No!Ellen was terrified Mortimer was going to kill Travis.
Travis timed Mortimer’s swing perfectly, stepping close, his right hand slamming into Mortimer’s broken nose, which now spurted blood.
Yes! Get him!Ellen wished she could hit him too, in that bloody nose.
Mortimer sagged down to his knees but slashed into Travis’s thigh on the way down.
Travis felt the leg give way under him, and collapsed onto one knee, his hand bracing him on the floor, but there was something else beneath his hand.
He threw himself backwards, away from Mortimer, onto his back as he brought his pistol up with one hand, his other hand ripping his spare magazine from the pouch on his belt.
Mortimer surged to his feet again, but Travis fed the magazine into the gun, racked the slide, and found his front sight.
Mortimer stayed on his feet for the first two shots into his torso. White hot fury raged across his face, and he lifted the knife again, but Travis put his third shot through Mortimer’s eye socket, and he instantly fell.
Oh, thank God. Is he dead? Please let him be dead.Ellen was afraid he would get up again, the man had kept coming back at Travis for so long.
Breathing hard, Travis sat up and used his left hand to unbuckle his helmet. His eyes blinked hard without the light from his goggles, but his right hand kept his pistol trained on Mortimer’s body.
Then suddenly the room was filling up with his team.
Hank was talking to him. “Ballistic, we’ve got your back. Your girl is safe. You did it, man. You can stand down. Get that leg checked out, you’re losing blood.”
Then the guys were taking over.
Mortimer was dead. Ellen was safe.
His eyes now adjusted without the helmet; his gaze immediately went to her. He didn’t care about the leg right now. He just needed to see for himself that she was okay.
They’d untied her arms and legs from the chair and removed her gag.
I need to find something to cover her up. The guys are all getting an eyeful.
The moment she was cut free she ran to him and threw her arms around him, holding on for dear life.
“You’re okay, Ellen,” he spoke softly. “You’re going to be okay.”
She clung to his neck, as if he were the only thing solid in her life. “I’m glad he’s gone,” she said. “I was so afraid.”
“I knew you would be,” he said. “But you’re safe now.”
“Yes,” she breathed in a shuddering breath, the stress now beginning to leave her body. “Safe.” She breathed the word out.
His hand now free of his gun, he began rubbing circles on her back as he held her. The motion and warmth of his strong hand moving there settled her inside and she drew more still, absorbing that comforting motion.
He cared.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said. “The thought of losing you. . .” He pulled her closer.
His actions told her what he was saying beyond his words.
“I hoped you’d come for me,” she said.
“I will always come for you,” he said. “I would search the ends of the earth for you, and I would find you.”
She felt his words wash over her down into her heart and soul.
As they pulled away, he bent down and kissed her lips. Tenderly, slow, and warm.
