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“Will do. After I get you both out of here.”
Elly glanced up to see a broad-shouldered cop standing there in full combat gear. She remembered Joe called him Steele. She wasn’t sure if that was a first or last name. He gave her a solemn nod. “Ms. Elly. Are you hurt?”
“No.” She sat up in the tub but couldn’t stand. Not yet. Drawing in a deep breath, she abruptly realized why Steele had gotten there so quickly. “You were standing guard at the homestead, weren’t you?”
“Yes.” Steele gave a slight nod. “Your family is fine. As soon as I heard the report of gunfire, I knew you and Joe had been targeted.”
“But why?” She couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
“We’ll find out more once we grab this guy.” Steele turned to Joe. “I have Brock and Raelyn outside searching. I’ll head out too.”
“I’m coming with you.” Joe stepped forward, then paused to look back at her. “Hold on, maybe we should get Elly outside and into a squad.”
“Good idea,” Steele agreed. “Keep her close.”
Since both men were looking at her expectantly, she forced a nod. “Okay.”
Joe stepped forward and offered his hand. Gathering her strength, she took it and stood, hoping her legs wouldn’t collapse. She carefully stepped out of the bathtub, avoiding the shards from the broken mirror that littered the floor.
“You need shoes.” Joe frowned. “Where are they?”
“Next to the bed.” She took the few steps to reach the bathroom door. Steele left, returning a few seconds later with her running shoes in his hand. She reached for them. “Thanks.”
He nodded, then stepped back, casting a glance around the room. Leaning on Joe for strength, she slipped the shoes on. Moving into the main room, she abruptly stopped when faced with the damage.
The room looked as if it had been attacked by a band of guerrilla fighters rather than one lone gunman. There were multiple bullet holes in the drywall and embedded in the bunched-up covers and mattress. Everywhere she looked there was destruction.
It was nothing short of a miracle that she and Joe hadn’t been hit.
Or killed.
Her knees threatened to buckle. As if sensing her weakness, Joe slipped his arm around her waist, holding her upright. “Come on, Elly. Let’s go.”
She nodded. After taking a few steps, she grabbed her coat. When she lifted it up, she immediately saw there was a bullet hole in the garment. She dropped it as if it were a snake that would bite. “I—uh, this has been hit by a bullet. Can I wear it? Or do I leave it here?”
“Leave it.” He looked upset, but then added, “We’ll keep the squad warm for you. I’ll have an officer stay inside with the motor running.”
“Okay.” She dropped the coat and continued to the open door. From the looks of the broken jam, she deduced Steele had kicked it in to gain access.
Rhy’s tactical team to the rescue.
She managed to get down the stairs to the ground level where several cop cars were parked. The place was lit brighter than the Christmas parade. Joe led her to one and instructed the officer to keep the motor running. “Stay inside with Elly, understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
Joe turned to her. “I’ll need you to wait here, okay?”
She nodded, even though she didn’t want him to leave her alone.
“This won’t take long.”
“I know.” She slid into the back seat.
A flash of indecision crossed his features, but then Joe closed the door and turned away. She watched as Joe and Steele joined other officers milling around the parking lot. Then the two men disappeared from her line of sight.
She rested her forehead on the cool window, concentrating on taking slow, deep breaths.
The danger was over. If the shooter was smart, he’d have taken off. And if he wasn’t smart, she knew Joe, Steele, and whoever else was out there would find him.
