Read Online Untold Damage by Robert K. Lewis - Free Book Online Page B

Being in the vanguard was the short straw, and that was a fact. Mallen didn’t know what had gone down. All he knew from the coded text was that Eric had been shot, and taken to SF General. He had Chris to thank for telling him that much. The brass wouldn’t have risked it, but she would know that he’d want to know as soon as possible. Eric’s mom would’ve called Chris, he knew, totally freaked the hell out.
    And all Chris had texted was: B1978, X’d @ Sfg.911
    Mallen got to the reception desk. There was an older guy behind there, with sort of mad-scientist hair and geek glasses. Dark blue, polyester suit jacket. Name badge said Wiggins. “I heard a policeman was brought in. Eric Russ. He okay? I’m a … a friend.”
    The man looked him over, only a little longer than he should, only because Mallen looked the part of drug-dealing associate. Maybe the guy thought Mallen was here to finish the job, Mallen couldn’t say. “Look,” he added, very quietly, “I’m a friend. I need to know if he’s okay.”
    The man studied him a few seconds longer, and Mallen wanted to break his face open for making him wait while Eric might be dying. The man named Wiggins looked at his screen. Tapped a couple keys, almost like he had nothing else to do with his day, said, “He’s in surgery.”
    â€œSo, he’s alive?”
    A nod.
    Now Mallen had a quandary. Sit and wait, or go away? He shouldn’t be here, he knew, and every moment he was here was dangerous.
    â€œMark,” Phoebe said as she came up, Chris in tow. Chris’s look said it all: Oh shit, what the fuck are you doing here? But there was that tiny curl of the lip, the one that always drove him crazy. She was glad he’d come, even though it was dangerous. As Phoebe hugged him, he heard Chris say in a soft voice, almost a whisper, “How’s my knight in shining armor?”
    â€œStill around,” he replied as Phoebe let him go. He looked at her. “What’s the word? The guy at the desk said he was in surgery.” He looked around then. “Hal,” he said, “where’s Hal?”
    â€œHe’s outside the door that leads to the operating rooms,” Phoebe replied.
    Of course. Where the hell else would Hal be, with his son in his present situation? Hell, the guy would be pulling out the bullet himself, if he could.
    Chris came and put her arm around Phoebe’s shoulder. Said, “Phoebe? Can you give me and Mark a moment? I’ll be right back.”
    Phoebe nodded, clutched Chris’s hand. Went and sat in one of the neutral gray chairs made for people who had to wait to hear either good news or bad.
    Chris watched her until she was out of earshot, then walked to a drinking fountain. He admired her for that, knowing his job, dealing with it, working with him on it. She’d been a great cop’s wife. He followed. Watched her take a long drink from the fountain.
    â€œDo you know how he’s really doing?” he asked.
    â€œFrom what the doctors told us a half hour ago, it looks positive.”
    He could actually feel his entire body relax. When was the last time that had happened? It seemed so long ago now. “I better go, ya know?”
    She nodded, automatically checking up and down the hall, like she could see who was bad and who wasn’t. “You okay?”
    â€œYeah. Stevens tells me they’re getting ready to move in. Soon. Needs me where I am a little longer.”
    â€œA little longer,” she echoed.
    â€œAnna? She okay?”
    A smirk. “She’s taking after her father. Corralled some kids in daycare and told them to come clean about the crayons they’d been holding back. She’s a regular Kojack.”
    â€œThat’s actually your side of the family, not mine. Mine are drunkards, liars, and cheats,” he said, then quickly swooped in for a kiss. Yeah, it was dangerous, but damn if he