Secrets Never Die (Morgan Dane #5)(87)

“You can trust Morgan to handle Evan’s legal needs, and while those legal issues are sorted out, Evan will be getting the medical assistance he desperately needs.” Lance scanned the teen. “You can’t run from the law, and there’s no reason for you to try. Especially when you know he needs major medical intervention.”

“It’s not the law I’m afraid of,” Tina said. “It’s Joe. You cannot keep us safe from him. He found us once. He will do so again.”

“You might be right, but you need to prioritize the threats.” Lance was done with the conversation. “You need to put the gun down and let us finish saving your son’s life. Then you can worry about Joe.”

Tina’s brows lowered. She was trying to think of a way to force him to comply without shooting him. She should have been crying. She should have been emotional. Instead, she was thinking. But behind the mental exercise, he saw fear.

Pure fear.

She’d been planning to run for some time, as soon as she’d realized that Joe might have found her. She was desperate. She’d do anything to save her son, no matter how crazy. Lance’s experience in the ER with Sophie had given him fresh insight into the parent-child bond and the primal instinct to protect one’s young. She was fixated on her father and the terrible things he’d done in the past, the ways she and others had suffered at his hands. She saw him now as he’d been in her childhood. And the vision terrified her.

Lance couldn’t threaten or bully her. He needed to appeal to the one thing that would break through the fear.

Her son.

“We can’t wait. Have you checked his vitals? He looks worse.” Lance moved toward Evan.

“Don’t touch him!” Tina turned her body so the gun aimed squarely at Lance’s chest. “I will shoot you.”

Unfortunately, he’d given Evan his body armor. “You’re going to have to.”

He moved smoothly and slowly, faking confidence. Despite the cold, despite being soaking wet, despite being almost sure that Tina wouldn’t shoot him, Lance poured sweat and held his breath.

He dropped to one knee next to Evan. “Morgan, would you open the back seat of the Jeep?”

She rushed to the vehicle and opened the rear doors on both sides.

Evan was no lightweight, and Lance’s muscles were already taxed from the water rescue. He wasn’t sure he could pick the boy up.

“I can’t do this alone. I need help.” Lance looked straight down the barrel of the gun at Tina. “You can keep pointing that gun at me, or you and Morgan can lift Evan’s legs so we can get your son to the hospital.”

Tina lowered the weapon. Morgan rushed in and disarmed her, quickly sweeping her hands along Tina’s sides. Morgan pulled her own gun from the pocket of Tina’s rain jacket. Tina had been smart enough to collect both guns from the observation deck.

Before Lance could attempt to transfer Evan to the car, the sound of sirens approached.

Tears poured from Tina’s eyes. Morgan holstered her own weapon and handed Lance’s to him.

Lance squinted. The rain had stopped, but he was so wet, he hadn’t noticed.

He put a hand on Tina’s arm. “No one will know what just happened.”

She nodded once, then returned to her son to check the bag of saline to his IV line.

The sirens grew louder, and Lance saw the swirl of red and blue lights in the distance.

Tina adjusted the flow of fluids.

“I’ll handle the sheriff,” Morgan said. “Don’t answer any questions at all unless I’m there. I will let the sheriff know not to question Evan either, unless I am present.”

Tina nodded. “As I said before, it isn’t the sheriff that I fear.”

Lance turned toward Morgan, who had opened the cargo hatch of the Jeep and was sitting on the tailgate, holding Rylee’s hand. He heard a banging sound. He tilted his head and shook some water out of his ear. The banging repeated, three quick taps, three with longer pauses between them, then another three fast taps.

SOS?

“Did you hear that?” he asked Morgan.

She nodded and started to rise.

“Stay with Rylee.” Lance followed the noise. It was coming from above them. The parking lot? He took the steps two at a time, crossed the higher elevation deck, and emerged in the parking lot. The banging led him to the back of a dark-blue four-door sedan.

Someone was in the trunk.

Lance walked around the vehicle. The driver’s door was unlocked. He used the hem of his shirt to open it, reached in, and pressed the trunk release button.

The trunk popped up a few inches. Lance opened it all the way. A bound and gagged Brian Springer blinked up at him. Lance untied the gag from around his mouth.

“You’re alive.” Lance was surprised. He’d assumed Brian was fish food.

“Thanks,” Brian croaked. Bruises and swelling mottled his face. His lips were cracked, and a bloody bandage encircled his left hand. A zip tie bound his wrists.

“I have to get something to cut that plastic.” Lance pointed toward the lower level. “The police are here. I’ll be right back.”

Brian nodded and closed his eyes in relief.

The sirens were loud enough that Lance knew the first responders had arrived. Discovering Brian had energized him. He jogged back down to the lower level. A paramedic unit and two ambulances were parked next to his Jeep. Sheriff’s department and Scarlet Falls PD vehicles were approaching.