by Brenna Lyons
Kyla was crumpled against the drawers on the other side. She rolled her head to look up at him. Her eyes were dilated, and she didn’t seem capable of focusing on him. Her shirt was ripped, and a trail of blood was drying from her left forearm to her wrist. One leg was sprawled out from her and the other folded under her as if she had collapsed and couldn’t right herself. Kyla was pale and sweating.
“How are you, Kyla?” he asked.
She handed him the shotgun unsteadily. “I can’t remember how to unchamber the round,” she mumbled as he accepted it.
Leo obliged her before dropping the shotgun on top of the desk.
Kyla dropped her head to her chest. “Feel like shit. What’d they give me?” she managed as her eyes closed again.
Leo swung her up to his chest and headed for the stairs. “We don’t know yet.”
The gurney wasn’t waiting for him as he’d ordered, so Leo stormed out to the ambulance, muttering a few choice curses under his breath. For the second time in little over a month, reporters took pictures of Det. Waters carrying an injured Kyla Connor.
“No explosions, Leo,” she murmured. “No explosions this time.” Kyla was really out of it.
The EMTs met him at the ambulance door.
Joe pushed past an officer to the door. He looked like someone had sucker punched him. “Kyla?”
She didn’t respond.
Joe looked at Leo helplessly. “What did they do to her?”
Leo pushed him toward the open door. “Get in,” he barked. “We’re going.” The EMT started to protest, but Leo cut him off. “I’m the officer in charge here. This is her husband. We’re going.”
The paramedic backed off and let the two men into the ambulance.
Leo placed Kyla on the gurney and allowed the younger man to do his work. They pulled away from the curb. Leo could see Molly huddled in her mother’s arms.
Joe held Kyla’s hand in his own. He didn’t take his eyes off her even as he spoke. “What did they do?” he asked again.
“Some sort of drug,” the EMT answered. He pointed to the ugly tear on her left forearm. “See here? They started the injection and she jerked. We don’t know what it was or how much yet.”
Leo ground his teeth. “When will we know?”
“We should have a pretty good idea of what by the time we pull in. As for how much, they may have to wing the treatment on the what for a little while.”
Joe kissed her hand. “They aren’t talking?” he asked.
The paramedic shook his head. “The police tried to force the issue. They warned the men what would happen if—” He glanced at Joe and skipped the rest. “No dice. They know they’re up on attempted murder either way. What have they got to lose?” The IV was threaded in, and the EMT slipped an oxygen mask over her pale face.
“Why?” Joe asked suddenly.
The EMT looked at him strangely.
“Why attempted murder?”
The young man looked shocked. He shouldn’t have mentioned it, and he knew it. “Well, she had 911 on the line. They could hear almost everything. After they tried breaking in, she shot a hole in the door. When the suspect stopped screaming, he was pretty specific.”
“She shot him?” Joe asked.
Leo couldn’t tell if he was interested in the answer. Joe’s eyes were red and tired and his voice held no inflection.
The EMT nodded. “Just winged him. Until they check him over, they’re not even sure if he was hit by the pellets or wood shrapnel from the door. He’ll be fine.”
Joe’s face was suddenly very hard. “Too bad,” he commented. He sank to the floor and buried his face behind his hands and hers.
Leo spoke up. “You don’t really mean that,” he told Joe.
“I don’t know,” he answered miserably. “I love her so much, but I know she’d never forgive herself if she killed someone. Anyone, even that sorry—”
“What about you?” Leo asked.
Joe looked up at him with tears in his eyes. “You’re barking up the wrong tree,” he answered. “I could have, but the chance has never presented itself.”
“And now?” Leo prodded.
“In defense, I guess I could. I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my life with Kyla. I can’t screw that up for anything.”
Leo nodded. “You’ve got your head on straight. That’s good.”
