“Hurry, before they come back.” Reid held JJ in one arm and grabbed Quinn with the other. “Run.” He tugged her forward. “This way.” Reid pulled her along. The buildings here were set apart quite a bit, and it was going to be a lot of time out in the open. The ting of bullets hitting metal started and was quickly replaced with muffled thuds as they hit the dirt around them. Reid led them to the closest building, one hundred feet away.
Reid let go of her hand and pulled the handle on the old shop door. It didn’t budge. Locked. Bullets started flying at them again. The glass door shattered, and Reid groaned as glass shards sliced his hand.
“Go around.” He pointed to the side of the building. Blood covered his hand.
Quinn ran around the building and was trying to open the back door. It was locked as well. Where could they go now? He turned and saw trees about fifty yards behind the building. His pulse pounded in his ears. Could they make it?
Two car doors slammed at the front of the building. He couldn’t waste any more time. He ran to Quinn and pointed toward the trees. He prodded her toward them. JJ hugged him tightly around the neck as they ran, clinging for dear life. Literally.
Maybe, they’d be able to lose the shooters in the trees. Only a few more feet. They’d just passed the first trees when a shot rang out, the bullet splintering bark from a tree to his right.
They ran a few more feet. He pulled JJ free from his neck and set him on the ground. “Take JJ, and you two run.”
Quinn paled. “What are you going to do? You don’t have a gun. They’ll kill you.”
“I’m going to lead them away from you.”
“Don’t.” She picked up JJ and grabbed Reid’s uninjured hand. “We need you with us. Please.” She pleaded with her eyes.
Her words nearly choked him. He was needed. That was a first.
“Okay. Go.” He turned her around and nudged her forward. He started jogging, and she kept pace. Soon, they were running. There hadn’t been any more shots since they entered the trees. Quinn struggled in front of him. JJ wasn’t very heavy, but carrying additional weight while running was wearing her out.
“Here.” He took JJ from her. Eventually, their running slowed to a jog and then stopped. He set JJ down behind a large oak tree. “Quinn, hide behind the tree while you catch your breath.”
She knelt next to her son, her breath coming in heaves.
Reid listened. The only sound was their heavy breathing. Slowly, nature’s melody of chirping crickets and singing birds reached his ears. They were safe for now. He leaned his back against the tree and tilted his head, resting it on the rough bark and taking deep breaths. His hand burned like it was being repeatedly stung by wasps. He raised it above his head, slowing the blood flow to it, but it wasn’t long before blood began to roll down his arm.
“Let me see your hand.” Quinn stood and reached for his raised arm.
He brought it down. She looked at his palm and turned it over to inspect the back of his hand. It was hard to tell how bad the damage was because there was a lot of blood. “There are several cuts. You could have shards in them.”
He pulled his hand back and wrapped it in the bottom of his shirt. Her touch was too tender. “I’ll be fine. We need to get help. Can you call 911?”
“No. I left the phone in the car. The forest runs parallel to this side of town.”
“Let’s start walking that way, then.” He pointed toward town. They walked for about ten minutes before making a ninety-degree turn and heading toward what should be the edge of the trees. A clearing came into view. “Wait here. Let me check it out and make sure no one is watching for us to come out.”
He walked to the clearing, surveyed the surroundings, took a deep breath, and then slowly stepped out. The clearing opened to the back of a row of buildings. No one in sight. “It’s safe,” he called to Quinn and JJ.
Blood had soaked his shirt, but his hand wasn’t throbbing as much as before. He led them to the front of the buildings and entered a clothing boutique. The employee stood staring at them with her mouth wide open.
“We need help,” Reid said.
She looked at the blood soaking Reid’s shirt and jumped into action.
The next hour was a flurry of activity. The police were called, and an ambulance came with them. Detective Jacobs wasn’t too far behind.
The rest of the afternoon was spent telling the story to the police. Again and again. Reid refused a trip to the hospital and instead asked EMTs to clean his hand and put some bandages on the wounds.
The adrenaline wore down, and his body ached. He didn’t normally have this much action in his line of work. He slumped against the chair, exhaustion taking over the fight-or-flight response. He took a deep breath and released it. Everyone was okay.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It had been a long andexhausting day. After getting JJ bathed and ready for bed, Quinn grabbed her Bible for a quick read while Reid showered. She sat at the kitchen table and started reading the faith chapter in Hebrews. Exhaustion clung to her. The muscles in her back were tight and achy, her eyes were heavy, and her soul was weary.Lord, I’m tired. Not just physically but emotionally. I pray for Your guidance and protection in this situation. Help me to remember that You are my rock and fortress. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Reid came back to the kitchen a short while later, already dressed but still rubbing his damp hair with a towel. Quinn glanced up in time to catch the look of skeptical disdain on his face. She’d seen expressions like that before when she’d tried to share her faith with nonbelievers. She moved the Bible’s ribbon bookmark to save her place and closed it.
