Loe raamatut: «Amish Christmas Emergency»

ONE

“Megan, has Noah Hostetler arrived yet?”

Concern bit at nurse practitioner Alexa Grant as she hovered by the receptionist’s desk. It wasn’t like Noah to be late. He was always at least half an hour early. She knew for a fact that when the Amish man hired a driver to take him to his medical appointments, he booked them with plenty of wiggle room. A quick glance outside made her grimace. When she’d driven to work that morning, it had been cold, but the sky had been clear. Now, three hours later, a heavy sheet of snow and ice pelted the glass windows of the small medical clinic.

It figured. Her lips twisted. There hadn’t been any snow to speak of in LaMar Pond, Pennsylvania, back in November at Thanksgiving time. Now, only two weeks out from Christmas, the snow and freezing temperatures pounded the small town relentlessly, adding to the chaos of the season.

Chaos like the flu epidemic sweeping through northwestern Pennsylvania. It had hit LaMar Pond in the past three weeks. It was a virulent strain. One that was resistant to the vaccine. Several deaths had been reported throughout the affected area. It was hitting the local Amish community especially hard. In addition to her usual weekly home visits, Alexa had been out to see several children and one elderly woman already for the virus. Noah’s family had been hit, as well. Thankfully, his wife and children were on the mend.

Megan, the pretty young receptionist, shook her head, never looking up from her computer. Alexa didn’t take offense. Megan, like everyone else, was busier than usual. Even with the yearly shots, two nurses were already down with the flu. Nurses they couldn’t afford to do without. This was a clinic funded chiefly by donations. There wasn’t a hefty budget. The owners barely had enough staff to cover the clinic as it was.

The dispatch radio sent out a series of beeps. For a moment, the employees at the clinic paused, mostly out of habit, as many of the staff also worked shifts at the main hospital. That particular beep pattern was for the ambulance service and volunteer fire department in the next town over. Any victims would be transported to the hospital. Static crackled briefly before it was replaced with the dispatcher’s voice. Alexa winced. A four vehicle crash on the interstate. Conditions were bound to get worse. The weather forecast had said the snow was supposed to continue all day and into tomorrow.

Had Noah been in an accident, too? His usual driver was very cautious, but there were many other drivers out on the roads who were in too much of a hurry.

The dispatcher’s voice stopped, and the cheery sounds of Christmas music filled the air. The dichotomy of danger and joy was jarring to her. No one else seemed bothered by it, though, so she put the thought aside.

Alexa glanced at the clock on the wall and felt her tension go up a notch. Noah was now ten minutes late. If he didn’t show up in the next five minutes, the clinic’s policy dictated that he would lose his appointment. That would keep the clinic from getting even further behind schedule. She gnawed on her bottom lip. It could also set Noah’s recovery back a bit. Which would be a shame. Both his children were recovering from vicious cases of the flu, and he had come down with it, as well. Noah had chronically weak lungs, so he’d had a hard battle on his hands. But, hopefully, today’s exam would show that he was truly on the mend.

If he showed up.

Needing something to do, she moved to the counter against the wall, took a mug off the shelf and made herself a cup of hot tea. Still, she couldn’t get Noah out of her mind.

Alexa didn’t get caught up in her patients’ lives. She wouldn’t allow herself that luxury. No, as a nurse practitioner, she learned the value of keeping a professional distance.

Actually, she tended to keep her emotional distance at all times, professional or not.

The one time she hadn’t had nearly destroyed her.

She shook her head, refusing to give in to the memories that haunted her. Memories that had forced her to leave her home in Downers Grove, Illinois.

A tingle hit her between her shoulder blades. She hunched them slightly, suppressing a shiver. Nervously, she glanced toward the window again. No one was there. She couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was wrong. The feeling had dogged her all week. Like a dark cloud, always hovering over her head, blocking out the sun. At times, she’d have the sensation of being watched. Sometimes at work. Sometimes at home. Once when she was running errands in town. She’d made a valiant effort to remain positive, but it was starting to weigh on her.

