Free Fight By The Team (Team Fear Book 2) by Cindy Skaggs Page B

blood. Torn flesh on soft skin. Blood coated the entire sleeve of her cotton shirt and her black hair matted around the entry wound. A rock the size of a mountain settled in his gut. He’d never triaged a woman before. “I can’t see shit in here. Grab a light.”
    Fowler flipped on the overhead, and then brought a large lamp as backup. He set it up to focus on Debi’s shoulder. The compress had soaked more blood than she could afford to lose. He needed to slow the source of the bleed, but first he needed to get as much foreign material out of the wound as possible.
    “Hold this.” Rose handed over the still covered Celox. He slipped the hair band off Debi’s wrist and pulled her hair from the wound. Then he grabbed a scissor from his kit.
    “Cut my hair, Rosebud, and I will kill you on the spot.”
    “Relax. Your hair is safe. The shirt, not so much.” He and Fowler switched places and he cut the shoulder of her shirt to get a better look at the wound.
    “I thought only the ER cut off clothes.”
    “Guess they have their reasons. Going to lift you now.” He gave her two seconds to process before he lifted. “No exit wound. The bullet’s embedded.”
    She cursed at him as he jostled the injury. “Maybe Fowler should take over.”
    “Trust me, you don’t want this guy cutting into you.”
    “Who said anything about cutting.” Debi struggled to sit up.
    Fowler pressed on the compress to keep her seated. “I practiced on goats, so I’m sure it’s the same thing.”
    She dropped back on the sofa. “You’re kidding?”
    “Nope.” He glanced up at Rose. “Blood pressure’s dropping.”
    “The meds should take the edge off in a few.” He glanced at Debi. Her eyes were open, but starting to dilate. He needed to keep her engaged, like he had while Echo had followed them. “Don’t you want to know who shot you?”
    She nodded, and then groaned.
    Fowler pulled out more clean compresses as he spoke. “Echo fought like a feral cat when we captured him. His eyes were fucking crazed. Next thing we know, he’s taken a shot between the eyes.” Fowler wiped at the blood spatter under his chin. “Second guy took him out. No mercy, man, that shit was cold.”
    “Did you get his blood?” Debi asked.
    Fowler swiped at his face again.
    “Not that blood. A sample. In the syringe.”
    “Oh.” Fowler tapped the Velcro pocket on his upper thigh. “Got it right here.”
    “Go put it in the fridge,” she insisted.
    At least she was still engaged. Actually, she was still a smart ass, which he truly appreciated. “We’re not staying, sweetheart.” Rose used a smaller needle to numb the injury site.
    “Put it on ice, then.” She glanced at Fowler. “Before you and Dr. Frankenstein knock me out.”
    “You’re right,” Fowler answered. “He is like the monster.”
    “If Rose is a monster, what are you?”
    Fowler grinned. “I’m the good-looking one.”
    “Not so much. He’s built like Thor.” Her gaze slid between the two men before landing on Rose. “Neither of you are monsters.”
    A moment later, Rose injected the Celox, cutting off the most severe blood loss. Debi grunted and bit back a curse. Rose squirmed away from her gaze. The woman thought he was some comic book hero, but that was the painkiller talking. Rose and the rest of the team weren’t some medical mutation that made heroes. They were more of a warning against man’s hubris. Monsters created in a lab by someone with a God complex. “Fowler, you grew up around here, didn’t you?”
    Fowler grunted noncommittally. “I’m not from anywhere.”
    “Don’t give me that shit. I don’t care if your hometown is fucking top secret. We need a doctor, say within a two-hour radius? If not, we’re going to have to risk the questions and take her to an ER.”
    “Hold on, let me think.” Fowler moved to put the blood sample on ice. Something alerted him and he pulled his Glock and approached the kitchen door. Ryder and Craft burst