Seeking Asylum (24 page)

“Yes. As soon as I get the logs and the folder. We can go out the rear door. Natasha knows where the door is. Also, Natasha knows about the secret lab. It was a bomb shelter in the sixties. The alcove on the east side is a hydraulic door. There’s a pressure point on the wall.”

“Do not go back into the lab. Forget the logs and folder. Your priority is to get yourself and Eric out safely. The information you’re sending may be enough for a warrant.”

“But Dr. Green’s—”

“That’s an order.”

“Yes, sir.” The cell phone beeped. “I’m getting a low battery tone.”

“Text that information right now. Then leave the phone on standby. You probably have about six or seven minutes left on it. When you’re out, call me at this number and we’ll extract you.”

Rachel programmed the text she’d saved and sent it to Mitch’s cell phone, then put the phone in her pocket.

Eric had come back over to sit beside her as she’d finished her conversation with Mitch. He looked as though he’d been shaken to his core, his face pale and drawn.

“I’m so glad Caleb isn’t dead.” She tried to sound up-beat, but Eric didn’t seem relieved.

He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at her narrowly. “You’re still spooked because of my connection with him, aren’t you?”

“Mitch is sending two agents to the Meadows, who will ask to question us about some details of the kidnapping. He wants us to use the diversion to get out through the rear door. Once we do, we’re to call him and he’ll have us extracted immediately.”

“We can’t leave yet. I heard you tell him that we don’t have the log of the patient who died, or the information about Dr. Green.”

“Mitch ordered us not to go back in there. He said it was too dangerous.”

Eric sent her a stony look. “He ordered you, not me.”

“Mitch is your boss. You
know
that order was for you.”

“I am not leaving here until I have enough evidence to put Metzger away for the rest of his life.”

“Mitch said what we have is enough for a search warrant.”

“You’re the one who said I know my boss. I’m sure what he said was it ‘might be’ enough.”

Rachel’s face grew hot. “It’s the same thing. We’ve got the formula that proves Metzger is conducting illegal ex
periments, and the logs that show how often the patients received injections and what their reactions were.”

“Right. That
might
get his medical license suspended.” The sarcasm in his voice cut like a knife. “It’s because of him that I lost my brother.” Eric’s face distorted in the lantern’s glow. “You can’t know what that means.”

Rachel wanted to cry for Eric, but she knew that wasn’t what he needed. He was reacting from emotion, from fear, and he needed logic.

“I can never know what you and your brother shared. I may never understand it. But I do know what it’s like to be alone.” She placed her fingers on her temples. “All of us are alone, in here. If you have really had a connection with Caleb all these years, then you have been incredibly fortunate. The rest of us have no idea what it’s like. We have always existed alone.”

“Are you saying I should just give up?”

“No, not at all. I’m saying you have to get out of here alive. There are more people that need your help. You can’t just sacrifice yourself for your brother.”

“I’m not doing this just for Caleb.”

“Are you sure, Eric? Are you sure you’re not trying to make up to Caleb because he was sick and you weren’t?”

He wouldn’t look at her. “I’m after Metzger. He killed people. We can’t let him kill anyone else. The proof that he’s a murderer is in that room, and I’m going to get it.”

Chapter Thirteen

Metzger entered the office in his secret lab through the rear door of the service elevator, followed by Thomas.

The elevator’s rear door was only activated by a key and Metzger and Thomas had the only keys. As far as the rest of the hospital staff knew, the elevator’s rear doors hadn’t worked in years.

As soon as he stepped into his office and turned on all the lights, he knew his fears were grounded in reality.

“They’ve been here.” He pointed at the boxes he’d been packing. His neatly stacked papers were disturbed and the shipping labels had been moved.

“They must have gotten in through the hydraulic door in the alcove,” Thomas said. He stepped around the boxes and out into the lab.

Metzger quickly glanced through one of the boxes. His most recent logbook was gone. He cursed. If that information got into the wrong hands, he’d be ruined.

“I found this,” Thomas said, coming back to stand at the office door.

Metzger looked up. “A syringe?”

Thomas held up a vial. “And an opened vial of lorazepam. It appears Dr. Harper was trying to sedate him.”

