Page 44 of Storm Warning

At Hawk’s surprised look he shrugged. “I was a sitting duck. Sometimes you just have to push through the pain to save your own hide.”

Sirens resounded in the distance, growing closer.

Using a small flashlight, Sheriff Thatcher checked his deputy. “Hang in there, Carla. You’ll be okay.”

“I can’t die before my retirement next week. I’ll survive,” she said, though her voice was still shaky.

Remi started to push up. “I can get the medical supplies—”

“No.” Hawk and Sheriff Thatcher said the word at the same time.

“You’ll expose yourself.”

“I’llget the supplies and then go after him,” Hawk said.

“No. Beckett, get Ms. Grant—Remi—get her out of here,” Sheriff Thatcher said. “You can get her to the county offices. Our deputies can protect her. Carla and I are both injured.”

Hawk eyed the woods around them, ready to defend them. Cole would make his move soon. In the meantime, he had to make the sheriff understand what he was up against. “An assassin who would attack law enforcement isn’t going to let a building with a few deputies stand in his way. I don’t want to see you or more of your deputies hurt or killed. I don’t want to see Remi die. Now, you told me you were on my side, and you understood the hard choice I made before. I hope you’ll be as understanding now when I tell you I know how this guy works and thinks. I know how to keep Remi safe, and I know where to get answers. So once backup arrives to protect you, Remi and I are going to disappear.”

“Now, you listen—”

“He’s right.” Remi cut off the sheriff. “You want me safe, Sheriff, then let me go with Hawk. You don’t want my blood on your hands, do you? You don’t want more of our deputies shot. Thank you for your offer of protective custody, but I choose Hawk to be my private security.”

Deputy Hunter groaned and cried out, pulling all their attention to her. Sheriff Thatcher shined his flashlight on her blood-soaked hands and, grimacing with his own pain, added his hand to hers to put pressure on the wound.

“Hang in there, Carla.” Fear for his deputy and friend edged Sheriff Thatcher’s voice.

Hawk got it. He understood what was going through the sheriff’s mind. Fear and anger that his deputy, his partner, had been shot. His vehicle was mangled. His authority challenged. He didn’t like the choices he was forced to make.

As far as Hawk was concerned, Thatcher had no choice. He must have realized it too and gave Hawk a subtle nod. “We’ll keep working the investigation from our end. I can arrange a safe house too, if needed, just let me know. Get out of here if you’re going.”

“I won’t leave you.” He couldn’t abandon them to defend themselves. This was a whole new level of attack. It was crystal clear that Cole didn’t want Remi in police custody to reveal her secrets. Her memories.

“We’ll be all right,” Thatcher said. “Help is on the way.”

Hawk understood. Thatcher hadn’t said the words. Remi was the target. Getting her away meant giving them a chance. How messed up was that? But it was true.

“Fine. I’ll take her, but first I need to try something.” He had a long-buried bone to pick with Cole. He didn’t wait for the sheriff’s permission and left them, pressing forward into the woods toward where the big truck idled in the road. Hawk was battle ready, military trained, but a little rusty compared to Cole, who’d taken his own road down a dark, fatalistic path.

Standing behind a tree near the road, Hawk fired one shot into the ground. “Come on, Cole. What happened to you?” He shouted the question, knowing he wouldn’t get an answer, but he needed to reach the man—if his brother still remained somewhere inside that assassin’s head.

He didn’t get an answer. Cole didn’t want to give away his position.

“I won’t let you get to her,” Hawk said. “You’ll have to go through me.”

Potentially lethal words, those, but he spoke truth. His pulse raced in his ears as he waited for Cole to make a move.

Sirens resounded, and not only did an ambulance show up but also a fire truck as well as two other county vehicles. More law enforcement. They could arrive quickly if the situation was dire enough, close enough, and threatened their sheriff and fellow deputy.

Surprising Hawk, Cole responded with gunfire, bullets hitting the tree. If he wanted Hawk dead, Hawk would be dead. He ducked, knowing that Cole was making his escape. Wheels squealed as the truck sped away.

Hawk jogged back to the rolled county vehicle, where medics were already attending to the deputy and the sheriff as well as doctoring the scrape on Remi’s forehead near the cut she’d endured yesterday fighting with an assassin. Hawk’s head didn’t feel all that good, especially since he already had a mild concussion—probably, the ED physician’s assistant had told him—but he didn’t have time to give in to the pain.

He shrugged off assistance and zeroed his focus in on Remi. She had a strange look on her face. She searched the woods and then found him coming toward her.

“Hawk.” Her voice was oddly strong. “Did you see him? Did you see ... Cole?” Remi hadn’t said “your brother.” Was she actually trying to protect Hawk in case the sheriff didn’t know yet?

Actually, no. Hawk hadn’t seen their attacker, but who else could it be? Who else had pursued her since yesterday morning?

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