Read Online Pure Dynamite by Lauren Bach - Free Book Online

Mary-Ellen."
    Adam's gut tightened over the news that the man Lyle had shot was indeed a law enforcement officer. Equally alarming was the mention of the missing guard. Wallace? Or the driver?
    While he hadn't been fond of either guard he hadn't wanted them harmed. He thought back to their escape. Had one of the other prisoners returned after Adam and Lyle fled? The handcuffed guards would have been easy prey.
    What should have been a precisely executed prison break was spinning out of control. Lyle had been shot, a deputy had been shot, a guard was missing and they'd broken into a clinic, forced a doctor to treat Lyle. It couldn't get much worse.
    The news coverage switched to the flooding, the backdrop changing to a montage of water-covered roads and dire predictions of more rain. Adam yanked the plug from the wall, killing the broadcast.
    Renata spun to face him. She jabbed a finger in the direction of the exam room. "That slimy bastard in there shot Jim, didn't he?"
    Adam didn't bother to deny the obvious.
    "And what about the missing guard? Did he shoot him too?" She made a strangled sound. "Please tell me you didn't leave that poor guard to bleed to death somewhere? You miserable—" She broke off when he made a move toward her.
    "Both guards were alive and unharmed when I last saw them," he said.
    Lyle interrupted calling out.
    "We're coming." Adam reached for her arm.
    She stepped back, eyes flaring. "You don't really expect me to go in there and help him, do you?"
    "Sometimes you have to do things you'd rather not." For the higher good. He tried to grasp her by the arm again.
    "I can find my own way." She stuffed her fists in her pockets and moved sideways, avoiding his touch. Hard plastic brushed against her knuckles: the handle of a disposable scalpel, the ultra sharp blade still covered.
    In the confusion earlier, she must have dropped it in her pocket. She tried to draw comfort from the thought that she had means to defend herself.
    Adam pressed closer. "Come on."
    Leaving the scalpel in her pocket, she pretended to give in and followed along.
    In the exam room, they found Lyle fumbling awkwardly with a match as he tried to light a cigarette.
    Renata ripped the cigarette out of his mouth and tossed it into the sink. Next went the match from his fingers. "No smoking."
    "Bitch! What'd you do that for? Worry about the hole in my groin, not my lungs."
    "I could care less about your lungs." She pointed to the posted warning on the wall. "We're running oxygen in here. Highly flammable—though personally, I don't care if either of you get blown to kingdom come."
    "Fuck off, lady." Lyle tapped out another cigarette. "You're not in charge here." "That's right. I am. Remember?" Adam took the cigarette from between Lyle's lips and tossed it after the other.
    Renata saw resentment flash in Lyle's eyes. Did Adam realize how unhappy his accomplice was about taking orders? Or had the gratitude for saving his life already worn thin? Perhaps the two men weren't as close as she'd assumed.
    Adam leaned in. "Tell me what your brother said."
    "We sit tight until he calls back," Lyle said.
    "That's it? Sit tight?" He shook his head. "That's not good enough."
    "He's doing the best he can. Getting another set of wheels takes time."
    "We don't have time." Adam updated Lyle on the news report. "Durham police are starting a manhunt. And they've got blood in their eyes now that one of their own's been shot."
    Lyle didn't blink over the news that he'd shot a deputy. "Now what?"
    "We need to get the hell out of town."
    Lyle curled his lip in Renata's direction. "Then if she has any more doctoring to do, she better do it fast."
    Reluctantly, she moved forward. While the news they'd be leaving soon should have relieved her, the idea of giving aide to this punk really tested her Hippocratic oath. First, do no harm ... Drat. Look how much harm he'd caused others.
    Just treat the injury and ignore the man, she told herself.
    Grabbing a handful of