The Assassin's Deception

Chapter 33

KAITLYN STONE
Conrad and I slammed into the railing next to the white truck as it dangled precariously over the road below.
"We need to try to get him out of there." Conrad observed obviously.
"I'll have to climb over to the cab and hand him back to you." I sighed looking at the door that must have popped open in the crash.
"Let me go." He insisted.
"I'm a doctor."
"I'm lighter than you. Considerably lighter and I'm not going to have to scrape your body off the concrete if this thing goes over from your weight." I sighed looking into his face.
He knew I was right. Not only was I lighter but I was faster and more nimble. The odds of me getting the injured man out of the truck were far greater than him.
"Okay. Be careful." He relented.
I climbed up on top of the railing and slowly made my way over to where the truck met the overpass so I could climb into the truck bed before reaching over and pushing the passenger side door open so I could climb into the cab.
"Kaitlyn!" Conrad called my name as the truck teetered dangerously.
"I'm okay. Get over to the driver's side so I can pass him out to you." I called back.
I looked over the unconscious man beside me in the truck. His chest was crushed in and he bleed from a gaping wound in the side of his head. His pulse was fast but steady.
His seatbelt was jammed into the buckle and would not release forcing me to pull out my knife and cut the belt off of him before pushing the driver side door open to find Conrad standing on the ledge closest to the truck testing his reach.
"Would you be careful?" I called out.
"Only if you do." He called back.
"His chest is caved in and he has a significant head injury. His pulse is steady." I told him.
"Okay. I need you to pull him forward towards you until you can slide behind him so he's almost sitting on your lap. It'll give you more control when you pass him to me."
I nodded and followed his directions exactly.
"Now plant your feet on the step just outside the door and cradle his head as you move his body to rest on your knees. I'm going to reach forward with my left arm while I hold onto the railing with my right so don't let go until I tell you to."
Conrad's hand grazed mine as he hooked it under the man's left shoulder and pulled him out of the cab somehow hooking his left leg over the railing before his right hand moved to take the man under his other shoulder. Seemingly effortlessly he pulled him over to safety.
I felt the truck begin teetering again before the front heavy cab started pulling the entire truck over the railing.
"Conrad!" I called out his name as I leaped out of the cab grabbing ahold of his hand that came seemingly out of nowhere.
I looked up into his face as he pulled me up until I could rest my feet on the ledge and he could help me over the railing.
"Thanks." I breathed his hand still in mine.
"Are you okay?" He asked glancing over the railing at the remnants of the truck on fire on the road below.
"Yeah. I'm okay."
Paramedics surrounded us and began working on the unconscious man as an officer pulled Conrad and I away.
Both Conrad and I were covered in blood and a separate set of paramedics insisted we allow them to check us out for injuries. Conrad had some scrapes underneath his arms and I had some on my forearms and chest from scraping against the overpass as he pulled me back over.
They applied ointment and bandaged us both before allowing us to leave. I drove us the rest of the way to my home but paused in the garage after turning the car off.
Conrad looked over at me, concern painting his features.
"That was close, Kate." He said gently.
"Yeah. It was. Certainly not the first close call we've had nor the worst." I sighed looking back at him.
He nodded as pain flashed across his face.
"Conrad, I..." I started.
He raised his hand to stop me.
"You went through just as much as I did... if not more. Your boyfriend isn't going to pleased with me." He smiled changing the subject.
"He'll get over it." I sighed.
"To be completely honest, I would have tried to save that man on my own if you hadn't been with me. An assassin isn't all that I am. I was a Marine first."
"I know that, but does he?" He looked at me.
"Don't start, Conrad. No one will ever be good enough for me. We had our shot."
"We wasted it." He sighed.
"Maybe, but we were what we needed at the time." I sighed touching his shoulder.
"I'll always love you, Conrad. Always. You told Jonathan I'm like your sister and after everything that happened in Afghanistan, can we really expect to be anything more than best friends?" I asked.
"I was just trying to ease his anxieties about us." He admitted.
"While simultaneously threatening to rip him apart if he hurts me?"
"I meant that part." He smiled at me.
I shook my head and sighed.
"We should get inside."
I climbed out of the car and he followed me inside.
Jonathan was pacing around the living room while everyone else was working at the table.
"What is going on here?" I asked looking at him as he stopped mid step and turned to look at me.
"Were you going to tell me about the accident?" He asked aggressively.
"Of course I was but when I walked in you were already pacing around like I missed my damn curfew. This aggressive shit isn't going to work for me." I responded as calmly as I could manage.
Raising my voice wasn't going to be good for anyone.
"This sneaking around with him isn't going to work for me either." He hissed.
"Sneaking around? You were the one who sent him with me. You were the one who decided to take his rental." I said taken aback.
"I am not a child and you do not own me!"
I turned to walk back into the garage when Jonathan reached out and  grabbed  my arm. In an instant Conrad pulled me backwards ripping my arm from his grasp  and placed himself between us protectively.
Seemingly out of instinct Jonathan lashed out, punching Conrad and knocking him to the ground.