Page 72 of Break Away
Terror gripped Zoey when Levi reeled back andslammed into the ground. Sharp reports of gunfire split the air,there was a return volley, then silence. She prayed that meant thecavalry had arrived.
She took a quick peek, saw no one waspointing guns at them, then, heart racing, darted from the cover ofthe cruiser to grab Levi by his Kevlar vest. Digging in her heels,she used all her strength to pull him. Even while gasping forbreath, he kicked back with his feet to help. He still held theleash in his fist and Lucy did her part by pulling along withZoey.
Levi lay on his back in the dirt, heaving forbreath. Zoey pulled open his shirt with hands that were shaking.She expected at any second to see ripped flesh and blood, butthere, high on the right side of his chest, a plug of metal layembedded in the heavy plating of his body armor.
“It hit your vest. The bullet hit your vest.I don’t think it went through, but I need to check.” Lucy stuck hernose in Levi’s face and Zoey pushed her away.
Zoey ripped apart the Velcro. He wore a navyt-shirt beneath the vest. She pulled up where the plate had beenhit, nearly passing out with relief that the bullet hadn’tpenetrated the Kevlar. “There’s no blood. The vest stopped thebullet.”
Levi sucked in a shallow breath. She bentover him, a hand on his cheek. “Deep breath, Levi. Deepbreath.”
Eyes on hers, he sucked in air, held it, thenlet it out. After repeating the process, he seemed to breathe morenormally. Word came over the radio at his belt that the suspect wasin custody. A vehicle roared up the driveway, kicking up a cloud ofdust, followed by a car door slamming. “Levi?”
Zoey stood and waved. Brad covered thedistance at a dead run.
“He was hit in the vest, but I don’t think itwent through.”
Levi had pushed himself up to lean againstthe bumper. Brad dropped to his knees and undid the Velcro to pullthe body armor completely off. “Where’s the pain?”
“Shoulder. Sent me head over ass, knocked thewind out of me. Doesn’t hurt too bad.”
“It’ll hurt like the devil as soon asadrenaline stops pumping.”
“Clauson?”
“Surrendered as soon as we engaged.” Bradpulled a radio from his belt. “Hangman One, here. Beth, send anambulance.”
“Already on its way, Chief.”
Even as the dispatcher spoke, the wail of asiren could be heard in the distance.
“Send two,” Levi said.
Brad passed on the order, gaze traveling overZoey. “You hurt?”
She shook her head. Levi spoke. “Charissa’sin my cabin.” He nodded to the rifle on the ground. “Had that deerrifle pointed at me and started talking about our wedding.” Hisvoice sounded strained. “Shots fired. She hit the ground, screaminglike a banshee. No blood so I don’t think she was hit.”
More vehicles pulled into the driveway. Bradrose to his feet when Monica approached. He motioned to her andmoved toward the cabin.
Levi put a hand on the bumper to bracehimself and rose to his feet. He leaned heavily against thecruiser.
“You should lie down, Levi,” Zoey toldhim.
He shook his head but didn’t say anything.The sound of the siren stopped at the end of their driveway. Lucyleaned against Zoey, and she dropped down to put an arm around thedog’s neck, as much for Zoey’s comfort as Lucy’s.
The next several minutes passed in ablur.
The ambulance crew rushed to Levi with theirkits. Pulling Lucy out of the way, Zoey sucked in a horrifiedbreath when the EMT cut off Levi’s t-shirt to reveal an angry, redwelt below his shoulder, the surrounding area turning a deepred.
A second ambulance crew arrived and wasdirected to the cabin. A gurney was rolled up, and despite hisprotests, the crew loaded Levi onto it. She followed the gurney tothe back of the ambulance where he was pushed inside. His gaze methers for a brief moment, then they shut the doors and, with lightson and siren wailing, took him away.
***
Zoey sat on her sofa, staring out the windowat the darkening sky, Lucy at her feet. Her baby had kept close toher since the commotion. The entire area around her cottage,including her car and Levi’s cabin, had been designated as a crimescene and encircled in yellow tape. Zoey had been allowed to stayin her cabin, but with strict orders not to cross into thequarantine zone.
She should get up, feed Lucy, get herselfsomething to eat for dinner, but all she could do was stare out thewindow and think about how close that bullet had come to killingLevi. The doctors at the hospital had wanted to keep him overnight,but he’d resisted and had been released with the proviso that ifany problems arose, he was to come straight back.
Not that she knew this from Levi, becauseZoey hadn’t heard from him. Eva had called and filled her in,letting her know Levi was at his mom’s house. Zoey was sure iteased Trish’s mind to tend to her son for the night.
