CHAPTER6
Kaylie didn’t move, her heart was in her throat and her eyes filled with tears. Ryan was here. How could he have gotten here so soon?The helicopter.He must have flown it here. It didn’t matter how, only that he was here. He’d really come after her. But was it because she was the job? Or did she mean something more to him, like he did to her?
She tried to stand up straight, but it was just too much work and she slid down the outside of the SUV until she was seated, leaning her back against the rear tire of the vehicle. Much better. Now, if she could just stop the pain and the feeling of a heavy weight on her side. But Ryan was here. She would be okay.
The door was still open and the man whose nose she’d broken was dead. She realized he was armed, could she reach his weapon before Vinnie took off?
Just as she leaned forward to retrieve the gun, the SUV slammed into gear and roared away. For about twenty feet.
If she hadn’t been leaning forward, she would likely have been pulled under the car. As it was she was knocked a little forward and her shirt tore as she rolled on the tarmac.
Ryan shot out the two front tires.
The SUV swerved, and the driver lost control. The vehicle rolled a couple of times landing on its top.
Kaylie got on her hands and knees, then gritted her teeth to control the pain as she crawled to get the gun. She finally reached the dead man, though he wasn’t but six feet or so from her, it seemed to take forever to get to him. Her side was killing her, and her weakness was increasing. She opened his suit coat and found his shoulder holster, then she pulled out his Glock and held it up toward the SUV.
Vinnie was crawling out the window, but the driver wasn’t moving.
“Stay where you are, Vinnie. Do you hear those sirens? They’re coming for you. And I mean to let them get you.”
“You don’t have the nerve to shoot me,” he sneered as he stood and turned away.
She fired in front of him. “I really don’t want to shoot you, but you should know, I’ve been taking lessons for years now. I’m very, very good with this particular firearm.”
He turned toward her, his eyes widened and then narrowed. “I don’t believe you.” He turned back toward the airplane and started to walk.
She shot him in the back of his right thigh.
Vinnie fell to the ground, gripping his leg. “You shot me!”
“I warned you.”
“But you shot me!”
She rolled her eyes. Her breathing was shallow and she needed help. She needed Ryan. “I warned you. Now, just lie there and bleed until Ryan gets here.”
Ryan came up beside her, his sniper rifle slung over his shoulder. “I’m here, Kaylie, and the police are here, too, along with an ambulance.”
She reached up and touched his face. “You came for me.”
He took her hand and kissed the palm. “Always.”
Oh, my goodness. He kissed my bloody palm.“I don’t think I can take any more of this, Ryan. I’ve discovered I don’t like being shot.”
* * *
Because she was stillon all fours, Ryan stooped and picked up Kaylie in his arms before she pitched forward onto the tarmac.
The City of Bozeman police pulled up and ran over, weapons drawn.
Ryan immediately stopped. “I’m Ryan Evers. I called you. This woman is Kaylie Smith, and she was kidnapped and shot by the man she just wounded, Vincent Rizzo.” He jutted his head toward Vinnie, who lay on the ground by the overturned SUV. “Please, let me get her into the ambulance and then I’ll answer any questions you have while the EMTs do their preliminary tests. But when they are ready to go, I’ll be with her, and you’ll have to get the rest at the hospital.”
An officer with brown hair, sunglasses and wearing a black uniform with sergeant’s stripes, walked up to Ryan. “That’s fine, Mr. Evers. We were also contacted by a Paul Morel with the U.S. Marshals, and he verified your identity and that of Miss Smith.”
“Great. If you’ll excuse me.”
“We still have some questions for you—”