by Melody Anne
He didn’t stall long. She was lying on the ground . . . not moving.
“Angela,” he cried as he dropped down next to her. Had she been shot? He flipped her onto her back and did a quick visual, searching for blood. There was none.
Her eyes fluttered open. She looked calm for a second before panic set in and her head whipped past him.
“Shooter,” she gasped. “Shooter!” Her voice grew louder as her body began moving.
“It’s okay, Angela. He’s gone.” Declan didn’t know that for sure, but he needed her calm so he could assess her injuries and get her to safety. She wasn’t going to calm down until she felt safe.
He had to fight the bile rising in his throat at how close she’d come to getting killed. Declan didn’t care how long it took, he was going to take down that cartel and he wasn’t going to be gentle about it. He was beyond frustrated and needed an outlet for it.
This wasn’t the time nor place though. He needed to stay calm for her sake. If he freaked out, she was going to as well, and that wouldn’t help either of them.
“Were you hit, Angela? I can’t see blood,” he asked her. His hands were running down her legs.
“No. I tripped. I think I knocked myself out for a second,” she said. “My head hurts a little and my hands, but I don’t think I was shot,” she told him. “But there were several shots. I don’t know if anyone else was hit.”
“I don’t know either,” he told her. “I was worried about finding you, not looking at other people.”
“We need to see if everyone is okay,” she said as she sat up. She looked a bit disheveled but only had a few minor scrapes.
“The local authorities will be here soon and they can assess the crowd,” he told her.
“You are the authorities,” she insisted.
“I want to get you out of here, Angela. I only saw one shooter. I don’t know if there are more,” he demanded.
He looked around them and the scene seemed to be calming. People were wandering around looking lost and scared. The booths were still abandoned, and he watched as a couple teens snatched some purses and took off running. It was sad when people took advantage of situations like these. He wanted to go knock them out, but he wasn’t going to leave Angela for some petty thieves.
He looked in her eyes again and watched them fill and spill over as a sob ripped from her. Declan didn’t know what to do. He would protect her with his last breath, but consoling someone was far out of his comfort zone.
“It’ll be okay. I’ll keep you safe. You just have to stay with me,” he told her as he took her hand in his and squeezed her fingers.
“It’s not okay. Don’t you see that? People are scared. There’s probably more that are injured. You have to check on them,” she said, her shoulders going firm as she wiped away the tears as quickly as they’d come. She was such a strong woman, no doubt about it. He wondered what had happened in her life to give her such thick skin.
“Let’s get up,” he told her. “I don’t like being vulnerable.” He didn’t like their position on the ground. It was too easy for someone to attack. He wasn’t worried he couldn’t fend off the enemy, but he didn’t want to try to protect her while doing it. If he had to, he’d rather be on his feet.
“Okay, but I want to check on everyone,” she said.
They stood, and he looked out at the crowd. There were a few people on the ground just as she’d been, but no one seemed to be severely injured. He could only see a small area though. Some of the people who had fled were coming back to check on their things, return to their booths, or look for lost family members.
“Where’s Owen?” she asked.
“Did you see him when you came out?” he asked.
“No. He wasn’t there so I decided to go for a walk. I know it was foolish, but I really didn’t think there was danger like you’d thought,” she admitted.
Declan pulled out his phone and dialed. Owen picked up this time.
“Where are you?” Declan snapped.
“Sorry,” Owen said. “Eden had an issue and there was a couple fighting right by the café so I moved down the street where I could hear her. By the time I came back you were both gone. I’m sure I’m almost to you. I heard the shots,” Owen replied. “Is Angela okay?”
“Yes. She’s shaken up, but she’s okay,” Declan told Owen. “I want to get her out of here.”
“Of course. We need to get Timothy too,” Owen said.
“Right away. Get the car and meet me on the corner next to the fish market.”
“Done,” Owen said before hanging up.
There were sirens in the distance. They were finally on their way to the square. As the initial shock wore off, more people began talking about what had happened. Declan didn’t want to get mixed up in it.
If the authorities questioned him, it could take hours. He was a federal agent and trained to be aware of a lot more than civilians were aware of. One part of him wanted to scoop Angela up and walk away.
But that same training that had taught him what to look for had also taught him not to abandon a scene. He just hoped like hell it didn’t take all day. They had to pick Timothy up in two hours so whomever he spoke to better make it fast. He was getting Angela and Timothy out of this city before the perps came back for a second shot.
“Thank you for being here, Declan,” Angela told him, bringing him out of his thoughts.
“What?” he asked, confused. She hadn’t been happy to see him earlier.
“I wasn’t too thrilled to see you, but because you were here, I’m alive, and so are all these people. Who knows what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come? I owe you my life. There’s no one else I can say that to,” she told him before reaching for him.
He was in a bit of shock as she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed. She held on tightly as a shudder wracked through her body. Declan took a moment and hugged her back. He wanted to get moving, but he didn’t want to let her go.
“I didn’t do anything extra, Angela. You made the right decisions, and you probably saved a lot of lives by running toward the water.”
