“I’m aware. Turn right.”
We came to the end of the alley, and an ambulance flew past us.
“Follow the paramedics.”
Oh, shit.
Scott looked at me. The words, oh shit, so clearly seen in his eyes, they might as well have been written on them.
Sirens and lights from the ambulance joined with the sirens coming from the police cars up ahead. We stopped and hopped out just as Celeste, Lucia, and Declan pulled in behind us.
As soon as I saw Declan, I grabbed him, pulling him toward me.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” he yelled, pushing past me toward the ambulance, “It’s Jackson.”
“What do you mean?” I yelled after him, moving to follow him.
He ignored me and continued toward the ambulance, and the other one, pulling in behind it.
When we got to the police tape, Heidi squatted next to someone on the ground, and Foster stood shirtless, his hands and chest covered in blood. A man in a suit, a detective, if I had to guess, stood next to Foster, who seemed to be answering questions reluctantly.
“Foster and Heidi beat us here. His mic was hot and transmitted everything he said.”
“Is it still transmitting?”
Declan shook his head as he stepped forward. An NYPD officer mirrored his actions, and Declan stopped.
“They shot Jackson, and Katie is unconscious. She collapsed and hit her head. Based on what I’m hearing, Jackie’s…”
“C’mon. Let’s get you in the SUV so we can follow Jackson and Katie to the hospital.”
I tugged on him, but he didn’t budge. When the paramedics lifted the gurney, Jackson’s voice pierced the air as he screamed Katie’s name. Declan’s knees gave out.
“What the fuck am I supposed to tell his Mama and Daddy. I fucking failed them. I was supposed to keep him safe.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
He spun on me, rage and self-loathing evident on his face. “Tell me how you got to that conclusion, so I can use it with Walker and Lillian and the rest of my goddamned family when they try to fucking lynch me.”
“First of all, there are seven of us watching over them. Seven. Second, Foster is the point man on this op. Not you.”
“Detail.”
“What?”
“If you’re gonna do this work, you need to learn the lingo. An op is a military operation. We are a protection detail. Which apparently, I fucking suck at.”
Jackson and Katie’s gurneys were loaded into the back of the rigs with Foster and Heidi climbing in behind them. As the doors shut, Declan turned and stalked off.
“Cato… Are you still there?”
“Yes.”
“What hospital?”
“I’m texting you the name and address. Tell Declan to call me when he settles down some.”
