O2 15/18
Chapter Fourteen:
The joint Secret Service and FBI transport team had prepared for almost every imaginable scenario including a dozen armed men in a raid similar to the one that had been used in the original abduction.
They weren't prepared to take on two dozen.
Explosives took out the two lead cars' tires and machine gun fire strafed the follow up vehicles. In a matter of seconds, every vehicle except for the ambulance was disabled.
The agent driving the ambulance tried evasive maneuvers but ended up crashing into a utility pole when forced off the road by the assault team vehicles.
Inside, Don had been knocked to the floor by the crash but was unhurt. He could hear rapid exchanges of gunfire and prayed his side was getting the upper hand. Suddenly there was silence outside and someone opened up one of the rear doors of the ambulance. The gun inserted into the opening began to fire before Don could react and he quickly rolled to the side away from the gurney, pressing himself up against the underside of the empty gurney on the other side of the ambulance. He threw his hands over his head to protect it and almost immediately felt two bullets slam into his back.
Suddenly a single louder shot rang out in the distance and the assailant's gun clattered to the ground.
Don looked up to find Kim running towards the ambulance, gun still in hand, to make sure the German was down for good.
Kim looked at the blankets on the gurney, now a smoldering mass of bullet holes and looked back at Don.
Wincing from the pain in his back, Don rolled away from the empty gurney to reveal Olivia hiding underneath.
Kim just nodded. If there was anyone worth trusting with your life it was Don. He never failed.
Kim pulled Olivia out from under the gurney as a flood of backup agents swarmed the area. As Kim helped Olivia lie back down on the untouched gurney Olivia noticed the back of Don's vest. She gasped and Kim turned to look as well.
"You're hit!"
"It's okay," Don said, trying to get his vest off without too much pain. "They didn't penetrate. Thank god these guys don't use cop killer bullets."
"Here..." Kim left Olivia and carefully removed Don's vest for him. Being that close to him again brought up memories in Kim but it was painfully obvious to her where his attentions lay.
As soon as Kim released him from his vest Don crouched beside Olivia.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He grasped her hand and brought it to his lips, leaving it there rather than merely kissing it.
Olivia nodded, her expression of fear melting into one of gratitude and relief.
An agent had discreetly removed the body of the German suspect and quietly handed Kim a single Polaroid.
"Olivia, I know this has been very hard for you but we have to know if this is over. We have to know if this is the man you saw in the parking garage that day. Are you up for this?"
Don started to protest but Olivia held out her hand for the photo.
After one glance, brave as she thought she was, she dissolved into tears on Don's shoulder. She managed to nod for Kim's benefit and Don took the photo from her, tossing it back to Kim before wrapping his arms around Olivia.
"Shh... O. It's all over now. I'm here, I'm here..."
Kim silently backed out of the ambulance and closed the doors on them to give them the privacy they deserved, ignoring the ache in her heart at seeing the man she'd once agreed to marry so obviously in love with another woman.