Текст книги "Love or Justice"
Автор книги: Rachel Mannino
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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 19 страниц)
“I know you do, but you can’t tell him what you don’t know.” Dante brushed his hand over her golden hair.
“I hope he’s not like that with his wife, or his son.” She took a shuddering breath. “I mean, I hope it was just the grief and anxiety talking.”
Dante rubbed his chin against her smooth hair. He heard the question in her voice, the slightest sliver of doubt had crept in.
“It’s hard to know what he’s really like. People can do crazy things when they’re pushed to a breaking point. My guess is that he’s probably like this when he’s under stress. I hope you won’t let that influence your decision to testify, Laurie. Even if Evan James is an asshole, Katherine and Easton deserve some justice.” He stroked the back of her neck in circles.
Laurie nodded her agreement against his shoulder.
“No, I know that. I do.” She buried her face in his shoulder.
Satisfied, Dante gave her a gentle squeeze. He didn’t know what else to do to make her feel better, so he just held her.
Max went outside to walk around the house, and Cheyn moved upstairs to go back to bed.
David settled by the window again. Dante turned on the TV for some mindless noise. He flipped through until he found an old movie, with Barbra Streisand roller-skating around and singing. It was exactly what they needed.
“Let’s just watch a movie for a while, okay?”
Laurie nodded.
Dante put his arm around Laurie’s shoulders, tucking her against his side.
Laurie’s head rested on his chest. She fit perfectly beside him, though he tried not to notice, and they passed much of the afternoon that way.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Laurie
That night, Dante appeared at Laurie’s door, sleeping bag in hand.
“Can I come in for a minute?” He nodded toward her room.
“Of course.” Laurie stepped back.
She felt a jolt of nervousness. Dante looked at her, and she stared up at him. Something inside her trembled. He ran his hand through his hair. He looked at the rumpled bed and then his eyes darted away.
“Have you thought about what I said last night…with sleeping in the room with you?”
“Oh, yes.” She looked away, thinking.
Laurie felt her cheeks flush. It seemed to happen around him frequently. She forced herself to look at him.
“If you’re uncomfortable with it, then I don’t want—” He coughed and cleared his throat.
“No, no. You’re just going to end up in here anyway. Might as well start out in here, I guess.”
Laurie felt her temperature rise exponentially. The thought of Dante sleeping in her room stirred something in her. She was suddenly hyper-aware of her surroundings. She ran a dull fingernail along the spine of the book in her hand. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her, warming her skin. Laurie could even hear the soft hiss of the wind as it blew past her window.
“If you have any objections, I don’t want to—”
“No, it’s fine. It’s completely fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure.”
Laurie laughed nervously. Dante let out the breath he was holding. They looked at each other for a minute, and then they both looked away.
“I’ll lay out my sleeping bag.”
“Do you have anything more comfortable to sleep on?”
“No. I’ll be fine. I’ve slept on the ground in this and it was just fine.”
He gave a half smile and she got the feeling he was lying.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ll sleep better on the floor, knowing you’re okay, then in my bed worrying.”
Laurie smiled a little. He did care deeply about the people he protected. She wished it was more than that, but she knew it wasn’t.
“I’m sorry you have to go to all this trouble.”
“No. Don’t worry about it. No reason to be sorry. What position would you like me in?”
Laurie stared at him for a minute, wide-eyed. Dante froze.
“I mean…um. I mean, on the floor.” He waved the sleeping bag at the floor. “Is there anywhere specific on the floor you’d like me to sleep?”
“Oh, oh.” Laurie giggled a little and Dante let out a nervous chuckle. “No, it doesn’t matter.”
“Okay. Sorry. I guess this is a little awkward.” He gave her a bashful smile.
“Yeah, just a little.”
“It’s much easier when you’re calling out for me in the middle of the night.”
Laurie looked up at him again, putting her hand over her mouth.
Dante winced. Then he cringed, his brow furrowing in embarrassment as he turned scarlet.
