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“Let me get Hank on this. I’m not certain what he can tap into,” Drake said. “In the meantime, I need a way to contact you.”
“Call this number for now; I’ll let the nurse know. Hopefully, she won’t mind.”
“On it.” Drake ended the call.
Judge would need to get a burner phone ASAP. More than that, they needed to get to the TCW camp before they could bug out. If they left before Judge and the Brotherhood Protectors found them, there was no telling where they’d go or how long it would take for Swede to find them again.
He strode to the nurses’ station and handed the cell phone back to Kelsey.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I might get a call in the next hour or two. Could you let me know if I do? I wouldn’t ask, but it’s an emergency.”
“I will, no worries.” The nurse tucked the cell phone into her pocket and smiled. “You can wait in the room with your friend now. They’ve got him stabilized for the moment.”
“Thank you, Kelsey.”
Judge hurried back to Mud’s room and sat with him for the next couple of hours. He was afraid to leave the teen for long. As PJ had said, they didn’t know how far TCW’s influence extended.
Images of PJ flooded his mind. Though he sat quietly with Mud, his thoughts were noisy with all the scenarios he could imagine that might be happening to her now. None of them ended well.
He scraped a hand over his face and beard and stared at the bed where Mud lay. The doctor couldn’t guarantee an outcome. All he could do was treat the infection, keep him hydrated and monitor his progress.
Judge had asked him to airlift the boy out of Kalispell to one of the bigger hospitals in either Great Falls or Bozeman.
The doctor said he’d check on it, but without insurance and the teen’s real name, he didn’t think a life flight could be ordered. A parent or guardian had to approve the move. Since they didn’t have either, he’d have to stay in Kalispell for the duration of his illness or be transported via ambulance.
An ambulance would be on the road for far too long. Long enough for TCW to locate it and attack.
Judge thanked the doctor and waited for him to leave the room before he walked over to the nurses’ station and borrowed Kelsey’s cell phone again.
Hank’s computer guru, Swede, answered, “Yo, Judge, we’re gathering men now for the raid on the camp. Hank nixed the idea of bringing in the CIA, FBI and Homeland Security just yet. We don’t know if The Chosen Way has sleepers in those organizations or the ability to tap into their communications.”
“That’s good,” Judge said. “We need to get the kid out of Kalispell ASAP. The camp isn’t far from here, and they’ll be looking at nearby hospitals.”
“Right. Hank has a life-flight helicopter headed your way. Should be there in fifteen minutes. They’ll land on the hospital’s helicopter pad.”
Judge’s jaw hardened. “We’ll be ready.” He ended the call and handed the cell phone back to Kelsey. “Thank you.”
She smiled up at him. “You’re quite welcome. I’ll leave the phone on the table here in case you need it while I’m doing rounds.”
“Has anyone told you that you’re beautiful today?” Judge said.
Her cheeks flushed a bright pink as she tucked a strand behind her ear. “No but thank you.” She rose and pushed a cart out into the hallway. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to check on my patients.” She stepped out from behind the counter, pushing the cart in front of her.
Judge returned to the room and paced the length of the bed around the footboard to the other side, shooting glances at the clock on the wall, willing the helicopter to get there faster. The longer they stayed in Kalispell, the more likely TCW would find them.
Five minutes after he got off the phone with Swede, the doctor entered the room with Nurse Kelsey.
He smiled. “The stars aligned, and a helicopter is incoming. We’ll need to prepare the patient for transport.”
Judge stepped aside to allow Kelsey to get Mud’s vitals and move the IV from the hook on the wall to a pole attached to the rolling bed.
After the doctor looked at the patient once more and dictated notes to Kelsey, he signed the discharge papers and left the room, passing a woman with a volunteer pin affixed to her coverall on her way in. “I’m here to take your friend to the helicopter pad. He’s getting a first-class ticket to his next destination.”
The volunteer talked from the moment she entered the room, all the way through the hospital to the door leading out to the helipad.
Her chatter freed Judge from trying to carry on his side of the conversation.
He walked alongside Mud’s gurney, his gaze darting around the corridors, looking for anyone who appeared suspicious, aggressive or looked at them cross-eyed. He was ready to take down anyone who tried to get in the way of getting Mud out of Kalispell. Hopefully, Hank had sent along someone who could stay with Mud while Judge circled back to rescue PJ.
