Colby (Season Two: The Ninth Inning #6) Read online

  “He’ll be fine soon and back on the field.” I’m not sure if it’s totally true, because even Colby has mentioned he isn’t sure he’ll be able to play again. However, everyone seems hopeful, and I will support him either way.

  After a few more sips of coffee, I feel a little bit better and head back to my desk and get back to work. Sometimes, my desk is almost like a black hole because I am sucked into work and I forget everything around me.

  Another hour passes, and soon, Duke is calling my name. “What?”

  “The Apprehension Team knows where Dice is and they’re about to pick him up. Want to go?”

  Before he can even finish the sentence, I’m on feet and heading out the door.

  “I guess that means yes,” Duke mumbles as I pass and together we ride the elevator down and head out to the car.

  I’m antsy to get to the location and finally get him into custody. I want to question him so badly and get his confession. There’s no way I’m going to let him get away with the murder of Hotty, Ce-Ce, and Sassy. I’ll make sure he’s in jail for the rest of his life.

  We roll up a block away from the location in an unmarked car. Duke’s phone rings, and he answers it.

  “Yeah,” he pauses. “We’ll go around the back.” He puts the car in drive and heads around to the alley.

  “What’s going on?”

  “There’s an extra alley, and they need us to cover it to make sure there is no way he can slip through.”

  Even better, I think. I want to make sure there’s no way he can disappear again. Duke parks the car and we get out. I adjust my jacket to uncover my gun on my hip and unsnap the retention strap. It’s never our first choice to use the weapon, but Dice has already shown he’s not afraid to start shooting, and it’s our job to protect the citizens of Memphis.

  We check the area to make sure Dice doesn’t have any associates staking out the back. Duke nods to the garage in the back of the house, and I take the lead on the far side. Duke is checking the chain-link fence when we hear the other team roll up in front. We hear the shouting and the bang of the flash grenade. I hate that sound, and even though I’m farther away, it still makes my ears ring a bit.

  Four people run from the back door, and Duke and I have our guns drawn, ordering them to get on the ground.

  “Got me?” Duke yells, and I know it means he’s going to jump the fence to get closer to the four people on the ground.

  “Got you,” I tell him and he hops the fence while I watch the group laying on the gound.

  It’s then I hear it. There’s something in the garage. My peripheral catches movement and I turn to see Dice. I know it’s him because he looks right at me, before he takes off.

  “Dice, stop! Police.” I bolt, following him down the alley. I hear Duke yell my name, but all I care about is catching Dice.

  I run as fast as I can, keeping him in my line of sight. I’m not going to let him get away. I don’t care if I have to run to Nashville to get him. I will do it.

  Dice cuts to the left, in between houses, and I hear the sirens growing louder behind me as I turn the corner. It’s a rookie mistake. A mistake I knew the second I turned and saw the gun pointed at me. In the police academy, you learn to slow during corners, to ensure the suspect isn’t waiting for you.

  And there he is—less than five feet from me.

  I raise my gun, and before I can say the words, I’m looking up at the sky. I didn’t even hear the shot. I didn’t see a flash from the muzzle. I didn’t know how I ended up on the ground. I try to take a deep breath, but I can’t and I taste the metallic in my mouth.

  Blood.

  The pain in my shoulder hits me, and I can’t move. Is it shock? I command my left arm to move; I raise it to my shoulder, and I feel around. When I lift my hand, it’s covered in blood.

  “Ariella.” Duke’s at my side and pushes down on my shoulder. “Oh my God, Ariella.” He lifts his radio to his mouth. “Officer down! I repeat, Officer down!” He drops the radio after listing the location and puts more pressure on my shoulder; I groan at the burning pain.

  “Colby,” I choke out.

  “I’ll get Colby. You’re going to be fine. You’re going to be fine.” He keeps repeating it and before I know it, my eyes are closing. “Stay with me, Ariella. Stay awake.”

  But I can’t keep my eyes open. I’m tired and drained. The last thing I remember is saying, “Colby.”

