Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle

Author:Katie Ruggle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2016-06-06T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

It wasn’t George—not on either of the two helicopters—but he’d sent them. Four men wearing tan sheriff’s department uniforms and carrying guns piled out of the first one as soon as it touched down. Once they’d disarmed Baxter, gotten the condensed version of what had happened, and secured the scene, the Flight for Life helicopter was finally allowed to land.

Baxter and Ellie were quickly checked by the two EMTs and then bundled on board the Flight for Life helicopter. Although George had wanted to come, according to Grace—the chattier of the medics—there wasn’t room with the pilot, both EMTs, Ellie, and Baxter. As it was, it was a tight squeeze.

“With that mess of a crime scene, though, there’ll be more law-enforcement people coming in on sleds,” Grace said.

Ellie frowned. “Sleds?” That seemed like a slow way to travel. Maybe Grace had meant dog sleds.

“Snowmobiles,” she clarified, and Ellie felt silly for picturing a team of crime scene investigators on toboggans.

She and Baxter were flown to a Denver hospital. Although she had bumps, extensive bruises, and was mildly dehydrated, the doctors didn’t find any reason for her to stay overnight. Baxter, however, had firmly locked himself in his own head during the helicopter ride, and he’d been placed on a psych hold.

Ellie was talking with the on-call psychiatrist about possible in-patient treatment facilities in the area for her dad when a young, freckle-faced nurse approached and hovered next to them expectantly.

“Did you need something, Phoebe?” the psychiatrist, Dr. Kruger, asked, turning to the nurse. She blushed, the pink blending her freckles together.

“Ms. Price?” she asked. “There’s a very…tall gentleman looking for you.”

Now Ellie was blushing, too. “Could you tell him I’ll be right there?”

Wide-eyed, the nurse hurried away, and Ellie turned back to Dr. Kruger. “So, you think the place in Armstrong would probably be the best, then?”

He looked amused. “Boyfriend?”

“Um…no.”

“But you want him to be your boyfriend.”

“No…maybe. I’ve only known him for a week—less than that, even!” She was flustered. How had they gone from talking about having her father committed to discussing her unlikely relationship with her mountain-man guide?

“Sometimes it doesn’t take long before you just know,” the psychiatrist said. “Trust your gut.”

Ellie eyed him. “Is that your professional advice?”

Chuckling, he looked like someone’s sweet grandpa who’d carry around toffee in his pockets to pass out to neighbor children. “No. That’s my no-charge advice. And I think the Armstrong facility would be a good fit for your father. Now go let your not-boyfriend know you’re okay. We’ll finish our talk later.” With an avuncular pat on the shoulder, he walked away, leaving her staring after him. Weren’t doctors supposed to be impatient and rushed? Dr. Kruger was more of a fairy-godfather type.

Shaking off her whimsical thoughts, she hurried toward the waiting area and her extra-tall visitor. Once she saw him, leaning against a square support pillar, Ellie stopped. In the large open spaces of the mountains, he’d seemed big, but here, in an enclosed area, he was enormous.

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