Triple Threat (15 page)

As her heart red-lined, she sought an explanation. Only one made sense. This was the terrorist dude from Whistler or one of his cohorts.

The hooded figure crept closer to the desk, gaze locked on her.

Maybe she could stifle her fear with words and confirm her suspicions at the same time. “It's too late, doofus. We know all about your radio-controlled planes and the firebombs.”

The person slid to her left without responding to her insult.

Katie moved to the right, keeping the desk between them.

Still no reply from the person who was systematically trapping her against the back wall, the person who clearly intended to stab her with that needle.

The stalker moved back to her right.

Katie jumped to her left. She needed to force the person to speak, anything to break his concentration on her movements, give her a chance to escape. Four words popped into her mind. She spat them at the black-hooded figure. “Allah is no God.”

A low, animal-like growl came from the stalker. This was a man. No woman could make that sound. The intruder bent his knees, obviously planning to jump onto the desk.

She had to avoid that needle. Katie jabbed him with needle of her own. “And Mohammed was no prophet.”

“Allahu Akbar! Infidel dog! You will die for your blasphemy.” He swept a hand behind him, closing the office door. The man leaped onto the desk, straight at her.

Katie dove under the desk, hugged the floor, and slid under the desk to the door.

When she stood, the two had traded places.

The man circled the desk reaching for her. Flecks of spittle flew from his mouth along with angry words in a foreign language, a language she couldn't identify.

Katie circled the desk in sync with the man's movements. She passed the shelves along the back wall and grabbed a portable laptop drive with her right hand. She drew her arm back into throwing position.

The man laughed, a mirthless, mocking sound, more like a barking dog. “You have big bullet, but little gun. Creates big problem for you.” He backed up to the wall. Her assailant was going to jump the desk again.

Katie's strong, well-trained arm cracked like a whip, elbow, wrist, and then her fingers, which had held the drive like a skipping rock. She sent the device spinning through the air.

The intruder tried to duck. When the man's head dipped, the drive struck his forehead with a sickening thud. It tore the hood half off his head. Blood splattered on the man's face, the wall, and the floor. He dropped to his knees, apparently stunned.

Katie jumped to the door, grabbed the doorknob, and twisted.

Fingers clutched her ankle.

She stomped them with her heel.

He yelped.

A sharp sting in the side of her foot.

She jerked her foot away.

The needle fell out onto the floor.

Katie planted another foot stomp on the man's head, and then yanked on the door. She sprang through it, sprinted down the hall, and continued through the lab until she ran out into the computer science building.

Crashing sounds came from somewhere behind her. Katie glanced back. Where was he?

Her cell lay in her pocket. She hit Josh's number on her speed dial. Josh? Why hadn't she hit 911? She wasn't thinking clearly. Her vision blurred. She stumbled, nearly fell. Katie slipped inside a classroom and closed the door quietly. She had to sit down.

As she stumbled toward a chair, Josh's voice came through the phone.

“Kate, what's up?”

“The guy from Whistler attacked me. Stuck me with a needle. Things are fuzzy. Got away, but…”

“I was coming back to the lab, anyway. Be there in a couple of minutes. Where are you, Kate?”

“Big computer science classroom. Hurry, Josh. Think I'm going to pass out…”

 

****

 

When Kate's voice faded away, Josh's panic punched the accelerator on his car and his heart. He flew past the parking garage and pulled alongside the computer science building, stopping in a no-parking zone. There he flung open his door, and sprinted to the main entry.

Please, let me get to Kate before he does.

Who was he talking to? No time for introspection.

He yanked the door open, stepped in and quickly scanned the hallway for signs of the intruder.

No sounds. Nothing.

He ran to Classroom A and slipped inside.

Kate's body lay slumped over a student's desk near the back of the room.

He ran to her.

She was breathing.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to a sitting position.

Kate's eyes opened and closed as if she was half awake, half asleep. “You can kiss…if you want to, Josh.” Her words slurred as she spoke. “Won't mind. Really.”

