Page 26 of Cold Light of Day

Whomp, whomp, whomp.Relief washed over her. The helicopter was finally here for Ross.

But if they still had an active shooter in the woods, this was a dangerous scenario.

Angie and Craig rushed forward from the forest, their faces awash with horror and anger.

Angie gasped for breath. “We were already in the woods headed to you when we heard from Tanya about another shooter. We searched as best we could, Chief. Lots of places to hide. That said, I think he’s gone.”

“Good work,” Autumn said.

Grier stood near Ross, holding the tarp and staring up at the sky. A medic secured to a basket was being lowered for Ross.

Craig marched toward her, drawing her attention. He stared at the handcuffed prisoner, who remained on the ground by the tree. “That’s him?”

She gestured to him. “Both of you, get him out of my sight. And watch your step with this one.”

He may not have shot Ross, but he knew who did.

Angie and Craig shared a look.

“What’s the matter? You heard me. Do it now. Then get back here to collect evidence.”

The officers assisted the man to his feet, and though he didn’t resist, he speared Autumn with a glare.

Autumn called Tanya again and asked her to secure assistance in a manhunt for a cop shooter. Law enforcement from Haines and Skagway would join in, as well as the Alaska State Troopers—but it all took time. Maybe too much.

Now that the stranger was on his way to incarceration, she could breathe—just barely. She stood back to watch two paramedics, along with Hank and Grier, secure Ross in the medical basket. The local ambulance crew had finally gotten here too.

Autumn’s throat grew tight and she swallowed, searching for the words. Grier...He’d shown up—again—to save the day. How did he do that? Grier and Hank stepped back from the basket as it was hoisted up to the helicopter. When Grier glanced at her, she searched for hope in his eyes, and instead disappointment lodged deep in her heart.

TWELVE

Grier stared at the sky and the silhouette of the basket being lifted, winched up by the medical crew on the air ambulance helicopter hovering above them. The chief came to stand next to him, and anxiety rolled off her. Tension, mixed with fury and grief. He’d seen fear in her eyes for the police officer for whom she was responsible. Grier had wanted to give her hope, but her man was hanging on to life by a thread. He was in God’s hands now, as it were, but then he had always been in God’s hands, hadn’t he?

Grier didn’t have the emotional energy to sort through faith issues at the moment and could barely squash his need to pull the chief into his arms. Hold her. Reassure her. He doubted she would go for that—at least while she was still in uniform.

Hank still lingered as well, and the three of them waited as the basket was hoisted into the helicopter. Then the chopper took off, heading to the nearest trauma center—likely Bartlett Regional in Juneau, which was only a level 4 trauma center, but it was the closest.

Watching the young police officer fighting for his life left Grier shattered as memories from his recent past hit him likeshrapnel. Somehow he had to pick up the pieces. Stay strong and keep breathing. Keep moving.

Keep living.

He sucked in air. He should say something to break the morbid silence.

At this point, the officer’s life could go either way, but it was better to remain positive. “He’s alive, and they’ll keep him that way. We have to believe it.”

“Thanks to you, Grier.” She shook her head. “Why were you even here? I thought you were assisting with the dive for the body.”

“Body? What body?” Hank stepped up.

“It’s none of your concern.” She didn’t look at Hank as she answered, her tone reflecting the stress she was under and her concern for her officer. “Well?” She wasn’t going to let it go.

Telling her about what they’d learned had been his intention, but now wasn’t the time to go into the details. “We finished up, and I was heading home when I heard the police scanner.”

Her eyes narrowed. “So you thought you’d drive on out to help? Remind me again, why aren’t you working for me?”

Though grinning felt entirely inappropriate, he cracked a tenuous one—they both needed levity. “You can’t afford me.”

Oh, but that was the wrong thing to say, after all, and he felt the pang shoot through his chest. She was down one officer for the foreseeable future.

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