Chapter Seven

A woman kept screaming and screaming and screaming. I knew something bad had happened, but seriously, shut the hell up. I moved and pain rocketed through my head. Ouch! That hurt. What was causing that awful ringing noise in my ears? I opened my eyes and blinked. Whoa! Funny black spots danced in my vision. That couldn't be good. I lay there for a moment and watched the firefighters spray water on a burning patrol car. Memory suddenly came flooding back. Crap! Thompson had struck again, and pieces of our car littered the street. Sergeant Bergman was gonna be so pissed. Shit! Julie! I tried to get up, but everything spun around me. "Julie!"

Sergeant Bergman grabbed me and said something.

"What? I can't hear you."

"Julie. Is. Okay," Sergeant Bergman shouted.

I closed my eyes in relief. "Car. Went. Kablooey."

"I am aware. Hey! Do not go to sleep!" Sergeant Bergman shouted. "Open your eyes."

God, why was he being so mean? "Tired. Need nap."

"No. Stay with me Stone." Sergeant Bergman picked me up and placed me on a gurney.

I made a rude noise. "Not going to the hospital," I frowned when a paramedic suddenly blinded me with his penlight. "Where sunglasses?"

The paramedic's mouth was moving, but damn if I knew what he was saying. There was a sharp stinging pain in my left arm as he inserted an IV. "You need more practice and not on me."

"Don't aggravate my paramedic," Jerry scolded.

Julie cried, "Gemma! Where's Gemma?"

That's when I noticed Julie lying on the gurney next to me. Her face was bloody mess. "Here." I reached for her. "I'm here."

Her hand touched mine and our fingers intertwined. "Not. Dead."

"Kinda surprised me too." I laughed like a crazy person. "Thompson's gonna freak when he realizes the Alpha Dogs are hunting him."

Sergeant Bergman tapped my nose. "Knock it off. The press is here."

"Kay."

The paramedic placed an oxygen mask over my face and proceeded to cut off my uniform. I would have shot him, but someone had taken my gun. Why did they always do this in public where everyone could see, like the news chopper hovering overhead. At least this time I was wearing my good underwear. Rats. My pretty pink bra had blood all over it. I frowned as the pain in my ribs grew and I looked down. Huh? I had a nasty gash on my left ribcage. I sorta remembered a piece of the bumper hitting me.

Mom was suddenly at my side. "It's going to be okay, sweetie."

"Dante?"

"He's been notified," Mom said loudly.

I smiled. "Good. Don't want him to worry."

"Your father called a war meeting," Mom yelled.

"When? I want to be there."

Mom's worried gaze roved over me. "I don't think the doctor will let you out of the hospital that soon."

"But…"

"You are getting checked out. End of discussion," Sergeant Bergman bellowed.

The paramedics put us in the ambulance. Mom climbed in and held my hand. "Don't worry Sergeant. I'll keep them safe."

Sergeant Bergman nodded and shut the rear doors. Off we went with sirens blaring.

"Why do you always cut off my uniform," I whined, pulling my oxygen mask down. "Do you know how expensive they are?"

Jerry placed electrodes on my chest. "I do, but Detective Delgado will shoot me if I don't take good care of you."

"What happened?" Julie yanked her mask off and looked around in confusion. "Why are we in an ambulance?"

Mom stroked her hair. "Remember? Your patrol car blew up, and you got hurt by the flying debris, sweetie."

"No. Not right," Julie grimaced in pain. "We checked for bombs."

"Thompson has access to a police radio, and we think he simply followed you to the call on Vogel," Mom said.

I flinched when Jerry sprayed something on my ribs. "And the ass planted the bomb while we were inside."

"Exactly." Mom nodded.

I carefully touched my throbbing forehead. Yikes! I had a big ass knot. "But Thompson screwed up the wiring or it wouldn't have gone off when the lady opened her garage door."

"That's right." Mom adjusted my oxygen mask. "Thompson is making too many mistakes and until he is captured, you're both going to the Refuge."

Julie sighed. "Paradise awaits us, Gemma."

