Page 2 of Shrouded Past

“You don’t understand. It’s not about—” The man whose face was shrouded by darkness clamped his hand over Jenna’s mouth silencing the warning she’d tried to give.

The thundering of his heartbeat mocked his attempt at assuring his wife. Who was the person lying on the floor?

Eric? Someone else?

“So long, Sheriff. See you in hell.” Before Bryce could bring his chaotic thoughts together and react, the man whipped the weapon his way and fired twice.

The first shot ripped through his shoulder where the bulletproof vest didn’t cover. Bryce flew backward. A second shot chased past his head. He hit the floor hard and almost blacked out.

Another round of shots ricocheted off the walls, followed by footsteps running away.

“No!” Bryce stumbled to his feet, his legs unsteady beneath him. Blood poured from his shoulder. He struggled to see through the fog. Three bodies now lay where once there was one.

No.

Jenna.

Bryce ran toward the two. Something caught his attention. Smoke. The smuggler had set the place on fire, determined to finish the job his bullets hadn’t. He had to get Jenna out of the building before the fire took control.

Bryce dropped down beside her. Vacant eyes stared into space. He felt for a pulse that wasn’t there and yet couldn’t accept the truth.

“Hang on, babe.” Bryce hit the mic on his jacket. “I need help.” The words came out almost unrecognizable and shaking with emotion.

“I copy you, Sheriff. Help is on the way.” Delilah, the county’s dispatcher, assured him. “Are you okay?”

Bryce ignored the question.

“I’m going to get you out of here,” Bryce said to his wife’s lifeless body. Flames licked around one side of the building, where stacks of boxes had been placed.

The man lying beside Jenna was his deputy, Eric. Scrubbing tears from his eyes, Bryce felt for a pulse. Faint. Eric was alive but had been shot several times.

He shook his deputy. “Eric, wake up.”

Eric sucked in a breath, his frantic eyes flying open and searching all around. “What happened? Where’s . . . ?” He spotted his sister. “Is she?”

Bryce refused to accept what his heart knew. “No. Can you walk?”

Eric staggered to his feet in answer. “Where’d he go?”

“I don’t know.” Finding the smuggler no longer mattered. He lifted Jenna into his arms and ignored his pain.

Eric spotted their informant.

“She’s dead,” Bryce said in a flat tone.

Eric heaved the woman’s body over his shoulder and carried her out.

Flashing lights raced toward their location. Bryce made it outside, struggling to breathe. The world blurred around him. He slammed to his knees. Holding his wife, he sobbed as flames lit up the darkness like some eerie Halloween movie.

“Please don’t let her die,” he begged God. “Please, not like this. Not because of me.”

The air grew thick with smoke as the crackling sound of the fire gained momentum. Someone spoke. But all he could think about was the woman in his arms. She’d sacrificed everything because of him. He slumped down to the ground. Jenna was lifted from his arms. EMTs began working on him.

“No, help her.”

The two men ignored his request.

She’s gone.

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