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FIFTEEN
Vin still couldn´t believe how careless he´d been. All he could think of upon arriving at the hospital was the fact that he was finally going to be able to put the past six weeks behind him.He´d left Nathan in the lobby, anxious to get up to Withers´ office. He´d even considered taking the stairs, but remembered the promise he´d made to Chris. Six flights were just too many without knowing that he was fully recovered, at least in the blonde´s mind.
So there he stood, waiting for the elevator. When the doors opened, he hesitated only a moment before stepping inside. There was a nurse standing beside the panel of buttons and she smiled in his direction. “Which floor?” she asked.
He was about to reply when he felt the unmistakable press of a gun barrel in his back.
“Four,” a voice whispered close to his ear.
He didn´t have to turn around to know it was trouble. He glanced furtively at the nurse and two elderly people in the small enclosure and realized that any gunplay would put them all at risk.
“Sir?” the nurse prodded. “Are you all right?”
Tanner swallowed hard and allowed his eyes to rest on hers even as he felt the gun dig deeper into his back. “Uh, yes ma´am,” he murmured. “I´m fine.”
“Floor?” she asked again with a slightly amused smile.
In response to the nudge he received, he managed to answer, “Four.”
The ride seemed to take forever. The car stopped at the second floor to let the older couple off and it was slow going for the man who needed the aid of a walker. They´d only barely started up again when it stopped to let the nurse out on the third.
Once alone in the car, Vin risked talking to his unwanted companion. “Come to finish what ya started, Collings?” he asked bitterly.
The elevator doors opened once again and Collings gave him a small shove. “Down to the end of the corridor on your left,” he instructed. “Then turn right. Talk to anyone or try anything stupid and an awful lot of innocent people are going to get hurt, you understand?”
Vin gritted his teeth to bite back a retort and simply followed the directions in angry silence. How could he have been so careless?
+ + + + + + +
Debbie was returning from break when she caught sight of a familiar figure. She knew Tanner had recovered enough to leave the hospital weeks ago but still couldn´t resist the smile that came to her lips as she saw him walking down the corridor toward her. She was about to issue a greeting when his blue eyes met hers in a brief but intense look. She saw a flicker of recognition there, but also something resembling warning. When he quickly broke the connection, she was left to wonder if she´d only imagined it in the first place.
Once he and his companion had passed, she´d turned to look in their direction. The other man had his hand on Tanner´s back, underneath his jacket. Was there a problem? Had the shy young patient she´d taken such a liking to experienced some sort of set-back?
In that case, she would have expected him to still speak to her. And it hadn´t been physical pain she´d seen in his eyes; she saw enough of that on a daily basis to know. As she continued to watch, they rounded the corner to their right. Frowning, she made her way to the desk and punched in the number for Security.
+ + + + + + +
By the time Nathan reached the lobby, Chris and the others were entering through the doors leading to the parking lot.
“Any sign of him?” Chris asked without preamble.
“Nothing,” Jackson replied with a shake of his head. “I even took the stairs down thinkin´ he mighta tried ‘em and found ‘em too much, but nothing.”
Chris´ leadership qualities took over from his frantic concern for the man he loved. “Buck, JD, check with security. Get them to show you the surveillance tapes and track Vin´s movements from there if you can. I want to know if they´ve left the building.”
“Right, Chris,” Buck nodded. “C´mon, kid.” They hurried off in the direction of security while Chris silently planned their next move.
“You really think Collings has him?” Nathan asked, still overwhelmed with guilt for having lost sight of the younger agent.
“Yeah, he´s got him,” Chris answered grimly. “The rest of us will have to split up, cover every inch of this hospital until we know for damned sure they´re not here. Once you´ve searched your area, meet back here.”
They all nodded their acceptance of the instructions and hurried to carry them out after a brief discussion concerning who would search where.
Chris turned to where Johnson stood to his right. “We´re going to need more men.”
“You´ve got ‘em,” Johnson assured him, already pulling his cell phone from his pocket and hurrying outside to use it.
Chris took a deep breath and scanned the lobby. Deciding the tapes were their best bet and trusting Johnson to oversee the physical search, he headed in the direction Buck and JD had taken.
+ + + + + + +
“In here,” Collings rasped, pushing Vin toward a small door. The sign said simply ‘Call Room´ and Vin knew from hours spent in the hospital that it was a room where on-call doctors could catch a few minutes sleep if circumstances allowed. The last time Chris had been injured, they´d tried unsuccessfully to get him to take advantage of one. His heart dropped as he realized that it wasn´t likely to be in use at this time of day.
