Page 25 of Forged By Fire (Danger in Destiny #9)

Chapter Twenty-Four

L eslie sidled up to Chet. She lowered her voice. “Something’s not right. I think we need to get out of the open and call in the police.”

“Agreed.” Chet didn’t hesitate. He turned to the older couple. “Mr. and Mrs. Tippin, why don’t we go inside and take a look around. Make sure none of that fire damage came through the wall.” He gave Leslie a nod as he quickly escorted the couple into the barn.

Mr. Tippin had to dig his keys out to unlock the regular door. As he did, the urgency she’d been feeling intensified.

Come on, come on, come on!

Mr. Tippin got the door open. Leslie ignored the urge to look over her shoulder as she spoke to Jin and Bryce. “Guys, we need to get inside. I think the shooter set the fire, and he’s still out?—”

A gunshot pierced the air.

Wooden splinters flew as a bullet struck the side of the barn near the door.

All three firefighters ducked and ran for the doorway. Another gunshot, and a burning pain erupted in Leslie’s upper arm.

They worked together to close the barn door to provide more coverage from the gunfire. Light filtered in through the large glass windows, making it possible for them to see inside, but it also meant the shooter could potentially see them as well.

Chet was helping the Tippins get onto the ground and under a workbench along one wall. As soon as they were set, he spoke into his radio linking them to dispatch. “We have gunshots fired at our location. We and the residents are inside the barn behind the house.”

Jin, Bryce, and Leslie dropped to their hands and knees, a motion made difficult by their turnout gear.

Her co-workers began to shed their boots, pants, and jackets.

While their gear was absolutely essential when fighting fires, the weight and thickness made it difficult to move around freely, to take cover, or, God forbid, fight the gunman if he forced his way into the barn.

Fear swept through Leslie. Dispatch would make sure they got help, but she needed to call Clint and tell him this was the same shooter from the warehouse.

Sweat beaded on her forehead and dripped down her back as the phone barely rang once before he picked it up.

“Leslie? A call just came in?—”

“That’s us. He called in the fire before it was even set.”

A gunshot shattered another window sending glass everywhere. Mrs. Tippin yelped.

“He’s got us cornered in the barn.”

“We’re on our way. Stay where you’re at.”

She nodded, even though there was no way he could see it. She tried to form words for a response, but her brain wouldn’t cooperate. Why was she so hot ?

Bryce must have noticed her discomfort because his eyes narrowed as he positioned himself in front of her. “Leslie? Hey, let’s get that jacket off you.” He started to help her with it when his eyes widened. “You’ve been hit.”

Hit? She stared at him and tried to figure out what he meant.

“Leslie?” Clint’s voice came from the phone.

Bryce took it from her. “This is Keyes. We’re going to need an ambulance.

Leslie’s been hit.” Another gunshot pierced the air.

“I’m gonna have to set the phone down and see how bad this is.

Be careful when you arrive, the shooter’s still out there.

I think the shots were coming from the west or northwest, but I’m not sure. ”

Leslie worked to even her breathing as Bryce and Jin helped her get her jacket off as well as the pants and boots, leaving her in cotton leggings, a T-shirt, and socks.

The cool air breezed over her damp skin, bringing relief and a little clarity to her mind. She winced when Bryce applied a handkerchief to her left upper arm. “How bad is it?”

“Looks like the bullet just grazed you, but it’s bleeding pretty good.” Bryce studied her face. “You with us?”

“Yeah, I’m better now.” It bothered her that the combination of being overheated, the stress, and the wound had muddled her brain so much for a few moments there.

Bryce snatched the phone off the ground and gave an update to Clint.

The silence from outside the barn was nearly as deafening as the gunshots. Had he run off? Or was he approaching the barn?

Chet and the Tippins were already out of sight of the windows. Jin, Bryce, and Leslie scooted closer to the wall and ducked into the small space under another workbench .

Jin looked around and reached for a large axe that was leaning against the wall. He shoved it across the barn floor to Chet.

“There’s a shotgun in the cabinet over there,” Mr. Tippin pointed out.

Bryce motioned for Jin to take over putting pressure on Leslie’s wound, and crawled over to the cabinet. As soon as he had the shotgun in his hands, he made sure it was loaded and came back, positioning himself low to the ground between them and the door.

Leslie noted a shovel nearby. If push came to shove, she’d wield that to keep their attacker at bay. They may not be trained for this, but none of them were going to face the shooter without a fight.

The air was unnaturally quiet as Clint gripped his handgun and followed Paris.

No doubt, the shooting earlier had scared off much of the wildlife.

They’d parked in front of the house and were making their way around toward the barn.