Frustrated, she stirred her tea with more vigor than was called for. She so didn’t need this stress. Hadn’t she made the decision to move to this rural northwestern Pennsylvania town to heal from the tragedy that had devastated her and to rebuild her life? How was she to do that when she was always tense?

The sound of a rough engine outside the building caught her attention. Some of the tension drained out as she noticed Noah stepping out of the van. Finally. A sigh escaped her. Setting her tea mug down on a side counter, she scooped up Noah’s file.

His driver started to drive off as Noah reached the clinic door. His hand was on the handle, and he started to pull the door open. A blast of cold air whooshed inside the busy waiting room, then the glass pane shattered with a loud crash. Everyone stilled, shocked. Noah stood with the door half open. A second gunshot blasted into the silence. Alexa screamed, dimly aware that others were screaming too as the young Amish man at the door swayed, a dark stain spreading across his shoulder. Not again. She wouldn’t lose another patient.

In the midst of the madness, Alexa realized that the other patients were potential targets.

“Get down!” Running across the lobby, Alexa reached the door and grabbed on to Noah as he started to crumple to the ground. Yanking him inside the building, she yelled for help. One of the other employees appeared at her side. Together, they managed to pull Noah across the lobby and behind the receptionist’s counter.

“Noah! Noah. Can you hear me?” No response. Leaning closer, she gently shook his shoulder. Her hand came away wet. A quick glance confirmed her fears. Her hand was covered with Noah’s blood.

“An ambulance and the police are on their way.” Megan fell to her knees beside Alexa, gauze bandages in her hands.

Alexa nodded her understanding. She grabbed the bandages and started to do what she could to stop the bleeding. Noah was still breathing, although there was a rasp to it she didn’t care for. Whether that was from the virus or from the injury, she couldn’t tell.

“Where’s the doctor? Grab me a blanket, will you?”

Megan quickly left, returning in seconds with an armful of blankets.

“I haven’t seen the doctor for almost an hour. He was in the back, treating patients. I’m amazed he didn’t hear the commotion.”

Alexa nodded to let Megan know she heard her. They needed to keep Noah warm. She was worried he could go into shock. “Cover him. I can’t relieve the pressure on his wound.”

On the floor, Noah moaned; his eyes were shut. Alexa encouraged him, keeping her voice calm, not letting on that inside she was a quivering mess.

“Come on, Noah. Fight this. You have a family to take care of,” Alexa told her patient.

What was that? She straightened, closing her eyes to hear better. Yes! Sirens.

“Do you hear that, Noah? Sirens. The ambulance is on its way.”

The next few minutes were frenzied. The ambulance crew arrived in a flurry of activity. Alexa sat back on her heels, letting the paramedics take over for her. She remained alert, ready to help in an instant if they called on her. She’d do whatever they needed to help Noah.

Another siren split the air. Red and blue strobe lights flickered on the walls, glinting off the shards of glass still on the floor. She shivered. She hadn’t realized until now how cold the clinic had become with the door’s window broken. But she could see little puffs emerging from people’s mouths as they breathed.

A LaMar Pond police officer entered the building. He quietly began to talk with the staff and patients. As he worked the room, a second officer arrived. He sauntered in casually, but his bright blue eyes were anything but causal as they canvassed the room. His black hair was dotted with snowflakes, which melted as she watched.

“Parker, what do ya know?” he asked the other officer, his eyes still moving.

“Hey, Jackson,” the first officer, Parker, responded. “The witnesses I’ve talked to so far said that the victim was entering the clinic when the window was shot out. There was another shot, and he was hit.”

The second officer, Jackson, stiffened. “A sniper! We need to have the area searched. Have there been any more shots since the victim went down?”

She had been listening as Parker brought him up to speed on the situation. At this question, she spoke up. “I didn’t hear any.”

Both officers looked her way. “Nurse, we need to talk with everyone and get the area checked out. Then we’ll be back to talk with you.”

She nodded. They started to walk away. “Wait! The man who was shot...do you know how he is?”

“Unknown at this point,” Parker said kindly.

Alexa frowned as a thought occurred to her. Someone needed to let Noah’s family know what had happened. His wife should be by his side at a time like this. She bit her lip. She couldn’t call her. The Hostetlers were Amish. The Amish didn’t use modern technology, including telephones, inside their homes. As soon as the officers came back, she’d mention it.