"No more talking," Jerry ordered and put Julie's oxygen mask back on. "Doc Halliday will be pissed if I let his favorite patients die."

I grabbed my mom's arm. "We hurt that badly?"

"I don't know. There's a lot of blood," Jerry interjected.

"Blood?" Julie gasped.

Mom gave Jerry the stink eye. "Now you've upset them."

"We won't know the extent of your injuries until we get you to the hospital," Jerry said.

My cell phone rang. I reached for it, but Mom snagged it first and put it on speaker mode. "Hello?"

"I went to pick up my derringer from your substation and imagine my shock when all I found was burnt rubble." There was a hint of malice in Chief's voice.

A fierce gleam in her eyes, Mom demanded, "Identify yourself."

"Chet Nargi or you can call me Chief. Surely, you haven't forgotten me, sweetheart."

Mom arched a brow and mouthed "Sweetheart" ?

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not your sweetheart. What do you want?" Mom's voice was low and dangerous.

"My derringer," Chief snapped.

Mom shot back, "I'm afraid it was destroyed in the fire. You'll need to go to 550 West Jackson and fill out the appropriate paperwork to get reimbursed for your loss."

"That derringer was an antique Remington Rimfire. It's worth a hundred thousand dollars. It's been in my family for over a hundred years and holds great sentimental value."

"Be sure to submit an appraisal with your paperwork," Mom said coldly.

"Why do I hear sirens?"

"I have no idea."

"You're not Deputy Stone," Chief snarled.

"Never said I was."

"Where is she?" Chief demanded belligerently. "I want to talk to her, now ."

The ambulance pulled up to the emergency room.

"No." Mom hung up on him and powered down my phone.

The back doors of the ambulance were flung open and there stood Bruce Valdez, Thompson's second-in-command. He was so bulked-up he looked deformed. "Now you die!" He raised his Glock.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Valdez staggered backward with a stunned look on his face and toppled over.

"That's my line." Mom lowered her pistol.

Jerry's face was white with shock. "He… He…"

"Tried to kill us," Mom finished.

I patted Jerry's knee. "Mom never misses."

"Valdez should have laid off the steroids. They made him stupid as hell," Julie commented.

My dad, and several Peoria police officers suddenly appeared with guns drawn.

"We're okay, Alex, but Valdez isn't." Mom holstered her gun.

Dad's eyes widened slightly as he took in our appearance.

"I know. We look like victims from one of those slasher movies," I quipped.

Doctor Halliday rushed up and checked Valdez for a pulse. "He's dead."

"Four in the chest will do that," Mom stated.

A horde of reporters surrounded the ambulance and shouted questions.

"Is he the bomber?"

"Is the rumor true, Deputy Garza? Are you pregnant with the bomber's love child?"

"Was it necessary to kill him? You're a sharpshooter," the bitch from Channel Sixteen sneered. "Why didn't you just shoot the gun out of his hand?"

Mom snarled, "And give him the opportunity to attack with that buck knife on his belt? Not a chance."

"Aren't cops supposed to protect human life?" The Channel Sixteen reporter countered snottily.

Contempt flashed in Mom's eyes. "I'm not a cop. I am a mother."

Dad wrapped an arm around Mom's shoulder and whispered to her.

If I could've got off this gurney, I'd kicked that bitch's ass. Mom did the right thing.

"We have reports that four patrol cars have been blown up. Is that true?" Another reporter yelled.

"Is the fire at the substation connected to the bombings?"

Doctor Halliday shouted, "Enough! Get back. My patients are in no condition to answer your stupid questions. Leave now or I'll have them arrest you."

"Way to go, Doc Halliday," I muttered under my breath.

Julie scowled. "Love child?"

Dad and the Peoria officers pushed the reporters back.

"Let's get them into treatment room four, Jerry," Doc Halliday instructed.

Her gaze constantly scanning the area, Mom followed us into the hospital.

The strobe-like effect of the camera flashes made my headache worse. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Julie and I would make the evening news in our bloody underwear.