“He must be reacting to the injections—showing some aberrant behavior. They may have one of my logbooks. We have to stop them.”

“They won’t get far. I have two men hidden, watching the rear exit door, and two at the loading dock entrance. They haven’t left the hospital, or we’d know.” Thomas craned his neck to look upward. “I’m betting they’re somewhere in the crawl space, or in one of the closed-off rooms down here. Once they try to leave the building, we’ll have them.”

Metzger collapsed into his desk chair. “I can’t understand how the twin brother managed to get in here to impersonate Caleb.”

“Maybe Caleb did go into respiratory arrest and die. Isn’t that what happens to the patients if they don’t get their regular dose?”

“But why would one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country play along? How did the brother get the FBI to cooperate? It doesn’t make sense.” He slammed his fist on the desk. “That idiot Patel. If he’d told me that Caleb had any family other than his grandmother, I’d never have used him for the experiments. It’s so much easier to use patients with no family, no ties. Although Caleb did make the perfect subject.”

He shook his head. This setback was devastating. He’d looked forward to continuing his experimentation on Caleb. In his own private lab in Germany, he’d have been free to increase the dose of the chemicals and to observe the effects without having to hide any adverse reactions.

“Luckily, I’ve already transferred the computer files to Germany. Get out there, Thomas, and find those two. Pull one of the orderlies to help you search. We don’t have much time. If Caleb’s brother is in contact with the FBI,
then he will have alerted them that he’s trying to escape. I’ll gather up the chemical and destroy it, so there’s no trace of it left anywhere. And, Thomas…”

The nurse stopped at the office door.

“Where are we in weaning the other three patients?”

“I’ve diluted their doses three times. Two more dilutions over the next week should be enough to avoid respiratory depression.”

“What about the vials?”

“I never leave the real drug on the ward. The vials up there are fenpiprazole.”

“Brilliant as usual, Thomas. Perhaps the patients won’t become too ill. In any case we’ll be on our way before their symptoms become obvious.

“Get Baldwyn and Harper in here.” Metzger pointed with his fountain pen for emphasis. “Any way you can. We’ll lock them in and seal off the room. By the time anyone can get to them, we’ll be long gone.”

ERIC HELPED RACHEL down from the break wall. Their clothes were coated with dust, and she had spiderwebs in her hair. He reached over and brushed a sticky web from the side of her face.

“Eric, please, don’t make me leave without you. What am I supposed to tell Mitch?”

“He’ll understand.”

“Understand why you disobeyed him?”

He looked down, brushing at his jeans. “Mitch knows firsthand that sometimes you have to do what you know is right, even if it seems wrong at the time.”

Rachel glared at him. “That sounds like rationalization to me. You know we have enough proof, especially if we have Caleb’s testimony with it, to stop Metzger, to put him
in prison. You’re mounting a personal vendetta. Assuaging your own guilt.”

“Don’t psychoanalyze me. It’s none of your business, anyway, what I do or why I’m doing it. You’ll be safe, as soon as I get you out of here.”

“Don’t even presume to tell me what is my business and what’s not. Caleb became my business when he kidnapped me. And you became my business when…when you brought me back in here.”

“That’s right. I brought you into this. And now I’ve decided it’s no longer safe for you.”

He took her arm and started up the corridor toward the door at the north entrance of the basement. The lights were very dim, and as they walked toward the back of the basement, the anemic bulbs became farther and farther apart.

“And I’ll tell you another flaw in your logic,” he whispered fiercely, his voice echoing through her com unit. “We
don’t
have Caleb’s testimony, because he’s in a coma. And unless your colleagues can pull off a miracle with that formula you sent them, I need to get a vial of Metzger’s prepared drug to give him, or he may never wake up.” He paused. “He may not anyway.”

“Then I’ll go in with you.”

“The hell you will. You’re leaving this building now. Wait for the agents to pick you up. I’ll be fine.” He set his jaw. “I can handle Metzger.”

“Maybe,” she responded. “In a fair fight. But you’ve got who knows what kinds of drugs in your system. And what about Thomas? There could be others. You don’t know how many people Metzger has protecting him.”

