A movement from the other side of the glass caught his attention. With his back flat to the wall, he peered into the window to see two more guards on the other side of the door.
He tapped twice, then ducked down onto the steps below. When the door opened, he squeezed the trigger, hitting the first guard between the eyes. The second guard looked on in shock before lifting his gun to take aim at Ethan. That hesitation cost him. Ethan took his shot just as the man aimed and fired. The man's shot went wild, and then his lifeless body slumped to the floor.
Never hesitate.
Ethan ran up the remaining flights of steps until he came to the final floor, where the door to the roof would be. There were four guards here, and Ethan slowed his ascent as he calculated how he'd get past them.
If he could break them up, it would be easier. Two at a time. But how to get them to separate?
Ethan turned around, then went down a couple of flights of steps, giving himself the perfect angle to aim at the men who would come down to investigate. Once he was in place, he pitched his voice as high as he could and giggled. Rolling his eyes at himself, he waited.
He heard the men debating what the noise could be. Finally, a man whom the others called Zuckers said, "You two go down and get those girls out of here. Smith and I will stay up here. Hurry. They're probably drunk, and I don't need any of the other guys getting trigger-happy. Bruno would kill us."
Footsteps pounded down the steps. The first guy came into view, not yet seeing Ethan. He was laughing at some crude joke the other man had made. When he saw Ethan, he fumbled with his gun, trying to aim and fire. Ethan applied the slightest pressure to the trigger, and the man tumbled down the steps, landing at Ethan's feet, his lifeless eyes staring at him in shock. The other man turned to run back up, but Ethan was too quick, shooting him in the back. The man fell forward, and Ethan shot the man in the head. His body went still.
The commotion of the men falling down the steps had the two above him scrambling. Shots sounded, and the man called Zuckers screamed into a radio, alerting whoever was on the channel that Ethan was coming.
Ethan aimed and fired, missing the two men. Bullets ricocheted off the walls around him, causing pieces of concrete to explode on impact. A sharp piece of debris hit him in the face, and he could feel the warm flow of blood rolling down his cheek.
Ducking behind the corner, Ethan waited as a barrage of bullets tore into the walls. When it stopped, he left his cover and fired two rounds. A man tumbled down the steps, falling right at Ethan's feet.
One down. One to go.
Carefully, Ethan crept up the steps, finding the man called Zuckers lying there. Blood flowed from a wound in his gut. He had the radio to his mouth, and Ethan could hear the man on the other end calling his name. It was Bruno.
The man's breathing was labored, and blood pooled in his mouth.
"Please," the man said.
But there was no time for mercy. Not today. Isabel's life was hanging in the balance. He wouldn't risk her.
Ethan lifted his gun and fired.
Bruno knew he was coming. The urgency Ethan felt to get to Isabel increased. Men who were scared tended to be stupid.
Carefully, Ethan pushed the metal door open, and it hit the wall with a loud clang. With his gun leading, he stepped out onto the roof, looking both ways for Isabel.
When his gaze turned to his right, he saw her. Bruno had her by the hair, and a gun was pointed at her head as she knelt in front of him. There was blood at her temple, and she was wearing a silver dress like the ones he'd seen on the girls in the alley at Bruno's club.
He would pay for hurting her.
"Drop your weapon," Bruno called out.
"Not a chance in hell," Ethan shouted back.
"Drop it, or I'll push her over the side." Bruno pulled her quickly back by the hair, and she teetered dangerously over the edge of the hotel.
"Ok, ok." Ethan put his hands up, carefully laying the gun down at his feet. He didn't stand. He stayed low to the ground, trying to make himself as small a target as he could.
"Now, walk this way," Bruno said, pulling Isabel back to safety. Ethan let out a small sigh of relief as he stood to walk towards Bruno.
"I knew you'd come alone."
"You didn't give me much choice."
"Did you bring the thumb drive?"
Ethan nodded. Slowly, he walked closer to Isabel and Bruno. He could see the crazy-eyed expression Bruno wore. The man was unhinged. Desperate.
He stopped just a few feet away from them, his hands raised at eye level.
