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  Truths Unveiled

  Truths Unveiled

  Unlocking her hotel door, Pam relived the past few hours.

  With everything else being equal, Tom Jarrod could tip the scales either way. On one hand, if she moved back here, and the past caught up with her, she could lose everything. On the other, if she just left and didn’t return, she could be giving up the best thing that ever happened to her.

  For the most part, Pam never gave much consideration to a social life. Sure, in recent years there hadn’t been much free time. But now she realized that had been her excuse. More accurately, she didn’t believe she deserved a serious relationship. Yet, in these past twenty-four hours, Tom changed that.

  Getting undressed, Pam wondered, Can it work, God? Is Aunt Carolyn right? Is this why you sent me here? So I could learn to forgive myself, and for Tom and me to start over?

  The exuberance Pam began experiencing last night while with Tom doubled its strength. Smiling and feeling like a giddy teenage, she found the mystery novel she’d started reading on the plane. A long hot soak in the tub sounded great. Heading toward the bathroom, she noticed the bathroom light, glowing under the semi-closed door. No big deal. Maybe the maid forgot to turn it off when she cleaned the room. Armed with the book and a nightshirt, she opened the door. Then froze in terror.

  Taped to the large mirror above the sink, Pam saw what appeared to be the original newspaper article and photograph. There was no mistaking the headline. She recognized it before her brain registered the words: TWO TEENS DEAD IN FATAL CRASH! ONE DRIVER SURVIVED!

  Underneath the article, someone had written in red, YOU KILLED THEM! LEAVE HERE NOW OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!

  Truths Unveiled

  Reviews

  “Kimberly Alan writes a story of faith, hope and love. What better combination could a reader ask for? When the characters face conflict and crisis, Ms. Alan not only gives them the tools to triumph, but the reader will be drawn into how faith can twist fate in TRUTHS UNVEILED.”

  ~Lori Avocato, bestselling author of Dose of Murder and the Pauline Sokal mystery series, published by Avon

  Truths Unveiled

  Truths

  Unveiled

  by

  Kimberly Alan

  Truths Unveiled

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Truths Unveiled

  COPYRIGHT © 2008 by Kimberly Alan

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Kim Mendoza

  The Wild Rose Press

  PO Box 706

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First White Rose Edition, 2008

  Print ISBN 1-60154-439-1

  Published in the United States of America

  Truths Unveiled

  Dedication

  To my aunt, Carolyn Ferrara Woodworth,

  and fellow author, Lori Avocato,

  for their infinite encouragement

  and all the laughter we’ve shared over the years.

  Truths Unveiled

  Truths Unveiled

  Chapter One

  “I’ve got to be out of my mind to come back here,” Pamela Harrington muttered. She turned the rented Explorer into a service station just outside Middleton’s city limits. A quick peek at her watch told her she’d been driving nonstop for close to three hours.

  After parking the truck alongside a gas pump, she switched off the ignition and released a deep breath. Chicago General was a top-notch, metropolitan hospital. And they offered her a fantastic job as an emergency department physician. So why was she here, out in the middle of rural Pennsylvania?

  “Fill ‘er up, ma’am?”

  Startled by the interruption, Pam jerked her head toward the open window. Smiling, a young, red-headed attendant waited for her response.

  “Sure. That will be fine.” She stepped outside to stretch her cramped muscles.

  “You that doctor who used to live around here?” he asked, placing the gas nozzle in the tank.

  Pam’s over-anxious nerves shot to a new high. She held up a hand to shield her eyes from the sun’s bright rays, burning low in the late afternoon sky. She wanted to make this trip anonymously. Clearly, that wasn’t going to happen. She gave him an inquisitive stare. “What makes you ask?”

  Grinning, he pointed his chin toward the inside of the truck as he washed the windshield. “Simple deduction. Your hospital ID is laying there on the seat, the back bumper sticker says you rented this vehicle at the airport and you meet the physical description.”

  “I’m impressed,” Pam replied, removing a fifty-dollar bill from her pants pocket. “Care to tell me who’s interested in my arrival?”

  “Sure,” he shrugged. He replaced the nozzle and gas cap, then took a pen from his back pocket and wrote out a receipt. Handing it to her, he said, “My cousin. He paid me ten bucks to call him when you got this far.” Then he flashed a mischievous grin. “Want to make a counter offer so you could surprise him yourself?”

  Pam’s eyes and smile widened simultaneously. She held up the bill. “Sorry. This goes toward the gas. What’s your name, anyway?”

  He touched the rim of his baseball cap. “T.J. Jr., ma’am. At your service.”

  Studying the attendant’s features, Pam felt a mixture of fire and ice soar up her spine like nasty bee stings and settle at the base of her neck. “As in Thomas Jarrod, Jr.?”

