Beverly Barton - Grace Under Fire

"After Kate comes out of surgery. Not until then." She looked at him, a strained expression on her face, and he realized she was doing her level best not to cry.

"Sure thing. We'll stay right here."

"I wish Dom had been able to find the rifleman before he got away," Grace said. "If he was a hired killer, the police won't be able to find him, will they?"

"The guy who pulled the trigger isn't all that important," Jed told her. "It's the man who hired him that we want. And even if the police were to apprehend the shooter, he won't give up the name of his employer."

"Booth Fortier."

Jed nodded.

"It could have been me. It was supposed to be me. If Kate hadn't-" Grace's voice cracked.

Rafe Devlin showed up in the doorway, a wild look in his eyes. "How's Kate? I just got word that she'd taken a bullet for Ms. Beaumont."

Before Jed could respond, Elsa stared at Rafe and asked, "Who is that man?"

"Another Dundee agent," Grace replied.

"Oh… yes, of course," Elsa said. "I should have known."

Jed wasn't sure why Elsa fixed her gaze on Rafe, but he got the feeling that she knew him… or thought she knew him.

J.J. came away from the window and met Rafe at the door. "Kate's in surgery. We're just waiting to hear something."

"How bad was it?" Rafe asked.

"Bad enough," J.J. said. "But probably not lethal."

"Thank God."

A cell phone rang. Everyone glanced around trying to figure out whose phone was ringing.

"Mr. Prentice, I believe that's your phone," Elsa said.

Hudson Prentice nodded, then reached into his jacket and pulled out the phone, hit the On button and placed the phone to his ear. "Yes?"

All eyes were on Sheffield Media, Inc.'s senior vice-president.

"It's a business call," Prentice said, speaking for the first time since arriving at the hospital. "I'll take it in the men's room."

A couple of minutes after Hudson disappeared into the rest room, Dr. Williamson came to the waiting area and asked for Kate Malone's family. All four Dundee agents went straight to him.

"Ms. Malone came through surgery without any complications," the doctor said. "She's young and strong and the bullet didn't hit any vital organs or sever a major artery. Barring any unexpected problems, I anticipate a full recovery. Of course, as with all cases of this type, the first twenty-four hours are crucial."

"When can we see her?" J.J. asked.

"She'll be in Surgical Intensive Care for several days. Check with the SIC nurses about a visiting time."

Dom followed up with half a dozen more questions, which the doctor answered, then when Dr. Williamson left, Dom said, "I'll stay here tonight. I can bunk out on the sofa." He looked at Jed. "Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, it's fine." Jed glanced from Rafe to J.J. "You two will stay with us at Belle Foret, then the three of you can take shifts here at the hospital until we know Kate's out of the woods. And you will also be able to provide backup protection for Grace."

"Sounds like a plan to me," J.J. said. "Should we ask for a replacement agent for Kate?"

Jed grimaced. "I don't think that will be necessary." He glanced at Rafe and then at Dom. "Do we all agree we can handle things with the team that's in place?"

"Yeah," Rafe replied.

Dom nodded.

"I'm taking Grace home now," Jed told them.

"Do you need me to go home with you?" Elsa asked Grace.

"Thank you, but no. You should go home. Troy 's coming by this evening, isn't he?"

"Oh, God, in all the hullabaloo I'd forgotten."

"You go see your brother. I'll be all right," Grace said. "Jed will take good care of me."

"You can count on that." Jed helped Grace to her feet, then led her from the waiting room. As he passed J.J. and Rafe, he said, "J.J., you come with us now. Go to the parking area and ask Nolan to bring the Rolls around." J.J. nodded, then hurried down the hall. Jed looked at Rafe. "Check on Prentice." Jed caught the look of understanding in Rafe's eyes. "When you find him, tell him to go home."

"Will do."

A few minutes later when Jed, Grace and J.J. emerged from the elevator on the first floor, Grace stopped abruptly. "Oh, mercy. I didn't think to call Laverna and tell her not to follow through with our special plans for dinner."

"Don't worry about it," Jed assured her. "Nolan's been in touch with her. I'm sure she realized whatever dinner plans you'd made needed to be canceled."

"Yes, I'm sure she did."

While J.J. left to instruct Nolan, Jed remained alert to every sound, every movement, taking nothing for granted, least of all Grace's safety. A couple of minutes later, J.J. motioned to him and he hurried Grace through the hospital lobby and straight to the Rolls parked at the curb. J.J. waited by the door, her violet-blue eyes scanning the area all around the car. When the three of them were encased in the back seat, Jed gave Nolan the go-ahead and the chauffeur eased the car from the circular drive onto the street. Jed put his arm around Grace. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed heavily. And it was in that one moment he realized exactly how much Grace meant to him. Everything. Absolutely everything.

"I told you that I wouldn't stand for Grace being hurt," Hudson Prentice said into the phone. "Somebody tried to kill her today and shot one of her bodyguards instead. You tell Fortier that I'll go to the police and tell them what I know. I swear I will."

"Go to the police," Oliver Neville told him. "You have no evidence. I've been the go-between for you and Booth and if you tell the police some wild tale, I'll simply deny it."

"You egotistical son-of-a-bitch, do you think they'd take your word over mine? They know you're as crooked and underhanded as Fortier is."

"What they know and what they can prove are two different things."

"Damn you. Damn Fortier."

"Calm down, shut up and listen. Grace Beaumont is a liability. She has to be eliminated. I know you have a thing for her, but she hasn't reciprocated your feelings in four years, so it's a good guess that she never will."

"You don't know that!"

"Look, you hang in there, play ball with us and you'll be running Sheffield Media, Inc. in a few weeks. After all, with Ms. Beaumont out of the picture, who else but you would the board choose to become the next CEO?"

Hudson became silent as he weighed his options. He loved Grace. She was the woman he longed to possess. But Ollie was right-Grace didn't return his feelings. She would never be his. But Sheffield Media, Inc. could be his to control.

"What do you want me to do?" Hudson asked.

"Now, that's more like it. Booth likes cooperation. He rewards team players."

Hudson shuddered. He didn't want to be on Booth Fortier's team. He never had. He should have thought about that sooner-like four years ago, when Ollie first contacted him and dangled the carrot in front of his nose, promising him Grace and Sheffield Media, Inc. in exchange for cooperation and information. He had made a deal with the devil and lived to regret it. But once a man made a blood pact with Fortier, he could never again he free. He was doomed for life.

"Like I said, what do you want me to do?"

"What do you know about a kid named Troy Leone?" Ollie asked.

"Leone? He's Elsa's kid brother, but I don't know anything about him except he's given Elsa a lot of trouble."

"How close are Elsa and Grace Beaumont?"

"How close? Elsa is Grace's assistant." Hudson wondered where this game of Twenty Questions was leading.

"What about their personal relationship, Grace and Elsa's?"

"They're friends."

"Good friends?"

"Yes, very good friends."

"How far would Grace go to save her good friend Elsa's little brother?"

"Damn, is that what this is all about? You plan to use the kid to get to Grace."