Page 54 of Go First

“Leave him,” Cox said.“He won’t live.”He coughed and spat blood.

+ + + + +

Marcus’s voice in Kate’s ear was tight with urgency.“I’m five minutes out.You?”

“Seven.What have you got?”

“The trackers show both vehicles at a lay-by off 202.”

“I’ll meet you there.”

Static, then: “Kate—hold up.The ambulance is moving.Fast.Heading my way.”

Kate gripped the phone.“Marcus?”

“It’s crossing lanes—damn—coming straight at—motherf—”

She heard something from Marcus then, something in between a loud intake of breath and a strangled cry.The line went dead under the sound of an almighty crash.She heard it in stereo: the road beyond her erupted in squeals of brakes, slammed horns and secondary collisions.It was a pile-up.

“Marcus?Marcus!”Kate’s own voice sounded alien.She jabbed at the radio.“All units, officer down, Route 202—possible collision, need EMS—now!”

She fumbled for another number, Poppy back at HQ, explaining in haste.“Status on the cop car?”

There was an agonising wait while Poppy logged onto the secure tracking site.

“It hasn’t moved,” Poppy said, voice small.“Still at the lay-by.”

Kate’s foot jammed the accelerator.Trees blurred.Her heart thudded against her ribs.

The lay-by was a crime scene waiting to be taped.The cop car sat silent, its lights dead.Kate killed her engine, climbed out.No sound but the tick-hiss of cooling metal.

A groan.A man in green coveralls lay beside a bush in a pool of blood, pale but alive, one hand clamped to his bleeding shoulder.His nametape said AUGUSTUS.

Kate dropped beside him.“Help’s coming,” she whispered into her radio.

A glint caught her eye—a sudden, bright flash in the trees beyond the gravel.Sunlight on metal?Or a watch-face?She rose, pistol drawn, and stepped into the undergrowth.

Branches closed around her.The world shrank to shadows and the damp reek of pine.A twig snapped behind her.She spun—nothing.

Then movement ahead: a dark figure, hobbling, but fast.“FBI!”she shouted.“Stop!”

The figure didn’t.

Kate fired a single shot into the air.The forest swallowed the sound.

A second shot cracked behind her.She whirled, stumbled, went down hard.Pain flared in her knee.She pushed herself up— just a graze…

A click.Cold and sharp.

“Don’t turn around,” a voice said.

Cox.

Her breath hitched.

“It’s been a while,” he said, through gritted teeth.“Kate.”

“You sure about this, Cox?You look ready to collapse.”