“FURY!” She screamed his name. Her hands frantically grabbed for his side where the red stickiness spread. Her terrified, panicked mind understood he’d been shot. She pressed both palms over the wound, trying to slow the bleeding. Her terrified gaze locked on Fury’s face. He breathed but wasn’t conscious.

“Someone help me!” Ellie screamed.

Trisha Norbit suddenly dropped to her knees on the other side of Fury’s body. Trisha shoved Ellie’s hands away and tore at Fury’s shirt to get a look at the wound. Ellie ignored her hands, covered with Fury’s blood. She inched up to his face while the doctor and a few other people started to work on him.

Ellie trembled. “Fury?” She touched his face, not caring that her fingertips brushing his skin were bloody. Tears streamed down her face. “Fury? Please wake up.” Her voice broke with a sob.

“Get me a med kit,” Trisha demanded loudly. “Now!”

He didn’t move. Ellie frantically looked at the doctor. “Trisha? Is he going to be okay?”

Trisha met Ellie’s eyes and then turned her head away. “We need to get him to the hospital immediately. Call the trauma center and tell them we need an operating room prepared and—” She cursed. “Justice? I need a few of your canine people to come with us. He’s going to need blood and hopefully one of them will match his close enough.”

Justice stood behind Ellie gripping his cell phone. “I’ll get them all.”

“Trisha?” Ellie continued to shake.

Trisha met her gaze then, her expression grim. “He’s been shot twice, Ellie. It’s really bad. I promise I’m going to do everything I can to save him.”

Ellie totally fell apart in that instant. She knew he wasn’t going to make it. She saw all the blood soaking her hands, his clothes, and Trisha’s hands. She caressed his face and whispered his name. Someone grabbed her from behind and yanked her away from the man she loved. She fought whoever held her, screaming Fury’s name, but he didn’t move. The man holding her held on tighter and spun away.

“They need to work on him, Ellie. I’m going to drive you to where they are taking him. You need to calm down,” the man yelled in her ear. “This isn’t helping him.”

Ellie sobbed. She stopped screaming and struggling, admitted the futility of it. Slade held her and he was as big as Fury. Her feet weren’t even touching the ground. He kept hold of her, saying soothing things in her ear, as Ellie watched the doctor and the emergency medical staff work on Fury, trying to stabilize him. Someone brought a stretcher and they quickly loaded him onto it. She looked up when she heard a news helicopter circling.

Slade turned with her, still kept a good hold on her in case she tried to run after Fury, and quickly strode toward the parking lot. He gently dumped her into the back seat of one of the SUV’s when he got there and grabbed his radio.

“Canines, meet me at the parking lot. We’re ready to roll. I have Ellie secured.”

Slade got behind the wheel, turned in his seat and studied Ellie. She cried, curled into a ball on one of the back seats, but had overheard enough to piece together most of what had happened from the car radio. Slade was obviously torn up too by what had happened. It was obvious by his grim expression and the pained look in his eyes as they stared at each other.

“I was patrolling the wall when it happened. There were three shooters in all. I took out one of them but I couldn’t get the other two without risking hitting innocents. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to take them all out before they shot him.” His gruff voice paused. “Fury will be fine,” Slade promised in a firm voice. “We are stronger than humans and we heal faster. We can take more punishment.”

Ellie wiped at her tears. “I can’t lose him.”

Slade nodded. “You won’t.”

Men opened doors and climbed inside the SUV. Ellie noticed they were armed to the teeth with weapons secured from ankle to chest on their big bodies. They were also canine, judging from the shape of their solemn eyes. Slade started the engine and backed out of the parking space. He punched the gas and headed for the gate. He turned his radio up to hear it clearer over the sound of the engine.

“Clear the way. We’re just about there.”

He didn’t even slow as they came to the opened gate. The crowd normally present had been evacuated from the area. Gunfire and bloodshed had scattered the protesters and the reporters.

* * * * *

Ellie paced and kept glancing at the men surrounding her. There were at least seven NSO officers guarding the private waiting room. The hospital had offered one to them as soon as they realized the NSO officers were armed and determined to guard Ellie. More officers were outside the operating room where Fury fought for his life.

“He’s still alive,” Justice assured Ellie.

She nodded, knowing Justice spoke on his cell phone with one of the NSO officers who guarded the operating room. The officer could see inside to give detailed information. Ellie was grateful for the relay system Justice had thought of, to keep tabs on how Fury faired. Ellie didn’t know how people could stand just waiting without any kind of word when a loved one underwent surgery.

Slade entered the room, moved directly to Ellie, and offered her a large, white, covered Styrofoam cup. A straw stuck out of it. Ellie forced a smile.

“Coffee doesn’t come with a straw but thank you.”

“It is iced coffee.” Slade smiled. “You’re shaking. I didn’t want to hand you something hot that could spill. Fury would kick my ass if I allowed you to get burned.”