Crap. Raider shoved past Eddie for the door. He had to get Sean medical help. “Follow my lead.” He moved past Eddie and opened the door, his hands up. “We heard screaming and caught a guy robbing this place. The bartender needs an ambulance. Now,” he called out, facing two legitimate Collinsville police cars with doors opened and cops pointing guns at him. He blinked.
Force moved from one car and Wolfe the other, both wearing police jackets. Wolfe grabbed his arm and spun him around to face the wall, while Force ran inside. Eddie’s hands went up in surrender, his expression oddly innocent.
Force moved for Sean and felt his neck. “He’s alive. Call for an ambulance,” he ordered Wolfe.
Wolfe finished pretending to search Raider. “You take these two in, and I’ll wait for the ambulance with this bartender guy.”
Good. Raider tried to measure Sean’s uneasy breathing. Wolfe surely had some combat medical experience, and that would come in handy while the ambulance made its way to them. Hopefully it wasn’t too late for the stubborn farmer.
“Roger that,” Force said, motioning Eddie toward the door. “We’ll see what really happened.”
Raider glanced at Eddie, who glared. All right. This was going to be interesting.
Chapter Thirty
Raider sat in back of the squad car and watched the trees fly by outside as they headed into town. He didn’t have much time.
Angus Force looked at them through the rearview mirror, playing the role of a small-town cop perfectly. “How about you boys tell me what happened tonight?”
Raider shrugged. “Heard a ruckus, went to investigate, and saw some punk beating up that old guy. We had to intervene.”
Force frowned. “The door was unlocked?”
“Yep,” Eddie said.
Force craned his neck to better see Eddie, taking a turn quickly as he drove closer to town and out of the boonies. “What were you doing at a bar at five in the morning?”
Eddie cut Raider a hard look. Yeah, this was looking like a disaster.
Raider hunched over. A tire company flew by on the right, while a gradual drop-off began on the left, punctuated by white pine trees and balsam poplar. “I don’t feel well, man.”
Force snorted. “Too bad. You’ll be at the station in about fifteen minutes.”
Man, Raider hoped Force was on the same wavelength as him. “I need out. Now.”
“No. And if you puke back there, you’re eating it up later.” Force glared through the mirror, perfectly in character. “We’re not some big city force—meaning we play by our own rules.”
“Great,” Eddie muttered, looking around the back seat.
Damn it. How was Raider going to get them out of this? Force was playing it straight, but the partition between the front and back seats was new and aluminum. Raider could kick it until he broke his ankles, and he wouldn’t get to Force. What the hell should he do? “Come on, man. Roll down the window just a little.” If he could get his hand out, he could unlock the door.
Force sighed and then stiffened, looking at his side window.
Raider looked at Eddie and then turned to see the black town car speeding their way. Shit. What was Josh going to do? The guy leaned out his front window, gun aimed.
Raider gave Force a warning look, just as the rear tire exploded.
Force bellowed and tried to correct, turning the car down the hill. “Hold on,” he shouted.
Shit. Double shit. Raider planted his hands against the seat in front of him, trying to brace himself as they went over the bank. The car bumped and jumped, sliding sideways and hitting every rock on the way. Force jerked the wheel away from the bigger trees, but gravity took over, and they slid sideways before flipping back around. The car hit a massive tamarack tree head-on with a loud boom.
Force’s head smashed back against the aluminum divider with enough power that it vibrated, while Raider and Eddie were slammed against the back of the front seat. Pain burst through Raider’s shoulder. He turned to see Eddie pushing himself to sit, blood flowing from his right cheekbone.
Raider’s door opened a sliver. He turned and kicked it as hard as he could, using both feet. The tree cracked loudly, and branches rained down. Steam hissed from the crumpled-up engine area. He kicked again.
Eddie hit his shoulder. “Hurry up.”
“I am.” Dizziness slammed into Raider’s brain, and he swayed but kept kicking. Finally, the door opened all the way. “Let’s go.” He scrambled out, stood on the uneven ground, and a branch jarred his injured shoulder. Pain hit first, and he fell on his ass.
