“Don’t have a minute.” Wolfe pivoted, heaving Angus away from the car, and setting him down as gently as possible on a rock. “Need to wipe down the car best I can.”
Angus looked around at the trees, which seemed to be spinning. He tried to think. “Where’s Raider?”
Wolfe tapped his earbud. “In the car with Eddie. I think he’s hurt but can’t tell how badly. Should have a pickup location soon.”
Angus blinked blood away from his eyes and surveyed the destroyed cop car. “Where’s Sean?” That stubborn jackass. Why hadn’t he stayed safely in police protection?
“Dropped him at the hospital,” Wolfe said, finishing and turning toward him. “Guy was on his last legs and didn’t have a choice.”
Oh, this was a complete disaster. “Phone,” Angus said.
Wolfe handed over his burner. “Any chance you can talk while running up the hill?”
The thought of even limping up the hill made Angus want to throw up. The incredible pain in his left side promised a couple of broken ribs. So far, he was breathing okay, so one hadn’t pierced a lung. Yet. He took the phone and dialed quickly.
“Angus?” Brigid’s panicked voice came over the distance. “What’s going on? Is everyone okay?”
“No.” He coughed, and blood spit out. Shit. Internal bleeding was a bastard. “Listen. We need help.”
“What do you need?” Nari’s voice came through the speaker, straightening his spine. “Where are you?”
Her voice helped center him. He’d deal with that fact later. “Quick rundown. Wolfe and I stole two police vehicles from the Collinsville station.” Two out of the four the department owned. “The shift change is going to happen shortly, and they’re going to notice. I need you to contact Fields and Rutherford and have the HDD take care of this.” He leaned over and tried to gasp as a spasm took him.
“Angus?” Nari’s voice rose. “What’s happening?”
“Nothing,” he groaned as Wolfe helped him to sit up again. “The HDD has to cover us with the cops, and it’d be perfect if they’d put out a bulletin about a local officer being shot and killed, with no other information.” The HDD was never going to go along with this. “And they need to pick up Sean Banaghan, who’s at the local hospital. Put him in a safe house until further notice.”
“My dad? What are you talking about?” Brigid breathed.
“He was hurt, but he’ll be okay. Get him out of that hospital if possible.” Angus groaned.
“You think HDD will help us?” Nari asked, her tone tentative.
“Either that, or all hell is going to descend upon us and the agency. Use those words if you have to.” Angus tried to sound more confident than he felt. “We’re in a shitstorm here, but tell them we’re close to breaking open a huge trafficking case.” Close might be a lie, but he was willing to lie at this point.
“We’ll make it happen,” Nari said. “I promise, Angus.”
Good. The shrink had connections beyond Angus’s, and that was the most he could hope for. He clicked off and took Wolfe’s offered hand to stand. He wobbled on his feet. “We have to get the hell out of here.”
Wolfe looked up the long distance to the road above. “I have the other cop car up there. We can drive on I-90 for a couple of miles just to get free, and then we need to ditch it. Fast.”
The local cops would be looking for it before HDD could intervene, provided HDD decided to help. Angus nodded and then instantly regretted the motion as pain dropped him to his knees.
Wolfe looked down at him. “This is gonna hurt. I’m sorry.” He leaned down and hauled Angus over his shoulder.
The blood rushed to Angus’s damaged skull, lights exploded, and he heaved. His stomach was empty, so nothing came out. Wolfe ducked his head and began running up the hill, holding Angus as tight as possible to keep from jostling him. Angus closed his eyes to avoid watching the uneven ground rush by.
Man, Wolfe was tough. Angus weighed about two-twenty and was mainly muscle. Wolfe ran full bore up the rocky hill without a hitch in his stride. He’d been a good choice to join the Deep Ops unit. The guy was as solid as they came. Physically, anyway.
They reached the cop car and Wolfe dropped to his haunches so Angus could stand and fall into the passenger side. Pain ripped up Angus’s body. Then Wolfe ran around, jumped in, and peeled away from the embankment.
Angus tried to hold on to consciousness as long as he could. “Raider?”
Wolfe tapped his earbud. “Negotiating with Eddie, but he sounds funny. Like he’s in pain. He hasn’t given me any indication of the seriousness of his injuries.”
Damn it. “We’re going to need a doctor.” In addition, they required treatment without leaving medical records. “Any thoughts?”
“Let’s pick up Raider after they drop him off, and we’ll figure out where to go from there.” Wolfe looked at him, still driving fast, and his face wavered into two Wolfes. “Force?”
