LITMIR.BIZ

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Vicente rubbed his forehead. “Okay, Alex. I’ll file a report and let you know if I have to do anything else. If not, go ahead and put the money in a safe place and keep me posted on what’s happening. I’ll talk to the doc now and see about the woman and baby.”

      “Thanks,” Alex said.

      All three men stood, offered thanks, and then sat down as the chief left and headed through the door marked for hospital staff only.

      It was another half hour before a nurse appeared, crossing the room to face the men. “Dr. Webb sent me to get you. Are you the men he wants to see?”

      “We are,” Clint replied as they stood and followed her down a brightly lit hall into an examining room. She closed the door behind them and they were alone with Justin and the baby. Holding her, Justin was giving the baby a bottle.

      “This little girl is healthy and hungry,” he said. “I’m glad you called me. This baby can’t be more than five to ten days old, because the umbilical cord hasn’t dried up yet. The mother is in a coma so she can’t care for her baby right now.”

      With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach over Justin’s gloomy news, David looked at the tiny baby, knowing he wasn’t the one to take charge of a baby. He tried to focus on Justin as the doctor continued talking.

      “The doctors don’t have any identification. They don’t know how she got into town or where she came from. She wasn’t carrying a purse?” Justin looked at them questioningly.

      David shook his head. “We don’t know any more than you do, Justin.”

      “When they move her, I’m going to stay and guard her room tonight,” Clint said. “We think she’s in danger. And it looks like this is going to take longer than we thought. We expected her to clear up all the questions within the next few hours.”

      “I don’t think so,” Justin replied. “They’ll put her in ICU, the Intensive Care Unit, but it’s still a good idea to stand guard. If someone was intent on harm, he could get to her. Her condition is listed as critical.”

      “Oh, hell,” David exclaimed, remembering the desperate look in her violet eyes.

      “Her doctor, Harry McDougal, thinks she suffered the blow to the head by a blunt instrument, so you’re probably right that she’s on the run, trying to get away from someone,” Justin continued.

      “She called the baby Autumn,” Clint said, and all four men looked at the baby.

      “Ah, little Autumn,” Justin said, smiling at the little girl in his arms. “Okay, guys. Clint’s staying at the hospital to guard our mystery woman.”

      “I’m taking care of the money, and I’ll use my resources to find out what I can about her,” Alex explained.

      “Okay,” Justin said. “So who gets little Autumn?”

      “I guess I’m the guy, but I don’t know one thing about babies,” David admitted. “Any of you want to trade jobs?” he asked, a desperate feeling growing inside of him.

      “We’ve got our assignments,” Alex answered, looking amused. “C’mon, David, it’s time you have some shaking up in that orderly life of yours.”

      “Yeah, orderly,” David remarked, staring at the baby. “Last year I was getting shot at and feeling thankful just to be alive.”

      “It’s quiet here in Royal,” Alex said. “You get the baby. Besides, neither one of us is a baby expert. Nope, we’ve got our assignments, and we’ll leave you with Justin now so you can get your instructions.”

      “Hey! You two, wait a minute,” David exclaimed, feeling a momentary panic as his friends walked toward the door. “No kidding. I’ve never even held a baby.”

      “Then it’s time you did,” Alex said. “We’ll head out to do our jobs and leave you to yours. We better plan a meeting, though.”

      “Right. Tomorrow morning,” David replied darkly, staring at the bundle in Justin’s arms. All he could see was a small round head with wisps of light brown hair showing. “You guys meet me at the club at noon tomorrow.”

      “We’ll be there,” Clint promised as the two walked away. “Thanks, Justin.”

      “Yeah, thanks, man,” Alex added, and closed the door behind them.

      “I don’t know what to do with a baby,” David repeated, his hands on his hips. “I’m trained for the stuff those guys are doing.”

      “Just feed and change her and hold her and you’ll do fine,” Justin said.

      “When do I feed her? Breakfast, lunch and dinner?”

      “Where’ve you been living—under a rock? Don’t any of those gorgeous women you date have babies around?”

      “No, they don’t. And there were none in my family,” David added tersely, wondering if there was any way to get out of keeping her.

      “I imagine this little girl is going to want a bottle every couple of hours.”

      “Every two hours!” David exclaimed, astonished and appalled and wondering how he was going to cope.

      Justin looked as if he was struggling to keep a straight face. “Yes, David. Now, let me show you how to change a diaper and the umbilical cord dressing,” Justin said, turning to carefully place the baby on the examining table while David moved close beside him.

      After fifteen minutes, Justin let go a guffaw. “Damnation, man! It’s simple. I’ll bet that even blindfolded you could put that rifle you carried, night scope and all, together in seconds and take it apart again, so I know you’ve got the dexterity and brains to catch on how to put these little diapers on this tiny little person.”

      “A rifle is a hell of a lot simpler,” David snapped. “And she keeps kicking her legs all the time. A rifle just lies there.”

      “You’ll get it. You made it through U. S. Air Force Special Ops training so I know you’ll get this. I seem to remember a degree from Harvard, too. So come on, pull your wits together and try again. And by the way, she’s being very good-natured about this. By now, most babies would be complaining loudly enough to be heard on the next floor. You’ve got a little doll here,” Justin added, his voice changing to a gentler note. “I miss having a baby.”

      “Well, why don’t—”

      “No way. Don’t even suggest it,” Justin said firmly, shaking his head. “Winona would throw me out the door. I can’t go home with a baby that we know we’d have to give up soon. Now, you change that diaper. Put all your Special Ops skills and your years of education into this.”

      “I’m beginning to be sorry I called you. Nothing at Hurl-burt Field or anywhere else prepared me for this. Look how tiny she is. I’m scared I’ll hurt her.”

      “No, you won’t. She isn’t going to break,” Justin replied with a grin. “Just be careful—like you were with your M16 or whatever lethal weapon you carried. David, I read somewhere that the Air Force Special Ops training dropout rate is almost eighty percent. That means only a little more than twenty percent make it. You’re one who did. Now, if you can do that, you can do this.”

      “A baby is entirely different,” David said grimly through clenched teeth. “She won’t stay still.” He struggled with the diaper, finally getting it in place and watching, letting out his breath when it didn’t spring loose. “There!”

      “Congratulations! You got it! I knew you could do it!” Justin exclaimed, slapping David lightly on the back.

      “Can it, Webb,” David snarled, frowning. “Now, what else do I need to know?”

      “Do you know how to mix her formula?”

      “Her what?”

      “Why

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