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She hung up and said to Gina, “Help is on the way.”
Gina’s eyes looked over Faith’s shoulder and widened. Faith turned to see Levinson had regained the knife and now had it raised over his head, ready to stab Turk. Faith launched herself at him, knocking the knife from his hand but also knocking Turk’s grip free. Levinson stumbled backward onto the bed, immediately turning and grabbing for the knife.
Turk grabbed one ankle, and Faith grabbed the other. Levinson shrieked and scrabbled at the sheets, trying to free himself from their grasp.
Between the two of them, they managed to pull him off of the bed. “Stay still!” Faith shouted.
Levinson turned his wild, crazy eyes to her. With an effort, he pulled his leg up and kicked backward, sending Faith crashing to the ground. He flipped over and kicked Turk. Turk went flying, but his teeth shredded Levinson’s ankle.
Levinson shrieked and whined in a pathetically childish voice, “My leg! Oh God! You hurt my leg!”
Faith stood and reached for her weapon, then cried out, just barely ducking under the knife Levinson had managed to reach and throw at her head. She drew her handgun and stood just as Turk latched onto Levinson’s injured leg.
Levinson shrieked in pain. Turk wrestled him to the ground, and Faith pointed her weapon at him. “Stay down!” she commanded.
He stilled, crying, “Please! Call your dog off!”
“Not a chance,” Faith said. “Stay still. If you struggle, he’ll bite harder.”
“Ow!” Levinson cried. “It hurts!”
Faith would never understand how the most violent people on Earth would turn into babies every time they suffered violence themselves. “Like I said,” she replied, “it hurts more if you struggle.”
Gina made a gurgling noise. Faith looked at her and saw with alarm that Gina’s eyelids fluttered on the verge of unconsciousness. Her head lay in a slowly spreading pool of blood. Faith’s shirt was soaked through, and Faith could see more blood seeping out underneath it.
That one lapse in attention was enough for Levinson. With a cry of outrage, he shook Turk off of him and leapt for the window.
“Stop!” Faith commanded, swinging her gun to bear.
It was too late. Levinson was already out of the window. She heard a thump and then a shriek when he hit the ground and ran for the window. Levinson slowly got up, staggering on his injured ankle. She pointed her weapon at him and once more commanded him to stop. He looked at her and the weapon and hesitated.
He decided to take a risk. He turned and began to limp away. Faith aimed the weapon, but Turk ran past her. Faith followed and heard sirens just as they exited.
Levinson anticipated Turk’s attack and kicked him squarely in the ribs. Turk went flying, but the weight on Levinson’s bad ankle caused him to collapse in pain. Faith saw Michael’s car and the ambulance peek around the corner. Levinson staggered slowly to his feet, but Faith knew he was done. She stopped to check on Turk while Michael pulled to a stop.
Turk got to his feet and shook himself, irritated but not seriously hurt. Levinson cried out just before Michael tackled him.
The EMTs were consummate professionals and ignored the scene, rushing toward the house.
“She’s upstairs,” Faith said. “Stab wound in her neck, bleeding badly.”
The EMTs nodded acknowledgment. Faith walked to where Michael had Levinson pinned.
Travis and Derek approached. Derek frowned. Travis grinned, but his eyes glittered like diamonds.
Michael cuffed Levinson and pulled him roughly to his feet. He nodded at Travis. “Would you like to do the honors, Detective?”
“Thank you very much, Special Agent. You truly are a prince to me.”
His smile vanished as he regarded Levinson. “All right, asshole. For reasons known only to the wackos who write policy from the ivory thrones of the Capitol, you actually have rights. Included in these are the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”
Derek took Levinson from Michael and led him to their cruiser while Travis continued to read his rights and express his dissatisfaction with the existence of those rights.
Michael looked at Faith and Turk. “Are you two hurt?”
“I’m all right,” Faith said.
Turk barked and looked at Levinson, who limped along, weeping, as the officers led him away. He growled, and Michael said, “Yeah, I don’t blame you. I’m all for the rule of law, but you oughta be allowed to just shoot some people.”