“I hope no one is listening to this conversation.” Laurie started laughing uncontrollably.
“Oh God. I’m sorry! Jesus! I’m such…ugh.” Dante closed his eyes and threw his head back, jamming his hand through his hair.
Laurie’s laughter got to him, and he started laughing too. They laughed for a few minutes, standing in the center of her room. Laurie held her waist, almost doubled over.
Dante still held his sleeping bag in one hand, wiping tears from his eyes with the other. Laughing felt so good right now.
“Maybe we should just go to bed.” Laurie sat down on her bed.
“Right.”
Laurie slipped between her sheets, throwing her covers over her.
Dante spread out his sleeping bag in the corner opposite her, against the wall. When he was finished, he turned off the light.
“Good night.” Laurie tossed her hair over her pillow.
“Good night.”
Both of them lay awake for a while, not moving. The sound of their breathing seemed to echo in the room. They stared at the ceiling, until Laurie rolled onto her side to look at him.
“Dante?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think they’ll find Kaimi soon?”
“I’m sure they will—”
“I mean for real, not just to make me feel better.”
Dante paused. He rolled over on his side, facing her. Much of him was in shadow, but enough light filtered in from the window so Laurie could make out his face and the clean lines of his jaw.
“There are a lot of places he can hide on the islands, Laurie. He has many friends, people willing to hide him. But they will find him. He can’t hide forever.”
Laurie nodded. She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling again. Dante rolled onto his back as well, listening to the faint sounds emanating from the TV downstairs. Max and Cheyn hated silence during their watch. He and Laurie listened until sleep took them both.
***
Dante
Dante woke up hearing a low moaning sound.
“No, please.” Laurie tossed on the bed.
Dante rolled over. He watched through half-veiled eyes. He didn’t want to wake her up unless he had to, and he hoped she would pull out of it.
“Please, don’t. I promise I’ll testify. I promise, just don’t make me leave, Mr. James.” Laurie clutched at the sheets.
Dante’s blood started to boil. He had never hated a victim’s family before, but this was a good time to start. He opened his eyes. The moonlight streamed through the blinds, falling on Laurie’s bed in rectangles.
Her hands knotted and twisted in the sheets. She had already kicked her blanket off, and it sat in clumps and waves at the foot of her bed.
He watched Laurie’s face contort in pain, as she rolled to face him.
“No! No! Please! He’ll kill me!”
Dante got out of his sleeping bag. He couldn’t listen to her like that. He sat down beside her on the bed, and leaned over to whisper in her ear.
“Laurie, no one’s going to hurt you. Evan James can’t make you leave. I’ll keep you safe.”
She whimpered a little. He took her face in his hands, stroking her flushed cheeks with his thumbs. She sniffled, but quieted. He didn’t think she woke up at all. He waited a little while, and her breathing returned to normal. He brushed the hair back from her face. Then he untangled her hands from the sheet. They were relaxed and limp as he placed them on her stomach. He gave her a last look, filled with a mixture of longing and concern, as he stroked her arm. Then he went back to his sleeping bag, yawned, and fell asleep.
Another hour passed and Dante woke up abruptly to Laurie begging and pleading, clutching at her sheets again.
“No! No! Dante! Please! Don’t!”
Then she let out a piercing wail. He was up and at her side.
“Laurie, wake up. Wake up!” He shook her. Laurie woke up with a gasp. Then she grasped his arms and began to sob.
“Hey, hey. Don’t cry.” He smoothed back her hair. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
He sat down on the bed, leaning against the wall. He pulled her onto his chest. He rubbed her back, held her tight, and murmured words to calm her. Nothing he said worked. Wave after wave of tears descended from her eyes, and she gasped and sputtered with them. She clung to him, her hands digging into his shoulders almost to the point of pain. He’d seen her cry before, but not like this.
“Laurie, what’s wrong? Talk to me. What happened?”
