Mercy

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

While Michelle stood by the car talking to Ben, Theo went inside her house. He left his shoes by the door so he wouldn't track in mud, then ran upstairs, stripped out of his clothes, and took a quick hot shower. He was relieved he didn't find any ticks or leeches. He was back outside ten minutes later, carrying both Michelle's and his cell phones and her charger. He had already reloaded his gun and stuck an extra magazine in his pocket.

"Ready to go?" he asked Michelle.

"John Paul got your car started," she told him as she got inside. "Keys are in the ignition."

"Where is your brother?"

She nodded toward the side of the house. John Paul was sprinting toward the pickup he'd left parked on the road.

Theo intercepted him and handed him Michelle's cell phone and charger.

"I don't want that." There was a look of repulsion on John Paul's face as he stared at the phone.

"I have to be able to get hold of you. Take it."

"I don't-"

Theo wasn't in the mood to argue. "What are Michelle and I supposed to do if we need you? Send up a prayer?"

John Paul relented. He grabbed the phone and charger and headed for the pickup. He heard his sister call, "You take care of Daddy, John Paul. Don't let anything happen to him. And you be careful too. You aren't invincible."

Theo got in the car and was closing the door when Ben shouted and came running.

"I think we just got a lucky break," Ben said.

"What's that?"

"Dispatch just called. There's a detective from New Orleans waiting to talk to me. Says it's urgent."

"Do you know what the detective wants? No way New Orleans could have found out what happened last night. Not enough time."

"I'm on my way back to the station to find out, but I've got a feeling this," he said, waving toward Michelle's house, "and the detective from New Orleans are connected. They might know something that could help us."

"Call me at the hospital as soon as you know anything," he said

.

It didn't take them long to get to the hospital. Michelle led the way through the back corridor into the emergency room. She

hadn't looked at herself in a mirror, and it wasn't until she noticed the staff staring at her that she realized she should have taken time to clean up. She thought she probably smelled awful too. Megan, the young, newly certified nurse working the emergency room, did a double take.

"We'll run into them if we do."

"I know," she whispered hoarsely. She hadn't been screaming, but her throat felt raw. "There are at least twenty inlets that loop

in and around. Some of them are dead ends," she warned. "And some circle back. If they know about them, they could get

ahead of us and cut us off."

"Then we'll slow down, and if we see their lights, we'll take one of the channels and hide until daylight." They were approaching another bend. "Which way?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Everything looks different at night. I think this one circles back."

"Okay, we'll go left," he said and steered the boat in that direction.

"Theo, I could be wrong."

Michelle heard the sound of a boat motor roaring in the distance. The sound was getting closer even as they sped around

another tree trunk.

Theo also heard the noise. He spotted a narrow channel, slowed the engine, and turned the boat once again. There were mossy branches hanging down almost into the water. He pushed them out of the way as they passed. Once they had made another turn and he saw how narrow the channel became, he turned off the engine.

Michelle switched the flashlight off. They huddled together and turned toward the sound. It was as black as the inside of a coffin. The downpour had subsided, and a soft drizzle was falling.

The swamp pulsated with life. Theo heard something splash into the water behind them. The bullfrogs suddenly stopped croaking, and the crickets fell silent. Something was moving, though. What the hell was it? The boat struck something then. He thought it might be another tree trunk, but he couldn't be sure. The boat bobbed back, then stopped.

Michelle reached behind him, pushed a lever, and told him in a whisper to help her swing the motor up out of the water. "If we have to keep going in this channel, the blade could get caught in the mud. It gets shallow in some of these." The boat tapped the obstacle once again. "There they are," Michelle whispered.

They could see the light from the motorboat scanning the thicket like a lighthouse beacon, swinging back and forth in a wide

arc, searching for them.

The light didn't find them. Michelle took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. They had just gotten over another hurdle, and she

took a minute to thank God for that blessing. They weren't out of danger yet, but Theo had been right when he'd told her they could hide out until daylight and then get help. Soon there would be an end to this nightmare.

The hunters had gone on. The noise from their boat fading now. Michelle guessed that they would continue on for several more minutes before they'd turn around and backtrack, searching more thoroughly.

Theo's mind was racing. Were they professional hitters? If so, who had sent them? Could the mob have tracked him to Louisiana? Were they here to retaliate for his part in convicting so many of their leaders? Had his being here put her in danger?

Michelle heard a twig snap above her. She glanced up at the branches a scant second before she felt a weight drop on her left foot. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to scream. Whatever had fallen was now slithering up her leg. She

froze, her hand gripping the flashlight in her lap, her finger on the switch.

"Theo, grab the oar," she whispered, trying not to move a muscle. "When I turn the light on, you've got to knock it out of the

boat. Okay?"

He didn't understand. What it? What was she talking about? He didn't question her, though. He simply picked up the oar, held

it like a baseball bat, and waited.

"I'm ready."

She flipped the switch on. Theo felt his heart lurch in his chest. He almost dropped the oar when he saw the hideous black

snake. The monster's forked tongue was darting in and out, as though he were anticipating the morsel he was going to bite, his triangular flat head poised above Michelle's kneecap. He seemed to be looking into her eyes.

Time suspended as Theo swung the oar at the snake and hurled it into the water. He jumped to his feet and grabbed Michelle. "Son of a bitch," he roared. "Son of a bitch."

Michelle scrambled to her knees, her heart racing. She kept her flashlight beam trained on the snake, watching as it skimmed across the water into the bushes on the other side of the muddy bank. Then she scanned the water, reached out, and grabbed

the oar that Theo had thrown out. Dropping it on the floor of the boat, she leaned back. "That was a close call."

Theo was slapping at her legs. "Did he get you?" he asked frantically.

"No, he didn't. He was probably more afraid than we were."

"What the hell was it?"

"A cottonmouth," she answered.

"Son of a… they're poisonous."

"Yes," she agreed. She grabbed his hand. "Stop hitting me."

"I just wanted to make sure there weren't any others…" He stopped when he realized how crazy he sounded.

"Any other snakes crawling up my pant leg? There aren't any. Trust me, I'd know. Try to calm down."

"How can you be so friggin' calm? That thing was on your leg."

She put her hand on his cheek. "But you got rid of it."

"Yeah, but…"

"Take a breath."

She wasn't as calm as she sounded. When he put his arms around her, he could feel her trembling. "You know what?"

"Let me guess. You hate snakes."

"How'd you know I was going to say that?"

She smiled as she pulled away from him. "I just had a feeling."

"Let's get out of here."

He put his hand into the water to see if he could push the boat away from the bank. His fingers felt as if they were being

sucked into the mud.

Michelle grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "You don't want to put your hand in the water, not around here."

He didn't need to ask why. He pictured an alligator leaping up at him and shuddered over the thought. Grabbing the oar, he used

it to push away. "Do you think this way cuts through?"

"I've lived here all my life and I know these waters, but in the dark, I'm still second-guessing myself. I think this one dead ends about a quarter of a mile from here. If we keep going, we could get trapped, and I don't want to walk through the swamp. It

isn't safe, not at night, anyway. I think we should turn around and go back."

"That's got my vote."

