Phoenix (The Bellator Saga Book 4) Read online

  “Hey, motherfucker,” Jones said. “You think it’s cool to hit women?”

  “Cool it, Jonesie,” Morton muttered.

  “Excuse me?” Buchanan asked, holding his jaw.

  Jones moved closer. “I said, you think it makes you a big man to lay hands on a lady?”

  Buchanan glanced over at Jack. “Who is this guy?”

  Jones lunged at him. “You’re about to find out.”

  Morton yanked him back as he tried to move toward Buchanan again. “Stop it, man,” he whispered. “Don’t get kicked out before you even get started. She’s gonna be fine.”

  Jack put a hand on Jones’ shoulder, resisting the urge to tell him to take his best shot. “Mr. Jones, calm down.”

  “He coulda killed her,” Jones said quietly. “Maybe he oughta know what it feels like to be hit in the head.”

  “I’m pretty sure he knows,” Jack said. “Caroline did break his jaw.”

  Jones grinned at Buchanan. “You hear that? An unarmed woman less than half your size beat the shit out of you.”

  Jack cleared his throat, trying to remain expressionless. “How about you go get something to eat with your friends while you wait for Caroline to wake up?”

  Jones turned to Jack, still smiling. “You trying to diffuse the situation, sir?”

  This guy would be a handful, but Jack suspected it would be worth it. “Mr. Jones, there is no doubt in my mind that you are well-equipped to engage in what would undoubtedly be a highly inappropriate physical exchange of ideas with Corporal Buchanan. However, that’s something we don’t allow here. I suspect you’re hungry anyway.” He turned to Buchanan. “You’re dismissed,” he said, his voice turning cold. “Captain Schroeder will be in touch with you regarding reassignment.”

  “Sir-”

  Fuck. Jack told himself to take Buchanan aside but the increasingly crowded hallway was the only thing preventing him from taking his own shot at the man. “You are no longer allowed to participate in intelligence gathering and interviewing. Is that understood? Take a few days to rest up and see what the doctors do about your injuries.”

  Buchanan straightened up. “Yes, sir.” He walked away without saying another word.

  “Pussy,” Jones said under his breath.

  Jack tried not to laugh. “Even if we’re fast and loose with language, please try to keep it under control.”

  Jones turned to him. “Might I ask you a hypothetical question, Commander?”

  “You may.”

  “If I had hypothetically slugged that guy, what would have happened to me?”

  Jack could afford to be a little snarky. “I’m not entirely sure that hypothetically, anyone would have been around to witness it. I wouldn’t have seen anything.” He lowered his voice. “I appreciate your attempt to defend my – to protect your friends. But try to maintain an even emotional keel.”

  Jones grinned. “Yes, sir.”

  Jack motioned over to his assistant. “Captain Schroeder, will you show these gentlemen how to get to the cafeteria? They’re probably in need of a nice meal.”

  Schroeder frowned at them but his tone was conciliatory. “Certainly, sir.”

  Jack turned to Morton. “I’m sure Caroline will be awake by the time you get back.”

  The man didn’t say a word before marching down the hall behind Schroeder. Jack settled into one of the chairs outside the examining room. It didn’t take long before Natalie reappeared.

  “They went to get something to eat,” he said, before she could ask.

  “Oh,” she said. “Have you talked to them?”

  “Yes.”

  “And they seem trustworthy?”

  All four men seemed fiercely protective of his wife. Jack was duty bound to respect that until presented with information to the contrary. “If Caroline trusts them, I do.”

  “That’s good enough, I guess.”

  “How is she?”

  “We’re going to take her for a CT scan, move her to a recovery room upstairs. She’ll have to stay overnight, I think.”

  He told himself not to be disappointed, but he’d hoped Caroline would be coming home with him. Where she belonged. Where he needed her to be. “She’s not awake?”

  “Be patient, Jack. It’ll be a while.” Natalie took the seat next to him. “May I ask you a few questions about how this all happened?”

