THIRTEEN
The moment she heard the rotors, Candace got up off the chair she’d been sitting on inside the lobby and ran out onto the north lawn.Maya, Dev, and Erin followed, along with the cops and Feds they’d already spoken to.
She held her breath as the outline of the helo came into view.They’d had zero updates since Ryan and the others had left, and she’d spent the past ninety-some-odd minutes worrying that something had gone wrong.They’d gone in there with no backup, and with her grandmother of all people in tow.
She winced as she shifted the sling Erin had made for her out of a bed sheet to minimize the strain on her shoulder blade, eyes glued to the helo.Was everyone okay?Did they get March?
The Blackhawk circled overhead then came in to land on the far side of the lawn.Moments later, shadowy shapes began to climb out of the interior.The first one was escorting another person.Someone wearing a hood.
The Feds near her took off running toward them, and she realized it was Jeb Taylor with a prisoner.March?
She looked past them to the helo, recognizing her grandma’s petite form as someone led her across the lawn, her short white hair whipping in the rotor wash.The worry eased a little, but not completely as she searched for Ryan.
Two more men hopped out, then her heart did a painful somersault in her chest when Ryan’s tall, familiar form finally jumped out of the helo.
Without waiting, she raced for him.He ran toward her, caught her with his good arm and dragged her close, his hand locked around the back of her head as he pressed her cheek to his chest.“I’m good, baby, I’m okay.”
“You swear?”she asked, squeezing him for all she was worth with her right arm.
“I swear.What about you?”He pulled back to study her, his hand solid around the back of her neck.
“Relieved,” she answered, tipping her face up to kiss him, clutching at the back of his tac vest because she couldn’t make herself let him go yet.“They wouldn’t tell us shit about what was going on.Was that March?”
“Yeah.”
She looked over her shoulder to see the Feds hauling him off to a waiting vehicle, Taylor with them.She faced her husband.“Are you still bleeding?”
“Just a little.”
In other words, yes.“I want you to go to the hospital.”
Surprisingly, he didn’t argue.“Yeah, okay.Come on, let’s get you back inside where it’s warm.”
Holding tight to his hand, she walked back with him to the main building and stopped outside in front of the lobby.Her friends were all waiting there, hugging their significant others.
In the light from the lamp post behind them, Candace pulled back to scan Ryan for injuries, but aside from the blood on his right upper arm, he seemed okay.The awful knot in her stomach finally eased.“So it’s over?”
“Our part is,” he answered, bending to kiss her again.“The Feds will take it from here.”
Good.“Did Grandma go with you guys on the ground?”
“Just to the tunnel entrance, but yeah.”His eyes twinkled, his lips curving upward.“The best part of the whole night was when she went after March.”
She blinked.“What do you mean?”
