groan. Years in hellholes and war zones and he was shot by a crazy woman in the wilds of Virginia? At least he'd protected Everett. He hoped.
Mason didn't know who had thrown him to the ground, but he was heavy and groaning. He guessed his protector had been hit, and hoped help was on the way—at least one of them needed medical attention. He hoped someone had captured Priscilla, and prayed Kat was safe. If anything had happened to her, he didn't know what he would do. Whatever it was, first he had to find his way from underneath the huge man on his back.
Detectives Chris Delmonico and Jason Monroe ran up the path to find Dylan Black nearly unconscious and bleeding atop a barely clothed Mason Everett, tape dangling from Everett's wrists and ankles. Chris stayed with the two, calling in paramedics from Aylesford, removing Black from Everett's back as gently as he could. It looked like the Ranger had blanketed his larger body over Everett's, taking a round to the lower back and one to the shoulder, very likely saving Everett's life. “Stay with us, Black. You didn't kill a bunch of terrorists overseas to be taken out by a crazy woman.” Happy when his comment elicited a grunt from the other man, Chris crouched to apply pressure to the wounds.
Inside the cabin Jason found a cursing, spitting Priscilla McClaren pinned to the floor by a completely unharmed Sean O'Dell. “Thanks for joining us,” Sean greeted when Jason walked in.
Monroe relieved Sean of Priscilla, cuffing her and reciting her rights. She screamed and flailed, blaming Mason for ruining her plans and killing her children. When that garnered no response from the detective, she switched tactics. “My father will get me out of this. He can buy and sell you.”
Monroe, not amused or threatened in the least, tossed back, “I don't care what your Daddy can do. You are still under arrest, and anything you say will be used against you in a court of law.”
That quieted her for a moment, until Delmonico yelled from outside the door. “Haul the bitch in without me, I'm waiting for Finnegan with the medivac.”
“Who needs a medivac?” Sean asked, fists clenched as he ran out of the cabin. He landed on his knees next to Dylan.
Monroe jerked Priscilla out the door after O'Dell. He didn't know what exactly had happened up here, but he had a downed Army Ranger and a mostly naked man who had very obviously been bound. He tossed her in the car. She could scream and rail at him all she wanted from inside, he wasn't leaving until the helicopter arrived.
EIGHT
Kat waited with three of the four Everetts at Aylesford Memorial Hospital, leaving Alec to debrief with various law enforcement and Caleb to scrub in to work on Dylan Black. Two bullets from Priscilla's gun had hit him, and although the man was supposedly strong as an ox, she worried for him. He had been shot saving Mason's life, and she would be forever grateful. She sighed. Caleb promised Mason wasn't too hurt, but he needed to be checked out before he could go home. She stared at the clock. How much longer would she have to wait before she could see him? She glanced at Cassidy. Her lips were in a thin line, her knuckles white. “He won't blame you, ya know,” Kat assured.
Cassidy's eyes narrowed. “But it's my fault. Why wouldn't he blame me?”
“How is it your fault? You didn't abduct him, you didn't shoot at him.”
Cassidy shook her head, sending the chestnut strands flying. “I encouraged her.” She stood, then quickly sat down again. “I'm supposed to be an officer of the court, I'm supposed to know when someone is crazy.”
“You are not psychic, Cassie,” Carolyn admonished. “You knew she wanted to renew her relationship with your brother, and you might have encouraged it, but you did not help her kidnap him and you didn't shoot at him.”
Cassidy's face blanched at that. “Dylan Black,” she croaked. “He could die because of me.” She stood again, took a few steps away from the waiting area. “Does he have any family? Anyone to worry about him?”
“Cassie, honey, we'll all worry about him, pray for him, stay for him. He saved your brother's life,” Charles promised.
“I want to sit with him when he comes out of surgery,” Cassidy said. “He deserves to have someone with him.”
Carolyn smiled at her daughter. “No one is going to stop you, honey.”
Everyone