Luke walked with Ian to the coffee machine in the staff lounge. Everyone was already gossiping about the argument between Dr. Maddox and Dr. Montgomery. Ian made sure Luke remained out of earshot.
“Billy Ellis and I went through the Naval Academy together. I went to War College, and Billy chose the School of Business and Public Policy. Cassie’s mom and Billy were high school sweethearts. Sarah was tiny like Cassie, but she was a powerhouse. They had Cassie about ten years after we graduated, a teeny, pink bundle.” Luke held out his hands to demonstrate her size. “We both did our twenty years, and then I headed into the Bureau. Billy took over his dad’s business, broadened the scope, and it took off under his direction. He loved to sculpt too, but Cassie is gifted.”
Ian poured coffee into four cups as he listened.
“Our families spent a lot of time together. Rachel and Sarah were best friends, our kids like siblings. We celebrated holidays, birthdays, and vacations together. That all changed on Cassie’s sixteenth birthday.”
“Cassie told me. Sad situation.”
Luke sighed. “I got the call from the hospital at two in the morning. Cassie was hypothermic, and her pelvis was fractured. Because she was so small and her bones gave, she managed to free herself and reach the surface. Poor baby was the only survivor. I can only imagine the pain she felt. I guess nothing compared to what she still thinks was a choice.”
Ian asked, “What choice?”
Luke backed into the wall for support. “The harness system failed. The family survived the crash. Billy was conscious—he told her to kiss them goodbye and open the door. When the pressure equalized…”
Ian’s face displayed his agonizing awareness. “The minute she opened the door, the cabin filled with water.”
Luke nodded. “Cassie thinks she failed them.”
“It wasn’t a choice.”
“We all know that. She doesn’t talk about it anymore, but the consistent way she pushes herself to excel, be the best and work the hardest tells me she hasn’t let it go. Sweet baby has no living blood relatives. Billy and I agreed right after we had Christian, if anything happened to either of us, we would be there. Cassie became our ward and came to live with us when she was discharged from rehab. To us, she’s our daughter.”
“Why is her name Modine?”
Luke blinked away the sadness in his eyes. “After she defended her dissertation, she took her mother’s maiden name and became Cassie Modine. She changed it from Cassiopeia Maia Ellis. I don’t know much about mythology, but Sarah named her for her fierce beauty. I don’t think she ever considered the goddess’s vanity and foolishness. I think Cassie reached a point where she needed some distance from the Ellis legacy. She moved out to live with Christian in Coronado for a year, giving her time to find herself. Start over. No one knew her there.” He refilled his cup. “She shields herself, especially around men.” Any further questioning was over.
Nurse Angie Sommers approached them. “Mr. Paulsen? Dr. Montgomery asked me to update you. I am very sorry, Ms. Modine slipped back into cardiac arrest a few minutes ago. Dr. Montgomery has called additional surgeons for assistance. They are doing everything they can. He also wanted me to speak to a Mr. Chase.”
Ian raised an eyebrow at the nurse’s attitude adjustment. “That’s me.”
She looked regretful. “Dr. Montgomery wanted you to know, Ms. Modine is blood type O negative. We’ve called the blood service; it is calling known donors because we’ve run out. They’re running low on their supply too. He thought you may be able to help find some more donors.”
Ian pulled his phone out and made a brief call. “You’ll have donors in your blood bank shortly. I’m O negative too. Show me where to go.”
“Ian, thank you.” Luke’s eyes dampened again. Quickly wiping his face, he headed to the on-call room to update his wife and Declan.
* * *
Ian answered his phone. “Just wanted you to know, I advised both the hospital and FBI public information offices the public has no right to know about any admission. As far as anyone at the event knows, Cassiopeia Ellis was injured. There is no record of that woman in this institution, and it will remain that way. The hospital will make it clear to staff there is no such thing as an anonymous source. Anyone leaking information will be found out and dealt with.
“I also reminded them, Cassie Modine’s family has the full support of the Chase family on a personal level, and the Chase Group on the professional side. There will be no comment acknowledging anything,” Martin “Farmer” Bailey advised.
“Thanks, Martin,” Ian sighed.
Chapter Fifteen
The minute his blood was retrieved, Ian returned to the surgical floor where the OR waiting room was overflowing. He stopped in front of Cassie’s supervisor. “Greg?”
Greg Wilds looked up at him. “I’m in no mood. What do you want, Chase?”
“What do I want? I want to know how you keep your job. How the hell did Ames get her alone long enough to hurt her that way? Did you see what that animal did? He tore her to pieces.”
All conversation in the packed room ceased.
Wilds stood to face him. “You sanctimonious bastard. I am well aware of what happened to MY agent. Who the hell are you to tell me how to work my personnel? Oh yeah, Mr. Big Navy SEAL. You don’t know shit. This is beyond your security clearance.”
Ian’s eyes turned steely gray.My clearance is higher than yours.“From simple, brief observations, there were significant operational errors made. I know, unless there is a reason for radio silence, frequent location checks are necessary for fluid situations. I know enough, in any operation, to get eyes on my personnel when their com fails. I know Cassie was stabbed nearly to death because of your ineptitude…or was it your ego? Where the hell was her backup?” Ian stared at the men in tuxedos. “You all did her a disservice. She was a lamb led to slaughter. You saw that bathroom; it was a bloodbath.”