Only once they were in the room with the door closed did he take the risk of turning to face his captor, his hands held out slightly from his body to indicate he wasn´t going to try anything. “Well?” he demanded with a glare that would rival Larabee´s, “Is that what you want? Ta finish the job ya started back in that warehouse?”
“I´m afraid I´ve had to facilitate a change in plans,” Collings sneered. “After all, I´d planned on being long gone by the time you had a chance to repeat any of the things I´d said to you. Now that you´ve gone and shot off your mouth to anyone who´d listen, I can´t take the chance of you doing the same when it comes to the courtroom.”
“You think killin´ me is gonna change anythin´?” Vin taunted. “Just one more body hangin´ over yer head, that´s all. Not like they ain´t gonna know it was you.”
“Yes, well, this time I´ve made a few improvements in my plan,” Collings replied. “I´m not about to wait around for Larabee to witness your demise. It´ll be bad enough when he finally finds you. I figure this way I can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. I keep you quiet and get my revenge on Larabee all with one sweet shot.”
Vin swallowed as the gun was raised and leveled at his chest. He wasn´t afraid of dying, but he finally had someone in his life whom he desperately wanted to live for. “And just how do you expect to be getting´ out of here?” he asked, trying to buy some time. He noticed the absence of a silencer on the gun barrel. “Soon as they hear that shot, they´ll come runnin´. You´ll never get out of this building alive.”
“Why do you think I chose such a secluded area?” Collings grinned maliciously. “Nothing but empty office and equipment storage in this corridor. Wouldn´t do to have a call room in a hectic place, now, would it? However would the doctor get any sleep?”
Vin knew he was right. The short hall they´d turned down had been virtually deserted. Raising his chin slightly, he began to plan his assault. There was no way he was going down without a fight and with no innocent bystanders around to get hurt, he´d be able to risk jumping Collings as soon as the situation allowed.
They were both surprised by the sound of movement outside the door. “On your knees,” Collings whispered fiercely. “Hands behind your head.”
After a brief hesitation, Vin complied. He really did want to get out of this in one piece and provoking the crazed man wasn´t necessarily the way to do that.
Keeping his gun trained on the kneeling man, Collings opened the door a crack and peered out. Two janitors were wheeling a bed into one of the storage areas. Glancing down the hall, he could see a dozen more waiting. It would be a few minutes before they had them all stored away. Cursing his luck, he closed the door quietly.
“Looks like we´re in for a bit of a wait,” he hissed angrily. “Make a sound and I´ll put a bullet through that thick Texan head of yours. See how Larabee likes finding you like that.”
Vin wisely remained silent, his lips pressed together in a grim line of anger and resentment. But as long as he was still alive, there was a chance that Chris could still find him in time. Reaching out with only his mind, he tried to latch on to the connection he´d always seemed to have with the other man.
Come on, Cowboy. Y´ain´t never let me down before. Now´s not the time ta start.
+ + + + + + +
Buck was already scanning through the tape from the lobby when Chris entered the security office. “There he is!” the scoundrel exclaimed. Chris leaned in to watch the black and white images. He could see Vin and Nathan talking in the lobby and Vin laughing. The site brought a lump to his throat as he wondered if he´d ever see that cocky smile again. Nathan entered the coffee shop and Vin headed off in the direction of the elevators and out of camera range.
“Where´s the tape that would cover this area?” Chris demanded of the security guard.
“Got it here, Chris,” JD announced, taking a seat and pushing the tape into a large complex looking deck. The young agent glanced at the tape Chris and Buck had been watching and then hit a few buttons to cue his own tape to the desired time. As a testament to his know-how, the tape started playing as Vin walked into the frame.
“Good work, JD,” Chris breathed, leaning over the young man´s shoulder. They watched in silence as Vin´s image glanced at the door to the stairs and hesitated briefly. “Don´t even think about it, Tanner,” Larabee breathed. As though hearing his words, the image on the screen turned back to the elevators and pushed the ‘up´ button.
“You two scare me sometimes,” Buck mused quietly, still watching the screen.
They saw the elevator doors open and Vin get inside. Just as the doors slid closed, Chris thought he saw a figure moving closer to the younger man. “Hold it!” he called. “Did you see that? Can you go back, JD?”
JD rewound and hit the button that would replay the tape in slow motion. Sure enough, there was movement in the car just before the door closed. JD paused the tape. “Can you see who it is?” he asked.
