Page 119 of Jep

Then the camera lit up as shots were fired. Everyone in the van tensed.

Em could hear snippets of Jep and others shouting, but there was too much going on to make out most of it.

Her fist pressed against her mouth as she fought for calm, trying not to make a sound.

When Jep’s screen cut out, she jumped to her feet. “What happened? What does that mean?”

“Hang on,” Lawson said. “We can’t do anything right now but watch and wait. It could be anything.”

“Man down!” someone yelled.

“No.” The word slipped from her lips.

“Emery,” Lawson said in warning.

She examined all the screens, trying to discern anything about what had happened, but it was getting too hard to breathe. She tossed the headphones aside and launched out of the van, stumbling to a bush before she dry-heaved several times. She stood hunched over with her hands anchored to her knees as she spit out thick saliva, regaining her breath.

After everything they’d been through, this couldn’t be the end for him.

She couldn’t think of any words to pray, so she let the pain in her heart go up to heaven. When she heard more rapid gunfire, she squeezed her eyes close. “Please, please, please.” She tried to rein in her thoughts, but it was harder than when she was stuck in the janitor’s closet. Images of Jep’s dead body lying on the floor pressed incessantly for her attention.

Finally, the firing stopped, and she looked out into the darkness, holding her breath.

“Emery.” Lawson’s head was poking out the back of the van. “Get back in here.”

“Sir,” she said, “I’m sorry. You were right. I shouldn’t have been here. I can’t?—”

“Jep’s fine. The building is secure.”

“He’s okay?”

“He did get shot, but his vest stopped the bullet.”

She would have sprawled on the ground in relief if she wasn’t desperate to see for herself. As it was, she struggled to keep from cheering.

When she climbed back inside, she fumbled with the headphones, her hands shaking with a rush of adrenaline laced with fear and relief.

Jep’s monitor was still out, but she could see in the others that suspects were being rounded up and cuffed.

When Jep appeared in someone’s camera as it panned, a lump lodged in her throat. He walked up to the camera and held up a notebook with a map drawn on it.

“I think we’ve got something,” said one of the agents. “It looks like we may have the location of several bombs.”

Lawson stood, nearly bumping his head on the roof. “Armed?”

“That’s unclear at this point.”

“Do we know when?”

“No, sir.”

“All right, people,” Lawson said. “We need to move on this now. Cramer, you get that data uploaded. I’ll get the bomb squad prepped and ready. See if you can get any more information from the suspects.”

Em had to plaster herself against the wall of the van to let Lawson climb out. She continued to watch the screen until itlooked like some of the team was returning. Then she climbed out.

A few of them passed the van, and she knew, as much as she wanted to pull Jep aside when he showed his face, he had work to do. Seeing him alive with her own eyes would be enough for now.

She rested her hand against her stomach and took a deep breath. It was a good ending. Everything tonight had turned out well, but when she thought of how all of their lives almost ended on so many occasions, she couldn’t help the bile that rose into her throat. It would take time to recover from the whole experience.

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