Shattered Lies (Web of Lies #3)(62)

“I was in the process of shutting down the market when the president of the exchange froze all trading.” Alex angrily hung up when he heard Dalton’s voicemail pick up. He dialed Valeria and closed his eyes. The news was reporting the explosion, but nothing was known at this time. “I can’t stand this. Let’s go.”

“Go where?” Roxie asked as she looked up from her laptop.

“To the exchange. I can’t sit here wondering if my friends are all dead.”

Roxie typed something quickly into her laptop and closed it. “Let’s go. They’ll email me when they hear anything.”

“It’s not secure.”

Roxie shrugged as she reached out for his hand. “I know someone who will recue me if I get arrested. Let’s go see about your friends.” Even though she said it reassuringly, there was worry in her voice. The same worry he felt as they hurried to the street and took off running.



* * *



“Are you two hurt?” Lizzy asked as she limped toward where Grant was helping Valeria from the ground. The back of Grant’s vest was torn to shreds from debris and bullets, and he was covered in dust and glass.

“I’m banged up, but Grant took the brunt of it,” Valeria yelled a little louder than she needed. “But, Jason. He took the bomb and shoved it in a planter. There was no time—”

She didn’t need to finish. They all turned to look at where the large rectangular cement planter had once been. There was nothing but a hole in the ground now. The windows from the exchange were blown out, the stone was covered in black powder, and a fire burned the American flags hanging from the exchange.

Fire trucks, police, and agents were flooding the scene. “We have to find him,” Grant said, looking to Dalton.

“They’ll try to kick us out,” Lizzy told them as they limped, cursed, and hobbled their way toward the center of the explosion.

“You can talk them out of it,” Valeria said with confidence.

“I won’t leave a man behind.” Dalton tightened his jaw as he and Grant pushed past the flood of nearby police rushing toward the scene.

Valeria and Lizzy shared a worried look as they followed. There was smoke, people crying, screams as people looked for friends or family, and the wails of sirens. But Lizzy didn’t hear it. Instead, she felt as if the world stopped moving when Dalton and Grant stopped running and dropped to their knees next to the entrance of the exchange.

No. No, please, not Jason. Lizzy stopped behind Dalton and Grant. Valeria reached out and took her hand. As one, they stepped forward.

Jason was lying on the sidewalk against the building. Blood streamed from his neck where a large sharp piece of concrete was embedded. That wasn’t his only injury. Blood flowed from his stomach and leg. Grant and Dalton worked in quiet unison to stop the bleeding, but even though Lizzy wasn’t a trained paramedic like Grant and Dalton, she knew the result. Jason wasn’t going to make it.

Valeria squeezed her hand and dropped it. She moved to wedge herself between the wall and Jason’s head and placed her hand on his shoulder. Lizzy hurried to join her and reached for his hand. His face was black from the fire, and he had debris and glass lodged all up and down his body.

“You saved us by putting the bomb in the planter,” Valeria told him as she stroked his cheek.

“Hang on, Wolski. That’s an order,” Dalton commanded as he ripped his belt from his jeans and applied a tourniquet to Jason’s thigh where blood was flowing out.

“I’m sorry,” Jason whispered softly. “It’s an order I can’t follow. It’s an order I don’t want to follow.”

“No, Jason,” Dalton said harshly. Emotion was choking his voice and he refused to look at Lizzy. He kept his eyes on the wounds as he and Grant worked quickly to stop as much bleeding as possible.

Lizzy squeezed Jason’s hand as tears fell silently down her cheeks. “Love each other,” Jason whispered, even more faintly this time.

“No!” Dalton yelled. “It’s an order, dammit!”

“It’s okay, Dalton. I’ve been trapped in a cage of misery since Michelle. Don’t you see? I’m free now. I get to be with my love once again.” Jason’s lips curved up into a soft smile as his eyes focused heavenward.

Lizzy couldn’t hold it together anymore when Dalton and Grant began CPR. She raised Jason’s scraped hand to her lips and pressed her lips against the back of his hand. “Thank you, Jason. Be at peace.”

Valeria wrapped an arm around Lizzy as EMTs and police surrounded them. Dalton and Grant refused to give in to their grief until Lizzy and Valeria pulled them off. Dalton’s eyes were red as anger and grief warred within.

“It’s over,” Lizzy said softly, rubbing her hand over his cheek and down to his chest. She held him then as the body bag was closed over Jason’s body.

“It’s not over until I kill them all.”

“I’m good with that,” Valeria agreed. “But right now we need a plan. And we need to get our teammate home.”

Seconds later, they were surrounded by FBI. Their fingers were laced behind their head as they were searched and weapons were seized. Nobody said a thing when they were questioned and handcuffed.



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