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"The compound?" Colin said "Man, what the fuck’s that--"
"Just do it," Robbie said in a hard voice "Or I’ll shoot you and drive the da drive You take care of her"
Colin slammed back into the driver’s seat and reversed into a three-point turn He headed back to the highway, stopping only to check the road carefully before pulling out and starting back toward Cooper’s Rest and the vaas pedal beneath his boot, deive him
"Stay with lanced in the rear viewman’s face was streaked with tears, his eyes closed as his mouth moved in a silent prayer
"Ten minutes," Colin called over his shoulder what seemed like a lifetime later He made a sharp turn onto the narrow road where the vaot a cell phone?" Robbie asked tautly "Mine got fried back there"
"You shot?" Colin de that won’t hold Cell phone," he repeated
"Yeah, yeah Here" Colin fished it out of his pocket and held it back over his shoulder, but Robbie didn’t take it
"Call this nu off an LA area code and phone nu What now?"
"Hand it over"
Robbie’s hand was covered with blood as he took the phone "Doc Saephan, it’s Cyn She’s--" His voice broke and Colin heard him draw a deep breath "Yeah," he continued "It’s bad Gut shot She’s bleedingShe’s bleeding a lot, man Murphy says ten minutes tops" He paused a ht, sorry Okay See you there"
Colin watched in his rearview mirror as Robbie wiped a bloody forearaze "You want this back?" he asked, holding out the phone
Colin reached for the phone which was sticky with blood He dropped it in the center console "Who was that?"
"Doc Saephan He’s a traueon, one of the best in the country His partner is one of Raphael’s soldiers and he travels with us a lot, especially if Cyn’s along How long ‘til sunset?"
It took Colin a lanced around at the darkening trees "I don’t know exactly Half hour, ood," Robbie breathed "You hear that, Cyn sweetheart It’s alBut she was still alive and that was soood as Robbie claimed, maybe he could save her life And, okay, so it was nearly sunset and Raphael and the other va her hand while she suffered, what the hell difference would that uards were ready for theot there Colin barely slowed as hethe brakes all the way around the curve of the driveway and up to the big building
He’d never been here in daylight before Everyin the place was shuttered on the inside, presenting a nearly uniforray façade with the concrete front The shutter over one of the big glass doors was rolling upward as he skidded to a stop by the broad stairs The door flew open and a slender, dark-haireda folded, portable stretcher He hurried down the stairs and yanked open the back door before the Tahoe had stopped hton in Robbie’s arms, cursed fluently and snapped into doctor mode, which told Colin this was the Doc Saephan Robbie had talked about Two of the gate guards had followed the truck up to the house and one of theid as his buddy grabbed the other end
"You," Saephan ordered Colin, "get around here and give the disturbed anyot maybe twenty minutes before the shit hits the fan I can’t do much in that time, but I can make her look better than this You ready?" he asked over his shoulder
The two gate guards nodded "Ready, Doc"
"All right, let’s go"
Robbie scooted across the seat, holding Leighton to his chest, using his legs to control the slide When he reached the door, he turned slightly and Colin was there with Saephan, taking her weight and transferring her to the stretcher Leighton cried out as they ain consciousness Her face was deathly pale beneath the dirt and sweat, her hands lying liuards were alreadyup the stairs, the stretcher held carefully between theside A wo the door open, her eyes ith shock
"Who the fuck is that?" Robbie delanced over hurriedly "She works here" He turned back, drawing Robbie’s attention "You’ve got to get out of here, Rob Just for the night I’ll call you"