scooted her wheeled office chair close to the bed and took my hand as we listened in frantic silence.
“Allen is down,” another man said brokenly. “Head shot. He’s gone.”
Ernie bit his lip and turned away, but not before I saw his hazel eyes fill with tears.
Finally, there was no more gunfire.
“I think that’s all of them.” Evan sounded both tired and pissed.
“Hang in there, Nick. We’ll have you to a medic in no time flat.”
“Load the prisoners in one Jeep, the wounded in another,” Charlie barked out orders. “Who’s hurt?”
“Seriously? Only Nick Falco and the guy we came to get. Bridger’s got a graze on his arm, and the big guy caught some flying debris, but he’s fine.”
“Colonel? Which Jeep do you want us to put Allen in?”
“Fuck.” Charlie’s voice cracked. “I’ll have to take the body to the consulate. Put him in the back seat of my Jeep, throw the assholes in the back, trussed up like Christmas geese. Marco, you’re with me. The rest of you head back to the house and get Hope to take care of the wounded.”
“Vaughn, can’t you drive this thing any faster?” Hannah asked, maybe ten minutes later. “Will’s pulse isn’t good at all. Both of these guys have lost way too much blood. And why aren’t we heading to the nearest hospital?”
“La Rosa ’s got people in the local hospitals,” one of the men answered. “The organisation is much bigger than we’d originally thought.”
“The good news is the three we’ve got are all wanted in the US —so the consulate will hold them while extradition is being sorted out,” Charlie replied.
For another fifteen or twenty minutes, I just held Hope’s hand and listened. Finally, Vaughn’s voice crackled over the link.
“We’re coming in fast. Ernie, get your ass off the radio and out to the carport to help carry the wounded. Hope, get fuelled up and ready to go. We’ve got two critical. Five minutes.”
“Guess it’s a damn good thing I let you stay.” Charlie came on and added, “We’re pulling into the consulate now. I’ll call when I have any intel.”
Ernie stood and left the room with Hope close behind. They waited out in the carport, while I sat rigidly beside the living room window, with my lip caught between my teeth until the car rolled into the drive.
As soon as the vehicle stopped, Evan hopped out of the back, leaned back in, and lifted out Will’s limp, bloody body. Most men couldn’t have carried Will’s weight, but even when he’s human, Evan retains a lot of his grizzly bear strength.
Hope hurried ahead and held open the door. “ Carys , take him to the room you were in,” she called.
I started down the hallway, hating to turn my eyes from Will, even long enough to lead the way. Out of the corner of my vision, I saw Vaughn and Ernie carry in the other man, but I kept moving, though my pace was still frustratingly slow. Even while I cursed the weakness, I was glad Hope had held some of her own energy in reserve for the injured men.
I pulled the sheet and blanket down, then sat on a small chest in the corner of the room. Evan laid Will face-down on the queen-sized bed and stepped back, next to me. Hope rushed in, followed by Hannah. Hope immediately went to Will’s side, while Evan and Hannah stood on either side of me, each wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulder.
Will was a mess. He was shirtless, and the skin of his back hung in bloody shreds. Several wounds had been sutured with butterfly bandages, but still oozed badly. Huge black and purple bruises covered his face, arms and torso, while small red sores dotted the soles of his feet. Cigarette burns? Even from where I sat, I could see his breathing was too slow and too shallow. Droplets of blood bubbled from the corner of his mouth. I tried to move forward, to go to him, but Evan and Hannah held me back. Vaughn slipped into the room and stood next to Hannah, his arms crossed over his chest.
“I’m just going to
“Allen is down,” another man said brokenly. “Head shot. He’s gone.”
Ernie bit his lip and turned away, but not before I saw his hazel eyes fill with tears.
Finally, there was no more gunfire.
“I think that’s all of them.” Evan sounded both tired and pissed.
“Hang in there, Nick. We’ll have you to a medic in no time flat.”
“Load the prisoners in one Jeep, the wounded in another,” Charlie barked out orders. “Who’s hurt?”
“Seriously? Only Nick Falco and the guy we came to get. Bridger’s got a graze on his arm, and the big guy caught some flying debris, but he’s fine.”
“Colonel? Which Jeep do you want us to put Allen in?”
“Fuck.” Charlie’s voice cracked. “I’ll have to take the body to the consulate. Put him in the back seat of my Jeep, throw the assholes in the back, trussed up like Christmas geese. Marco, you’re with me. The rest of you head back to the house and get Hope to take care of the wounded.”
“Vaughn, can’t you drive this thing any faster?” Hannah asked, maybe ten minutes later. “Will’s pulse isn’t good at all. Both of these guys have lost way too much blood. And why aren’t we heading to the nearest hospital?”
“La Rosa ’s got people in the local hospitals,” one of the men answered. “The organisation is much bigger than we’d originally thought.”
“The good news is the three we’ve got are all wanted in the US —so the consulate will hold them while extradition is being sorted out,” Charlie replied.
For another fifteen or twenty minutes, I just held Hope’s hand and listened. Finally, Vaughn’s voice crackled over the link.
“We’re coming in fast. Ernie, get your ass off the radio and out to the carport to help carry the wounded. Hope, get fuelled up and ready to go. We’ve got two critical. Five minutes.”
“Guess it’s a damn good thing I let you stay.” Charlie came on and added, “We’re pulling into the consulate now. I’ll call when I have any intel.”
Ernie stood and left the room with Hope close behind. They waited out in the carport, while I sat rigidly beside the living room window, with my lip caught between my teeth until the car rolled into the drive.
As soon as the vehicle stopped, Evan hopped out of the back, leaned back in, and lifted out Will’s limp, bloody body. Most men couldn’t have carried Will’s weight, but even when he’s human, Evan retains a lot of his grizzly bear strength.
Hope hurried ahead and held open the door. “ Carys , take him to the room you were in,” she called.
I started down the hallway, hating to turn my eyes from Will, even long enough to lead the way. Out of the corner of my vision, I saw Vaughn and Ernie carry in the other man, but I kept moving, though my pace was still frustratingly slow. Even while I cursed the weakness, I was glad Hope had held some of her own energy in reserve for the injured men.
I pulled the sheet and blanket down, then sat on a small chest in the corner of the room. Evan laid Will face-down on the queen-sized bed and stepped back, next to me. Hope rushed in, followed by Hannah. Hope immediately went to Will’s side, while Evan and Hannah stood on either side of me, each wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulder.
Will was a mess. He was shirtless, and the skin of his back hung in bloody shreds. Several wounds had been sutured with butterfly bandages, but still oozed badly. Huge black and purple bruises covered his face, arms and torso, while small red sores dotted the soles of his feet. Cigarette burns? Even from where I sat, I could see his breathing was too slow and too shallow. Droplets of blood bubbled from the corner of his mouth. I tried to move forward, to go to him, but Evan and Hannah held me back. Vaughn slipped into the room and stood next to Hannah, his arms crossed over his chest.
“I’m just going to
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