  I’M LAUGHING AT Hector and Blake. I think one day Blake is going to punch him. Nah, he cares too much, Hector and I both know it. I’m sitting at my locker, but I’m not getting dressed. It kills me not to, but it’s my fate, and I’m here to cheer on my friends and teammates.

  “Ariella coming tonight?” Jordan asks.

  “No. She’s been working a big case and is at work.”

  “When are you two going to get married?” Roman inquires and Spencer leans in to hear too.

  “Um, we’re not there yet. Why are you asking me?”

  “I’m just making conversation,” Roman quickly says, and I wonder if there’s more to it, but I let it go.

  The guys are all talking at once and the locker room is loud, but it’s nothing I’m not used to. I like these moments in the room, right before a game. Some teams I’ve been on were dead quiet before a game, and I hated it. The Angels are different, and I think it’s why I fit in here so well.

  The noise dies down because we hear a commotion outside the doors. Normally, it’s a fan trying to get in, but when Blake opens the door, it’s Duke and two of our security guards.

  “Hey!” I yell. “Let him in.” I stand up with the assistance of my crutches and head over to him.

  “I told you, I’m a damn cop!” Duke shouts at the guards, shoving his badge in their face again.

  “Duke, what’s up?” If he wanted to meet the team, I’m sure I could have gotten him in without all this drama. Then, he turns, and his shirt is covered in blood. My stomach drops like a rock, and I see Trent and Jordan rushing over to me. “Duke.” My voice is low, and I don’t really trust either of my knees right now. “Where’s Ariella?”

  He doesn’t have to say anything; his face says it all.

  Trent grabs my arm, and I don’t even realize I stumbled. “Where is she?” I ask again.

  “You need to come with me now,” he speaks in a hushed tone, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because my ears are ringing, but I can’t move.

  Ariella. Her name is spinning in my head, and finally, I hear Trent. “Colby! You’ve got to go.”

  “Ariella,” I say her name again, and then Duke and I take off on my crutches as fast as I can. He parked in the fire lane, and we’re at the car before I know it. I want to ask a million questions, but only one comes out. “Is she dead?”

  “No,” Duke quickly answers. “But it’s bad.”

  My mind can’t process his words. My mind isn’t working. Am I even breathing? Is my heart beating? Not without Ariella, it won’t be.

  It takes an eternity to get to the hospital, and that’s with Duke running lights and sirens and speeding through all the intersections. Time seems to stop as we get out of the car and together go inside. There are police everywhere and they direct us to Ariella’s family.

  It’s strange the things you notice at times of distress. For instance, Alizeh’s hair is up and usually, she wears it down. Allison’s makeup is running down her face, and I can’t remember her ever wearing a lot of makeup. But it’s Fletcher who makes me stop. He has tears in his eyes. This man is taller than I am, bigger than I am, and right now he could collapse into sobs.

  “Colby, come with us.” Allison waves me over, and I follow them all to a small room off the ER department.

  It’s silent in the room, and I can’t take it. “Can someone please tell me what happened?” I have to know how bad it is.

  “She was chasing a suspect and turned a corner. I heard the shot and then she just...fell,” Duke tells me.

  “Where was she shot
?” Her chest? Her heart? Her lungs?

  “It seemed to be in her shoulder, chest area.” He points on his body to his upper shoulder. “I put pressure on it, but…” Duke stops talking, and Alizeh hugs him.

  “You did well,” she reassures and comforts him.

  I start to shake, and I’m not sure what is happening. Shock, I suppose. Allison jumps up from the seat she is in and hugs me. She’s relatively small to me, but there’s comfort in her hug.

  “She’s very strong, Colby. She’ll be fine,” Allison softly tells me. “It’ll all be okay.”

  I nod and release her. I’m not sure when the tears came, but she wipes them away. “I’m fine,” I tell her.

  “I know.” She tries to give me a small smile, but then we all turn when a doctor walks in.

  “Craft’s family, right?”

  “Yes.” Allison steps up. “Tell me about our daughter.”

  “She took a bullet to the shoulder, and it nicked her brachial artery. It’s a main artery in your shoulder and arm. She’s in surgery. There was significant blood loss, but we’re giving her blood now. We’ll get her into the ICU after surgery to keep an eye on her and the artery.”

