Undercover Captor(28)

He hesitated.

Fine. She yanked up his jeans, revealing his ankle holster. The guy always carried his backup. “I’ll just take this one,” she told him.

He blinked.

There was still no more gunfire. The silence out there was scaring her as much as the bullets. “Go find Drew.”

Dylan nodded. His gaze darted toward Rachel.

The dark-haired agent gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Then Dylan was easing open the motel-room door. He slid into the night.

Tina’s knees brushed across the broken shards of glass from the window. The rain still poured from the sky, and the darkness seemed so complete outside. The brief flashes of lightning lit up the scene, and every time it flashed, she strained to see—

“He’s got a gun!” The figure lurched up from the darkness and aimed right at the motel room.

Rachel fired.

Tina did, too. The bullets hit the would-be shooter, and the man stumbled back.

Her heart slammed into her ribs. The frantic beating was so powerful that she ached.

“Clear!” That sharp voice calling out—it was Drew’s.

She didn’t release her death grip on the gun.

“Four men down,” Drew shouted. “I need the doc out here!”

He was hurt. In an instant Tina was on her feet. She grabbed for the doorknob.

“Wait—” Rachel began.

No, Drew needed her. There was no waiting.

She ran from the room. Another flash of lightning illuminated Drew. He was on the ground. She could smell blood. “Drew?” Tina reached for him.

He turned toward her. Rain water dripped down his face. “I’m okay, Doc.” He pointed to the man on the ground. “He isn’t.”

Another flash of lightning showed her the face of the man who’d held her hostage. Drew had called him Lee. Lee. The man who’d used his phone to record her video proof of life.

The guy who’d callously ordered that her finger be cut off.

“The others are dead,” Drew said as the rain hit them. “Lee is the only one left alive out here.”

Lee was choking on his own blood. Bullet wounds lined his chest. His eyes were wide and stark, terrified.

This was the man who’d wanted to use her. To hurt her.

Tina sank to her knees. I need tools. “I have to get the bullets out.” Have to stop the blood. Have to try to stabilize him. His blood pressure will be dropping. And—

She heard the wheeze coming from his lungs. When she leaned forward and looked at his mouth, she could see the small mist of blood shoving past his lips.

“He’s got a bullet in his lung.” She grabbed Lee’s shirt and ripped it apart. The rain kept pelting down on her. She needed to get him inside and—

There were two holes in his chest. One bullet had hit his lung. One had driven in close to his heart. Too close.

A hard hand closed around her wrist, jerking on the bruised skin.

“Don’t even think about it, Lee,” Drew snarled in the same instant.

Lee had a tight hold on her. He was trying to sit up.

The man should have realized that he didn’t have strength to waste fighting her. He should also have realized—

Drew had his gun locked on the man.

“You don’t need that,” Tina said softly, sadly. Because unless she could get serious help to the injured man within the next few moments...

He’ll be gone. He won’t be able to hurt anyone.

“M-Mercer’s...daughter...” The words were forced from Lee’s throat. Blood dripped from his lips.

“You need to take it easy,” she told him. No one’s last moments should be filled with agony.

But Lee smiled at her. “Y-you’re gonna die...”

No, you are. In just a few moments. Had she done this? Had her shot hit him?

She’d seen brutal death just like this before. Her father had been hit in the chest with a bullet. Her mother had been hit in the heart.

The wrong place. The wrong time.

They’d gone into the local bank, so happy. They’d planned to close out Tina’s savings account right before she went to college.

They’d walked into death.

The bank robbers hadn’t cared about her family. The robbers had just panicked when Tina began having one of her attacks.

They’d killed her mother instantly.

Her father—it had taken him longer to die. His lungs had slowly filled with blood.

It wasn’t going to take Lee as long to die. Not with that shot so close to his heart. Had it nicked the heart? A valve? She glanced over at Drew. “His heart—”

“I can...feel it...” Lee muttered. “Know...what’s comin’...”

Her gaze slid to him once more. Under the flash of lightning, Lee didn’t look scared. He looked furious.

“Think you’re...winnin’...agent...” Lee’s lips twisted into a gruesome smile. “But he’s not...done...”