Kody let out a sigh of relief and turned to Lieutenant Duffy.

  “Brodie is here now; it will be okay. Then we’ll find out everything that has gone on. I think they meant for Captain Lynch to be...to be killed, but he’ll be all right.”

  “Oh, they meant for him to be killed all right,” Lieutenant Duffy said. “But you people have it all wrong. Hansom isn’t the one who is dangerous!”

  He had barely spoken before the door was shoved back nearly tripping Kody. As she steadied herself, she realized she and Austin and Lieutenant Duffy were no longer alone.

  Nor had they been joined by the dead.

  Someone else had slipped through the door while she’d tended to Austin.

  Suddenly there was a gun pointing at her face—a gun held by a person very much alive and well.

  ***

  Lynch was angry, speaking headedly to Dr. Hansom, who stared at him with a worried frown as he listened.

  “It’s gone too far, it has gone too far. You refuse to see what you don’t want to see. Perhaps the public wouldn’t notice if a few servicemen had supposedly gone over the deep end died. You tried to hush it all up when we lost Lieutenant Duffy, but there was no reason for that man to have died. Your people were playing God. Duffy saw what was going on the same way I saw what was going on—prescribing drugs to soldiers they didn’t need, then taking those drugs to the streets for the highest prices. Duffy saw it, and then I saw it—and I knew I was meant to die!”

  “Captain Lynch, sir, please! I don’t understand what’s happening. You should be getting so much better—you were so much better! Now you’ve become delusional. You’re believing in conspiracies that don’t exist. I promise you, no one appreciates the military more than me. I want to give you a better life. I want you to have peace of mind, to retire and fish or relax and be sane with family and friends. If you’ll just calm down and come back in—”

  “If I come in, I’m a dead man,” Lynch said.

  Brodie had his gun drawn as he raced toward the pair.

  Then he saw three men were hurrying from the rear of the hospital to join the other two. They bore down on Captain Lynch and Dr. Hansom.

  The three were the security men—Morris, Stone, and acting-security head Granger.

  “We’ve got this Dr. Hansom!” Granger shouted. He ran up to the duo, facing Brodie and telling him, “We’re all under control now. We don’t need the FBI. This is a private matter, and we’re taking care of it. Captain Lynch—”

  “No, no—damn it, man!” Lynch exploded. “I will never go anywhere with you again. You belong in prison and these men will make sure that you wind up there.”

  “You heard him; he stays with me,” Brodie said. He didn’t see Kody; he wanted to know where the hell she was but didn’t want to ask in case she had managed to remain hidden.

  Lynch was here—and they were after him. Kody had to be behind somewhere, watching what was going on—staying out of the way, lest she create a situation by appearing—and being vulnerable.

  I just wish I could see her!

  He didn’t want to betray his anxiety.

  Granger shook his head. Brodie knew Granger was ready to draw his gun.

  Brodie didn’t flinch; he kept his Glock aimed straight at the man.

  “Don’t do it, Granger. Don’t do it. Come on, man. I’m aiming at you right now.”

  “You think that I’m not fast? That I couldn’t lay you flat?” Granger demanded headedly.

  “I think you’re competent with your weapon. I don’t think you want to shoot anyone.”

  “Heavens, please! I don’t understand any of this!” Hansom wailed suddenly. “And Mr. Granger, if Captain Lynch is that determined to go, and these men are going to see to his care, we need to just let him leave.”

  “No, Doc, he can’t go,” Granger said, not taking his eyes off Brodie. “He can’t go.”

  “Granger, I said—” Dr. Hansom began.

  “He can’t go!” Granger snapped.

  They were at one hell of an impasse, and Dr. Hansom still looked confused as if he was sinking in a cold pond and couldn’t figure out why.

  “Mr. Granger, mine is the name on this hospital; you work for me—”

  “I’m sorry. Not really,” Granger said.

  “Captain Lynch, I think I get it all now,” Brodie said. “You only think you’ve been the head of the hospital. I believe you are an idealist. But you have been blind to everything going on. Lynch is right—you’re being used for the drug trade. Not for kilos of heroin, or any such thing. But prescriptions—they’re killing now with almost as much vigor. Out on the streets, well...you haven’t been calling the shots.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about or what is going on—or how Captain Lynch could have become so delusional!” Hansom said.