  He sent her a wink. “That’s my cousin. I’m Timmy Jarrod, Jr. So what do you say? Want to reconsider my offer?”

  Before she could answer, a deafening roar, like a crash of thunder, rumbled nearby. T.J.’s bewildered eyes locked onto hers. The ground beneath their feet started to shake. It lasted several seconds. The shrill of a siren immediately followed.

  T.J. darted toward the building. “That’s the fire signal!”

  Instantly alarmed, Pam followed him into the tiny convenience store portion of the gas station. Once inside, she heard a calm, steady voice giving instructions over a scanner.

  “Signal Ten. Companies One, Three and Four. Explosion at the Power Master Tool Factory, 43 Sumner Avenue. Multiple injuries reported. All Middleton companies responding. Be advised, Middleton Regional Rescue is also being dispatched.”

  “That’s me!” T.J. grabbed the portable radio and a strobe light. “This is Fire Fighter 132. I’ll be responding to the scene.” He motioned for Pam to follow him outside, then locked the station door. “Hey, your truck’s better than my old pickup. Can I drive?” He ran toward the vehicle, then stopped and looked at her. “You are that doctor, right?”

  Pam gave him a quick nod. “That’s me.” She tossed him the keys. “How far is it?”

  “About ten miles. I think it’s an industrial park.” He started the engine. Then he pushed an adapter into a power plug and placed the flashing blue light on the dashboard.

  As Pam buckled her seatbelt, T.J. floored the gas pedal, lurching them forward. The tires squealed out of the lot and onto the road.

  ****

  Tom spoke clearly into his emergency radio. “Medic One to dispatch.”

  “Medic One, go ahead.”

  “Dispatch, I’m at the scene. Requesting Rescue Flight Helicopters and all available
medical rescue units to this location. Alert the burn unit. Be advised, this building is fully involved. Over.”

  “Roger that, Chief,” the dispatcher replied. “They’re on their way. Neighboring towns are also responding. Over.”

  Stepping out of his truck, Tom looked around. Walls of orange flames, laced with thick black smoke, danced high in the afternoon sky. It was as if they were in tune to the tempo of the sirens piercing the air. He released a deep breath. The flames had already spread through two of the factory’s neighboring buildings in the industrial complex. Fueled now, they moved on at a seemingly unstoppable pace. Taking in the scene, he whispered, “If you’ve got a minute, Lord, we could sure use some help around here.”

  At that instant, three fire trucks appeared and expertly parked near the hydrant. At the same time, Tom could hear helicopter blades in the distance. A half dozen ambulances and police cruisers followed. “Thanks,” he whispered, welcoming them with a wave. “Good to know you’re listening.”

  “Tom!”

  T.J.? He turned to find his young cousin right behind him.

  “Look who I got!”

  Tom’s glance darted from the teen’s beaming face to the tall blonde in khakis and a blue, pinstriped shirt. He stopped mid-stride, as if colliding into a stone wall. Pam!

  Tentative, she met his shocked gaze. “Where do you want me?”

  Truths Unveiled

  Truths Unveiled

  Chapter Two

  “I need a medic over here!”

  Tom spun toward the voice yelling over the fire’s crackling thunder. It came from a firefighter exiting the burning building. He carried a victim over one shoulder.

  Tom looked at Pam and grabbed his medic bag. “Let’s go!”

  Approaching the patient now lying on the grass, Tom noted he was unconscious.

  “I found him in a hallway,” gasped the distressed fire fighter.

  Automatically, Tom reached to find the victim’s pulse. “He’s still breathing,” he told Pam. Continuing to check the vital signs, he noted Pam taking a spot opposite him and loosening the man’s collar. He also noticed that, for a moment, she’d closed her eyes. She was praying, he realized.

  “Look at his nose,” she pointed, a second later. “It’s charred and swollen. From inhaling a lot of smoke.”

  “Agreed.” Back to business. Tom rubbed his knuckles into the man’s chest, trying to elicit some kind of response. Nothing. He reached for his portable radio. “Medic One to Rescue Flight.”

  “Go ahead, Medic One.”

  “How far out are you?”

  “Two minutes.”

  “I have a priority transport for you at the factory’s southeast entrance. Bring a backboard, oxygen and your monitor.”

  “Roger.”

  Tom reached for his intubation kit and watched Pam get the IV started. The patient’s airway was swelling shut from the superheated gases in the burning factory. There wasn’t much time.

  “Pam, do me a favor,” he asked, seeing her finish. “Grab an ambu-bag and hook it up to my oxygen cylinder. I’m going to tube him.”

  Already in the groove, she found the equipment.

