Page 149 of Callahan

Brian’s leadership skills were on display when he took charge and directed, “Alan, because you’re a civilian and I hate paperwork, I need you to hang back and cover us only if absolutely necessary.”

Alan saluted him. “Cover you only if absolutely necessary. Got it,” then he took two flashbangs from where they hung on his vest and handed one to each of us. “These might come in handy.”

Brian looked dumbfounded as he took the light/sound distraction device.

“How do you have thes—you know what? I don’t wanna know.”

Alan nodded. “Yeah, it’s probably better that way. For all of us.”

We quickly devised a plan where I’d deploy the flashbangs so Brian passed his to me. He’d be the lead going in, and I’d follow right behind while Alan stayed on the fringe.

Lainey’s screams of, “No! Get off of me!” set the plan in motion.

We sprinted toward the barn and Brian slipped inside the door. Alan signaled to me that Brian was in position and I tossed the flashbangs through the windows while Brian breached the apartment door.

There was an exchange of gunfire as I sprinted toward the stairs, and I saw Brian go down.

Taking cover, I fumbled with my radio and called, “Shots fired! Shots fired! Officer down!”

I quietly climbed the stairs and reached Brian. He was shot in the upper thigh, and I was worried his femoral artery had been hit.

In case “Officer down,” hadn’t been clear enough, I said into the radio, “Start meds. Officer shot in the upper thigh.”

Dispatch asked if there were any additional injuries, and Brian nodded. “I got him at least twice.”

I confirmed with dispatch there were more injuries, then jumped when I noticed my brother next to me, wrapping his belt around Brian’s thigh.

“Fuck!” I whisper-yelled. “That’s a good way to get yourself shot.”

Alan chuckled. “Like you’d get a shot off before me. We need to get in there.”

I heard Lainey’s voice call, “Adam?”

I yelled back, “Yeah, baby?”

“Can you come unlock me please?”

With my gun drawn, I stepped inside and saw Earl on the ground with an obvious gunshot wound to his head. Still, I knelt and felt for a pulse and found none so I moved further inside the room.

The skinny dude that fit the description perfectly of the guy who’d jumped me was lying on the floor, next to the bed.

He had a pulse and was breathing, he just seemed unconscious. Still, I rolled him over in the prone position and handcuffed him, then rolled him onto his back.

Then I saw her.

She was naked from the waist up and crouched in the corner behind the bed with chains around her wrists and ankles. Rage coursed through my body at the site of her ripped shirt and sliced bra on the floor, but I had to shove the anger down and focus on helping her.

“Are you okay, baby girl?” I asked softly as I looked around for a key or some way to free her from her bonds so I could get her the hell out of there.

“I am now.”

She realized our dilemma.

Well, part of it. The other part was finding a shirt or blanket to cover her bare breasts before anyone else came bursting through the door.

“Try your handcuff key,” she suggested as she pointed to the handcuff case on my utility belt.

I did and the moment she was free, she practically leapt into my arms.

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