Page 96 of Rookie Days

“No, I’ll keep her in a few more days. Her mom and sister flew in from Denver this morning, so they’re with her now. And as you know, Quinn added two more officers to guard her room around the clock.”

“Yes.”

The rain was coming down sideways now, pushed on by a furious wind. Water and spray were making it incredibly hard to see the road in front, or even to tell if they were still on it.

“Will you look at this?” Ellie muttered. “It’s like being stuck in a car wash. I’m going to pull over and wait until the worst of it has passed.”

“Do it,” Janet smiled. “And let me kiss you in the storm.”

“Spoken like a true romantic, Dr Fox.” Ellie relaxed. “Let’s make a—”

She never got to finish her sentence. Suddenly, headlights pierced out of the wall of rain and mist, blinding them both in a flash of dazzling glare. Ellie did not even have a split second to react and try to avoid the truck. By the time she saw it, it was already too late. The other vehicle crashed into them at what must have been fifty miles an hour. The windshield exploded, showering them both in shards of lethal glass. Metal groaned and cracked under the force of the impact. So did Ellie’s head when it was slammed against the side. A dull ache reverberated. Head, shoulder, hip, knee… Pretty much everything hurt. Her senses registered intense heat and the smell of gasoline. Thesound of footsteps on broken glass. Cool rain on her face.It all happened incredibly fast and she blacked out before it occurred to her to be frightened. Her last conscious thought was of her girlfriend, and how lucky it was that the crazy truck had hit on her side, not Janet’s.

chapter 31

There was some noise. She heard voices. Far, far away... Ellie? Ellie, help me! Something strange about her sister’s plea this time. Was it louder? Yeah, quite a bit. But the real difference was that it sounded closer. Inside her mind, Ellie focused. Wake up! Wake up! Ellie, please! Suddenly, she realized. This was not Laura, and she was not in the familiar dream. It was Janet calling for her now, and she was screaming. Ellie opened her eyes and blinked. Through the broken windshield and still pouring rain, she saw them. Hayes. He had her in a choke hold and was dragging her away. Janet was not going without a fight. Ellie saw the moment she managed to shake him off and sling a fist into his face. She growled as he retaliated in kind. Hard. Janet went down.

“Move. Move.” Ellie said it out loud through gritted teeth.

She fought with the safety belt, got it to release. The car was a total wreck. Her door was stuck and the interior all bent out of shape, which made freeing herself and sliding to the other side a frantic struggle. She managed. Everything hurt but all she could really feel was rage. As she worked to get free, she also reached for her phone with trembling fingers.

“Wesley,” Quinn answered on the first ring.

“He’s got her.”

“What—”

“LISTEN!” Ellie spoke fast and precise, making sure to get it all out correctly while she crawled over broken glass across the seats of the mangled vehicle. “We’re on Ocean Road just outside of town. Hayes crashed his truck into us. I’m going after them. Send everything we’ve got!”

There was not even a second’s pause.

“On our way, Ellie,” her lieutenant said. ”Hold tight.”

Her answer was terse, her voice rough with concern and a charge of fury, but the solid confirmation that she gave boosted Ellie up by about a million watts. Up ahead, she heard a scream, and narrowed her eyes at the sight of Hayes dragging Janet into the woods.Ellie. Help me!Now it was no longer Laura in danger, but the woman she loved. And this was no dream. Out of the car now, Ellie stood up, shook on unsteady legs for a second, then regained her balance.Okay.She wiped out blood dripping into her eyes, grabbed her weapon, and ran toward the trees.

???

At first glance, Janet thought that Ellie may be dead. She herself was shaken to the core after the violent crash, though at no point did she lose consciousness. The truck, which she could see now was a large 4x4, had hit them from the left. On Ellie’s side. And when Janet turned to check on her, all she could see at first was mangled metal and blood.

“Ellie… Ellie!”Jesus Christ.

Janet laced her fingers tightly around her wrist and she held her breath for a terrifying moment as she waited to feel a pulse.Yes!There it was; pounding a little too fast, but strong. Ellie was badly injured, this was obvious. Unconscious at the moment, but alive. Janet kept talking to her as she hunted for her phone.

“It’s okay, babe. I’m here, I’ve got you. You’re going to be alright.”I’ve got to call for help. Where the hell is my phone?Janet glanced over her shoulder in relief at the sound of approaching footsteps, but she did not see the man’s face as he bent to peer through the smashed-up window. “Hey! Call 911, okay? I can’t find my phone.”

She turned back to Ellie, intent on figuring out how to get her out of the smoldering wreckage as quickly as possible. Janet did not think that they had time to wait for the fire crews. The hood of the car was full of smoke. She could feel heat radiating from the frame, and the smell of gasoline in the air worried her.I need to get her out. And quickly.Leaning over her bleeding lover, she tried again to get her to respond.

“Ellie, can you hear me? Open your eyes! I need you to tell me where you’re hurt.”

As she sensed the door open behind her, Janet did not turn to look but remained solely focused on Ellie.

“I’m fine here, try from the other side,” she instructed. “My friend is hurt. Where’s that ambulance?”

“They’re not coming, Dr Fox.”

Janet did not know if sudden terror could kill, but her heart jolted so badly in that instant that she thought it might stop. Her blood went cold. She grew faint. At the same time, another part of her reacted instinctively. She reached for the holster on Ellie’s belt. She knew this was Hayes; she’d recognized his voice. The crash made sense now. It was no accident. And of all the times and places where Janet thought he might strike, this one would never have crossed her mind. She’d felt safe in the car with Ellie. Hayes’s move was clever and insane in equal measures, and she had no illusion about what he planned to do next. If she could have got the gun, she would have shot him right in the face. No hesitation, no questions asked. But she was unfamiliar with the holster, took a moment too long, and lost her chance.

“Come here, bitch.”

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