by Bob McElwain
* * *
In the third floor hall, Amanda rushed forward to greet him. Tiredness and worry had marred her face, and it wasn’t softened by the hard look at his shoulder.
“Are you all right?” she asked anxiously.
“Yeah. What about Josie?”
“They had to perform a second surgery this morning. The bullet apparently lodged near her heart.” She placed a gentle hand on his good shoulder. “She’ll be just fine.”
It had taken repeated telling of all the details before he was satisfied. Then it had taken a great deal of reassurance about his shoulder before Amanda had finally left. The two cops had found chairs and settled in by the door guarding the room.
Now he sat beside her bed. She was sleeping. He watched the even rise and fall of her chest. Even in the dim light, he could see her color was good. He knew the tubes in her nose and arm meant little.
Gently he leaned forward and kissed the back of her hand. When he gave it a gentle squeeze, she opened her eyes and looked at him. She tried to speak. He leaned toward her. “It’s over. We’re free,” he said softly.
He felt her return his squeeze ever so lightly, then her eyes closed. Holding her hand, he leaned back in the chair and watched what remained of the day’s high bright sky outside the window turn to one of glimmering, shimmering stars.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those Who Betray
Blackmail
Strike Terror
Blowback
Lethal Wind
Slaughter on Maple Street
Take the Shot
This is a work of fiction. Any similarity of characters or events to real persons or actual events is coincidental.