Page 43 of Storm Warning
Hawk wasn’t sure the sheriff believed his own words, and only time would tell. A churning grew in his gut, that sense of complete wrongness.
Thatcher glanced in his rearview mirror again, only this time he wasn’t looking at Hawk. Then he jerked his gaze to look out the driver’s side window. “What—”
The county SUV bucked. Metal twisted and crunched as another vehicle slammed into them. The seat belt kept Hawk in place. Screams of terror erupted. Hawk pressed his hands against the cab as Remi’s scream filled his ears. Sheriff Thatcher’s curse-laced shouts of anger drowned out her screams.
The vehicle spun, then slid down an embankment before slowly rolling onto its side and then rolling once more before resting upside down. Heart pounding, Hawk caught his breath. The cab hadn’t been crushed and remained intact. They were still alive. He hoped. He believed.
He slowly got his bearings, pulled himself together, and turned to Remi. “Are you okay?”
Face pale, she looked at him, stunned, disoriented like him, but she nodded. Held his gaze.
Hawk unbuckled. “Sheriff Thatcher?”
“My leg ... it’s stuck. I’m not sure it isn’t broken.” He groaned, then got on his radio and called for emergency services.
Deputy Hunter’s face appeared in the sheriff’s window.
“Get them out,” Thatcher said.
She shifted to assist Remi and Hawk and spoke to her boss. “Sheriff, more deputies are coming from around the county.”
Hawk was able to kick the door open after a few tries, and then he crawled out onto the soaking wet grass and pushed off from a moss-covered rock to stand. This could have been so much worse. He scrambled to the other side, where Remi stood looking around.
The county vehicle lights illuminated a portion of the road. Her Bronco was parked on the shoulder near where they’d gone over the embankment. Down the street, an engine idled, one headlight on bright, the other missing—the offending vehicle.
“How did they hit us?” Remi asked.
“It was intentional,” Deputy Hunter said. “Get down. Crouch on the other side of the SUV. I’ll help the sheriff.”
“What?” She looked dazed but then nodded.
A burst of gunfire filled Hawk’s ears. “Down! Get down!” He dropped to the ground next to Remi. The sheriff was trapped in his vehicle and couldn’t escape the bullets. They had to protect him until help arrived.
Deputy Hunter had also dropped to the ground. “I’m shot.” Her voice sounded shaky.
“How bad?” Hawk crawled over to her and assisted her behind a thick-trunked red cedar and set her in a patch of ferns.
She grunted in pain and pressed her hands against the wound at her side. “I can stop the bleeding. I’ll be okayuntil help arrives. But the sheriff. We have to protect the sheriff.”
Hawk had already pulled his gun and in that moment realized the sheriff had never asked for their weapons, even when transporting them, so he really had trusted Hawk. He got into position to protect the others.
The shots had come from across the street. He got a better look at the vehicle that had sent them into the ditch. The massive front-end grille appeared only slightly affected. The truck had come at the SUV from a forest road, ramming into them from the left, sending them down the embankment. That’s all that had been needed to disable them.
“You’re going to be okay,” Remi said to Hunter. “Help will be here before you know it.”
He’d had a bad feeling about this entire ride to the county sheriff’s offices, but he hadn’t expected this.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He gave Remi another quick once-over. She didn’t appear injured.
“I’m good. Just a little shaken. What about you?” Fear swam in her eyes. Fear for the deputy and fear for their lives.
“We need to protect the sheriff,” Deputy Hunter said again.
Hawk wanted to go after the aggressor. Cole. It had to be.
The sheriff suddenly appeared, crawling forward to the deputy. He grimaced, then held his leg. “The impact jammed my ankle. Feels like something’s broken.”
“And you didn’t wait for help?”