"When we cross back over, let's use the oars and row across. If they're out there, they won't hear us."

She picked up the other oar and helped him get the boat turned.

"If another damned snake lands in this boat, they'll hear me, all right."

Theo changed places with Michelle and used the oars to get them to the opening of the channel. He stopped, then turned to look. "What do you think? Can we make it back to

your place? If I could get to my cell phone-"

She interrupted him. "We went too far downstream. We'd have to backtrack and that's pushing our luck."

"Okay. We'll head straight across and hope there's a dock close."

He couldn't see more than ten feet ahead of him but knew it was too risky to turn the flashlight on now. Michelle climbed over

the bench so she could get to the motor. She put her hand on the cord, ready to yank it if they were spotted. She was worrying about everything now. When was the last time she filled the motor with gas? She couldn't remember. What if they reached the middle and then the spotlight found them?

They were gliding across the water now. Theo's powerful arms worked the oars like an expert.

She could see the light scanning the water. "They're looking for us in the channels," she whispered.

Theo kept rowing but glanced behind him. The beam of light was crisscrossing the water, but the boat wasn't moving. It was

about two hundred yards away.

"They haven't seen us yet."

"Should I turn the motor-"

"No." His voice was urgent. "Hang in there. We might make it."

A minute later, the beam turned back in their direction. Michelle didn't wait for Theo to tell her to start the motor. She pulled hard. It didn't catch the first time. Theo swung the oars in and shoved Michelle down as a bullet whizzed past his head. She yanked on the rope and cried out when the engine sputtered to life.

Theo pulled his gun from the holster, shouted for Michelle to keep her head down, just as another bullet struck the water next to them. He propped his elbow on the bench and fired his weapon.

The bastards were coming fast now. Theo was trying to shoot out the spotlight. The first shot missed, but he heard someone

shout, and he hoped that meant he'd hit one of them. He squeezed the trigger again. He was on the mark this time. The bullet shattered the light, giving them maybe five, ten seconds max before one of the hitters turned his flashlight on them.

Michelle couldn't judge how close they were to the bank. She tried to reach the throttle to slow the boat down, but it was too late. The boat suddenly lurched up, out of the water, and slammed into thorny bushes. It didn't stop but bounced twice before striking a tree. The impact threw Theo into the front of the boat. He landed on his left side, slamming his knee into the aluminum. His upper arm, still throbbing from the cut from the window glass, hit the metal rim, tearing his skin and sending a jolt of pain down to his elbow.

Michelle's forehead struck the bench and she cried out as she threw her arms up to protect herself.

Theo leapt out of the boat, holstered his gun, and pulled Michelle. Dazed from the impact, she shook her head, trying to clear it

as she felt around the boat for the flashlight.

"Come on," he shouted over the roar of the motor coming closer and closer.

He was lifting her when she found the flashlight. Jerking her arm free, she snatched it. Her heart was slamming against her sternum, and her head felt as though it had been split apart, the pain almost blinding as she stumbled forward.

Theo wrapped his arm around her, hauled her into his side, and, half carrying her, ran into the brush. He didn't have the faintest idea where they were headed. Completely disoriented, he ran headlong into spiny branches. He pushed through them with his

right arm.

He could still hear the motor roaring in the distance and was desperate to get Michelle as far away as possible before the men docked their boat.

They fought their way through the brush and the soggy undergrowth, stopping twice to listen for signs that they were being followed. Finally, breaking out of the thicket, they stumbled forward into the open.

Michelle stopped to get her second wind. She wasn't sure where they were.

"Should I risk it?" she asked as she lifted the flashlight and put her thumb on the switch. "I don't think they'll see the light if I only have it on for a second."

"Do it."

She flipped the switch, then breathed a sigh of relief. "I think I know where we are." Turning the light off, she whispered, "It's about a mile to The

Swan."

They were standing on the edge of a dirt road which, to Theo, looked like a dozen others he'd driven down.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

He clasped her hand and started running. If they could get around the bend up ahead before their pursuers reached the road, they'd be in the clear. He kept glancing over his shoulder looking for lights. The only sound was their heavy breathing and the pounding of their feet against the road.

Michelle turned on the light again, just in the nick of time, because they would have run off the road where it curved. She tripped as she turned, but Theo caught her and kept her upright without slowing down. He looked behind him again, saw the small beam of light strike the road, and increased his speed.

He was positive they hadn't seen them.

"I'm okay now," she panted. "I can run."

He let go of her, then took hold of her hand, and continued on. He could see a light twinkling like a star in the distance and

headed in that direction.

The stitch in Michelle's side was burning now, and her head felt as if it were going to explode. They reached a crossroad, and Michelle doubled over, her hands clasping her knees.

"The Swan's down the road to the left," she panted. "We can call the police from there."

The road was gravel and mud. He remembered driving down this lane. As he ran, he constantly scanned the brush on either

side, figuring which way they would dive if he heard someone coming.

"You doing okay?" he whispered.

"I'm good," she answered.

She felt like crying out with relief when she saw the dark building ahead of them. The feeling of euphoria was short-lived, for a scant second later, she heard the sound of a car screeching around the curve behind them.

She didn't have time to react. One second she was glancing over her shoulder to look for headlights, and the next she was flying off the road into a gully with Theo. Michelle landed hard on her backside. Theo crouched beside her and pulled his gun out, his eyes scanning the road. They were concealed by bushes and scrub.

Michelle gingerly probed the bump on her forehead, grimacing. Her mind raced. Then she remembered what she wanted to tell Theo.

She whispered his name. He put his hand over her mouth. "Shhh," he whispered close to her ear.

The car pulled up next to them. She fought the urge to recoil as she heard a thrashing noise in the bushes next to them. She realized she was holding her breath when her chest began to ache. She slowly, quietly exhaled. Her hand gripped Theo's knee. More thrashing in the underbrush, then muttering as the man walked back to the car. Gravel crunched under his shoes.

The damp air was getting to her. Her eyes suddenly began to tear and she needed to sneeze. Please, God, not now. I can't make any noise…. not yet. She clamped her fingers over her nose and breathed through her mouth. Tears were streaming

down her cheeks, and she pulled her T-shirt up over her mouth.

Theo heard the car door slam, and then the car moved on. He wasn't going to take any chances, though. He strained to hear

every little sound. How many were there? He knew for certain four men had tried to ambush them. He'd seen two in the front

of Michelle's house and then two who'd driven the boat to the dock. Their goal had obviously been to trap them inside the house, and he swore that as soon as they were safe and out of this jungle warfare, he would get every one of them.

He finally shifted his position to take the weight off his knees. Putting his arm around Michelle, he bent down and whispered, "They're looking for us at The Swan, and we're going to sit tight until they're gone. You still doing okay?"

She nodded against him. As soon as he turned back to watch the road, she rested her cheek against his back and closed her eyes. Her heart was slowing down now. She wanted to take advantage of the temporary breather in case they had to start running again. Who were these men, and why were they after them?

She shifted her weight from one knee to the other. She felt as though she were sitting in compost. The smell of wet, rotten, decomposing leaves was thick and musty. She thought there had to be a dead animal somewhere close because she could smell the foul stench of rotting meat. She wanted to gag.

