Page 53 of Every Last One

“Yes.”

“But you don’t have all the facts to base any reaction on.” Gail sure hoped she was helping ease Torres’s nerves.

“I guess, but I just couldn’t handle it if he was shot… killed.” Another batch of tears splashed on her cheeks. Again, she quickly swiped them away as if she were ashamed to show emotion. “Especially now.”

Gail assumed she was referring to the baby until Torres pulled out her phone. When she didn’t say anything, Gail spoke again. “I’m sure Jordon wasn’t alone in that break room. Assuming he or someone else was injured, they could help that person.”

“If the gunman allowed that. But this is all my fault. And while I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, a gunshot needs urgent medical attention.” Torres looked at her phone and more tears fell.

“What is it, Nurse Torres?”

“Maria. Just call me Maria.”

“Maria,” Gail said, trying on the name.

“It’s a text from Jordon.”

Gail brightened at that. “Then he’s okay.”

She shook her head. “I can’t know that. The text came through once the hospital system and cell phones came back online. He likely sent the message before the shooting.” Maria held the phone for Gail to read the message.

Marry me?

It was short and sweet, and Gail would guess Jordon was crunched for time. The proposition had Gail’s stomach souring.It could be a sincere proposal or one that was rushed out of fear for the future. He wanted to make sure that Maria knew he loved her and the baby in case he died. But Gail forced a smile. “Well, that’s good, right?”

“I don’t think it is. Jordon loves me, but he told me before that he wants to wait until he’s chief of neurology.”

“He could have changed his mind. Things have changed. He’s going to be a father… And it’s possible this situation has him thinking nothing can be taken for granted.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. He’d need to be scared to send this message, which tells me he was in danger when he sent this. What if he is hurt?” Maria trembled, and Gail hugged her.

Their moment was interrupted by a loud banging on the door, followed by, “Open up!”

Maria hurried to the door and peeked through the slats of the blinds on the door. “It’s the man with the gun.”

Cold dread creeped down Gail’s spine, and panic swarmed her vision with pinpricks of white. “Maybe if we ignore him, he’ll go away.”

He banged again. “Open up, or I will start shooting.”

Gail glanced at her daughter, and rounded the bed, placing herself between the door and her daughter.

“Stop! You don’t need to do this. Just leave her alone!” a man yelled out, and Maria threw the door open.

“Jordon?”

Maria was yanked into the hall. Gail couldn’t see a lot from her vantage point, but a handsome young doctor was on the heels of the gunman.

“I told you to leave her alone!” the doctor cried out, just as he dashed toward the gunman’s back.

The man spun, and the doctor grabbed for his gun. There was a struggle, and the gun went off.

Gail threw herself over her daughter. She was too terrified to scream, hardly able to breathe, let alone able to leave Phoebe’s side to see the aftermath.

TWENTY-EIGHT

2:25 PM

Now that they had the identity of one hostage taker, Sandra was planning to call the woman on the eighth again. She could use this knowledge as leverage. Her headset was on, and her fingers over the keypad of the phone.