Marked For Revenge. Valerie Hansen

that wound and let’s roll. Doctor’s orders,” the first man said. “The cops are lost somewhere out here and we can’t wait for them to find us.”

      Daniel wished he could cheer. Tired. So tired. It was getting hard to make out the conversation going on around him. He felt his body being rolled, moved, lifted. Someone reached into his pocket and tugged on his wallet.

      Finally he heard the woman’s voice again. “Back off. You’re making the bleeding worse.”

      “Okay,” one of the men replied. “We’ll let the docs in ER confirm identity.”

      “From the looks of him he was probably using an alias, anyway,” the other man said. “Rookie, get the gurney and let’s go.”

      * * *

      Kaitlin and the other two worked as a team, securing and loading their patient flawlessly. She followed the gurney and supported the IV bag, then hung it and grabbed a seat as Josh climbed in with her and Vince slammed the doors. The engine revved. Tires spun, then caught. The man on the gurney moaned.

      Kaitlin touched his forehead, noted that he was clammy and covered him with a blanket, leaving his leg exposed so she and her partner could monitor the injury.

      “You’re going to be okay, sir,” she said. Her fingers brushed back his thick, dark hair. His lips trembled and parted as if he were trying to talk.

      Kaitlin shushed him. “Take it easy. Save your strength. You can tell the doctors everything after we get you to the hospital.”

      His “No” was faint but unmistakable.

      Astonished, she leaned closer and spoke softly. “It will be all right. I promise. My name is Kaitlin. And this is Josh. We’ll take good care of you.”

      Josh tapped her shoulder. “Knock it off.”

      “Why?”

      “Because his pulse is spiking. What you said was apparently not what he wanted to hear.”

      “I just told him my name.”

      “No. Before that. I get the feeling our hermit is not fond of hospitals.”

      “Ah, I see.” She gently patted the patient’s shoulder. He seemed to be unconscious again but she explained, anyway. “If we don’t get you to a medical facility that’s equipped to take proper care of you, you’ll be in far worse trouble than you already are. So chill, okay? We’ve given you a little something for the pain and you should feel better soon. You need to trust us. We’re the good guys. It says so on our uniforms.”

      Again his lips parted. Kaitlin leaned as close as possible, allowing for the pitching of the vehicle. Whatever he was trying to say didn’t come through.

      “Vitals are starting to normalize,” Josh reported.

      Kaitlin was more than glad; she was thankful. Every shift, every call, began with a fervent prayer for support and wisdom from God. That she’d survived her wild youth was a wonder she didn’t take for granted. Making the most of the life that had come after was her deepest desire. It didn’t matter that her parents thought she was a failure because she hadn’t finished school to become a doctor. She knew she didn’t need an MD degree to help people. This job was just as important. Just as fulfilling.

      Laying a cool cloth on the patient’s forehead she silently prayed for him and blessed him. His arm twitched beneath the blanket. Kaitlin uncovered his hand to check the IV and saw his fingers moving.

      She took his hand. He grasped hers as if she were an old friend. If the contact gave him comfort she was fine with it. Truth to tell, something about this patient seemed familiar enough that she, too, was comforted. Losing a patient was the worst part of her profession, by far, and it looked as if this one was going to make it. That alone was such a relief it brought unshed tears.

      She averted her gaze to keep Josh from teasing her about being such a softy. Her reputation on the job was pretty good, if you didn’t count the scoldings Vince had given her for being too impulsive. The fact that he was right didn’t help. She knew she had to get a better grip on her enthusiasm and do things more by the book if she intended to survive her probationary period and be hired as a paramedic when she was fully certified.

      The only thing she could not do—would not do—was step back when a life was truly in jeopardy. She might not be a superhero but she was smart enough to know how to act in an emergency. That was a special gift denied to most. When civilians screamed and fell apart, she and those extraordinary people like her kept their cool and did what was necessary. Even as a child she’d been that way. Now that she possessed the right training she felt totally confident and whispered, “Thank You, Jesus.”

      The hand she was holding tightened on hers. Once again the patient’s lips moved. She leaned closer to listen. He wasn’t whispering an amen to her prayer. He was saying, “Danger!”

       TWO

      A trauma team was waiting when they arrived in Paradise and immediately whisked the patient away.

      “I’ll help you guys finish restocking supplies before I clock out,” Kaitlin told her partners. “Dee should be here soon to take over for me.”

      Vince made a sour face and Josh chuckled at him. “You look like you’d rather have the rookie stick around.”

      Vince huffed. “Makes no difference to me.”

      Kaitlin joined in the friendly taunting. “Yeah, right. Sheriff Caruthers’s daughter is your favorite teammate.”

      “I never said that, either.”

      Josh and Kaitlin both laughed. “No kidding.” Her attention was drawn to an arrival in the adjacent parking lot. “Well, well, look who’s here.” Not only was Dee Caruthers arriving, she was being officially escorted by the sheriff himself.

      Kaitlin stripped off her gloves and waved at her longtime friend. “Hi, Dee. You missed all the excitement.”

      The brunette twentysomething shot a wary glance at her father. “No problem. A peaceful shift is fine with me.”

      Kaitlin could hardly hold back her excitement. “Not me. You won’t believe the call we just worked.”

      Rolling her eyes, Dee approached. “Gunshot wound. Dad told me. That’s why he came along.” When she got closer she lowered her voice and leaned in. “He’s been giving me fits again about being in a dangerous job. I keep reminding him I’m not law enforcement the way he is.”

      Kaitlin grinned. “Does that help?”

      “Nope.” She peered into the ambulance. “I guess I waited long enough. You got it cleaned up already.”

      “We did,” Kaitlin said, still smiling. She checked the time. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to grab my purse and run in to see how our patient is doing.” To her chagrin, she felt herself blushing.

      Dee picked up on the telltale sign immediately. “Oooh. Is he good-looking?”

      “I’m worried about him, that’s all. Don’t you care when you transport a critical case?”

      “Sure. And then I set that aside and move on. You’ll have to learn to compartmentalize if you expect to last at this job. You can’t get personally involved. It’ll drive you crazy.”

      “I suppose you’re right. But he’s the first really critical patient I’ve worked on since I started here. Besides, there’s something about him that’s a puzzle. I must have seen him before. I just don’t know where or when.”

      “Right.” Dee waved Kaitlin off. “Go on. Check on his condition if it will make you feel better. Then go home and get some rest.”

      “I know I won’t