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“Jesus Christ. Okay, go. I’ll call in for the park rangers, too.”

I hang up, and Ava is looking at me. “The dog killed him?”

I nod.

Her eyes widen. “Where is the dog?”

“I think Jeff shot him. He’s lying down.”

“Where? We need to help him.” She tries to stand up.

“We need to get you out of here.”

“I need to see him.”

I help her to the dog’s side. He whimpers, and his tail thumps to the ground when he sees her.

Ava runs a hand through his fur. “We have to take him to a vet.”

I grimace. “I know, I want to, but I can only carry one of you out of here.”

“I can walk. You carry the dog.”

“Ava.”

“I’m not leaving without him. He saved our lives.”

“I know. But you’ve been shot, and you’re still bleeding.”

“I’m not leaving the dog behind. I can hold on to your shoulder if I need to. But you’re carrying that dog.”

Bullheaded woman. But I admire her loyalty, so I sigh and pick up the dog as gently as I can.

She pats his head. “What’s his name again?”

“Duke.”

“I think he needs a new name.”

“Yeah? What do you want to call him?”

“Hero.”

Chapter61

Avalon

By the timewe get to Jake’s parked cruiser, the ambulance and paramedics are waiting for us. So is Chief Malone with half a dozen officers around him. High beams from the cruisers and other vehicles parked along the way illuminate the rapidly darkening night. It will be pitch-black in another twenty minutes.

A cop rushes to us and takes Duke—no, he takes Hero from Jake. “I’ll rush him to the vet.”

I stop him with a hand on his arm. “I think he was shot more than once. Please make sure he gets the best care possible. He saved our lives.”

“You can count on it.” He disappears behind the line of vehicles. As a medic approaches, Jake points to the ambulance. Every step toward it takes more and more effort. My side burns, and pain pounds behind my eyes. I sit at the bumper of the ambulance. Someone shines a light in my eyes, and I flinch in pain.

Jake helps remove the bulletproof vest. “I think a bullet also grazed her side.”

The medic whistles. “You got lucky.”