Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Elle heard movement before she managed to open her eyes. Someone walked around her hospital room. She tried to lift her hand, but a restraint limited her mobility. The sound of a metal cuff clanked.
She was under arrest.
Elle inhaled sharply, fighting to clear her head.
“Give us a moment with her,” someone said.
She knew that voice. Dr. Hanklen.
Her blurry eyes took in the situation. Larson stood in a police uniform. The material stretched on his larger frame. Next to him, Dr. Hanklen wore a suit.
“Fine, but she’s still recovering. Don’t do anything to rile her up. She’s still my patient until I discharge her, Detective.” The doctor spoke to Hanklen.
Detective?
“Don’t leave,” Elle tried to say, but Larson coughed to cover her voice and Hanklen ushered the doctor out and shut the door.
Elle pushed up on the bed and tugged at her handcuffed wrist. There was no freeing herself. She looked for the call button for help, but Larson swooped forward and pulled the wire. The clip on the button holding it to the blanket snapped as it was jerked out of her reach. He threw it aside.
“Where is he, Elle?” Hanklen demanded.
Elle pressed her hand against the bandage on her side to give the wound support and refused to speak as she inched up on the bed. She knew Ice would go looking for his brothers, but she would never tell them that.
“I know the ship is coming back for them,” Hanklen said. “There is no use denying it. Where are they meeting it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She turned her eyes accusingly to Larson. “Someone shot me. I’ve been in the hospital.”
“Casualty of war,” Larson stated, not remorseful in the least. If he wasn’t the one who’d shot her, he wasn’t about to censure the person who did.
“This isn’t a war,” Elle stated, just to be defiant. She wanted to buy some time so the doctor would come back. She tried to scream, but Hanklen was close enough to grab her mouth to shut her up.
Elle hoped they’d reveal what they had discovered about Ice’s whereabouts. If it was true that a ship was coming back for him, then she wanted to make sure he got on it.
“Of course it’s a war,” Larson countered. “Aliens can’t just land on our planet without our permission.”
Elle chose to ignore him as she turned her attention to Hanklen. Larson might be two hundred pounds of pure muscle, but Hanklen was the real danger in the room. The scientist was cunning and smart and had shown a blatant disregard for anyone who was not in line with his personal goals.
Hanklen grabbed her chart from the end of the bed and began flipping through it.
He stopped on a page, frowning. “Your bloodwork seems a little…” He studied her for a long moment.
“What happened? Mind control? Skin toxins? Why did you help him escape? Nothing in your psychological profile indicated you weren’t a team player. ”
Love. Compassion.
Elle didn’t answer.
“Larson, call Dr. Petals. I think her patient needs x-rays.” Hanklen’s gaze stayed on hers. Larson lifted his phone to obey. Elle knew she wasn’t going for any kind of scans.
Elle thought to see someone pass by the door and let loose a loud scream for help.
Larson dropped his phone down and lunged for her. He bumped her wound, causing her to cry out as his hand clasped over her mouth. She weakly fought him.
Hanklen pulled a syringe from his jacket and twisted the cap off the needle with his teeth. She reached for the IV tubing, trying to grab it before the doctor had a chance to inject her. But Larson was too strong, and no amount of willpower could counteract the morphine flooding her system.