Page 99 of Fatal Strike
He climbed over the rail and jumped.
Leah rushed to the railing. Waves crashed against the side of the ferry. Dylan surfaced and swam toward the speedboat. Adriver and an armed man came into view. The gunman raised an automatic and took aim at her.
Leah fired first, sending the armed man overboard. The driver raised his own weapon.
Bullets pelted the ferry. More screams.
The speedboat jumped over the wake.
Leah directed a shot at Dylan and pulled the trigger.
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SILVIA’S RIGHT ARM AND LEGstung from her tumble to the pavement. Blood seeped through the right leg of her green scrubs, and her arm and elbow fared the same. Her son had caused this? The last few moments with Dylan squeezed her heart as though she’d met a stranger.
Agent Colbert jogged to her. “Are you okay? Do I need to call an ambulance?” He eyed her bleeding leg. “You might need stitches.”
Be strong. No reason for him to see your distress.“I’ll be okay. A little hydrogen peroxide will clean me up. Are you okay? And the other men who were with you. Are they hurt?”
“They’re fine.”
She was afraid to ask, afraid to voice her fear, as if doing so would cause it to come true. “And Dylan? What’s going to happen now with him?”
“I’ve texted Agent Riesel to contact me as soon as possible.”
She braved forward. “You’ll tell me the truth, no matter how bad it is?”
Agent Colbert hesitated for a fraction of a second and then nodded. “Ms. Ortega, I know you want answers. I feel the same. We’ll see what Agent Riesel learns.” His phone rang, and he moved away to answer. Silvia studied him, but his facial expressions gave no indication of the conversation. The evening heat bore down, increasing the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
What possessed her boy to hold a gun to her? She didn’t know he owned one. She’d never permitted a weapon in their home and denied Dylan access to toy guns. Had she instilled an unhealthy attitude? Or had his time in jail changed him, turned him against her though he promised he’d learned his lesson? He’d been forced to live with bad people, and their habits had woven into the fabric of her son. Had he panicked when he saw she’d been followed?
She touched her temple, where he’d pressed the barrel against her head. No. Silvia drew in her shattered emotions. She couldn’t believe that, wouldn’t believe her boy had substituted his upbringing for greed.
He told me he was sorry for causing me grief. He asked me to forgive him for what he was about to do. When I fell, he told me, “I love you, Mom. I’d rather die an innocent man than live as a guilty one.”
Mi hijo.My precious boy. I’d give my life to erase this evening.
“You’re not taking me in for a crime I didn’t commit.”Words of innocence. He might believe she’d set him up. But betrayal of her son wasn’t a part of her thoughts. She’d always be on his side.
Agent Riesel was on the ferry now with Dylan. She’d attempt to talk to him, just like she’d promised when he’d agreed to meetwith the agents near Willy G’s. Silvia rubbed her scraped arm. Was she kidding herself? If Dylan pulled a gun on Agent Riesel, she’d have no choice but to fire at him. Were the people on the ferry in danger?
Dear God, what have I done wrong for Dylan to act this way?
She should call Father Gabriel to ask for prayers. Silvia shook her head. Her cell phone was in the car with Dylan. She desperately wanted to hear Warren’s strong and reassuring voice.
Agent Colbert walked her way. The closer he came, the more his eyes shone with kindness.
“Any word?” she said.
“Yes, ma’am. Dylan jumped from the ferry. A speedboat picked him up.”
A sharp breath cut across her chest. “You mean police officers?”
“The men who picked him up were armed.”
This meant Dylan had planned an escape. All he wanted was the money? She stared at her scraped arm. It was time to acknowledge the truth: Her son was a Veneno. He knew who’d murdered those people. Threatened Warren? Killed his stepfather?
Jon smiled sadly and she knew there was more.
