“Suspect down!” an authoritative voice said.
A few officers began walking slowly down the road, making sure there were no additional threats. “Hands.” Two officers approached him, guns raised, fingers resting next to the triggers.
Reid did as he was told.
“Turn around and interlock your fingers behind your head. We’re going to pat you down for weapons.”
A click indicated that one of the guns had been holstered. Then, a hand grabbed his interlocked hands and the pat-down began. He watched as officers headed toward Quinn and JJ.
“Okay.” The officer released him, and another click followed.
“Quinn Matthews has been shot.” Reid pointed to the spot where an officer knelt in front of Quinn. She had managed to sit up and was leaning against the car. “Can I go to her?”
“Give us a quick statement first. There’s an ambulance here to tend to her.”
Reid relayed the events from the time they walked out of the bank until they searched him.
Quinn was being placed on a stretcher, and he bounced on the balls of his feet. He needed to be with her. “Can I go now?”
“Yes. We’ll have someone meet you at the hospital.”
“Call Detective Jacobs. He’s familiar with us,” he said over his shoulder as he jogged to where the paramedics were wheeling Quinn to the waiting ambulance.
An officer walked next to the stretcher, carrying JJ.
“Mr. Reid!” JJ reached for him.
Reid opened his arms, accepted the boy, and squeezed him tightly. He was okay.Thank You, God. That was the second time he’d thanked a God he didn’t believe in.
He turned toward the stretcher. Quinn was strapped into it in a sitting position. Her pant leg was missing, and gauze was wrapped about midway up her thigh.
The stretcher was placed in the ambulance, and the paramedic took JJ and strapped him into a seat next to his mother. Then, she showed Reid where he could sit. Reid grabbed Quinn’s hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. “How are you?”
“Better now that you’re here.”
****
Quinn was tethered to an IV and lying on her left side in a hospital bed as a doctor stitched up the wounds on her leg. The bullet had gone in on the right side of her right thigh and out on the left side. It had missed all major arteries and blood vessels and the bone, and when it exited, it didn’t hit her left leg. A miracle.
Reid had taken JJ to the cafeteria for some lunch so he didn’t have to see the stitching. He had been clinging to Reid ever since he carried him to the ambulance.
“There you go, Ms. Matthews. I’ll have the nurse finish up the bandaging, and then, we’ll work on getting you discharged.” He removed his gloves, tossed them in the trash, and walked out of the room.
She closed her eyes.Lord, thank You for divine intervention.
“Knock. Knock.” Detective Jacobs knocked on the partially opened door.
“Come in.”
“How are you?” He seemed genuinely concerned, not like he was just doling out pleasantries.
“Fine right now. That might be a different story when the numbing medication wears off.”
“Yes. It’s gonna smart.” He sat in the chair by the door and pulled out his notebook and pen. “Tell me what happened.”
“I’ll tell you what I remember. We had just left the bank and were walking to the car when there was a pop and then a pain in my leg like I’ve never felt. The next thing I know, Reid is telling me not to move. My leg was on fire. He told me what he was going to do and that I needed to get to cover.” He’d been willing to sacrifice his life to save her. Not once but twice. She’d seen him raise a hand before standing up in the open. Thank God an officer had seen the shooter. “You know what happened after that.”
“We have identification on the shooter. I’m going to show you a picture. Tell me if you recognize him.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, tapped on it a couple of times, and then turned it toward her.
