Page 65 of Twin Threats In Austin
More footsteps, and they were coming closer.
Camden didn’t so much as breathe as the sound neared. There were deer in this part of the county, so he might be panicked for nothing. Weapon out, he waited until the noisemaker was roughly fifteen feet away before coming around the tree with his weapon aimed directly at the sound.
The second he moved around enough to see, he lowered his weapon and identified himself.
“You’re the person I’m out here searching for,” the deputy said after identifying himself as Deputy Lee. The tall Asian deputy took in a deep breath. “A law-enforcement officer on site formed a search party for you.”
“What was her name?” Camden asked.
Deputy Lee shot a confused look as he joined Camden and checked his phone. “No service, which means I can’t let the others know that I’ve located you.”
“The officer?” Camden asked, circling back to his question.
“Officer Bennett,” the deputy replied without looking up.
“There was a female detective on the scene,” Camden persisted.
“That’s right,” Deputy Lee said as he lifted his gaze from the screen. “Detective Paddock. She’s with Bennett.”
“She’s safe?” Camden asked.
“I saw an EMT attending to her on scene, but she refused to go to the hospital,” Deputy Lee stated.
“Where is she now?” Camden asked.
Deputy Lee waved a hand. “Out here somewhere searching for you.”
Camden couldn’t be angry at Rochelle, considering she was attempting to save his life. She was the type of person who rolled up her sleeves and went to work when she thought someone needed her, ignoring her own pain and risking her own life in the process.
“I haven’t had any cell service,” Camden said. “What about you?”
Deputy Lee checked his cell. “Same here.” He glanced around. “Should we head back—”
Camden was shaking his head before the deputy finished his sentence. “I’m not leaving these woods without her.”
“What if she’s waiting for you at the crime scene?” Lee asked.
“She won’t go back without me,” he said.
Deputy Lee stood there for a moment.
“It’s not in her nature to leave a job unfinished.” Camden felt the need to clarify their relationship.
“She would make a good marine,” Lee said with a nod. His tight-clipped haircut had tipped off Camden to the fact Lee might have served in the military. He thanked the deputy for his service.
“You’re welcome,” Lee said with a proud smile.
“You can head back and tell the others you found me,” he said, realizing the deputy might not want to keep going in the woods. “Stay at the crime scene.”
“Can’t do that,” Lee said.
From somewhere to their left, the crack of a bullet sounded.
In the next second, Camden was on the ground. His head was two inches from a tree trunk. He’d dove on top of Lee, who grunted as he hit the hard earth. Lee cursed.
Camden rolled off him, staying on the ground. He glanced down at the red dot on his shirt. Blood.
A moment of panic seized him as he checked his body for bullet fragments, but found none. And then it dawned on him as he glanced over at Lee. His gaze was fixed on the side of his hip just above the waistband of his pants. He pulled out a tucked shirt to reveal he’d been hit just below his body armor.