It had stopped raining. That was good, wasn't it? God, how long had they been waiting? It seemed as though an hour had

passed since they'd dived into the brush, but then time had pretty much stopped from the moment the first gunshot had been

fired.

She heard the car before she saw the headlights through the branches. It came roaring down the road, passed them without slowing, and sped on.

Theo chanced it and leaned out to see which way the car was headed. It slowed at the crossroad, then went straight ahead,

which meant the men hadn't given up yet and were searching another back road. He tried but couldn't see the license plate.

"They'll have to give up looking for us soon," she whispered. "It will be light, and they won't want to risk being seen by early morning fishermen. Don't you think they'll give up?"

"Maybe," he allowed. "Let's go," he said then as he stood, bracing himself for the pain in his knee. He pulled her to her feet.

"Stay close to the side of the road and don't turn the flashlight on."

"Okay," she agreed. "But if you hear them coming, don't throw me into a ditch again. Just tell me. My backside's going to be bruised."

He didn't sound contrite when he said, "Better a bruise than a bullet."

She sneezed. It felt good. "I know," she said.

"Can you run?"

"Can you?" she asked, noticing that he was favoring one leg.

"Sure. I'm just a little stiff. Let's move."

There was a single light shining from a pole near the opening to the parking lot. Theo wasn't taking any chances. He pulled Michelle over into the brush and edged around The Swan to the back door. He couldn't see anything moving inside. The back

door was metal, so Theo began to backtrack to one of the front windows, looking down at the ground now for a sturdy rock.

"I'll have to climb in through the window," he said as he picked up a jagged rock.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna break the glass."

"No," she whispered. "I know where Daddy hides his spare key."

Theo dropped the rock and walked over to the door. She turned the flashlight on and reached up over the door and picked up

the key from the ledge.

"That's a real clever hiding place," he said.

"Don't be sarcastic. No one would think of breaking in Daddy's bar."

"Why wouldn't they?"

"John Paul would go after them, and they all know it. Daddy could leave the doors unlocked if he wanted to."

It took her two tries to get the key in the lock because her hands were shaking. Aftermath, she thought. Her body was finally reacting to the terror she and Theo had lived through.

Theo went inside first, squinting into the darkness, then, keeping Michelle behind him, he told her in a whisper to lock the door.

He heard the sound of the deadbolt slipping into place. The refrigerator began to hum and vibrate. The phone, he remembered, was in the main room at the end of the bar, just outside of the storage room. He thought he heard a sound, maybe a squeaky floorboard.

"Stay here," he whispered as he pulled his gun out and cautiously walked into the bar.

The light from the parking lot cast a gray shadow on the tables and the floor. It was still dark in the corners, though. Theo went behind the bar. His eyes had adjusted to the dim light, his gaze now fully directed on the half-opened door to the storage area.

It was a perfect place for a man to hide. Would they have left a man behind? No, that didn't make any sense to Theo, but he

still continued to watch the door as he crept along.

At the center of the bar, he stopped, and then reached underneath the counter to search for Jake's shotgun. He wouldn't miss his target with that sucker, he thought as his hand touched the butt of the shotgun. Lifting it off the bracket, he carefully pulled it out.

Theo was turning away from the counter when he felt the tiniest brush of air on the back of his neck. He knew without turning around or hearing a sound that someone was coming up behind him and coming fast.

Her brother cut her off. "I know who he is." Theo blinked. "You know who I am?" "That's right," John Paul said. John Paul had never backed away from a fight in his life, and when Theo took a step toward him, he took an immediate step forward. Michelle was squeezed between them.

"If you knew who I was, why did you jump me?" Theo growled.

"Yes, why did you?" Michelle wanted to know, craning her neck back so she could look into her brother's eyes. "That was rude, John Paul."

His sister always knew just what to say to make him laugh.'It took effort to maintain his angry expression. Rude. Hell, yes, he supposed it had been rude.

He folded his arms across his chest. "I couldn't let him take the shotgun," he explained to Michelle. "He might be the kind to

spook easy and shoot someone, or maybe even shoot himself in the foot."

Theo wasn't placated. He took another step forward. "You were trying to kick me in my bad knee, weren't you?"

John Paul smiled. "Always go for the weakest point," he said. "You were favoring your leg, so I figured…"

"You knew I was a friend of your sister's, and you were still going to break my kneecap?"

"I wasn't going to break it," he countered. "I was just going to make you go down."

"You could have hurt him," Michelle said. "Michelle, I don't need you to defend me," Theo muttered. His masculinity was taking

a beating, and he had had all he was going to take of Mad Max.

"If I had wanted to hurt him, I would have. I could have killed him, but I didn't."

"The hell you could," Theo said, as he dropped the gun in the holster.

"I could have snapped your neck, but I resisted the impulse."

It was then, as Michelle was turning to tell Theo to stop baiting her brother, that she noticed the blood on his arm. She turned the bar light on and stepped closer to Theo. In the light she could see a sliver of glass imbedded in the deep cut. "When did this happen? You're going to need stitches." She didn't give him time to explain. Whirling around, she went after her brother. She poked him in his chest and demanded, "Did you do that? What were you thinking?"

Theo smiled. He could have put an end to her tirade by speaking up and telling her that her brother hadn't caused the injury, but he was getting a real kick out of watching John Paul squirm. Her brother was backing away from her as she read him the riot act. His expression, Theo thought with a good deal of smug satisfaction, was laughable. The guy looked as if he didn't know what to do. When she was finished blistering him with her guilt trip, her brother appeared to be a little contrite. Not much, but a little.

In the harsh light, Theo could see a bit of a resemblance between brother and sister. Both had high cheekbones and blue eyes of the identical color, but that was where the resemblance ended. Michelle was beautiful. She had a gentle, loving disposition. John Paul didn't.

Theo childishly wanted to keep on hating the man, but he knew he couldn't because he could see in John Paul's eyes that he loved Michelle, and Theo figured he was just like any other big brother, doing whatever it took to protect her.

His magnanimous gesture to give the guy a break was short-lived. John Paul glared at him and demanded, "My sister looks like she's been dragged through the mud. What the hell have you been up to?"

Michelle turned his attention then. "You're going to have to tell Daddy you broke his best whiskey bottle," she told her brother. "Now, clean it up while I call Ben."

She pushed Theo out of her way to get to the phone. She called the police station and asked the operator to put her through to

Ben Nelson's home.

Theo told John Paul to turn the light off. Surprisingly he did as he was told, then Theo explained what had happened. John Paul didn't show any reaction.

When Theo ended his account of the attack, John Paul asked, "You think they'll come back? Is that why you don't want the

light on?"

"They probably won't, but I'm not taking any chances. We could get trapped in here."

"No, we couldn't," John Paul argued. "Besides, I'd hear them coming."

"Yeah? You'd hear them even if they were creeping up on us?"

John Paul nodded. "Yeah, I would."

"You think you're Superman?"

Her brother grinned. "Pretty much. I'd love it if they tried to come in. It would give me the opportunity to kill a couple of them."

