Page 23 of The Ranger (Black Hawke Security #5)

COLE

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“I s it clear out there ?” I ask Ryder.

“Not yet. Chen has escaped, so they’re searching for him.” He tosses his jacket over Scarlett’s lower half and crouches, studying her condition. I know he did some medical when he was in the field, so I appreciate another set of eyes.

But we need that ambulance here now.

“Oh god.” Scarlett digs her nails into my skin deeper, and I suspect I have hours of this ahead, so I just say goodbye to my arm.

“You’re safe, baby,” I brush her hair from her forehead. “I’m here. Ryder and Liam are here. Marsh is out front. You have a rather impressive protective detail right now, young lady.”

I mean, it is.

Delta Force, Army Ranger and Airforce Captain. That’s a pretty decent entourage.

In typical Scarlett fashion, she’s not impressed, and I almost smile.

Then her eyes drift closed, and I worry she’s going to pass out. Whether from hunger, pain or something more serious. They haven’t fed her or provided her with water. Glancing around, I can’t find any evidence.

“Shit. Scar. Stay with me.”

Then suddenly, she lets out another scream, and I realize I should have been timing her contractions.

“Six minutes,” Ryder says, and I give him a grateful look.

“Get me out of here,” Scarlett begs, clutching at my shirt and she licks at her dry lips.

“Anyone got any water?” I ask, panicking.

“Fuck me.” Ryder and Liam share a glance and start searching for something.

A moment later, a bottle is placed in my hand, and I rip off the top.

“Sip slowly.”

She tries to chug the entire bottle down, but this isn’t my first rodeo. Overseas, I’ve shared water with many starving humans, and it's honestly the saddest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.

Then you get home and there’s such hideous abundance you wonder what the fucking point of life is.

I tighten my hold on Scarlett and let myself breathe for the first time in hours.

I found her. I found them.

“The baby?” I ask tentatively.

Her eyes meet mine, then drift away. “Moving. Coming. I don’t know.”

“Did they hurt you?” I run my hand over the side of her gently, searching for anything as Ryder keeps his eyes trained on her.

“Not badly, but yes.” She dips her face into my arm, and I feel her tears.

Where is this fucking ambulance?

Jake steps into the room, and my head snaps to him. “The ambulance is pulling up. I’ll need to send one of my men with you.”

“We don’t need protection if that’s what you mean,” I tell him.

“It’s not,” he says, holding my gaze for a moment, then ducks out. Ryder follows him.

A minute later, two paramedics come bursting in and drop to the floor. I watch them take in the smell, glance at Scarlett then me, then start pulling out medical equipment.

“Can you tell me your name?”

Scarlett answers all their questions and tells them the term of her pregnancy.

“She hasn’t had food or water,” I explain. “For almost two days. She just drank some of this.” I lifted the water bottle.

They nod, listening while taking her stats.

“Your name?”

“Sergeant Cole Zimbardo.” When the guy waits for more, I say. “I’m the father.”

He doesn’t need my full rank and all my credentials right now.

“Do you think you can walk, Scarlett?”

She nods but glances up at me. “Don’t leave me.”

I’m not going to. Not ever. Nothing and no one is taking her from me ever again.

“Never.” I cup her face and hold her gaze for as long as I can so that message sinks in loud and clear. Then I turn back to the paramedics. “I’m her husband.”

They don’t believe me but accept my statement, and together, Liam and I get her up off the ground and onto the stretcher.

I spot my weapon and walk over to it, sliding it into the back of my pants. Then take hold of my rifle, keeping it trained on the floor.

I’m not taking any risks.

If Jake has a problem with that, he can take it up with Josh. Or arrest me.

Ryder walks in. “Chen is still on the run. We’ll stay behind and assist where Mr. Jake Douchebag will let us. Unless you want one of us to follow you to the hospital?”

As the paramedic straps Scarlett in, I stay by her side holding her hand. “One of you should, just in case Chen follows and has more men to pull in.”

Ryder nods. “Liam, you go. I’ll update Josh.”

“Roger that.”

“Thanks, man.”

Ryder, former Delta Force operator that he is, takes in the stretcher and my stance. “I’ll take the lead. Follow me, and if I say stop or drop, you all fucking do it. Got it?”

The paramedics’ eyes widen, and they glance at me then back at Ryder.

“This could still be a hostile situation, but the US Marshals have it contained for now,” I explain. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in here. We’re just being careful.” I glance at Scarlett. “Precious cargo.”

Her eyes don’t leave mine when we all start moving. She’s been in a state of horror for days. There’s no way the stress on her body hasn’t impacted the baby.

I squeeze her hand as I rip my eyes away when we step outside. The scene I’m met with doesn’t surprise me. Four men are in cuffs, looking furious as fuck. They glance in our direction, and one of them spits on the ground.

A couple of Marshals are questioning them, digging through contents in the vehicles and boxes.

It's going to be a long night for the authorities, but I’m filled with a feeling of completion.

My job at QuantumCore is done.

The weight lifts off my shoulders.

While we still don’t know what Chen did at the ports, I know the officials are now taking care of it. But until we find him, I won’t be happy. He took Scarlett, and he needs to be found and put behind bars before we will feel safe.

I can’t believe he fucking got away.

The smug asshole is either working for someone powerful or the North Korean government. Not good people, in other words. Scarlett aside, who knows how dangerous it could be, globally, if we don’t stop him?

Until he is found, Scarlett can’t go home.

First, we are heading to the hospital, and then we can reassess.

I climb into the back of the ambulance, and Liam leans in the door, tossing the keys up in the air and then snapping them closed in his palm. “I’ll follow behind you.”

“Thanks, man.” I smile and place a hand on Scarlett’s thigh.

She has another contraction, and my knee starts bobbing up and down again while the paramedic hooks her up to some fluids.

Two minutes later, we are on the road.