Sinner (48 page)
He shifted his cell phone to the opposite car and stared at the hospital entrance through the windshield of his car. The parking lot lights were still on, though dawn had broken the horizon behind him.
"She was in surgery six hours," he said. "Internal bleeding."
"Where is she now?
"Private room."
"But still in a coma, correct?"
"Yes." Ironic that Shauna McAllister had dodged death only to end up in a coma. "I can get to her easy enough now. She'll be dead within the hour."
"No. Change of plans. Our hands are being forced. I'll explain later, but for now she stays alive."
"She's too big a risk to justâ"
"What's her prognosis?"
"Too early to tell. She could be in a coma for a day or for a year."
"Or forever. Even if she comes out, she could have brain damage."
"Yes, that's possible."
"So she stays alive for now. She's not a threat as long as she's unconscious."
"And when she comes around?"
"With any luck, she'll forget everything."
"I don't do business with luck."
"You will today. Like I said, our hands arc being forced in this, I ler condition buys us time. I'll call Dr. Carver; he'll have options for us. If we have to change course, we do it later."
"What if she remembers?"
"If she remembers, she dies."