"There's nothing more fun than a shoot-out," Theo said, his voice reeking with sarcasm, "but not with your sister here."

"Yeah, I know."

Theo was beginning to feel the effects of the fight. His jaw hurt and his arm was throbbing. He opened the cooler, took out two cold long-neck bottles of beer, and though he wanted to hit John Paul over the head with one of them, he figured that would be a waste of good beer and handed it to him instead.

John Paul didn't thank him, but then Theo didn't expect him to. He opened his and took a long drink.

Theo heard Michelle talking to Ben and interrupted. "Tell him to meet us at the house."

She asked Ben to hold on and told Theo they needed to get to the hospital.

He decided his arm was way down the list of priorities. "No," he said firmly. "We're going to your house first."

"God, you're stubborn," she whispered, but she gave in.

Theo wanted to get off his feet so his knee would stop aching. He went over to one of the tables, sat down, then pulled another chair out and propped his foot up on it.

John Paul followed him, and stood beside him, towering over him.

"Sit down," Theo said.

John Paul circled the table, pulled a chair out, and sat. He began to ask questions, wanting more details. Theo took another swig

of his beer and then explained once again from beginning to end what had happened, only leaving out the part that he had been

in Michelle's bed. He didn't think her brother would appreciate hearing that.

John Paul homed in on what Theo hadn't told him. "Why were you closing the window in Mike's room?" "It was open."

"Theo? Do you know what make the car was?" Michelle called out.

"A gray Toyota… new," he answered. "They're probably long gone by now," John Paul remarked.

Theo agreed. He was watching Michelle now, and John Paul patiently waited for him to turn back around so he could tell him

he was going to have to beat the hell out of him because he knew damn well that Theo had been in Michelle's bed. He didn't

care that his sister could make her own choices, and he didn't care that it wasn't his business. She was his little sister, and Theo, John Paul decided, had taken advantage of her.

"My sister's a gifted surgeon," John Paul said with a snarl.

"I know."

"She's spent most of her life getting her training."

"What are you trying to say?"

"She hasn't had much training with men… doesn't know what pricks they can be."

"She's an adult." "She's naive."

"Who's naive?" Michelle asked as she hurried to the table.

"Never mind," her brother said as he continued to glare at Theo. He was angry with Michelle too, he realized, for not only had

she allowed herself to become vulnerable by getting involved with an outsider, but damned if she hadn't chosen a government

man. That was almost unforgivable.

"Mike, you and I are going to have to have a talk." She ignored the anger radiating in her brother's voice. "Ben's getting

dressed and will meet us at the house in about ten minutes. He's also sending out a couple of police cars to try to find the

Toyota. I told him I thought there were three or four men, maybe more."

"At least four," Theo said.

"Do you know where Daddy keeps the Tylenol?" she asked her brother.

"Above the sink in the kitchen. You want me to get it?"

"I'll do it. Theo, we should go directly to the hospital," she said as she walked away.

"Stitches can wait."

Michelle came back with a bottle of Tylenol and two glasses of water. Tucked under her arm were two bags of frozen vegetables. She set the Tylenol on the table with the glasses and held up the bags.

"Peas or carrots?"

Theo was unscrewing the childproof bottle of Tylenol. "Carrots."

She crunched the bag in her hands to break up the frozen chunks, then put the bag on Theo's knee. "Better?" "Yeah, thanks."

She lifted the bag of peas to the top of her forehead. Theo immediately let go of the bottle and pulled Michelle onto his lap.

"You hurt yourself? Here, let me see."

The concern in his voice made her feel a little weepy. She took a breath and said, "It's nothing. Just a little bump. Honestly, it's

no big-"

"Shhh," he whispered as he gently pushed her hand away and tilted her head down so he could see the injury in the dim light.

The more John Paul observed, the more depressed he became. He knew from the tender way Theo was touching Mike that the man obviously cared about her, and it was too late to do anything about it. A Fed. How could she have fallen for a Fed?

"Damn," he muttered.

Michelle and Theo ignored him. "You didn't cut your scalp."

"I told you it wasn't anything."

"You've got a hell of a bump."

"It's okay."

He was gently brushing her hair away from her face. John Paul's disgust was becoming unbearable.

"Mike, get off his lap and sit in a chair."

"I don't think your brother likes me," Theo said with a smile. Because he knew John Paul was glaring at him, he kissed her forehead. "When did you hit your head? Was it when the snake fell on you?"

She slipped off his lap and sat in the chair next to him.

"What snake?" John Paul asked.

"A cottonmouth fell out of a tree," she explained to her brother.

Theo opened the bottle of Tylenol. Michelle put her hand out, and he dropped two capsules into her palm as she said,

"Theo, we have to get to the hospital and find that package."

"What are you talking about? What package?" Theo asked.

Michelle decided she needed to start at the beginning. Propping her elbow on the table, she placed the bag of peas against her forehead and said, "I recognized one of them."

"And you're just now telling me?" He jerked upright, sending the bag of carrots flying. John Paul caught the bag in midair, then reached over and slammed it down on Theo's knee.

She cringed because the shout made her head hurt more. "The man who was running toward us while we were trying to get to

my boat… he's the man I recognized. You turned the flashlight on his face, remember? He was the messenger from the Speedy Messenger Service. He came up to me while I was sitting in the bleachers at the stadium watching you work with the

football team…"

"I saw the guy at the stadium, but I didn't see his face. He was wearing that cap. You're talking about the guy I shot at?"

"Yes."

"Did you kill him?" John Paul wanted to know.

Theo's mind was racing. "No," he answered impatiently. "I missed. Michelle, I still don't understand why you waited so long to

tell me that you knew one of them."

"When did I have time to tell you? While they were shooting at us and chasing us? Or when we were hiding in the swamp and

you wouldn't let me talk?"

"You're absolutely certain it was the same man?"

"Yes," she said emphatically. "You know what's really odd? When I was talking to him at the stadium, I had this feeling I'd seen him before, but then I thought I had probably run into him at the hospital. We're always getting deliveries there."

"Did you recognize any of the others? What about the guy in the boat?"

"I didn't see his face," she answered. "He jumped into the water when you shot at him."

"Did you kill him?" John Paul asked.

"No, I missed."

John Paul looked incredulous. "Why do you carry a gun if you don't know how to use it?"

"I do know how to use it," he snapped defensively. "I'll be happy to demonstrate."

"He might have winged him," Michelle said hopefully, then recognized the irony. She was supposed to be dedicated to saving lives, not destroying them. Getting shot at had certainly turned her moral code upside down.

"Yeah, right," John Paul grunted with disgust. "How far away was this guy?"

"We were getting fired at from both directions," she said. "And Theo was busy trying to shield me and shoot at the same time."

John Paul ignored her explanation. "Why do you carry a gun?" he asked.

"Because I've been ordered to carry one. I get a lot of death threats."

"I can see that," John Paul said.

