Page 81 of Critical Doubt

He didn't answer her.

"I'll show the ambulance where we are," Ryker said, running back down the alley.

She pressed her sweater harder against Paul's wound, silently praying that he wouldn't bleed out.

A moment later, the paramedics arrived, along with the police and the fire department.

She stood up, as they took over Paul's care.

Ryker put his arm around her as they watched the medics put him on a gurney and run him out to the ambulance.

"He has to make it," she said, feeling desperate to make her words come true. But as she stared down at her bloody hands, she couldn't find much hope to hang on to.

A police officer joined them. "What happened?" he asked. "Dispatch said you're FBI?"

"Agent Kane," she said, showing him her badge. "This is Ryker Stone. We're working a case." She really didn't want to get into it all with a patrol officer, so she gave him just enough information. "The victim is Paul Hawkins. He stepped in front of a bullet to save our lives. The shooter got away."

"Any description?"

She looked at Ryker, wondering if he'd gotten a better look than she had.

He shook his head and said, "It was a male dressed in black with a hoodie over his head. I didn't see his face, his hair, nothing of note."

"Not much to go on. I assume the shooting has something to do with the explosion."

"They're definitely connected," she said.

"Do you want help canvassing the area for witnesses and leads?" he asked.

She gave him a grateful smile. "I do. It will be some time before I can get my team here."

"I'll get the other officers to ask around," he said. "But I'll also need you to talk to my chief, let him know what's happening."

"I'll be at the hospital," she said.

"I'll let him know."

As they moved into the parking lot, she saw that the ambulance had already left, but the firefighters were still there, putting the finishing touches on the fire. They paused for a moment, the skeletal remains of Ryker's rental car reminding her of how close they'd come to losing their lives again.

"We're going to need a ride to the hospital," she said.

"Actually, we don't. My truck has been parked here since I took a cab to the airport on Monday. It's in the owners' lot on the other side of Chowder Heaven. I didn't mention it, because I figured we needed to get the rental car back to DC."

"Right. Of course, your vehicle would be here. I wasn't thinking." She paused, seeing his dark-green canvas duffel bag on the ground. "Hey, your bag survived. Unfortunately, my bag was in the car."

"We'll get you some clothes later."

"I'm not worried. I just want to get to the hospital."

"Let's go."

They walked across the lot. When they neared the public restrooms, Ryker paused. "Do you want to wash your hands?"

She looked down at her fingers, still tinged with Paul's blood. "That's a good idea."

He followed her into the restroom. "Just to make sure you're all right," he said at her unspoken question.

She was actually happy to have him there, and no one else was inside. She washed her hands as quickly as she could, but with each drop of blood washing down the drain, she could see the life draining out of Paul. She prayed he would make it. As she dried her hands, she said, "Paul was in bad shape, Ryker."

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