  “Because Mr. Granger has been working for someone else.”

  “Granger?” Hansom said, frowning.

  “Oh, no, not Granger. He likes to think he’s the brawn and the brain. But I’m afraid Granger is only the muscle in the operation,” Brodie said.

  “Then, who…” Dr. Hansom murmured.

  He was quickly answered.

  “Me.”

  They all turned. Coming out of a small, dilapidated little vault or chapel was Kody. She was being pushed ahead by the pretty blonde, Dr. Kelly Shelbourne—the woman who had appeared to kowtow to her employer, Dr. Hansom.

  Brodie clenched his teeth, fighting the wave of fear and cold that raged through him, remembering how, when they had met, he’d believed she had been afraid of Hansom, and that Hansom had been guilty of abuse, at the least.

  Because now, Dr. Kelly Shelbourne was standing about fifty feet away from them—making it very apparent she had the nose of a gun pressed hard against Kody’s ribs.

  Kody stared at them all without flinching.

  She was shivering, but Brodie thought that was from the cold. Kody might be afraid. After all, a vicious, manipulative woman had a gun shoved into her.

  But she wouldn’t show fear.

  “Gentlemen, gentlemen, do stop, you’re arguing like little boys in a pissing contest! Please, boys, please. You will all stay here. I am leaving, and when I leave, McFadden, you will let Mr. Granger and Mr. Morris and Mr. Stone get to their cars and drive away. When I know that they are safe, I will release this young woman. Oh, and you can come for your friend, Mr. Austin Newton. He may have a bit of a headache. He was snooping around and I’m afraid I gave him a hard knock on the head. He deserves it for marrying that self-righteous witch, Julia. She really wanted to put a fly in the ointment. She was planning on teaming up with that fool who-would-be governor, Mickey Halloran, and then destroying the whole operation. So, it’s over. But you’ll have to back off. If I’m going down, I will take someone with me. I will kill her.”

  “How do we guarantee you’ll let your hostage go?” Brodie demanded.

  Dr. Kelly Shelbourne smiled. “You don’t have a guarantee. Except I really don’t like messes. So much easier dealing with drugs. You know,” she added impatiently, “you could have just minded your own business. I mean, Captain Lynch is crazy. I didn’t want his blood either, not really. I just wanted him locked back up—enjoying our hospitality.”

  “You killed Lieutenant Duffy—because he knew?” Hansom said. He spoke as if he still didn’t believe what he was saying himself. His scared little assistant had suddenly become something like the creature Ursula out of the Little Mermaid Disney movie.

  Ursula had gone down, Brodie reminded himself.

  “You—you killed Lieutenant Duffy?” he repeated.

  “What are you, Jarrett—Don Quixote? You’re a fool—tilting at windmills, thinking you can make a difference—and oblivious to what the world costs. Grow up! Duffy died,” she said. “He might have had a bit of bad mix in his system, but…” She shrugged, “he died. Call him collateral damage. Things happen. So back off. None of you has to die. I told you, I don’t like mess. I just need to get out of here. It’s almost Christmas. I walk away, you walk away—you get the lady back.”

  “Kelly,” Granger murmured.

  “Anything happens to you boys, she’s dead meat. I’m sure the G-man there has understood my words—and that lots of accidents can happen in the snow.”

  Brodie watched her.

  She moved around them, dragging Kody with her, her eyes never leaving Brodie’s.

  He was good; he was really good with his Glock, and she was just feet away from him, so close he could almost hear Kody’s heartbeat, her breathing.

  Was he good enough?

  He was never sure what he saw then; a whirl, something behind her, something dark that moved like a strange shadow, but just as the shadow moved by, Kelly Shelbourne seemed to trip.

  For a moment, Brodie was terrified her gun would go off, and it was wedged so tightly to Kody’s side.

  Then he saw Kody’s eyes. Something was happening he didn’t understand.

