I smiled at Renz and let out a relieved sigh.
He gave me a side-eyed glance. “What?”
“It’s finally coming together. Tara will be in the same hospital with Jane, and after she comes out of sedation, we can talk to her.”
“Depends.”
I frowned. “On what?”
“When they’re going to remove the baby.”
I stared at my lap. “Oh yeah. Maybe they’ll keep her sedated until that’s over with.”
“Probably. Chances are Dr. Ramsey has already scheduled it. It’s going to be a wait-and-see situation. Meanwhile, check in with Sheriff Burke and see if they’ve retrieved those shell casings from the site yet.”
“On it.” I dialed the sheriff’s cell phone, but it kept going to voice mail. “Humph. Maybe they’re at the scene right now. I can’t get through to him, and you know how unreliable the cell service is in that area.”
“Then try the sheriff’s office instead. They should know where he’s at.”
“Okay.” I dialed that number, and someone at the front counter picked up.
“Meagher County Sheriff’s Office. Is this an emergency?”
“No, ma’am. This is Agent Monroe from the FBI. I was wondering if Sheriff Burke is there. I tried his cell and can’t get through.”
“He and several deputies left about an hour ago for Lewis and Clark National Forest. They’re working on getting those shell casings for you, Agent Monroe.”
“Great. I assumed as much. If he checks in, will you let him know we’re on our way back with Mrs. Philips? She’ll be admitted to Mountainview as soon as we get there.”
“I certainly will.”
I thanked her and hung up.
“Sounds like he’s at the site?”
“That’s what the receptionist said. Hurry up and wait, as always.” I watched the scenery pass by out my window then glanced at the side mirror. “Geez! That motorcyclist is coming up really fast. He better slow his ass down before he hits our rear bumper.”
Renz checked the rearview mirror. “What the hell is his problem?”
I looked out my window again just as he sped up alongside us. Then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Wearing his black full-face helmet, the rider gave me a nod, reached inside his jacket, and pulled out a gun.
“Renz! Gun!”
I ducked just as bullets blasted through the passenger-side window and glass exploded all over me. Renz swerved into the median. The car fishtailed then bounced up on the other side. We nearly wiped out an oncoming truck. Horns blared, and cars hit the ditch. Renz cranked the wheel, and we ended up back in the median at fifty miles an hour as he tried to regain control of the car.
“Get your gun, Jade, and fire back!” Renz made a hard right, and the car leapt back onto the highway. I ducked again as another spray of bullets took out our windshield.
“Son of a bitch!” I ripped my weapon from my purse and rapid fired at the motorcycle. Cars around us nearly crashed into each other to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Renz yelled, and I spun toward him.
“Shit, I’ve been hit in the shoulder!” He slammed on the brakes. The car slid sideways and finally came to a screeching stop.
I fired off the remaining bullets until the motorcycle disappeared from view. “Damn it, Renz, are you sure it’s only your shoulder and nothing else?” He checked the rest of his body as I grabbed my phone and called Tyler in the transport vehicle ahead of us. “We’ve been ambushed, Tyler. Pull over. We need the paramedic’s help right away. Agent DeLeon has been shot!”
The brake lights flashed, and the transport vehicle pulled into the median. I made another quick call, that time to 911, and reported that we needed immediate assistance nine miles north of Livingston on Highway 89. I said FBI agents had been fired on and one was hit. A black sport bike with a driver wearing a black full-face helmet and a denim jacket had emptied a pistol on us. The culprit was going north at a high speed on Highway 89. When Tyler and the paramedic exited the van, I leapt from our car.
The back doors swung open, and Sheila yelled, “What can I do?”
“Agent DeLeon has been shot in the shoulder. You need to stay with Tara. I’ve already called 911 for more assistance.”
Carly ran to our car. “Agent DeLeon, I’m going to need you to come to the van with me. We’ve got medical supplies in the back.”
Renz groaned as he pulled himself out from behind the wheel and walked with Carly to the van.
“Renz, where is your weapon?”
He grunted as he took a seat on the bumper of the van. “In my go bag.”
I ran to the car, opened the trunk, and pulled out both bags. I didn’t like the idea of being sitting ducks if our assailant decided to come back for a second attempt on us. At the van, I dropped the magazine from my Glock and reloaded.
“Damn it.” I shielded my eyes and looked up the road.
