Chapter 46

CHAPTER 46

STRANGE. NO WINDOWS.

For some reason, that was my first impression. Then, when I tried to move, I realized that I was chained to a metal cot. I could hear the slow beeping of medical equipment. When I looked up, I saw that I was surrounded by all kinds of high-tech machines. Heart monitor. EKG. Portable X-ray. I looked down and saw an IV line taped to the inside of my right elbow.

I blinked a few times and tried to clear the fog. My brain was waking up, but slowly. Whatever they gave me on the chopper had knocked me out in a snap. I had no idea how long I'd been unconscious, or how long I'd been here.

Wherever this was.

They had me in some kind of gown, but the place didn't feel or smell like a hospital. It felt like a bunker. On the wall across from me was a banner that looked like a national flag, but I didn't recognize it. A black and red stripe on each side, with a yellow star in the middle.

I heard a door open behind me. I craned my neck around. A man walked in. Late thirties or early forties. Generic military camo fatigues. He had a trimmed beard with a sprinkle of gray. He also had a deformed right hand. He wasn't trying to hide it.

"Good morning, Doctor Savage," he said. "My name is Leo." Perfect English, French accent. But not from France.

"Thanks for the pickup," I said. When I lifted my arms, the chains rattled. "But am I under arrest here?" I worried that I was in another cell—a modern one this time.

Leo ignored my question. He walked to the foot of the bed and picked up an iPad from a rack. He shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he was reading. "Incredible recovery," he said. Then he put the device down and looked straight at me.

"Doctor Savage," he said. "I've been looking for men like you all over the world."

Men. Plural. I wasn't the only one.

"I made myself hard to locate," I said.

"Yes. It took some effort to find you," said Leo. "Let's hope you were worth it."

He walked over and turned off the monitors, silencing the beeps one by one. With his good hand, he lifted the surgical tape and pulled the IV needle out of my arm. Then he unlocked the chains. He opened a narrow closet and grabbed a cotton robe. He tossed it over my lap.

"Let's go, Doctor," he said.

I swung my feet off the cot. I sat there for a few seconds, letting my balance come back. Then I eased my butt off the mattress and planted my bare feet on the tile floor, making sure I could support my own weight.

So far, so good. Nothing broken. I slipped on the robe. My back still stung, but not as much.

"We applied bacitracin and bandaged your cuts. You had some nasty scrapes back there. Coral?"

"Bodysurfing," I said. "I'm getting way too old for that sport." I was being a wiseass for a reason. I didn't want to reveal any more than I had to.

Leo held the door open. We walked out into a white-walled tunnel. Nobody else around. I looked for cameras. Didn't see any. That didn't mean they weren't there.

At the end of the hall, an elevator door slid open. We stepped into the car. The door closed. We were standing side by side as we started going up. Leo stared straight ahead.

Leo was tall, but I had a few inches on him. I wasn't in peak condition, but I was pretty confident that I could take him down. But I wanted more information. This time, I wasn't about to make a move until I knew for sure exactly where I was. I'd been lost at sea for days. Now that I was finally back on dry land, I needed to get my bearings.

I looked over at Leo's fatigues. Loose creases, sturdy seams. No name tag. No arm patches. No chest insignia.

"Is this a military base?" I asked.

"No," he said curtly. "It's my personal residence."

It was a short ride, maybe two or three floors at most.

The elevator opened into a huge hall with an arched wood ceiling and granite floors. The timbers overhead looked hundreds of years old. The wall stones were hand cut. The windows were leaded glass.

Leo led the way out. I looked around.

No mere bunker.

We were in a goddamn castle.