“I…dreamed you were shot. You were dying.” She started sobbing again.
He gathered her closer, and rocked her.
“I’m okay, Laurie. I’m fine. Take a deep breath.”
She gulped in air; she was crying so hard. She wasn’t listening to him. He took her face in his hands and pressed his forehead to hers.
“Take a deep breath, Laurie. That’s it. Good. Another. Good.”
He held her face close to his for a little while as he coached her through a few calming breaths. He wiped away her tears. Her crying slowed. Without thinking, he kissed her forehead. Then he tucked her head under his chin.
“This one really scared you, didn’t it?” He stroked her hair.
“Yes.”
He pressed another kiss to the top of her head, and tightened his embrace. It touched him that his death would be so upsetting to her. They hardly knew each other, but God, his shirt was half soaked in her tears from just dreaming about it. He ran his hands over her hair and down her back. She lay awake in his arms, her fingers tracing patterns over his chest. He put his hand over hers.
“Try to go back to sleep. I’ll stay with you.”
“I don’t think I want to.”
Dante smiled, holding Laurie, her hand cradled by his. Dante had every intention of getting up and going back to his own bed. But he never made it there.
In the morning, he woke up late. He found himself sleeping with Laurie on his chest. He had somehow moved into a prone position with her. His arms draped protectively over her torso. She seemed at peace, her jaw relaxed, her brow smooth.
He ran his hand through her wavy hair. He brushed it back from her face. Then his hand traced a path down the side of her angular jaw. He watched her eyelids flutter open. They focused in on him. Confusion crossed her face, then a flash of recognition. He stroked her jaw with his thumb.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to sleep here. I was going to go back to my bed after you fell asleep.”
“It’s okay.”
“No. It’s not okay.”
“No, it is. After the nightmare I had, I wouldn’t have slept at all if you’d left me.”
He heaved a sigh. Then he looked down at her. Her body pressed against his, warm, soft and sweet. Too sweet. And too accessible. Half of his brain yelled at him to get up, to get out of there. The other half wanted nothing more than to cover her mouth with his. Desire settled hot and heavy in the pit of his stomach. Now he couldn’t get up, or she would see how much she affected him. He brushed his fingers through her hair.
“Morning,” he said with a smile.
She smiled back and chuckled.
“Morning.”
She laid her cheek back on his chest. They laid there like that for a few minutes.
Dante wrestled for control of his body, while he said a silent prayer for the bedspread that hid his desire from her. He looked at the clock. He didn’t want to move yet, but someone would come looking for him soon. This was not where he wanted David to find him. He thought of everything unpleasant and unsexy, while he stared at the ceiling. He didn’t dare look at the gorgeous woman beside him. He thought of ice cold showers, every painful hangover he ever had, and every unattractive woman that ever hit on him. Finally, finally, he felt he could get up without embarrassing himself.
He tapped Laurie’s back.
“All right. Time to get up.”
Laurie rolled off him and sat up. She hugged her knees, her hair hung like a curtain over her shoulders. She rested her chin on her knee, watching him.
Dante walked barefoot over to the bathroom, clothes in hand. When he came back out, she was in the same position.
“You okay?” He raised his eyebrows at her.
“Yeah, just waking up.”
“All right. I’ll see you downstairs in a few minutes.”
He turned and headed for the door.
“Dante?” she said as he reached for the doorknob.
He turned toward her.
“Thank you for being there for me. You don’t have to do everything you do for me, and I know it. Thank you.”
Her words made him smile. His chest lifted. Before he even realized what he was doing, he walked back to her bed. He caught her chin with his thumb and forefinger, tilting her face up to meet him.
“You deserve nothing less.” He caressed her cheek.
She blushed and looked away.
He stared down at her, sitting on her bed, hugging her knees. Her hair was splayed out, her cheeks flushed attractively. He couldn’t explain what he felt looking at her. He knew he needed to leave, or he was going to get himself into more trouble than he could get out of. He traced his hand down to her shoulder and upper arm in a lingering caress. Then he turned and strode out of the room.
