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“I will be. Drive toward the back of the barn, I want to check on Aiden.”
“Where’s Quentin.”
“I left him in the woods.”
“Alive?”
“I’m not sure.”
She pushed down on the accelerator and drove around the back of the barn, bringing the car to stop just before a figure sprawled out on the ground. It was Aiden, not moving, his shirt covered in blood.
“Oh, no,” Jacquie cried. Chase jumped out of the car and sprinted toward his brother, dropping to his side. Jacquie could see his hands shake as he reached out to checked his brother’s vitals. She held her breath as she watched him, frozen and waiting. And then suddenly it seemed like a weight lifted off his body.
“He’s got a pulse!” he called. He pulled his brother with him into the backseat of the car. Jacquie put the car in gear and screeched away from the barn as fast as she dared, steering the car back onto the tree-lined road. Up ahead, a Denali was racing away, spewing up dust.
“Do you think you can catch that car?” Chase asked, leaning toward the front seat, staring a the back of the Denali.
She stepped on the gas. “Maybe? Why?”
“I’d like to get a look at the driver if I could, or at least a license plate number.”
She tried, but couldn’t catch him. The Denali’s engine was much more powerful and it sped away from them. As they reached the main road, it turned to the right, away from Granite Falls, and away from the hospital. They couldn’t follow. Making sure Aiden survived was all that mattered now.
As she made the turn, they saw Josh’s truck approaching. She stopped and rolled down her window.
“Aiden has been shot. We’re taking him to the hospital. The guy we’ve been after has also been shot and is behind the McDonald barn in the woods.”
Josh nodded, looking grim, but before he could go, Chase leaned out the back window. “If you can stop a black Denali heading that way”—he gestured out the window—“you’ll find the man in charge of this whole operation.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Get to the hospital,” Josh said. “I’ll catch up with you there.”
Jacquie wound her way through the backroads until she reached a familiar highway, then took its length at top speed. Trees and fields passed in a blur, soon followed by houses and then a few low buildings. She cut through parking lots of bypass traffic lights, and soon the hospital’s ER bay was within sight and she let herself finally take a breath.
Aiden had to make it.
She glanced behind her at the backseat, where Chase was applying pressure to the wound in his stomach. There was a lot of blood, too much blood. Guilt twisted through her. She had asked Chase to stay with her, not to leave them and give Aiden the backup he so obviously needed.
Chase stayed.
He chose her.
If Aiden died, how would Chase ever forgive her?
20
After takingthe others to the hospital, Chase went back to the hotel, took a quick shower, changed out of his soiled clothes then headed back to check on his brother and Jacquie.
“How is he?” he asked his mom, who was standing outside the ICU, staring through the window at Aiden lying in the hospital bed.
“He made it through surgery, but he’s not out of the woods yet.” She turned to him, her puffy eyes red-rimmed and her nose pink. She took a shaky breath and asked, “What happened today?”
“Apparently, Aiden’s undercover DEA and has been here working a case.”
Her eyes widened with surprise.
“I’ve reached out to his handler. He’s on his way here now, maybe then we can get some answers.”
She shook her head. “DEA. I never would have guessed.”