  Jack didn’t want to think about it. “Sure.”

  “How did she sustain those injuries? You gave me the short version and I heard Buchanan’s side of the story but I want to know what you saw.”

  He shifted in his chair. It was hard, plastic, and cold. Utilitarian. But hell, this wasn’t exactly a fancy hospital. “She and her companions arrived around noon. They were separated for interrogation. Caroline gave the soldiers at the main entrance an old passcode so she was questioned alone. Her friends identified her as the leader of their group.”

  “And?”

  “I was behind the glass, watching. Like I always do,” Jack explained.

  “I know protocol, sir. Why Buchanan?”

  He was asking himself the same question. “I thought he deserved a shot.”

  Natalie shook her head but stayed mute.

  Jack hated when people used silence instead of words. Especially when he knew exactly what they wanted to express. “Say what you need to say, Dr. Haddad.”

  “He doesn’t have the greatest track record,” she observed. “But I suppose that doesn’t matter now.”

  “I suppose not.”

  “You were watching the entire thing,” Natalie said.

  He initially thought she’d been passing judgment on Buchanan but she was searching for something deeper. “What are you getting at?”

  “What was she like during the observation period?”

  All their new arrivals were allowed to sweat a little before questioning. A cruel little trick that was quite effective at weeding out the fakers. At first Caroline had exuded confidence, maybe a little impatience. As time passed she’d become skittish, like a kitten separated from its mother. Helpless and frightened. But he wasn’t going to tell Natalie that. Not when it bothered him so much in hindsight.

  “A little nervous,” he said.

  “How did things go downhill?”

  “She lied about her name.”

  “Of course she did,” Natalie said. “All of us have at some point.”

  “Buchanan didn’t believe her.”

  “So what, he beat the shit out of her?”

  Jack rolled his eyes. “Natalie, will you let me explain?”

  She stifled a grin. “You politicians are so damned impatient. Fine. Go ahead.”

  “Caroline was evasive,” he said. “I could tell she wasn’t telling the truth. I don’t think she believed herself, either. When she finally told him who she was, he didn’t believe her. She tried to leave the room and he pulled a gun on her.”

  His last statement caught her off guard. “He what?”

  Had he failed to mention that earlier? “You heard me.”

  “Why the hell was he armed to begin with? That’s a serious breach of protocol.”

  “I know.” They had those rules for a reason, both to protect themselves and to keep from letting their baser emotions get the best of them. Any weapon could be turned against its owner in an instant, particularly when desperate people were involved.

  “What happened when he pulled the gun?” Natalie asked.

  “He said something to her and she punched him.”

  “Do you know what he said?”

  Buchanan had called her ‘sweetheart.’ Hell, it had gotten a rise out of Jack, too. Hardly meant as a term of endearment. Thinking about it again made his blood boil. “It was a snide remark.”

  “She punched an armed man because he was rude to her?”

  It had been more than that. “It was strange,” he said. “She got this odd look on her face and swung a haymaker at his jaw.”

  “Does your wife have
a temper?” Natalie asked.

  Caroline had thrown objects in anger. Sometimes at him. She had spectacular aim but knew he could duck. Jack smiled, perhaps a little too proudly. “Yes.”

  Natalie tried not to laugh. “One more thing you two have in common, I guess. Has she ever used violence before?”

  “I’ve never seen her fight like that. I suspect she’s had some training.”

  “So this behavior is a bit unusual for her.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “I’m trying to put all the pieces together before she wakes up. What happened after she punched him?”

  “She wrestled the gun away from him and, uh, fired at the glass we were sitting behind.”

  “She did what?”

  Just saying it out loud reminded him of how shocking Caroline’s behavior had been. It strained the bounds of credulity. “Good thing that mirror is bulletproof. Sent us scrambling, though.”

  “It’s still disconcerting.”

