It's Wednesday afternoon. McKenzie and Logan have known each other 15 days.

Ending of Previous Post:

Jose announced, "Ambulances are ten minutes out."

Bill asked, "Simon, does she have ten minutes?"

"She does. She's unconscious. Her vitals are weak but steady. From the looks of things, I'd say they forced whiskey down her; probably to keep her under control. She's been beaten. She has bruising, cuts, a lot of blood, not sure if she has any broken bones. Her clothes are torn."

After taking a deep breath, Bill asked, "Was she..."

"I can't tell," interrupted Simon. "After an exam, the doctor'll have to answer that."

Trey yelled, "First ambulance is here. Is Mac ready to travel? The rest are stable and can wait."

Two EMT men, lifted her on the gurney, and carried her to the ambulance.

Logan climbed in after her.

"Sir..."

His glare told them he would not take no for an answer.

The young worker pointed. "Move over there, so we can do our job."

Logan nodded, moved, but continued to hold her hand.


TODAY'S POST:

ST. LOUIS CHAPTER 30 PART 2


Bill walked up to Logan who stood in the ER waiting room and asked, "They won't let you in? Any news, yet?"

Logan shook his head. "She's in pretty bad shape. I'm guessing at a minimum alcohol poisoning. No idea what else happened."

Pointing to the waiting area chairs, Bill said, "Let's have a seat. All we can do right now is pray. Mac's strong. She'll make it."

A few minutes later the ER doctor walked out. "You're here with Ms. Morgan, right?" He offered Logan his hand. "I'm Dr. Gray."

Logan stood and accepted the hand. "Yes, I brought her in. Can we see her?"

"Not yet. Can I ask what happened?"

Bill stood, identified himself, and showed his badge, before he said, "Mac, Ms. Morgan was kidnapped, and Logan and his team rescued her. I was kept abreast during the entire rescue as it unfolded. We really don't know what happened while she was held captive."

Bill released a deep breath. "Until we speak with her, all we know is what the scene tells us. The preliminary findings are that whiskey was forced down her and by her injuries she was beaten. A crime scene unit is processing the house where she was held. There were three other females held with her and they were also brought in. Officers are taking their statements as we speak. We'll need all the evidence collected from Ms. Morgan and her clothes."

"The nurses are working on that now, as well as cleaning her up." Dr. Gray turned. "I need to get back."

After he left, Logan continued, "Who's taking the statements?"

"Jose, Simon, and Mitch. I completely trust them.

"Where's Trey?"

"He's interviewing the suspects."

Logan's eyes twinkled. "I wish I was a fly on that wall. Are you sure that's a good choice?"

"I don't know him as well as you do, but it's seemed like a good idea at the time." Bill grinned.

"His tactics may be suspect, but he'll get results. I'm not sure they'll hold up in court. The officers at the police department won't allow him to..."

"Who said they were at the police department?" interrupted Bill.

"You've converted to our side."

"I'll admit if this was left up to the PD, I'd probably never see Mac again, and three innocent young girls were rescued in the process. I'm just glad I'm on your side."

Simon came up behind them. "Logan, how you holding up?"

"How do you think?"

"You look terrible."

"Did you get any useful information?" asked Bill as he watched Logan stare at the ER door.

"These girls were held captive anywhere from three weeks to a few days ago. Mac was the newest. It seems they were waiting for transportation across the US. We've stumbled into a human trafficking ring."

Logan studied Bill. "So the information you got from Benson's lawyer's paperwork seems legit?"

Bill sighed. "It looks like it. All we need from Trey is a name."

Then Dr. Gray returned. "After we pump her stomach, we're assigning her a room. Once she's settled you can see her."

Simon chewed on his lower lip. "I know I'm overstepping but I have a vested interest and need to check. Have you started an IV for hydration?"

"We have. Maybe in about an hour and a half you can see her. If you want to leave for a little while, you won't miss anything."

Logan studied the waiting room. "I don't plan on going anywhere." He scanned the area. "I could use a cup of coffee."

Bill nodded. "I'll get some. Simon, how about you?"

As Logan and Simon sat and watched Bill walk away, Simon said, "Mac's like a daughter to him."

"She is." He hesitated. "She means a lot to all of us. I'm guessing she has alcohol poisoning. What's the dangers?"

"During recovery she may experience a headache, stomach cramps, nausea, anxiety, and tremors. It's important she stays hydrated."

"Are any long term effects possible?"

Simon shook his head. "For Mac probably not. If she was a long time drinker, definitely. But from what you've mentioned before, this is her first time drinking anything, so I'd say no."

"So you're saying she should make a complete recovery?"

"I'm not saying that. We don't know everything she went through. She might have some emotional issues. We don't know if she was sexually molested. Her clothes were in pretty bad shape. We don't know how badly she was beaten. Does she have any broken bones? We can't rush to any conclusions." Simon hushed, and then added, "At a minimum she's going to need your love and support. Just be there for her."

Logan nodded. "I plan to."











I can't keep the title 'St. Louis' when I'm ready to publish. I only have 10 more posts left. I've been playing with titles and the idea that's sticking in my brain is something like: 'Life's a puzzle' or something with puzzle pieces in it. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL





Characters:

McKenzie 'Mac' Morgan a 27 year old private investigator
Major Logan Nelson 34 years old and an active duty soldier
Arlo McKenzie's black and tan dachshund
Megan Nelson Logan's younger sister - murdered
The Lou local name for St. Louis
Simon Knight and Sheila Logan's former Army buddy and a Lab technician. Sheila's his wife.
Fan name for the St. Louis Cardinals - a major league
baseball team.
Yadi What Cardinal fans call Yadier Molina - Cardinal's all-star catcher.
Edger McKenzie's black and tan rottweiler
George Whitney A former boyfriend of Megan, early suspect in her murder.
John Benson Man who murdered McKenzie's parents
Bill Abbot A D.A and McKenzie's God-Father; he was a high-
school friend of McKenzie's father. Joanie is his wife.
Jose Lopez his wife is Lucy Chicago Police Department undercover police
department.
Kate Hartford Megan Nelson's friend they taught middle school
together.
Donny Carlton A man Megan Nelson dated.
Mitch Gardner St. Louis Police Department detective who has
partnered with McKenzie's dad.
Ivan Smart A bad guy
Peter and Nancy Nelson Logan's parents
Sidney Parks works for the St. Louis Police Detective with the drug unit.
Mack and Helen Morgan McKenzie's parents - both deceased
Gus Piper McKenzie's abusive grandfather - deceased
Austin Bryant an old boyfriend - McKenzie broke up with him because he's a jerk.
Joshua Davis so far a nobody, but is a neighbor to Donny Carlton
Mark Young an acquaintance of McKenzie, a state trooper, and will become important much later
Dr. Gray McKenzie's doctor