. I also wrote the name of an orthopedic surgeon you can call if the pain doesn’t go away in a couple of days. If the knee starts to swell in the next twenty-four hours, you can put some ice on it.” Morgan looked up and added, “You’re sure about the X-ray?”

Faith leaned forward and rubbed her knee.

“It’s feeling much better now, Dr. Connolly. But if it’s not better in a few days, I’ll have the X-ray done. I promise.”

Morgan extended her hand, shook Faith’s, and then headed for the door.

“Call us if you need anything,” Morgan said as she walked out of the room and headed in the direction of the nursing station.

With several patients with minor complaints still to be seen, she crossed her fingers and prayed the Dade County knife and gun club would remain quiet for the rest of her shift.

Under normal circumstances, the nature of Faith Russo’s ER visit was so routine that once Morgan had moved on to her next patient, it would become one of thousands of forgettable cases. But as Morgan popped the top of her soda and took the first sip, she had no way of knowing that nothing could be further from the truth.

With her knee brace securely in place, Faith limped out of the emergency room.

Strolling past a new parking garage under construction, she had to admit she was quite proud of herself. For someone who had never been a professional mole, she had pulled it off like a seasoned veteran. She hoped that Steve would share her enthusiasm.

She made her way down a narrow tree-lined street that ended at a gravel field, which the hospital was using as a temporary parking lot. When she had first arrived, the lot was almost filled, forcing her to park her aging Toyota Camry at the far end. Now, it was practically empty, and the thought of walking across the entire field filled her with trepidation.

Reaching down, she released the straps of the knee brace and pulled it off. There was a large metal Dumpster a few feet away. Without giving it a second thought, she tossed the annoying brace over the rim and into the container. Before starting out, she took a careful look around. When she saw nobody, she clutched her purse as if it were a diplomatic pouch and marched directly down the middle of the lot.

The area was scantily lit by two portable light towers, which were powered by a loud gasoline-driven generator. It was not until she reached the halfway point that Faith realized the farther she went, the darker it became. Her eyes darting back and forth, she made it a point not to drift off of the parking lot’s centerline. When she finally spotted her car, she heaved a breath of relief. Approaching the driver’s side door, Faith reached into her purse for her keys. It was at that moment she heard the footsteps. Her eyes shot up. About thirty feet away, she could easily make out the silhouette of a man. Given his rapid pace and the direction from which he was coming, it was obvious he had spotted her. As frightened as she was, she never took her eyes off of him. A few seconds passed, and she could see he was stocky and that he was wearing a baseball cap.

With her heart coming out of her chest, she continued to fumble for her keys. The crackle of the gravel under the man’s feet grew louder with each step he took. Fighting off the panic, she pounded her memory to recall anything of the rape awareness class that she had taken with some of the other waitresses.

She shook her purse fiercely, hoping the sound of the jingling keys would guide her hand. The man was now close enough that the dim splashes of light reflected off of his face. At that instant he smiled and waved. Placing her hand to her heart, she dropped her head and took a huge breath.

“Steve, you scared me to death. What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Waiting for you,” he answered.

She giggled. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“I told you we’d talk after you left the emergency room.”

“I didn’t think you meant in the middle of the night.”

He pointed in the direction of the emergency room.

“Do you see that big hospital over there? They’re paying my company a fortune for the information that’s now in that pretty little head of yours. I’m not about to let you sleep on it and forget even the slightest detail.”

“I was going to make notes as soon as I got home. Faith looked around and pretended to shiver. “Doesn’t this place give you the creeps?”

Gideon shrugged. “I played rugby in college, competed in ten triathlons, and can bench twice my weight. Anybody who feels like messing with me is welcome to try.”

As opposed to most everything else he had ever told Faith, his assurances of his physical prowess and combative skills were quite true.

She leaned her head to the side. Hoping he had more on his mind than just business and gaining in confidence, she whispered, “I’ll make a deal with you.”

“Really?” he asked. “What kind of a deal?”

“I’ll do the interview now if you take me out for a drink afterward.”

He stroked her arm. “That sounds like an offer I’d be a fool to turn down. What time do you have to be home?”

She looked down at his hand. “I guess that depends. My babysitter’s great about staying over.”

