Abernathy had come over to sniff at Eva, licking her face as she rested on the floor as if she didn’t possess the strength to get up.
When Zach began digging in Ulrich’s pockets for whatever had caught Eddie’s scent, the man lashed out with his booted foot toward Eddie and hit Abernathy instead. The toe of his boot connected hard with the injured spot on Abernathy’s flank.
His partner yelped in pain as he went flying across the room beneath the force of the kick. His flank wound began to bleed, worse than before, and a red haze of fury filled Finn’s vision.
“You just assaulted a police officer,” he yelled.
Eva pushed herself upright, scooped Cocoa back into her arms and went to Abernathy. She glanced back at him, concern darkening her eyes. “Finn? We need to get him to the vet right away!”
Inwardly railing at himself for bringing Abernathy along, Finn nodded and pushed Yost toward Zach. “Call for assistance. We have to go.”
Zach nodded. “Backup is on the way. Oh, and here’s Reed Branson. We’ve got it from here—just go.”
Once again Finn lifted his K-9 partner into his arms, tears stinging his vision. If anything happened to his K-9 partner, he’d never forgive himself.
SEVENTEEN
The blood coating Abernathy’s rear flank was horrifying. Eva held the chocolate Lab puppy against her chest while placing her other hand over Abernathy’s wound in a lame attempt to stop the bleeding. As they left the alley, Eva glanced around, then released Abernathy long enough to flag a passing squad car. The patrol car slowed to a stop. She rushed forward and bent down to look at the pair of officers inside. “K-9 officer injured,” she managed between hacking coughs. “We need a ride to the vet.”
“Sure. Get in.” The passenger-side officer gestured with his hand.
Eva didn’t hesitate to open the door for Finn. Still cradling Abernathy to his chest, he awkwardly slid inside. She closed the door behind him, then went around to get in on the other side. She was relieved that Cocoa was content to sit in her lap.
The officer driving the squad was on the radio, informing the dispatcher about the need to drive an injured K-9 for care. Afterward, the cop caught her gaze in the rearview mirror. “Where’s the vet?”
Eva glanced helplessly at Finn. He lifted his tortured gaze to hers.
“There’s an emergency veterinary clinic in Jackson Heights near our K-9 headquarters.” Finn’s voice was low and husky with emotion.
“Got it.” The officer behind the wheel hit the lights and gunned the engine. “What happened?”
Finn didn’t answer, his attention laser focused on Abernathy. She could hear him murmuring words of encouragement to his partner. Eva rested her hand on Abernathy’s silky fur, hoping and praying he’d be okay, then caught the driver’s gaze in the mirror again.
“He was grazed by a bullet, then kicked by a suspect on his wounded flank.” She coughed again, wondering if she would sound like a heavy smoker for the rest of her life after being trapped in the fire.
“Man, that’s terrible,” the officer commiserated. “Hope the jerk rots in prison for a long time. I’ll do my best to get you to Jackson Heights soon as possible.”
Finn buried his face against his partner’s coat, and she knew he was beating himself up over Abernathy’s aggravated injury. But the showdown at the training center was her fault more so than Finn’s.
Abernathy had been put in harm’s way because she’d allowed her boss to dupe her, taking her from safety at gunpoint. Why hadn’t she understood that Wade Yost was part of the drug-dealing operation from the very beginning? Looking back, Wade’s involvement made sense. Obviously, he was the one who’d exposed Malina to a life of crime. Lured her with easy money and likely convinced her to try their so-called merchandise. Maybe the painkillers she’d taken after her surgery had set her up for switching to cocaine. Eva had heard that it was all too easy to become addicted, that one hit was all it took.
Sadly, she could envision exactly how it must have happened. After things fell apart, Yost had fired her sister. Maybe that was when she’d stolen their package.