Page 13

“Good,” Luke repeated before sharing a knowing look with his brother. “The minute I give you the signal, I want you to run as fast as you can toward the door. No matter what happens, do not look behind you. Only look at the door and don’t stop until you get inside.”

She nodded, and Jackson felt comfortable enough to turn his back to her and focus on the shooter. He heard Luke yell for Reagan to run, and Jackson raised his gun to fire, careful to make sure no bystanders were within range of his shots. He paused when he heard the hospital door slam closed and decided to make his move. Jackson broke cover and charged toward the car where he’d spotted the glint of the gun barrel. He was vulnerable to gunfire, but being shot would be worth it if he discovered a lead on who was targeting his family.

The car’s engine roared to life, and the car shot out into the traffic surrounding the hospital as sirens sounded in the distance. Jackson slowed to a stop, his chest heaving with the exertion.

“Dammit!” He’d been too far away to read the license plate, so he was left with nothing but a general description of a car that was so basic, most of the residents of Fire Creek probably drove one like it.

He turned to walk through the garden. He only had a few minutes before the cops would take over the scene and detain him for questioning. With an eye for noticing minute details, he scanned the area, noting the spots riddled with bullets. It wasn’t adding up. The shooter had come close to hitting his mark, but he’d hit all around Jackson and Reagan instead of taking out his target. Jackson could almost see an outline of where he’d lain over Reagan on the ground.

An ominous chill snaked down Jackson’s spine. He resisted the urge to bolt back into the hospital to make sure Reagan, Becky, English and his brothers were alright. He couldn’t shake the suspicion that the gunman was sent not to kill him or Reagan but to scare or distract them.

Pulling his cell from his pocket, he dialed his brother’s number and wasn’t surprised when Luke picked up on the first ring.

“We’re safe. I have Becky and Reagan in with Gish, and I’m standing watch out in the hall. Ben’s here, but he’s stuck outside since we’re in lockdown. He’s trying to lay low.”

Jackson scowled. “Probably a good idea. I don’t like the fact these bastards have put us on the local police’s radar twice today. I wish I could lay low, but considering the hospital’s security cameras caught me and Reagan in the garden, we won’t be able to avoid giving a statement to the cops.”

“I took care of it. I’ve already wiped the footage, so it looks like the recorder went down this morning. I copied it to our system, so we can review it later for leads on the shooter.”

“Good work. How’s Gish?”

“No change, man. Becky is sitting by his bedside. Reagan is restless being in there, but the gunfire freaked her out enough to stay put like I told her to.”

“I didn’t have a chance to ask her what the doctor said to her.”

Jackson felt a familiar frustration building within him. It was a rare kind of emotion he’d formed as a kid before he came to stay with English, and it was one he avoided at all costs. He never liked feeling out of control, and this situation had quickly taken a turn he never saw happening. So far, their target was several steps ahead of him, and he was ready to go on the offensive.

“Becky’s talking to her. If anyone can get Reagan to open up, it would be her,” Luke said.

Jackson nodded. Becky came into their lives when Jackson was a senior in high school, preparing to enlist in the Army after graduation. She was the reason he and his brothers learned about Legend and English’s work behind the scenes to help those in need. Becky had been a fixture in their lives ever since. Jackson suspected she was in love with English, but their age difference and English’s loner life kept him from encouraging her attention.

It seemed unfair to him for English to keep her at arm’s length when she’d shown unwavering devotion, but Jackson could understand English’s reservations. Their lives were not meant to be shared with someone who had the potential to be a vulnerability. Since finding out English had tried it with Reagan’s mother once and how it came back to haunt him after all these years, Jackson thought English had the right idea to keep Becky at arm’s length.

He hadn’t realized he’d fallen silent for a time until Luke spoke.

“What’s our next move?”

Jackson released a long breath. “Think you can keep the women there for a while? You’ll be on your own since the hospital is on lockdown.”

“I can handle it. I’ll check in with Easton to bring him up to date too.”

“Good. I need to take care of a couple of things, and then we’ll regroup. This bastard keeps changing the rules on us, so it’s time we turn the tables.”

“Damn straight,” Luke responded. “What about Ben?”

“I’m calling him next. We need someone monitoring the police’s investigation and keeping watch around the perimeter.”

“I’ll call him. You do what you’ve got to do. And Jackson? Be careful, man. This bastard’s playing for keeps.”

Jackson paused. “I’m always careful. But this guy came after our family. We’re taking him down.”

∞∞∞

When it came to problem solving, Jackson Moore was a first-things-first kind of guy. It’s why when he walked away from the pandemonium at Trinity Medical Center, he wound up outside a deli during the lunch hour rush. Despite the line of customers waiting to order and claim one of the few open tables, Jackson walked inside and made a direct path toward a table in a private corner of the deli. He slid onto the hard vinyl seat and rested his arms on the tabletop.

Alex Crandell sank his teeth into his club sandwich, chewing the bite as he regarded his old friend with narrow eyes. Alex was Jackson’s closest friend outside his own brothers. They’d served in the Army together, having hit it off on day one of basic training and continuing to grow their friendship after they were assigned to the same unit.

Alex was one of the few people who knew about Jackson and his brothers’ work as Legends, so Jackson knew he could be trusted. Though Alex operated a security company, employing a tight-knit group of professionals, he never shared with them about Jackson or the others. Even if there never was a reason to tell his team, Alex wouldn’t put Jackson and his brothers at risk by doing so.