Now Jael smiled and placed a reassuring hand on the woman’s arm. “Shelley, you’re doing fine. You have an excellent team supporting you and the LT will do whatever it takes to make sure you have all the resources you need to find the perp.”
“I’d like you in on this, Sarge.”
“Believe me, I’m going to do everything I can to help.” She thought for a moment, trying to decide whether to say anything else or not. “Shelly, unless Chief Culver says something different, I’m on the case. But you have to realize something as well. We’re on the clock here. The moment Homeland learns the captain’s been shot, they’re going to want to know what’s going on. They may even want in on the investigation. Not only do they have their hooks into her as the official liaison between DPD and them, but they very well might claim she is one of theirs since they weren’t above using her before.”
Her expression grim and a little angry, Tanaka nodded. Not that Jael blamed her. She’d prefer keeping the feds out of the investigation, even General Flynn’s people, as long as possible. Bringing them in would only raise questions none of them wanted to answer.
“I’m heading back to the station. Then I’ll head to the hospital to check on the captain. Tag me if anything breaks or if you need me to do anything.”
“The only thing I can think of right now is seeing if Mrs. Duncan knows anything that might be of help.”
“I’ll let you know.”
Jael slid the key into the ignition a few moments later. As she did, her phone buzzed. Worried it might be the hospital, she reached for it. Seeing Mateo’s name on the display, she didn’t know whether to cringe or worry. She had no doubt the man was as pissed off as she was about what happened to his cousin. Hell, she knew he was. The short conversation they’d had not long after she got Mac to the hospital had been pointed, to say the least. Now she wondered if he was already in Dallas and letting her know or if there was more to his call. Well, there was only one way to find out.
“Lindsay.”
“Anything?” Major Mateo Santos asked in return.
“She’s out of surgery, but I assume you already know that.”
He made a sound she took to mean he did.
“As for the investigation, so far nothing of any real use.” She quickly filled him in on what little they knew.
“What about the security feed?”
“I haven’t seen it yet.” She activated her Bluetooth headset and pulled away from the curb. “We’re playing this by the book. Jackson gave permission for us to access the video feed. Our techs are working on it now to break the encryption.”
A muttered curse came from the other end of the call. “I’ll make sure you have a clean copy within half an hour.”
“Thanks.” That would save time and she had a feeling every moment counted. If they didn’t find the shooter soon, he would try for Mac again. “Where are you?” She’d feel better knowing he was in town, keeping an eye on his cousin.
“We’re just finishing up an assignment out of the country. It’s going to be tomorrow before I reach Dallas.”
“Understood.” She waited as she was waved through the barricade at the end of the street before continuing. “We don’t know much beyond the fact there was a single shooter involved. He walked right up to the door and shot her when she answered it. He managed to get away before Jackson could get to him. The neighbors are doing all they can to help. That means we have a ton of cellphone and security cam footage to go through.”
“If you need to use our resources, do so,” he said.
“I will, but we don’t need it—yet.” She thought for a moment before continuing. “There is one thing.”
“Tell me.”
“Nothing, so far, points to this being anything but either a random shooting or aimed at Mac because she’s a cop. But I don’t like running risks. Can you make sure we have eyes on all the players in town just in case.”
She might not be able to see his expression, but she had no doubt he smiled like a predator that just caught scent of its prey.
“I’ll make sure we have eyes on the lycans and their close associates.”
“Thanks.”
“Where are you?” he asked.
“I just left her place and am heading to the hospital.”
“I’m trusting you to keep my cousin alive until I get there, Jael.”
“Just get here, Mateo. Unless I’m mistaken, and I pray to God I am, she’s going to need all of us before this is over.”
* * *
Unconsciousness receded. With it came the pain. Pain so bad she whimpered and wished she could crawl back into the black whole of unconsciousness. But she couldn’t. She needed to know what happened. The last thing she remembered the pain, even worse now, before the world went dark.
God, please let this be a nightmare.
Other sensations slowly registered through the pain. The antiseptic smell of a hospital. No matter what they did, that smell lingered, and her jaguar wrinkled its nose in distaste and then sneezed. The soft beeping of machines one part of her brain realized monitored her condition. Heart rate, blood pressure, respirations. They annoyed her, distracting her and reminding her something bad happened.
Other scents, scents she knew. Scents that reassured her. Her mother and grandmother. Her mate. Thank God, he was safe. Whatever happened, it hadn’t touched him. Nothing else mattered.
Eyes still closed, she took stock of herself. Something was wrapped around her neck, tighter than a turtleneck but not so constricting that it restricted breathing. Her shoulder throbbed with each beat of her heart. That side and her chest hurt. Hell, each breath made her want to scream in agony. There were others aches and pains, but they paled compared to the rest of them.
Shift, her jaguar urged. We need to shift to heal.
God, she wanted to. But she had a vague memory of Jael telling her she couldn’t. She remembered the doctors telling them Pat couldn’t shift when she’d been so seriously injured. The strain of the shift would have killed her friend. Something told her it might do the same to her. But she wanted to shift so badly.
