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The officer heard it. “A crime—"
“She needs immediate medical attention. She was thrown off the bridge and was in the water way too long. Every second puts her at risk. Are you taking responsibility if anything were to happen to her?” Ethan asked.
The officer swiveled his head, taking in the cameras lifted overhead, capturing the scene. Then stepped back.
Ethan leaned over Piper and reached for her hand. She squeezed his as they locked eyes. Ethan felt her stress rise like a tide. “I need to check in with Tango, but I’ll meet you at the hospital. Okay?”
She sighed. The anxiety left Piper’s face as she nodded.
Ethan understood; he felt it too. He wasn’t ready to let her go.
Stepping back, the EMTs pushed her toward the waiting ambulance, flashing its lights in the parking lot.
“You then, sir,” the police officer said, pen poised over his pad.
“I’ll reach out tomorrow. I have a policy against speaking to anyone about my experiences for at least the first twenty-four hours.”
“Sir—”
“No.” Ethan turned and walked away. What could the guy do but ask him for ID? He obviously didn’t have that on him.
In his silver sarong, Ethan made his way over to Jack and Gator, kneeling to love on Tango, his heart bursting with pride. “Is she okay?”
“We palpated her good. No sore spots. No blood,” Gator said. “She seems good to go, but Cerberus wants her brought in so one of the vets can give her a thorough look-see. It’s protocol.”
“Wiz. Get up and get dressed,” Jack said, holding out a towel and an Iniquus uniform.
With his brothers spreading a blanket to make a changing station, Ethan dragged and rolled his wet briefs off, going commando in the Iniquus camouflage tactical pants.
“How was that dark-water phobia doin’ when you took the plunge?” Gator asked.
“Completely forgot I had one until you just mentioned it,” Ethan said, peeling the Iniquus mic from his chest and handing it to Jack. “I don’t know if I kept hold of your earpieces or not. I’ll fish around for them when I get back to my truck.”
“Any idea what they wanted with Piper?” Gator asked.
“Express kidnapping?” Jack ventured.
“Granted, she looked vulnerable tottering around in those shoes,” Ethan said.
“Seemed targeted from what little I saw,” Gator said.
“In an express kidnapping, if there’s a good amount of fight in their victim, the attackers usually move on to easier prey. I’m of two minds about the location,” Ethan said. “Time of day and exposed to the public like that makes it seem targeted. Trapping someone in the middle of a bridge might work for someone trying to scoop up a woman they wanted to traffic. I’m leaning in that direction because her outfit showed off her body shape, her legs. For sure, they wanted the person, not just her purse. Maybe when I go talk with her at the hospital, she knows something we don’t. Maybe they said something to her.”
“I’m caught on her purse,” Jack said. “Interesting with all that going on—Piper fighting like a warrior, Tango being her best girl self, you and Gator running up on them—that they focused on that detail.”
“Huh,” Ethan said, using the microfiber cloth to dry as much as he could before pulling on the shirt. Iniquus wore compression shirts, and it was going to be a bear to get that over wet skin.
“Any idea what she might have had in the purse?” Gator asked.
“I saw her phone and trophy go in,” Jack said, “at Frou-Frou.”
“I don’t think that’s it,” Ethan said.
“Certainly weren’t the phone,” Gator said. “They tossed it out the window right before they turned off the bridge.”
“Is that what Tango had in her mouth?” Ethan asked. “One of the guys on the boat said she was carrying something around. I was kind of hoping it was a chunk of criminal arm.”
“Your wallet.” Jack picked it up from beside his bag and handed it out.
