What happened next had Mitch forgetting everything apart from the need to get to Finn. A screech of brakes, aloud yell in unison from the men on the street, and high-pitched screams from the women in the beer garden.Oh my God!
Other patrons from inside the pub were drawn to the noise and were making their way to the low brick wall that separated the pub garden from the footpath, joining the onlookers who’d made their way there. Mitch pushed past the small crowd and bounded over the wall, his pulsethundering in his veins. A bike nearly hit him, but he stepped back just in time as Lucky, who hadn’t even dismounted from his bike, roared off down the road in pursuit of a white sedan whose taillights were disappearing around the corner.
Mitch, Rocky, and Stack raced across the road, and it was only when they reached the other side that Mitch understood what had happened: the Commodore hadslammed into Pete, who lay in a crumpled heap on the bitumen, with Finn kneeling at this side.
The relief was instantaneous, the weight lifted from his chest.
Finn is okay, he’s not hurt, he’s safe. Finn is fine.
Just as quickly the horror of the situation became apparent, and bile rose in Mitch’s throat. The car had hit Pete with some force, judging from the mangled car door that hung fromone hinge. Pete’s head had slammed against the road surface, and a pool of blood seeped in a slowly growing circle around his dark curls. Mitch dropped to his knees beside Finn and carefully checked Pete’s throat for a pulse. It was faint but present.Thank God.
“It’ll be okay,” Finn whispered, gently pushing Pete’s hair back. Pete’s pale, gaunt face was even more colorless, as if life had alreadyleft him, and with a wave of clarity, Mitch understood it most likely had, or wasn’t far off. Even if they could repair Pete’s leg, which was bent at an unnatural angle, the chances of them getting him alive to the hospital in order to do so seemed fairly slim. Mitch had seen enough death in his line of work to know it didn’t look good. He shook his head.But it’s not hopeless!While there wasstill a pulse under his fingertips and Pete took a breath, no matter how weak, there was still a chance.
“Be careful touching him, Finn. Here.” Mitch ripped his T-shirt off and thrust it at Finn. “Take this and use it to stop the bleeding at his head. But be careful not to move his neck. Hold the T-shirt against the wound on the side of his head with one hand and use your other hand to stabilizehis head so he can’t move.”
Finn’s blue eyes were wide with shock. “I….” His voice trembled.
“Now, Finn.”
Finn jumped at the command in Mitch’s tone and bent to place a palm on either side of Pete’s head, the folded T-shirt staunching the flow of blood. Mitch let out a quiet exhalation when Finn met his gaze and nodded. Giving Finn something practical and important to do had curbed his panicand distress.
Mitch looked up to Rocky. “Call the ambulance.”
Rocky stood and stared, features unmoving and his mouth in a hard line. He made no effort to reach for his phone.
“We need to get him help, Rocky. Call the ambulance. Now.” The authoritative tone didn’t work as well on Rocky, who looked indecisive, glancing between Pete on the ground and Stack, who stood beside him. Mitch finallylost his temper. “For fuck’s sake!” He fumbled in his pocket before remembering his phone was in his jacket back at the pub, then another voice cut in.
“I called triple O. They’re sending an ambulance and the cops.”
Mitch nodded his appreciation to the stranger and focused back on Pete. There was nothing much he could do, as Finn seemed to have it under control, leaning over and holding thefolded T-shirt to Pete’s head while he kept him steady. So Mitch placed a hand on Finn’s back, hoping he’d get the message and know Mitch was there for him too.
“The cops are on their way, Mitch.”
Mitch looked up at Rocky’s statement. “Yeah? I heard.”
“He’s—” Rocky’s voice was low, and he tilted his head toward Pete’s prone body. “He’s carrying.”
It suddenly clicked. Rocky was worried aboutwhat the ambos and cops would find on Pete. Drugs, guns.Jesus!
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” Mitch said. “You and Stack get out of here. I’ll deal with the cops.”
“What will you say?” Stack asked.
“The truth. Pete and I are workmates, and we were meeting for a drink after work.”
Mitch glanced around and saw the guy who’d called the police had crossed back to comfort the girls, standingwith a small group of people who had gathered to gawk at the commotion. He grabbed the chance and turned back to Pete and hurriedly rummaged through his pockets, finding the small plastic Ziploc bag of what he assumed was heroin—Jesus, Pete, how much of the goddamn stuff do you need?—but not much else apart from a lighter. No other paraphernalia, no weapons—thank Christ—and his wallet looked clean.
The sound of sirens rent the air, the familiar noise making Mitch’s pulse race. He glanced at Rocky as he shoved the little packet of heroin down the front of his jeans and into his boxer briefs. Rocky nodded and spun on his heel, Stack following as they crossed the road at a rapid pace.
Mitch turned his attention back to the scene in front of him. Intentionally ignoring the wide-eyed look onFinn’s face, he focused on Pete. Fuck, he didn’t look good. All that blood—too much blood—and his breathing was deteriorating as well. Pete’s chest rose and fell in a way that was way too shallow and slow.
“What are you doing?” Finn hissed, his gaze focused on Mitch’s groin. “The police will be here any second.” He looked panicked as he lifted his eyes, but he didn’t move from his position besidePete where he held Mitch’s shirt to Pete’s head.Is the bleeding slowing at all?
“And they’ll be focused on Pete and getting him attended to as soon as possible. I want you to go with Pete in the ambulance, and I’ll stay here to deal with the cops.” Finn’s brows pulled tight in a look Mitch had come to recognize. “I mean it, Finn. Just leave this to me. You take care of Pete, and I’ll take careof the rest.”
“But if they search the ute? If they know you’re connected with Pete and that Pete’s connected with the Soldiers….” Finn dropped his gaze to his crotch again, where it was as if the little plastic bag of white powder was burning against his skin.
Before he could say anything else, the ambulance pulled up, and two paramedics jumped from the vehicle. Within moments they were dealingwith Pete—stabilizing his head and neck, checking his vitals, inserting a cannula, dealing with his head wound, and preparing him for transport.