"Will you stop fighting with one another? We're in a mess here. Theo, I think I know what's going on now. The man, or men,

who tore up my clinic were looking for a package. The guy who came up to me at the stadium said another employee of Speedy Messenger had delivered the wrong one to me, and he was trying to get it back. I called the staff secretary and told her to look

for it and give it to him. I sent him to the hospital, but never followed up to see if he got the package," she said. "Remember

Elena dropped that box of mail off earlier? I think the men who came to my house last night thought it was there. But I went through the box, and there was no special delivery in it. My guess is that they didn't find it at the hospital yesterday and they thought she brought it to me last night."

"There's only one way they could have known Elena was going to drop anything off," John Paul said. "They tapped into her

phone line," Theo said. "Damn, why didn't I check?" "I'll find it," John Paul offered. "Do you know what to look for?" Her

brother looked offended. "Of course." Theo thought for a second and then said, "When you find it, leave it alone." "Why?" Michelle asked.

"Because I don't want them to know we're aware of it. We might want to give them some false information."

"Tell me exactly what the guy said to you," John Paul said, and Theo noticed he wasn't quite as antagonistic now.

"He said there was a mix-up at the delivery service," Michelle said. "Frank-that's the name he gave me-told me that another messenger named Eddie inadvertently switched labels on two packages he picked up. Whatever I got by mistake is obviously

what they're after."

Theo shook his head. "And you know it was a mix-up because…?" He didn't wait for the light to dawn. "Nothing is true until

it's proven, and we aren't going to believe the package was misdirected until we open it and look inside."

She nodded. "Because the man shooting at us could have been lying."

"Jeez, Mike. Use your head," John Paul said.

"My head aches, John Paul." Upset with herself because she'd been so slow, she sighed. "Of course he was lying."

"Not necessarily," Theo qualified.

"You just said…" she snapped.

Theo smiled. "He could have been telling the truth. It could be a misdirected package. When we find it, we'll see what it is.

Until then…"

"I understand," she said wearily.

"You remember telling me you had the feeling someone was following you? I think you were right. Whoever he is… he's good.

I never spotted him, and I was looking."

"Maybe they were watching the house," Michelle suggested.

"What do you think about all this?" John Paul asked Theo.

"I don't know," he admitted. "When we find that package, we'll know what we're up against."

"You're going home with me, Mike. I can protect you."

"Are you saying I can't?" Theo asked, angry now.

"When I shoot, I shoot to kill. I don't miss."

Theo was ready to punch him again, but Michelle put a stop to the hostility.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," she snapped. "I can and will protect myself. John Paul, I'm going to the hospital with Theo."

"Mike-"

"That's the way it's going to be."

"She'll be okay with me," Theo said, and was surprised when John Paul didn't argue. Rubbing his brow, Theo added, "Noah's in New Orleans. I'll want him to stay there and do a couple of things before he drives back to Bowen."

"Noah is-" Michelle began, thinking to explain.

"I know who he is. FBI." John Paul snapped the words out, his disdain apparent.

"So, in the meantime," Theo continued as though neither one of them had interrupted his train of thought, "you keep your dad close."

Michelle dropped the bag of peas on the table. "You think they'll go after Daddy?"

"I'm just covering every possibility I can think of until I have time to figure out what the next move should be."

Theo finished his beer and set the bottle on the table. "We should get going."

Michelle asked, "John Paul, will you get the pickup started? Daddy hasn't driven it in over a week now. He told me something's wrong with the starter, and he hasn't had time to get it fixed."

"I'll get it started."

Exhaustion was finally catching up with Michelle. She slowly stood. "Then let's get going."

Theo handed her the bag of carrots to put back in the freezer as he stood and tested his knee by slowly putting weight on it. The ice pack had helped. His knee didn't buckle, and it wasn't throbbing much at all now.

Michelle held the bag of peas against her forehead as she headed to the kitchen.

"We have to stop by the house first," Theo reiterated.

"Because Ben will be waiting for us? I could call him-"

"No," Theo said. "Because I want to pick up my cell phone, and I need more bullets."

He knew what was coming before John Paul opened his mouth.

"What do you need more bullets for?"

"I'm almost out."

"Seems like a waste to me."

Michelle had had it with her brother. Turning around, she said, "Don't shoot him, Theo. I know you want to because my brother can be a real pain in the backside. But I love him, so don't do it."

Theo winked at her.

John Paul scoffed, "I'm not worried."

"You should be," Michelle said.

"Why?" John Paul asked. "If he shoots, he'll miss."

"You look like you fell in a garbage truck," she said. "What the heck happened to you?" "Fell in a garbage truck."

Another nurse named Frances looked up from behind the nurses' station. She was also young, but had earned the nickname "Grannie" because she acted like a ninety-year-old. Michelle told her she needed a tray prepared for stitches.

Frances got up and hurried around the counter. Her rubber shoes squeaked with each step she took.

"You stay here, Theo," Michelle said. "I'm going to go into the doctors' lounge and take a shower." "I'm going with you. It's quiet there, isn't it?" "Yes'."

"Good. I've got to call Noah." Megan was wide-eyed and gawking as they walked past her. Michelle noticed her full attention

was directed on Theo now.

Michelle led the way into the spacious lounge. There were lockers against one wall, a sofa and coffee table on the opposite side

of the room, a couple of recliners, and a desk. Just inside the door was a narrow table with a coffee urn and plastic cups. In the corner sat a refrigerator.

A narrow hallway led to two doors. While Michelle was getting clean clothes out of her locker, Theo opened both doors to see what was inside. Each was a fully equipped bathroom with a shower.

"Nice setup," he remarked as she passed him on her way into the bath. Grabbing a container of bottled water out of the refrigerator, he sat down at the desk and dialed Noah's cell phone. A second later he was listening to Noah telling him to leave a message. He had a pretty good idea where Noah was, but he would have to wait until Michelle finished showering to get the phone number.

Next, he dialed the hospital operator and asked her to page Elena Miller. He heard the sound of papers rustling in the background, then the operator told him that Elena wasn't on duty yet. Although she refused to give Theo the woman's home number, she finally agreed to dial it for him. Elena answered on the second ring, and after identifying himself, Theo asked her to describe the messenger who had come by the hospital to pick up the package on Wednesday and to tell him what the man had said.

Elena couldn't wait to tell Theo all about the rude man. "He had the gall to shout at me," she said.

Theo made notes on a notepad he found on the desk and asked her several questions. When he was finished, he hung up, then looked up the phone number of the Speedy Messenger Service in New Orleans in the yellow pages he found in the bottom desk drawer and called them. Three people later, he got to the supervisor. The man sounded frazzled and didn't want to cooperate until Theo threatened to send over a couple of policemen to get the information. The supervisor was suddenly happy to help. He explained that all the deliveries were kept in the computer. He typed in Michelle Renard's name and told Theo when and where the package was delivered.

"I want to know who sent it," Theo said.

"Benchley, Tarrance, and Paulson," the supervisor replied. "The package was signed for at the St. Claire Hospital at five-fifteen according to my records. You want me to send you a copy?"

"That won't be necessary," Theo said.

By the time Michelle had showered and washed her hair, she felt pretty good. She thought she looked like hell, but she felt good, and right now, that was all she cared about. She got dressed, combed her hair, wincing when she accidentally hit her tender scalp. Tucking the strands behind her ears, she decided to let it dry on its own. She was walking toward Theo, pulling the drawstring

tight on her pants and tying it, as he turned to her.

