Chapter 15
Scott pulled into the parking lot of the construction site, the lump in his throat threatening to choke him. Jack had called hours ago saying he’d had an accident. He’d insisted he was fine but as he’d tried to get information out of his cousin, Jack had stopped talking. Had he passed out?
Immediately, he’d called the airport to get his plane fueled and ready to fly. The plane had been purchased when his business grew and expanded cross country and he needed to get to his sites quickly. He’d been trained as a pilot in the army shuttling supplies and injured soldiers back and forth or helping out on missions in the chopper. One of his regular deliveries was to Jack’s unit and he’d become tight with the guys there. They’d all tried to keep in touch, knowing they’d give their lives for the rest. Occasionally they’d helped Jack as he’d attempted to stay out of Victor’s sight.
On his way to the airport he’d called the security company who kept an eye out for the construction site when Jack needed to be away. Someone was being dispatched as he got on the plane. He’d checked his phone on his drive over here and there had been a message.
‘Found your foreman in his trailer, beat up and bruised but he insisted he was fine. There was a stack of lumber that came undone and he must have been near it. I tried to get him to see a doctor but he told me he’d take care of it and to patrol the area for the next few days on a regular basis. Let me know if I can do anything else.’
Leave it to Jack to make light of any injuries. He’d completely brushed off the bullet wound he’d gotten a few months ago. Scott sighed, wishing his cousin had gone into a different line of work. Of course now, with a price on his head, he’d finally accepted Scott’s offer to work with him. The company had been left to both of them. It wasn’t how Scott wanted it to happen.
He ran from the rental car to the trailer, hoping against hope Jack was truly fine. The door was locked and the lights off so Scott pulled out his master key, the one that fit all the trailers on all his job sites, and thrust it in the lock.
“Jack?”
Switching on the light, he crept to the sleeping area to find his cousin struggling to sit up, a gun in his hand, pointed straight at him.
“Whoa, Jack, it’s me.”
“Scott?” Jack’s voice was weak. One side of his mouth turned up briefly then he eased back on the bed with a groan, his eyes closing again.
“What happened?” Rushing to his side, he gave a cursory examination. Cuts dotted his face and a few bruises were starting to form as he clutched his side. His clothes were covered in sawdust and dirt.
His eyes opened again. “Not sure. Doing a check of the site and thought I heard something. Stack of lumber fell on me.”
He closed his eyes again, as if those few words were too much for him. The pain had to be fierce as his cousin wasn’t one for theatrics. What injuries did he have and would he allow someone to look at them?
“We should get you to a hospital and let a doctor check you out. You could have some serious injuries.”
Scott got up and pulled out his cell phone. Jack’s eyes flashed open again and his voice croaked. “No, no hospital. This wasn’t an accident.”
Looking closer at his cousin, he asked, “How do you know?”
“I heard something before it happened. And when I examined the rope, it was loose. I checked that batch this afternoon right after it was delivered and it was tight. Someone rigged it.”
“Are you sure it was the same batch?” His cousin didn’t seem to be all there right now. Could he have been mistaken?
Jack shook his head then cried out in pain. Gritting his teeth, his breath came out in short pants. “No, someone did this as I was walking next to it.”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Scott looked at the blood on Jack’s face, trying to figure out where it was coming from. He lifted the hair on his forehead and saw a large gash on his temple. Immediately he grabbed the emergency medical kit and pulled out some gauze and peroxide.
“If someone was trying to kill you, why didn’t they stick around and finish the job?”
Jack winced as Scott dabbed the laceration with the cloth. “They probably thought they succeeded. I was out for a while. At least a half hour if I’m guessing. I managed to crawl back here, lock the door and call you. I don’t remember much after that.”
“You don’t remember the security guard I sent over?”
One of Jack’s eyes opened slightly then shut again. “Maybe.”
“Which means you passed out again for another few hours. That’s not good, Jack. You need a medical person to look at you.”
“No, if it was one of Cabrini’s men, they’ll be checking the local hospitals. Can’t risk it.”
Scott’s shoulders sagged, knowing his cousin was right. Cabrini had eyes and ears in too many places. They’d discovered that far too often. But he couldn’t leave Jack here in this condition.
“I have a friend who’s a nurse and she’s not too far from here. Maybe she’ll do me a favor and check you out.”
“Can you trust her?”
