Chapter 38
When I heart the gun shot echo through the house, I tried to run past Jack but he grabbed me. He would have held me back if we hadn’t heard “Tango down. Repeat Tango Down.”
I clicked my rifle to safe and ran into the kitchen.
The first thing I saw was Craig, lying in a pool of blood. AJ was standing over him, making sure he didn’t move. The next thing I saw was Emily curled up in a ball on the floor, arms covering her head. I watched as she lifted her head and looked at her parents, who were also on the floor, her mom on top of her father. Dad checked their pulses and gave me a quick nod, letting me know they were alive.
I slung my rifle over my back so I could move more freely. “Emily?” When I reached down and touched her shoulder she pulled away from me, her eyes never leaving her parents.
I kneeled next to her and gently turned her face towards me. “Emily, it’s okay, you’re okay.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t quite the truth either. Her face was covered in blood and tears, and bruises were already forming. Judging from the way she was clutching her mid-section, she probably had a few cracked or broken ribs. Not to mention the emotional scarring from going through a traumatic hostage situation. But she’s alive, thank God. And so were her parents. We’d deal with the rest later.
Emily looked dazed as she shouted at me, “MY MOM AND DAD?”
From the look on her face, and the fact that she was shouting, I assumed her ears were still ringing. Gun shots in a small space were hell on the ears.
“They’ll be okay.” I pointed at them, and my dad who was still helping them. She nodded then slowly looked around the room.
I scooted closer and started evaluating her injuries.
I asked the team, “Ambulance?”
Dean answered, “ETA three minutes.”
I held Emily as I listened to Dad and Dean on the radio. Weatherford PD would be on scene in two; Dean would run interference, so they didn’t come in guns blazing. The Taylors didn’t need to experience that twice. Dad called Doug in to stay with Emily’s parents, then went outside to help Dean.
“Where’s Craig?” Emily asked with a shaking voice.
Craig had been shot in the chest and was bleeding heavily. I wasn’t sure he’d make it. I more than half hoped he wouldn’t—securing me a special place in hell.
She couldn’t see him because Jack had dragged him behind the island. But she could see the pool of blood, and the bright red drag marks.
What little color there was drained from her face. “Did he shoot anyone?”
He hadn”t. AJ had given us a summary of what happened: they breached, Craig raised his gun, dad shot him. I shook my head back and forth as I answered in case she was still struggling to hear.
Emily nodded and opened her mouth to answer but her eyes rolled back in her head as she started to sway.
“Emily?” Panic laced my voice as she passed out. I caught her before her head could hit the floor. I heard her mom cry out in fear.
My hand shook as I checked Emily’s pulse. Thank God. I whispered into the comms as relief flooded my system, “She’s okay. She’s alive.” I trusted Doug to tell her parents.
The sounds in the room faded to a dull hum as I held her and repeated, “I’m so sorry I failed you,” over and over as tears welled up in my eyes. I felt Jack’s hand on my shoulder a second before he reached over and removed my ear piece. Not that I cared if the team could hear me. I couldn’t stop thinking about how helpless I felt as I cradled her in my arms and whispered in her ear. “I’m so sorry.”
“Jamie.” Jack’s voice cut through my pain. “The paramedics are here.”
I nodded as I pulled myself together and gently lowered Emily back to the floor. “Thanks.” I stood up and stepped back, giving the paramedics room to work. There was nothing more I could do for her right now, so I wiped my face and squared my shoulders.
Putting aside my fear and guilt, I surveyed the room, focusing on what needed to be done.
The paramedics were helping Emily and the Taylors. They didn’t need me. AJ was standing near Craig. But not helping him.
Jack whispered, “He didn’t make it,” answering my silent question.
I nodded as relief washed over me. Not my normal reaction to hearing someone had died, even a bad guy, but I was relieved Craig could never hurt Emily again.
Dad was talking to the police officers, and had everything there under control.
More officers arrived, along with a forensic specialist, and the coroner. WPD wouldn’t let me leave without giving my statement, so I couldn’t ride with Emily, but Jack told me Meg was waiting to take me to the hospital, once I was cleared to leave.
We’d have to play nice with the local PD for a good long while. They’d be mad we stepped on their toes, and bruised their egos, when we crashed into the Taylor’s home and rescued them rather than calling 9-1-1.
Fortunately, we had a good working relationship with them. Hell, I served with most of the guys on the Weatherford force. And given time, they’d understand that while there may not have been enough evidence for the PD to act, we’d made the right decision by going in. The Taylor’s will agree. Dad and I would get a lecture, or two, and we’d have to kiss the Chief’s ass until it eventually faded away.
Dad asked the scene commander to take my statement first, and she agreed. After I finished, I checked with Dad to make sure I was good to leave.
“We’ve got this, son, go to the hospital. I’ll stop by as soon as we’re done here.”
“Thanks.”
“Shit, we need to call Chris.”
“I got it. Go.” Jack gave me a gentle push. “Meg’s waiting just west of the police parameter.”
I took off my gear and locked it in the safe in the back of my SUV, then grabbed the roses from the front seat before jogging to Meg’s car.
“Thanks,” I said as I put on my seatbelt. It felt weird having Meg drive; hell I’d never even been in her car before. It was a gently used, navy blue compact. It wasn’t my taste but it suited her, and was way better than the beat-up old SUV she was driving when she first came to Weatherford.
We didn’t have any trouble finding out what room Emily was in when we got to the hospital. Which was good. I wanted, needed, to see her and didn’t have the patience to argue with the nurses. I’d check on her parents after I made sure she was okay.
We had just finished talking to the nurse when Chris stormed in. “What the fuck happened, Sheppard?” He yelled as he crossed the room.
“Sir, you need to keep your voice down.” A nurse scolded him.
Chris looked at the nurse, anger dripping out his pores, I thought for a minute he might keep yelling. But he didn’t, he got right in my face instead and growled. “You were supposed to prevent this.”
“I know.”
“You know?” His voice rose an octave. He was still pissed, but he sounded surprised too. Maybe he’d expected me to defend myself, but I couldn’t. He was right. I had failed him, Emily, his entire family.
“I know. And I can’t tell you how sorry I am.” I felt tears well up, and didn’t bother hiding them. I didn’t have anything to prove to Chris. He’d been at my side for the best, and the worst, days of my life.
He sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly. “Jesus Jamie, what the hell happened?” He asked, sounding calmer.
“Can I fill you later? Right now I want to check on Emily.” I asked.
He noticed the roses I was holding. “You stopped to buy flowers?”
“No,” I shook my head and tilted it to the hall “Let’s walk and talk.” I didn’t wait for an answer before I turned around and started walking. “I bought them earlier, before I stopped by the house to talk to Emily. I never had a chance to give them to her.” I paused and took a deep breath, grateful I’d trusted my instincts and pushed a little harder when she told me she didn’t want to talk to me.
I stopped when we reached her door. “I’ll fill you in later, but that’s how I found out Craig was there.” I looked at the door then at Chris, and against my deepest desires asked, “You want to go in first?”
“Yeah, I do.” He turned and opened the door before turning back to me. “Thanks.”