And, sure enough, there was something, someone, wandering around in the dark. Studying the guy’s movements, Axel didn’t see any method to his madness, until he pulled his phone from his pocket and held it to his ear, then moved quickly toward the sub. Was there some kind of a security lock on the sub that had now been unlocked? Someone else who helped him gain access? Axel watched as the man quickly boarded the submarine, having absolutely no trouble opening the hatch and getting inside. Axel waited and watched. “Where are you, you little bugger?”
But nobody else was here. And at no point in time—from that moment until the next day when the submarine left—were there signs of that man leaving the sub. Axel sat back, then reran that same video feed of the man answering the phone and then walking into the sub, watching at a very slow speed. Axel noted a slight hitch in his stride, indeed, an odd little movement that he made, favoring his right side.
“Bingo,” he said, and he picked up the phone to call Mason.
Chapter 3
Ally woke up again, this time more aware of where she was, her thoughts less hazy, though the pain was still overwhelming her. The nurse walked in a few minutes later. “You must have an instinct for knowing when your patients wake up,” she said.
“That’s easy,” the nurse said cheerfully. “Your meds should have worn off about twenty minutes ago, and usually the pain kicking in wakes you up.”
“Well, why don’t you just keep the pain meds coming,” Ally joked, “and then I don’t have to wake up until this is healed.”
“Well, wouldn’t that be nice,” she said. “I’m sorry to tell you, but it won’t be that simple.”
“Of course not.” She looked down at her leg. “How long do I have to stay here?”
“It’s not for me to say,” the nurse said, “but, when the doctor can get you out of here, rest assured that he will.”
“Got it,” she said. “I was just hoping to get out sooner rather than later.”
“Maybe,” the nurse said. “As long as the x-rays show the bone is set properly and the blood circulation is fine. You are nicely casted, so you’ll probably be good to go home before too terribly long, if it heals well.”
Ally watched as the nurse checked her blood pressure, temperature, and took her pulse. “I’m still alive, I presume,” she said. “Alive and in good health, from the sounds of it.”
“The doctor’s doing rounds at nine. He’ll pop in then.” And, with that, she headed to the door.
“Wait. Is there any chance of getting a coffee?”
“Sure,” she said. “How do you take it?”
“Black, please.”
“It will have to be coffee from the nurses’ station, until breakfast is delivered in an hour.”
“What time is it anyway?”
“It’s seven,” the nurse said. She walked back into the room and moved the small table used for meals closer to Ally. “Your phone is here too.”
When she saw it, she smiled with relief. “I hadn’t even thought about it,” she said, “but I’d be very sad to lose it.”
“You and the rest of the world,” she said with a smile. “I’ll get you a coffee.”
Ally reached for her phone, grateful that the movement didn’t seem to wake up the trolls in her head that she’d pictured doing the pounding against her skull. As she lay back down again, phone in hand, she realized that she felt a whole lot better. Taped to the top of her phone, she saw someone had left a phone number. And no name. She knew only one person who would do that. Axel. She smiled when she saw it.
“So there you are,” she murmured, knowing instinctively that this was the man who had helped get her out of the submarine. She added his phone number to her contacts, then sent him a text. Cute move, leaving your number like that.
Next she checked her emails, wincing at the seventy-five that downloaded when she brought up the app. “That’s not fair,” she murmured. She didn’t know if anybody had heard she was in the hospital or not, but most of these appeared to be business oriented. One was from her mom, and she doubly winced at that.
“Sorry, Mom. I don’t dare talk to you right now,” she said to herself. “I have no idea what I’m supposed to tell you.”
As far as everybody knew, she was still out in the sub and wouldn’t be home for another few days. She checked out the news, frowned at the political climate of anger and angst taking over the country, and then checked the weather, simply because, when there’s nothing else to talk about, there was the weather. She had a few favorite sites that she whipped through, just browsing the internet, wondering what had happened while she was out of it, only to realize that basically nothing had, and it was still the same old crap like always. Just as she went to put down her phone, a text message came through. She smiled when she saw it was from Axel.
How’d you know it was me?
You’re the only one who came to see me.
Are you alone?
Kinda stuck in the hospital. Never alone here.
Can I come visit?
It’s pretty early.
But, if you’re awake and I’m awake, does it matter? Can I come?
Sure, I guess. Can’t promise they’ll let you in though.
He sent her a happy face. I’ll make it in.
She trusted him on that too. Hearing no more from Axel, she put down her phone, just as the nurse walked back in with a cup of coffee. “The same guy who was here the other day is on his way back,” she said. “He has more questions.”
“Not surprised,” the nurse said. “I’ll send him up.”
“Thank you,” Ally replied. Then she sat here and waited, sipping her coffee. With any luck he wouldn’t be here too early. When he walked in ten minutes later, she looked at him, surprised. “How’d you get here so fast?”
“I live on base,” he said.
She nodded. “Did you follow up on anything?”
He looked around behind him and then closed the door.
Her eyebrows rose. “Is that a safe thing to do?”
“I’m not sure,” he said, “but it’ll have to be. I need to talk to you about something,” he said, “and I don’t want anybody listening in.”
“Top secret, huh?” she said lightly. But, then again, that was her world too.
He walked forward, looked at the coffee cup, and smiled. “That coffee any good?”
“It’s hot and bitter and strong,” she said. “I haven’t had any in a couple days. I figured it might clear off the rest of my headache that’s still pounding.”
“Yeah, caffeine is tough that way,” he said. “But a caffeine headache? Really? That’s kind of a stretch for somebody with God-only-knows how many stitches in her head.”
“So I suppose you don’t drink coffee and the like?”
“Hell no,” he said. “I probably drink twice as much as you do.”
Her smile got brighter. “No wonder you’re here so early. So what did you want to talk about?”
He looked at his watch and said, “It’s not that early. When will we be interrupted?”