“No one would’ve needed saving if I hadn’t been here. I should’ve listened and gone straight home.”
“They probably know where that is. We need to get out of here.”
She let him go and the fear in her eyes made him feel guilty, but he was only trying to keep her safe. He had to be honest with her in order to do that.
“I truly thought I was okay here. I didn’t think they’d care enough to hunt me down. This is a long way to come. I was hoping they’d see I was gone and just wanted to live my life. I didn’t think I’d be a threat to anyone. But they really do want me dead,” she said with a little sob.
“They want anyone who stands in their way dead. But they aren’t going to get their way,” he assured her.
“You can’t promise that,” she said.
“I promise to keep you safe, and if you listen to me I can do that.”
“I’ll try,” she said.
Declan gave her the tiniest bit of a smile, which was rare for him. He respected her honesty. “I guess we’re both going to try stepping outside our comfort zones here,” he said.
“It won’t be easy.”
“No, we can both agree on that,” Declan told her.
He led her away. He wanted her safely in the car. He knew he’d have to talk to the authorities, but he wasn’t letting her be alone for even a minute. They’d deal with that or they weren’t getting his statement.
Chapter Ten
The first responders were at the scene in droves. Declan didn’t want to deal with what had to be done; he wanted to get Angela out of there. But he was a lawman and couldn’t just walk away.
“I’m going to take you to the car with Owen while I give my statement. I don’t want them to know the gunman was after you. I want to assess the situation first,” Declan told her.
“I’m sorry I dragged you away from home and m
ade this mess.”
He could never predict what would come from this woman’s mouth. She had so much compassion and seemed to be far more worried about everyone else’s needs than her own. He didn’t understand.
“We’ll talk about this later, but I need you to quit apologizing. You’re a mother, and you did what you had to do to keep your son safe. I understand that fight or flight feeling, and I get taking flight. But we’re going to do this differently now. So sit tight with Owen and I’ll be back quickly.”
“Shouldn’t I talk to them too?” she asked.
“No. Right now I don’t trust anyone,” Declan said.
“Even the police?”
He sighed. “I have the utmost respect for the men and women who serve in all aspects of law enforcement. But just because someone dons a uniform doesn’t make them the good guy. Just like there are bad apples in every aspect of life, there are people who get into law enforcement for the wrong reasons. I can honestly say I don’t often see it. But your protection is all I care about right now, and I’m not taking any chances.”
“I’ll trust you,” she said. She was well aware of someone using their authority to get what they wanted. It was tragic and made the good guys look bad. It made it hard to trust the people you should be able to trust the most. Though she’d had a negative experience, she still trusted them. She wasn’t allowing a few people to question her faith.
“Okay, stay put,” he said as they reached the car. Owen held open the door for her.
She smiled, and it was like a rainbow after the storm. He had to fight not to lean down and plant a solid kiss on those perfectly pink lips. He waited to leave until she was safely in the car.
“Take care of her,” he told Owen.
“Of course,” Owen replied.
He knew his brother wanted to go with him, but Owen wouldn’t let Angela out of his sight—not again. That’s why Declan wanted to get her home so badly. He could keep her safe there. In Edmonds he’d be able to have eyes on her twenty-four/seven. He couldn’t do that in San Diego.
He turned and moved toward the emergency responders, the scene filled with cop cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. When a shooter was involved they didn’t hold anything back. Declan wasn’t sure if there had been any injuries beyond scrapes and bruises. He hadn’t had time to assess the situation.
The sooner he spoke to the cops, though, the faster he could get her out of this city. He wasn’t sure how they were going to do it. They needed to pick up Timothy, and they had two vehicles. He’d figure that out next.
She wouldn’t fight him on leaving, not after what had happened today. She now knew these men could find her anywhere. Maybe she’d be safe in some Midwest town if she went into witness protection, but that was very difficult to explain to an eight-year-old. All Declan knew for certain was that she wasn’t safe alone.
As he stepped closer to the hub of the police, he noticed the people around him. The panic had dissipated, replaced by curiosity. Those who hadn’t been in the direct line of fire wanted to know what had happened. Some smiled and chatted. Others picked up lost items. Most people in this world were good, and when tragedy struck they banded together to help one another.
Sadly all the negative was broadcast across the country. A crime was tragic, but if the news focused more on the humanity of the community coming together and picking up the pieces, the criminals would lose the glory of their actions, and it would happen less.
When Declan had started school there’d been no such thing as a school shooting. The first had been Columbine. Until then, the worst school tragedies were courtyard brawls. Detention had been a big deterrent in his days. No student wanted to be stuck in that dark room while the sun was out and his peers were running around chasing girls.
But in today’s world, all you heard about was another attack and violence across the entire country. What had happened to the days his grandfather and father had spoken about? Maybe someday they’d get them back. Maybe someday the cartels like the one after the woman he cared about would actually be the losers. He’d fight every day of his life to make that happen.
