Thursday. Hospital Can Misses, Ibiza.MELODY PAID THE DRIVER using some of the cash they'd lifted off the bodies. It was the only disposable money they had.She could feel Grant's displeasure rolling off him. What with the attacks yesterday he was in hyper cautionary mode. That did not work well with Vaughn's delicate health situation. Things in the cab had gotten very tense when they'd clashed over where to be dropped off.Melody had won that argument. There was no way Vaughn was going to walk a block to the hospital just so they could have the distance to observe people loitering around the doors. Melody had overruled him on the grounds that Vaughn was getting worse by the minute. Plus, if there were people stationed outside the emergency department looking for them there wasn't a thing they could do about it. This way they had the best chance at getting inside the hospital where people and security officers might offer a little protection.The main hospital on the island

"You've got to get out of here," Vaughn said as he limped toward the nurse waiting on them.Grant shook his head. "We aren't leaving you.""I'm no good to them. You should go, now. Leave me here. It'll be hard to drag me out of a hospital."Grant ignored Vaughn's protest.The nurse eyed him with speculation. Grant wasn't sure what Nolan had jotted down as their reason for visiting the hospital, but he doubted the whole bullet wound part had been disclosed.The young nurse showed them into a bay. Grant helped Vaughn sit on the gurney while the nurse told them someone would be in shortly then left."We aren't going to have long," Grant said. He turned to face the others and realized it was just Nolan standing there. No Melody. "Where's Mel?"Nolan turned around, as if he expected her to be right behind them."Shit." Grant froze, torn between caring for the team in front of him and going after Melody.They must have grabbed her while they were focused on Vaughn. An exper

Blue skies. No clouds. Brisk breeze.It was picture perfect weather.Too bad Melody's insides were knotted up. For now, they were okay. But how long would that last?Grant picked their path, setting their course for a line of shops a few blocks away. They stopped in two different stores, using them as both a shopping opportunity but also to watch the street. Grant picked out some T-shirts and hats, commenting to her about his friends back home that'd get the souvenirs. They fell into the faux tourist roles easily enough, playing their parts.He didn't ask her the questions that were no doubt burning his mind. The ones she knew were coming. Instead they kept going, kept up the rouse, postponing yet more conversations they needed to have.At long last they stopped at a payphone that had seen better days.Melody ticked off the hours.It was just past midnight in Seattle.Merida was not going to be happy to hear from her.Melody fed money into the phone then dialed Merida

Neither Grant nor Melody moved a muscle until the bungalow door shut. Even then Melody crossed to the door and drew the curtain across the glass without uttering a word. She turned and leveled a glare at him, still not speaking.Nolan emerged from the hallway. His steps were heavier and he swayed on his feet. The backpack was gone and so were the sacks of supplies. He had dark circles under his eyes and the visible bruises were beginning to turn spectacular colors."Vaughn's getting the last IV bag, then we'll try for a transfusion," he announced."Is that really a good idea?" Melody's face creased in concern.Nolan leveled a flat stare at her. "You saw how tired he is. I don't think there's enough in him to keep him going. He loses much more and he's done for."Melody held up her hands. "Okay. You know what you're doing better than I do. I just want to make sure we're making the best decision possible.""What's our plan?" Nolan glanced between them."That's what we have

MELODY STARED AT GRANT. She'd never seen him so alive, so full of feeling. It was strange, almost like she'd been dropped in another dimension. One where Grant had emotions and shared them.In all the time they'd been together he hadn't told her half that stuff. Normally it seemed like he could take or leave her. The idea that under that stoic exterior he had this kind of passion simmering for her was a surprise. It also turned her on. Then again, a lot about Grant did that."Say something, damn it," he muttered."I'm taking it all in." One thing just didn't fit. "What do you mean, my space, my time?""Just, how you are, you know? You don't always like me in your space and how you like to take things slow. There's nothing wrong with that. That's what I'm trying to say."Her world shifted dangerously.That wasn't her at all. It wasn't what she wanted."Grant, I hate that we only do us things maybe once between jobs." She wanted a better word for hate, but right now that wa