“Mac.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “What’s the status? Where is Kay?”
“They stopped when they saw the roadblock and bailed. I think Kay is still in the van. The three suspects ran over there.” He pointed to where the firefight was being concentrated. I needed to know if Kay was in the van and if she was alright.
I pointed to Jared and Stephanie.
“Cover me.”
“Where are you going?” Jared asked.
“The van.”
“But…” They started to protest.
I didn’t give them time to argue. I crouched low and ran towards the back of the van. I was exposed to the suspects, but I needed to get to Kay. I threw open the back door and saw her laying in a heap on the floor. Her eyes where closed and she was very pale. My heart dropped like a stone.
A bullet hit the side of the van but thankfully it didn’t come all the way through. I grabbed Kay in my arms shielding her with my body as much as I could and ran for the SUV. Jared, Stephanie and Mac fired continuously towards the place where the suspects were hiding. I felt a thud in my side like I’d been hit with a two by four and knew a bullet had found its mark. I stumbled but kept going. I got back to the SUV and fell to my knees placing Kay on the ground. The gun fire stopped.
“Kay, Kay can you hear me?”
There was chaos all around me, I was only slightly aware of it. I was focused on Kay. She was breathing but she wouldn’t wake up. I wasn’t sure if she was drugged or injured.
“Kay!”
I felt hands on my shoulders pulling me away. I shrugged them off, but they pulled again this time harder.
“Ethan.” It was Mac’s voice.
“Let the EMT’s take her. They can help her.”
I didn’t want to let go of her, but I knew she needed help. I sat back resting against the tire of the SUV.
“Ethan, let them look at you.” Stephanie said.
“What?” I snapped.
“You’ve been shot, let them look at you.” Stephanie insisted.
“I’ll be fine,” I insisted.
“Don’t be an ass.”
Her voice caught me off guard and I blinked at her.
“Get your ass in that ambulance and get checked out.” She demanded.
I don’t know if it was the shock of Stephanie yelling at me or the truth of her words, but I got up and did what she said. “Is she going to be okay?” I asked the EMT who was closing the door to Kay’s ambulance.
“We’ll know more when we get her checked out.” He shut the door and the ambulance drove away. I laid back on the gurney in the ambulance and closed my eyes. I felt like I’d been here before.
Jared jumped in the back with me. “Let’s go!” he said to the driver. He sat near the back and out of the way.
“Looks like you’ll need a few stitches and probably have a broken rib.”
I nodded. “Wouldn’t be the first time.” I looked down at Jared. “How’s Kay?”
“We don’t know yet,” he answered.
“Any word on Logan?” I asked.
“He’ll be alright. They drugged him with a sedative so he’ll be out for a while but should be okay.” Jared smirked.
I smiled. I should have known he wouldn’t have let them take Kay without one hell of a fight. Drugging him would have been the only way to stop him.
“Now we just need to make sure you’re okay.” Jared added.
“I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse.”
He nodded.
“What about the suspects?” I tried to focus on Jared and not what the EMT was doing.
“They are all dead.” Jared nodded.
“Bannister too?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Jared nodded again.
“Michael Nichols?” I secretly hoped he was for betraying Kay the way he did.
“Him too.”
I nodded and closed my eyes. Well at least this madness would stop now. I just needed Kay to pull through and I hoped there weren’t any more surprises. “Call the DC Office and put them onto Bannisters company,” I said.
“Stephanie is already on it. I imagine they’ll be shut down by the end of the day.”
He was right. I was lying in a hospital bed watching images of an FBI led raid on Bannister’s corporate offices. Computers and boxes of files were carried out of the building and loaded into vans. A few people were being marched out in handcuffs. I smiled. It was almost a perfect ending if you didn’t count the gunfight, kidnapping, and high-speed chase.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kay
The night was hot and humid, the air was heady with the scent of Gardena. I sat on the front porch taking it all in. I loved summer, the heat, the heat lightning, the humidity, and the lightning bugs. I loved it all. I had lost track of time and wasn’t sure how long I had been sitting there when the headlights shone up the street. I sat very still watching until they stopped in front of the house. I smiled as I watched Ethan step out of the car. The leaves in the trees began to rustle just then, as if the trees were as happy to see him as I was. I waited until he walked through the iron gate and was at the bottom of the steps before I rose.
“Kay, don’t get up!” He rushed up the steps to help me sit back down.
“Ethan, I’m not made of glass. I can get up and down.”
“Humor me.” He sat down next to me. “How are you feeling today?”
“I feel fine. I’m going back to work on Monday.”
“What? No, please Kay, give it a few more days.”
“Ethan, I’ve been gone for too long already and I’m going out of mind staying home with nothing to do.
“I know, but I don’t want you to push this, you’ve been through a lot.”
“Yes, well…” I let it go. “What about you? You were shot...” I countered.
He looked sheepish for a moment.
“You didn’t waste any time going back to work.” I reminded him.
“That’s
