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He would return. As soon as he got Mud situated and reconnected with Hank’s team.
The rain didn’t let up all the way to Kalispell. It was still pouring down when he pulled up to the ER entrance of the hospital.
He stopped, slammed the truck into park and ran around to the other side of the truck.
Mud lay as still as death on the floorboard, his face pale, his breathing shallow.
Judge lifted the teen into his arms and carried him inside. When the receptionist saw him, she immediately called for a gurney. Moments later, the ER waiting room erupted with people. A gurney appeared, and Judge laid Mud on the clean white sheets and followed them into an examination room.
When asked for the boy’s name, he shook his head. “I don’t know. All I know is he’s probably in septic shock. Please. Help him.”
“We will,” a nurse said. “Sir, right now, we need you to have a seat out in the waiting room.”
Judge glared at the woman.
She smiled gently. “We’ll do our best to help your friend, but we need room to do that.”
“I’ll wait in the hallway,” he said. That was as far as he’d go. He didn’t know how far TCW’s reach extended, and he wouldn’t leave Mud alone until he knew he was safe.
As he waited in the hallway, he watched nurses and the ER doctor go in and out of the examination room.
One of the nurses at the nurses’ station brought him a chair. He thanked her but insisted he didn’t need it. When asked if she could help him with anything, he nodded and leaned closer to read her name tag. “Kelsey, could I use a phone?”
“We’re not supposed to let anyone but staff use the hospital phone back here. You could ask at reception,” she said.
He shook his head. “I’m not moving from here.”
Nurse Kelsey returned to the nurses’ station and came back a few minutes later to hand him a cell phone with a flowery case. “It’s my personal cell phone. Just bring it back when you’re done making your call.”
Judge called the first number he could remember.
The phone rang only once before a familiar voice answered it. “This is Drake. Who’s this?”
Relief rushed over him, almost bringing him to his knees. “Drake, this is Judge.”
“Holy shit, man,” Drake exclaimed. “I’m so glad to hear from you. We were getting ready to send out a search party.”
“I was there,” Judge said. “In the TCW camp.”
“Where are you now?” Drake’s words were clipped, concerned.
“Kalispell. At the emergency room.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” he said, though he couldn’t say the same for PJ. He had no idea how she was or if she was still alive. “I need you to get a hold of Hank Patterson and his team and get them here ASAP. They'll be packing up and moving out as soon as they realize I’ve left.”
“And we know how fast they are,” Drake finished. “Is this number good for you?”
“No,” Judge said. “I borrowed this number from a nurse.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Drake asked.
“I brought one of their recruits to the ER in sepsis shock. He’ll need protection until we nail the leaders and shut down the TCW for good.”
“I’ll let Hank know and get our team on the road ASAP. You’re a five-hour drive from here. Can you hang on for that long?”
“Five hours might be too long. As much as I’d love for you guys to come, we need to keep my connection with the team and Hank’s Brotherhood Protectors on the down low for as long as possible. We also need to get my guy out of Kalispell before TCW finds us here. And whoever is going into the camp, I want to be with them.”