"Did you talk to Noah?" she asked.

"Not yet," he answered. "I did talk to the supervisor at Speedy. Guess what?"

"There's no Frank or Eddie, right? God, I feel like such an idiot."

"No, there isn't any Frank or Eddie, but why would you feel like an idiot? There was absolutely no reason for you to be suspicious."

"Theo, I'm telling you, I've seen that man before. I assumed I had run into him at the hospital, but that obviously isn't the case.

So where did I see him?"

"It will come to you," he said. "Try not to force it, and when you're thinking about something else, that's when you'll remember. You know what else the supervisor told me?"

Michelle crossed the room to the sofa, sat down, and bent over to tie her shoelaces.

"Tell me," she said.

"The package was sent from Benchley, Tarrance, and Paulson."

"Addressed to me?"

"Yes," he answered. "I called the firm, but no one is going to tell me anything over the phone, so I'm sending Noah over there.

Oh, and I also talked to Elena Miller. She was on a tirade."

Michelle nodded. "Elena's always on a tirade about something. What did she say?"

"The messenger was hostile."

"We already know that."

"When she couldn't locate the package for him, she said he started shouting at her. He threatened her too. She was so furious

she was going to call the messenger service and report him, but she got busy and forgot about it."

She stood and walked over to the desk. Noticing the way he was staring at her, she asked, "What's the matter?"

"I just noticed how tired you look."

"I'm okay."

"I'm worried about you. You look like you're about to fall over."

"I'm fine," she insisted.

She didn't look fine. Her complexion was pale and she was tense. She needed to take a couple of minutes to chill out, he

thought. Her nervous energy was going to run out, and then she would crash.

"Come here."

"Theo, we have to get moving. I've got to stitch your arm and find that package."

"The stitches and the package can wait a few more minutes. Take a deep breath and try to unwind. You want something to

drink? A cola or something?"

"No, thanks."

"Come here."

"I am here."

"Closer."

She took a step to the side of the desk. "Theo "

"Closer."

The man was irresistible. She knew she shouldn't allow him to sidetrack her. They both had too much to do. Folding her arms across her chest, she frowned at him. "Now isn't the time to fool around."

He pulled her onto his lap. "Why do you think I want to fool around?"

His hand had moved to the back of her neck, and he was slowly pulling her toward him.

"I don't know… it's just a feeling I have that you might want to kiss me," she said as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"The thought never entered my mind. We can't fool around now, sweetheart. We've got too much to do."

He was nibbling on her neck. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side so he could kiss her earlobe.

"Then I must have misread the signals," she whispered.

"Must have," he agreed a scant second before his mouth captured hers for a long, scorching kiss. His tongue slid inside her

warm mouth, and, oh, God, the slow, lazy penetration drove her wild. He teased and tantalized until she was trembling and

gripping his shoulders in a silent demand for more.

Theo had meant only to give her a quick kiss, but once his mouth touched hers, he simply couldn't resist. He knew he had to

stop before things got completely out of hand, and yet he continued to kiss her until she pulled back.

"We can't do this." She was panting now and sounded dazed. "We just can't." Her forehead dropped on his. "This has to stop, Theo."

"Yeah, okay," he said gruffly as he tried to get his heartbeat to slow down.

She kissed his forehead, then moved lower to the bridge of his nose. "This is a hospital, for the love of God."

She kissed him on the mouth. And just when he was beginning to gain the upper hand, she tore her mouth away and whispered,

"I work here. I can't go around kissing people all the time."

And damned if she didn't kiss him again. Theo could feel his control slipping. He abruptly pulled back and lifted her off his lap.

She leaned against the desk in case her legs gave out. Lord, could he kiss, and, oh, how she loved the taste of him. Disheartened, she realized she loved everything about him. His calm, take-charge attitude… his self-confidence. He was so comfortable in his own skin, so sure of himself. When he was afraid, he didn't hide it the way her brother did. He was so secure he didn't care

what other people thought.

Michelle admired that trait most of all.

She took a deep breath and headed for the ER. Pushing the swinging door open with the flat of her hand, she went into the hallway. Theo was right behind her.

"You've got the sexiest walk," he told her.

"Didn't you read the sign?"

"What sign?"

"No flirting in the hospital."

He relented. "Okay," he agreed. "We'll start searching for the package in the emergency room first," he said, suddenly all

business again. "I noticed on our way in that it wasn't busy, so now is the perfect time. I'm going to get some of the staff to help."

"I'm going to sew you back together first."

"No, Michelle, I want-"

She turned around and walked backwards as she said, "Theo, I'm in charge here. Deal with it."

The shower had revitalized her, but she knew the burst of energy she was feeling was going to be short and the lack of sleep would eventually catch up with her. For that reason she wanted to get the more important task finished. Theo came first whether he wanted to or not.

She was also feeling relaxed and sure of herself again. She was on safe ground at the hospital and knew that she and Theo could let their guard down here. No one would be shooting at them. There was safety in numbers. She thought it might be a good idea if they slept at the hospital and was going to suggest it when Theo turned her attention.

"Slow down," he demanded. "Who do I talk to about getting personnel to start looking?"

"Those people have jobs to do."

"This is a priority."

"You could call the administrator. He's usually here by eight, and it's almost that now, but he's not going to cooperate with you.

He doesn't like anything disrupting routine."

"Tough," he said. "He'll cooperate. You're practically running. Slow down," he said once again.

"You're dragging your feet. Are you afraid of a couple of stitches?" The possibility made her smile. "Scared I'll hurt you?"

"No, I just don't like needles."

"I don't either," she said. "I faint every time I see one."

"That's not funny, Michelle."

She thought it was and laughed. Frances, the nurse of the perpetual frown, was standing outside one of the exam areas. She

pulled the drape back. "Everything's ready, Doctor."

Michelle patted the exam table while the nurse raised the head so Theo could lean back. He sat down, his attention on Michelle now as she put on a pair of sterile gloves. The nurse distracted him when she came at him with a pair of scissors and took hold

of his T-shirt. He reached over and pulled the sleeve up over his shoulder. While she swabbed the skin around the cut with a strong-smelling disinfectant, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing.

"You can't use that cell phone in the hospital," Frances told him, and tried to snatch the phone out of his hand.

He wanted to say, "Back off, lady," but he didn't. He turned the phone off and put it on the exam table next to him. "Get me a phone I can use."

He must have sounded hostile. Though it didn't seem possible, Frances's frown intensified. "He's an irritable one, isn't he, Doctor?"

Michelle was working at the corner with her back to Theo, but he knew she was smiling. He could hear it in her voice when she said, "He needs a nap."

"I need a phone."

Frances finished cleaning the area and left. Theo assumed she'd gone to get him a phone. Then Michelle walked over to him with her hand behind her back. He took exception to the fact that she was treating him like a ten-year-old, hiding the syringe so he wouldn't see the needle.

Exasperated, he said, "Make this quick. We've got things to do."

He didn't flinch as she injected the lidocaine. "This should be numb in a minute. Would you like to lie down?"

"Would it make your job easier or quicker if I did?"

