Page 43 of Hacker Revelation

Sophie rested her hand on my back. “Let Zane and I drive you to the hospital, and Ant can ride with us. The paramedics will need to work on Kat.”

When I turned to see Kat again, the ambulance had closed the door and taken off. Shouts came from the front doorway of the house. The cops escorted three men out the front of the house, all in handcuffs, followed by another body on a stretcher.

I walked over to my mom and grabbed Ant out of her arms. He laid his head on my shoulder. I didn’t say a word as I walked toward Zane’s SUV.

“Mommy’s going to be okay,” Ant whispered in my ear.

I squeezed him to my chest. “I know, son.”

But I didn’t. Kat looked lifeless on the stretcher. If she hadn’t squeezed my hand, I would have thought she was gone. The only sound in the car to the hospital was Sophie’s sniffles from the front seat.

* * *

When we arrivedat the hospital, we were directed to the waiting room. Kat was rushed into surgery. A bullet had hit Kat’s pelvic bone and traveled upward. The last we heard was that they didn’t know what damage had been done. They were concerned because when Kat had been shot, she had fallen backward, and her head hit the corner of the countertop.

Everyone had made it to the hospital. Brock and Jessica were the last to show. They stayed at my house until FBI Director Westblack arrived. Brock handed the leather ledger over to the FBI. I was still shocked she had kept that in a kitchen drawer. Westblack had said he would let us know what he found out.

Daisy had withdrawn into herself since we arrived at the hospital. She blamed herself for Kat being shot. She thought if she would’ve kept the gun in her hand, Kat wouldn’t have been shot. But these men were ruthless, and Daisy would’ve been killed if she hadn’t dropped the gun when she did.

When the police arrived, they heard the gunshot and rushed the house. They were able to get Kat medical attention immediately. If Neal hadn’t called the police the second he noticed something go wrong, Kat would be dead.

Alex and Bridget stopped by the emergency room to make sure Bridget and the baby were okay. Bridget’s right eye had started to blacken from when one of the men hit her.

My parents took Ant and Alex Jr. back to their house. The hospital waiting room was not a place for Ant to be, but it had been hard for me to release him.

I took a sip of the hospital coffee. It tasted more like motor oil. “Sophie, you and Zane can head home. I will call you as soon as I hear something.”

Sophie shifted in Zane’s lap and narrowed her eyes. “That is my sister back there.” She pointed toward the white double doors. “I’m not going anywhere until I see her.”

When I looked in CJ and Asher’s direction. CJ’s fingers were typing across the laptop. He hadn’t put it down since we had arrived. “Don’t even say it, Antonio. We are not leaving.”

“Nobody has eaten for the past few hours. We went from an OP to the emergency room. Why don’t you get something to eat?”

Nobody moved.

Asher leaned back in his chair. “Jacob is bringing everyone food.”

Next to Neal, Daisy continued to cry. I walked over to where they sat.

“Can I sit next to you, Daisy?”

She nodded a watery smile at me.

“You know, Kat would be proud of you for the shot you took earlier. I bet when she wakes up, it will be one of the first things she talks about. Sophie told me on the way over that she was amazed with your aim and poise.”

“Daisy was kidnapped for years. Now, Daisy goes to the shooting range once a week for target practice.” Neal’s jaw twitched at her admission. I raised my eyebrow, and he shook his head. I would ask him what his problem was later.

I reached over and grabbed Daisy’s chin, ignoring the growl from Neal’s direction. “Kat is a fighter. She will be fine. When she gets out, I bet she will go to the shooting range with you.”

“Daisy would like that.”

Jacob showed up with tacos for everyone in the waiting room. For the next half hour, we told stories about Kat. Women from the outreach center called and left messages on Kat’s phone. She received many texts from the women. I had left a message with the center saying Kat wouldn’t be in. I hadn’t anticipated the response we received. Kat was loved at the center. Everyone that met Kat couldn’t help but fall in love.

She had been in surgery for six hours. When I stood to stretch my back, the double white doors opened.

A doctor in his late fifties stood with a clipboard in his hand. Next to him stood a blond nurse. They both had serious looks on their face. I rushed toward them.

“Mr. Ross?” the male doctor asked.

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