  Tom knew she’d done this plenty of times, but only in a hospital. She was in his world now. And seemed to catch on quick.

  Gathering what he needed, he leaned on one knee and inhaled the burnt air. The wet earth seeped through his pants. Meanwhile, a helicopter hovered above. The blades drowned out the sound of the still arriving engine sirens.

  Tom took a glance at the sky. It bled red from the setting sun. Glowing embers and ash swirled through the black smoke below. At the same time, portable radios filled the air with orders being barked out and acknowledged. No. This was definitely not a hospital emergency room.

  Tipping back the patient’s head, Tom carefully inserted the laryngoscope blade into his mouth, gently pushing his tongue to one side. Charred wasn’t the word, he thought, seeing the blisters forming everywhere. Slowly, but surely, they multiplied, threatening to close the airway shut. With the vocal cords in sight, Tom fed the tube needed to help the patient breathe. He then took the ambu-bag from Pam and attached it to the end of the tube. Slowly, he squeezed it. Thankfully, the man’s chest rose. “Check his lungs,” he told Pam.

  She took his stethoscope and placed it on the patient’s chest. If she could hear equal lung sounds on both sides, the intubation tube was in the proper place.

  She gave him a thumb’s up. “You’re in.”

  “Thanks. Now hold the tube and bag him while I tape everything in place for transport.”

  Tom grabbed a roll of tape from his bag. Without thinking, he put his hand on Pam’s to help her hold the tube. The touch was quick. And distracting.

  “All set, Chief?”

  Tom hadn’t noticed the chopper landing or the paramedics wheeling over the stretcher. “Yeah. You’re all set.” He stood. “Keep the fluids going. He’s burnt pretty bad, and his airway was already swelling when I inserted the tube. “

  Both medics nodded. In a flash, they loaded the patient onto a stretcher and whisked him away to the waiting chopper.

  Tom turned to thank Pam for her help. Instead, he saw her already running to the next victim.

  ****

  “That’s the last of them,” Pam heard someone announce. The sound of doors slamming and a siren followed. Filthy and still running high on the adrenaline rush, she leaned up against a standby rescue unit to catch her breath.

  Glancing at her watch, she realized the time. Ten after nine. Though the fire still burned, it was finally under control. Most likely it would continue for several more hours, then sizzle and smoke for days. At last count, she heard eleven patients left the scene by helicopter and over sixty by ambulance. Fortunately, so far, there were no fatalities. Considering that a miracle, she whispered a grateful prayer of thanks.

  Inhaling, Pam noted the putrid smell of burning plastics and other artificial fibers that continued to fill her nostrils. Littered with ash and other debris, the wet street shimmered from the lights overhead. It was quiet now. And dark. The radio’s incessant flurry of activity finally reduced itself to only an occasional transmission, releasing neighboring fire and rescue units from the scene.

  “Did you enjoy the fireworks celebration? I arranged it just for you.”

  Caught off guard, Pam stood straight. She knew Tom would show up eventually. During the emergency, they had exchanged quick glances and orders, but nothing more. And certainly nothing to suggest that fourteen years had passed since last seeing each other. But that was an entirely different story. Keep it light, she told herself. Meanwhile, her heart pounded and the back of her neck burned.

  “I don’t think the word ‘enjoy’ paints an accurate portrait,” she countered, looking around at the wreckage. “But I’m certainly impressed. You really didn’t have to go to all that trouble. A cake, minus the candles and calories, would have been fine.”

  Tom’s deep laugh filled the cool night air. “That was the original plan. Obviously, the old boiler in that factory thought you deserved something more dramatic.”

  Smiling, Pam rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”

  “Thanks for your help. The timing couldn’t have been better.”

  “I’m glad I was here.” She paused, then added thoughtfully, “The rescue teams responded remarkably.”

  “So you approve?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Good. Then the fire wasn’t a total loss. It gave you an idea of what to expect if you decide to accept the medical center’s offer.”

  Startled, Pam met his bright eyes. Challenging, mischievous but at the same time, gauging her reaction to him. They held for a moment. Then she broke the connection.

  “How do you know about that?”

  Truths Unveiled

  Truths Unveiled

  Chapter Three

  Before Tom could answer, his radio crackled on his hip.

  “Medic One, here. Go ahead,” he r
esponded.

  Pam listened as the female dispatcher said, “T.J. dropped off the keys to Dr. Harrington’s vehicle at the Red Cross station. She might be looking for them.”

  Surprised, she realized that in all of the excitement the young gas station attendant must have taken her keys when they first arrived. She started to say something, but Tom made a motion to wait. Looking at her, he said, “Roger that, Dispatch. Thank you. I have the doctor with me now. We’ll come get them.”