"No."

"Then I'm fine. Go ahead and start."

Frances had returned with a clipboard and papers. She'd obviously heard Theo tell Michelle to get started.

"Young man, you shouldn't rush the doctor. That's how mistakes are made."

Young man? Hell, he had to be older than she was. "Where's a phone?"

"Relax, Theo," Michelle said as she motioned for Frances to move the tray closer to her side. "I'm not going to hurry." Then she smiled and whispered, "Someone told me that if you want something done right…"

"What?"

"You have to be slow and easy. It's the only way."

In spite of his irritability, he had to smile. He wanted to kiss her, but he knew the nurse from X-Files would probably try to deck him if he did.

"Frances, are you married?"

"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking Michelle should hook you up with her brother, John Paul. You two have a lot in common."

"Doctor, we don't have paperwork on this patient," she said curtly.

"Where's my phone?" Theo asked.

"He'll fill out the forms after I'm finished," Michelle said.

"That isn't proper procedure."

"I'm gonna count to five. If I don't have a phone in my hand by the time I'm finished, I'm getting off this table…" Theo warned.

"Frances, please bring Theo a phone."

"There's one on the wall," she pointed out.

"But he can't reach it, can he?" Michelle sounded testy now.

"Very well, Doctor."

Frances delegated the task to Megan, who was leaning over the nurses' station flirting with a paramedic.

The phone was an old-fashioned desk model. Megan undipped the wall phone outlet, snapped the plug in, and handed the phone

to Theo. "You have to dial nine to get outside."

Michelle had finished cleaning the wound and was ready to begin stitching. "Quit squirming," she told him. "Are you trying to get Noah again?"

"I want to talk to the administrator first and get us some help. If we have to tear this place apart, that's what we're going to do.

I want to find that package."

"I'm the one who has to look… maybe you and one other person could help. If you have everyone searching, I won't know

where they looked and where they didn't. Let me look around the ER and the surgical floor before you call in reinforcements."

"Why just those two areas?"

"Because any mail I don't pick up down here is sent up to surgical. All the surgeons have cubicles upstairs, and that's where

they drop our mail."

"She's right," Megan said. "I've taken lots of mail up. I go upstairs at least twice a day. I try to be helpful." Then she added, "There's a really cute tech up there. I've been trying get him to notice me. I'll help you, Dr. Mike. Nothing much is happening in the ER, and Frances will page me if she needs me."

"Thanks, Megan."

"No problem. What am I helping you do?"

"Find a package that was delivered by the Speedy Messenger Service."

"Oh, we get lots of packages."

"Michelle, honey, are you almost finished?" Theo asked.

"Wooo! He just called you honey," Megan crooned.

"Megan, you're in my light."

"Sorry, Doctor." As she stepped back, her gaze bounced from Theo to Michelle and back again. "So what's the deal?" she

asked in a whisper.

"Why don't you start searching through the desks and cabinets down here while Michelle finishes this," Theo ordered.

"Yes, sir."

"Be thorough," Michelle said without looking up.

The second Megan pulled the curtain closed, Michelle whispered, "You shouldn't have called me honey."

"Did I undermine your authority?"

"No. It's just that…"

"What?"

"Megan's sweet, but she tells everything, and I can only imagine what the gossip will be tomorrow. They'll have me barefoot

and pregnant."

He tilted his head. "The pregnant part… that's a nice image."

She rolled her eyes. "For heaven's sake."

He smiled. "A woman who could breeze through a snake crawling up her leg can handle a little gossip. You're tougher than you look."

She focused on the task at hand. "One more stitch and I'm finished. When did you have your last tetanus shot?"

He didn't miss a heartbeat. "Yesterday."

"So you hate shots too, huh? You're getting one."

He reached across to touch her cheek. "You get flustered when I tease you, and you get embarrassed with compliments.

You don't know what to do with them, do you?"

"Finished," she announced. "You're back together again, Humpty-Dumpty. Don't get up yet," she quickly added when he moved. "I'm finished. You're not."

"What does that mean?"

"Bandage and shot."

"How many stitches?"

"Six."

The curtain parted as Michelle was removing her gloves. Megan interrupted. "Dr. Mike, there's a detective from New Orleans wanting to talk to you and your boyfriend."

"He's a patient," Michelle snapped, and too late realized she shouldn't have said anything. She'd sounded defensive, which, of course, only fueled Megan's overactive imagination.

Megan pulled the curtain back. "This is Detective Harris," she said.

The woman was tall, strikingly attractive, with an oval face and piercing eyes. As she strode forward, Michelle could see the lines at the corners of her eyes and around her mouth. Dressed in a pair of black pants, sensible black shoes, and a pale blue blouse, she moved toward Theo. When she extended her hand to shake his, Michelle noticed the badge and gun clipped to her belt.

Harris didn't waste time on preliminaries. "I want to hear exactly what happened last night. Chief Nelson filled me in on what

went down, but I want to hear your version."

"Where is Ben?" Michelle asked.

"He went back to your house to finish sweeping the crime scene." She gave Michelle a cursory once-over before continuing.

"I'll take whatever he bags back to the lab in New Orleans."

Theo studied Harris while she talked to Michelle. The detective was like a thousand other police officers he'd known. There was

a weariness about her as though she'd been exhausted most of her life. Her attitude was brittle and hard.

"How long have you been with the department?" he asked.

"Four years in homicide," she responded impatiently. "Three years with vice before the transfer."

Ah. Vice. That explained it. "So what brought you to Bowen?"

"If you don't mind, I'll ask the questions."

"Sure," he said agreeably. "Just as soon as you answer mine."

Her lip curled in what Theo thought might have been an attempt at a smile. "If Nelson hadn't already told me, I would have guessed you were an attorney."

Theo didn't respond to the comment. He simply waited for her to answer his question. She tried to out-stare and intimidate him,

but she lost on both counts.

With a sigh, she answered, "I got a tip… a good, reliable, inside tip that a hitter I've been trailing for three long years is setting

up here. I was told he's in Bowen to do a job, and, I swear to God, I'm going to get him this time."

"Who is he?"

"A ghost. At least, that's what some of the guys in homicide call him, because he vanishes into thin air every time I get close. According to my informant, he's calling himself Monk these days. I've put him with two murders in New Orleans in the past year. We're pretty sure he killed a teenager in Metairie, and we think the girl's father paid for the hit so he could collect insurance, but we can't prove it."

"How do you know it was Monk?" Theo asked.

"He left his calling card. He always does," she explained. "My informant is close to Monk, knows his routine. He told me that Monk leaves a long-stemmed red rose as proof that he did the job. He always makes the murders look like accidents or suicide, and in every case I've been involved in, someone benefits from the death."

"A father had his child killed so he could get money?" Michelle rubbed her arms as though to ward off a chill. That a father would do such a monstrous thing was staggering. She felt sick to her stomach. That poor child.

"The rose was missing from the girl's bedroom," Harris continued. "But there was one petal, still uncurled, half under the dresser. On another case, the crime unit found a thorn stuck in the bedspread. Monk does most of his work at night when his victims are sleeping."

"Who was the victim in the second case you mentioned?" Theo asked.

