Page 45 of Get Me (The Keatyn Chronicles 6)
"I think you might be going into shock," he says in a patronizing voice. "Let's get you back over to the ambulance."
"If you don't find someone to take me to the airport right this second, I'm going to call Senator McMahon and throw the biggest temper tantrum you have ever seen."
The guy from Miami walks over. "What's the problem?"
"Vincent, the guy who you shot, kidnapped my friend three days ago. They've searched Vincent's properties but haven't found him. That's why I didn't want you to shoot him. I needed to find out where he was."
"Did he tell you?"
"I think so. I'm so worried about him. There's a plane waiting for me. I can drive myself if you'll just let me borrow a car."
"Are you sure you don't need medical attention?"
"I'm positive."
"Come on," he says. "I'll take you."
Catastrophic events.
The agent pulls out on the tarmac and Damian comes out of the terminal to greet me.
"What is going on? Why do you need to come with me to Miami? And what was with all the sirens--oh, my god. Is that blood?"
I look down at my shirt and realize it's covered in it. I nod at him, too tired to explain.
"Is that your blood?!" he yells.
"No. Let's take off and we'll deal with my wardrobe later."
I close my eyes and say a prayer.
Please help me find Brooklyn.
"Is there anyone you need me to call?" the agent asks as he carries my backpack to the plane.
"Uh, what?"
"Is there anyone you need me to call?"
"No, thank you," I say to the agent, but to Damian I say, "but I do need to call Garrett and tell him what happened."
"You need to tell me what happened," Damian says.
"Hang on," I say, as I pull my phone out of my backpack.
I see that I have a text and numerous missed calls from Garrett.
I read the text from earlier today first.
Garrett: Two concurrent catastrophic events have just occurred. Get Cooper and run. You must leave Eastbrooke now.
I call him as Damian and I board the plane.
"Keatyn, where are you? Does Vincent have you?"
"Vincent is dead."
"Vincent is dead?" both he and Damian say.
"Yes, but I know where he was keeping Brooklyn. I need you to go rescue him. I'll be there soon."
"Where is he?"
"At Vincent's grandmother's house."
"Vincent told you that?" Garrett asks.
"Yes, right before he died in my arms. Wait. What two catastrophic events?"
"Are you with Cooper? Can I speak to him, please?"
"Vincent shot Cooper in the chest. He fell to the ground." I start crying again. "I'm sorry. I think he's dead. Damian and I are getting ready to take off. We're coming home."
"Not Cooper," Garrett says sadly. "He was a good man."
"I know he was. I'm sorry."
"You're positive he said Brooklyn was at his grandmother's?"
"Yes, the Secret Service was shooting at him, so I ran in front of him, trying to get them to stop. But it was too late. There was blood everywhere. He told me he loved me, and I asked him to tell me where B was. As he was dying, he told me B's at his grandmother's."
Garrett lets out a huge sigh. "Keatyn, I'm afraid I have some bad news. There was an explosion at his grandmother's house. Firefighters are on the scene, but it doesn't look good. I'm there now."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying Brooklyn couldn't have survived the blast. Or the subsequent fire."
"No!" I scream. "No!"
I drop the phone.
It can't be true.
Damian wraps me in a hug. I sob into his shoulder as he picks up my phone.
I hear him say, "Are you sure? What? Two events?"
I pick my head up and grab the phone out of his hand. "Garrett, wait. Your text said there were two events that made you think Vincent was coming for me. What else happened? Is my family okay?"
"Why don't you put me on speaker, so I can tell Damian too," Garrett says defeatedly.
"Something else bad happened, Damian," I say, gripping his hand tightly. "He wants me to put it on speaker."
"You're on speaker, Garrett," Damian says.
"This is difficult for me to tell you both, but there has also been an explosion on the Retribution movie set."
Damian squeezes my hand back as Garrett continues. "There was a bomb in Tommy's trailer. Damian, he and your dad were said to have been inside at the time and are presumed dead."
"Oh my god," Damian says, tears flooding his eyes.
I cry too.
And hug him.
Not Matt and Tommy, too.
"I'm sorry, Damian," I say as we hear Garrett say, "What the fuck?! Are you kidding me?"
