Page 53 of Targeted in Silver Creek

“I can talk to her once she’s at the hospital. I’ll follow the ambulance there and put her under guard.”

Good, because someone might be out to kill her, too. “Let me text the ambulance driver to come on up and get her,” Jesse said, getting ready to do that.

But then he heard the crack of gunfire.

It wasn’t just one shot this time but three in a row, and he was darn sure it had come from the vicinity of the bottom of the driveway. Right where the ambulance was parked.

“I see the shooter,” one of the ranch hands yelled. “Looks like it’s a guy on the side of the road with a rifle.”

Jesse hissed out a breath because that’s exactly where Grayson was heading. “Stay back,” Jesse warned him just as he heard the squeal of brakes. “There’s an active shooter in the area.”

“Yeah,” Grayson verified. “He’s shooting at me.”

That sent his pulse racing so it was thick and throbbing in his head. The SOB was trying to kill Grayson. Or create some kind of distraction. Either way, it wasn’t a good situation to have Grayson under fire.

“Do you have any reserves you can call in?” Jesse asked.

“No cops available, but I’ll call for some more of the ranch hands. Not sure how long it’ll take them to get here, but I’ll keep you posted. Just focus on keeping Hanna and Evan safe.”

He would. They came first, but he had another problem to deal with.

“I’m going to have to get Isabel inside,” Jesse muttered.

It was a risk. Anything he did at this point would be. But he couldn’t leave Deputy Norris and her outside where they’d both be easy targets. Of course, the ranch hands were out there, as well, but they could take cover. Norris and Isabel couldn’t do that, and with the porch light shining down on them, gunmen wouldn’t have any trouble spotting them.

“Watch your back,” Grayson advised him, and it appeared he was ready to end the call when Jesse heard him snarl. “Agent Shaw. What the heck is he doing out here?”

“Shaw’s there? Is he the shooter?” Jesse couldn’t ask fast enough.

“Yeah, he’s by the fence across the road from Hanna’s.” There was the sound of more gunfire. “But he’s not the one firing at me.”

It didn’t mean, though, that Shaw wasn’t calling the shots—literally. The gunmen could be thugs acting on his orders.

“The bullets are slamming into the windshield of the cruiser,” Grayson added a heart-stopping moment later. “The glass is holding, but I’m not sure for how long. I’m going to try to back up and get to the ranch trail just up the road. I can use it to make my way to Hanna’s.”

Jesse definitely didn’t like the idea of Grayson being on an isolated trail where gunmen could be lying in wait for him, but he didn’t want him just sitting there while someone tried to kill him.

“Be careful,” Jesse told him, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to talk Grayson into just backing off out of the line of fire and waiting.

Part of Jesse didn’t want to talk him into it either. Because if Grayson could get to the house, that meant there’d be one extra lawman to make sure these gunmen didn’t get anywhere near Hanna and Evan.

Grayson ended the call, but Jesse didn’t go to the door. He took a second to try to call Shaw, and it surprised him when the agent answered on the first ring.

“Why the hell are you here?” Jesse demanded.

“I followed Isabel.” Shaw hadn’t hesitated, but he sounded out of breath. “Don’t trust her. I think she’s involved with the militia.”

For once, Jesse agreed with the agent on both counts. He had no intention of getting into the possibility of money laundering though. Not with Grayson under fire.

“Who’s shooting at the cruiser?” Jesse snapped.

“Some guy with a rifle. And, no, I don’t know who it is, and it isn’t someone working for me. I’m not dirty, and I’m trying to get into position to take out the shooter.”

Jesse wished he could be sure of that because it would mean they had extra backup on scene. “Just be careful that no shots come near the house,” Jesse warned him.

He didn’t wait to hear Shaw’s response because time might be running out for Isabel and Deputy Norris, so Jesse ended the call and turned to go to the door.

The sound stopped him.

---