She hit the door and pushed out onto the sidewalk. To the left were three cars in handicapped spaces. To the right were four. But only one black sedan. She raced to it and threw herself into the driver’s seat.

Sure enough, the keys were in the ignition, the engine running. She glanced at the dash clock. Time was ticking too fast. She took a fraction of a moment to jab the speakerphone button, then set the device in the cup holder. She put the car in reverse, backed out, and sped for the parking lot exit. “I’m on the way,” she said.

“Good. We’re waiting for you.”

“Can I hang up now?”

A laugh. “No.”

“Are they all right?”

“They’re still breathing, if that’s what you mean by all right.”

“You’re the man from the hospital. I recognize your voice.”

A pause.

“Kilgore’s an idiot,” the voice said. “He said you were too drugged up to remember anything.”

“Like you said, he’s an idiot. But that didn’t stop you from trying to kill me.”

“Not kill you, my dear. I very much need you alive.”

Sarah frowned, even as her heart beat in triple time and her blood surged through her veins. “Why?” Was there any way she could signal someone from her phone? Or—

She glanced in the rearview mirror and gasped, jerked the wheel to the right, then corrected. A woman sat in the backseat, her weapon aimed at Sarah’s head.

“What are you doing?” Sarah screeched.

“No speeding,” she said. “Slow down.”

Sarah released her foot from the gas. The car slowed in direct opposition to her racing pulse. “Nurse Donna. I knew you were mixed up in this. He said he wants me alive.”

“He does, but he wants you alive and alone.”

“Right.”

“Hand me your phone.”

Sarah complied.

Donna spoke into it. “We’ll be there in ten minutes.” A pause. “No, we haven’t been followed. By all appearances, she did exactly as instructed.” She fell silent, listening. “Yes, I understand.” She hung up. “Turn right at the next light, then left.”

“But the address he gave me is left.”

Donna snorted. “You don’t think he’d take a chance that you’d somehow get word to someone with that, do you?”

“Right.” Sarah followed the directions, wishing she had a weapon on her. Finally, she asked, “How’d you get mixed up in all of this?”

“I needed money and Dr. Kilgore knew it. When he asked me to help him with the patients, I agreed.”

“Even though it was hurting those patients?”

“There was always the possibility that it would help them. It was worth the risk. A lot of people are going to be helped because of this drug once the testing is done.”

“The FDA has to approve it. You were falsifying information.”