Page 24 of Outlaw Ridge: Reed
Outside, Reed heard the sound of an engine, and he glanced out and saw the CSI van pull to a stop along the curb. Good. The sooner they got started, the better.
“Reed and I were on our way to check a storage facility that Luther told us about,” Hallie said to Shaw. “It’s possible it contains some of my mother’s things that might or might not confirm her role in the murders. Can you manage things here for an hour or so until we get back?”
“Sure,” Shaw was quick to say. “Anything there in storage that might link to…this?” His gaze drifted to the body. “Or the other two murders?”
“I doubt it. Not unless my parents planned these murders before they were arrested. It’s also possible that Luther set up this storage facility,” she admitted, “and if so, he could haveplanted or flat-out fabricated something to back up my mother’s claim of being abused.”
Shaw didn’t seem surprised by that possibility. “Luther could be killing to shed some doubt on Tami’s guilt. Like by framing you or someone else.”
“Yes,” Hallie agreed. “Luther had old pictures of my father with Corman and Elenore. Those photos are already on the way to the lab to see if they were doctored. But I want to check the storage unit for anything else that might help us. Then, I’ll get a CSI team in there…though our resources are stretched thin in that area,” she added, her voice trailing off.
They were indeed stretched, but she was smart enough to tap into Strike Force’s forensic team if needed.
Hallie took another long look at the body before she motioned to Reed that it was time for them to leave. He only hoped if they found something in storage that it didn’t make matters worse. While he was hoping, he added that maybe there wouldn’t be any more murders.
Making their way out of the house, they passed the CSIs who were making their way in. Hallie and he went outside and were halfway between the house and the cruiser when Reed heard the crack of gunfire.
And the bullet slammed right into Hallie.
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Chapter Nine
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Hallie felt the shot blast into her.
The impact was sudden and forceful, knocking the wind out of her and sending her staggering back. Reed swooped in to stop her from falling.
Hallie sucked in a sharp breath, her hand instinctively reaching for the spot where the bullet had struck her Kevlar vest. The force of the blow roared through her chest, but the vest had done its job, stopping the bullet from killing her.
She was alive.
Pain and fire flared in her chest, but it was a far cry from the life-threatening injury it could have been. The adrenaline came. A slam of it as powerful as the bullet had been. It sharpened her focus and she knew there was no time to dwell on the pain. Reed and she had to move.
Reed had already gotten started on that though. He took hold of her arm, dragging her by the side of the concrete steps and pulling her flat onto the ground. Judging from the angle of the shot, they weren’t exactly out of the line of fire, but they weren’t right out in the open either.
Since the blistering hot bullet fragment was burning a hole in her, Hallie fought to get the vest open, to get that bullet away from her skin. She managed it with Reed’s help, but he didn’ttake the vest off her. He merely flipped back the side so it wasn’t touching her.
Another shot came. Then again. Both slammed into the concrete just above their heads. Someone obviously wasn’t giving up on killing them.
“Declan, do you see the shooter?” Reed called out.
“No,” he promptly answered. “But the shots are coming from the roof of the house just up the street.”
Oh, God. There could be someone inside that house. Someone innocent who’d gotten caught up in this and could now be killed. For that matter so could Declan and Reed. All of them were in danger, including Shaw and the CSIs.
“Tell everyone to stay down,” she managed to say while Hallie still fought to regain her breath. The pain was continuing to rip through her, making it hard to think. Or breathe.
“Stay down,” Reed relayed to the others.
Of course, that order wouldn’t extend to Shaw and Declan. Or Reed himself who had already levered himself up to return fire. They’d all be focused on putting an end to this.
And she prayed they could.
If they could just stop the killer here and now, then the danger would be over. No one else would have to die. But first, they had to catch the SOB.
“I could lean out from cover just a little,” she suggested. “It might draw the shooter out enough so you—”
