Unseen (Will Trent / Atlanta Series)

you?”
    “What about me?”
    Will checked on Ruth again. Faith made a motion with her hand, indicating that there wasn’t much time.
    He tried to keep his patience as he told Lena, “Whatever brought this on—I know you didn’t mean to do it. You’re not a bad person. But you did something, and it got us here, and you need to tell me what that thing is so I can stop whoever did this.”
    There was still a small shake to Lena’s head. Her hand was resting on the guardrail. She flexed open her fingers, letting the tips graze the sheet covering Jared’s body.
    Will said, “You know you can trust me. There’s a reason I’m here.”
    She didn’t acknowledge his plea. “Your partner. You work with her long?”
    “Faith.” Will tasted blood on his tongue. Without thinking, he’d chewed at the cut in his cheek. “A while.”
    “She any good?”
    “Yes.” Will tried another tack. “Who’s Big Whitey?”
    That snapped her out of it. He saw a flash of anger as the old Lena started to surface. “What did Branson say?”
    “Who is he?”
    “No one.” She seemed genuinely afraid now. “He doesn’t exist. He’s a lie.”
    “Lena—”
    “Stop.” Her voice took on a pleading tone. “Listen to me, Will. If you love Sara, you’ll stay away from this.” She gripped the bed rail, desperate. “I mean it. Stay away.”
    Will looked back at the nurse again. She was obviously finishing up her phone call.
    He told Lena, “Talk to me. Let me help you.”
    Lena shook her head. Tears started to flow. “We’re supposed to protect people. We’re supposed to keep them safe.”
    “The best way to keep Jared safe is—”
    “How do you decide?” She swallowed hard. The sound was louder than the hum of the machines. “How do you decide whose life is more important?” Her hand went to her stomach. The palm was flat, fingers splayed. “He would want this,” she whispered. “This is what Jared would want me to do.”
    Faith cleared her throat loud enough to announce her return.
    Ruth was behind her. She asked Will, “How bad is the leak? I mean, are we talking the whole ceiling’s gonna come down?”
    Will took his time, clicking off the flashlight, dropping it back into the loop on his belt. Finally, he shook his head and shrugged at the same time. “I won’t know until I get up there.”
    Ruth sighed. “It’s gonna be an hour before my boss can help move him. Can you come back?”
    Bill Black took over. “You’re gonna have to put in another request.”
    Ruth sighed again, but she was obviously used to dealing with the hospital bureaucracy. “All right, Buddy. Thanks for coming, anyway.” She went to Jared and started checking the machines. Lena watched her like a hawk. It was unnerving the way she just stood there. Except for stretching her fingers, she didn’t reach out to him. She barely looked at his face.
    Ruth must’ve felt it, too. She told Lena, “It’s okay to touch him, hon. He’s not gonna break.” As if to prove this, she put her hand to Jared’s cheek. And then she kept it there. Her brow furrowed.
    Something was wrong.
    Ruth’s hand went to Jared’s forehead. Then his neck. Then his wrist. She looked at her watch, checking his pulse against the flashing number on the monitor. Will could see the thumping heart was beating faster than usual. The blood pressure was low.
    “What is it?” Faith asked.
    “He’s just a little clammy.” Ruth grabbed the control and raisedthe foot of the bed. The floor vibrated beneath Will’s feet. The nurse put some false cheer in her tone. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but let me get the doctor, all right?” She left the room at a brisk pace. Faith followed her, though Will doubted Lena would tell him anything else.
    He picked up his toolbox. He tried one last time. “Lena, I know you think you’ve got all of this under control, but you don’t.”
    She didn’t look up as she said, “I’ve never been able to control anything in my life.”
    Will waited, giving her another chance to come clean. She ignored him. She just stood there staring down at Jared. Her hand was still pressed flat to her stomach. Her mouth moved soundlessly, as if in prayer.
    All Will could do was leave the room. Ruth was on the phone by her desk. She barely registered his presence, which Will took as a bad sign. Jared’s condition was obviously a more serious matter than she’d let on.
    He walked down the hallway toward Faith. She was reading her emails. Or