Page 72 of Better Watch Out
“This way.” The officer led him around a fenced-in area blocked with an orange tarp where construction debris was waiting to be hauled away.
Andrew rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks when he saw Frannie being manhandled by someone dressed in a TSA uniform. The man was leading her to a parking lot at the back of the airport where service and security vehicles were parked. The officer put a hand on the butt of his weapon and the other on the radio but Andrew put a warning hand on his arm and shook his head.
From where they were standing it was hard to tell if the guy had a gun to Frannie’s back and Andrew wasn’t going to take a chance on her accidentally getting shot if they spooked the guy.
Andrew pointed to the garage-like area beneath the airport and whispered, “Get a team to come in from behind, I’m going to see if I can get him backed into that corner.”
“That’s against procedure.” The officer shook his head. “And I’m the only one who can approach.”
Andrew didn’t have time to argue. “Fine. Call it in, tell your guys to go around back but I’m going with you.”
Andrew took a second to read the officer’s name. Denison. He didn’t look much older than Andrew and he could feel the nervous energy radiating from him. Andrew took a breath, remembering all of the rookie hockey players before their first game. It was up to the veterans to keep them calm and remind them they wouldn’t be on the ice if they hadn’t already proven they were capable.
“I’ll hang back and come up from the side but I won’t make any moves unless there’s a reason. I trustyoubut I don’t trust him and if he runs, I’m going after him.”
Officer Denison nodded and then stepped back around the corner so he could call in their location. Andrew kept his eyes on Frannie. She was poised, her shoulders back, chin lifted. He smiled. She was formidable and capable and he’d make sure Ryan understood that the first chance he got.
“We’re good,” Officer Denison said when he returned. “Captain says a team will be here in one minute.”
One minute.
Officer Denison began a slow approach, using a luggage trolley to block himself from view until—“Stop. NYPD. Put your hands up.”
The man holding Frannie twisted around, dragging her with him so that her body shielded him.Jerk. Andrew kept to the shadows of an airline catering truck as he moved in closer. He had no intention of not keeping his word to Officer Denison but he wanted to be close enough in case things went south.
“I said put your hands—”
The sound of bones crunching wasn’t easy to forget and while playing hockey Andrew had heard his fair share of the cringy noise. He edged out of the shadows and saw Officer Denison on the ground at the feet of a man who was reaching for Denison’s weapon.
Andrew charged him, tucking his shoulder as his body collided into the man, throwing them both to the asphalt.
“Andrew!”
Frannie’s cry distracted him long enough for the man to get a nice kidney punch in that nearly doubled Andrew over. He fought through the pain, elbowing the man in the solar plexus so that his breath whooshed out of him.
Taking advantage of the slight upper hand, Andrew landed another two hits to the guy’s chin. The fight seemed to drain out of him and Andrew took the chance to glance up at Frannie.
She was in her own fight, wriggling to free herself from the grip of the man trying to drag her away.
Andrew flipped the guy onto his stomach and pulled the guy’s arms behind him but he was still struggling. He couldn’t let him go to reach for the gun. He looked over at Frannie, who had freed one arm and was digging her heels into the ground.
This was the longest minute of his life and that included when he was face down on the ice watching his teammate get taken out.
He wasn’t going to let that happen to Frannie. “Pepper …” Andrew grunted as the guy beneath him began to writhe with more strength. “Pepper spray!”
Using the whole of his body weight, Andrew flattened himself against the guy and glanced up in time to see Frannie drop to her knees next to Officer Denison. With her free hand, she yanked the canister of pepper spray from the police officer’s belt and wielded it like a sword, showering the TSA agent’s face with it. He let go of her and covered his face, choking.
Behind him, Andrew heard the NYPD shouting as they spilled around him, their weapons drawn. Two officers helped him while several more attended to Officer Denison and Frannie. When they had the men handcuffed, Andrew ran to Frannie and wrapped her in his arms, his lips grazing her forehead before he met her blue eyes.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded but he felt her body shuddering against his. He tightened his hold on her, never wanting to let her go, and vowing to wait as long as necessary until she was ready for that.
He brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes and was surprised to find the spark still there. “Nice aim, by the way.”
Frannie gave a little shrug, threading her arms around his waist. “I’ve had a little practice.”
Her lips tipped up and it was all Andrew could do not to kiss her silly, but his integrity told him to wait. It wasn’t the right time now but when that day came … A flush warmed his cheeks. He turned. “Come on, Frankie, let’s get you on your flight.”
