Dmitri stepped over the dead security guards without breaking stride, but Caitlyn couldn’t stifle her groan of horror. It was bad enough the men were dead, but scattered in the hallway like this, left sprawling like dolls a cruel child didn’t bother to put away…

Dmitri glanced back over his shoulder. “Steady,” he said kindly enough, but she could only look at him and shake her head.

With a sinking feeling she scanned the guards, because Dmitri would have stopped if there had been any hope. They had been brain dead for some time.

“Goddammit,” the Boss spat out.

“There’s one life sign in the room,” Caitlyn whispered. “But it’s…it’s…”

Dmitri kicked the door down and entered the room, Caitlyn and the Boss right behind him. She looked around wildly and saw the crumpled figure by the coffee table.

The room looked exactly like an apartment living room, complete with furniture and knickknacks. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting…a motel room perhaps? She didn’t know what protective custody looked like. What it looked like was an ordinary town house in Minneapolis. One filled with dead people. And why was she thinking about town houses and dead people right now?

So she wouldn’t have to think about the poor lady on the carpet in front of her. The poor, shot—

Wait a minute.

“She’s alive,” Dmitri announced, bending over her. “Barely.”

“There’s an ambulance right behind us,” the Boss said. “Move over. What happened?”

“Love,” Dr. Roe croaked, blood bubbling down the side of her mouth.

“What?” The Boss and Caitlyn spoke in unison; Caitlyn couldn’t hide her shock. They had come here to save Rebecca. But it wasn’t Rebecca who had multiple gunshot wounds in her chest. It was—

“She did it for love,” Dr. Roe said. “She told me. Gun in the Burger King bag. Put mine in my pocket. Stupid. Stupid. Never thought…thought it was about love…” Dr. Roe laughed, a dreadful choking cackling that made Caitlyn want to put her hands over her ears and scream Stop laughing!

“Where is she now?” Dmitri asked, taking Dr. Roe’s hand and holding it gently.

“It was about love…and so she left. Caitlyn…”

“What about Caitlyn?” Dmitri demanded, his grip tightening.

“…Caitlyn’s house…going there for love…for love, have you ever heard anything so stupid?” She laughed again, then her eyes rolled up and she quit laughing.

“Love,” Caitlyn repeated, more shocked than she’d ever been in her life. “Stacy’s staying at my house.” Her eyes widened as all the pieces fell into place. Then she turned and ran.