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He turned his hand and caught her fingers, then squeezed.
Her phone beeped, and she jumped.
“Silver?” he said.
She glanced at the screen and shoved it back in her pocket. “No. Battery died. All that Internet searching.”
Hunter straightened. “If they’re gone, they’re safe. Let’s grab my files and get out of here.”
He shoved the gun into his waistband, pulling his shirt loose to hang over it so it wouldn’t be seen.
Pretty stupid, he realized later, since they walked back out the front door without any of the caution they’d used going in. He carried one box, and Kate carried the other. Their hands were occupied. Casper jogged out the door ahead of them.
Then a gun went off, the sound cracking from somewhere between the trees.
And before Hunter could even get it together to draw his own weapon, Kate went down.
CHAPTER 27
Hunter got Kate back through the door. He hollered for Casper.
His dog was barking somewhere in the yard. Hunter yelled for him again.
Another shot hit the siding on the front of the house. Hunter flinched and dragged Kate farther along the slate of the entrance hallway. They got to the rear of the foyer, to where he could see the front door, but they were partially obscured by the stairwell.
“I’m okay,” she said. “I’m okay.”
She was not okay. Blood was everywhere, a long streak on the floor, a spreading stain on her jeans, a lengthy smear along his forearm.
“Jesus,” he whispered.
He pulled his sweatshirt off and balled it up. “Where are you hit?”
“Hip,” she said, and he heard the strain in her voice. “I think it’s just a flesh wound.”
He couldn’t tell—too much blood. He shoved the sweatshirt where most of it was. He would totally give anything for Hannah to walk through the door right now.
Another gunshot. Hunter jumped. Somewhere outside, Casper yelped, then whined.
Hunter struggled to position Kate more upright, to get her heart above the wound. “Casper!” he shouted. “Hierr!”
Then he held his breath. Kate held hers.
He heard nothing.
“Damn it!” he cried. “Casper! Hierr!”
Nothing.
“Casper!” His voice was breaking.
“Cops,” said Kate. It sounded like she was speaking through clenched teeth. “Call the cops.”
He could barely get the phone out of his pocket. His fingers were sticky with her blood and his brain wouldn’t stop thinking of Casper bleeding just like this, somewhere in the yard.
The touch screen didn’t want to work and his breath wouldn’t stop hitching.
“Casper!” he yelled again, and he heard the desperation in his own voice. He was ready to punch a hole in the floor.