“Kate, listen. They've drugged you. I'm carrying you out to my car and calling 911.”

“Yeah. Like nine ‘leven. Bigger thish time. But, Josh, you can kish me. Ish OK. Wone mind.” She tried to lift her head to his face, and then moaned. “Druuugs. Feel awful.”

He scooped Kate up in his arms and hurried to the hallway. No one in sight.

Josh carried her out of the building to his car, managed to open the passenger door with one hand, and plopped her onto the seat. He scrambled to the opposite side, slid in and hit the door lock.

With several hairpin turns and occasional straight-aways, the driving route across campus resembled a Grand Prix race course. Nevertheless, it was the quickest way to get help for Kate.

After pulling out on to Benton Lane Josh stopped at NE Stevens Way. Maybe he should call 911. He reached for his cell phone, but he glanced at Kate.

She was unconscious.

He grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and shoved the accelerator to the floor. The car squealed around a long, sweeping turn as Josh worked his way across campus to 15th Avenue. He sped along 15th for several blocks before turning onto NE Pacific. With the hospital now a half mile straight ahead, he drove at double the speed limit towards the emergency entrance to the University of Washington Medical Center.

Halfway down the straight stretch, red and blue lights flashed at him in the rearview mirror. Josh punched the gas pedal. Only six blocks to get help for Kate. No cop was going to stop him from doing that.

When he turned into the emergency entrance, the police car was on his rear bumper.

Josh stopped at the emergency entrance, unlocked his doors, and ran around to Kate's side. By the time he lifted her out of his car the policeman stood beside the patrol car with his hand near his weapon.

Josh gave the policeman a brief glance. “She was attacked by a terrorist who drugged her. If you want to do something useful, search the Computer Science Center for a Middle-Eastern looking guy who's bleeding.”

“First, I'm following you inside.” The cop followed Josh toward the emergency entrance.

“You're just going to let that guy get away?”

“Right now,
you're
the guy. And you're not getting away.”

Josh stepped through the emergency entrance.

“Who's the girl?” the cop asked.

Josh headed toward the emergency room desk and yelled back over his shoulder, “She's Kate Brandt, the girl who took out the shooter at Key Arena.” Josh turned his attention to the nurse at the desk. “A break-in at the Computer Science Center. She was attacked, injected with something. Was talking incoherently when I found her, then passed out two or three minutes ago.”

After the nurse made an announcement on the intercom, four people in scrubs emerged from a hallway, running toward Kate and him.

Please…don't let anything happen to her.

 

 

 

 

18

 

Katie opened her eyes and tried to raise her head. But the shotput inside her skull pulled her head first one direction, then the other, causing her to drop her head back onto the pillow, sending disorienting pulsations through her balance system.

She caught a glimpse of someone in scrubs walking her way. How did she get inside a hospital?

Her recent past was a blurry video. A masked man and a hypodermic needle had something to do with her predicament. But somewhere in the muddle of puréed thoughts, Josh had been blended into the mix.

“So, you're awake.” A middle-aged woman in blue scrubs leaned over her bed and examined her eyes.

“What did he inject me with?” Her words came, like her thoughts, slowly and slurred.

“Can you say barbiturates? Go ahead, give it a try.”

“Barbishurus…uh, barbiturates,” Katie smiled at her success.

“That's right. The effects are wearing off. The doctor will be in soon to talk with you.”

“Is Joshua West here?”

“If you mean the tall, handsome young man who looks like he should be wearing a professional football uniform, yes…he's right outside. He wouldn't leave. But you have quite a lineup of people waiting to see you. And there are security guards watching this floor. Let me see if I can sneak Mr. West in first.”

“Thanks, ma'am.”

Katie caught herself arranging her hair, using her fingers as a hairbrush. However she looked, it couldn't be as bad as when she got sick and barfed on Josh. If that didn't discourage him, her current condition surely wouldn't.

The nurse returned with Josh on her heels. “Only one visitor at a time, for now.”

Who was she talking to?

Josh stepped in and the nurse blocked the door behind him.