  “Will she use her arm again?” Alizeh asks the question I’m thinking. This isn’t a small tear in her knee. This is an artery. This is a big deal.

  “I don’t see any issues as of right now, but we’ll see when she wakes up.” The doctor nods to us. “Just remain here and I’ll have the nurses update you when she’s in recovery.” He leaves, and I finally fall into a seat.

  For the first time, I actually feel helpless.

  Ariella’s surgery seems to take forever. Even longer before she’s moved into the ICU. Thankfully, it’s not the ICU where she’s only allowed a visitor or two at a time. I’m sitting in a chair next to her, my damn leg propped up at Allison’s insistence, and all I can do is stare at her.

  How long will it take her to wake up? Until I can see her beautiful eyes again?

  A nurse pops her head into the room. “Um, y’all have some visitors. Would you like me to let them back? They’re pretty determined.”

  We all look confused at who would be here this late, but Fletcher nods. She leaves and a moment later, my teammates file into the room.

  “Is she going to be okay?” Trent asks.

  I nod, not trusting my voice to tell them that the doctor thinks she’ll survive. My eyes return to her still body on the bed, only her chest moving as she breathes. I hear Duke providing them with the details I can’t give them.

  “We wanted to come check in,” Jordan tells me. “Is there anything we can do?”

  “Yeah,” I say, suddenly remembering. “Someone needs to check on Buster.”

  “We’ll do it, Colby,” Alizeh says. “We’re going to have to leave and get Lil D from the sitter soon anyway.”

  I nod again.

  “We’ll get out of your hair then,” Hector says. “Call if you need anything.”

  Another nod and everyone begins to leave. Alizeh and Duke say their goodbyes soon after.

  “Are y’all staying?” I ask Fletcher and Allison, knowing better than to suggest they leave their daughter.

  They both sigh heavily. “We’ll all be able to better help her if we’re well-rested,” Allison says reluctantly.

  “I’m not leaving.” I didn’t miss her including me in that. “She’ll want someone here when she wakes up.”

  Fletcher agrees. “We’ll be here first thing in the morning. My cell will be on, so call me if she wakes up before then.”

  “Okay.”

  I watch as they both kiss her forehead. Allison leans down to hug me, Fletcher squeezes my shoulder, and then they leave. Carefully, I move onto the edge of the bed. “Come on, beautiful. Wake up for me,” I whisper.

  My heart breaks when nothing happens. I lean my forehead against her temple, kiss her cheek, and decide to wait. She’ll wake up. It’s just a matter of time.

  “Don’t make me wait too long,” I beg quietly. “Please, don’t make me wait too long.”

  I’M IN TUNNEL. I can hear people talking around me, but I can’t open my eyes. My body is so tired, and all I want to do is sleep. I try to force my eyes open, but nothing happens.

  “Don’t make me wait too long. Please, don’t make me wait too long.” Colby begs me and I want to answer him, but I’m just too tired.

  I can see the bright light behind my eyelids. Is it the sun? A flashlight? I carefully open my eyes, and I blink to focus my vision. Dad and Mom are at the end on my left side, both reading the newspaper. Alizeh is at the very end of my bed on her tablet, while Duke is next to her, on his phone. But it’s Colby right next to me, holding my hand and looking down at it. He looks exhausted. Has he even slept?

  “Is your leg elevated?” My throat is so dry, I’m not even sure I got all the words out before my entire family jumps up.

  Colby is the first to jump up and cup my face as he kisses me. “Good morning, beautiful.”

  “Hi.”

  Before he can say anything else, Mom damn near knocks him over. “Ariella Craft, if you ever scare me like this again and cause me more gray hair than what I already have, I will tan your hide.”

  I smile. I love when Mom gets so angry because she uses old sayings that I know she’ll never follow through with. “I promise.”

  Dad leans down and kisses my cheek as does Duke, but it’s Alizeh who loses it and sobs on my left shoulder. She’s crying so hard, I try to reach out my right arm to hold her, but I can’t move it. It’s wrapped up and is against my body.

