Part 9 (1/2)
Chapter Seventeen.
Tyler backed the ambulance out of the protected perimeter and started down a side street that paralleled the one the crime scene was on. If she was right, she would barely have enough time to get to the corner and do what she needed to do. She hoped surprise would be on their side. Reaching the corner, she turned the ambulance around and started backwards toward the scene. Maneuvering the ambulance was easy at first. No traffic and no cars gave her the advantage she hoped would save Kelly's life. Spotting the open door of the cruiser she pushed the gas pedal down. Avoiding two officers who were waving her down, she moved fast hoping they would get out of the way. No one was going to stop her, including the police. Hopefully, they would see what she was doing and put a diversion together so she wouldn't get shot at.
Then it happened. The first shot at the ambulance missed Mike by inches, causing him to hit the floor.
”f.u.c.k, Tyler, they're shooting at us.”
”Just stay down, Mike. I got this.” Tyler continued on her path towards the open door of the cruiser. A few more yards and they would be close enough to save Kelly's life, hopefully. Another shot came through the cab and broke Tyler's side window, gla.s.s showering all over her. Unperturbed, Tyler continued her methodical path towards the police car, dodging another cruiser and the officers who had taken refuge behind it.
”Tyler, is that you Tyler? What the f.u.c.k are you doing?” Captain Russo squawked on the radio. ”Get your a.s.s out of there or I'm gonna fire you.”
Tyler didn't lose her focus on her target. She was about fifty yards away when another bullet hit the ambulance, coming through the roof and lodging in her seat. Clearly, the shooters were aiming for the driver, trying to stop her progress.
”Tyler, you're going to get yourself and Mike killed. Get the h.e.l.l out of there now, before they shoot you,” Captain Russo radioed again.
Tyler could hear someone in the background questioning what was going on and who had given the order to rescue the fallen officer. At worst, she would be fired. At a minimum, she would face a reprimand with a letter in her personnel file. But she didn't care. Kelly's husband and son were not going to go through what she had when Jill died.
”Hold on, Mike. We're almost there. Remember, stay back until you hear me call you.” Tyler kept her eye on the cruiser as the ambulance neared its target. As she inched closer, the radio squawked again. Before she heard the voice on the other end she turned it off, choosing to risk losing her job rather than losing much needed concentration. The corner of the ambulance was diagonal to the cruiser's b.u.mper, so she had about five feet until she reached the downed officer. If she got any closer, she wouldn't be able to open the barn doors of the ambulance, so she was as close as she was going to get. Grabbing her helmet, she put it on and hoped it would offer her head some protection. Snapping it closed, she walked between the seats and looked over at Mike who was obviously shaken by the gunshots.
”Mike, once I open those doors they're going to be shooting at me. So timing is critical. Once I get her over to the bus, I need you to floor it. Once we're out of harm's way we'll trade places and you can work on her.” Tyler peeked out the back window but still couldn't see who was down. The officer's hat hid her face and she still wasn't moving. From where Tyler was, she still couldn't see any blood, but that didn't mean anything. She might have internal wounds and be dying right before her eyes. ”Ready?”
Mike gave her thumbs up and stood up.
”Stay down and against this panel,” Tyler said pointing to her left. ”I don't think a bullet can reach you here. The angle's all wrong.” Taking a deep breath, Tyler put her hands on the handle and said a little prayer.
”Be careful out there, Tyler.”
”Always.” With that, Tyler pushed the doors and ran as fast as she could to the cruiser, diving for the tight s.p.a.ce just under the car.
Luckily, she had her turnout pants on, so her legs were protected but her palms and elbows took the brunt of the asphalt rash.
”f.u.c.k,” she said, wis.h.i.+ng she had put on her gloves.
”Tyler?”
”Ashley? s.h.i.+t.” Tyler suddenly felt lightheaded realizing that it was Ashley and not Kelly next to her. ”How badly are you hurt? Can you move? What are you doing in Kelly's cruiser? How did-”
”Tyler, I don't know how much longer I can stay awake. Help me.” Ashley's voice was barely a whisper now.
