Bladed Cross: An End Before The End Times: book 1

TED

"Are you sure you should go back out there?" Chloe Collins asked in the hospital room. "I don't want you suffering any side effects while on duty."

Martin and some other officers had gone back to the area where Danial had been killed, to try and find out what happened, gather evidence and collect the body. They were sweeping that entire area, despite the shooter's predicted evasiveness. Every single lawman and woman were now on high alert. Chloe and Rick Peterson had stayed with Ted Walker while the nurses and doctor tended to him. They'd finished, and now he sat upright on the bed in the white light of the sterile hospital room, a light green hospital robe draped over his chest. He was covered and scratches and bruises, his muscles ached, and his head throbbed. It would have been worse, had it not been for the medication and antibiotics. Chloe and Rick sat in chairs opposite him.

"He would do it for me," Ted said with a determination equal to Owen's. "He would do it for you, and you would do it for us, Chloe. I have to go back. Besides, I'm not that hurt. My head feels like it got the shit kicked out of it by a mule. But I've never let any kind of pain stop me as long as I was able to walk. It's necessary, specially with you going back out here, despite my objections. Owen would murder me if I didn't stay by your side."

"You're not as tough as Owen," she reminded him, but sighed in acceptance. "But you're twice as stubborn when he's not around."

Ted smiled, "You're one to talk, sister."

"What exactly do you remember before you got knocked out? Did you see who it was?"

"No, not really. I could see that it was a man though, and he was wearing a mask. It was hard to see clearly after he hit me once, apparently not hard enough. I felt blinding pain but I still managed to turn around. . . ouch!" The nurse who'd entered the room gently apologized as she inserted a needle into his swabbed arm.

He continued, "I tried to go raise my gun, but he swatted it away. I tried to punch him in the gut but after he hit me from behind, I was too. . . lets say compromised, and my vision was blurry. He instead hit me the stomach and dragged me into the water. God, he was strong. But so was I, we fought for a good while, but I was weak. He punched me in the head so hard that I went out cold." He sighed, "I didn't see him coming though. He just came up from behind."

"A coward." Rick said, looking disgusted. "But you feel okay now, right?"

"Oh yeah. Thanks to modern technology and medicine. My head still hurts though. But don't you dare try to stop me from going back out there, I have to see to it that we get Owen back."

"Then I have your back," Rick leaned back in his chair, "I'm just as determined as you are. You look a lot better."

"I feel a lot better."

It was true. Despite the throbbing but receding pain in his head, he was feeling refilled with energy and back to his usual attitude. He even playfully snapped at one of the nurses—which led them flirting bit—after he'd gotten off the antibiotics. They'd given him lunch and he refused it though. Concerned, Chloe had convinced him to eat. Now he was ready to get back to the lake and help with the investigation and manhunt. What I'd do to them if I weren't a deputy. "Psychopaths," Ted said, " what the hell could they possibly be hiding in that water?"

"I'm not sure," Chloe said. "But before we found you in that culvert, we did see something. We have a theory, but it's going to sound crazy."

"Spill."

When she told him, he said almost angrily, "yeah, that does sound insane. My best friend and colleague, your husband is missing. He could be dead for all we know. And that's possibility you come up with? You don't know what you saw in that water! God! why in God's name would you think something like that? How absolutely stupid—"