Page 94 of Among the Innocent

“There are multiple police officers on the way here now. If you want to live, let me help you. Drop the weapon.”

He hesitated. “You’re lying. There’s no one coming.”

“I’m not lying. They’ll be here soon.”

But he was too far gone for reason. Aaron raised the knife in front of them. “We’ll end this together, Leah. You’ll be mine for all eternity.”

A gunshot cracked the air. Aaron dropped the knife and fell on top of her. Leah glanced toward the door, where Marge stood holding Ellis’s old shotgun, tears streaming down her face.

Leah scrambled out from underneath Aaron and kicked the knife away. The shot had struck his upper chest. He was unconscious. She felt for a pulse. He was alive.

Leah radioed for help. “I have an officer down. I repeat, I have an officer down! Send multiple ambulances.” She ended the transmission and hurried over to Dalton and tugged him into her lap. His frantic eyes met hers.

“You’re okay,” she whispered. “You’re okay. Just hold on. Help is coming.” Her eyes swept the room and saw Marge still holding the shotgun. “Are you okay?”

The older woman dropped the shotgun and collapsed to the floor. “I shot my son. My boy. My sweet boy.”

“You saved my life. He was going to kill me.”

Marge peered at her through tearful eyes. “I couldn’t let that happen. You’re my baby girl.” She scrambled across the floor to her son, cradling him in her lap. “I’m so sorry, son, but I had to do it.”

Sirens screamed through the night.

Dalton’s eyes closed, and he slumped to the side. Leah held him close. “Please, don’t take him. Please, don’t let him die.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

In a heartbeat, law enforcement flooded the house. Moments later, an ambulance arrived.

Leah clutched Dalton’s hand as the two paramedics worked on saving his life.

Sam knelt beside her. “What happened here?” he asked, his voice shaky.

Leah could barely get the words out.

“We need to get him to the hospital right away,” paramedic Reece told them. Dalton was lifted to the gurney. Leah stood beside him. His eyes opened slightly and focused on her. He tried to talk but couldn’t.

“You’re going to be okay, Dalton, you hear me? You’re going to be okay.” Leah fought back tears. She held his hand until they reached the ambulance. “Don’t you die on me.” As much as she wanted to go to the hospital with him, there was still so much more to the story that needed to be told.

He managed a smile and mouthed, “I won’t.”

A second ambulance arrived to treat Aaron’s wounds.

Leah went back inside with them to where Aaron had regained consciousness and lay moaning on the floor.

Henry ran into the room. “Leah, we need help. It’s Ethan.” His frantic eyes said it all.

“Stay with Aaron,” Leah told Sam. She followed Henry to the hall closet. Slumped inside was a bound and unconscious Ethan, covered in blood.

“Get the paramedics in here.”

Henry grabbed one of the medics treating Aaron.

Leah uncuffed Ethan’s hands. The officer slowly regained consciousness.

“He stabbed me, Leah. He was pretending to be a deputy.”

“We have him in custody. Let the paramedics take care of you.”

Ethan gave her a weak smile before they loaded him for transport to the hospital.

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