Page 71 of Airborne
They rode the elevator to a floor where everyone wore protective masks and gloves. The two men walked down a hallway to ICU. Jordan flashed his badge, and they gained entrance to the area and room where Heather rested.
He hadn’t expected Heather’s pallor to be more gray than white. She’d always been the poster child for health—thin, muscular, exercised every day, and ate a healthy diet. Seldom a sniffle. Except right now with her sea-green eyes closed, and the splatter of freckles faded against her cheeks, a peculiar blend of sadness and protectiveness overwhelmed him. He viewed her vitals. Blood pressure—80 over 46. Heartbeat and pulse were normal.
“Have you eaten?” Jordan said.
“Not hungry.”
“You never change. Nerves take over and your appetite disappears.”
“No medical exams to take today.” His voice cracked. “That would be easier.”
Jordan motioned for him to sit. “We can talk until she wakens. Anything you need to do?”
He wanted Heather to open her eyes, but her body required rest. “I should make a call to Houston FBI. Can I use your phone while I recharge my battery?”
Jordan handed him his device, and Chad stepped into the hall.
“Got your text,” Javier said. “How’s Heather and the baby?”
“She’s asleep and the baby is okay.” He glanced around and saw no one but a woman in dark-blue scrubs who emptied trash. “I received a call after we talked earlier this morning. A distorted voice told me to cancel my flight, said you couldn’t protect me in New York.”
“Who knew about our conversation and your New York plans?”
“You, Jordan Radcom, and I suppose SAC Bischoff.”
“How did you make the flight arrangements?”
“Online.”
“Then you received an email confirmation?”
“Yes.”
“I suspect someone’s bugged your phone or hacked your email account.”
“What do you suggest?” Chad said.
“Pick up a burner phone at your first opportunity. Call me with the new number. Do you have your laptop?”
“Yes.”
“I’d like to borrow it and your phone for a few hours. The New York techs can look at access logs and determine if, when, and how someone gained knowledge through your devices or onlineactivity. In the meantime, if you receive any more threats, call me immediately.”
Chad joined Jordan. Heather’s eyes remained closed, and her BP had risen to 84 over 48. Improvement.
Jordan crossed, then uncrossed his legs. “Where are you? The Chad Lawrence I remember loved his wife, and his dedication to medicine came in second. He told her every detail of his plans.”
He could remind Jordan she’d kept the pregnancy from him, but bitter words solved nothing but put him on the defense. The hours on the plane where he attempted to put Heather into a niche rolled back into his mind. He massaged his arms.
Chad needed transparency. “I’m trying to muster up the guts to discuss what I don’t understand.” He stared at Jordan. “I apologize. You have enough on your plate already, far more important than my problems.”
“I always have time when friends are involved.”
He hesitated. “I’m a realist, which makes the situation with Heather, the baby, and the charges against me difficult to shove into a neat compartment.”
“Try me.”
Chad looked for a loophole in the conversation as though whatever he said could be used against him. “I’ve attempted to put a scientific spin on my unexplainable emotions. It’s useless.”
