Chapter 99 Saved
CAITLYN'S POV
Everything happened so fast. One second Collin had the gun pointed at my head and the next second there was a loud bang and Collin was falling. Just falling forward as someone had pushed him. But no one pushed him. He just fell.
I screamed. Could not help it. The sound just came out of me. Jason was still standing there looking shocked. He could not believe what just happened. Like he was waiting to feel pain or see blood but there was nothing. He was fine.
Then I saw Detective Rourke standing in the doorway. He had his gun raised. Smoke was coming from the barrel. He had shot Collin. He had saved Jason.
"Caitlyn," Jason said. He turned away from Collin's body and ran to me. "Caitlyn are you okay?"
I could not answer. Could not speak. I was shaking so hard my teeth were chattering. Jason wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. I buried my face in his chest and started crying. Just sobbing. All the fear and terror and relief came pouring out.
"It is okay," Jason said. He was stroking my hair. His voice was gentle. "It is okay baby. You are safe now. I have got you."
"I thought he was going to kill you," I said between sobs. "I thought I was going to watch you die."
"But I did not die," Jason said. "I am right here. I am alive. We are both alive."
I looked up at him. His face was covered in dirt and blood. His shoulder was still bleeding. He looked like he had been through hell. But he was smiling. Actually smiling.
"How can you smile right now?" I asked.
"Because you are alive," Jason said. "Because the baby is alive. Because Collin is dead and he can never hurt you again. That is worth smiling about."
I turned to look at Collin's body on the floor. He was lying face down. Not moving. Blood was spreading out from under him. Forming a dark pool on the concrete.
"Is he really dead?" I asked.
"Yes," Detective Rourke said. He was walking over to check Collin's pulse. He pressed his fingers against Collin's neck and waited. Then he nodded. "He is dead."
"Good," I said. Then I felt guilty for saying it. For being glad someone was dead. But I could not help it. Collin had tried to kill me. Had tried to kill my baby. Had tried to kill Jason. I was glad he was dead.
"You do not have to feel bad about being relieved," Jason said. Like he could read my mind. "He was a monster. The world is better off without him."
"I know," I said. "I just never thought I would be the kind of person who was happy about someone dying."
"You are not happy he is dead," Jason said. "You are happy that you are alive. There is a difference."
More officers were coming into the room now. They were checking Collin's body. Taking photos. Talking into their radios. It was all very official and businesslike. This kind of thing happened every day.
"We need to get you out of here," Detective Rourke said to me. "We need to get you checked out by paramedics. Make sure you and the baby are okay."
"Okay," I said. But I did not want to let go of Jason. Did not want to stop holding onto him. Like if I let go he might disappear. Might turn out to be a dream.
"I am coming with you," Jason said. "I am not leaving your side."
"You need medical attention too," Detective Rourke said. He was looking at Jason's shoulder. "That wound looks bad."
"It can wait," Jason said.
"No it cannot," I said. I pulled back and looked at his shoulder. The bandage was completely soaked through with blood. Fresh blood. "Jason you are bleeding everywhere. You need to get that looked at right now."
"After I make sure you are okay," Jason said.
"I am okay," I said. "But you are not. Please let them help you."
"Fine," Jason said. "But only if you are right there with me. We get checked out together."
"Deal," I said.
Detective Rourke led us out of the panic room. We had to step over Collin's body to get to the door. I tried not to look at him but I could not help it. His eyes were open. Staring at nothing. It was creepy.
Outside the panic room, the hallway was full of police officers and tactical team members. Some of them were arresting people. Some were checking rooms. Some were helping wounded guards. It was organized chaos.
"This way," Detective Rourke said. He guided us through the hallway and back toward the front of the house.
As we walked I could see the damage from the fight. Bullet holes in the walls. Broken furniture. Shattered glass. Blood on the floor. It looked like a war zone.
"How many people died?" I asked.
"We are still doing a count," Detective Rourke said. "But it looks like three of our officers were killed. And maybe a dozen of Hayes's men. Plus Hayes himself."
"Three officers," I said. I felt sick. "Three people died trying to save me."
"They died doing their job," Detective Rourke said. "They knew the risks. They chose to be here."
"But they would still be alive if it were not for me," I said.
"They would still be alive if it were not for Hayes," Jason said. "This is his fault. Not yours. Do not take responsibility for what he did."
"Jason is right," Detective Rourke said. "Hayes is the one who created this situation. Hayes is the one who took you hostage. Hayes is the one who refused to surrender peacefully. The blood is on his hands. Not yours."
I wanted to believe them. Wanted to think this was not my fault. But I could not shake the feeling that people had died because of me. Because I had gotten involved with Collin in the first place.
We reached the front entrance and went outside. There were ambulances everywhere. Police cars. Fire trucks. People running around. Paramedics treating wounded officers and gang members.
"Over here," Detective Rourke called to one of the paramedics. "I have got two people who need to be checked out."
A female paramedic came over. She was young. Maybe late twenties. She had kind eyes.
"What have we got?" she asked.
"Pregnant woman who was held hostage," Detective Rourke said pointing at me. "And a man with a gunshot wound to the shoulder that has been bleeding for the past hour."
"Okay," the paramedic said. "Let me get you both into an ambulance."
She led us to the nearest ambulance and helped us inside. Jason sat on the gurney and I sat next to him. The paramedic started examining Jason's shoulder first.
"This is infected," she said as she unwrapped the bloody bandage. "How long ago were you shot?"
"A few days," Jason said.
"A few days and you have been running around fighting people?" the paramedic asked. She sounded annoyed. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"
"I was trying to save her," Jason said nodding at me.