"Let her go, Bruno, and I'll give you what you want."
"I'm calling the shots here. You'll give me the thumb drive, and then I'll let her go."
Ethan knew he was lying. He could see it in Bruno's eyes. When he looked down at Isabel, he saw the slight shake of her head. She knew it, too.
He would not let them die here. Not by this crazy bastard.
Carefully, he reached into his pocket. Bruno raised the gun away from Isabel and pointed it at Ethan. Just what he wanted. He slid the fake drive from his pocket and laid it flat on his palm, holding it out.
Bruno pushed Isabel forward. "Get it," he barked.
Isabel scrambled to her feet and held out her bound hands for Ethan to put the drive into. His fingers brushed the back of her hand. She smiled sadly at him.
It wasn't going to end this way. He wouldn't let it. He was going to spend the rest of his life lavishing her with all the love she deserved. And he'd certainly keep her from ever being in danger like this again.
Isabel handed the thumb drive to Bruno. He took it from her, pushing her away and keeping his gun trained on Ethan. Bruno walked over to the laptop, his eyes never leaving Ethan. He knelt to plug the drive into the computer, keeping the gun aimed at Ethan's head.
A movement to his left caught Ethan’s eye, and he looked over at Isabel just as Bruno glanced down to watch the files load. Bruno’s back was to her, so he couldn't see what she was doing. She lifted her hands above her head and, with as much force as she could, brought her forearms down against her hip bones. The zip tie broke in half, and she was free.
Quickly, Ethan diverted his gaze back to Bruno, just as Isabel launched herself at the man's back, knocking the gun from his hand.
Ethan shouted, "No!"
But it was too late.
Bruno backhanded her, and her body was flung to the side. Spurred into action, Ethan dove for the gun just as Bruno scrambled towards it. Ethan's fingers brushed against the cold metal, but Bruno reached it at the same time, his fingers knocking it out of Ethan's reach. Before Ethan could grab it, Bruno was on top of him.
His fist landed in Ethan's face, and Ethan struggled to gain the upper hand, twisting and squirming to get out from under him. His best chance was to get to the gun before Bruno did. Ethan reached above him for the gun, but he couldn't grab it.
Gathering his strength, Ethan bucked, freeing himself from Bruno's weight. On his hands and knees, he lunged forward just as Bruno hurled himself over him, his hand wrapping around the butt of the gun. In a single motion, Bruno turned, aiming the gun at Ethan's head.
Ethan's hands came up. Damn it. He'd been so close. Isabel was sitting up now, her hand pressed to her cheek.
"Get up!" Bruno yelled, his gun leveled at Ethan the whole time. Ethan stood slowly, his hands in the air, as Bruno backed up towards the edge of the building.
"That was a stupid thing to do," he growled, his attention momentarily flickering to Isabel.
Isabel just shrugged nonchalantly. Ethan wanted to kiss her. She was so brave in the face of such danger.
"I never saw what The General saw in the lot of you," Bruno said, his breathing still labored.
Ethan's attention perked up. The General?
Bruno laughed. "He used you. You've been pawns in his game for a long time. Who do you think moved Sully and the rest of the guys through the military ranks so quickly? Who do you think arranged for you
r perfect Ivy League education?" He directed the last question to Isabel. "Who do you think pulled all the strings? He did."
"I don't understand. Why would he do that?" Isabel asked.
"He needed you. But now he doesn't. You've become a liability, and, fortunately for me, he's willing to pay a lot of money to have you all disappear. Once I kill you two, I'll pick off each of your team members, one by one."
Bruno backed up a few more paces, getting dangerously close to the edge of the roof.
"So you're a lapdog, then. You just do what you’re told, no questions asked?" Ethan said.
Bruno's face hardened into anger, the tight, shiny side growing red and mottled. "The General made sure I didn't do time for killing that bitch of a mother of yours." He pointed the gun at Isabel, then shifted it back to Ethan. "He took care of me, and now I take care of him. I ensure he makes a lot of money, and he makes sure I live a comfortable life. Free to explore all of my baser pleasures."