* * *
Joe sat by the side of Kyla’s bed. He stroked her hand and talked to her. He wasn’t sure what he was saying at times. Joe talked about the wedding, about the house they were setting up, the good times they had at Gram’s, walks in the woods. He talked about things they hadn’t talked about before: watching Kyla dancing in her apartment, watching her sleep, having children, and growing old together.
The syringe held a strong narcotic and a knockout drug. The fact that her attackers got only a small amount into her system was a stroke of good fortune. The mixture was far off of what a professional would have given her to put her to sleep. The full syringe would have killed someone Kyla’s size.
The doctors administered a counteragent while they waited for the first set of blood tests to come back from toxicology. That move turned out to be prudent, since the test showed her levels were at a dangerously high level.
Four hours later, a second test revealed that her levels were dropping nicely. When the nurse told Joe the news that her levels were at an acceptable level, he started to cry. It was a waiting game.
Joe had tried to reach Kyla after she disconnected him. At first, she had pushed him away. She’d still been in danger, he supposed.
When she’d finally connected with him, Joe knew something was very wrong. Kyla had been incoherent, disjointed. She’d resorted to sending him images. Then she was gone.
Joe understood she hadn’t been coherent enough to concentrate anymore. Instead of the black hole of unconsciousness, Kyla had been encased in a thick, gray mist much like the one Molly described from her dreams.
The hour and a half they’d banished Joe to the waiting room while they worked had been the longest of his life. When they allowed him back to her room, it was because they still weren’t sure how Kyla would fare.
Waters came back to check on her. He promised that the two men weren’t getting out for a long, long time.
Matthew came. Joe didn’t even look at him. He kept stroking her hand and crooning to her about all the things they would do when she woke up and went home with him. Matthew laid a hand on his shoulder, and Joe understood what he meant without a word.
After five long hours, he felt Kyla squeeze his hand. For the first time in more than three hours, Joe was speechless. He was starting to think he had imagined it, when she opened her eyes.
Kyla took a deep breath and struggled for a few moments. Her hand flew to the mask, and she tried to pull it off. Joe eased her hand away, and she focused on his face.
Kyla squeezed his hand and started to cry. Joe kissed her forehead and wiped away the tears without a word. Kyla tried to talk, but the mask muffled her words. She tried to remove it again, but he took her hand away and kissed it.
“Molly is fine,” Joe told her. “The jerk is going to be fine. And you are going to be the most beautiful bride in the world as soon as I spring you from this joint. Do you want a drink of water?”
Kyla nodded.
Joe hit the call button.
A tinny voice wafted back. “Can I help you?” the nurse asked.
“Yes. Can you let our family know that Sleeping Beauty is awake and bring in a pitcher of ice water? Thanks.”
There was no answer, but the nurse appeared in the doorway a few moments later. Joe didn’t recognize her, but Kyla smiled when she saw her. He noted that her name was Victoria.
“Well, that’s a good sign,” Victoria commented. “You remember me. What do you say we lose the mask now that you’re awake?”
Kyla nodded gratefully. Once the mask was removed, she tried to speak again. “Victoria?” Her voice
was rough and scratchy. Kyla swallowed and sank back into the pillow.
Victoria smiled and reached into her pocket. “I know. The minute I saw it was you, I knew.” She placed the ring in Kyla’s hand, and Joe reached across to slip it back on her finger. “There, back where it belongs.” Victoria smiled at Joe. “Why don’t you go let everyone know she’s awake while I get some vitals?”
Joe glanced at Kyla, and she nodded to him. He kissed her forehead again and left her in Victoria’s care. If Kyla trusted this woman, it was good enough for him. He wound his way down to the waiting room.
Matthew, Josie, Molly, and even Waters were still there. Eric jumped up as Joe entered, and Joe hugged him for a moment. Matthew met his eyes worriedly over Eric’s shoulder.
“She’s awake,” Joe said.
A cheer went up in the waiting room.
“When can we see her?” Matthew asked.
“I don’t know. They’re checking her over right now.”
