A cold sweat ran down my spine.
Critical situation.
That could only mean one thing: something had happened to Fallon.
My hands shook as I scrolled through my contacts and called Alexis.
“Hey, I need you to come over and stay with Poppy,” I said frantically when she answered the phone.
“What’s going on? Is everything all right?” Panic laced her tone.
“Work emergency,” I replied and wondered if she heard the tremble in my voice.
“I’ll be right there.”
I hung up and rushed into my bedroom to get dressed. While tying my shoes, there was a knock on the door. I flung it open, and Alexis raced in.
“Thank god you’re here. Poppy’s in bed. You’re welcome to stay here or take her back to your place.” I let out a sigh of relief that she lived close by and was able to get to my apartment quickly.
I ran back to my room and grabbed my gun from the locked case. With one hand, I shoved the weapon into my holster while I used the other hand to snatch my keys off the dresser.
“I’ll text you later,” I said to Alexis as I hurried out the door.
Since Poppy was staying with me for her birthday, I’d opted to drive my car to and from work early in the day, but at that moment, I wished I had an agency vehicle with emergency lights so I could get to the command post faster.
The second I climbed into my car, I tried to call Day. My fingers tapped against the steering wheel as I listened to the phone ring. His voicemail picked up, and I stabbed at the End Call button. I tried to reach Bernard and Vance with the same result.
Why the fuck wasn’t anyone answering their phone?
When I reached Fallon’s building, I didn’t bother pulling into the parking garage. Instead, I double parked alongside one of the black SUVs. I didn’t give a shit if someone towed my car; my only concern was getting inside as soon as possible.
I ran toward the elevator and pressed the button repeatedly until the damn doors opened. It seemed to take forever as it traveled up to the eighth floor. Once on Fallon’s floor, I raced down the hall.
The command post was buzzing with activity as I stepped inside. Tanner was on the phone shouting out orders while others huddled together.
Agent Jones was at the computer, so I walked over to him. “What the hell is going on?”
“Fallon’s been shot,” he replied without looking in my direction.
The room began to spin, everything blurring around me. Day was an excellent agent. No one would have been able to get close enough to Fallon. It all had to be a misunderstanding.
Before I could question Jones further, Tanner’s booming voice filled the room. “At approximately 2200 hours, Fallon was shot at the wedding reception he was attending. An ambulance took him to the local hospital, but he’s being airlifted to St. Thomas. The president is en route, and I’ll send most of you to the hospital to keep guard. Be aware that the FBI is taking point on the investigation, and they may pull some of you aside for interviews.”
St. Thomas was a level one trauma center in Boston, which only ramped up my anxiety. Without another thought, I headed for the door.
“Agent Davis, where are you going?” Tanner called out.
“St. Thomas,” I answered without stopping.
“I haven’t given out assignments yet.”
Fuck the assignments.There was no way I was going to stand around and wait for Tanner to decide who he was sending to the hospital and who was staying behind.
I needed to get to Fallon.
Instead of waiting for the slow-ass elevator, I raced down the eight flights of stairs and jumped into my car. I threw my phone onto the passenger seat and took off.
The world blurred around me as I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles white with tension. Although traffic was light since it was late at night, I cursed every red light for creating an infuriating delay that kept me from the man I loved.