  “Alizeh, it’s okay now.” I try to console her.

  “I’m so mad at you.” She sobs harder.

  “I know, but I’m here and I’m fine.” At least, I think I’m fine. I’m not sure why my arm is wrapped like this. “Alizeh, I love you.”

  “I love you too, Sissy.” She raises her head, calling me my childhood nickname.

  I look at Duke. “Did we get him?”

  “Yes. He confessed too.”

  “He did?” I’m in shock. I figured he would never say a word. “Great.” I try to move and a sharp pain runs through my right shoulder, and I grunt in pain.

  “You can’t move your right shoulder for a while.” Colby tell me softly and takes my left hand.

  “Why? What’s wrong with it?”

  Mom steps up and tell me about the bullet nicking my artery and the surgery I had. I’ll be wrapped for a week, and then I’ll be in a sling and start rehab to regain my strength. I know this means I’m off work, or on desk duty once I start rehab. More than likely, I’ll take some of the sick time I’ve accumulated through the years. I never use it, except a few times when I’ve been with Colby.

  Before I can ask any more questions, a nurse comes in to check on me. She does the usual blood pressure, temperature, and pulse before heading out and telling us she’ll get the doctor.

  “May I have some water?” I ask Colby, and he grabs a cup already full of ice-cold water. “Thanks.” I sip on the straw.

  “Ariella, are you hungry? I’ll go get you something.” Dad offers, but the mention of food makes my stomach turn.

  “No. I’m fine for now.” I shake my head, and I squeeze Colby’s hand. I ask where Lil D is and Alizeh, who has finally calmed down, tells me he’s with Duke’s parents just as the doctor comes in.

  “Ms. Craft, I’m Dr. Mui. I’m glad to see you are awake and alert.” He smiles and tells me he’s going to examine me and check my bandages. My family say they’ll step out, but Colby never moves from my side.

  Dr. Mui pulls the covers back and I can see how tightly wound I am. It’s like the shoulder of a mummy. It starts at my shoulder, around my breast, and then my hand is resting on my chest.

  “The surgery went well, Ms. Craft. I didn’t see the bullet do any damage anywhere else, except the small nick in the artery. It was pretty much a through and through. You’re very lucky.”

  I nod. “Thank you, Doctor.
When will I be able to go home? Or take a shower?” I’m sure I didn’t smell like a bed of roses right now.

  “I’m going to keep you here at least another twenty-four hours, just to make sure there are no other issues. If there are none, then you can go home and rest.” He’s stern with the last part. “You will stay wrapped until the stitches come out, which is about seven to ten days. Until then, it’s sponge baths for you, because they can’t get wet.”

  I figured. “Okay.”

  Dr. Mui then tells me I will be on clear liquids for a little while because of the pain medication. Colby thanks him and the doctor leaves the room.

  Colby steals another kiss before my family comes back in. Mom tells him to sit down and elevate his leg, which he does without hesitation.

  “You guys you don’t have to stick around. I know you have other things to do. I’m fine.” I shoo them away with my good hand.

  Mom is staring at me hard, and I know she doesn’t want to leave. “Fletcher, maybe we can grab some breakfast?” she suggests.

  “I’ll go check in at work.” Alizeh takes Duke’s hand, and he says the same thing.

  After my family finally leaves, I turn my head to Colby. “You can go home too. I’m sure Buster has destroyed the house and you need to rest.”

  Colby leans in close to me. “Alizeh and Duke took care of him last night. The team has been messaging me all day and if I need to, I can send one of them over there.”

  “The team? They know?”

  “Duke came and got me from the locker room. He was covered in your blood.” Colby stops and shakes his head, not sure he will ever erase that image.

  “I’m sorry. It was such a dumb mistake to not check the corner.”

  “Duke told us. Your dad isn’t happy about it. I’m sure you’ll hear about it more when you’re out of here.” He kisses the back of my hand. “I’m glad you’re okay. I don’t...I don’t ever want to be in this position again.” Colby’s blue eyes fill with tears, and I feel a tug on my heart.

  “I promise. I’m not careless. I just wanted him in custody so damn bad.” I shake my head.