  Trust me, her look said.

  He did.

  As Kelly Shelbourne tried to steady herself, Kody made a move, grabbing Kelly Shelbourne’s wrist and forcing the nose of the gun toward the sky.

  It went off and the bullet soared into the air.

  As it did so, Brodie moved. He ran across the few feet between them, sliding down a tackle, catching Kelly Shelbourne by the ankles and forcing her down hard on the ground.

  Granger drew his gun, but too late.

  The Calvary had arrived, Brodie thought.

  Another gun fired. Bryan was running into the graveyard.

  Two more warning shots sounded. Bruce came from out of the woods.

  “Not outnumbered anymore,” Brodie said simply. “Down on the ground! Hands behind your heads!”

  He stood, kicking her weapon far from her hand, leaving a stunned and breathless Kelly Shelbourne on the ground. Bruce was quickly by him, ready to take Kelly Shelbourne into custody.

  Granger, Morris, and Stone were obediently on their knees, wary of Bryan coming over to take them into custody.

  And icing on the cake, Brodie saw police officers Ben Sharpton and Elise Markowitz were hurrying into the graveyard as well.

  He felt the warmth of relief sweep through him as he reached down for Kody who was smiling up at him.

  “You trusted me,” she said.

  “Pretty damned scary,” he said. “But...you’re pretty amazing with a Rudolph ornament—and that elbow of yours.”

  “I had help,” she whispered, “but I’ll introduce you to Lieutenant Duffy later.”

  Brodie drew her up and into his arms, holding her close.

  “You’re shaking,” he whispered.

  “I’m freezing,” she said.

  “Of course!”

  He took off his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders.

  Dr. Jarrett Hansom was still standing there next to Captain Lynch, staring at the action around him, as still as if he had frozen to the spot.

  The cops took over the arrests. Kody suddenly gasped and broke away from him.

  “Austin is in the chapel. Brodie—he’s going to need help!”

  She ran toward the chapel—he was on her heels, but they never had to go in—Austin had managed to untie the rest of the ropes binding him. He was leaning against the doorframe, shaking his head as they hurried to him.

  “Julia is going to kill me,” he said.

  “Austin, we’ll get you to the hospital—” Kody began.

  “Oh, Lord, no!” Austin protested, shaking his head. “Not this hospital. Besides, it’s a conk on the head, some rough spots on my wrists and ankles.” He grimaced. “Julia may want to kill me, but she’s a doctor. A good one. She’ll see I’m patched up first.”

  “What made you come out here?” Brodie asked him.

  “I came out to see a man named Littlefield—”

  “The man who is supposed to be in charge of security,” Brodie said.

  Austin nodded. “But when I got here and saw he was gone...I thought something was really up. I remembered how Julia had gone on to me about Hansom claiming therapy was more important than drugs. I ran into Dr. Shelbourne while I was looking for Hansom and...I guess she didn’t like me.” He grinned. “Maybe that speaks highly of my character!”

  “Let’s get you to that doctor who is going to kill you after she patches you up,” Kody said.

  “Yes,” he said.

  They turned around to head back out through the graveyard.

  “Hey, one thing—how did you get here, Kody? Bryan said you ran out of the house, but we were right behind you. How did you get here so fast?”

  “Snowmobile,” Kody said.

  “You happened upon a snowmobile?” Brodie asked.

  “Captain Lynch did. It was in the woods near the house. He knew where it was, and he went straight to it. I imagine it’s used by the security people—the good ones and the bad.”

  “But how could he know?” Brodie pressed. Austin was leaning on him as they made their way across the ground.

  “There he is, talking to Bryan. Let’s ask him,” Kody said.

  The two officers were heading out of the graveyard and to the road, their prisoners walking before them.

  “Sharpton has called it in—another Virginia car is coming out for them,” Bruce said.

  “And Captain Lynch is doing very well,’ Bryan told them.

  They stood in the snow among the tombstones, broken and old, solid and new.

  “Very well,” Captain Lynch said. “Thanks to you all! You’re quite an amazing young woman, you know,” he told Kody. “All of you—thank you.”

