Alaskan Mountain Pursuit Elizabeth Goddard (best short novels .TXT) 📖

reaction. “What’s that you’re giving her? She’s already asleep.”

The nurse threw a fist at Will but he ducked in time. Adrenaline surging, Will launched at the brawny man, pulling him away from Sylvie as he tried to insert the needle into Sylvie’s arm instead of the drip. Will had him in a choke hold but still the syringe edged dangerously close to Sylvie’s arm.

“Help!” Will yelled. “Sylvie, wake up.”

She needed to help him fight for her life.

With every ounce of strength he could muster, Will pulled the man back away from the hospital bed, and he fell on top of Will, knocking the air from him. But at least the syringe slid across the floor and out of reach. Will would crush it. Destroy what had to be a deadly poison.

Except the man posing as a nurse climbed off Will and pulled out a gun.

He aimed at Sylvie. She was awake now, her eyes wide with terror as she screamed. Will scrambled to his feet and shoved the weapon’s trajectory away from Sylvie, aware that if the gun went off, it could very well go through a wall and injure another patient or hospital staff. He didn’t want that, but neither would he let this man kill Sylvie.

Will wrestled to gain control of the thick-necked bouncer man again, trying to force him to release the gun by twisting the man’s arm back and over the corner of the nightstand. The weapon fired.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

A cacophony of screams erupted, echoing through his ringing ears.

God, help me! Protect Sylvie. Protect us all.

Muscles straining, sweat beaded his forehead. But he wouldn’t let the man shoot Sylvie. “Get out of here, Sylvie. If you can, get out.”

She tried to move from the bed to escape, but in her weakened condition she collapsed to the floor. Releasing a grunt, Will shoved the man against the wall, slamming his arm and pinning him, crushing his wrist until the man cried out and the weapon fell. Strong though he was, the man wasn’t as motivated to kill Sylvie as Will was to save her life.

Will kicked the weapon across the floor against the wall.

The man growled and twisted out of Will’s grip then shoved Will out of the way before running out the door.

Breathing hard, Will glanced at Sylvie, who’d crawled to the corner of the room. “I’m all right,” she said.

A nurse rushed in as Will exited. “Take care of her and call security, call the police if you haven’t already.”

“Will!” Sylvie called. “Don’t go!”

Her words knifed through him. He didn’t want to leave her, but neither could he let this man get away. Instead, he rushed into the hallway, quickly spotting the man who was shoving doctors, nurses and hospital staff along with their carts, out of his way, leaving screams and clattering trays in his wake. Security guards appeared at the opposite end of the hallway. Of course. They would never catch up. Will gave chase and followed him down the hall. He pushed through the doors into the stairwell a mere ten seconds behind the man.

Hastening footsteps echoed through the stairwell below. Will continued his pursuit, wishing he had a weapon, or that he had grabbed the man’s gun even though he knew that same weapon could get Will killed when the security officers or police caught up. Still, why was he the one giving chase? Where were the police when you needed them? Frustration churned in his gut, propelling him forward.

He had to catch this guy. Couldn’t let him get away, or he might try to hurt Sylvie again. Lungs burning, he flew down the steps, taking more at a time than was safe. Another door opened and slammed shut. Will peered over the banister and saw nothing. But there was only one exit. He reached the last floor and shoved through into another hallway where it was obvious the man had torn a reckless path through hospital staff and bewildered patients.

“Where did he go?”

Visitors and nursing staff stared at him, their eyes wide and mouths hanging open.

Will kept running, following the trail of destruction, and peered through every door that would open as he went. Nothing. “Please, somebody help me. Did you see which way he went? I need to catch him.”

A brunette staffer pointed. “Out the door.”

He nodded his thanks as he passed. God, please don’t let me lose him.

When he ran out into an alley he found a garbage receptacle and a delivery truck. Will carefully searched as he ran down the alley and into a hospital driveway, the visitor parking lot across the road. Catching his breath, he turned, searching the area for the man running from him. Cars came and went along the street that encircled the hospital. Could the man be driving one of them, making his escape?

Will sagged in defeat. He’d been so close. How could I have lost him?

Someone shoved through the door behind Will. A security guard. He looked at Will ready to pounce.

Will had to deflect those thoughts immediately. “He got away,” Will said. “Drove off. Disguised himself. Melted into the walls. I don’t know.”

He could still be in the hospital for all Will knew. Sylvie needed 24/7 protection. Someone was willing to go to great lengths to kill her, and there could be no doubt that they would be back.

They would keep trying until they succeeded.

Sylvie sat on the edge of the bed in her hospital room, anxious to be free of this prison. She was grateful for the clothes Heidi Callahan—her half sister—had purchased for her. Only a few years older than Sylvie, Heidi sat across from her in the only chair in the room. Her rich and thick chocolate hair splayed across and down her shoulders. Both the hair and the deep warmth in her smile reminded Sylvie of Cade. She was so beautiful. Sylvie wondered why she hadn’t inherited some of those looks, but that was the least of her concerns.

Still, she could see some resemblance between them.

Sylvie