  “I don’t think she was all there, Natalie. She wasn’t really vacant but there was something in her eyes. Fear or…something else.”

  “And that was enough to get you to go in the room?”

  It had been more than that. Some other force had guided him, not just her irrational behavior. If only he’d figured it out sooner. “Probably not the wisest move.” Jack swallowed hard. “She was pointing the gun at the troops who beat me in there but lifted it up as soon as she saw me. Buchanan grabbed it out of her hand and hit her in the head.”

  Natalie winced. “Shit.”

  “She was giving herself up,” he whispered.

  “I realize that.” She frowned at him. “He could have killed her.”

  When Caroline first slid down the wall, Jack thought he had. He shuddered. “I’ve been trying very hard not to think about it.”

  “And the two of you talked.”

  Jack didn’t want to tell Natalie the details of that conversation. Not when he felt so guilty about it. “We did.”

  “And you realized it was her.”

  Almost too late. “Yes.”

  Natalie stood up. “Buchanan should never be allowed to interrogate anyone again.”

  Maybe next time she’d tell him something he didn’t already know. He suspected he’d be talking to her again sooner than later. “Thank you for the advice, Captain.”

  “You should start taking it.”

  He’d seen people moving in and out of the examining room while they were talking, but his wife had yet to appear. “Will you please go check on Caroline?”

  Her lips turned up. “You have very effective ways of changing the subject, Commander.”

  Jack crossed his left leg over his right knee and leaned back in the chair. “Everyone needs to be good at something.”

  Natalie took a step backward, grinning. “Head upstairs to the third floor waiting area. I’ll let you know when she wakes up.”

  Chapter Three

  Caroline heard a faraway voice. Female. Soothing. Calm. Comforting. And very young. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the light in the room. Her surroundings looked totally unfamiliar and she tried to get up.

  “Hold on,” said the female voice, gently pushing her back down. “Don’t move.”

  Caroline had been told to stay put far too often by far too many dangerous people to obey instructions that easily, and tried to sit up again.

  “Mrs. McIntyre, stop,” the woman said.

  Caroline glared at the blurry shape in front of her. “Don’t call me that,” she said. “You don’t get to call me that.”

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Gerard. You’re safe. You’re at the rebel compound. Lay down.”

  The woman, no longer fuzzy, sat down next to the bed. Her jet black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and her green eyes were filled with concern. She was wearing a sweater and jeans and had a stethoscope around her neck. She couldn’t have been more than thirty. And she was smiling, somewhat timidly, at Caroline.

  “Who are you?” Caroline asked.

  “I’m Captain Natalie Haddad, one of the doctors who works here. How are you feeling?”

  “Like I had the shit beaten out of me.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far, but you’re probably going to have a nasty headache for a while. Your nose is broken and your cheekbone is fractured, but you’ll be all right. I can’t do much about the cheekbone except give you some painkillers as it heals. But we reset your nose.”

  Like that was going to make a difference. “My nose has been broken more than a few times. Cheekbones more than once, too.”

  “I’m no plastic surgeon but I can tell. I’m sorry.”

  How many times was this woman going to apologize? “It’s not your fault.”

  “You should see what you did to the other guy,” Haddad said, hiding another smile.

  She’d forgotten the details of her little fistfight. But the events of the past day weren’t particularly clear. Caroline wasn’t yet able to make the distinction between the real and the imaginary. What had been Potbelly’s real name? Could she guess accurately? “I get the feeling nobody likes…Buchanan.”

  “I don’t know him,” Haddad said. “I’ve only heard things. Apparently one of the guys you came here with tried to slug him in the hallway.”

  Had to be Jonesie. Good for him. And Caroline felt a little proud that she’d remembered one insignificant detail correctly. Maybe she could sort out the rest of her memories as well. “I assume this isn’t a sanctioned military force, but aren’t there some standards when it comes to recruits?”