“No,” Chris admitted. “It´s too small to make out.”
“You can zoom in,” the guard offered, pointing to an array of buttons on the tape deck.
JD went straight to work zooming in on the image. With the door partially closed there wasn´t enough of the face visible to make out who it was, but the look on Tanner´s face was unmistakable. It was a rare mixture of anger and surprise.
“He knows he´s there,” Chris surmised, still staring at the image.
“Looks like,” Buck agreed. “He´s either said something to him or…”
“Or he´s got a gun in his back,” Chris finished grimly. Turning back to the guard, he asked gruffly, “Is there a camera in the elevator?”
“Of course,” the guard replied, pointing to a row of monitors that showed the interior of various cars. “In case of a malfunction we need to know who´s trapped.”
“Get me the tape of this one,” Chris ordered, tapping the screen where Vin´s frozen image was still visible.
The guard nodded and hurried to comply.
Once the tape was playing, they were disappointed to see that the floor number wasn´t visible in the frame. “Damn!” Chris cursed. They could see Collings clearly now, standing closely at Vin´s back. There was no doubt in any of their minds that he did, indeed, have a gun pointed at their sharpshooter.
“Hold on, Chris,” JD exclaimed, rewinding the tape to the spot where Vin first entered the elevator. “We know he got on in the lobby, right? And look.” He pointed to a small ‘L´ in the corner of the screen right beside the date and time.
“Yeah, that keeps track of the floors,” the guard confirmed. “So we always know exactly where it is if there´s a problem.”
Chris nodded and watched as the tape played out. The elderly couple got off on the second floor and the nurse on the third. Once Vin and Collings were alone in the car, Chris found himself holding his breath. With no witnesses, Collings could easily shoot Vin at any time. He didn´t even want to think of having to watch it happen on a small black and white screen. Hell, he didn´t want to think of it happening at all.
His breath left him in a rush as they watched the doors open and Collings give Vin a small push. “Fourth floor,” Chris stated grimly. “Let´s go.”
+ + + + + + +
Debbie paced nervously in front of the head nurse´s desk. She´d made a second, less polite call to security 10 minutes ago, and still nothing. What was the point of having them at your disposal if they didn´t answer a call for help? She´d wanted to follow Tanner and the other man herself, but she knew she couldn´t leave her patient for a job that really wasn´t hers. Besides, if it really was trouble, what was she going to do about it? She resolved to wait another five minutes before calling security again.
She didn´t know help was slow in coming because of the fact that every available security guard was on a mission to find one missing Vin Tanner.
She was just picking up the phone to place the third call when the elevator doors opened. Her initial disappointment at not seeing a security guard was replaced with relief when she saw the men who stepped out.
“Mr. Larabee,” she exclaimed, hurrying toward him. “I think Mr. Tanner may be in trouble.”
“What did you see, Debbie,” Chris pressed, his green gaze holding hers steadily.
“He was with another man,” she explained quickly. “Walking sort of stiff-like with his hands out from his sides. The man had his hand on Mr. Tanner´s back and I thought maybe he´d exacerbated his injury, but the expression on his face didn´t look like pain, not physical, anyway.”
“Where did they go?” Chris asked calmly.
Debbie pointed in the direction the two men had taken. “Down to the end of the corridor and to the right.”
“What´s down there?” Chris asked, drawing his gun reflexively.
The nurse was unperturbed by the appearance of the deadly weapon. “Empty offices, storage rooms, call room,” she itemized.
“No patient rooms or occupied offices?” Buck asked for clarification.
“No,” Debbie answered with a shake of her head.
“Ok,” Chris nodded. “Thanks. Call security and tell them ATF Senior Agent Larabee needs backup on the fourth floor.”
“Right,” she replied, reaching for the phone. She had no doubt that this call would be answered more expeditiously than her earlier ones. She had a feeling that when Chris Larabee spoke, others listened.
+ + + + + + +
Vin remained on his knees, hands clasped behind his head. With every second that passed, his anger grew.
“You really are a stupid sonovabitch, aren´cha?” he whispered fiercely, ignoring his earlier resolve not to anger the man. “There´s no place ya can run from this one. They´ll track ya down like the mangy dog that ya are.”
“Let them try,” Collings grinned evilly. “My bags are packed as we speak. I´ll be out of the country before your body is even cold.”
“Ain´t no borders gonna stop ‘em,” Vin glared.
