“All right, Kelsi. I’m going to look you over now, okay? Can you sit down for me?”
He tried to put her down on the bumper of the ambulance for the EMT to check her over, but she clenched his dress shirt tightly between her fingers, refusing to let him go. His heart warmed at that, at how he could be her comfort again.
The EMT raised her eyebrows at him, silently asking him to help her out.
“I’m not going to put you down, Red, but I’m gonna sit and hold you, okay?”
She whispered, “Yes,” and he carefully sat down and readjusted her in his arms, so she sat on his lap facing out at the young EMT, who held a no-nonsense air about her that Dylan could appreciate. Her eyes were sharp as she ran through the concussion tests with Kelsi and examined the rest of her. She carefully checked over her extremities for any contusions until finally declaring she only had some minor bruising but would need to go to the hospital to have a full exam.
Dylan let out a relieved breath at the news, and his hold on Kelsi loosened, but only slightly. “Thank you.”
She handed him a stress blanket to wrap Kelsi in before walking away, breaking down the gurney to prepare the ambulance for the trip to the hospital.
Kole and Abby walked over, having given them space for the EMT to do her job. Kole spoke first. “The other EMT said they’re going to take Kelsi to the hospital.” He glanced down at his watch. “Looks like you’re going to have to head back to court soon, too.”
Dylan cursed, having forgotten entirely about the case. He was torn, wanting to accompany her to the hospital, but knowing he needed to appear in court and ask Judge Bolton to throw the case out, now that McGuinness was dead.
Abby read the war on his face and stepped closer. “Don’t worry, Dylan. I’ll ride with her. You go take care of the trial, and we’ll see you at the hospital after, okay?”
He nodded at her gratefully. Kelsi moved herself slowly out of his lap and climbed onto the gurney in the back of the ambulance. Abby sat with her, taking the seat at her side and holding her left hand in between her own.
Kole looked at the women and said to Kelsi, “Glad you’re okay.” She gave him a grateful smile. He turned to Abby and smirked, looking her over slowly. “Til next time, Abby.”
She scowled at him, and Dylan chuckled under his breath.Thatwas something he would be asking Kole about later.
The EMT closed the doors on the back, climbed in with the girls, and drove off.
Dylan turned to Kole. “Where’s McGuinness? What happened in there?”
Kole sighed, looking troubled. “He’s dead. Held a gun up to Kelsi’s head when we found them in an upstairs room.” He shook his head. “Suicide by cop, the fucking coward. I put the bullet between his eyes.”
Dylan understood Kole’s expression now. He’d never been comfortable taking lives, even when it was a choice between himself and another person. As the golden retriever of their unit, he played it off well, but he took things harder than others expected of him.
Dylan clasped his shoulder tightly. “Thank you,” he breathed out. “If you hadn’t, there’s no telling what might have happened. You saved my girl’s life, and I’ll never be able to repay you for that.”
Kole met his eyes. “You don’t have to thank me, Dylan. It’s my honor to have done this for you. You gave so much to me in Afghanistan.” A nod at Dylan’s leg, which he had blocked out until now, the twinge of pain sneaking back in now that the adrenaline high of the raid was receding. Kole somehow believed that Dylan being injured when Kole escaped unscathed meant that Kole owed him for something. Completely untrue, but survivor’s guilt manifested itself in weird ways.
“Let’s call it even, man.”
“Deal.”
* * *
Dylan walked into the courtroom and barely registered Tom and Ms. Dina sitting in the back row on the commonwealth’s side.Judge Bolton was already seated at the bench, Dylan having barely made it in time. The only other people in the room were Mr. Carver, who looked drawn and pale sitting at the defense’s table, the court reporter, and the courtroom deputy hovering beside the judge.
Judge Bolton eyed him coolly and commented, “Cutting it close, are we, Mr. Holloway?”
“My apologies, Your Honor, it has been a rather hectic morning.”
She gracefully inclined her head. “The court reporter has been sworn in already,” she informed Dylan, and he registered the older woman seated behind her stenotype machine, typing as the judge spoke. “I understand you are bringing a motion to dismiss this case?”
“That’s correct, Your Honor.” Dylan had called Mr. Carver and the court on his drive so they were aware of what was happening, but the transcript had to reflect the motion. All he’d wanted to do was go to the hospital with Kelsi, but the case needed to be wrapped up first.
He straightened, speaking directly to the judge. “I was detained this morning because my cocounsel was abducted this morning. She was recovered safely and the kidnapper, Mr. McGuinness, was shot and killed during the rescue. The commonwealth would move to dismiss this case, as the defendant is deceased.” He turned to stare at Mr. Carver and added, “And since this is being transcribed for this court’s record, I would like it to state that if the commonwealth finds out Mr. Carver had any knowledge of his client’s intentions or participated in the obstruction of justice in any way, he will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Mr. Carver’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he gulped nervously, but he said nothing.
“Motion granted. Commonwealth v. McGuinness is dismissed.” The gavel cracked sharply against the wood block in front of Judge Bolton on the bench. “A word, please, Mr. Holloway?”