The sirens had stopped now that the emergency vehicles were parked, but lights flashed brightly, drawing attention to the center where orders were shouted and teams were organizing.
Paramedics walked the streets helping people. He watched as someone was placed on a stretcher, but the woman appeared to be alert. Declan hadn’t seen any casualties, one positive in an ugly situation.
He easily spotted the man in charge: a large white-haired man with a captain’s badge on his chest. His mouth was grim as he spoke with authority, sending his men in all directions. He wanted witnesses interviewed before they disappeared. Then maybe, just maybe, they had a chance of catching the shooter.
He approached and the man stopped speaking, eying Declan.
“You look like law,” the captain said.
Declan’s lip turned up a bit as he held out his badge he’d already pulled from his pocket. Better not to reach into a dark jacket in a tense situation.
“Declan Forbes, FBI,” he said.
“Not from here,” the captain said.
“No, from Washington. I’ve been on a trail, but I’ll be heading back home today,” Declan told him.
“Trail go cold?” the captain asked. “Or did you decide to bring your mess here and leave it on my doorstep?”
This wasn’t a man to be fooled. And he didn’t want a song and dance. Declan had the utmost respect for that.
“There are things I can’t say,” Declan said.
The captain smirked and Declan had the feeling he wanted to roll his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know FBI talk,” he said. “Captain Singer.” The man held out his hand. “What can you tell me?”
“I saw the shooter but can’t give a great description,” Declan said. “I’m also not here to step on toes. I just want to give an account of what I saw and be on my way.”
“Captain, we have two shooting victims, nothing fatal. There are a lot of witnesses but the accounts vary,” a young cop said as he skidded to a halt in front of the captain, appearing eager to please his boss.
“Keep trying to get information. If enough people collaborate one story, we know we have something,” the captain said. The young cop ran off as the captain turned back to Declan.
“I saw the gun, but he was good at keeping it hidden. He had on a dark hoodie, but I could see his olive complexion. Male.”
“Mexican?” the captain asked.
“I can’t say. I also didn’t hear him speak.”
Declan assumed the shooter was from the Coronado gang, but he couldn’t say for sure and wasn’t going to voice assumptions.
“This is a mess down here. I want you to go to the station and sit with my guy. Let’s see if we can jog your memory a little more,” Captain Singer told him.
That was exactly what Declan hadn’t wanted. He needed to get Angela on the road.
“I don’t see the point in that,” Declan told him.
The man’s lips pursed. “Humor me, then. This is chaos, and I don’t like cleaning up messes in my city. I like nice easy days. Sometime in the near future I’d like to think my city is secure enough for me to retire and spend my days on a sailboat with a fishing pole instead of on hot pavement smeared with blood.”
“I can appreciate that,” Declan told him. The man looked worn.
“Head down there now. I’m going to be right behind you. I just have to get this a bit more organized. I should have you in and out fast,” Singer assured him.
“Yes, Sir,” Declan said, giving the man the respect he’d obviously earned.
Declan knew he’d been dismissed. He turned and walked away, anxious to get back to Angela. His brother was more than capable of taking care of her, but he didn’t like having her out of his sight for too long with all of this going on.
In the chaos, Declan had forgotten to call Dorsey back. Even in the middle of the worst situations Declan d
idn’t normally forget anything. It had to be Angela. She meant more to him than simply being a person needing protection. He just wasn’t sure what that was.
He decided to call Dorsey as he walked. He answered immediately.
“Sorry for the delay,” Declan said as a greeting. “The gang found her. There was a shooting. She’s secure now, and it doesn’t appear as if there are any casualties.”
“I’m watching it on the news right now. It said there are two gunshot victims, but no fatalities,” Dorsey replied.
“News travels fast,” Declan murmured, thinking back to his earlier thoughts. He wondered if the news was showing how the community was coming together right now to help each other. He doubted it.
“I saw the gunman but didn’t get a good description. I think Angela did. We’re going to talk more about it. I need to get her back home. Definitely need to get her and her son out of here,” Declan said.
“Agreed. We’ve been doing a lot of research into this Coronado gang. They’ve been all over the United States and Mexico. They have a lot of blood on their rap sheet, but there’s no telling how many members there are.”
“I’ll get her home and we’ll go from there,” Declan told him.
“Just be careful, Declan. I don’t know how many higher-ups these guys have in their pockets. I know there’s a lot of money involved, though,” Dorsey said.
“I never trust anyone, so that’s easy,” Declan said with his idea of a laugh. The sound was cold enough that a person nearby stepped farther away from him as he moved through the waning crowd back to Angela.
“That’s a tough way to live, but I get it,” Dorsey said.
They ended the call as Declan reached the vehicle. Angela and Owen were safely inside.
“We need to go to the police station. I want you to wait with Angela while I go inside. This should be quick,” Declan said.
“We have to pick up Timothy in just over an hour,” Angela reminded them.
“We’ll be there,” Declan assured her.
“If you take too long, I’ll take her to get him,” Owen said.
“I won’t take too long.”