CHAPTER NINE
Laurie read all through the morning and afternoon, while Dante wrote a report on the Evan James visit. He titled it “The guy who I almost killed and why I wanted to kill him, but didn’t.” He erased it and put an official title on the report before he sent it. The title was too long anyway.
Mostly, Dante watched Laurie read a book. He could see it was a book on justice from the title. He guessed it was from one of her law classes. She would find a comfortable position on her back, propped up by a pillow. Then she would turn on her side and read like that for a while. Then she would sit on the couch facing forward, cross-legged. After a while she would start all over again. He didn’t know why he was watching her read, but after he finished his report, he started looking into the kind of classes she would have taken at her college this semester. He tried to find something online that would be comparable.
David’s cell phone rang. He seemed embarrassed to be called at work as he checked the number.
“Boss? It’s my wife.” David looked up, worry tightening the lines around his eyes.
“She’s pregnant, David. Take the call.” Dante nodded.
“Yeah, okay.” David flipped the phone open and rushed into the kitchen.
Laurie sat up on the couch. She put her book down. She toyed with the remote but didn’t turn on the TV.
“Can’t hear him from here?” Dante smirked.
“No.” She smiled. “Can you?”
“Is eavesdropping ethical, counselor?”
“It is if your friend is about to have his first baby!” she hissed.
Dante chuckled, and her eyes glowed.
David walked back into the room. His hand with the cell phone floated down to his side. He stared out the window, wide-eyed, his breathing shallow.
“Everything okay, David?” Dante put the laptop down.
“My wife thinks she might be in labor, but it’s too early. She’s not supposed to have the baby for another month and a half!” His brow furrowed.
“Well, babies can come early sometimes. I was a month early. Is she going to the hospital?” Laurie hung over the back of the couch.
“She’s waiting for the doctor to call her back. Then her mother’s taking her.”
“I thought her family was all back home?” Laurie clasped her hands together.
“Her mother flew in after I left for this assignment. She didn’t want Mary to be by herself during the last trimester.”
David started pacing.
“Are you excited to have your first child?” Laurie beamed at him. She rocked back and forth on the couch.
“Yeah. I’m…” David stared at the end of the couch.
“Really nervous?” she supplied.
David laughed.
“Yes. I mean. I could be a father tonight. A father!” He threw out his arms.
“Don’t get too excited yet. Sometimes a woman can have a false alarm this close to the delivery.” Laurie put up a hand of caution.
“I know, but she said she was in a lot of pain. Like a contraction. Her water hasn’t broken, but I hope she’s okay.”
“I’m sure her mother is taking good care of her.” Dante leaned back in his chair.
“It must be hard to be away from her.” Laurie propped her chin on her elbow.
“Yes. It’s been hard. I mean, I love my job.” David glanced at Dante and back to Laurie. “You’re a great lady, Ms. Laurie. But it’s been tough being away from her, especially now.”
“It must be difficult to give up being with the one you love for your job. It’s a tough sacrifice to make.” Laurie sat back on her knees and ankles.
“I don’t think of it that way, Ms. Laurie. It’s a privilege, you know. To protect you. Well, to protect a witness. You’re making the world a better place, right? Keeping bad guys off the street.” David continued to pace.
Dante smiled, watching the two of them. David sounded so young. He could picture David as a kid, watching a cop movie, deciding what he wanted to be when he grew up.
“Yes, David. Soon you’ll have a baby to make the world safe for.” Laurie leaned forward onto the couch again.
“I will! I’ll have a baby. I’m having a baby.”
His eyes unfocused as he stared out at the volcano in the distance. His brows were arched, his face a shade or two paler than usual. He began to scan the horizon, as if he was trying to see Mary through the trees.
“How many babies do you want to have?” Laurie raised her eyebrows at him.
