Delores was itching to spin into action, but she gave him time to contemplate. Eventually he asked if she had called Goliad.

“I was about to. I wanted to hear your thoughts first.”

Still thoughtful, he nodded. “This started out as a last-gasp effort to save my life. Nevertheless, I’ve had occasional twinges of guilt, some reservations regarding the morality of this…undertaking.”

“I’ve tried to assuage those twinges and reservations.”

“For the most part, you have, though some lingered. As recently as last night. But these complications, one piled on top of the other, have given this a different slant. It’s become a challenge. It’s taken on the properties of a campaign.”

“You’ve never backed down from a challenge or—heaven forbid—lost a campaign.”

“No, and I don’t intend to.” He reached for her hand. “You know what’s required to win?”

“A cutthroat attitude.”

He smiled. “You’ve been listening.”

“For the past sixteen years. Listening and learning. Take no prisoners. Win at all costs. To you, it’s more than a motto with a nice ring to it.”

“It’s a credo.”

“I’m the most faithful of disciples.”

“I want to win this one, Del.”

“You will. It’s a certainty.”

“But not enough. I need to win…and leave the slate wiped clean.”

They exchanged a look of mutual understanding, and she sealed it by squeezing his hand.

“I’ll recall Goliad to duty, and alert him that we will be requiring his special services.”

The senator nodded.

Delores reached across and patted his knee. “You rest, darling. Leave everything to me.” She slid off her shoes, curled her legs up under her, and relaxed into the chair as she placed the call to Goliad. He answered right away. She explained the situation.

“Dr. O’Neal has proved herself adept at disappearing. We need you to find her again.”

“Understood, ma’am.”

“You know where to start, and there’s no time to waste. Go now. Take your sidekick with you.”

“Timmy is indisposed.”

Delores’s voice turned as brittle as an icicle. “Indisposed?”

Richard was instantly alert to the change in her tone. He gave her an inquiring look, but she raised her index finger, indicating that she would fill him in after the call.

Goliad said, “Timmy provoked Mallett. Mallett didn’t take it lying down.”

The details were sketchy, but he went on to describe a fight in a parking garage.

“Timmy cut the guy. His hand was bleeding. But in the end, he was upright and okay enough to leave in a run.”

“And you let him?”

“Yes, ma’am. There were security cameras everywhere.”

“I see.”

“Anyway, Timmy’s peeing blood.”

“I don’t care if it’s gushing from every orifice. Get him up and out, and find that doctor. Get the vial, then deal with her. I could do without any more bother from the pilot, too. Do you understand what I’m saying, Goliad?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take care of it. Of both.”

“See to it immediately. And don’t keep us in suspense, either.”

“No, ma’am. I’ll let you know.”

Delores clicked off and recounted the conversation for Richard. “I fear you were right about this Timmy,” she said. “If he’s going to be violent, he should at least be effective. Mallett should be dead.”

Richard laughed softly. “Goliad will take care of it.”

“Of course he will.”

He would. Goliad would do whatever she asked of him. He was madly in love with her.

Chapter 20

7:38 p.m.

In order to avoid the bedlam in the hotel lobby, Brynn and Rye had used a side exit. They’d had to wait only a few minutes until the car he’d called for arrived, but they were prevented from moving as fast as they wished because of heavy traffic on the freeway. At times their speed was reduced to a crawl.

Rye had been right: It was mandatory that Brynn get to Violet before either Nate or the Hunts stopped her. The snail’s pace contributed to her stress.

After a lengthy silence, Rye startled her by asking, “What about nurses? Staff? You show up on Thanksgiving night, won’t that arouse suspicion?” Apparently, he’d been thinking about possible obstacles she might face.

“This facility is like a hotel. There’s an attendant on each floor with basic nursing training. They can replace IV bags, take and record vitals, but they’re there largely to notify the patient’s doctor or emergency staff of any drastic change in a patient’s condition.”

“You have her parents’ permission to use the drug on her, even though she’ll be the first patient it’s been tried on? You’ve discussed it with them?”

“You ask that now?”

“Well?”

“Of course I’ve discussed it with them. None of the stem cell donor registries have found a suitable match for her. Not even her family members came close enough. Her parents see this drug as a lifesaver. They were involved in the application process for the exemption.”