“He doesn’t understand!” A woman’s voice.
Familiar, but Vaughn couldn’t place it. The blood roaring in his ears warped the sound.
A fourth person arrived. Squat, round. Clearly struggling to breathe.
Unlike Vaughn, Delaney had his weapon out. He aimed it at this new person.
“Hands up!Hands up!”
The fat woman screeched and did as Delaney asked, cowering at the same time.
“All of you,hands up!”
“He doesn’t understand what you’re saying!” the first woman countered. “Please, he doesn’t understand!”
“I don’t give a fuck!” Delaney roared. “If you don’t—”
Vaughn announced his presence.
“Delaney! Detective Ryan!”
Delaney turned, leading with his gun. For a split second, Vaughn thought the cop was going to shoot him.
“Jesus Christ! Put your gun down, Delaney! It’s Detective Ryan!”
Delaney held Vaughn in his crosshairs.
Vaughn made himself small.
“Vaughn?”
“Yes! God damn it, stop pointing your gun at me!”
Delaney finally listened, turning back to the trio of people standing in the open field.
Both the newcomer and the woman Vaughn had heard speaking earlier had their hands high in the air.
The tall man did not.
“I saw this guy running from the scene,” Delaney said over his shoulder.
“He wasn’t running! He was lost!”
Vaughn made his way next to Delaney and raised his flashlight. The woman turned her eyes away, brought one of her hands in front of her face.
“Keep your hands up!” Delaney ordered.
“Ivy?”
It was Ivy—Ivy Reeves.
What the fuck?
“Delaney, holster your weapon.”
“But—”
“Do it now!”
