Page 68 of Broken SEAL'S Secret Baby
“Yeah, and a good chance that their adult puppet master will contact them…then we can get to the real bottom of this mess.”
“I hope they don’t get hurt,” I say sleepily. “They could have been a lot harder on Cece.” Then a thought strikes me. “On bail? But what about the guy that was knifed?”
“That’s an odd bit,” Larry admits. “The kids say they didn’t know anything about it. Questioned separately, their stories match. We think there was someone else involved.”
“Puppet master?” I ask.
“Or another puppet they didn’t know about. You might as well get some rest, Miss Bailey. It’s a long drive to Kansas City.”
I didn’t think I could sleep, but I guess I did. The brightcity lights wake me as we pull onto the busy streets. It is snowing again.
We don’t go to the main hospital. Instead, we go to a long, low building that looks more like a residence.
A staff nurse in floral scrubs meets us at the door and escorts us down a quiet hallway.
Charles is sitting up in bed, a cup in his hand.
“Daddy!” Cece exclaims, running across the room toward her father.
“Whoa up there, Princess,” the nurse exclaims, catching her shoulder. “Your daddy had emergency surgery just a few hours ago. Let’s not go jostling anything loose.”
“I’m sorry,” Cece says, slowing down.
“Go wash your hands, then you can hold his hand, and give it a gentle hug,” the nurse says, releasing her.
Cece dutifully washes her hands, then walks to her father’s bed. I wash up and follow her.
“I’m going to leave you,” the nurse says. “But remember: no hugging, no face-to-face kisses, and wash your hands before you leave. We’ve kept this facility clear of Covid, and we don’t need to introduce it. Most of the guys here have been through enough without that.”
I nod. We sit and talk for a while. Then James comes in.
I can’t believe my eyes. “I thought they were holding you for observation?”
“They tried. Didn’t really want to let either of us go, but Gregory persuaded them that he could keep an eye on us. So we checked ourselves out and followed you.”
“Manuela booked us all a suite of rooms in the airport Hilton. Two suites, actually, so we can have Gregory and his team with us.”
“I’m glad,” I say. “It’s better to have us all together.”
“Take Cece with you and go to the hotel,” Charles says.
“Are you sure?” Grace asks. “I mean after last time . . .”
“That certainly was not your fault,” Charles states firmly. “I’d like some time to talk with Kate — grown-up talk.” He looks significantly at Cece. “Besides, it is way past somebody’s bedtime.”
“I’m awake!” Cece says. Then yawns and giggles. “Maybe not,” she admits.
“I’ll send some of my people with them,” Gregory says. “If we put enough layers around your big girl,” he smiles at Cece when he said this, “surely she will be safe. Or maybe the rest of the world will be safe from her.”
Cece giggles at that, then grabs Grace’s hand. “Come on,” she says. “The sooner we do what we’re supposed to do, the sooner Daddy and Miss Kate will be ready to come with us.”
The adults all laugh, then hasten after our very own little Red Chief.
When they are all out the door, I give Charles my full attention. He looks tired, but the hectic red flush on his cheeks is gone.
“How are you, Charles?” I ask.
He smiles at me. “I’m going to live. Although the doctors here tell me that my daughter did me a favor. A sliver of metal from the landmine that got my truck had embedded itself in bone and apparently got missed by the first surgery team.”
