“Weird how?”
“Super anxious. I have no idea why or how to stop it or?—”
A massive explosion rocked the building and knocked them off their feet.
Chapter Sixteen
Vernon was thrown back against the concrete wall and left unconscious.
Panic-stricken over the many people she knew and loved in the building and her ears ringing from the blast, Sam forced herself to shake off the shock to tend to Vernon, who was bleeding from his forehead.
Malone came charging in through the morgue door from outside, while Lindsey, Byron and Amara emerged through the automatic doors.
“What the hell was that?” Malone asked, looking frantic.
“I don’t know.” Sam could barely hear over the ringing. “It sounded like a bomb.”
“Holy shit,” Malone said as he took off running toward the pit, with Byron following.
Sam desperately wanted to follow Malone to check on her team, but she needed Vernon to wake up. “Vernon. Vernon.”
His eyes fluttered open, followed by a couple of fast blinks. “Wh-what happened?”
“There was an explosion. Do you think you could sit up?”
“Yeah.”
She and Lindsey helped him up, and Sam hovered over him while he closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths.
“What the hell?” he asked.
“I don’t know anything yet.”
Lindsey asked Vernon a series of questions, trying to assess his condition.
“I’m okay.”
“You may have a concussion,” Lindsey said.
Agent Q came rushing through the morgue door a minute later, looking wild-eyed, and stopped short when he found Vernon on the floor and Sam crouched before him.
“Get her out of here,” Vernon said to Q. “I’m okay.”
“I can’t leave, so please don’t ask me to,” Sam said. “I’ll understand if you want to.”
“I’m staying with you,” Q said.
“I’ll send EMTs your way,” Sam said.
“Nah, I’m fine. They’ll be needed elsewhere.”
“I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be here,” Vernon said. “Q, stay close to her until we figure out what this is.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Lindsey, come with me,” Sam said. “You may be needed.”
