Good Deed Bad Deed Marcia Morgan (life books to read .txt) 📖

injured him as well. He turned to look at the wall, seeing immediately where the bullet had lodged and cracked the plaster, its trajectory just missing his body.

Ben’s observations were made in an instant, before he could wonder where the shot had come from, or who had shot Lenny. His eyes tracked along the floor to the doorway, where he saw that Valerie had managed to crawl or drag herself that far before once again losing consciousness. The gun was in her relaxed fingers. He realized that she had also managed to drag herself to wherever the gun had been, but where it had come from he had no idea. In spite of her wound, she had managed to pick it up, take some sort of aim and shoot. Valerie had made a lucky kill shot from the floor and saved his life. He rushed to her side and felt her carotid artery for a pulse. It was weak and her breathing was shallow. The wound was off to the left, about midway below her ribcage.

Valerie’s eyes opened slightly and with a trembling voice she whispered, “Cold … cold.” Ben saw she was shivering and feared she had gone into shock. He took a blanket from one of the cots and covered her.

Gareth was crouched in a corner, all but holding his breath in order not to be noticed. He imagined every scenario he could be facing, and the reason for his actions wouldn’t matter. Coerced or not he was still guilty of taking part in detaining the women. Yet all along his greatest need had been to free them, to take Olivia in his arms and comfort her. That scenario had played over and over in his mind since the moment he had first seen the women suffering. He had chosen his brother over the woman he could easily have loved. He would never forget the look on her face when she learned of his part in the kidnapping. And now he wasn’t even sure he had managed to save his brother.

Gareth inched along the wall in the main room, clearly planning to make his break while Ben was distracted. Just as he decided the moment was right, Ana appeared in the doorway and shouted Ben’s name. Gareth stood completely still, hoping she wouldn’t see him. Ben turned away from Valerie, a look of both surprise and exasperation crossing his face.

“You shouldn’t be here!” he shouted back at her.

Ana could tell he was furious. “Are you okay?” she asked, ignoring his reprimand. She immediately noticed the blood on his face and neck—more blood than on that first night when he was attacked. There was more blood on the front of his shirt. Adrenaline flooded her body. Instinct compelled her to make physical contact as reassurance that he was truly all right, but she held back. Distracted by the need to embrace him, she stepped through the doorway without a thought for her own safety. Neither she nor Ben had noticed Gareth cowering in the shadows.

Ben absent-mindedly rubbed his shoulder as he answered. “I’m okay, but Valerie’s been shot. It’s bad. I sent Olivia to call an ambulance. Did you see her out there?”

“Olivia’s sitting in the taxi I came in—shivering and crying. The driver called emergency services. I don’t know how long it will take.” When Ana started to walk toward Ben she saw the man lying on the floor, a circle of blood on his shirt. “Oh God… it’s the man who attacked you in London.” She looked back and forth with disbelief at Ben and the man with the vacant stare.

“He’s dead—thanks to Valerie.” He turned back to his ex-wife and brushed the hair from her pale face. “Another minute and I would have been the dead one.” The truth of his close call became more real to him as he verbalized it to Ana.

“But how…” Ana asked, her brow furrowed, her focus shifting to Valerie. She reacted instantly and rushed to her side, instinctively grabbing the other ratty blanket to apply pressure to the wound. She feared that the woman’s only chance to survive was to slow the bleeding.

Before he could answer Ana’s question, Ben remembered the other man. He glanced around the main room and saw him standing in one corner. He was very still and partially hidden by the refrigerator’s shadow. “Stay with Valerie,” Ben said as he quickly stood up and started toward Gareth.

Gareth saw Ben coming toward him with a murderous expression on his face. He put up his hands in a defensive posture and spoke with fear in his voice. “Wait man, you don’t understand… Let me explain. They were going to kill my brother!”

Ben was so filled with rage he heard little of what the man was saying. He lunged forward and yelled, “Fucking bastard!”

With a hard push Gareth managed to deflect Ben slightly, upsetting his balance. Gareth assumed there would be no reasoning with the man, so before Ben could grab for him again he rushed through the open door and broke into a full speed dash up the street. Without a word to Ana, Ben chased after him. He ran toward his rental car, shouting at the cab driver to stay with the women. Although the call had already been made he repeated the order to keep calling emergency 112. He could still see Gareth running toward the intersection. He jumped into the car, skidded into a quick U-turn and took off in Gareth’s direction. While still a half block away he saw Gareth jump onto a bus. He increased speed, fell in behind the bus, and continued to give chase. In spite of traffic he managed to keep up. When it made regular stops he was close enough to see that Gareth didn’t jump off.

After following the bus in a straight line for more than a mile, a detour sign caused the driver to make a sudden change in route. At the next stop Gareth did jump