Page 17 of SEAL's Resolve
Rafe stilled. “Maddox is sending my team?”
“The mission isn’t finished. Your principal is in danger, and the man or woman calling the shots is still out there. Based on what we saw tonight, someone is determined to get his hands on your girl.”
He scowled. “She’s not my girl.” Although his traitorous heart skipped a beat at Rio’s words. What was up with that? Maybe he needed to have his heart checked by a doctor.
“A figure of speech, not a statement of fact.”
Cheeks burning, Rafe asked the question foremost on his mind. “What tests will Anderson run?”
“You used to be an FBI agent. You know what tests he’ll order. Physical exam, including a blood test and a rape kit. Kristi was drugged. For the sake of her health, she needs to know if she was assaulted while she was unconscious.”
The possibility that she might have been raped twisted Rafe’s stomach into a knot.
Rio laid his hand on Rafe’s shoulder and squeezed. “Whatever the outcome of the tests, she’ll recover. That’s the most important thing.”
“She didn’t know about the tracker.”
The operative stared at him. “How is that possible?”
“She was kidnapped when she was kid. Her father had the tracker implanted after he got her back, but she doesn’t remember him having it done.”
“How did she react?”
“She feels the tracker is a violation of her privacy.”
“He saved her life.”
Rafe hated that he had two trackers embedded under his skin, but the nature of his work made them a necessity. The trackers were a safety measure Maddox insisted on for every operative in the field.
Josh walked toward him and Rio. “Any word?” he asked.
“Not yet. Anderson and Grace are with her,” Rio said.
“Nate, Quinn, and Alex are checking the perimeter. Once they’re finished, Alex will join us in the hall while the other two watch the entrances. We have her covered, Rafe.”
Why didn’t that make him feel better?
CHAPTER SIX
Rafe turned when the door to the exam room opened and Dr. Anderson walked into the hallway. “How is she, Doc?”
“In remarkable shape considering her experience.” He glanced at Rio. “Your assessment was correct, Mr. Kincaid. She’ll have a colorful jaw by morning, I’m afraid.”
“Any signs of sexual assault?” Josh asked softly.
Rafe’s hands fisted at his sides. When the doctor hesitated, Rafe said, “We need to know how best to help her while keeping her safe. We’re her protection detail.” For now. He expected Stewart to assign a personal security force to safeguard Kristi, an idea that made him uneasy although he refused to dwell on the reason why.
Anderson sighed. “I didn’t see signs of assault. However, I recommended that she see a counselor because this experience may trigger memories from her childhood kidnapping.”
“Fortress has several counselors on staff. We’ll make sure she consults one.” The Fortress counselor Rafe wanted Kristi to talk to lived in Otter Creek. Perhaps Marcus Lang would talk to Kristi tomorrow. “Are you releasing her?” The sooner Kristi was in a secure location, the better.
“I’m admitting her for observation.”
“She’s still in danger, Doc. We don’t know who’s behind the kidnapping, and Memorial Hospital has too many entrances and exits.”
“Keeping her safe is your job, Mr. Torres. My job is to monitor her health. Her blood test results will be back in a few hours. If I’m satisfied with her progress, I’ll release her then.”
“Rafe,” Rio murmured. “We’ll handle it. No one will get to her on our watch.”