Page 78 of Wyoming Cowboy Undercover

“Officer down,” someone said over the radio.

Terror rushed over Mercy now in a hot, stifling wave. It took every ounce of willpower for her to stay put. Who had been shot?

“Would they use the term ‘officer’ to refer to any law-enforcement person?” Mercy asked.

With a grim expression, Becca nodded. “Yes, they would.”

Her first thought was Rocco. Lying in a prone position on the roof, if he got hit, it would be to the head. Was he okay?

Pacing in front of the window, she interlaced her fingers and prayed. To the Light. To the universe. To any higher power that would hear and answer, to let everyone make it through.

“Another officer down,” a female voice said. “Officer down.”

Ka-BOOM!

An explosion thundered, making Mercy jump as she looked outside. It was deafening. A tower of flames, smoke and debris shot up into the air past the clearance of the two-story building.

“Oh, no.” The words slipped from her lips as every muscle tensed.

There were two more gunshots. Then nothing.

Mercy released the breath she’d been holding and opened her eyes when the gunfire stopped.

It was quiet.

With guns raised, the officers she could see down the street moved from behind their vehicles and rushed down the street out of view.

Was it over?

Who was hurt? Or worse, who had been killed?

The fear and adrenaline rubbed her nerves raw.

“We need an ambulance,” someone said over the radio. “Deputy Holden Powell was shot in the shoulder. He’s going to be okay. But Officer Tyson...he didn’t make it.”

No, no, no.

Mercy covered her mouth with her hand. She’d never met Officer Tyson, but he was someone’s son, possibly a brother or husband. There were people who loved him, who’d miss him. Who would grieve his death.

“We’ve got Cormac McCoy and two of his men in custody,” Nash said. “The rest are dead.”

So many senseless deaths. And for what?

In the distance, Mercy heard the wail of the ambulance that had been on standby. Since it was coming from just three blocks over, it wouldn’t take long to get there.

Rocco rounded the corner. Alive and unharmed. Headed her way, taking those long, powerful strides. Relief thrust her breath from her lungs in a long sigh even though she already knew he hadn’t been injured. Seeing him made it real.

He’d done it—he and this team made sure that the Brotherhood wouldn’t hurt anyone else ever again.

Four days later

ROCCOCOULDN’TBELIEVEhis good fortune. He had one month of use or lose vacation days that Nash had ordered him to take after they wrapped up the case with the Brotherhood of the Silver Light.

During the FBI’s CIRG raid on Cormac’s camp, all members of the Brotherhood were arrested and taken into custody without any injury to law enforcement. The weapons were seized.

Unfortunately, the task force couldn’t make any charges stick to Marshall McCoy. His lawyer used the call he’d made to 911 reporting Cormac’s intention to help his client slither out of trouble. Rocco wanted Alex arrested for the attempted murder of Mercy, but the district attorney was only willing to go with aggravated assault. When the task force went to arrest Alex, he’d conveniently disappeared.

Rocco suspected it had been through the tunnel in the basement. As long as Alex was on the run, out of town, Rocco would take it as a win.

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