Oath of Honor

Wes hurried away, wondering if she’d ever find out what she’d just

delivered. Her job was done—some might consider she had no further

need to know. She jabbed the elevator button, rocked impatiently on her

heels during the one floor trip, and strode rapidly outside. The instant

she stepped out of the building, she called Cameron Roberts.

“Roberts.”

“How is she?”

“We’re at George Washington. The docs are looking at her now.

They’re saying guarded condition.”

Which meant anything from walking wounded to potentially

serious. “Can I talk to her?”

“They threw us all out, but she’s awake—I know that much.”

Relief rushed through her so powerfully Wes staggered. She braced

one hand against the rough brick of the building and lowered her head,

drawing a deep breath until the churning turmoil settled a little. “If they

let you in to see her, tell her…Tell her I’m on my way.”

“I’ll do that.”

“The specimen is secure.”

“I had no doubt of that,” Roberts said. “I’ll be with her until you

get here.”

“Thank you.” Wes jogged to the SUV and said to the agent driving,

“George Washington University Hospital, as quick as you can.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Wes settled in the back and closed her eyes. Her part of the mission

was done, and all that mattered was Evyn.

v

The glass door to the cubicle slid back and the curtain twitched

aside. The doctor, a harried guy in rumpled scrubs and a two-days’

growth of beard, walked in. He looked even more tired out of the space

suit.

• 265 •

RADCLYfFE

“I guess I’m not buggy, huh?” Evyn said.

“Your boss says only universal infection precautions are necessary,

and we use those with everyone.”

“Good.” Evyn relaxed, the tight spring of anxiety coiled in her

belly loosening. Wes must be okay if they’d determined the team wasn’t

at risk from the virus. “So—I’m out of here?”

“Not quite. The bullet just grazed the soft tissue at the top of

your shoulder.” He taped a rectangular bandage on the top of Evyn’s

shoulder. “You’ll get some swelling in your arm and a fair amount of

pain. An overnight stay and a pain pump—”

“No,” Evyn said. “I’m not staying.”

“I’d recommend it.”

“But you’re not requiring it?”

He sighed and shook his head. “Leave the bandage on for twenty-

four hours. The nurses will give you a prescription for antibiotics and

pain pills when you’re discharged.”

“Thanks,” Evyn said, stretching for her shirt draped on the nearby

chair. She winced at the burn in her shoulder and stopped. She didn’t

like being naked, but she didn’t want to give the guy any reason to

restrict her activities. “When can I go back to work?”

“You’ll need to have a wound check in forty-eight hours—you can

come back here, or—”

“That’s okay. I’ll see my own doctor.” She almost smiled at the

thought of just how true that statement was, but the pleasure faded

quickly. Wes had been the one closest to the virus. Maybe she’d been

exposed, but the rest of them were in the clear. She had to get out of

here and find out what was going on. She needed to see Wes. “So—

we’re done? Thanks for everything.”

He looked up from the chart. “I’d rather you see a surgeon. General

medical doctors don’t really have the experience to evaluate this kind

of wound.”

“She’s not—”

The curtains parted and Wes walked in. She wasn’t in uniform,

but then she never needed to be to look like she was in command. Her

eyes were stormy and fierce, fixed on Evyn. “I’m sorry it took me so

long to get here.”

“I’m okay,” Evyn said immediately. “It was nothing. A scratch.”

• 266 •

Oath Of hOnOr

“A little more than that,” the emergency physician said, studying

Wes. “You are?”

“Captain Wesley Masters—chief of the White House Medical

Unit.” Wes glanced at Evyn. “And her partner.”

“Oh, well then.” He tucked the chart under his arm and pushed his

pen into the ink-stained pocket of his wrinkled lab coat. “I guess you

can do the follow-up.”

“I think I can handle that. Thanks for taking care of her.” Wes

cupped Evyn’s face, brushed a thumb over her cheek. The ER physician

disappeared through the curtains and Wes leaned forward and kissed

Evyn softly. “Now, how are you really doing?”

“I’m good. Even better now.” Evyn circled Wes’s wrist and

pressed Wes’s palm to her face to reassure Wes, and herself. “I’d feel

even better with my shirt on.”

Laughing, Wes plucked the shirt from the chair, and the laughter

died. Blood stained the shoulder and collar. Her hands trembled. Today,

Evyn had been lucky. The next time, she might not be.

“You know it always looks worse than it is,” Evyn said softly.

“Right.” Wes held up the shirt. “This will have to do until we get

you home and into something clean.”

“I’m not going home,” Evyn said. “I want to get back to base for

a sitrep. Roberts left a while ago to interrogate the suspects. Tom needs

to be briefed, and—”

“Evyn,” Wes murmured, “you’ve been shot, you’ve been given

pain medication, and you need to rest. You’re on sick leave as of

now.”“What? You can’t—” Evyn stared, her brow furrowing. “Hell, you