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She stared down at her hands Hands that were covered in blood Some hers, butshe could do could stop it

She should be jubilant Triumphant And instead her insides were so cold that she didn’t feel anything at all

"Did you honest to God think ouldn’t be here?" Cole demanded

He sounded furious The heat in his words scalded her, and yet it was so welco him But there was also worry

"Where are you hurt?" Cole asked with only a little less edge in his voice

She looked at him in bewilder, PJ You’ve got blood all over you"

"My leg," she finally et out "I took a bullet"

Cole cursed

As her tea a taut rope and having it recoil like a viper

She closed her eyes, the stench of blood and death overwhel arently back and forth

"It’s all right now, PJ," Cole soothed

He stroked her hair and held her close

"We’re here to take you hoathered PJ in his arms and carefully lifted her Dolphin and Renshaw immediately flanked him to provide cover while he hurried in the direction of their SUVs

"Open the back," Cole barked "I need to be able to stretch her out so we can see how bad the gunshot wound is"

Dolphin moved ahead when they reached the wooded area where they’d parked the vehicles He opened the hatch and Cole set her gently down in the cargo area

He had to pry away her fingers that still clutched the knife, and he was careful that she didn’t panic and react blindly He still wasn’t that sure she was cos When the knife ca so he could assess the wound

"Jesus, there’s blood everywhere," Dolphin said grimly

"Not all of it is hers," Cole said as he ran his fingers over the hole in her thigh She flinched when he touched too close to the wound, and he cast her an apologetic look But she didn’t seeht red with blood, and he stared at it for a long moment This was her blood, and it ine ould have happened if they’d arrived even thirty seconds later than they had

PJ was pale and shaking violently The bullet wound was just a flesh wound from all he could ascertain Clean entry and exit She’d lost blood, but not so much that she would be in shock It was her emotional state that concerned hi her hands over her shirt, the red blood nearly disappearing in the black material Then she’d look down, visibly upset that there was still blood staining her palain, Cole took her hands and gently pulled theht, PJ," he said in a soothing voice "I’ve got you I’ll clean it off Just give me a minute I want to make sure you’re okay"

Donovan, Steele and Baker strode up, sweat glistening on their foreheads Cole lowered her hands, and she drew theesture

Cole glanced Steele’s way as Steele gave a terse accounting

"We cleared the area PJ took out several of the guards, but Brumley is unaccounted for The choppertake off on our way in had to have had hi around at the sound of PJ’s voice to see her sitting up, hunched over her knees, her eyes wild and distant

"He got away," she said, and Cole was struck by the devastation in her voice

Then she put her head down, so her forehead touched her knees

Cole would have given her his complete attention, but Steele motioned for Cole to follow him Dolphin motioned Cole away and then took Cole’s place in front of PJ, talking nonsense and bullshit like it was any other day in the field

"We’ve got a hell of a rim tone "PJ will take the fall, no matter what kind of worthless assholes these bastards are I’ to let that happen Brumley has clout in Slovakia He basically owns this area and the village He is the government here and he has everyone in his pocket I think initially he would have wanted PJ alive just so he could make her suffer But now that she’s shown the very real threat she is, he’ll sanction her death however it has to happen"

Donovan nodded his agreement "I’m with you on this She has to be protected at all times The threat could come from anywhere A sniper is a very real possibility"

Their words had a chilling effect on Cole His mouth went dry and his pulse pounded painfully at his teave hiest you do You and Donovan need to get her the hell out of here I’ll stay behind with the others to do cleanup andiue, but Steele shut him down cold

"You’re our medic, and PJ needs immediate ot to get the hell out of this country before Brumley has time to put a bounty on PJ’s head Her life won’t be worth a shit now that Brumley knows for certain she’s after hih," Cole said to Donovan "Not too bad, but she’s lost blood and she’ll need antibiotics and stitches"

Donovan ran a hand through his hair and griuys take the scene Make damn sure none of us can be io with Cole and PJ and cross the border into the Czech Republic When you guys are done, get your asses out of Slovakia and we’ll hook up after I’ve evaluated PJ’s condition so we can get the hell ho to see if there was anything further to be discussed He wanted to get PJ out of here Away fro on by a thread Who even knehat kind of private hell she’d been through over the last several ot to the back of the SUV PJ was still sitting, hunched into a ball She see to oing withnow You needyou a choice You’ll cooperate or"

He sucked in his breath over theher What an insensitive asshole it made him to even think it