“I'm not a visitor.” Mom's voice. “I'm her mom, and I'm going in now.” Mom's head appeared in the doorway.

“Do I have to call security?” The nurse gave her a serious frown.

Mom gave the nurse her laser look. “That depends on whether you want to treat a security guard next.”

“She's serious, you'd better let her in,” Josh said.

The nurse shook her head. “All right. But not too long, she needs to rest.”

“Josh, Mom.”

“Are you all right, Katie? Did he hurt you?” Jenn took Katie's hand, a concerned frown on her face.

“I'm OK. I think I hurt him a lot worse than that needle in the foot hurt me. Is Peterson out there, Mom?”

“Yes. I saw him in the hallway.”

“Would you find out if they caught the guy, or have any leads?”

“Are you sure you're all right?” Jenn asked again.

“Yes. The drug is wearing off.”

“OK. I'll talk to Peterson. And thanks, Josh, for bringing her here.” Her mom left.

Josh stepped to Katie's bedside and stood looking at her. His sad brown eyes looked like a recently weaned puppy, alone in a changing world. “Kate, you scared me when you passed out. It's good to see you awake again. How do you feel?”

“If this is how a hangover feels, I'm never going to touch alcohol. I think my brain turned into a big fuzz ball.”

“Then you look a lot better than you feel.” He gave her a nervous smile. “If anything happened to you, I couldn't—”

“I'm OK, Josh. So what happened? I remember calling you, and then you were holding me and…did I start asking you things?”

“Ask? Kate…you got a little demanding.”

She fought through the fuzziness and—her face grew hot. Probably glowing red.

Josh's eyes lit up, and a smirk replaced his hangdog expression. “I see that you remember now.”

“Remember what?” Mom's voice came from behind Josh.

Great. Katie would never hear the end of this if her mom knew. There would be one long endless lecture on relationships, appropriate behavior, and—

“They say that drug our friend used on you removes certain inhibitions. You know, so you reveal things that you might normally keep hidden.” Josh took her hand, the smirk grew smirkier.

Mom stepped beside Josh alongside Katie's bed and her gaze darted between the two of them.

Suspecting her mom heard Josh's veiled accusations, Katie tried to defuse the situation. “Time to change the subject. Is anyone going to tell me if they caught the guy?”

“He had better hope I don't catch him,” Jenn said. “Anyone who hurts my daughter will answer to me.” She gave Josh a glaring glance.

Josh winced.

“I'm going to call your dad and let him know you're all right, Katie.”

Josh breathed out a loud sigh after Jenn left the room. “I think your mom threatened me, Kate.”

“You don't want to hear her real threats. That was just a friendly warning. Did I tell you that her temper is worse than mine?”

“Great. I've stepped between a mother grizzly and her cub, a ninja grizzly.”

“You didn't answer my question. Did they catch him?”

“Not yet.” A deep voice boomed the words from behind Josh. Peterson.

Maybe she would finally get some answers.

Josh made room at her bedside for the tall FBI agent.

“How are you doing, Katie?” The look in his eyes held a mixture of anger and concern.

“Pretty good for a druggie.” She looked from Peterson to Josh.

Josh's smirk remained.

She would deal with that issue later. “So what did you find out about the guy?”

“The crime scene crew is still combing the lab. They're getting a lot of evidence, but despite all the blood, the intruder got away. Katie…can you identify him?”

“He's the Middle-Eastern guy from Whistler.”

“So you saw his face?”

“It was covered with a ski hood. When I hit him with the hard drive, it came off.”

Peterson's eyebrows rose. “You went hand to hand with him?”

“No. I threw the drive at him. Don't think I've ever thrown a baseball as hard as I threw that drive. It hit him in the forehead. There was a lot of blood.”

Josh's eyes had widened when she mentioned throwing the hard drive.

Evidently Peterson noticed. “Her last year on the softball team,” Peterson glanced at Josh. “They stuck a baseball in Katie's hand and clocked her with a radar gun. She hit ninety miles per hour on one throw.”