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portion of the femur, and fragments of that then severed part of the femoral
artery. Only quick thinking at the location where he was injured saved that
man's life."
"The problem is that his body's white blood cell count is through the roof, as
is the donor's blood, as though fighting off some sort of rare infection." Dr.
Lutz paused to peer at Xavier Holland through thick, Ben Franklin-style
glasses. "We don't know if the patient came in with the unknown contagion, or
if it was transferred to him by the donor who has identified herself as
Lieutenant Sasha Trudeau."
"Just what are we dealing with, really?" Dr. Sanders asked, her intense hazel
gaze unwavering.
"If there is going to be a quarantine or something that could affect this
hospital's reputation, Doctor, in all fair-ness, I need to be able to get
ahead of the curve to make a public statement." Nancy Markland folded her arms
over her chest after straightening her red linen power suit. "Frankly, we've
got what looks like a small platoon of guys crawling all over our grounds in
fatigues who appear as though they've just come back from Iraq with no
de-contamination or debrief window."
"I cannot go into the nature of the experiments being conducted at NORAD, but
suffice to say that the general public, nor any of the hospital staff, is at
risk or in imminent danger." Xavier Holland glanced around at the frustrated
faces and then affixed his gaze to the elevator numbers. His grip tightened on
the briefcase he carried that con-tained the last of the vaccine. "We will
corral those men and get them out of plain sight, but it is imperative that I
see the patient now."
~
She didn't care that she wasn't supposed to be in ICU. Having the capacity to
blend in and out of the shadows, filch hospital garb, and go wherever she
needed to be had its distinct advantages. Right now she had to be at Silver
Hawk's side. Sasha slipped her hand into his, glad that anesthesia would keep
away the pain for a little while longer. It all seemed so unfair that a man
who'd lived his entire life avoiding the vagaries of experimental modern
medicine would now be ripped away from his holistic, tried and proven, natural
herbal approaches by a new mil-lennium virus created in a lab ... something
that resulted in his getting shot by his own clan.
For a long while she didn't move, just studied the lines in his ancient face
and noticed the cool, unnaturally waxy feel of his weathered hand against
hers. A deep sense of mourning filled her as she looped her amulet over her
head and placed it beneath her palm against his chest. Please don't die. It
was a fervent, urgent prayer coming from a woman who wasn't used to praying.
If she hadn't left him, he wouldn't have rushed into the pathways unprotected
to find his grandson. They could have should have gone together.
"Silver Hawk, you will always be Silver Shadow to us.... You are so loved and
revered, and the clan needs your guidance so desperately right now. It is not
your time." She bent and kissed his forehead, knowing that if this old man
crossed over into the permanent Shadow lands, Hunter would die a thousand
deaths right behind him no matter what his mental state when she found him. It
was bad enough that he blamed himself for the pack deaths, but to add his
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grandfather's demise into that loaded equation was more than any person could
bear.
"I'll find Hunter, you just live to see him again," she whispered and gave
Silver Hawk's hand a gentle squeeze.
Refusing to leave him unprotected but needing to find Doc, she looped the
silver chain over his neck and hid it from the hospital staff beneath his gown
and the blankets. Woe be unto a thief, she thought, reluctantly leaving her
charge.
A man's soul for a piece of silver? Puh-lease. .. more like some asshole's
face.
Chapter 18
"Long time no talk, Ethan." Shogun took a slow sip of his beer, allowing the
foam to cling to his upper lip before licking it away.
Ethan sat down quickly beside him. "You're well? All is well? There's no
problem, is there?"
"Can't a man have a nice lager in a safe house without there being a problem
... or, did you hear of one?"
"Please, I just..."
Shogun's hard stare made Ethan's words trail off as his gaze nervously darted
around his establishment.
"All right," Ethan whispered. "Only because it's so early, and at this hour
the walls don't have ears."
Shogun sipped his brew, his gaze and senses scanning the environment. 'Too
early for the Vamps, their succubae and incubi have probably been up late
working, since the Conference is in town. Dragon dancers don't come in till
later..." He shrugged. "Seen any Shadow packs with an unusual femme fatale
with them?"
"I haven't seen anything, I've been working."
Cradling his beer between his broad hands, Shogun leaned in to the nervous
Elf, forcing direct eye contact. "Let me restate it, then. Have you heard of
the aura-less the Shadow that might have come into town with the North
American Shadow clan leader?"
"Why?" Ethan whispered, his eyes wide. "She seems like such a nice person they
say, uhmmm ... I didn't meet her, but my Margaret did when the she-Shadow
brought in her whole pack and even her two familiars to the hospital. One was
badly hurt, shot. Then military humans flew in to help."
"Thank you." Shogun downed his beer.
"Please," Ethan whispered. "I know the Werewolves and Shadows don't get along,
but innocent people in the hospital, humans, babies "
"I didn't come for a brawl, just a friendly conversation. ... If battle
erupts, that will be because the North American "
"He didn't come," Ethan cut in anxiously, and then covered his mouth with his
hand.
Shogun tilted his head, then stood. If the big male hadn't come yet, then he
was on the move, hunting, chasing whatever his pack had run into that was the
way of the wolf. New Orleans was a fallback position for the injured, his
female, her familiars. . . . Then what was he after? Vampires? Infected
Shadows? Infected Were-wolves?
'The Fae are guarding the hospital to be sure there's no retaliation against
the elderly Shadow there had to be some sort of fight." Ethan blinked wildly
as he spoke and blotted his forehead with an already damp handker-chief.
"Please don't be angry at me, it's their job to keep humans unaware ... UCE
edict and big, nasty fights tend to make humans ask questions."
"Your bar has my pledge of protection." As Shogun began walking, a familiar
female scent made him stop and abruptly turn.
"Still sniffing after that Shadow bitch?" his sister snarled, and loped over
to him from the far end of the bar. "I thought after the bucket of cold water
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to break you two up that would be enough!"
"Lei, don't start. Lower your voice. I'm not in the mood for "
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