Matt stood in the surgical waiting room of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, watching Haley pace. Her restless energy was still as high as it had been when they'd arrived an hour earlier. It was now almost six in the evening, and Brooke was still in the operating room. "Do you want to go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat or drink, maybe something decaffeinated?" he suggested.
"I can't eat or drink. I'm too wound up," she said, her voice tense.
"I can see that. Let's get out of here. If you're going to pace, you need more space."
"I wish I could be as calm as you are," she said as they moved down a quiet hallway that led toward the main lobby. "I'm afraid Brooke isn't going to make it, and everything she knew will die with her."
"That could happen," he said quietly. "But I'm sure the doctors are doing everything they can. As for talking to her again, I don't think that will be possible tonight. With the length of the surgery, she'll be in recovery for hours. We should probably go back to my place. We can come back when she wakes up, when she's able to talk."
She frowned. "Let's give it a little more time. I'd rather not leave until I know she's at least survived the surgery. Have you heard any more from Jason? I saw you texting a few minutes ago."
"He was just asking if there was an update on Brooke. Derek is still working on the drive, but no luck yet. He's an expert hacker, so I'm a little surprised, but apparently your brother was very good at securing his work."
"Except for his black notebooks and whatever they contained." Shadows filled her eyes. "Brooke admitted to stealing them. I'm not sure I believe she didn't know anything about what was in them."
"She may be more willing to talk now that someone has tried to kill her. Joining forces with us will be the best way for her to stay safe."
They had just entered the lobby when he saw a young man rush toward the reception desk. He was tall, athletic, wearing expensive jeans and a worried expression. "That's Kyle, Brooke's boyfriend," he muttered. "I know her parents are out of town, but I wondered when one of her friends was going to show up."
Kyle Vance spoke briefly to the person at the desk, then walked a few feet away, pulling out his phone to make a call.
"He looks upset," Haley commented. "I wonder who he's calling. Should we talk to him?"
Before he could answer, another man entered the lobby, heading straight for Kyle. He was dressed in a designer suit and appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties.
As the two men conversed, he opened the camera app on his phone and snapped a photo. Then he sent it to Derek to get an ID. As their conversation intensified, they moved toward the hospital gift shop. Curious as to what they were talking about, he said, "Stay here. I'm going to get closer."
"I'm coming with you."
He didn't bother to argue, since Haley rarely gave in without a fight. They moved across the lobby, standing behind a tall potted plant near the gift shop, so they could hear Kyle's conversation.
"What the hell is going on?" Kyle demanded.
"Your girlfriend will be fine," the man replied. "You need to keep your eye on the bigger picture."
"She's not fine. She's still in surgery, and her condition is critical."
He could hear the fear in Kyle's voice. He genuinely cared about Brooke.
"I don't understand what happened," Kyle continued.
"She walked in on a burglary in progress, and she was stabbed. That's what happened," the man said.
"I don't believe that," Kyle snapped.
"You need to calm down and keep it together."
"Where's everyone else? Why aren't they here?" Kyle demanded.
"Jill is on her way. Have you spoken to the police or the FBI yet? I'm sure someone will have questions for you," the man said.
"Not yet. I'm going upstairs now. I need to see Brooke when she gets out of surgery."
"I'll go with you."
As the men moved down the hall, Matt turned to Haley. "Let's go."
"We can't leave," she protested. "We need to talk to Brooke before they do."