I hear a fist hitting metal.
His voice cracks when he comes back on the phone. "There was another bomb. One of my men at the France location just reported that a bomb exploded there, too."
"At our house? Is Mom okay? My sisters? Grandparents?"
"I don't know. Fuck!" he says again. "I'll call you back as soon as I know something."
"We're ready to go," the pilot says over the intercom. "Attendant, please close the door."
"Damian, shit. I need you to have them change their flight plan. We need to go home."
He rubs his eyes, shakily stands, and is going toward the cockpit when the pilot comes over the intercom again. "Hang on. The tower says there's some confusion. There's a bright green Viper causing some problems. Actually, the idiot is heading straight towards us."
"Wait!" I scream, knowing it's got to be Riley's car.
Except Riley is on his way to the hospital.
I stick my head out the door just as the Viper screeches to a halt.
Cooper jumps out of the car, waving a gun.
"Cooper!" I scream.
"Where is he?" Cooper yells. "Where is he?"
I fly down the stairs and launch myself at him. "You're alive!" I say, crying harder.
"I am. Where's Vincent?"
"He's dead."
Cooper holsters his gun, relaxes, and hugs me back.
"I was afraid I had lost you," he says. "Where are you going?"
"Home," I cry, grabbing his hand. "Please come with us. I need you."
As we board the plane, the attendant gives me an expectant look. "Just picked up another passenger," I tell her.
"Get buckled up," she says. "We'll be taking off for California shortly."
I sit back down and hold Damian's hand.
"Tell me what happened," Cooper says.
"Bombs went off," Damian says flatly. "Brooklyn, Tommy, and my dad are dead. We're waiting to hear if Keatyn's family in France is okay."
"What?"
I tell him about the bombs.
"I never expected him to do something like that," Cooper says.
"Me either. I got his new script last night but only read the end. I bet anything bombs were part of the big action scenes. I should have stayed up and read it all. I could have stopped it from happening."
"Tell me what happened with Vincent. Did you kill him?"
"No. Aiden and Riley saw the van tearing out of school and chased it. I guess they were almost out of gas. Riley was afraid I'd taken off my locket because I had planned to sneak back home tonight." Cooper gives me a pointed look, but I ignore it. "They crashed into the van; it rolled. Vincent and I fought. The Secret Service showed up and shot him. I thought you were dead, Cooper. I saw him shoot you in the chest. You went down."
Cooper pulls up his shirt, revealing a bulletproof chest protector. "The shots knocked me over and knocked the wind out of me. When I got up, you were already gone. The school was on lockdown. I came here because I figured he'd fly you back to California."
"I'm so glad you're alive." I start sobbing again. "I caused all of this. Everyone's hurt or dead because of me. All I wanted to do was protect them. I tried to protect them."
My head wobbles a bit; I feel woozy.
"I don't feel very good."
"Did you hit your head?" Cooper asks.
I nod, but then I touch my side and feel warmth. Pulling my hand away and putting it in front of my face, I see blood.
Cooper yells at me. "Are you bleeding?"
As my vision blurs, I have a fleeting memory of a bullet hitting my side.
"Keatyn. Keatyn! Wake up!"
When I open my eyes, I see Damian. His eyes are red and teary.
I shouldn't have fought Vincent. I should have let him get me a long time ago.
I may have my life back, but how many lives did I ruin in the process?
Brooklyn's. Damian's. His family's.
And mine.
I don't have anyone to go home to.
Tears fill my eyes.
"Did you not notice you were bleeding?" Cooper asks me.
"They're okay!" Damian blurts out.
I sit up quickly but then feel dizzy again.
Damian pulls me into a hug.
"Who's okay?"
"Your family."
I start crying with relief. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Garrett messaged Cooper while you were passed out. The bomb was inside a package that was delivered to your mom. The nanny was opening it on the kitchen island when it exploded. The nanny, unfortunately, is dead. Your mom was standing, looking in the fridge when the blast occurred. The heavy door shielded her. She has a concussion and some cuts, but she's fine."
"And the girls?"
"They were outside playing with James. They're all fine."
"And my grandparents?"
