“He’s here! The sonofabitch is in the bathroom with Eden and Zoe!”
“We heard!” Garrett responded immediately, his breathing labored. “We’re on our way back inside!”
Ignoring the odd looks they were receiving from those around them, Alex and Dan worked to make their way through the oblivious crowd. As they did, Garrett shouted in their ears as he got on the radio and requested backup.
The next thing they heard was a crackling sound right before Eden cried out in pain. Alex’s steps faltered.
“Zoe, are you all right?” A panicked Rhys anxiously tried reaching his partner through their coms. “Damn it, Zoe, answer me!” When she didn’t respond, Alex heard the other man curse and then shout, “I’ll take the back!”
Alex tried pushing past a large group when a guy in his early twenties stepped directly into his and Dan’s path.
“What’s your problem, asshole?”
Fuck.They did not have time for this shit. Alex flashed his badge, yelling when the man and his group of his buddies acted as if they were about to start shit with him.
“Chicago P.D.! Get the hell out of our way!”
Seeing the badge and gun, the guy raised his hands and stepped aside. “Sorry, man.”
Ignoring the drunken idiot, Alex said, “Eden, I’m coming, baby. I’m almost there.” The silence he got in return terrified him.
A few minutes later, he heard another high-pitched scream coming from the restrooms. Expecting to see Eden, Alex was surprised to find three other women standing in the hallway, staring down at the floor as one kept the bathroom door propped open.
“Is she dead?” The shorter blonde asked her friend.
“I don’t know.” The brunette holding the door shook her head. “I can’t tell. There’s so much blood.”
Oh, God.“Police,” Alex announced loudly. “Give me some room!”
With his heart in his throat, he made his way to the open door. His lungs became frozen, the scene before him turning his blood cold.
Zoe was lying in a heap on the bathroom floor. Her eyes were closed, and a crimson pool was slowly spreading across the slick tile.
Grabbing the radio from his belt, Alex quickly announced there was an officer down and ordered an ambulance to the given location. Falling to his knees, he checked for a pulse before rolling Zoe over onto her back as gently as he could.
“Zo?” Rhys’s voice cracked as he rushed to the door. Anguish filled the tortured man’s eyes as they landed on his partner’s still form.
“She has a pulse, but just barely.” Alex pressed his hands against the stab wounds, his teammate’s warm blood oozing between his fingers as he pushed as hard as he could.
“Jesus.” Garrett bumped into a shocked Rhys as he came to his side.
Alex swung his gaze up to his partner before landing on the young ladies still standing in the hallway. He tried—and failed—to control the panic in his voice.
“Where’s the other woman?”
The brunette holding the door appeared confused. “What woman?”
“The one who was withher,” he bit out impatiently. “Five-six, long, dark hair. Golden eyes.” At their blank stares, he gave a hurried description of Eden’s clothing. “She was wearing black jeans, black boots, and a red sweater.”
All three shook their heads. “The hallway was empty when we got here,” the shorter blonde assured him.
Shit.“Was there anyone else in the bathroom?”
The brunette looked down at Zoe and swallowed. “Just her.”
“I’m sorry,” the third woman spoke up. “We didn’t see anyone.”
Garrett ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck!”
