All I've Ever Wanted - Adrianne Byrd [32]
They stumbled together toward the ground, as she heard something whiz past her injured ear.
A woman screamed.
The initial impact with the cement floor knocked the wind out of both Kennedy and Collier.
Then all hell broke loose.
The crowd’s screams reached Dossman’s ears. He pivoted on his heel, his weapon drawn. He rounded a corner where he’d last seen his partner and was momentarily blocked by a stampede of people.
“Police,” he shouted as he tore through the crowd, but his shouts went unheard amid the rising cries of hysteria. Whatever progress he thought he’d made getting through the sea of people vanished when reality settled and he soon realized that he was being pushed backward with the flow of traffic.
A stream of curses rumbled from his chest. What he wouldn’t give to be able to fire a warning shot. Perhaps that would bring some order to the madness. Instead, he had to struggle to move sideways, to inch along the wall. He returned his gun to his holster, and managed to reach the wall only after receiving his fair amount of elbowing and shoves.
Amid the chaos, he was shocked to catch a glimpse of a familiar face. “Keenan.” Indecision spiraled up his spine briefly, then Dossman took off in the opposite direction, and thankfully, along with the herd of people.
“Are you all right?” Max shouted. His entire body covered Kennedy’s in an attempt to protect her from whoever was shooting, and also from being crushed by the rampaging crowd.
She squirmed and clawed as she tried to get up from beneath him.
“Hold still. I can’t protect you if you keep trying to get up.”
His reasoning fell on deaf ears, as her struggle grew more desperate. “Please, Kennedy, please. Just lie still.”
Her fist landed sharply against his chin and he was momentarily surprised by her strength. But she would need a lot more than that if she wanted to actually do damage.
She screamed a name and he heard her anguish and desperation as it tore from her throat.
“Tommy.”
Max’s eyes darted around. Where was the little boy? Had Tommy been with her when he approached her in line? He searched his memory. He wasn’t sure.
“Kennedy, where is he?”
“Don’t let them get my son.”
“Where is he?”
She didn’t answer, she just continued to flail her arms about, occasionally landing punches. She was ignoring whatever injury she’d sustained from the bullet, despite the growing stain of blood on her sleeve.
He tried to gain control of her hands. When he succeeded, he shook her to get her attention. “Dammit, Kennedy. Pull yourself together and tell me where he is.”
“The men’s room,” she finally said. “That’s where he was supposed to meet the person who was helping us. I’m sure that’s where he’d go when we were separated.”
Max darted a quick glance at the restroom across from the concession stand, then looked around the area. The crowd was thinning, but there was no way to know if their shooter had made his escape yet, or was still waiting to finish the job. There was no way he was leaving Kennedy’s side, so they’d need to work together to find Tommy and get to safety.
“Okay, Kennedy. I need you to do what I say.”
She hesitated, obviously not trusting him to share her priorities. She shifted her gaze to the men’s room.
“In just a moment, we’re going to get up together and make our way to the men’s room,” he said.
She nodded, but it didn’t stop him from worrying about the sheer terror radiating from her eyes.
“I’m going to try to shield you with my body as we get up.”
She started to get up and he had to restrain her.
“We get up together, understand?” he shouted.
She flinched from the roar of his voice, and then nodded in agreement.
Max retrieved his weapon, kept his head ducked low, and simultaneously swept his gaze around the perimeter.
As they stood, they were pushed and shoved by the screaming crowd.
Kennedy blinked tears from her eyes. When Collier slid his arm securely around her waist, a certain calm fell over her. She felt protected.
Collier jerked her to his left side. She felt the rush of something