Matt Hilton: Cut and run

I was transported to the trauma centre at the University of Miami Hospital, but have no recollection whatsoever of my time there. When next I drifted up out of delirium I was at the same hospital where Walter had secreted Alisha Rickard. She was my first visitor. She hobbled in, one leg in plaster and her body swathed in dressings under her shift, toting an intravenous drip on wheels along with her.

I didn't know what to say.

I was responsible for murdering her husband and even though he'd abused her, tried to kill her, that might still mean something.

Maybe like Jimena Grajales she'd pull out a gun and start shooting at me.

But that didn't happen.

Instead Alisha just came up and kissed me on the forehead. We didn't need words. We understood each other. Alisha walked out again and that's the last I saw of her.

Rink arrived next.

'When are you gonna get your ass outa bed? We've got work piling up.'

He was back to his old self now that my imminent death was out of the picture.

'It could be a while before I'm back to my best, Rink.'

'I know. Maybe it would be a good idea if you took some time off,' he offered. 'You've some vacation time coming, I guess.'

Not a bad idea. 'I'm thinking of heading back home for a while. It's been a while and I want to check my dogs are OK.'

I'd no doubt that my German shepherds, Hector and Paris, were fine. It was Diane I wanted to see most. For a start, she deserved an explanation for why a friend of mine had been stationed outside her house for the best part of a week. And then there was the other fact… I just wanted to see her.

'That'd be great,' Rink said, but there wasn't as much enthusiasm as I expected. 'Just don't forget you've people here who love you, OK?'

He glanced away. He needn't have: a big tough guy admitting their feelings was OK by me. But maybe embarrassment wasn't his reason.

'Just hurry up an' get better, huh?' he said.

'I will.' Now I was the one who didn't sound so enthusiastic.

The bullet wound was bad enough, but it was all tissue damage. That would heal soon enough, leaving nothing behind but another scar to match all the others. What had almost finished me was the jab of Rickard's knife. He had nicked the femoral artery. Fortunately for me, the trauma caused by the bullet wound had already caused many of the blood vessels to contract so I hadn't bled as profusely as I should have. Any other time I'd have died within minutes. Who'd ever guess I was happy to have been shot? My fall on to the roof had broken ribs, and also finished the job started in Colombia on my right hand. The ribs would heal by themselves, but my hand, broken in three places, might require some physiotherapy.

Harvey had gone home to Arkansas. I was sorry to have missed him, but he promised to come and visit soon.

'He'd better,' Rink said. 'I think we owe him a drink after all this.'

'Maybe more than one.'

Rink brought me up to date on the entire Luke Rickard thing.

'Wetherby was behind it.'

'Should have known,' I said. 'I never trusted that bastard.'

'Neither did Rickard. He killed him and two of his guys before going to the hospital.'

I frowned. 'Saves us the trouble, I suppose.'

Rink was silent for a short time as though weighing my words. Finally he just nodded. 'Wetherby hated you. When he heard that someone down in Colombia was trying to locate the members of a CIA hit team he jumped at the chance to set you up. Apparently after your original falling out he'd dug into your background and discovered that you worked on the team with Bryce Lang. Guess he thought all his Christmases had come at once. He contacted this Gutierrez and promised him the best man for the job. Enter Luke Rickard. Pity Rickard was a woman-hating asshole, or maybe he'd have won. He let his personal agenda direct him.'

'We both made a mistake in not taking the shot when we had the chance. Me when I failed to shoot Jesus Abadia, Rickard when he killed the two cops and let me live.'

Rink sighed. 'You know, Rickard thought that Alisha was working with Jimena and Wetherby. He thought she set him up to die. How fucked up is that?'

I remembered Alisha's kiss on my forehead. Maybe she did want him dead, but she'd had nothing to do with any of that. 'She's safe from him now.'

'Good job, Hunter.'

'Yeah. Good job.'

We just sat there in companionable silence for a minute or two. Finally Rink stood up, stretching his tall frame. 'Anyway, gotta be going. I'm keeping your next visitor back.'

'Before you go,' I said. 'What's the fallout?'

'None whatsoever. Walter works wonders. You know that. As far as anyone's concerned the FBI took out a very dangerous felon. End of.'

'The cops?'

'Going along with it. Our names have been struck from their files all the way back to before Castle and Soames.'

'What about Linden Case and his daughter?'

'Like I said: way back before the cops. They know now that Rickard disguised himself. They even caught the doctor who carried out the surgery on him: some asshole called Rothman. The doc squealed like a stuck pig, told them that Rickard brought photos of you and asked to be made to look like you. The doc swears he'd no idea why that was so, but the cops know he's lying. It'll be a long time before he does any kind of surgery again. You're in the clear, Hunter.'

'Good enough.' My tone didn't match the sentiment.

Rink knew what I meant. Jessica Case was a total innocent in all of this and it hurt to think my name had been tied to her senseless murder. It was good that that was cleared up, just sad that she'd died in the first place.

Rink patted me on the shoulder. 'You can put the details straight but you can't change the past, brother. Don't dwell on the bad things. Give the good a chance.' He winked at me and went outside.

I wondered what the hell that meant. Then the door opened and in walked Imogen Ballard.

She looked so much like her sister Kate that it hurt to look at her.

I think she knew that. She had the same look in her eyes as when I'd last seen her. And now I better understood Rink's words about there being people here who loved me too.

Like Alisha before her, she just came and planted a kiss on me. Except hers was on my mouth and it lingered a lot longer.

Not all the echoes from my past were a bad thing. Acknowledgements and Thanks As ever my biggest thanks go to my wife, Denise. For everything.