Waters stood and approached Joe. “I know it’s a bad time to ask, but the sooner I talk to her, the better my chances are of keeping them right where they are for a long time.”
Joe nodded. “Come back with me and we’ll see if she’s up to it.”
* * *
Kyla was sipping ice water when Joe came back in. He took her hand and laid his forehead to hers. She saw a sudden movement over his shoulder and jumped, then relaxed as she saw Waters in the doorway.
“Relax. I come in peace,” Waters joked. He smiled. “It’s just me. You trusted me six hours ago, remember?”
Kyla nodded and smiled back at him.
“Do you feel up to talking?”
She nodded. “If you don’t mind a scratchy voice. I guess I have to thank you again, Detective Waters.”
“Call me Leo. You did once, remember? I’d rather you call me Leo. As much as I end up talking to you, it will be much easier.”
Kyla shook her head. “When did I call you Leo? I don’t remember.”
“On the way to the ambulance today.”
“I don’t remember. The last truly coherent thought I had was moving the desk back so the police could get in. What did I say?”
“It was a little muddled, but I think you were pleading with me for no more explosions.”
Kyla felt her cheeks darken, and Joe squeezed her hand. “I guess you carrying me— It must have been a concern at the time. I’m glad to see that your arm is healed.”
Waters rotated it. “It was a simple break. Better in no time at all.” He pulled out the tape recorder, looking grim. “If you’re ready, we’ll get this out of the way.” Kyla nodded, so he continued. “Start at the top. What happened?”
“Molly and I came in from shopping. I can’t put my finger on it, but halfway to the stairs something was wrong. If it was a sound, I really didn’t register it. I just knew it wasn’t right, so we started backing toward the door again.” Kyla rubbed her eyes roughly.
“What next?” Leo asked.
“We got to the living room doorway, and the first man grabbed me from behind.”
“Do you know which one it was?”
“From what they said upstairs, it was the one I—” Kyla grimaced.
“The one you shot?”
She nodded. “Yes. Anyway, I pushed Molly toward the stairs and told her where to hide.”
“Wasn’t that risky?” Leo asked.
Kyla met his eyes. “They didn’t hear it. I made sure they didn’t hear it.”
Leo nodded and glanced at the recorder. “Your special code? The one you and Molly use?” He understood her perfectly.
“Yes. If they wanted her, they had an entire house to search, but I knew where to find her.”
“Go on,” he said.
“The first man had a pretty good grip around my arms and ribs. I couldn’t break free. The other man darted at me from the front. He snagged my arm. I didn’t know what he was doing until I felt the needle. I freaked. I threw out my arm as far as I could and knocked the syringe away.”
“Good thing,” Leo commented. “That shot would have taken me down.”
Kyla nodded. “I brought my knee up and took the man in front down with a cup shot. On his way down, I used his chest to push off on to slam the man behind me into the wall a few times. He lost his grip. I took the stairs to the office and locked us both in. I pushed the desk against the door and broke the glass for the shotgun. I fumbled with the safety a little.” She glanced at Joe. “I never was a gun person.”
Joe chuckled and nodded.
“Then what?” Leo prodded her.
“I called 911. No, wait. I did that before the safety. I remember thinking I wasn’t dealing with Harris this time. I had a dial tone when I picked up the phone.”
Joe laughed. “Definitely not Harris.”
“Anyway, I dialed, chambered a round, and warned them I had a loaded gun.”
Leo nodded. “The pump action was the first thing the dispatcher recorded on her tape.”
“They thought I was bluffing, and one of them hit the door. So...I fired.”
“Accidentally?” Leo asked.
Kyla met his gaze. “No. I wanted to fire a warning shot.”
“You aimed at the spot you hit?”
“Roughly. Guns really aren’t my thing.”
“You were crying.”
Kyla met his eyes and nodded.
“The dispatcher could hear it on the tape. She also heard you grunt. She thought you were injured.”
