Page 60 of Flynn

Waiting was torture, and even though there were no more sounds of gunfire, Taylor couldn’t relax. Couldn’t stand not knowing what was going on or whether Flynn was all right or if he’d been shot.

Please, Lord Jesus protect Flynn and Cassidy!

The prayer helped, but as the silence outside stretched from five minutes to ten, her taut nerves felt as if they’d reached a breaking point.

Hearing the wail of sirens brought a sense of hope. Other officers would be there soon. And based on her recent experience over the past twenty-four hours, an ambulance would accompany them.

“Taylor?” Her heart squeezed in her chest when she heard Cassidy call her name. She ran to the back door and yanked it open, half expecting to see Flynn stretched out on the ground, bleeding into the snow.

But Flynn was standing near a different man who was lying on the ground. From here, she couldn’t see any blood, but the way Flynn stood over him looking grim, she couldn’t help but believe he’d been shot.

“I just wanted to let you know we’re okay,” Cassidy said gently. “The danger is over. I’ve cleared the yard. Stay inside where it’s warm, this could take a while.”

She nodded but sensed there was something wrong. “Flynn? Are you okay?”

He dragged his gaze from the fallen man who she realized now was handcuffed. “I’m not hurt. But you should know I shot Detective Klem. I identified myself as a cop and told him to drop his weapon, but he fired a round at me. I returned fire.”

Detective Klem? The remnants of her dream flashed in her mind. Money falling onto the dead bodies of Steve, Robin, and Roman while Detective Irving stood off to the side watching with an evil smile.

Not Irving, but Klem.

Her stomach lurched, but she managed to fight back a wave of nausea. “I’m sorry you were put in this position. Is he dead?”

“No. He was wearing his vest.” Flynn’s voice was flat and emotionless, belying the anguish etched on his features. “He’s out cold, though, so who knows? I can’t say for sure he’ll survive. Two slugs to the chest could have caused some heart damage.”

She felt terrible for Flynn. Clearly this wasn’t something he’d anticipated. And really, how could he? Detective Klem had appeared to be a nice, decent guy. He’d treated her well during her initial interview, and he’d been sweet toward Max too. She’d never gotten a hint of anything off about the guy.

Apparently, his easygoing attitude was nothing more than a lie.

The wind was cold, making her shiver, but she moved across the snowy ground toward him. Flynn abruptly lifted a hand to make her stop. “Don’t,” his voice was low and harsh. “You can’t be out here. This is a crime scene.”

She bit her lip, then reluctantly turned to head back into the rental house. This was a side of Flynn she hadn’t seen before.

And she couldn’t help but worry that this shooting had changed him forever.

Red and blue lights flashed through the window, indicating the Greenland police officer has arrived. She watched through the window as the officers joined Flynn and Cassidy. One officer used his flashlight to examine the ground, while the other spoke at length with the tactical team officers.

Flynn’s fire had died down, but she didn’t bother to add more wood. No way would they be staying there for the next few days as planned.

Which made her wonder just how Detective Klem had found them.

As a cop, he had access to information, but to uncover the connection between Doug Bridges and his half sister and trace them here?

That seemed like a stretch. Unless there was another person also working for the bad guys within the FBI.

The theory was far from reassuring. They really couldn’t trust anyone.

The door opened revealing Cassidy. “Hey, I wanted to be sure you’re okay in here.”

“I’m okay, but Flynn isn’t.” Taylor wasn’t sure why she was confiding in Flynn’s teammate.

“I know. He’s taking it hard.” Cassidy grimaced. “He didn’t do anything wrong, but it’s one thing to shoot a perp. It’s another to shoot a cop.”

“A dirty cop,” Taylor swiftly corrected. “That’s not the same thing.”

“You don’t have to convince me,” Cassidy said. “Flynn knows he had to do it, but I think he’s trying to figure out if Klem’s being here was innocent somehow. That the detective wasn’t involved in the money laundering or whatever is going on.”

Taylor had never felt so helpless. Flynn was hurting, and she had no idea how to make him feel better. “Greenland is hardly in Klem’s jurisdiction. I can’t imagine he was here for some innocent reason. I can’t even figure out how he found us.”

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