Collings shrugged. “I´ll admit, it´s not as good as my original plan to force you off the road in that rag-tag jeep of yours. I´ve been watching the Federal Building since yesterday, just waitng for my chance. Who´d have guessed you´re afraid to drive anywhere by yourself?”
He had to bite back a reply. There was no way he was going to let it slip that Chris wouldn´t let him drive anywhere by himself. In the event this ever got to trial, he didn´t want to give the man any more ammunition than he already had.
“This ain´t gonna look like no accident,” he pointed out instead.
“No, but it´ll have to do,” Collings replied in an off-hand manner. “The important thing now is shutting you up.”
He paused, listening to the silence outside the door. Opening it a crack, he was relieved to see the janitors had finished the job and left. Turning back to his captive, he allowed a sardonic grin to spread across his face. “And the time has come to do just that.”
Knowing he was out of time, Vin lunged at him, taking him by surprise and knocking him off his feet. They struggled briefly, Tanner trying to grab his gun hand while Collings wrestled for control. With a hard push, Vin was knocked against the wall, his head hitting the hard surface with an audible thud. Even slightly dazed, he could still make out Collings´ hateful grin as he leveled the gun at him. “See you around, Tanner.”
A shot rang out and Vin was surprised at the lack of pain he felt. Then, as if in slow motion, Collings sank to his knees, a look of utter disbelief on his face and a crimson stain spreading on his shirt. Behind him, Chris Larabee stood with his gun still drawn.
“Vin!” the blonde exclaimed, hurrying to his partner´s side. “You all right? Come on, pard, say something!”
The Texan shook his head slightly to clear it. “Damn, Larabee,” he finally muttered. “You got some mighty persistent friends, don´t´cha?”
Chris let out his breath in rush of relief then turned toward where Buck was checking Collings for a pulse. When the scoundrel shook his head slightly, Larabee turned back to the sharpshooter. “There´s one you won´t have to worry about anymore,” he stated grimly.
“Can´t say as I´m sorry ta hear that,” Tanner replied, getting unsteadily to his feet.
Chris saw the grimace cross his friend´s face and quickly moved to steady him with a hand on his elbow. After inspecting the lump on the back of the smaller man´s head, his concerned expression turned to one of determination. “C´mon, you´re going downstairs to get that looked at.”
“Aw, Hell, Larabee,” Vin grumbled. “Ain´t nothin´. Got worse bumps´n that from that damned headboard a yers.”
Buck snickered quietly, while a blush rose in Chris´ cheeks. It didn´t last long, though. His relief at hearing his lover joking took precedent over any embarrassment he might have felt at the comment. Leaning close, he whispered. “That´s ‘damned headboard of ours´ and don´t you forget it.”
Buck discreetly stepped out into the hall and Vin grinned. “Let´s go home so you can remind me.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Chris agreed. “After we have somebody check you over.”
“Fine,” Vin concurred, narrowing his eyes in frustration. “But don´t be surprised if I ain´t in the mood no more by then.”
Chris had to laugh. “Yeah, right,” he scoffed. “C´mon.”
+ + + + + + +
The doctor on call in the emergency room had examined Vin and declared the lump to be nothing serious. There were no signs of concussion and normally, he would simply have discharged the patient right there and then. But upon hearing the details of what had happened, and unbeknownst to the two men waiting in the exam room, he´d taken it upon himself to summon Dr. Withers.
“Mr. Tanner,” Withers smiled upon entering the exam room. “I believe we had an appointment.”
Vin glanced at his watch. “Damn, Doc, that was near two hours ago. Even for you, that´s late.”
The doctor laughed. “Well, if you´d rather, we could just reschedule. Of course, that may be weeks from now. I´m a busy man, you know.”
“Like I was sayin´,” Vin grinned, “I reckon yer right on time.”
“That´s what I thought you were saying,” Withers teased. “Now, if you´ll excuse us, Mr. Larabee, we can get this show on the road.”
“Ya ain´t gonna make me do them damn chicken moves again, are ya?” Vin asked warily. “Just ain´t right, a grown man dancin´ around like that. Reckon ya just make me do it so´s ya have something ta laugh about later.”
“Is he always this cooperative?” Withers asked the blonde with a wink.
Chris chuckled. “You don´t know the half of it, Doc.” Turning to Vin, he tried to muster a stern expression. “Behave yourself and do what the doctor tells you, chicken dance and all, you hear?”
“Yes, mother,” Vin glared.
Chris shook his head and left the room so the doctor could finish his evaluation.