“Oh, lots of them. I love kids.” David turned toward her again. “How about you, Ms. Laurie? Do you want kids?”
“Someday, when I find the right man and fall in love.” Laurie turned on the couch, looking at Dante. “Do you want children, Dante?”
Dante paused. His gaze locked with Laurie’s for a moment. Images of a pregnant Laurie flashed in his mind. Then her carrying a toddler on her hip or giving the baby a bath. He was willing to bet she’d make a fantastic mother. With those kind eyes, that easy smile, the way she pushed her own fears aside to hike, and smile, and laugh with him. Yes, she would make a fantastic mother.
“Yes.” His heart leapt when he said it. “I mean, when the time is right. When I meet the right woman.”
Laurie smiled at him.
Dante smiled back. They looked at each other for a heartbeat or two in silence.
David’s cell phone rang. He didn’t even ask for permission. He just picked it up.
“Hello?” He listened intently. His expression changed, his smile fading. “No, no. Mary. You were right to call me. It’s okay. Don’t cry. No, you weren’t bothering me. You’re never bothering me. I love you.”
David strode into the kitchen, talking fast to stop the tears on the other end of the phone.
“False alarm.” She shrugged. She looked just as disappointed as David did.
Dante chuckled.
David strode back into the room.
“She called the doctor. He thinks it’s just an upset stomach.”
“Next time, David. Next time.” Laurie shook her head. “You have a month and a half to go. You don’t want to have the baby this early anyway.”
“No, I know.” He still looked a little disappointed as he settled down onto the windowsill.
Dante and Laurie shared a look before Laurie flipped on the TV.
***
Later that night, David’s false alarm was all Laurie wanted to talk about as they got ready for bed. Laurie sat on her bed, pulling her nightclothes out of her bag.
Dante took out his nightshirt and sweats, laying them beside his sleeping bag. He was determined to sleep in his own bed tonight, no matter what happened. He had been on dangerous ground the last couple of nights, but he mentally committed himself to stopping it tonight.
“I don’t think I could do it. Be away from my husband when I’m about to give birth.” Laurie ran a brush through her hair.
“Lots of people have to, military wives, police wives when their husbands are on long assignments, Marshals Service. It’s just something that happens. Love the man; you have to love the job too.”
“Yeah, I guess, but God that must be hard.”
“It is hard. I’ve seen a lot of men do it. It makes them crazy. David’s doing well with it though. He’s going to be a great Witsec Inspector.”
“Well, he should be doing great with it. Apparently he has the best teacher.” Laurie winked at him.
Dante laughed.
“Don’t pay any attention to Rick.” Dante shook his head. “He trained me, so if that tells you—”
“Intruder!” Max yelled from downstairs. The sound of several gun shots followed, then return gunfire.
Laurie sucked in a breath, and stared at Dante in shock.
Dante grabbed her, dragging her into the hall. He unlatched the safe room with a swift motion. Without a word, he thrust her in, slamming the door.
As soon as Dante closed the safe room door, David burst through his bedroom door.
“Laurie?” was all David said. Dante pointed to the safe room.
“This way.” Dante got out his gun and moved down the hall.
Dante never expected a gun battle here. He led David to the mouth of the hallway where they crouched down low to the floor. Dante could hear shots and return fire. Max and Cheyn were both still fighting. Dante intended to give them cover.
He gestured to David to cover the left. He crouched close to the right side of the hallway and inched his way forward until he could see out over the living room. Then he ducked back behind the wall. He was just above Max, who was hiding behind a protrusion in the stonewall that housed the fireplace.
Max shot across the room at a man behind the couch.
Dante aimed. When the man popped up again, Dante let off a round. The man flew backward, and lay on the floor. Dante crouched back down again.
He could still hear gunshots coming from the living room below him. He maneuvered himself to see where else Max was aiming. There was another man hiding just outside the door to the patio. The man’s gunfire hit the stone wall with a sharp rapping and the tinkling of broken stone. Dante took aim, but the assailant saw him. Dante ducked behind the wall.