Concealing his contempt for her promiscuous behavior, Gideon smiled and pointed to her car.

“Why don’t we dispense with our business? Then we can go have that drink to celebrate your first assignment as a covert hospital appraiser.”

Faith got in on the driver’s side, tossed her purse on the backseat, and waited for Gideon to climb in opposite her. He pushed his seat all the way back and pulled out a small notebook and a fountain pen. He then adjusted the rearview mirror, fiddling with it for a few seconds until he got it just right. Faith wondered why, but not enough to ask him.

She turned on the engine and let the air conditioner run. When she looked up, she saw him glancing out of her window. She turned, took a look as well but saw nothing.

“Let’s get started,” he said. “How did it go?”

“Fine. The registration process went well, and I saw a very nice doctor.”

“Good. What did you tell him was wrong with you?”

“Him was a her. Remember? You told me to request a woman doctor.”

He pointed at her and winked. “That’s right. I did. You have a good memory. Did you mention anything about your tummy?”

“You told me to tell the triage nurse that it hurt but not to mention it to the doctor.”

“Good, and what was the physician’s name?”

“Dr. Connolly.”

“Did she do a complete examination?”

“Yes.”

“You’re sure? She checked every part of you and not just your knee?”

“She was very thorough.”

“How about blood tests?”

“She said I didn’t need any.”

“What about an X-ray?” he asked.

“She wanted to do one, but I told her I was pregnant and that I’d rather not.”

“Good. Did she give you a hard time?” he inquired, pretending to make notes as she spoke.

“She wasn’t thrilled about it, but she didn’t make a thing about it either. She just made me promise to come back if I still had pain in a few days.”

Faith noticed that he seemed a little distracted even though he kept asking her very specific questions. She was also baffled as to why he kept looking around. Finally, when he had asked his last question, he closed his notebook and smiled at her.

“I think that about takes care of everything. You did a great job. I’m sure we’ll have more work for you in the future.”

“Are you serious?” she asked with delight.

“You’ll have a check for one thousand dollars within the week. I’ll bring it to the restaurant. Now how about that drink?”

Faith noticed that he was easing toward her and that his eyes were all over her. Hoping he was getting ready to kiss her, she stared into his eyes and leaned closer. His left arm moved across the top of her seat and found its way onto the back of her neck. He began to gently massage her. The only sound that filtered into the car was the droning of the generators.

“That feels great,” Faith said, closing her eyes. “Have you ever thought about changing professions?”

After a few seconds, when Gideon didn’t answer, she opened her eyes and turned her head. At first she was confused by his wildly piercing eyes. But when he seized her hair and drew it into his fist, she gasped. Her first and only scream came when he snapped her head back.

Overcome with terror, she shot her hand out, desperately looking for the door handle. With her hand still flailing, she suddenly felt his palm cup her chin. Using her fingernails to claw his cheeks, she thrashed back and forth trying to free herself from his death grip. But with one powerful jerk, Gideon spun Faith around and then snatched her over the console until her back was pressed tightly against his chest.

From his position behind her, he was able to easily slip her into an inescapable stranglehold that compressed both of her carotid arteries and windpipe. With no blood flow to her brain, she quickly wilted in his arms. From the bleak darkness of her mind, a cluster of dazzling multicolored lights darted past her like a laser show. Sadly, the brilliant flashes lasted only a few seconds. They were the last conscious image of her life.

Lying in his arms, Faith’s chest moved easily with each breath.

Gideon could have snapped her neck like a dry twig, but that was not his plan. To the contrary, he needed her alive; at least for the next hour or so. Realizing she would soon be recovering consciousness, he pushed her back into the driver’s seat. Her head bobbed a couple of times before it flopped against the window. Grabbing her by her shoulders, he spun her torso toward him.

With his eyes fixed on her upper abdomen, he made a fist and then slowly drew it to the level of his ear. He felt every particle of strength in his body gather in the fist. And then, with explosive force, he drove it deep into the soft tissues of her abdominal wall. The blow struck her just below the left rib cage. The dull thud it made was only a small measure of its devastating power. Faith never moved, nor did she utter a sound. After a slow half breath, Gideon again drew back his hand. Letting it explode, the accuracy of his second blow mirrored the first.