“Well, I think we’ll put Mr. Jones in the surveillance van which will be parked out front of the building. If that’s alright with Mr. Jones.”
Kip tightened his lips together. “I was kind of hoping to be a little closer.”
“We are going to have men in each room beside the office of Mr. Jansen,” Porter said. “I promise you nothing will happen to Annie here.”
Kip paused for a moment then nodded. Although he was about to, he decided at the last moment that he didn’t want to throw out his wealth to get what he wanted.
He looked at Annie and saw the concern in her eyes. Yesterday he would have been heartbroken to see it, and he struggled with the emotion now. But he didn’t want to be compassionate about her fears, even though he knew deep down that he was.
“Anything else?” Porter asked.
Neither Kip nor Annie spoke up.
“Okay then, Ms. Beecher, let’s get you wired up.” Porter stood, exposing his large frame, and he headed toward his office door. Kip and Annie followed.
Moments later, Annie was topless in only her bra and the tech was attaching sticky pads to her chest and belly. Then the wire was attached. The microphone would be positioned just above her left breast. The tech asked Annie to dress then he asked her to speak in a normal voice. The tech listened in his earphones and gave his thumbs up to Porter, who had walked up after Annie had put her shirt back on.
“She’s all set, boss,” the tech said.
“That’s good,” Porter said, “because we just had confirmation that he is still in the hospital. I think it is time for him to have a visitor.
Kip nodded and so did Annie.
“Hemorrhage” By Fuel
They arrived at the Hospital less than an hour later. Annie and Kip road in the Tech van, and Annie climbed out when it came to a stop. She turned to kiss Kip before she walked up to the entrance. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. Kip kissed back, but with no passion. Annie broke off the kiss and gave him a hurt look.
“What’s the matter, Kip?
“Just worried I guess, Annie,” Kip said.
Annie looked more hurt than before now. She knew there was more to the cold kiss than Kip was saying.
“Yeah, me too,” Annie said as she stepped away from the van and toward the door.
Porter met her in the lobby of the hospital and walked with her to the elevator.
“Mr. Beecher is on the fourth floor, in room four twelve,” Porter said. “Now, we can hear everything that is being said because of your mic, there. We’ve also got men in room four ten and four fourteen. They are ready to act at any moment. You just say the word.”
“What word is that?” Annie asked.
“The tech didn’t give you a rescue word?” Porter asked her.
“No, he didn’t.”
“Alright, let’s go with rock star, how about that?” Porter asked.
“Good as any, I guess,” Annie said.
“Okay, I’ll ride up with you in the elevator, but when the doors open, you walk out alone,” Porter said. “And, Ms. Beecher, relax. Everything will be just fine. You’re safe, I swear it.”
Annie nodded.
“Okay,” Porter said as he pushed the fourth floor button in the elevator. “You know what to say?”
“Yes,” Annie said. “I have to get him to confess to trying to have me killed without saying the words rock star unless I have to. Sounds pretty easy.”
“Well, it won’t be if you’re nervous.”
“Lieutenant Porter,” Annie said. “I am always nervous around Stewart.”
Porter looked compassionately at her. “I understand. But it is critical that you take control of the conversation, understand?”
Annie nodded again and swallowed. “I understand.” The doors opened.
Annie walked slowly and alone down the hall toward room four twelve. She could hear her heart beating inside her chest. The constant thumping made her think back to last night, when Kip was ramming into her with a constant delicious rhythm.
It made her think of Kip back in the tech van in the parking lot. Why the cold feeling from him when she left the van? The thought played on her mind until she reached the door. She looked from side to side, toward room four ten and four fourteen, and at the distance between rooms. It seemed like a thousand yards.
She twisted the lever and pushed the door open. Stewart was immediately in her view. Lying there on the hospital bed with his leg suspended in a wire contraption, keeping it elevated.
Stewart slowly turned his head toward her, expecting to find a nurse or doctor standing there. His look of surprise was evident.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said.