"An old man, a wealthy grandfather whose only relative had a heavy drug problem."

"From what you've told me about this man," Theo said, "it doesn't seem his style to work with others. He sounds like a loner."

"Until now, he has acted alone, but my gut's telling me he was at the doctor's house last night."

"If he was involved," Michelle said, "then he must be after the package. Maybe there's something inside that will incriminate him or the person who hired him."

"What package?" Harris asked sharply. She looked as if she was about to pounce on Michelle for withholding information.

Michelle explained, and when she was finished, the detective couldn't hide her excitement.

"You're telling me you can ID one of them? You saw his face and you're certain he's the man who came up to you at the stadium?"

"Yes."

"My God, wouldn't that be a piece of luck if the man you saw was Monk. No one's seen him before, but now with a description…"

"I'd like to talk to your informant," Theo said.

She shook her head. "You think I have his phone number? It doesn't work that way. He calls me when he feels like it, and he always uses a pay phone. We've traced the calls, but a car never gets there in time. He's as elusive as the ghost."

"Okay," Theo said. "What about your file on Monk?"

"What about it?"

"I want to see it."

She ignored his request. "We've got to find that package," she said to Michelle. "No hint of what might be inside?"

"Not yet."

"I'm going to get Monk this time. I swear it on my mother's grave. He's so close I can almost smell him."

"I want to see your file," Theo repeated. This time he made sure she understood he wasn't asking. He was demanding.

She gave him an icy stare without responding.

Michelle hurried to diffuse the antagonism. "We'll help you any way that we can, Detective."

Harris was still looking at Theo as she answered. "The best way to help is to stay out of my way. I'm running this operation. Is that understood?"

When Theo didn't answer, she cleared her throat nervously. "I'll put a net around the area and start squeezing. You take the doctor home and stay there. If you hear or see anything suspect, you call me."

She pulled out two cards and handed one to Theo and gave the other one to Michelle.

"You can always get me on my cell phone."

It didn't take a law degree to know Harris wasn't going to cooperate. She was playing close to the vest, and in retaliation, Theo didn't feel the need to share the information he'd collected with her.

"I'm going to want to see your file, Detective, and I'm going to want to see what's inside that package," he snapped. He wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"You can see what's in the package," she said. "And if it's something unrelated to Monk, then you can investigate to your

heart's content."

"And if there is information connecting Monk?" Michelle asked.

"Then I'm calling the shots. This is my investigation, and I'm not about to let the Feds mess it up. I've spent three long years chasing Monk's shadow, and I've got too much invested to let the FBI interfere. It's not going to happen."

Her contempt was palpable. The unfriendly rivalry between the Bureau and local law enforcement agencies was deep-rooted

and a hell of a nuisance, as far as Theo was concerned. He wasn't in the mood to be diplomatic or play games.

"You're worried the FBI will take your case?" Michelle asked.

"Damn right, I'm worried. Three years," she repeated. "I'm going to get Monk, and when I do, I'm not going to hand him over to you," she told Theo.

"Hey, I'm an attorney with the Justice Department. I don't care what you do with him, unless he's one of the shooters who tried

to kill Michelle and me last night. If that's the case, then you and I are going to have to come to an understanding."

She shook her head and said, "The police chief told me you are on vacation… that you came here to fish. So go fish and let me do my job."

"Look, I understand why you want the collar, but-"

"What?" she demanded before he could finish.

"I'm in, like it or not. You think I'm going to sit around and wait? Maybe I didn't make myself clear. He tried to kill us."

Harris was irate. "I'm not letting you screw up this investigation."

Theo wasn't about to get involved in a shouting match. Forcing himself to speak in a level voice, he asked, "How many times do

I have to say it before you understand? You're not stopping me."

"The hell I'm-"

He cut her off. "I can stop you, though, and we both know it. One phone call. That's all it would take."

He wasn't bluffing. When it came to push and shove, he had the muscle. She didn't. Simple as that.

Harris decided on a more prudent approach. "Okay, we'll share information. I'll send you copies of what I've got on Monk as

soon as I get back to the station. And I'll let you see what's inside the package."

"Assuming we can find it," Michelle interjected.

"We have to find it," she snapped.

"Now, I want something," Harris said.

"What?"

"I want forty-eight hours before you start interfering or call in your troops. I guarantee I'll have Monk behind bars before then.

If he's working with the men who came after you and the doctor, I'll get them too."

"You're pretty sure of yourself. What aren't you telling me, Detective? Do you know where Monk is now?"

"Forty-eight hours," she insisted.

He didn't waste any time thinking about it. "No."

"Twenty-four hours, then," she demanded. "That's reasonable."

Her neck was getting red from anger, but Theo didn't give a damn if he was making her life difficult or not.

"No."

"What the hell do you want? Give me something. My men are closing the net now, and we've all worked too damn long to let

you take over. Let us get him. Three long years-"

"Yeah, I know. Three years," he said. "Okay. I'll give you twelve hours, but not one minute more. If you haven't made any

arrests by then, I'm acting.''

She checked her watch. "It's almost nine o'clock now. Twelve hours… yeah, I can live with that. You take the doctor home

and stay there with her until nine tonight." Turning to Michelle, she said, "Let's get moving. Where do we start looking for that package?"

Michelle saw Frances motioning to her. She was holding the phone up. "It's either down here somewhere or upstairs on the surgical wing. Will you excuse me? I've got a phone call." She didn't wait for permission. As she hurried to the counter, she

called out, "Megan, why don't you and Detective Harris go on up to the surgical floor and start looking. I'll be up in a minute to help. Frances, you can go ahead and bandage Mr. Buchanan and give him a tetanus shot."

She picked up the phone and moved back to get out of Megan's path.

"This way, Detective," Megan said, leading her toward the elevator.

Michelle wasn't on the phone long. She came back to Theo and said, "Dr. Landusky found out I was in the hospital and asked me to check a patient for him. Has the numbing worn off? I could give you something if you're hurting." "I'm okay."

"See to that paperwork, Doctor," Frances said before she left them alone.

Theo was watching the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, he picked up the phone and asked Michelle to give him Mary

Ann's home phone number.

She rattled off the number. "Why do you want to talk to Mary Ann?"

"I don't."

Michelle's friend answered on the third ring. She sounded sleepy. Theo didn't waste time chatting. "Let me talk to Noah."

Michelle's mouth dropped open. "He went back to New Orleans with Mary Ann?"

She had her answer a second later when Theo said, "Get out of her bed and go in the other room so we can talk."

Noah yawned loudly into the phone. "This better be good."

"It is," he promised.

"Yeah, all right. Hold on a minute."

Michelle heard her name being paged and went back to the counter to pick up the phone. A nurse wanted her to check a chart before she gave the patient medication. Michelle hung up just as Theo was ending his conversation.

She heard him say, "After you check it out, get back here. Thanks, Noah."

The second he hung up the phone, Michelle asked, "What are you doing? I heard you promise the detective you would give her twelve hours and not do anything until then."

"Uh-huh."

"You did say twelve hours?"

"Yes, I did," he agreed. "So you know what that must mean."

"What?"

"I lied."