Kyla cracked a smile. “I was holding the shotgun wrong. It recoiled into my shoulder. I’m not sure I could have fired a second time, but I wasn’t about to tell them that.”
“It knocked you off your feet?”
“No, I lost my balance. Probably the drugs. I was dizzy and nauseated.” Kyla shook her head. “I remember the man howling. He called me—” She turned a deep red.
Leo nodded. “I know what he called you. The dispatcher tape picked it up loud and clear. Go on.”
“He said when he got in, he was going to kill me.”
Joe squeezed her hand.
“I couldn’t stand up, so I crawled to the gun safe and used it and the filing cabinet as a blockade.”
“And?”
“He hit the door again, and I chambered another round.”
“You missed a step,” Leo interrupted her. “Do you remember what you said after he threatened you?”
Kyla searched her disjointed memories. “As I recall, I was mumbling something to no one in particular. They couldn’t possibly have heard it.”
“No, but the dispatcher could. You were sitting on the floor right next to the phone.”
Kyla grimaced. She hadn’t realized they’d hear that line.
“Look, I have to prove you’re competent to testify to what happened. Memory gaps are bad news.”
Kyla blushed. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that before from better than you.”
Leo laughed heartily and nodded. “Good job.”
Joe raised an eyebrow. “That’s really what you said?”
Kyla cracked a smile. “I was a little punchy by then.”
Joe joined in the laughter.
Leo cut in. “Do you remember what happened after you pumped the gun?” he asked.
Kyla nodded. “The other man told him to back off and wait. I think it was something like, ‘I got enough in her. She can’t hold on for long.’ I knew I had to do something. I didn’t want a standoff and I figured a man who was shot would be conspicuous enough to find later.”
“What did you do?” he asked.
“I told him the police were on the way and invited them to check it.”
“You were a little more eloquent on the tape,” Leo observed.
“What did she say?” Joe asked.
“Kyla?” Leo deferred to her.
She shook her head. “I was really getting fuzzy about that time. All I remember clearly is trying not to throw up or pass out.”
Leo lean
ed closer to Joe. “She told them she could stay awake long enough. She told them they weren’t too bright, and that they should have disabled the phone, because ‘Waters and his men are on the way’.” He smiled crookedly.
Kyla didn’t return his smile. “Sarcasm and complete lack of common sense showing?” she asked.
“We’ll chalk antagonizing them up to the fact that you were high as a kite by that point, and you couldn’t have used your inhibitions if you tried.”
“What happened to them?” Kyla asked.
“They checked. Sure enough, the dispatcher was talking to the open line hoping you could hear her.” Leo laughed. “She recorded several minutes of them swearing profusely and discussing their options.” He sobered. “The first officers on the scene caught them on the way out the door.”
Kyla nodded. “That’s good.”
“Do you remember anything after that?” Leo asked.
“I remember hearing the police downstairs. I started dragging the desk away from the door so they could get in. I remember how cool the wood felt on my cheek. I remember hanging up the phone. I think I threw up.” Kyla grimaced as Leo nodded. “Add that to the list of things I owe Dad.”
“Do you remember what you said to the officers?” Leo asked.
Kyla shook her head.
“Do you remember not letting them in? Do you remember why?”
An image invaded Kyla’s mind, a piece of a demented dream.
Heather was cradling her head. “Not yet. You can’t trust them all. You know who you can trust.”
Molly was running for the door, and Kyla snagged her arm awkwardly. “No, Molly. We can’t trust these ones. Hide.” Molly hid, and Kyla cried.
Heather comforted her like a child. “You’ll be okay. Leo and Joe will be here soon.”
* * *
Leo watched Kyla’s expression. At first, she didn’t seem to remember anything after she moved the desk. Her face paled. Whatever it was, she remembered it now. Kyla looked at him helplessly and tears ran down her cheeks. She shook her head.
“Kyla, I have to know,” Leo told her.