The guy was a sicko. A lackey. A leech on society.
Bruno's gaze tracked down to his laptop. A smile broke across his face. "Fan-tas-tic," he said enunciating each syllable. "Now that that business is out of the way and my files have been returned, who should I shoot first?" He swung the gun at Isabel and then back to Ethan.
Isabel stood slowly, her hands in front of her.
"Look, Bruno. You don't have to do this," she said pleadingly.
"Of course I do," he said, laughing. "I enjoy it."
He pointed the gun at Isabel again, and then back and forth between her and Ethan. "Eenie, meenie, miney—"
Isabel propelled herself in front of the gun just as Bruno said, "Moe."
The gunshot sounded, and Isabel fell against Bruno. Bruno was knocked backwards, and his heel caught on the edge of the roofline. His arms windmilled, and he struggled to keep himself upright, but the momentum was too great. With a scream of terror, Bruno fell from the roof to his death.
Ethan scrambled over and watched as Bruno's body fell, impaling itself on the pointed copper petal of the giant lotus flower sculpture in the pool. Blood poured out, dripping into the pool water and turning it a grotesque shade of red. Guests in the pool area screamed, running around in chaotic confusion as they tried to get away from the morbid scene.
Ripping his gaze away, Ethan heard Isabel's whimper from behind him. Rushing to her side, he lifted her head.
"What's wrong?" he asked, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Isabel moved her hand from just under her rib. A bright red spot was spreading on the silver dress.
"You're hit," he said. As quickly as he could, he removed his Kevlar vest and took off the black t-shirt underneath. Bunching it up, he pushed it into her side.
"Why did you do that?" he asked, just as the door to the roof slammed open. Four men in black pushed through with guns raised, and Ethan gave a sigh of relief.
"Lucas!" he shouted, and Lucas lowered his gun and ran over to them. The rest of the Castle team hurried over as well, guns still at the ready to take out any threats.
"He's gone," Ethan said and nodded towards the side of the building.
"Well, that's a nasty scene," Gabriel said as he peered over the side of the building and at the impaled figure below.
Isabel grabbed Ethan's hand. "I didn't want him to kill you," she said, bloody foam bubbling at her mouth.
"I know," Ethan said. "Shh, don't talk. You're going to be ok."
"Ethan, I need to tell you—"
"No. Don't you dare. You are going to be just fine. You'll have plenty of time to tell me later. Do you hear me, Isabel?"
A smile tugged at her lips. "Stubborn man," she said, and then her eyes fluttered closed.
"Isabel! Isabel!" he shouted, fear pressing in on him and tearing his heart out.
"We need to get her to a hospital fast. I think the bullet nicked her lung," Lucas said.
"I've already called for a medevac. They'll be here any minute," Sully said.
The roar of a helicopter sounded as if on cue, and Ethan looked up to see the medevac bearing down on them. The team scattered, making room for the helicopter to land.
The EMTs rushed out with a stretcher, and Ethan and the guys backed away as they loaded Isabel onto it and into the helicopter. Ethan and Sully started to climb in after her, when one of the technicians put his hand up to stop them.
"One family member only," he said.
"I'm her brother," Sully said, pushing the guy's hand aside so he could climb in. Ethan stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.
"I'm her husband," he said.
Sully paused, then nodded.
"We'll meet you there." With a quick pat on the shoulder, Sully stepped down and back to the team. Ethan climbed in next to Isabel, watching as the paramedics worked on her.
As the medevac took off, Ethan took in the lights of the city as they passed by below them, and he prayed that God would save the one woman who meant more to him than life itself.
Chapter 28
Everything hurt.
Isabel struggled to sit up and open her eyes, but they felt so heavy. Panic shot through her. Where was she? Where was Ethan? Was he ok?
She remembered Bruno's gun going off. Had he shot Ethan?
A warm hand pressed into her shoulder, gently pushing her back against the soft bed.
"Hey, it's ok. I'm here." Ethan's voice was soothing, and her fear dissipated.
Isabel forced her eyes open, and Ethan's face blurred before her.
