She was all right now—he hoped. But who knew whatshe’d gone through, or how she’d gotten out?
Adrian drove her mother toward the Denver airport,and into an alternative entrance. One for private parties and theirprivate planes. Usually businesses the FBI would be interested inknowing about.
Megan’s mother gasped. “Look.”
A small plane was coming in to land. Much toofast.
Smoke poured out of the tail of the aircraft.
“Is that her plane?”
Adrian didn’t know. He couldn’t even speak to tellher mother that. His foot stuttered on the gas pedal, and theborrowed federal vehicle slowed. He couldn’t watch the plane Meganmight be on, crash right in front of him.
This had to have something to do with Zimmerman.
Adrian twisted in his seat to look around.
He drove past the hangar. Down the runway a man stoodout in the open, a bulky object on his shoulder like a rocketlauncher. Zimmerman. He’d exposed himself, on orders from theblackmailer, to bring down Megan’s plane. All of it rolled throughAdrian’s mind, one realization after the other.
Adrian hit the gas and drove straight toward the man,standing out in the open.
Megan’s mother gasped and grabbed the handle on thedoor.
“Hold on.” He honked his horn. If it didn’t getZimmerman’s attention, maybe he could alert emergency services. Orat least someone in the airport watching out the window. PleaseGod, let us be seen.
He couldn’t watch Megan die.
And while it wasn’t the same as her witnessing Will’sdeath, Adrian at least understood what losing his partner would belike. He knew he wouldn’t survive it nearly as well as Meganhad.
She needed to live.
Zimmerman didn’t turn, despite the fact Adrian laidheavy on the horn. He just kept pointing the weapon at theairplane.
Adrian’s speed hit sixty miles an hour, as hebarreled right toward Zimmerman.
At the last second, the man turned. He saw Adriancoming and dived out of the way. Adrian clipped him with the car.The rogue agent flew through the air and landed on the runway witha thud. Megan’s mother screamed. Adrian hit the brakes and turnedthe car around.
Behind them, the airplane’s engines screamed as itheaded for the runway.
It was going to crash.
Chapter19
Megan swam in and out of consciousness. Kindof…disconnected from her body. Everything was soft and warm. Itmade her wonder if she was dead and maybe floating instead on somecloud. Until she heard the vague sounds of a hospital intercom.Beeping machines.
She blinked against florescent lights.
Too bright.
Soft pressure touched her forehead. “Get better soon.We need you.”
The voice was familiar. She fought the pull ofunconsciousness and blinked. Tried to focus. Finally managed toblink away the blur, just in time to see Steve dart out thedoor.
Her strength slipped away, like water down a drain,and she was out.
Megan came around the next time to the sound of lowvoices. Two people, a man and a woman, trying to keep the volume oftheir conversation down. She tried to speak and heard only a lowmoan emerge from her throat.
“Megan!” Her mom touched her hand.
She did the blinking thing again. There wasn’t somuch warmth this time, and her left leg didn’t feel good at all.Nor did the rest of her.
But her mom was here. That made her smile.
Her mom’s hand touched her cheek and she pressed akiss to the other. “Honey.”
“Hi.” Her voice soundedawful.
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re awake. The doctors werestarting to get worried about when you were going to surface.” Momsmiled. “It’s so good to see those pretty blue eyes.”
Megan didn’t want to use up her energy, otherwise shewould fall asleep again. Not like she had with… “Steve.”
“He isn’t here, but Adrian is.”
Megan tried to shake her head. That wasn’t what shemeant. Steve had been in her room.
“He’s actually in a lot of trouble.” The voice waslow. So warm and familiar. Adrian came into view at the side of thebed, his face a war between relief and something else. “The fedsare looking for him in connection with the restaurantshooting.”
She shut her eyes.
“But you knew that, didn’t you? He was the one yousaw fleeing the scene.”
She opened her eyes. Nodded as much as she could.
“Hank?”
She said, “He shot… ElCuervo. For me.”
Adrian said, “I got a report from the scene. Lookslike he saved your life. But he was the one who put you in thatsituation in the first place.” He paused, a frown across hisforehead. “Time will tell what role the blackmailer played in that.The FBI has a lot to go through, between him and Zimmerman. Yourpart in all this. And finding Steve.”
The blackmailer should’ve been found. This was goingon entirely too long. Like a disease, now out of control. And itwas spreading beyond the initially infected people. It wasdestroying even more lives now.
Megan took a deep breath and let it out. It hitched afew times as she tried to process everything, and her eyes filledwith tears.
“That’s enough for right now, I think,” her mom said.“I’m going to go and find the doctor. Tell him you’re awake.”
Adrian shifted as well, and opened his mouth like hewas going to say something. He was going to go, too? She didn’twant to be alone.
Megan moved her hand and grasped his with as muchstrength as she could.
“What?”
She didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know where tobegin. This man had been with her through so much that she didn’twant him to leave. But she also couldn’t be that crazy, clingywoman who refused to let him go.
All she said was, “Adrian.”
His face softened, and he leaned against the bed.
“What…?”
He finished for her. “What happened?”
She nodded.
“The plane you were in crashed.” He looked down.Played with her fingers, while he said, “I won’t ever forgetwatching it hit the ground. You were lucky to survive. One of thepilots didn’t, and the other is in ICU.”
She squeezed his fingers, and he looked at her. “Notlucky.”
He nodded. “You know what I mean.”
She should be dead.
“You have a concussion the doctors were worriedabout. Your left knee was shattered and they had to replace it. Butall
