She radioed Forster and told him to have paramedics on standby, then waited.
Finally, they reached the coordinates of the other hangar. The hangar itself was about a quarter mile off of the road. It was larger than the other hangar, built to handle two airplanes rather than one.
The agents approached swiftly. As before, they swiftly opened the door.
The moment it opened, Shirley Brooks slumped forward, collapsing to the floor.
Michael flinched and Faith gasped. Shirley’s face was pale, her lips gray. Her head lolled to the side, but Faith could see the shallow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.
Blood trickled from a wound in her side just below her left arm. A pool of blood lay just inside the door, and the entire left side of Shirley's face was soaked.
She was alive, but she didn't have long.
Michael immediately dropped to the ground and opened the first aid kit. “Call for the ambulance,” he told Faith.
She did, and as she did, she looked around the hangar. There was no sign of anyone but Shirley and the agents there.
Then Turk barked loudly.
Faith turned to him and asked, “What is it? What do you smell?”
In response, he bolted toward the entrance of the hangar.
“Stay with her!” Faith called back to Michael as she rushed after Turk, drawing her weapon.
She heard a shriek and a moment later, William Holland burst out of a stand of trees and sprinted away, Turk hot on his heels. Despite his decidedly nonathletic build, he moved quickly and with shocking agility, managing to avoid Turk’s lunges.
“Stop!” Faith called, sprinting after him.
William lifted his eyes to her, then picked up the pace. Turk growled in irritation then simply ran around William and leapt at him from the front.
William cried out and fell backwards, narrowly avoiding Turk’s snap at his shoulders. He scrambled to his feet and slapped Turk. The German Shepherd blinked, more confused than hurt, and the hesitation allowed William to get to his feet and start running again.
Faith was nearly on him, and when he saw her closing the distance, he shrieked and sprinted faster, somehow managing to keep Faith from reaching him.
Turk snarled and leaped after him, embarrassed at having been struck and then letting his quarry escape. He snapped at William again, and this time, he stopped and crouched low. Turk tried to stop but lost his footing and fell just behind Holland. Faith couldn’t stop in time and tripped over him. He twisted his body, causing her to fall heavily. He stood and ran off again, narrowly avoiding Faith’s outstretched arm.
Faith got to her feet and sprinted after him, Turk right on her heels for a moment, then past her again. Holland looked behind, then slowed down. Maybe his energy was flagging.
“Take him down, Turk!” she called.
Turk leapt and Holland ducked. Turk twisted in the air, trying to snap at Holland, but his jaws closed on air. Holland cried out and kicked. His boot caught Turk in the air and sent him flying into a nearby ditch.
“Turk!” Faith cried, sprinting toward him.
Turk got unsteadily to his feet, and when he saw Faith rushing his way, he looked toward Holland and barked.
The message was clear.I’m fine. Go get the bad guy.
She turned back to Holland and saw where he was running now. A hundred yards past him was a late-model heavy-duty pickup. If he reached it before Faith could get him, then he would get away.
Faith sprinted after him, pushing her body to move as fast as it could. She thought of Isabel Montgomery and Darlene Jeter, left alone to face the rest of their lives without their loved ones. She thought of Kevin Malloy, killed for no other reason than that he had moved away. She thought of Shirley Brooks, barely clinging to life in the hangar that was now nearly a quarter mile behind her.
And she thought of Turk, who once more had been hurt by a murderous asshole who lacked the ability to handle his own emotional issues and felt a need to make that everyone else’s problem.
She gritted her teeth and pushed. Holland reached the truck and threw open the door. He put one foot on the step and lifted himself up, and that’s when Faith hit him.
The force of their contact knocked his head into the top of the door. He cried out, stunned, and with a cry, she pulled him off of the truck and threw him to the ground.