"Ethan?" she croaked. It felt like it had been years since she'd used her voice.
"Let me get you some water," he said.
She closed her eyes briefly until a cup of water was lightly pressed to her lips. She peeled her eyes open again, seeing Ethan's handsome face. Sipping the water felt heavenly.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice stronger now.
"You threw yourself in front of a bullet. That's what happened."
She could tell he was angry at her, but, if given the choice, she'd do it all over again. There’d been no way she was going to stand by while that monster killed another person she loved. She wouldn't have been able to live with herself.
"You're ok?" she asked hesitantly. She didn't remember much after she'd thrown herself at Bruno, just the bastard flailing as he teetered over the edge of the hotel.
"Dammit, Isabel. Yeah, I'm ok. But you could have been killed. Do you know what that would have done to me?" Ethan pushed his hands through his hair, and, by the looks of it, he must have been doing that for hours.
"I'm sorry. I just reacted." She lifted her hand to his face, stroking his cheek. His eyes met hers, and she saw unshed tears hovering on his lashes.
"I thought I'd lost you. For good."
"I'm too stubborn to die," she quipped.
Ethan leaned into her hand, then turned his head and pressed a kiss into her palm. She tried to take a deep breath, but pain lanced through her chest.
Ethan heard her quick intake of breath, and concern touched his brow. "Your lung was clipped. The bullet went straight through, but they had to go in and release some of the pressure around your lung. You may be uncomfortable for a few days, but you'll make a full recovery."
Isabel nodded. Ethan leaned down, his lips a fraction of an inch away from hers. "Do you know how lucky you were? Just a couple of inches higher, Izz, and I'd have lost you."
She put both hands on his cheeks, then leaned in, pressing her lips to his.
"I'm ok."
The door squeaked open, and Sully walked in.
"Sully!" Isabel exclaimed. Never in her life had she been so happy to see her brother.
He rushed to her side, and Ethan stepped back to give him room.
Sully gave her a gentle hug, then pulled back. "When I saw you lying there with blood pouring from your side—"
"Shh—I'm fine. Really."
Sully shook his head. "Isabel, you're a shit-ton of trouble, you know that?"
Isabel laughed, b
ut winced at the pain in her side when she did. She could see the affection flowing from Sully's eyes.
"But you love me, anyway," she said.
"Yeah, I do." He squeezed her hand. "The rest of the guys want to come in and see you. Are you up for that?"
"Of course. Send them in."
Isabel spent the next ten minutes convincing the guys that she was really ok. When her eyes started to droop of their own accord, Ethan ushered everyone out of her room. Finally, they were alone again, and Ethan sat down in the chair by the bed.
"Come here," she said, patting the bed next to her.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said.
"You won't." She patted the bed again, and Ethan slipped off his shoes and climbed in next to her. His arm went around her shoulders, and she rested her head on his chest. Sighing deeply, Isabel closed her eyes and slept.
* * * *
Two days later, Ethan met Zach in the waiting room as he waited for Isabel to be discharged. Zach had brought the rental car to pick them up. Ethan hadn't left Isabel's side except when the nurses had forced him out. Even then, he'd just gone to the guest shower to bathe, and then to the cafeteria to get some coffee. He'd barely slept in days. Only when he had Isabel in his arms could he rest.
"What did the chief say?" Ethan asked. He hadn't received the update yet.
"He wasn't exactly happy. Bruno's death kind of made a splash." Zach snorted at his pun. "But they've been after the guy for a while. He had a laundry list of crimes against him: trafficking, kidnapping, murder, drugs. You name it, Bruno had his hands in it."
"Were you able to access the files?" Ethan asked.
Zach lowered his eyes.
"What happened, Zach?" Ethan waited for the bad news he was sure was coming.
"It's Quita," Zach started.
"Is she ok?"
"We don't actually know. I assume she is. She ran off. Took the files, erased them from the computer, and left. I've tried tracking her down over the last two days, but it's like she's a ghost. She's disappeared."
"When did this happen?"
Castle Investigations Box Set Page 71