Her attention was drawn back to the room as the officers began questioning the witnesses. More police arrived. Officer Jackson directed them to start a sweep of the rooftops and surrounding area, searching for their sniper. They briskly set about following his orders. Then he headed her way.

A shiver worked its way down her spine. Small towns were supposed to be safe. LaMar Pond was proving to be the exact opposite. Her glance flickered toward the broken window. Once again, her peace had been shattered, just like the glass. In her mind, the image of the Noah being shot replayed in her mind like a horror movie. She would remember that sight for the rest of her life.

Who would commit such a crime?

Sergeant Gavin Jackson shook his head as he surveyed the damage. What a mess. A crew had arrived to clean up the broken glass in the entranceway. The crime scene had been hopelessly compromised, but that couldn’t have been helped. Not with a waiting room full of patients. Plus, the injured man had been dragged through the scene, leaving a trail of melted snow, glass and blood.

It had saved his life, so it was worth it.

Gavin made his way across the room to the nurse practitioner. Her name was Miss Alexa Grant, the janitor he’d just interviewed had said. She was watching him, her blue-gray eyes wide and uncertain. Her blond hair was pulled back into a clip, revealing high cheekbones and a perfect oval face. She was probably the prettiest woman he’d seen in a long time.

What was he doing? He was here on police business. There was no reason for him to be noticing if she was pretty or not. Besides, pretty on the outside meant nothing. He knew that too well. And nothing would tempt him to get caught in the emotional trap of romance.

Not again. The price was too high to pay. His goal here was to find a sniper and protect these civilians. That’s what he’d do.

“Miss Grant,” he said, halting before her. “I’m Sergeant Jackson with the LaMar Pond PD. I would like to talk with you about what happened here this afternoon. I understand that you helped move the victim.”

A slight shudder shook her slender frame, but her eyes never wavered. She had courage. He admired courage.

“Noah Hostetler is a patient here. He had an appointment, but he was late. He’s never late.” She hurried on, a concerned wrinkle forming on her brow. “Please, Sergeant Jackson. Noah has a wife. Naomi. And children. She won’t know what’s happened.”

“I’ll make sure she’s notified, ASAP.” Gavin shifted the clipboard he was holding. With his thumb, he clicked the pen in his hand several times. He hated standing still. “His driver said the van had slid off the road. They needed to be pulled out of the ditch, which got them running late.”

“I wondered,” she whispered. “If he’d been here on time, he would have been fine.”

“You can’t know that,” Gavin said, even though he thought she was right. It did no good to dwell on what might have happened. It couldn’t be changed. No matter how much he wished it could.

Alexa sighed. It was a small sound, but it contained a wealth of hurt and confusion. “I just don’t understand why anyone would shoot at him. He’s a young father. A husband. His wife makes the best cookies.”

He blinked at the last comment. “It is possible that the shooter wasn’t specifically targeting Mr. Hostetler. It could have been random. Maybe someone had a grudge against the clinic. It’s fairly new, right?”

“Yes.” She drew out the word slowly. “I have only been here for a few months. But it was opened within the past two years. The doctor who started it wanted a clinic that those who lived too far from the hospital and those in the Amish community could visit.”

Gavin talked with the pretty nurse for another few moments before moving on. No one seemed to have noticed anything. The doctor on call had been in the back room doing his dictation. Two of the nurses were out sick. The patients were a mixture of townspeople and Amish, mostly elderly or children with their mothers.

“Jackson!”

Hearing his name called, he turned and moved to where Parker was motioning to him. “What’s up?”

Sergeant Ryan Parker smiled, a slight lifting of the right corner of his mouth. Gavin knew his buddy well enough to know that the smile was practically an announcement that he’d found something important.

“I just got off the phone with the hospital. The man who was shot?” Gavin motioned for him to continue. “Well, he said something in the ambulance about catching a brief glance of a man with a gun as he was falling. Not a clear glance, mind you. But maybe we’ll be able to glean enough from his statement to get a real lead.”