  The doctor tugged on her stethoscope. A nervous tic? “There are. Closely modeled after the California Republican Army. I’m not familiar with all of them but as with any other group, there are always some people who don’t quite fit in. Buchanan isn’t very good at using his common sense sometimes.”

  “Well, then. They should continue to allow him to interrogate newcomers. Because that worked out really well for both of us.”

  “I’m sure there will be a change in policy after today. The commander will see to that. Jack will also be very happy to see that you’re awake.”

  Jack? Her husband? Her head hurt like hell and she didn’t need anything else throwing her for a loop. That conversation had been real?

  Her husband was the commander. He was in charge of the rebellion. And he’d interrogated her. Harshly. She thought that had been a dream. A very unnerving, upsetting dream. Knowing it was real made everything ten times worse.

  Caroline covered her eyes with the hand that didn’t have a giant needle sticking out of it. “Shit. I forgot he was here. I just remembered getting hit in the head.”

  “You’ve had a hard day. It’s understandable.” Haddad tapped her foot. “Is there anything you want to talk about before I bring Jack in here?”

  Jesus, was everyone in this place as anxious as her treating physician? Caroline’s head spun again as the events of the last few hours reentered her mind. An unpleasant recollection. Let her husband in the room? That was the last thing she wanted. Not when those bits and pieces of conversation trickled back into her memory bank. “Where are my men?” she asked.

  “They’re waiting outside. They’ve been very worried about you.”

  Caroline tried to pull herself up right before she figured out she didn’t have enough energy to do much more than lay there. Haddad caught her before she fell back onto the bed.

  “Take it easy,” she said. “You’re going to be here for a little bit, so relax.” She let Caroline down gradually, crossed the room, and retrieved a couple of pillows, helping to prop her up. “Is that better?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  This woman wanted something from her. Caroline just wanted to see her friends and be left alone. “Doctor-”

  “Please call me Natalie,” she said.

  Oh, she wanted to be pals. How quaint. Maybe if Caroline indulged her, she’d give her something in return. Bartering mig
ht prove more effective than argument. “Natalie,” Caroline said. “How long have you been here?”

  “A little over a year,” Natalie said.

  “Are you from California?”

  “Went to medical school in Los Angeles and came here after it became clear that my skills were best suited to serve the cause.”

  “Why are you helping the rebels?”

  “I’m a native Californian but an American first. I love my country.”

  Such a pretty speech. That seemed to be what the movement was about. Pretty speeches, empty words, and loads of doubletalk. Starting with the man in charge. Caroline was not amused. “That’s just adorable,” she said.

  Natalie sat down again and crossed her legs. “You think I’m too young to be here?”

  “How old are you?”

  Natalie smiled at her. “You ask very strange questions.”

  “How old are you?” Caroline repeated.

  “I’m twenty-seven.”

  “No residency, then.”

  “I started one in San Diego but California seceded and I joined up instead. My family thinks I’m crazy.”

  “I bet they do. I think you are too.”

  “Why’s that, Ms. Gerard?”

  Caroline might not want to be chummy but she didn’t want to be treated with a deference she didn’t deserve. “We aren’t going to get very far if you don’t start calling me by my first name.”

  “I didn’t want to assume that was okay,” Natalie said. “Why am I crazy?”

  “You’re dedicating your life to a cause that’s doomed to fail.”

  “Then why did you come here?”

  “I’m crazy too.”

  Natalie laughed. “That isn’t the first word that comes to mind.”

  “And what is?”

  The laugh faded. “You’re a legend around here.”

  That seemed a bit much. “Why’s that?”

  “You’re not very self-aware, are you?”

  Their conversation was rapidly turning into what felt like another interrogation. One Caroline didn’t want. “No. And you’re not very subtle.”

  “I prefer being direct. It’s so much easier than bullshitting people.”

  “I can respect that.”

  Natalie leaned back in her chair. “Your ghost has been chasing every single one of us since Commander McIntyre arrived last March.”