Hide My Light: A Romantic Suspense Thriller Novel (Hide Me Series Book 3) by Lisa Ladew Page A

anyone and see what they are most upset about or happy about. Anything that has a lot of emotion behind it.”
    Craig held up his hands. “It doesn’t really matter if I believe you or not. No matter what, that information is not prosecutable. There is no way I can go up in front of a judge and a jury and tell them what you just said. I’d be laughed out of the courtroom. When we catch Kane, and we will, we’re going to have to get him to confess somehow. Obviously he did it, or he wouldn’t be shooting so many people now, but I can’t work with what you just told me.”
    Katerina scuffed her shoe against the tiled floor and pulled back slightly behind West. She hated this ability , as she had called it, but to be labeled a liar or a crackpot was even worse. She should have made something up.
    West took a step forward and she felt hostility in the tension of his spine. She looked at his face where pure anger was written. He stared at Craig, then opened his mouth to say something. Katerina plucked at his shirt weakly, scared he would alienate the FBI agent.
    A radio on Craig's belt crackled, interrupting whatever West was about to say. Craig plucked the radio off his belt and held it to his ear. West caught a few of the words. “Shooting at us … Basement … Three of them …”
    West pulled Katerina close and looked around the waiting room and down the hallway as if expecting more gunmen to come after them on this floor. Craig’s entire demeanor changed from one of relaxed authority to tense, subdued action.
    “10-4, I’ll be down in two minutes after I get the subjects to their destination. Break. Barnes, you copy? Your station still clear?”
    “10-4, I copy. I’m clear and ready.”
    “Finch and Drew, report.”
    “Clear here.”
    “Clear.”
    “Andrews, is your location clear?”
    “Yes copy, clear here.”
    “I’m sending them to you right now. Be ready.”
    Craig turned his attention back to West and Katerina. He spoke quickly. “I have to head to the basement, there’s been a breach down there. You two meet my agent at the front door and he’ll take you to the safe house. Follow me into the stairwell and go directly to the first floor.”
    He took off at a run not waiting to see their acknowledgment. West nodded anyway and pulled Katerina after him.
    The three of them pushed through the stairwell door and pounded down the stairs. Craig moved faster than West and Katerina and when he reached the first floor they were still on the third. He pushed the first floor door open and looked around, then turned back to them and yelled, “It’s clear, just run through the lobby to the front door, quickly!” Then he pounded down one more flight of stairs and exploded into the basement. Before the door swung shut behind him West could hear yelling and crackling, like fireworks or maybe an actual fire, or possibly worse, gunshots.
    As Katerina and West passed the doorway to the second floor, almost to the first, the door flew open and a young girl ran in, running directly to the opposite wall and hiding her face in her hands. Great wracking sobs shook her body. Katerina pulled West to a stop, not letting him continue to the first floor. The girl appeared about five or six, with baby-fine blonde hair pulled inexpertly back into a ponytail. Her clothes looked rumpled and dirty, as if she had slept in them for a few days.
    Katerina walked behind her, trying to think of what to say. The girl was so young, too young to be alone in a hospital, and so obviously in great misery, that Katerina couldn’t keep heading to her own safety. “Sweetie? What’s wrong?” she asked, her hands hovering over the girls shoulders.
    The girl’s sobs intensified and a great wailing came out of her throat. She would not look away from the wall. Katerina touched her gently and tried to turn her away from the concrete wall to hug her. The girl resisted and Katerina felt like crying. She was so young. She shouldn’t have tragedy