  “It’s our pleasure, sir. We slayed the dragon slayers, so to speak,” Kody told him. “I have a question for you, sir. How did you know where to find the snowmobile?”

  He smiled at her, a sad smile, and one also filled with something like pride.

  “A friend told me,” he said softly. “A very good friend. I believe he just might be a mutual friend, and possibly, soon—a friend to all. In this particular group!”

  Chapter 10

  That night, their friends began to arrive, the first being Bryan’s wife, Marnie, and Bruce’s wife, Sophie.

  They came with Kody’s car, which was great, Marnie driving her car and leaving Sophie then to drive Kody’s. They’d then had to backtrack a bit since the more direct road was obviously still in shambles, but it hadn’t taken too long. They gathered in the tavern area, all sitting about. Some sipping cocoa—others opting for something a little bit stronger.

  Julia had planned a meal for that night.

  Understandably, it wasn’t happening. Pizza was on the way—delivery just took a bit longer out to them than it did to other places.

  Austin and Julia were the perfect host and hostess, delighted to meet those who arrived, and aware that for now, at least, they could speak freely about anything that had happened.

  Julia had been distressed, of course, about Austin having taken a beating, and she blamed it on herself. “They were so mean to you because they knew I felt something was very wrong there!” she said.

  “No—I was there. That’s why I took a beating. But it’s OK. I’m feeling great—my wife is a good doctor. I feel better than great! That place has disturbed many people for a long time. And now we know Dr. Hansom isn’t the bad guy—he’s just sadly a gullible man.”

  “And Captain Lynch is here with us!” Marnie said.

  “And Lieutenant Duffy,” Maeve murmured.

  Her family didn’t respond to her. Maeve was well aware Julia and Austin did not see her or the dead.

  Of course, Maeve and Hamish had come along with Marnie and Sophie. She was especially fond of Marnie, who was a renowned actress in her own right and had met Bryan when a friend had been killed right next to her at a comic con.

  Marnie was perfectly calm with her mother-in-law.

  Kody hoped she’d be the same.

  “I remain so, so embarrassed—and grateful,” Captain Lynch said. He hesitated before saying, “Lieutenant Duffy was a good friend—a good man. He told me something was going on—something with the medications. So, I spied on the group, but what I saw was Dr. Shelbourne’s goons taking meds and whispering and seizing up prescription pads. Even I assumed Dr. Hansom had to be in on it. I think now, in truth, he is a good man.

  “A good man or a good actor?” Maeve asked suspiciously.

  She was decked out in a lovely red coat with a white-collar and a Santa hat, and was draped over one of the free chairs at the table by the window. Hamish sat across from her.

  “Not everyone is an actor, dear,” Hamish said.

  “Ah, but all the world is a stage!” she reminded him.

  Those who could see and hear the dead smiled, lowering their heads. Julia and Austin were oblivious. Julia was right next to Austin who didn’t seem to mind the care.

  The pizza arrived and then soon after, Kody’s mother and her husband, Frank.

  She did love Frank, and because her mother had been so anxious, Kody had said, certainly Frank was welcome to walk her down the stairs to what would be their makeshift ‘altar’ in the tavern.

  He was a good man, and she adored her mother and was grateful they had arrived. Because after her mother had worried about her, they had all down-played what had happened—except for Captain Lynch. He was determined Sally understand Kody had been a real hero. Then they were treated to a happy story about the way folks in the Keys had gotten together to save a young female manatee and her calf.

  The evening drew to a close. There was the usual teasing when she and Brodie headed out to their bridal “suite” in what had been the old stables. Someone teased Sally about Brodie likely getting to see Kody’s wedding gown before the service and maybe much more. Sally simply put up a hand saying, “It is what it is these days, huh? Ignorance is bliss. I have no idea what is going on nor, God help me, do I want to!”

  She smiled; Kody loved her mom so much. She kissed her on the cheek and hugged her warmly.

  “Kody,” Frank told her with a grin, “I don’t think your mom was ever under the delusion you two have a three-bedroom apartment in the D.C. area so you two can each have your own bedroom!”