Part 12 (1/2)

Her mind a.n.a.lyzed the sound instantly.

Gunshot.

High-powered rifle.

A second shot.

Lucas stumbled forward, a startled expression on his face. His cane clattered to the wooden floorboards. Just as Blue reached to grab him and pull him into the house, he crumpled in her arms.

Chapter Ten.

”Shut the door!” Blue shouted to Lowell.

”What's happening?” he cried, hysteria rising in his voice as he cowered on the far side of the hall, cradling his arm.

Ignoring the question, she eased Lucas down onto the floor and kicked the door shut herself.

Two wounds.

Left shoulder. Left thigh.

Thank G.o.d it wasn't the right one. He'd suffered enough loss there. But the left was his good leg and it was bleeding heavily.

She swore softly. ”Call...” Dammit, they were on an island. Who did one call on a frigging island?

”Ramon...” Lucas stirred enough to lift his head to look toward the door. ”He was in the car.” Lucas groaned and dropped his head back to the floor. ”Are you hit?” he asked Blue. He sounded breathless now, panting to keep the pain at bay.

She shook her head in answer to his question. ”I'll check on Ramon, but first we've got to get you some help.”

Lucas dismissed her concerns with a wave of one hand. ”Check on Ramon now. I'll live but-”

”Lowell, call Mr. Venable,” Drake said as he knelt next to Lucas, cutting him off mid-protest. ”Tell him we need a ride to the mainland right away. Call Emery and Chester as well. Emery isn't much of a doctor but he'll do. And alert the authorities in Savannah, they'll need to have an ambulance waiting. If they can get a medflight over here, that's even better. But we don't want to wait if there isn't one available.”

While Drake gave the necessary orders to Lowell, Blue rushed to the kitchen for a couple of clean hand towels and the first-aid kit-for all the good it would do. She thrust the items at Drake and said, ”Try and stop the bleeding. I'm going out there to check on Ramon.”

He snagged her arm and shook his head. ”Don't go out there. Chester will be here soon.”

The worry in his dark eyes touched her but she didn't have time for that. ”I have to do this. You just take care of my boss.”

Drake delayed her a moment longer, but finally nodded and released her from his powerful grip.

”Be careful, Callahan,” Lucas called weakly, then swore as Drake started inspecting his wounds.

Blue saw that Lowell, careful of his injured arm, was making the first of the calls as she hurried through the kitchen and to the back door. She couldn't open the front door and let in the light with Drake in the entry hall.

Setting her Glock on ready, she eased out the back door. She was fairly certain that neither of Lucas's wounds was immediately life-threatening, but still she had to neutralize the threat so that he could be moved to a hospital as quickly as possible.

At the corner of the house she listened for several seconds.

Nothing.

Quickly but cautiously she moved around to the front of the house. Moving stealthily from one position of cover to the next, she made her way to the car. The driver's side-door was open. No Ramon.

The sound of gunfire echoed from deep within the woods. Her gaze whipped in that direction.

Ramon had given chase. She ran hard and fast, not bothering with stealth now. Dodging trees and thick clumps of undergrowth she was halfway to the old chapel when the scene unfolding up ahead brought her up short.

Ramon was flat on his back on the ground. The other man stood over him, a high-powered rifle in his hand pointing directly at the center of Ramon's chest.

Blue aimed her weapon. If she called out to the man he might fire anyway, killing Ramon. If she took the shot...

Decision made, she fired.

The man dropped like a fallen tree and Ramon scrambled from beneath him.

Blue rushed to his position. ”You okay?”

Dusting himself off, Ramon got to his feet. He was a thin man, forty maybe and with a distinct Latin heritage. He was hilarious under normal circ.u.mstances. All the Specialists loved him. He was part of Mission Recovery's Housekeeping Team.

”I am now,” Ramon said tartly. He checked the dead guy and retrieved the rifle. ”What took you so long? I thought that backwoods bubba was going to kill me for sure.”

Blue winked at him. ”I can't believe you let a guy like that get the upper hand on you.” She glanced at the guy on the ground and shook her head. Jaymo. One of the guys from the other night.

”He wouldn't have if he hadn't sneaked up on me while I was taking care of his buddy.” He gestured toward a crumpled form a few feet away.

She checked the second downed man. Sykes. ”Been there, done that,” she admitted. ”I knew these two were hiding something. They've tried to take me down twice already.”

Ramon's expression turned somber. ”Is Lucas...?”

”He's okay. But he needs a hospital.” She glanced back at the two men they'd left on the ground. ”Good thing those guys are such bad shots.”

Ramon's gaze locked with hers. ”Or maybe it's just supposed to look like they are. These guys are either professionals or were instructed on exactly how far to go by someone who knew precisely what he wanted to accomplish.”

She frowned. ”You're sure about that?” She'd gotten the exact opposite impression.

He nodded. ”Positive. They try to come off as yahoos, but the hit was too well organized. I think it was planned down to the letter. They weren't trying to kill Lucas.”

As they sprinted back to the house, Blue considered Ramon's conclusion. But if Drake was the ultimate target, none of this made any sense at all. And why would Lucas be the target? What was the motivation? If he was, why wasn't he dead?

The notes were addressed to Drake. The gla.s.s slivers in the soap left no question as to the ident.i.ty of the target. Things just didn't add up. Unless the target on that occasion had been her. That was just too off the wall. Then again, maybe she wasn't thinking clearly. In her defense, she was running on empty as far as sleep was concerned and she felt a little groggy still from the inhalant that had been used to put her under.

Maybe Ramon was right.

Within minutes, she and Ramon had Lucas loaded into the back seat of the sedan. Lowell climbed into the front pa.s.senger side. His arm needed serious medical attention and he was behaving d.a.m.ned strangely. Giving him grace, he was injured and had just been in the middle of a shoot-out. But this level of hysteria just wasn't in keeping with his usual demeanor. He'd said that Emery and Chester were nowhere to be found, but Mr. Venable had agreed to be ready at the dock to take them to the mainland. Lowell had also called the sheriff and told them about the two men in the woods. The same ones they'd released less than twenty-four hours prior, he'd added.

After locking up, Blue stood in the entry hall and tried to ignore the exhaustion clawing at her. She had to report Lucas's injury. Casey would need to know ASAP. She needed subst.i.tute backup. She scrubbed at her forehead with the heel of her hand. And she could sure use some sleep, if only five minutes worth.