I let him propel me down the aisle, stealing glances back at Doc until I can’t see him any longer. “If you say a word to anyone in the airport, he and the old woman are both dead.”
I can only nod at his side. As we reach the terminal, a pair of EMTs shout for everyone to get out of their way. Please, God. Let one of the other passengers have called 911. But as they pass us by, I think Collins is one of them.
Kerr steers me toward baggage claim, but before we can pass through the security gates, he removes a badge from his pocket, veers to the left, and swipes the piece of plastic against a card reader.
“Where are you taking me?” I demand. The doors slam shut behind us. I drive my arm down, breaking his iron grip on my elbow. “I need to know Doc’s going to be okay.”
“That depends on you. Right now, he’s on his way to join the old woman. If he doesn’t make trouble—and you do as you’re told—they’ll live.”
I take two steps back. “I’m here, aren’t I? But I’m not going anywhere with you until I know the insulin didn’t kill him.”
Kerr shoves me against the wall, his arm across my throat.
“This isn’t ‘doing as you’re told’.” The punch to my stomach steals my breath. I double-over, barely managing to twist away before he can grab me again.
Panic drives every thought from my head but one.Get to Doc.
I stumble for the door, but as my fingers close over the handle, my entire body seizes. The pain is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. My vision tunnels into twin points of gray. Kerr’s fingers dig into my shoulder even harder, and his other hand finds the pressure point between the bones of my right arm.
In seconds, I’m on the floor, Kerr looming over me. “If you want more, by all means, keep fighting me.”
I can barely breathe, but manage to shake my head.
Kerr drops to one knee, grabs my wrists, and pulls out a zip tie. The plastic tightens almost to the point of pain.
My thoughts ping wildly, the pain scrambling what little focus I had left. If he’s tying me up, he’s not worried about anyone seeing us. We’re not going back into the terminal. We won’t pass West and Inara.
Kerr grabs the plastic and tries to drag me to my feet, but my legs won’t support me. So he throws me over his shoulder and starts walking down a long hallway. I want to tell him he’s a piece of shit, but I can’t form the words.
He badges us through another security door—I hear the beep, though I can’t see shit with my face pressed against his back—and sensation starts to return to my muscles. “Put…me…down…fucker.”
Setting me on my feet, he wraps his fingers around my throat and squeezes. “Try anything else and I’ll shove you into a suitcase from lost-and-found.”
“Won’t,” I manage. My gait is more of a stumble than anything else, but I stay upright until we emerge into the bright, morning sun. A car pulls up to the curb and Kerr drags me around to the passenger side, opens the door, and shoves me into the seat.
“Hello, Natasha.” From behind the wheel, Bastian offers me a gleeful smile. “I thought I’d drive you to CID personally. After all, I wouldn’t want you to get lost.” He leans over and snaps my seatbelt into place, trapping my arms against my body.
“I told you I wasn’t walking through that door until you showed me proof Gladys was safe.”
“You’ll see her—on video—before you get out of the car.” He checks his mirrors, then pulls into the street with a squeal of tires.
“And Doc?” My voice cracks. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. Pale, his eyes unfocused, his mouth slack. He knew he was in trouble. The panic in his voice…
Tears lend a shimmer to the traffic all around us.Stop. Don’t let him see you cry.
Bastian taps the car’s in-dash controls, and Collins’s name appears on the display. After a few rings, he picks up. “Yeah, Sarge?”
“Sit-rep on the doctor.”
I take a deep breath, gritting my teeth so I don’t lose my shit completely.
“His blood sugar is back up to fifty. He’s still out, but he’ll wake up in an hour or two. Taking him?—”
Bastian hangs up and glances over at me. “By the time we reach CID, he’ll be with the old woman. I’ll even let you talk to them—for a minute. But now, you’re going to prove that you took my orders seriously. Start from the beginning and explain exactly how you’re planning on convincing the CID officers thatyouwere responsible for everything.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Doc