That sounded promising. He wasn’t going to get his hopes up, though. If the man hadn’t gotten a good look, well, it might not help at all. It wasn’t as if a man would stand out carrying a gun during hunting season in Pennsylvania.

“How’s he doing? Our victim?”

Parker shrugged. “I’m not sure. He was being prepped for surgery. The person I talked with did feel that it was a good sign that he was conscious and thinking clearly. His wife has been contacted and is being brought to the hospital. We should know more later on today.”

“Did you get the scene on your body cam?”

Parker gave him a thumbs-up. “Done. I already sent it to the station. We can go through it there. See if anything stands out.”

“Okay. I guess we’re done here then. Meet you back at the station.”

Parker smiled and departed. Gavin zipped up his coat. He hesitated before leaving. Surely that nurse, Miss Grant, would appreciate hearing that her patient was still alive. Before he could talk himself out of it, he walked over to her. She was talking to the men who were covering the broken window with plastic. When she saw him, she halted her conversation and moved away from them.

“Sergeant?”

“Jackson. Or Gavin.” Now why had he said that? It wasn’t like they needed to be on a first-name basis. And besides, very few people called him Gavin. Okay, make that three people called him Gavin. His mom, dad and his brother.

But Gavin hadn’t talked to his brother since Sam had betrayed him in the worst possible way.

Get it together, Jackson. He’d promised himself after Sam and Lacey’s betrayal that he’d never let himself be humiliated that way again. His parents were concerned that he’d wind up alone. Well, maybe he’d be alone, but at least he’d know that he was living his life on his terms. That no one was taking advantage of him.

So why was he inviting a complete stranger to call him by his first name? He’d always hated his name.

She smiled briefly. It was a very tired smile. “Gavin, then. I’m Alexa.”

He changed his mind. He liked the way his name sounded when she said it. He really needed to focus.

Touching her lightly on the elbow, he pointed to an area away from the others in the room. Alexa seemed to understand. She led him behind the receptionist’s counter. Turning to face him, she raised an eyebrow and waited.

“I know you were worried about Noah Hostetler. I wanted to let you know that he made it to the hospital. He’s going into surgery, but he was conscious and alert. His wife is on the way to join him.”

“Oh!” Her blue-gray eyes glittered with unshed tears. “Thank you so much for letting me know. I was worried about him.”

He reached out and patted her shoulder. It was an awkward movement. Her eyes widened, and she jerked back slightly, flushed. He dropped his arm instantly, feeling like an idiot. What was he thinking? He had never been the touchy-feely type. It just wasn’t his style. He’d blame it on exhaustion. His shift was supposed to have ended two hours ago, but between the accident and now this shooting, he would be on the job for at least two more hours before he could head home and sleep.

“Hey, Alexa, what is this? It looks like you had a delivery,” the receptionist said.

Something flashed in her eyes before she averted them. Was it embarrassment? Fear? Whatever it was, she didn’t look happy to be receiving a delivery. In fact, she looked downright annoyed about it. She looked at the box the receptionist, Megan, pointed to with a scowl. Something was going on here. Although, it really was none of his business. The flowers were probably from an ex. He glanced at her left hand. No rings. Not even an indentation. So she probably wasn’t married or recently divorced.

“When did that get here?”

“I don’t know. I just saw it sitting here.”

“Miss Grant!” A man in a doctor’s coat strode up to them, scowling. “Haven’t I asked you not to get your deliveries here? This is a medical facility!”

“Yes, Dr. Quinton. I’m sorry, but I have no idea who’s sending them.”

Well, that was interesting.

The doctor wasn’t appeased. “Tell the florist to stop making deliveries here then.”

“Yes, Dr. Quinton. I told the florist that. Last week. This is from a different florist. One from out of town.”

The man huffed. “See that it doesn’t happen again.” He turned abruptly and left. Alexa tossed the narrow box on the counter. It bounced, and the lid fell off. A single red rose dropped onto the countertop. A note was in the box. She picked it up. The color drained from Alexa’s face. Concerned, Gavin stepped forward and grabbed the note from her shaking hand.

“It’s your fault he’s dead. You’re mine. Don’t forget it again.”