“I’ll manage.”

Eric stopped, pulling Rachel against him. They were at the end of the corridor that opened into the mudroom
where the small door was located. “Here we are. As soon as you’re safely across the lawn and hidden in the underbrush, call Mitch, and I’ll head back to the lab. Tell him to bring that search warrant, and hurry.”

“I don’t like this. You’re doing this for the wrong reasons. You’re needlessly risking your life.”

He touched her cheek and wiped away a smudge of dirt. He tried not to think about the look on her face, tried not to listen to his empathic sense that told him it was more than just professional concern that glistened in her eyes.

She might have feelings for him. Lord knew how much he cared for her. But she saw him as damaged, like her mother, like his brother. Her feelings were nothing more than attachment to a patient. And she would never allow herself to feel more, not for someone like him. She’d told him that from the beginning.

But he couldn’t resist a last indulgent moment. The next time they saw each other, it would be as professional colleagues, testifying about the case.

“You’ve got dust in your lashes and spiderwebs in your hair, Dr. Harper. Have I told you you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen?”

She shook her head and her lip trembled.

He bent and kissed that luscious lip, sucking on it gently, opening his mouth as her tongue hesitantly nudged his lips. Then, for one desperate instant, he deepened the kiss before he raised his head.

“I can’t stand to leave you,” she whispered, her voice humming in his ear.

“I know,” he whispered back. “I feel you here.” He touched his chest, over his heart. “Thank you, Rachel.”

“For what?” She lifted her brilliant blue gaze to his.

Her eyes widened and she gasped. “No!”

Too late, Eric felt the presence behind him.

He whirled. Pain exploded on the side of his head and he went down.

Rachel watched in horror as Eric collapsed. She recognized the two orderlies who stood over him, one with a piece of wood in his hand.

Her heart pounding in her ears, Rachel, with a huge effort, tried to speak crisply and authoritatively.

“That wasn’t necessary,” she snapped, hoping the orderlies didn’t hear the faint shakiness in her voice. “I had the situation under control.” She put her hand in her pocket and palmed her cell phone.

The smaller orderly snickered. “Yeah, looked like you did. Hey, Bob—” he elbowed the other orderly “—isn’t that called ‘fraternizing with a patient’?”

Bob frowned. “Come on, Dr. Harper. You been hiding out with Baldwyn. We got orders to bring you to Dr. Metzger.”

Rachel stepped back, afraid to take her eyes off the orderly for even an instant to check on Eric, who was still on the floor. He must be unconscious. How badly was he hurt?

“Don’t come near me,” she warned Bob.

Bob tossed the stick aside and stepped over Eric’s body. He towered over her as he grabbed at her arm. She jerked backward.

Suddenly Bob was no longer looming over her. He thudded to the ground with a breathy grunt.

Eric had knocked his legs out from under him.

Bob rolled and came back to his feet as the smaller orderly braced himself.

Rachel took several steps backward, looking around. She didn’t see the stick the orderly had tossed aside, but she did see a piece of metal rod several feet to her left. She eased toward it.

Eric was up, too, thank God.

He was balanced on the balls of his feet, waiting for a move from one or both of the orderlies. Rachel didn’t know a lot about fighting, but she knew Eric was at a distinct disadvantage.

Not only was he trapped between the orderlies and the wall, but the blow from the wooden block was bleeding into his right eye. He kicked out at Bob, who dodged his foot, then he used the momentum of the kick to whirl and land a punch in the other orderly’s face.

Rachel’s whole body shook with shock and fear. She glanced at the metal rod, still too far away, then over her shoulder toward the door. She wouldn’t have a chance in a fight. Even the smaller orderly had a good eighty pounds on her.

She’d do better running. She gauged her chances of making it to the door before one of the orderlies saw her. She slipped the cell phone out of her pocket, almost dropping it, her hands were shaking so badly.

Bob lunged at Eric, knocking him off his feet.

Eric yelled as he went down, and shoved at Bob, who howled. Eric must have connected with something.

Rachel looked at the keypad of the phone. It was still in text mode. She gritted her teeth. She could barely see. She forced her trembling fingers to key in what she hoped spelled SOS.