Read Online THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY by Robin Perini - Free Book Online

idea. He could feel it. He opened his mouth to argue—
    “I’m not backing down,” the doctor said. “If she takes a turn for the worse, she’ll need immediate medical intervention.”
    “In the meantime, I want all staff to deny Raven’s presence here. Got it?” Daniel told the doc.
    He received a nod in return from the physician.
    A loud ruckus outside the hospital interrupted the discussion. Daniel whirled around, hand on his weapon. A television news crew pushed their way into the emergency room lobby. Daniel glared at the sheriff and whirled behind the curtain hiding Raven, letting him and the doc deal with the intrusion.
    After several minutes of heated argument, the sheriff got rid of the news crew. Galloway stuck his head through the curtain and nodded. “Doc’s distracting them in the parking lot.”
    With a last check on the woman who hadn’t regained consciousness even in the turmoil, Daniel stalked back into the emergency room’s lobby. “We leave in the morning. Until then, I’ll take watch.” He turned to the sheriff and, after a quick look around verifying no one was eavesdropping, lowered his voice. “I hear there’s a decent motel at the edge of town. Any reason for us not to stay there?”
    “I’ll call Hondo,” Galloway offered, his voice lowered, as well. “The guy’s discreet and knows his way around a weapon or two. If Raven feels safe enough, like the doc said, maybe she’ll remember.”
    “A motel is better than fabric walls. But I still want to see the place before she goes anywhere near the joint.”
    Galloway took out his phone. “I’ll make the arrangements.”
    “Keep it quiet, Sheriff. I don’t like how much this guy knows.”
    With a quick nod and agreement to return at dawn to watch Raven while Daniel checked out the motel, Galloway left.
    Daniel stepped back through the curtain protecting Raven. Shadows marred her pale complexion. He couldn’t stop staring at the porcelain of her skin or the vulnerability of her expression. Her full lips had parted slightly, but they turned down at the corners, her troubles painted on her face. He could understand that. His hand hovered centimeters from the skin he knew would be softer than a breath of fresh air.
    He closed his fist and pulled away. She deserved better than he would ever be. That bullet in his pocket was his reminder that not everyone made it back from hell.
    With a sigh, he settled into the chair next to Raven’s bed. Anyone looking in would think he was relaxed. Not a chance. Her fear-filled eyes haunted his memory.
    But no one would get near Raven again.
    Not on his watch.
    * * *
    C HRISTOPHER GINGERLY PRESSED against his swollen nose. He swore and scanned the eerily quiet surroundings in the alley behind the sheriff’s office before catching sight of the phone line coming down the side of the building.
    Thank God this decrepit town hadn’t updated the system in decades.
    “This is stupid,” Tad hissed. “Are you trying to get us caught?”
    “You a coward?” Christopher egged on his friend. He knew what buttons to push with Tad. He hadn’t wanted an accomplice, but this was clearly a two-man job. Christopher had to stay out of sight until his nose healed. He needed backup.
    No one better than the guy he’d grown up with. They’d gotten thrown in jail together, had joined the army together and had found a way to get kicked out of the military together.
    Christopher could count on Tad. “Look, the nurse didn’t know anything ’cept Jane Doe left the hospital. If anyone knows where that woman is, it’s Sheriff Galloway, and we can’t just ask. We need intel.”
    “I saw the sheriff. Former Special Forces, I bet. He’s dangerous. Just like the lieutenant,” Tad said.
    “We took care of him just fine.”
    “Yeah, but not quick enough. Still got booted out,” Tad grumbled. “No pension, no nothing. Can’t even get a frickin’ job now. All that time wasted.”
    “I wouldn’t say it was a