The last face Angus wanted to see upon waking up in the hospital was Special Agent Tom Rutherford’s. Angus blinked, his arm feeling as if it was caught in a vise. Rutherford ate from a bag of popcorn, leaning against the counter, with Special Agent Fields and Detective Tate Bianchi next to him. Angus coughed. “What are you guys? The three wise men?”
Tate snorted. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got shot. Again.” Angus looked around the hospital room. “Where’s Nari?” He began to sit up.
Tate waved him back down. “She’s getting checked out in another room, but she’s fine. Wolfe and Raider are with her now.”
Angus winced. “How bad is her neck?”
Rutherford shook his head. “She’s fine. Just bruised.” He crumpled up the empty bag and tossed it into the trash. “Her mom is fine, too. The doctors are monitoring her heart rate after the electrical blast, but she’s bossing them all around. Seems like a nice lady.”
Had Rutherford mellowed? “Am I dead?” Angus asked.
“No.” Fields pulled out a notebook. “However, considering the head of HDD turned out to be a major wack job, we need to get your statement now rather than later. We’ve already gotten statements from Nari and her mom. Your turn.”
“Wait a minute,” Angus said, pushing a button near the bed to sit all the way up. He looked at the IV stuck in his arm. “Anybody want to catch me up on myself? Just for a second?”
Tate rolled his dark eyes. “You’re fine. The bullet went right through your shoulder; they just had to stitch you up.”
Rutherford smiled, his blond hair perfectly in place. “You might need some rehab, but don’t be a wuss. You’re fine, and you caught a serial killer. Dana Mulberry has already written a story, and you’re once again a hero. Yay, you.”
Angus blinked, trying to keep up and not go right back to sleep. “What about Opal?”
“Oh, she’s in custody,” Fields said, tapping his pen against the paper. “She’ll be charged and dropped into a hole somewhere far from the HDD. Go ahead and tell us everything so it can be redacted pretty damn quick.”
Angus sighed and ran through everything that had happened. “How’s Nari’s father?”
“He seems like a great guy,” Tate said. “He’s hovering over her mom and Nari. Guy used to be a marine.”
Angus blinked. “I meant Quan Zhang, who’s the second to Opal at the HDD.” He narrowed his gaze at the two agents. “Did you two know that Nari’s biological father was second in command?”
“Yep,” Fields said. “They have the same name, dude.”
Had Special Agent Fields just called him “dude”? Angus gave him a look. “I’m aware of that, but the names of the higher-ups aren’t actually on our paychecks, are they? We’re a secret agency for a reason.” Somehow, it was reassuring that Fields and Rutherford had known of Nari’s connection to the leadership in HDD. Not that he was starting to like these guys. Not at all.
Tate cleared his throat. “Your agency is weird. Who doesn’t know the names of their bosses?”
Fields shrugged. “Force’s team has never quite been on the inside, and I guess the administrator had a lot to do with that.”
“Plus, you’re a bunch of screwups,” Rutherford said helpfully. “Now finish with your statement, would you?”
Angus did so, trying to ignore the pain in his arm. Wait a minute. “Did you jackwads tell them to hold off with the pain meds until after I gave my statement?”
“Of course,” Rutherford said. “If you’d hurry it up, I’ll call in the nurse.”
Angus glared at him and then finished his statement, answering questions from all three men until he’d repeated himself about three times. “I’m done. If you want to talk to me again, find my lawyer. Well, findalawyer.”
Tate brightened. “Hey. I forgot to tell you. Scott came out of the coma and verified your story. Although I guess it’s all verified now anyway.”
Angus settled. “Scott is okay?” The weight of the guilt he’d felt over getting his lawyer shot had been stifling. It started to lift.
“Yeah. He will be, although it might be a long run of recuperation. He’s back, though, and he said to tell you that you’d be receiving a bill.” Tate winced. “I’m glad I won’t see that number.”
That was a worry for another day.
“Goodbye,” Angus said pointedly. “Please find Nari and send her in.” He needed to make sure she was all right. The feeling of his hands on her neck would give him nightmares for years, but she’d been correct. The move had made Lassiter open the door.
The three men took their leave, and soon another walked inside.
