Part 48 (2/2)
Jack was close to losing her sanity. ”Ca.s.s?” she said again, her voice shaking. She pulled the blanket down farther. Ca.s.sady's back was to her, and Jack gingerly touched her neck.
The skin beneath her fingertips felt cold. ”Oh...f.u.c.k,” Jack croaked as tears streamed down her cheeks. ”f.u.c.k. G.o.d, please, no.” She touched Ca.s.s again and gently pulled her by the shoulder until she was lying on her back. Ca.s.s's eyes were shut, bruised and hollow, her lips were cracked, and her forehead had a long gash across it. Although she was dressed in an oversized sweats.h.i.+rt, Jack could tell she was severely underweight. Jack touched her face and it, too, felt cold.
”G.o.d, baby, what did he do to you?” She fell back against the wall in anguish and pulled her hair. ”I'm so sorry, Ca.s.s, I should have been there. I should have never let you go. I-”
”Jack, is she...?” Chase asked through her earpiece.
She couldn't bring herself to answer and admit the truth.
”I'm so sorry, Jack,” Chase said when she didn't respond.
* 361 *
She rested her head on her knees and sobbed until she couldn't breathe.
”Jack?” The familiar voice was so faint she barely heard it.
Holding her breath, Jack scrambled to kneel beside her lover.
”Baby?” Ca.s.s opened her eyes.
”I'm here, baby.” Jack caressed her hair. ”I'm here, now.” Her tears of grief became tears of relief, and she let them fall freely.
”Landis, call for a f.u.c.king ambulance. Now!” The rescue helicopter arrived ten minutes later, as the local police pulled up in two boats. Chase could tell Jack was doing her best not to shoot Rozsa as she watched the paramedics load Ca.s.sady onto the chopper. Every now and then, she had to remind Jack that Ca.s.s would be okay and that it was over.
Some of the local cops took Rozsa into custody and left immediately, while the rest stayed to interview them. After some discussion and a call to Interpol, Chase was given possession of the duffel bag with Dario's money. By the time they were escorted back to the harbor, the FBI and Interpol had agents there, waiting for a debriefing. One of the feds was already giving an interview to the media about how they had done their best to catch Rozsa and that all their efforts, time, and money had paid off.
”News travels fast.”
”Especially where grabbing the glory is concerned. Some things never change,” Jack said.
”No, they don't.” Chase's phone rang and she checked the caller ID. ”It's Pierce. Want to take it?”
”Yeah, right,” Jack replied.
”Chase 200967.”
”Is Lynx all right?” Pierce asked immediately.
”She'll be fine. They took her to the hospital.”
”And Phantom?”
”She's next to me. Do you want to talk to her?”
”Yes. Great job, Chase.”
”It was all Jack, Pierce. I could have never done it without her.
She's the best you ever had.”
* 362 *
Pierce cleared his throat. ”I'm aware. I hope she stayed out of trouble.”
”I kept her straight.” She smiled. ”Oh, I need you to call the feds and get the paperwork started on relocating Heather and her brother.”
”Will do. Reno's already working on your transport home.”
”Great. Here's Jack.” She held out the phone.
Jack cringed. ”I said no.”
”He just wants to thank you.”
Jack rolled her eyes and put the phone to her ear. ”Yeah?” She tapped her finger impatiently on the cell as she listened for a few seconds. ”Yeah, okay,” she said, and hung up.
”I swear,” Chase said, ”sometimes you two are like father and daughter.”
”And you would know this through all your years of experience with one?”
”Touche, but you know d.a.m.n well what I mean.”
”Scary thought,” Jack said.
”Could be worse. By the way, I haven't smelled nicotine on your breath since we got here.”
”I quit after I met Celeste.”
”Did she scold you?” Chase smiled.
”Yeah, something like that.” Jack chuckled. ”I'm going to get my stuff from the hotel and head over to the hospital. They should be done examining Ca.s.s by then. I should have shot that medicopter b.a.s.t.a.r.d for not letting me go with her.”
”There wasn't enough room.”
”There would have been if I'd shot him.” Jack laughed.
”It's good to hear you laugh again.” Chase put her arm around her shoulder as they walked to the van.
Jack paused and looked at her. ”We good again?”
”Yeah. We're good.”
<script>