Page 69 of Love on the Run

Quinn glanced up. “No. Wisconsin, actually.”

“Right,” Ty muttered. “Deer up there pretty tough, are they?”

“Take your head off,” Quinn deadpanned. Then he looked more closely at Ty. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re looking awfully pale.”

“Got shot again,” Ty nodded, his breathing heavier. “It’s nothing.”

“Yeah, right,” Jake said. “You need to get to a hospital. For real this time.” He looked over at Callie once more, who seemed shocked, frozen, her eyes drawn to Mal’s inert body. Her face was bruised, and the wound on her leg was bleeding. But the worst part was her expression, distant and cold. He wished he could just wrap her up and hold her, but they’re weren’t alone. He’d rather die than allow any suggestion their relationship wasn’t strictly professional, a witness with her guardian. For a little while, he’d have to ignore his feelings. “You need to get to a doctor, too,” Jake said to Callie, after cataloging all the damage she suffered.

“Sure,” she said. That was it? She’d almost been shot in the head and now Jake couldn’t do anything other than tell her the obvious?

Quinn rejoined them. “Calista Reed?”

“Yeah?” she asked, still wondering who this person was.

“I’m Special Agent Sean Quinn. I was here to take you into federal custody.”

“Was?”

“Well, the target of my investigation isn’t going to make it to trial now.”

“You killed him.”

“It was necessary.” He shrugged.

“We need to get to a hospital,” Jake repeated. “Now.”

“Where’s the closest one?”

“Clinic in Hazelton isn’t really meant for this. We should go to Missoula…”

Quinn nodded, taking out his phone. “Fine.”

“It’s over two hours away,” Jake protested.

“Not by helicopter.” Quinn gave a short, humorless smile as he punched in a number. “I planned ahead. We’ll be out of here in thirty minutes.”

Quinn made a few calls, using a tone of voice that made it clear he expected nothing less than total and instant cooperation. They made their way down to the car. Jake helped Ty, leaving Quinn to escort Callie. Outside, they met the county cops who had surrounded the building. Jake gave a few short orders for them to round up the men who were still inside, including Foster’s lifeless body. Kyle had driven one of the county SUVs up to the hotel entrance, and they quickly put Ty inside, to rest on the back seat.

“We’ll light a flare in a few minutes,” Quinn said. “And I’ll talk the chopper to our point till they see it.”

“Hope it’s soon,” Jake said. Callie, after helping Ty get settled, had wandered off about ten feet, and stood gazing up at the hotel, now little more than a dark bulk above them. Bruiser, ever watchful, leaned against her. Jake tried not to stare, but he felt like every second that passed was somehow taking her away from him.

* * * *

The helicopter came quickly, its rhythmicthwappinga stark contrast to usual silence of remote Montana. The flight to Missoula seemed to take no time at all. Callie, mesmerized, stared out the windows at the few specks of light below, signaling where life was in this mountain wilderness. Bruiser, who had somehow snuck onto the chopper when everyone was distracted, lay down at the back, as if waiting for the next crisis.

At the hospital, Ty was whisked away by the buzzing medical staff. Callie endured yet another examination. Fortunately, this time the damage was all superficial. The doctor cleaned her scrapes and re-bandaged her leg. Then he sent her down to the cafeteria, where she ate a tray full of hospital food.Not as bad as they say,she thought. Quinn found her when she was halfway through a surprisingly good piece of chocolate cake.

“You done?” he asked, his appearance a reminder that her ordeal was still far from over, even if the danger had passed.

“Sure.” Callie shoved the tray away, no longer hungry. She followed Quinn back upstairs, to the room where Ty lay recovering. “How are you, Ty?” Callie asked, as soon as she saw he was awake.

“Aces,” Ty said, though she could tell he was lying. “How ‘bout you?”

“I’ll be okay.” She tried to smile. Jake was there, but he hadn’t really looked at her. Callie decided that he couldn’t wait for her to leave. She’d been trouble the whole time, made his life difficult, and now she’d almost gotten his best friend killed.

She wasn’t paying attention to whatever Quinn was saying to Jake, but when she caught his angry tone, it pricked her ears. He was chastising Jake for leaving Callie alone that morning. She got angry. No matter what Jake thought of her, she wasn’t about to let him get in trouble with the FBI because ofher. That, at least, she could fix.

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