hope they didn’t find the key, or if they did, they didn’t know its importance.” She picked her way to the bookcase, with her medical journals strewn about the floor near it. “You and I think alike.” She threw him a glance over her shoulder. “Scary, isn’t it?”
He chuckled.
She searched the pile of books until she found a large volume on respiratory illnesses, and she hefted it. Back at her desk, she scanned the mess until she found her letter opener. She inserted it between the binding that held the pages together. She prodded until a key slipped out the other end and dropped onto some papers.
“Clever,” Zach said.
“I do have my moments.” Maggie pocketed the key and started for the door.
As she neared the intersection of the two hallways, she heard Carol’s raised voice in the doorway to the reception area, and came to a stop.
“Dr. Somers isn’t here.”
“But I had an appointment with her this morning.”
“As you can see, we had a bit of a problem here last night. We tried to reach all her patients to reschedule their appointments. I thought we had. Who are you?”
The man’s voice sounded familiar. Maggie peeked around the corner toward the entrance, where Carol stood with a man. Maggie’s gaze riveted to the “patient’s” blue eyes.
It was him.
SEVEN
“W here is she? When will she be back?” The familiar voice of her assailant rose.
“Sir, I’m sorry, she can’t see you today. If you just tell me your name, I can refer you to another doctor.”
Maggie heard Carol’s strained patience. She sensed the tension emanating off Zach right behind her. His hands settled on her shoulders as though to convey his support.
“I want to see Dr. Somers. My friend said she was the one I should see.”
“Sir, I’ll write another doctor’s name down. She won’t be available for a while.”
The volume of her nurse’s voice lowered as Carol moved away from the entrance into the hallway. Maggie took a chance and peered around the corner again.
“Who’s that?” Zach whispered in her ear.
“The man who attacked me last night.”
Zach stiffened. He wanted to do something foolish, like charge into the reception area and strangle the man. But he couldn’t. No one else needed to get hurt because of the codices, and there was an office full of workers here. “We’d better get out of here. Now.”
He moved in front of Maggie and checked out the corridor that led to the back entrance. Grasping Maggie’s elbow, he set a quick pace toward the exit, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. He cracked the door open and peered out into the alley, stress accentuating his movements.
“It looks okay,” he said, but he knew how deceptive that could be. A tight ache formed in his gut as he jogged down the alley toward their vehicle. Any second, he half expected a bullet in his back. The skin along his spine crawled. The hairs at his nape stood up.
Once in the green Jeep with Maggie, Zach quickly started the engine and pulled out into traffic while continuously scanning the cars around him. “You know, this could become a regular habit for us.”
“What?”
“Leaving without saying goodbye. I guess we need to work on our manners,” Zach said, trying to inject some humor into their dire situation.
“Yeah, if we make it out of this in one piece.”
Zach darted a look toward Maggie. “We will. That’s a promise, and I’m a man who keeps his promises.”
He maneuvered the car around the block, checking out the area—especially in front of her office—before he pulled into a parking space at the side of the bank. They would prevail; they had to.
“I’m calling Carol to see if the man is still there.” Maggie retrieved her cell from her purse and punched in some numbers. When her nurse came on the phone, Maggie asked, “Is he still there? That man who demanded to see me?”
A frown marred Maggie’s beautiful features as she listened to Carol. Zach still had the
He chuckled.
She searched the pile of books until she found a large volume on respiratory illnesses, and she hefted it. Back at her desk, she scanned the mess until she found her letter opener. She inserted it between the binding that held the pages together. She prodded until a key slipped out the other end and dropped onto some papers.
“Clever,” Zach said.
“I do have my moments.” Maggie pocketed the key and started for the door.
As she neared the intersection of the two hallways, she heard Carol’s raised voice in the doorway to the reception area, and came to a stop.
“Dr. Somers isn’t here.”
“But I had an appointment with her this morning.”
“As you can see, we had a bit of a problem here last night. We tried to reach all her patients to reschedule their appointments. I thought we had. Who are you?”
The man’s voice sounded familiar. Maggie peeked around the corner toward the entrance, where Carol stood with a man. Maggie’s gaze riveted to the “patient’s” blue eyes.
It was him.
SEVEN
“W here is she? When will she be back?” The familiar voice of her assailant rose.
“Sir, I’m sorry, she can’t see you today. If you just tell me your name, I can refer you to another doctor.”
Maggie heard Carol’s strained patience. She sensed the tension emanating off Zach right behind her. His hands settled on her shoulders as though to convey his support.
“I want to see Dr. Somers. My friend said she was the one I should see.”
“Sir, I’ll write another doctor’s name down. She won’t be available for a while.”
The volume of her nurse’s voice lowered as Carol moved away from the entrance into the hallway. Maggie took a chance and peered around the corner again.
“Who’s that?” Zach whispered in her ear.
“The man who attacked me last night.”
Zach stiffened. He wanted to do something foolish, like charge into the reception area and strangle the man. But he couldn’t. No one else needed to get hurt because of the codices, and there was an office full of workers here. “We’d better get out of here. Now.”
He moved in front of Maggie and checked out the corridor that led to the back entrance. Grasping Maggie’s elbow, he set a quick pace toward the exit, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. He cracked the door open and peered out into the alley, stress accentuating his movements.
“It looks okay,” he said, but he knew how deceptive that could be. A tight ache formed in his gut as he jogged down the alley toward their vehicle. Any second, he half expected a bullet in his back. The skin along his spine crawled. The hairs at his nape stood up.
Once in the green Jeep with Maggie, Zach quickly started the engine and pulled out into traffic while continuously scanning the cars around him. “You know, this could become a regular habit for us.”
“What?”
“Leaving without saying goodbye. I guess we need to work on our manners,” Zach said, trying to inject some humor into their dire situation.
“Yeah, if we make it out of this in one piece.”
Zach darted a look toward Maggie. “We will. That’s a promise, and I’m a man who keeps his promises.”
He maneuvered the car around the block, checking out the area—especially in front of her office—before he pulled into a parking space at the side of the bank. They would prevail; they had to.
“I’m calling Carol to see if the man is still there.” Maggie retrieved her cell from her purse and punched in some numbers. When her nurse came on the phone, Maggie asked, “Is he still there? That man who demanded to see me?”
A frown marred Maggie’s beautiful features as she listened to Carol. Zach still had the
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