He was wrapping Cassie in a blanket when Jessica came back into the room. “Fike?” he asked.
“He called the hospital. He’s on the line with Andreas now. The ambulance should be here within ten minutes.”
“Go get your sister and bring her down to the ambulance.”
“How am I supposed to get her on her feet? She’s probably in as much shock as Cassie.”
“That’s your problem.” He picked up Cassie. “I’ve got enough on my plate.”
“It’s not going to work. You may get out of the gates, but there’ll be a truckload of Secret Service at the hospital.”
“It will work,” he said as he passed Jessica. “Get Melissa downstairs.”
Fike was outside in the hall. “Can I help?” He flinched as Cassie screamed again. “Christ, that poor kid.”
Travis nodded. “You can make sure there’s security at the hospital.” He started down the hall. “And a carful of your guys to follow the ambulance.”
“We’ve already taken care of the hospital.” Fike ran down the stairs ahead of Travis. “And you can bet I’ll be in that car following the kid.”
“Good.”
“What are you trying to do?” Jessica whispered, stunned.
“This way they think of us as a team.” He heard the distant wail of a siren. “There’s the ambulance. Get Melissa.”
Cassie was already being placed in the ambulance when Jessica half led, half carried Melissa down the front steps.
“Jesus,” Fike murmured when he saw Melissa’s dazed, tearstained face. “What’s wrong with—”
“You know how close she and Cassie have grown.” Jessica pushed Melissa into the ambulance. “She wants to go to the hospital with her.” She turned to Teresa as she climbed in after Melissa. “I’ll call you from the emergency room.”
The EMT slammed the door shut and ran around to the passenger seat. The siren wailed as the ambulance tore down the driveway with the Secret Service car following.
Jessica whirled on Travis. “Now help her,” she said fiercely.
“I’ve every intention of doing that.” Travis knelt beside Cassie, gathered her hands in his, and began to talk to her.
Within five minutes she started quieting and Jessica felt the tension ebbing out of her. No matter what happened to the rest of them, Cassie and Melissa were easing.
Travis checked his watch. He broke off in mid-sentence, got up, and looked out the back window at the Secret Service car behind them. “Too close,” he muttered.
Even as he spoke, the ambulance took on more speed. Jessica fell sideways as the vehicle screeched around the curve in the road.
Bluff on one side. Steep slope on the other.
Travis glanced out the back window. At least two hundred yards separated them from the car now. The ambulance tore up the hill. A gentler slope ahead led to a stand of trees.
“Come on. Come on,” he murmured. “Now.”
The highway behind them exploded. Fifty yards of concrete jettisoned into the sky. The escort car swerved to avoid the yawning hole torn in the tarmac, then whipped off the road and down the steep incline.
The ambulance careened down the gentler slope and into the trees.
“Hold on to your sister.” Travis had Cassie in a secure grip as the ambulance bumped over the rough ground.
Jessica grabbed Melissa.
The ambulance screeched to a halt and the back door flew open.
“I was getting worried,” Travis said as he straightened away from Cassie. “You ran it too close, Galen.”
“I’m hurt. It wasn’t easy setting up those charges and diverting the traffic. I’m not used to having to worry about innocent bystanders.” A man in jeans and T-shirt began to roll the gurney out of the ambulance. “Is this the little girl who may cause me to lose my head?”
“You can bet on it if you don’t lift off in two minutes.” He jumped out of the vehicle and helped Melissa to the ground. “Those Secret Service agents are no slouches. I figure we have a four-minute lead.”
Galen’s eyes were on Melissa. “What’s wrong with her?”
“It’s a long story. Bring Cassie.” He picked Melissa up and carried her to the helicopter. “Come on, Jessica.”
Jessica jumped out of the ambulance and ran toward the helicopter. The ambulance driver and EMT were already climbing into the aircraft. The man Travis had called Galen placed Cassie gently in the helicopter and then boosted Jessica inside. He waved his arm at the pilot. “Go.”
The helicopter lifted off and soared over the trees just as the Secret Service car tore into the clearing. Jessica tensed as she saw Fike jump out and pull his gun.