Renz shook his head. “Don’t get any ideas. You aren’t going after him alone in a car without a windshield. He could be anywhere by now, so let the deputies look for him. We can’t sit out here in the open like this for long, and Tara needs to get to the hospital.”
I looked at Renz’s blood-soaked shirt and knew he was right. “And so do you.”
Carly spoke up. “I’ve stopped the bleeding and have him bandaged well enough for now. He’ll be okay until we get to the hospital.”
Tyler craned his neck back and forth as he watched the highway. “Which way are we going, Agents? Back to Livingston or on to White Sulphur Springs?”
Renz piped up. “We’re continuing on as soon as the deputies get here.” He looked at me. “Do you think you can get the car to White Sulphur Springs without a windshield?”
“As long as I wear sunglasses to block the wind and stay on your rear bumper, yeah, I can do it. You can jump in the back with Tara.”
“Not happening. I’m riding with you, and if he tries another attempt, two guns are better than one.”
I rolled my eyes. “And since when can you shoot left-handed?”
“If it’s necessary, which I hope it won’t be, I’ll figure it out.”
Sirens were getting closer behind us, and I was relieved. I would give the deputies a brief summary of what went down, they could put out a BOLO for the bike—at least the description of the motorcycle and what the driver was wearing—then begin a search. I was told roadblocks were going up at the Clyde Park exit and also at Wilsall. The sheriff’s office was sure the shooter hadn’t gotten farther than that yet. Renz explained to the deputies that we were continuing to White Sulphur Springs. Two units offered us an escort to the county line, which would get us farther than the halfway point, and they said the Meagher County Sheriff’s Office would take over from there. We happily accepted.
Forty minutes later, we reached Mountainview Medical Center without incident. Several doctors, including Dr. Ramsey, were waiting at the emergency entrance. As I drove, Renz called and gave them a heads-up about what had happened. Dr. Ramsey’s team wheeled Tara away, and Renz was taken to a room where his gunshot wound would be addressed. I thanked Tyler, Sheila, and Carly for their help then went to locate Dr. Barnes, who had been overseeing Jane’s care.
At the nurses’ station on the ICU floor, I asked for him by name. Minutes later, he approached me with a frown.
“Agent Monroe, are you okay? You look frazzled.”
I sighed. “I’ve had better days, but I’m fine. I need to know about Jane Doe. Has she come around yet?”
“We took her off all sleep medications last night. If she’s going to wake up, she has to do it on her own. We have seen promising signs, though. Her eyelids have begun to flutter, and her fingers have been twitching.”
“Those are good signs, then?”
“They are. She could wake up anytime now.”
“Thank God. We really need her to wake up and remember everything. Her statement may very well hold other lives in the balance.” I handed my card to the doctor, told him to call me the second she came around, and turned to walk away. I stopped in my tracks and looked back. “Dr. Barnes?”
“Yes?”
“When Jane wakes up, will she be taken to a private room?”
“Possibly, if her vitals are stable.”
“What are the chances of her having a roommate?”
He shrugged. “I don’t see a problem as long as she’s all right with it.”
I smiled. “Okay, we’ll talk more about that later.”
I returned to the ER and asked if I could sit in with Renz. They pointed me to the curtained cubicle, where I found him reclined on a table and talking to the doctor.
“What’s going on in here?” I teased.
The doctor looked over his shoulder and shook his head. “You can’t be in here.”
Renz cut in. “She’s my partner, and it’s okay.” He looked at me. “The doctor is trying to talk me out of removing the bullet.”
I frowned. “Why?”
The doctor, who had the name K. Everly embroidered on his lab coat, said removing the bullet was unnecessary since it hadn’t damaged arteries or cracked any bones. It was better left alone.
I shook my head along with Renz. “We need that projectile. It’s evidence in a case we’re working.”
“You sure?”
“One hundred percent, yes.”
“Okay, if you two say so. I’ll prep you for surgery, Agent DeLeon.”
My phone rang just as Renz took a seat in the wheelchair. “Call me the second they let you use your phone. I’ll be here for the foreseeable future.” He nodded as he was wheeled away, then I answered my phone. “Agent Monroe speaking. Thank God it’s you, Sheriff Burke. I’m sure you know all about the ambush. What? You’ve got to be shitting me! That’s the best news I’ve heard in nearly a week. I’ll be right there.”