AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“There were three of them,” she began, desperate to help.
“We know, it’s OK. They’re all down.”
“Dead?” she asked, aghast.
“No... Sorry...” Corbett explained as he slit open the bindings with a knife. “We tasered Curt over there,” he said, “and whatever Freeman did to Charlie, it worked.”
“What about... Pete?” she asked, rubbing her freed arms and following Corbett from the room.
“Ridge’s got him. Come on, the rules say we get you out immediately,” he said, waving her forward.
She followed him, legs like jelly and mouth in searing pain, to the back entrance of the plant, where an unmarked white van was waiting with its side door open. “Good to see you, Miss Samuelson,” said Lewis as he helped her aboard. “Sit down and drink this.” He handed her a bottle of Gatorade. “We’re out of here in no time.”
Corbett returned, dragging an unconscious Curt.
“What did youdo?” Lewis asked, hauling the heavy-set felon into the van.
“Just tasered him, but he fell pretty heavily.” Both men then helped Freeman throw a handcuffed, bleeding Charlie in behind him. But there was still no sign of Pete. Or Ridge.
“Dawson?!” yelled Lewis. “Secure your suspect and bug out,right now.” Corbett waited for five seconds, then dashed inside. “If they’ve got some kind of panic button,” Lewis reminded them, “anythingcould be on its way. We gotta go, go, go!”
“Whereishe?” Raven asked, panicked.
“Was Pete unconscious?” Lewis asked, tapping his ear to ensure the radio feed was working.
“Yeah... He was about to...” The words caught in her throat. “I mean, he was gonna... make me do something... and then someone justhithim, and...”
“Oh,fuck.” He ignored the radio and just yelled. “Corbett? Get Dawson out here,now.”
“Roger, coming out,” came Corbett’s voice on the radio. Moments later, Ridge and Corbett dragged Pete out of the building and shoved him into the van.
“Is he alive?” Lewis asked, prepared for the worst.
“He needed to be subdued with some force,” Corbett explained, “but Mr. Dawson was equal to the challenge.”
Ridge threw off his helmet and knelt by Raven’s seat. “Are you OK? I’m so sorry we left you... It was sostupid...” The van pulled away, Lewis sliding closed the door as they accelerated.
“Shhh,” Raven said soothingly. Her arms were around him, and for a long moment, the three DEA agents chose to ignore their hostage as she whispered softly to Ridge, tears of relief streaking her face.
Ridge kissed her cheek, avoiding her painful mouth, and then turned to Lewis. “There will be additional charges,” he said darkly, “againstthatone.” A gloved finger pointed at Pete, unconscious, his face bloodied. “Also, check his weapon there.”
Corbett found Pete’s gun on the floor of the van. “Nine-millimeter... Hey, wait,” he said, staring confused at the weapon. “What?”
“It’s a replica,” Ridge said. “Lucky for him it was.” He glanced at Corbett. “And lucky I handed you my knife, too.”
“You had us worried,” Lewis admitted.
Ridge slid into the seat next to Raven and held her close. “I promised to protect,” he said quietly. “Not to avenge.”
Hank found his voice, still a strained croak. “Raven... God, I’m so glad... I don’t know what I would have done if...”
“I’m OK, Hank. Turns out I’d found just the right kind of help.” Raven snuggled in close to Ridge and he looked down at her. There was so much in her eyes; the hurt of her imprisonment but also relief and, more and more as Ridge enfolded her in his arms, a happiness, timidly emerging but irrefutable.
Freeman drove them swiftly through midnight streets, while next to him, Corbett made the radio call. “This is Agent Lindstrom of the DEA. I am coming in with four wounded; two are unconscious, three have flesh wounds. ETA six minutes. Do you copy?”
Ridge felt warmth by his ear. “Ridge?” He turned to her and met her beautiful, smiling eyes. “Thank you.”
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