Two more shots came. One to him, the other to Max. The former missed, the second didn’t.
Dante turned back to the scene just in time to see Max crumple to the floor. He took aim at the assailant and fired. The man crumpled to the ground as well.
Dante heard continued gunfire on the left side of the house. He crawled over to David, who shot and then ducked for cover. There was an armed man crouched on the other side of the counter toward the open front door. He used both as an effective shield from the gunfire. Dante took aim, but had to duck as a bullet flew at them, narrowly missing his head.
David returned fire. It caught the man in the neck. He fell to the floor. All was silent.
“Where’s Cheyn?” Dante glanced down into the kitchen.
“Kitchen floor. He’s bleeding, but I don’t know where he got shot.”
“Any more of them?”
“I don’t think so, I only saw one.”
Dante grabbed his cell phone. He punched the radio button.
“The Hilo safe house has been assaulted. Two officers down. Three assailants dead. Requesting immediate back-up and medical assistance!”
“Copy that, safe house. Back-up and medical assistance is on the way,” responded the voice on the other side of the phone. Dante stuck the phone back in his pocket.
“David, we have to secure the house. I’m going to crawl out to the end of the landing. I need you to cover me.”
“Yes, sir.”
When Dante was halfway down the landing, a shot rang out from a part of the kitchen below where David was crouched.
A scream came from the hallway behind Dante. Oh God. Laurie was out of the safe room.
The bullet grazed Dante’s arm, as he instinctively covered his head and pitched to the side. He cried out as searing hot pain tore at his flesh.
David returned fire, but missed.
The gunman fired back at him.
David tried to move back to the wall, but it was too late. The shot caught him in the neck. He fell to the floor.
Laurie screamed again and rushed forward.
Dante returned fire, hitting the gunman right between the eyes.
Blinded by rage and pain, Dante lunged for Laurie.
She leaned over David, clutching at the front of his shirt. She was already half-way to sobbing.
Dante’s wounded arm sent searing hot waves of pain up his shoulder as he grabbed Laurie by both her arms and hauled her back down the hallway. With a look of absolute fury, he shoved her into the safe room.
Dante swept his gun and his gaze over the hallway. He strained his ears for every sound. He heard David gasping for breath, and that caused Dante to pray as he crouched low beside him.
David’s shocked eyes stared up at him. His hot, sticky blood poured out, pooling on the carpet.
“Stay with me, David. Just stay with me. The medical team’s on the way.”
David made an inaudible rasping noise. Tears welled in his eyes. David’s eyes pleaded with Dante to do something.
Dante tore off his shirt. As he pressed the waded up shirt to David’s wound, Dante saw David’s eyes go blank. They stared up at him, emotionless, vacant.
“David! David!” He tugged at the man’s shirt.
David didn’t move. His blank eyes stared back at Dante.
Dante swore. He pounded his fist on the floor, which sent shock waves up his injured arm. But pain was good. It kept away the mind-numbing grief that threatened to close in. The pain made Dante crawl away from David toward the stairs.
He went corner to corner down the stairs with long sweeps of his gun. He checked on Max, who was bleeding from the abdomen.
Max was trying to stop the bleeding, so Dante ran to the supply closet for the first aid equipment. He tore off several strips of gauze and gave it to Max to press to his wound.
Then Dante checked the two assailants in the living room. Both of them were dead. He moved into the kitchen and checked Cheyn’s vitals. He was still alive, though unconscious. He had been hit in the arm, but the gunshot had knocked him back and he’d hit his head on the counter. The gunmen must have thought he was dead. Dante said a silent prayer, then checked on the gunmen. They were both lifeless.
Dante closed doors, locking them. He went back upstairs. He washed Max and David’s blood off his hands. Then he pulled a fresh shirt from his duffle bag. He washed and bandaged his own wound, bleeding freely from his bicep. He was relieved when he saw the bullet just grazed him, instead of lodging in his flesh. He couldn’t go in for surgery and protect his witness at the same time.
