Page 29 of Vengeance

She closed her eyes. "He told me to say Never Like Him." The silence on the other end became absolute.

"Where are you?" the man asked.

Hope flooded through her. "Near an old railroad bridge."

"That's not helpful,” the man growled.

She looked around frantically. "There was a logging road."

"Is it a state road?” he asked.

She looked around the woods again. "I—" Had they crossed into West Virginia yet? She couldn't remember.

"Put him on,” the man ordered.

"I can't,” she admitted.

"Why not?" he asked.

"He's been shot,” she said.

The man's breathing changed instantly. "How bad is it?"

"I don't know,” she lied. From the amount of blood that he had lost, it was bad.

"Is he awake?" the doctor asked.

"Barely,” she said.

"Listen carefully." His voice became calm. "I need you to answer exactly what I ask."

She nodded before realizing he couldn't see her. "Okay."

"Where was he hit?"

"Left side,” she said.

"Is there an exit wound?"

"I don't know,” she insisted.

"Roll him over and check,” he ordered.

“Hold on,” she ordered. Chloe hurried back to Vengeance. "I'm sorry." He groaned as she carefully rolled him enough to inspect his back, and quickly ran back to the phone.

She gasped for air. "It went through."

"Good,” he said.

She frowned. "How is any of this good?"

"It’s better than the bullet still being inside him,” the doctor said. The man continued giving instructions while Chloe tore strips from the bottom of her hoodie to make pressure bandages. She ran back and forth between Vengeance and the phone, as she packed the wounds exactly the way he instructed. Vengeance bit down hard enough on his lip to draw blood, but he never cried out. By the time she finished, both of her hands were covered in his blood.

"Keep pressure on it,” the doctor ordered.

"I will,” she whispered.

"I'm leaving now,” the doctor promised.