Chapter 29

Jessie turned to look at Matt. “They won’t get here in time. It’s too late for them to help.” Her voice sounded resigned.

In a blink of an eye, a huge form rushed past Matt, shoving him aside like a rag doll, sending him crashing to the ground. The man jumped in front of Jessie at the precise moment the gun fired. The bullet’s impact propelled him backward taking Jessie with him to the ground with a sickening thud. The smell of sulfur and blood filled the air, mingled with the sound of the chaos that ensued. People screamed, scattering in all directions. Matt rose up on his elbow so he could see her. She lay quiet and motionless on the ground. His breath caught in his chest. Time played out for him in slow motion. Mallory lay splayed on top of her, his face contorted with pain.

“Jessie,” He shouted her name, scrambled to his feet, and lunged toward her. Frank had already squatted beside her.

“Matt, she’s okay.” His broad face was bright with relief. “She got the wind knocked out of her. Help me get her out from under him.”

Matt felt for a pulse on Mallory and found a weak one. They got Jessie out from under him, and she sat up to catch her breath. “Tony, can you hear me?” he snapped into the wire. “Did you see what happened? We’re you able to get the guy?”

Not yet, we’re sealing up the perimeter, but in the confusion, I don’t know if we were fast enough.

“Get an ambulance here.”

It’s on its way.

“Tony, don’t let Irwin slip away.”

“We’re trying, Matt. If he’s here, we’ll get him.”

“I’ll get Radar out there looking.” Frank brought Radar over and put the line on the dog. “It was the damnedest thing I ever saw.” He shook his head. “The guy flew out of the crowd, jumped in front of her, and took the bullet himself. He saved her life.” He drew a ragged breath. “I thought you should know. I saw the whole thing.”

“Thanks, Frank.” Matt could see Jessie out of the corner of his eye, rubbing the back of her head. She moved over to Mallory and knelt beside him, lifting his head into her lap.

He got busy on the radio, listening to the reports coming in, but he never took his eyes off her pale face. He could see her talking to Mallory. Matt could tell from the wound, he probably wasn’t going to make it, even if the ambulance got here fast. He decided that moment to give Jessie her space.

****

“Thank you, William, for saving my life.” She saw his eyes flutter open. “Why, why did you do it?” She pressed a towel Frank handed her over the wound in his chest, trying to apply pressure.

He grimaced. “I couldn’t let him kill you…” He struggled to breathe. “You were my…” His voice trailed off, and his breathing became labored.

“Shh, don’t talk, save your energy. Help is on the way. That was a kind thing to do.” She swallowed and went on, raising her voice slightly, to be sure he heard her. “Did you know your grandparents were the ones who saved you? Who got the state to take you away from your mother? They loved you.”

His eyes fluttered, opened. “I never knew.”

“They never wanted your mother to find you again, or they would have raised you themselves. They tried to find you before they died.” She gulped trying to hold back the tears.

“Sorry…” Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

She laid her hand on his. “Thank you, how can I ever thank you?” She sat holding him that way for what seemed an eternity. He opened his eyes one more time and looked into hers. His breath gurgled in his throat; he shuddered a few times, and he was gone. Her tears dripped onto his lifeless cheeks. She didn’t move, not even when the paramedics got there.

“Ma’am, you can let go of him, we’ll take care of him for you.” The young man looked at her. He knelt down a little closer so she could see him. “You can let go of him.” He gently removed her hand from Mallory’s hand. We’ll take good care of him, I promise.”

Matt squatted down behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Come on, sweetheart, we need to let them do their job.” He stood up and helped her up, too. Her jacket was splattered with Mallory’s blood, and she was dazed. He picked her up in his arms and they motioned him toward the ambulance.

“Let’s have you checked out.” The woman paramedic on the team told Matt to set her down. “Your friend will be close by. He won’t leave you.” Jessie held tight to Matt’s hand.

“Could you check the back of her head? She’s been rubbing it. I think she landed pretty hard on the asphalt.” Matt watched the woman treat her.

“Here, honey, you can wipe your hands with this.” She talked quietly to her for a few moments, then turned her attention back to Matt. “She’s had quite a shock. They’re waiting for the arrival of the coroner before moving the body. You can go take care of things you need to out there. I’ll work with her. I’m going to see how she responds, and you can probably take her home pretty soon.” She faced Jessie. “Jessie, do you hurt anywhere?”

Jessie focused on the woman. “My head hurts and my ankle, a little.” She pointed at her right foot.

