Diane Burke - The Marshal's Runaway Witness

“I understand. Isn’t there something milder than narcotics that will at least keep the edge off her pain? I’d like to keep her as comfortable as possible.”

The doctor paused a moment and then handed him a different card. “This should help but please monitor her carefully.”

“I will. So what do you say? Can I get her out of here?”

“Yes. But call me if you run into problems. Better yet, if something goes wrong bring her back to the ER and page me immediately.”

“Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it.”

Dylan stepped away from the nurses station. He took out his cell, punched a number and wasn’t surprised when his boss answered on the first ring.

“Well? Has she agreed to testify?” he asked without hesitation.

“Yes. But she’s scared and I can’t say I blame her. She’s been on the run for over three years. Her best friend was killed. She was shot. She doesn’t trust anyone right now. But she’ll be all right by the time the trial begins next week.”

“Good. Everything’s almost set on our end. I’ll text you the address of the safe house as soon as it’s confirmed. Detective Donahue has arranged for some of his men and a few state troopers to escort you. They’ll meet you on the lower level of the hospital by one of the back loading docks.”

“Don’t think that’s a good idea, boss. I don’t need a parade of cop cars drawing unnecessary attention to us. Bear and I can handle it.”

“Like you handled it last time?”

An uncomfortable silence stretched across the airwaves.

“Okay,” his boss relented. “We’ll do it your way. No troopers. No cops. I sent Marshal Selma Washington to go with you. I don’t want Angelina Baroni out of your sight. Having a female agent who can go everywhere Miss Baroni goes will guarantee we won’t lose this witness a second time.”

“I understand, sir.” Dylan gritted his teeth but refrained from rebuttal. He deserved the dressing-down.

“Washington is probably already at the hospital,” his boss continued. “I gave her the assignment hours ago and asked her to meet you in Baroni’s room.”

“Fine. I’m headed back there now.”

“Call in when you get to the safe house.”

“Will do.”

“And, Dylan...”

“Sir?”

“I don’t need to tell you how important it is to get Ms. Baroni to testify. The FBI are down my neck on this one. Along with ATF and even Homeland Security. Vincenzo Baroni has broken every federal law known to man and everybody wants in on the action. This woman has the power to bring down one of the strongest organized crime families we have seen in decades. Keep her alive and don’t let her give you the slip again.”

“Believe me, sir, no one wants that more than me.” Dylan hung up and slid the phone back in his suit pocket. Angelina’s betrayal had done much more than ding his male pride. It had put an indelible black mark on his career and he wasn’t about to let her do it again. He’d bring her in to testify if he had to handcuff her to his left wrist and stay awake 24/7.

A sound, a specific sound not easily mistaken for anything else, drew his attention.

Couldn’t be.

He froze, cocked his head to the side, and listened.

There it was again.

Pop! Pop!

Gunfire!

FOUR

Adrenaline surged through Dylan McKnight’s body. He withdrew his weapon and pointed it toward the ceiling. His legs pounded the linoleum faster than he’d thought possible as he bolted toward Angelina’s room.

“Move!” He skirted a patient on a walker. “Get out of my way!” He dodged a nurse pushing a wheelchair.

In the distance, he saw a familiar figure racing toward him.

Bear!

A woman, probably the other marshal, matched Bear’s pace stride for stride as they sprinted forward. Angelina’s petite figure was huddled between them as they half dragged, half carried her along.

“Get back in your rooms,” Dylan shouted to hospital patients as he tried to close the distance between himself and his partner. “Get out of the corridor, now!”

Chaos ensued. People screamed and hospital personnel scurried to help the patients do as Dylan demanded.

Two men appeared at the end of the far corridor and were quickly gaining ground.

A shot rang out.

Bear, never losing stride, glanced over his shoulder, raised his right hand and fired his weapon.

A second shot rang out and a chunk of drywall chipped off next to Dylan’s ear. He ducked and returned fire, offering what little cover he could for his partner.

One of the men in pursuit fell to the ground.

The second man stopped, grabbed his injured accomplice under the arm, and dragged him to his feet. In a hail of bullets, they ducked down another hall.

Dylan returned fire again, then again.

When they disappeared from sight, he stopped firing and tried to make a split-second decision on what his next move should be. He wanted to pursue them but there were three people at hand that needed him more. If there were two bad guys, it stood to reason there would soon be more. His priority right now was getting his team to safety.

“I’ll take over. Thanks.” Dylan nudged Selma away. He slipped his hand under Angelina’s left arm but not before passing Selma his car keys and telling her where their black sedan was parked. “Bring the car back to the loading dock. We’ll be right behind you. Go!”

No longer burdened with Angelina’s weight, Selma didn’t need any prodding and took off running.

“Hit the elevator button,” Bear yelled.

Dylan pushed the button but then moved the three of them to the stairs.

“Whatcha doing, man?” Bear tried to pull Angelina back toward the elevator.

“We’re taking the stairs. We can’t be sure they’re alone. Others might be riding up here right now. Don’t want to be greeted with gunfire when the elevator door opens, do we?”

Bear pushed open the door to the stairwell and peered over the railing. “Are you crazy? It’s ten floors.”

“Getting soft in your old age, Simmons?”

“I’ll give you ‘getting soft.’” Bear almost growled the words.

Dylan chuckled in spite of the tension of the moment. Everybody knew Bear counted the days, hours and even the minutes until his retirement party in six months. He’d become a little less willing to risk any injury. But Dylan intended to make sure his partner made it to that party in one large cake-eating piece.

Dylan forced his mind into overdrive, doing a double and triple check of every decision he made. He vowed not to lose the life of a second partner on his watch like he’d done years ago.

“Dylan...”

Pure terror resonated in Angelina’s voice yet her outward demeanor remained calm and collected.

“It’s going to be all right, Angelina.” He gave her noninjured arm a reassuring squeeze. “We’ve got you. We’ll be out of here and safe in a few minutes. Don’t worry.”

He threw a glance over his right shoulder to make sure they weren’t being followed. Then, offering a silent prayer that he was making the right decision, he nodded to his partner and they began their descent down the stairs.

* * *

Not a word passed between them as they moved in an even rhythm through the stairwell.

Angelina’s head pounded with pain. Her blurred vision made the stairwell and the men beside her appear as if they were underwater. But she didn’t dare complain. She couldn’t be responsible for slowing them down when she knew every second was crucial to keeping the three of them alive.

Dylan grinned when they reached the ground floor. “We made it!”

“You sound surprised. That sigh of relief doesn’t instill a great deal of confidence here, McKnight.”