“It’s over, Tomas!”London shouted.“There’s no escaping.Surrender now and give up Alan Martin and you have hope of not being executed for attempting to kidnap the first daughter.”
Steinbeck peeked out.Spotted Tomas behind the forklift.
And saw him put the gun to himself?—
The door to the garage jerked open.There were shouts, and a tactical assault team swarmed in from the garage door, from the stairwell, descending on Tomas.
Steinbeck stood just as Fraser Marshall grabbed up the man, disarmed him, and threw him facedown onto the grimy concrete.
Someone was a little hot that his princess had been attacked.
Yeah, well,Stein too.He took off toward Shep, spotted him motioning to one of the tactical guys.
“What?”
“I think one of the ribs punctured a lung.She can’t breathe because her chest cavity is filling with air.”Shep didn’t sound panicked, but he had opened up her shirt, taken off her vest.“If we don’t relieve the pressure, it could shut down her heart.”He leaned back, shouted toward the tactical guy, “I need that chest-decompression kit!”
The veins in Emberly’s neck had started to swell, her body whitening, her fingertips turning blue.She was gasping even while unconscious, but only one side of her chest was moving.
Stein dropped to his knees.“Shep?—”
“I know!”Shep put his fingers to her throat.“She’s in tachycardia?—”
An ambulance screamed in, and Stein hit his feet, took off to the parking lot.The vehicle barely stopped before Stein opened up the back.“I need a decompression kit!”
“Just calm down.”The male EMT, mid-thirties, reached for a med bag.
“Oh, this is calm.You don’t want to see me not calm,” Stein said, his voice lowering.He put up a hand to stop the EMT from exiting.“I’m going to need that kit.”
“Hurry!”Shep shouted.
Stein stared at the man and put intent in his eyes.“He’s a medic.Trying to save my girlfriend’s life.”
The EMT turned back inside and handed him the kit.
Stein ran it back just as Shep leaned over to give Emberly breaths.
No, no?—
Stein dropped the kit beside Shep.
“Help her breathe,” Shep said.
Stein fell to his knees on the opposite side, blew out a couple quick breaths, then leaned over and met Emberly’s mouth.
Breathed life into her.
Please, Emberly.
Again.
Please.
Shep pulled on gloves, ripped open antiseptic wipes.
London landed beside Stein.“How can I help?”
Stein kept breathing into Emberly.“C’mon, Phoenix.Don’t die.You’re tougher than this.”
