Sasha obeyed, her hands shaking. ‘Thank you.’
‘It was nothing.’ Truly nothing. With a nod, Mercy stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself. All this pain, this . . . havoc was because of her. Because Ephraim wants me back. Leaning against the Subaru, she closed her eyes, feeling very helpless. Very alone.
And then Rafe was at her side, hugging her so hard that it hurt. He pulled away, giving her a head-to-toe visual assessment. ‘Are you okay?’
She could hear him mostly, the ringing in her ears having sufficiently subsided. She nodded. ‘You?’
‘I’m fine.’ And then his expression changed from worry to anger. ‘What were you thinking back there? You got up. You let him try to shoot you. Made yourself a fucking target. What were you thinking?’
‘That he wanted me, not you,’ she admitted.
Fire flashed in Rafe’s eyes. ‘Never do that again. Never.’
Mercy nodded but left her true answer unsaid. She would totally do it again, if it made a difference. ‘What if Ephraim comes back?’ she asked. ‘We’re sitting ducks.’ Plus they needed to get help for Erin, André, and Gideon, and somewhere warm for the rest of them. Their clothes were soaked, and everyone was shivering.
Rafe pointed to Gideon, who was talking on the satellite phone he’d taken back from Daisy. ‘He’s calling for help. Sat phones are the only way to get a signal out here. I should have made sure I had one, too. I won’t make that mistake again. In the meantime, we’ll defend ourselves if he returns. We’ve at least got cover now.’
Gideon joined them, still on the phone, the wound on his hand covered with gauze from the first-aid kit. He muted his end of the conversation and said, ‘Molina is on her way from Sacramento. She’s sending locals to pick us up and take us into town. Hunter will be here any minute to secure the scene.’
André led Farrah to the Subaru and lowered her into one of the backseats, the knife in his arm making the scene even more surreal. ‘Stay here. I’ll be right back,’ he told her before coming to stand with the three of them. ‘Gideon, tell your boss that the Tahoe is missing its back window and that both passenger windows are pebbled. Your dad must have had run-flat tires installed, because I shot the back right tire but it didn’t slow him down.’ He closed his eyes wearily. ‘I’m out of ammo. If he comes back, we’re toast.’
Gideon told Molina about the damage to the Tahoe that Ephraim had stolen, then ended the call. ‘The locals aren’t too far out and they’re sending a medic team. Until they get here, I’ve got more ammo for my service weapon and my backup.’ He handed the backup to André, then scooped his own gun from the snow. ‘The medics were told about the knife in your arm. They said the ER docs would remove it, that we shouldn’t touch it.’
André turned his scowl on the knife. ‘I’ve had worse. I can wait.’
‘What happened, André?’ Mercy asked.
André sat on one corner of the tailgate. His jaw was tight, perspiration beading on his forehead despite the cold temperature. ‘We got here as the shooting started. Ephraim was running toward the main road and Farrah was driving so that I could be on watch, just in case, y’know? She pulled your dad’s SUV sideways to block the road. She was afraid he’d killed you. She got out before I could stop her and . . .’ He swallowed hard. ‘Dammit. She and I will have words about this later.’
Mercy patted his uninjured arm. ‘She’s okay, André. He didn’t hurt her.’
André’s eyes flashed. ‘He killed her aunt. He terrified her. He needs to be stopped.’
He needs to die, Mercy thought grimly. ‘Did he come after her?’
André swallowed again. ‘Yeah, so I tackled him. Fucker’s stronger than he looks.’
‘He raises the animals,’ Mercy said. ‘Daily manual labor.’
‘Still.’ André huffed. ‘He got in a few good punches until I got my hands around his throat. I wish I’d squeezed harder.’
Mercy nodded, the tiny movement harder than it should have been. I’m so damn tired. ‘Me too.’
Rafe turned Mercy toward the backseat of the Subaru. ‘Sit with Farrah. She needs you. We’re going to keep watch. If he comes back, you duck low. You do not sacrifice yourself again. Do you hear me?’
Mercy didn’t even consider arguing. She was cold, her legs like rubber, and Farrah did need her. She gave Rafe a tired nod, then climbed into the seat next to her friend and put her arms around her. ‘We’re okay,’ Mercy murmured.
Farrah shuddered out a breath. ‘I heard Rafe. You shouldn’t have sacrificed yourself for me like that. When Rafe pushed you out of the way, you should have stayed there.’
Sasha looked over her shoulder in irritation. ‘She did it again? Dammit, Mercy, you make me want to smack you.’
Farrah’s eyes widened. ‘Again? Fucking hell, Mercy.’
Mercy hesitated. ‘It turned out all right. That’s how Rafe shot him.’
Farrah shook her head in disbelief. ‘You idiot.’ She threw her arms around Mercy’s neck for a rib-crushing hug before pulling back. ‘Never again. Promise me, Mercy.’
Mercy gave a single nod, but it was a lie. I’d do it again. In a heartbeat.
Reno, Nevada
Monday, 17 April, 8.15 P.M.
Special Agent in Charge Molina settled into the hospital waiting-room chair. ‘How are Miss Sokolov and Detective Rhee?’
Erin had been airlifted to the Reno hospital, and even though Sasha’s injuries hadn’t been urgent enough to require the helicopter ride out of Snowbush, she’d refused to allow Erin to be alone.
The rest of them had first headed to the smaller hospital in Alturas, about thirty minutes north of Snowbush. Both Gideon and André had received stitches. Luckily Mercy, Farrah, and Daisy were unhurt, physically at least. Farrah was still withdrawn, the attack piling on top of her grief over her aunt Quill. Mercy was worried about her, holding one of her friend’s hands tightly while André held Farrah close with his good arm.
Mercy also worried about Rafe. He grimaced whenever he moved his leg. He shouldn’t have been doing all that running. Not any of that running, she corrected herself. He was in pain and it was so hard not to feel guilty about that. Her mind knew it was all on Ephraim’s head, but her heart kept reminding her that none of her friends would have been targeted had it not been for . . . Me.
But she kept the thought to herself. It wasn’t true. She’d told herself so a hundred times as the six of them had been driven from Alturas to Reno, traveling in two FBI vans as their personal vehicles had been taken into evidence. Gideon and Rafe had been extremely irritated by this, but it was necessary. Ephraim had tampered with their engines. They had to be certain that he hadn’t done more than steal their spark plugs.