Moaning in pain as she shifted positions, she opened her eyes. Instantly, her family was at her side. Jackson took her right hand in his. Ellen let someone know she was awake. Elizabeth stood next to Jackson, her hand resting on Mac’s thigh. All looked as if they’d aged years, maybe even decades.
How long had it been?
“Lie still, sweetheart. You’re going to be all right.” Jackson’s voice broke and he cleared his throat.
“H-hurts.”
“I know, love.” He bent and brushed his lips gently against her forehead. “The nurse will be here soon.”
“Where?” She turned her head on the pillow, trying to focus on her surroundings.
She lay on a narrow bed. If the smells and sounds hadn’t told her she was in a hospital, the metal bedrails, the IV bag hanging above her and the utilitarian furnishing did. But the room seemed too large for a hospital room, especially when she saw the recliner, sofa and what looked like a cheap coffee table across from the bed.
“Baylor,” her mother answered.
Mac’s brow furrowed. Then her eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place. She recognized the room. If it wasn’t the same room Pat had occupied more than a year ago, it was a twin to it. That meant she was in the special wing set aside for VIPs and others who required added security to keep the media and others away from them while they recovered.
“What happened?”
Why couldn’t she remember?
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Ellen asked.
“Getting ready for work. Going downstairs when the doorbell rang.”
There was something else. It was right there, on the edge of memory. Elusive, but important. What was it?
She closed her eyes and thought back. The doorbell rang and Jackson said something about Jael being there. She’d hurried downstairs. She had court that morning and wanted t
o review the case file before testifying. She opened the door. Oh, God, he’d shot her!
“Jackson.” She held onto his hand, her eyes almost wide as she searched for any evidence he’d been hurt.
“Shh, babe. It’s all right. You’re safe.”
“You?” She tugged at his hand, trying to sit up only to have her mother and grandmother hold her in place. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Jackson shook his head, his expression miserable. “No.”
She frowned, “What? Tell me?” Had someone else been hurt?
“I let him get away.” Jackson ground the words out. “I wasn’t fast enough. He hurt you and I let him get away.” He shrugged off Elizabeth’s hand when she tried to soothe him.
“Don’t.” Mac groaned as she shifted positions before tugging her husband’s hand with enough force he looked down at her. “Don’t,” she repeated. “Couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”
“God, Mac.” He lowered his forehead to hers. “I’ve been so scared.”
She heard the fear in his voice, saw it in her mother’s and grandmother’s expressions. That, added to her pain, made the urge to shift even stronger. Whoever shot her was still at-large. If he managed to get past security, she wouldn’t be able to protect herself, not as she was then.
Shift, Cait told her.
“Mackenzie, no!” Ellen snapped as Mac’s control over her jaguar slipped.
“Hurts, Gran.” She didn’t whine, but it was close. Between pain and fear, instinct fought with the knowledge she needed to boy her grandmother, one of the strongest alphas in recent memory. “Need to shift.”
“No, baby, you can’t.” Elizabeth’s fear for her cut through Mac’s pain. “You need to heal some before you shift.”
“Need. To. Shift.” She ground it out, her voice rough if weak as Cait took more control.
“Mac, no.” Jackson rested a hand on either side of her face, making her look up at him. “Your mother’s right. You need to heal some. If you shift now, you’ll only hurt yourself.”
“Mac, I promise you’re safe. All you need to do right now is focus on getting well. Leave the rest of it to us. I swear no one and nothing will get past me to get to you.”
Her mother sounded so fierce Mac relaxed. It didn’t matter she that couldn’t shift. She no longer needed to. Not now, at any rate. Her family would protect her. Seeing the ferocious determination in Elizabeth’s eyes, she smiled slightly. The bastard who shot her would find out what happens when you piss off a mother if he was foolish enough to try for her in the hospital. It didn’t matter that Elizabeth didn’t shift. She was in full protective mother mode and there was nothing more dangerous.
Mac grimaced as she tried to find a more comfortable position. Pain tore through her shoulder and side. Gasping, she gripped Jackson’s hand, anchoring to him. The world pitched around her and she closed her eyes. God, how badly was she hurt?
“Mac, it’s all right. Just hang on,” Jackson soothed, his voice betraying his concern.
“H-how bad?”
“Not nearly as bad as you probably feel.”
She opened her eyes at the sound of a new voice. When she did, she saw Dr. Patek standing next to the bed. He smiled at her before carefully pulling back the covers. That’s when Mac realized her left arm rested in an immobilizer across her stomach. He touched her fingers and then rested his own fingers on that wrist, checking her pulse.
“How do you feel?” he asked as he watched the monitors over her bed.
“H-hurts like hell.”
“You’re going to for a while.” He apologized when she hissed in pain as he tilted her head to the side and carefully removed the bandages at her neck. “I won’t lie to you, Mac. You were shot four times. Your vest caught one of the bullets. The other three hit you at the neck, shoulder and side. You will be all right, but it’s going to take some time to fully recover, even with the advantages of being a shifter.”