“Let’s have a look, shall we?” She lifted her pant leg when Jessie nodded at her. When she poked around her ankle, Jessie winced. “It seems a little swollen. You probably twisted it when you went down.”

“He saved my life.” Jessie rubbed the back of her head.

“Did he now?” She patted Jessie’s hand. “That was a brave thing for him to do.”

“How can you repay someone who died to save you?” Jessie touched the medic’s arm. “I didn’t know what to say to him.”

“I don’t imagine there’s much you can say besides thank you. Did you tell him that?”

“Yes.” Jessie raised her arm so the paramedic could check her pulse. “Thank you doesn’t seem quite enough when someone dies in your place.”

“Do you think he heard you?” She put on the blood pressure cuff.

“Yes, I think he did.” She nodded. “He opened his eyes and looked at me.”

“Then you did all you can do.” She smiled at Jessie. “Your pressure is good, considering what you just went through.

“Thank you.” Jessie smiled slightly.

“For what, honey.” The medic looked at her.

“For letting me talk.” She folded her hands in her lap. “I need to speak about it.”

“I’m good at listening.” The woman felt the knot on her head “I’m going to wrap your ankle. Someone will need to monitor her for a while to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion.”

“What should we be looking for?

“A persistent headache, lack of coordination, memory loss or pupil dilation are a few of the signs you’ll need to watch for. I’ll give you a sheet to take with you. If at any time tonight, she becomes nauseous or has blurred vision, get her into the ER. Don’t leave her alone if possible.”

“She won’t be alone.”

“Jessie, I’m going to let your friend take you home so you can shower and change your clothes. How’s that sound?” She reported to the doctor on duty over the radio.

“I would like to go home.” Jessie watched her wrap her ankle.

“The doctor has prescribed something for you to take tonight. It will help your system to recover, and rest. I’ll give them to your friend to keep for you.”

“Okay, thank you.”

The medic handed Matt the pills that the doctor had prescribed for Jessie. “See that she takes this when she’s all cleaned up at home. Tonight for sure and tomorrow night if she needs it.”

“I will.” He helped Jessie out of the ambulance. “Let’s get you back to your grandmother, sweetheart. Can you walk on that foot? Better yet, you sit here, and I’m going to get the car.”

As soon as Matt took off, Jessie limped her way over to watch them working on the crime scene. She saw Frank standing there and heard him tell the officer what he had seen. She watched them as they photographed the body. It was hard not to look at Mallory and the gaping wound in his chest. He hadn’t had much of a life. It was sad what people were capable of doing to each other. She would always remember this strange man. Not for the bad he had done, but for this one moment. It had erased the rest from her mind.

“Jessie, why don’t you sit down?” Frank pointed to a bench on the sidewalk.

She shook her head. “He saved my life.”

“I know. I saw him,” He told her what he had seen.

Jessie smiled. “I don’t think Matt appreciated being knocked on his backside.”

“I think he was more worried about you than anything else. You were pretty still for a few minutes.”

“I couldn’t catch my breath.”

“It’s scary having the wind knocked out of you, if you ask me. I’ve had it happen to me a couple times, and it’s not a pleasant feeling.”

“I thought I left you sitting over there.” Matt walked up to them.

“I needed to see him again.” She pointed in Mallory’s direction. “I’m okay now.”

“Let’s get you home and the ladies can help you get cleaned up. Sadie’s waiting for you.” Matt looked over at Frank. “I can take you back to the motel now, or come back for you.”

“They want me to hang around since I saw it all, and they’re still looking for Irwin.”

“I’ll take her to the resort and then be back myself.” He took her hand.

“Okay, see you in a while.” Frank patted Radar’s head when the dog nudged Jessie’s hand.

Mallory’s body was covered when they walked by it. “Frank told me you got knocked to the ground.”

“I did. He apparently saw what Irwin was going to do. None of us could see him. I owe him, and so do you.”

She nodded. “It’s strange isn’t it? A person can make many wrong choices and in one moment do such a selfless act. I’m not sure I’ll ever understand people.”

“He probably changed the game at the last minute. I think he meant to kidnap you until he saw what Irwin was going to do. At that moment, he decided.”

“I guess we’ll never know for sure.” She gave him a sideways glance. “I want to believe my version more than yours. I want to believe he chose to do something good.”

“You believe it, sweetheart. I’ve seen too much over the years. Anything is possible, I guess. You may convert me yet.” He grinned at her and opened the car door.