Two other officers were circling around to the left while another pair were doing the same to the right—all searching for someone hiding in the trees around the edge of the property.

Clint kept his eyes on the tree line as they made their way past the house and to the ladder truck, which they would use as a shield if the situation changed.

It was frustrating to know that Leslie was in the barn just a few hundred feet away, and he couldn’t get to her yet. All he wanted was to clear the area and get in there. See for himself that Leslie was okay .

Paris spoke into his two-way radio. “How are we looking? Is there any movement in the trees?”

“Negative. Nothing on the east side. Continuing to work our way around.”

“Carrington here on the west. We’ve got flattened grass and weeds with numerous shell casings. There’s a direct view of the barn from here. No visual on the shooter.”

“Understood. We’re moving in now.”

Together, Clint and Paris rounded the fire truck and quickly made their way across the open space to the barn. The hose the firefighters had been using to put out the fire still lay stretched across the dry grass. The scent of burned hay and smoke lingered in the air.

When they reached the door, Paris gave Clint a nod.

“This is Officer Baker. Detective Paris is here, too. It looks like we’re in the clear, although other officers are in the process of verifying that. We’re coming in.”

Scuffling noises from the other side were followed by the door opening.

Keyes was standing just inside, a shotgun in hand.

He stepped back so they could enter. “It’s been quiet out there for at least six or seven minutes, but we didn’t know if that meant he’d left or if he was coming in closer.

With all the windows… Well, it’s not a great place to be stuck, but a whole lot better than being out in the open.

Holden was helping an older couple get to their feet. “We never even saw him, but it was clear the fire had been set to lure us here.”

Leslie was still sitting on the ground. Cho was beside her, pressing a cloth against her upper arm. Blood had dribbled all the way down to her fingers.

Clint strode forward and lowered to one knee beside her. He placed a hand against her upper back, thankful to feel her breathing and have that physical proof she was alive. “How are we looking?”

“The bullet grazed her, but she’s definitely going to need some stitches.” Cho pulled the cloth back to reveal a nasty gash that oozed blood the moment there wasn’t any pressure.

“Here, I’ll take that.” Clint switched positions with Cho and took over keeping the cloth pressed against her wound and continued to keep one on her back. He raised his head and looked around. “Was anyone else injured?”

Except for a few small cuts from falling glass, everyone else seemed to be fine. Paris called out to have the ambulance, which was waiting on the road just off the property, come on in.

Leslie rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“And I’m glad you’re okay. You scared me, Granger.” He let his forehead fall to rest against her temple. “Can you stand?”

“For the record, it was pretty scary in here, too.” She let him help her to her feet. “Yeah. I think I’m okay now.”

Confused, Clint looked to Keyes for an explanation.

“We thought she was going to pass out earlier, between being overheated in the gear and losing blood.”

“I wasn’t about to pass out,” she objected.

But the look Keyes gave him over her head said differently.

Clint put an arm around her for extra support. The cloth he held against her arm was sticky with blood.

Carrington’s voice came through the radio. “The area is clear, and the ambulance is approaching now. You’re good to exit the barn. ”

“Come on. Let’s get you to the hospital.”

Paris opened the door, and Clint led the way with Leslie. He was going to tell Paris that he planned to ride in the ambulance with her, but he didn’t need to. His friend simply clapped him on the shoulder and said, “I’ll keep you updated.”

Cho, Keyes, and Holden promised they’d check on her soon and take care of her gear in the meantime.

Within minutes, they got settled into the back of the ambulance. An EMT he knew, Rory, pressed a stack of clean gauze to Leslie’s arm and gave her a comforting smile. “Once we get to the hospital, they’ll have you stitched up in no time.”

Clint sat on the bench nearby and held her hand in his. Her skin was chilled. She shivered, and Rory pulled a blanket out of one of the storage compartments and spread it out over her patient.

He knew the shaking was likely due to the adrenaline fading, but he was also worried about blood loss. He’d feel better once the doctor examined her.

“Hey.” Leslie’s soft voice drew his attention to her face. “I’m okay.”

“Yeah. It was the not knowing for a while there. Just promise me you won’t put me through anything like that again.” He was making light of it, but seriously, she’d been hurt, and he had no idea how bad the injury was. It had been one of the worst ten minutes of his life.

“I can promise that I’ll never do it on purpose. Besides, now I can take ‘getting shot’ off my bucket list. So there’s that.” She smiled then, her eyes glittering with humor.

“That’s not even funny.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. “Seriously, you and I need to sit down and go over your bucket list. ”

He rested his hand on her forehead and lightly brushed his thumb over her hair. The shooter could have easily killed Lesley today.

Things between them were still so new, but more and more, he found himself picturing a future together.