Page 76 of Wild Fever

“That’s what I like to hear.”

I waved at the guard in the booth as we pulled out of the lot and turned onto the road.

I collected burners from the crew and tossed them out of the window a block away. By that time, flashing red and blue lights approached. My heart leaped into my throat. Brad at QTS must have gotten suspicious and called the cops.

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Iwasn't immune to the spike of adrenaline from the red and blue lights as the patrol car barreled toward us. "If this thing goes south, nobody say a word. Keep your mouth shut. Got that? I'll do all the talking."

There were nods all around.

Jack cruised along at the speed limit, and we all held our breath.

The patrol car passed the van. A gust of wind rocked the vehicle.

I craned my neck around and watched the squad car through the rear window. It blazed right past Zonatrex and kept going on another call.

We all breathed a sigh of relief.

Jack grinned. "Just like clockwork."

I looked at Dr. Malcolm. "Are we good?"

He nodded, looking a little anxious. This whole operation had unsettled him.

Kara said, "I really can't thank everyone enough for what you've done. I can't tell you what this means to me. Win, lose, or draw, I appreciate the act of kindness."

It was heartfelt, and I think it touched everyone in the van.

Jack drove us back to the marina, and we piled out of the van.

“I’m gonna get this back before anyone notices it’s missing,” JD said.

He sped away, and we hustled down the dock to theAvventura. We marched across the passerelle. Buddy greeted us at the salon door, eager to see us.

We flooded into the salon. Dr. Malcom set the small ice chest on the counter.

"Let's do this," Kara said.

Dr. Malcolm's response was measured and cautious. "I just want to warn you that this is an experimental drug. It may or may not work. There may be side effects. Short-term and long-term. It could kill you."

Kara gave him a flat look. "I’m going to have a pretty massive side effect if I don’t take it.”

Dr. Malcolm gave a grim nod. "I understand. But I can't, in good conscience, inject this into you without knowing what the outcome may be."

Kara scoffed. "I'll do it myself. Just tell me how much to dose up."

"In the clinical trials, the therapeutic dose was 10cc. We’ll need to start you on an IV and do a slow push.”

“Like I said, let’s get this party started.”

Dr. Malcolm had brought supplies with him. He prepped Kara’s arm with an alcohol swab and started an IV. “The best way to approach this is to mix it in a mini bag and hang it as a secondary.”

“Whatever you say, Doc.”

He hung a small bag higher than the primary, then he pulled a vial of the drug from the ice chest. Dr. Malcolm drew 10 milliliters into a syringe, then tapped the bubbles out. He injected it into the mini bag’s port and gave it a gentle swirl. “All you have to do is release the clamp, and it will feed in. You may feel a slight burning sensation as it rushes through the veins. Remember, this drug is experimental. Let me know if you feel dizzy or nauseous. I’ll monitor your heart rate."

Kara nodded, took a deep breath, then released the clamp. The medication trickled through the tubing, merging with the main line. “Fingers crossed.”