Scooting closer to Ashley, Tyler ran her hands over the fallen officer's chest looking for something, anything that would tell her how badly Ashley was injured. A bullet hole in the center of her vest at breast level, one on her right side and one more dead center of her abdomen was all she could feel. Her mic clip on her left shoulder was all that was left of her mic. A few shattered pieces had embedded in her neck and jaw.
”Hey, you lookin' for a cheap thrill?” Ashley coughed and then turned her head slightly towards Tyler. ”Under my arm pit. The bullet went in above my vest right there. I'm having a hard time breathing.”
”Shh, try and relax. I'm gonna get you out of here, but you have to do exactly what I say. Okay?” Tyler crawled closer to Ashley and looked up at the building across from the cruiser. So far, the shooters hadn't started shooting again, but it was only a matter of time. Looking back at the ambulance, she could see Mike peeking out from around the cabinet watching her. Nodding in his direction, she watched him give another thumbs up.
”My vest, Tyler. Take my vest off and put it on. The ambulance is too far.”
”No, I got this. Don't worry. Besides, your vest might be compressing your injuries just enough to keep you alive.” Tyler grabbed Ashley's wrist and checked her pulse. She could barely feel it. ”This is probably going to hurt, but I'm gonna pick you up and carry you to the bus. Sorry.”
”Don't worry about me. Please promise me you'll be careful.”
”Okay, if you promise me you'll stay alive long enough to go out on a date with me.”
”Really? You're asking me out on a date at a time like this?” Ashley could barely open her eyes as she responded to the request.
”Really. Okay, be ready. On three,” Tyler said, squatting next to the fading officer. ”One.” Tyler slid her arms under Ashley and pulled her gently against her legs. ”Two.” Tyler started to stand, the limpness of Ashley's body sent a frightening chill through her. ”Three.” Standing, Tyler pulled the light body tight against her chest and started for the ambulance.
Ping. The gla.s.s window in the ambulance door shattered. Without missing a step, Tyler pushed her body hard to stay upright. The weight pitching her forward almost made her lose her balance. Ping. Tyler felt a stinging on her neck. Finally getting her stride under her, she ran towards the ambulance and the waiting paramedic, his arms outstretched.
”Get back, Mike.”
Ping. Tyler felt herself stumble as she listed to the right. A sharp stinging pain almost caused her to drop Ashley, but she kept going. Ping. Another shot buried itself as it hit the pavement where her right foot had just been. Pus.h.i.+ng harder, she barely reached the ambulance when she heard another shot hit the back of the ambulance.
”Grab her Mike,” Tyler said, barely able to push Ashley into Mike's waiting arms.
Tyler jumped, twisted, and landed on her back against the diamond plate floor. She watched as Mike picked Ashley up and laid her on the gurney, starting oxygen immediately. Tyler turned to her right and tried to push herself upright, but found herself face down on the deck of the ambulance.
”f.u.c.k,” Tyler said, her head spinning as she rolled on her back.
”Tyler.”
Tyler looked up to see Mike swimming above her head. She vaguely saw a gauze pad pressed to her neck with instructions to keep applying pressure.
”Just take care of Ashley, Mike. I got this,” Tyler said, rolling to her left side and pulling her legs into the ambulance. Suddenly, Tyler's world went dark.
Ashley faded in and out of consciousness. Each time, she tried to focus on the words swirling around in her head.
”She's lost a lot of blood.”
”Let's get her into surgery.”
”Her mom's here. What do we tell her?”
Ashley tried to talk when she heard the last statement. She felt her lips move, at least she thought her lips moved, but nothing came out. She tried to swallow, but her throat rubbed against something. A tube. She was intubated. Darkness started to slowly creep back in and her mind started to fog again. It took all her strength to push out a moan.
”She's awake, Doctor.”
Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into a set of caring blue eyes. ”Officer Henderson, you've been shot. Can you understand me?”
Ashley barely nodded her head as she continued to stare at the man.
”I'm Doctor Wainwright. You have a tube in your throat so you aren't able to speak. We're going to take you into surgery. You have a collapsed lung with internal bleeding and we need to get that bullet out.” Nodding in another direction he spoke to someone else, ”Nurse, let's get her to surgery.” Looking down at Ashley, he continued, ”Officer Henderson, I'll see you when you get out of surgery.”