She swallowed hard. Before the fear could take root again, Jackson softly soothed her.
“Mac, you are going to be all right,” Patek repeated. “And so you don’t start worrying because there isn’t a line of cops coming through checking on you, Chief Culver asked us to exaggerate the seriousness of your condition. He doesn’t want to risk the shooter trying for you again. That means they aren’t allowed in. Jael, Mrs. Duncan and Pat will be their eyes and ears to you for the immediate future.”
She nodded. It made sense. She wasn’t going to argue, at least not until she felt better.
“H-how long?”
“Since you were shot?” Patek asked and she nodded. He glanced at his watch. “About seven hours or so, give or take.”
She closed her eyes and blew out a short breath. Not that long. She needed to remember that. Needed to remember it took time to run an investigation, especially like this one. Pat and the rest of the squad were the best to do it. They’d find the shooter and bring him in.
She had to be satisfied with that.
“Now I want you to relax and let me finish examining your wounds. Your family will be right outside.” Before the others could object, Patek shook his head. Then he motioned toward the door. “It will only be a few minutes,” he promised as a nurse stepped inside.
“Go,” Mac said even though the last thing she wanted was for them to leave. “I’ll be all right.”
God, she hoped so. But, as badly as she hurt, she couldn’t help but wonder.
“You can quit worrying, Mac,” Patek said as the door closed, leaving just the two of them and the nurse in the room. “You really are going to recover. Now lie still and let me have a look.”
She closed her eyes, telling herself she could trust him. She had to trust him.
No, what she had to do was recover and find the bastard who tried to kill her.
10
Jael rapped on the doorframe of Pat’s office. The lieutenant looked up and motioned her inside. Stepping into the office, Jael studied the blonde. As she did, she found it hard to believe less than eight hours had passed since she made the call telling Pat Mac had been shot. It felt like days had passed. Judging from the strain in Pat’s expression, the blonde felt the same.
“Please tell me you found something,” Pat said as she motioned Jael inside.
Jael smiled and closed the door behind her. She could finally say she did have something that might just help them solve identify the shooter. Of course, they wouldn’t be able to use it until their own techs managed to decrypt the video file. Still, she had a way around that if necessary. But, for the moment at least, the two of them could look at the security feed and decide the best way to proceed.
She dropped onto a chair in front of Pat’s desk and sighed wearily. She felt a million years old. What she wouldn’t give for an hour’s nap. She didn’t care if it was in the crib downstairs or on the floor in Mac’s office. A few minutes to close her eyes, gather her thoughts and get a handle on her emotions. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen. There was too much to do.
“Jael?”
“Hypothetically, let’s say I got a gift from a mutual friend of ours, one with contacts and resources we may need to call in.” Cryptic but enough for Pat to inhale sharply before leaning forward, her eyes alight with hope. “And let’s say that gift was the decrypted video feed from a certain security system. I assume you’d like to see it.”
“I most definitely like to see such a hypothetical video.” In that moment, she looked like the predator she was when shifted.
Jael reached down and dug inside her backpack. A moment later, she pulled out a military-grade laptop. With it carefully balanced on her knees, she opened the lid and booted it up. As she did, Pat waited. When Jael looked up from the screen, the lieutenant arched one brow in question. Jael grinned and shrugged.
“Another gift.”
She stood and carried the laptop to Pat’s desk. A moment later, she called up the video file Mateo sent. After angling the screen so they b
oth could watch, she started the video.
The motion-activated camera came on as a van parked at the curb, Unfortunately, it sat at an angle the prevented them from seeing a license plate, if there was one, or anything else that might help identify it. It was a plain white van similar to those used by so many private delivery companies.
The van shifted as the driver’s door opened. A moment later, the driver appeared from around the van. He wore a generic shirt and pants, much like an independent delivery driver might. His ball cap was pulled down low over his eyes, obscuring much of his face. but it was the bulge under his shirt that caught Jael’s eye. She recognized it for what it was and cursed herself for not getting to the house sooner. If she had. . . .
About halfway up the walk, the man paused. Then his shoulders slumped and Jael frowned. His posture wasn’t what she’d expect from an experienced hitman. Hell, it wasn’t even what she’d expect from someone determined to kill Mac for personal reasons. For a moment, he seemed to hesitate. He glanced around and straightened, as if gathering his nerve. Then he finished walking to the door. He reached out and rang the bell, something the audio picked up.
As he waited, he mumbled something. Jael looked up at Pat to see if she understood and the blond shook her head. Hopefully, the techs would be able to clear it up. Everything, no matter how small, would help them build a profile of the shooter and that would help lead to his arrest.
As he waited, the man shifted nervously from foot to foot. He glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one noticed him. Jael cursed silently as she watched. Everything about his screamed amateur. She was watching a very scared man. Unfortunately, he also appeared to be determined. But why? Why would he take sure a risk?
He seemed to take a deep breath as the camera picked up the sounds of someone unlocking the door. At the same time, Mac could be heard saying, “You’re early.” The door opened and their worst nightmares came to life. At the same time, much of what Jael suspected went out the door.
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