His witness, the foolish woman in the safe room that had twice now defied his orders. The woman was going to get them both killed.
With his arm tended to as well as he could, he grabbed his bag, and Laurie’s bag, taking them downstairs. He knew it was cruel to make her wait, but she had earned it. He couldn’t let her out until back up arrived. If another attack came, they would think she fled the house.
After he set down the bags, he tended to Max. Dante heard sirens and a helicopter. They were here. He squeezed Max’s shoulder as the young man struggled to remain conscious. Several police cars pulled up. Dante ran to open the front door.
The police came through the door to find the dead body of an assailant, and Dante standing there, hands in the air above his head. He had on his Marshals vest to send a clear message.
“I’m U.S. Marshal Dante Stark. Is Lt. Jameson with you?”
Dante knew all of the local lieutenants. He knew Jameson would be on the night shift. The lieutenant pushed his way to the front of the group of officers.
“Jesus Christ, Dante! What happened?” Lt. Jameson gestured to the fallen men.
“We were attacked. A four-member hit team. I have two men down and one agent dead. All assailants are dead. I need the medic in here now.”
“You need the medic yourself!” Lt. Jameson pointed to his bandage. “Secure the rooms, gentleman. Get the medic and get them in here!”
Dante looked down to see his makeshift bandage sopping with blood.
“Scratch,” he muttered. “Dick, my witness is in the safe room. I need to get her out of here to a secure location.”
“All right. We’ll get you outta here. But I’m going to need your gun for the crime lab.”
“Fine. I have a backup.” He handed over his gun to Lt. Jameson, who bagged it. “I need the black SUV swept for explosives or other assailants. I have to get the witness out of here.”
“Not a problem. I’ll sweep it myself. Give the detective here a rundown of what happened.”
Dante took them room by room, as the medic rushed Max out to the waiting helicopter, and then came back for Cheyn. Dante felt numb as they rolled Cheyn out onto the patio in the gurney to the medevac waiting in the field behind the house.
“He should be fine, Mr. Stark.” The paramedic tapped his clipboard. “He was knocked in the head pretty good by the fall, but his vitals are good. We’ll run an MRI and a CT scan, but he’ll be just fine. The other guy—Max—lost a lot of blood. They’ll both need surgery.”
“Hilo Medical Center?” Dante nodded to him.
“Yes, sir.” The paramedic sped by him.
“Good. I’ll notify our supervisor.” He clenched his jaw as the paramedic ran out into the field and jumped in the helicopter. His team was shattered.
“Dante, the vehicle’s as clean as a whistle. I’m clearing you to leave with the witness. But I’m going to need to follow-up with you.” Lt. Jameson patted him on his good shoulder.
“You have my number. Do me a favor and call Rick. Tell him what happened and that I’m taking the witness to another safe house. I’m going to have a hard time getting her out of here,” Dante told him as he took the bags out to the waiting SUV. Lt. Jameson had stationed officers around each side.
“Certainly, certainly. She must be scared out of her mind. Does she know the one man died?” he opened the side door for Dante.
“Yes. She doesn’t follow orders very well.” Dante tossed in the bags, turned on his heel and walked back toward the house.
He jogged as he went into the house and up to the safe room. He was anxious to get to Laurie now. His head was still spinning, but he needed to make sure she was okay. He also knew he needed to get on the road. A four-man hit on a well-protected safe house was an unprecedented attack. He didn’t need a repeat.
He walked up to the hidden safe room door. He knocked on the shelf and yelled.
“Laurie, it’s me. I’m opening the door.”
He slid the door to the side.
Laurie launched herself into his arms.
“Dante!”
She wrapped her arms around him.
He wrapped his arms around her in return. As angry as he was at her, her touch was exactly what he needed.
