Page 222 of Cross & Crown

her feet and propelled her toward the door, running after her

and shielding the woman’s body with her own.

Julian pulled something from his pocket and tossed it

into the center of the room. Nick stared at it, not registering what it was.

“Flashbang!” Kelly shouted, and he grabbed Nick and

pulled him down. They both covered their ears and squeezed

their eyes tight as the flash grenade went off.

The high-pitched whine in Nick’s ears was one he knew

all too well, and even with his eyes closed and his face buried against Kelly’s chest, the flash had caused stars behind his

eyes. He sat up dazedly, trying to shake off the cobwebs.

222

Julian and Cameron were both gone.

“Motherfucker,” Nick muttered. A groan from the other

side of the room drew his attention, and Nick struggled to his

feet. He bent over Kelly first, patting his cheek. “Okay?”

“I hate those things,” Kelly shouted. He put a finger in his

ear and wiggled it.

Nick nodded, straightening. He stumbled through the

smoke across the room and found JD on his back, blood

flowing freely from a wound in his torso. Nick stared at him

for a few seconds, his mind chugging to catch up.

“Corpsman up!” he finally called, his voice so hoarse that

Kelly’s abused ears didn’t hear it. “Doc! Man down!”

Kelly fumbled his way over, fal ing to his knees at JD’s side.

Nick patted his pockets for his phone before remembering

he’d dropped it outside before all the shooting had started.

When he looked down at his hand, he realized there was

blood spreading across his shirt. He pulled his jacket away,

confused about where it was coming from. When he pulled

his shirt up, he found the wound.

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