Page 22 of Serial Burn

Thankfully, the church was on a main road at the edge of town. Cars swept past, wipers working. And it was midafternoon, so not exactly dark although the clouds made it seem like darkness was going to descend within the next thirty seconds.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and tapped Lainie’s name.

Voicemail.

She called Steph.

Voicemail.

Fine.

She dialed Nathan’s number. Just when she thought it was going to voicemail, he answered. “Hello?”

“Thank you for answering. I’m at the church and my car’s dead. I need a ride. Are you available?”

“Grabbing my keys and on the way. Where are you?”

She blinked at the rapid-fire response. “Wow—thanks.”

“What are friends for?”

Right. Friends. Friends were good. Perfect. Because she didn’t want anything more.

She was such a liar.

Movement to her right at the edge of the building caught her attention. The person dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt wore sunglasses and a beanie cap. Like her attacker from the restaurant. But he’d added a raincoat with the hood covering his head.

He lifted his hands, clutching a gun between them, and aimed it at her. She threw herself down across the seats and heard the crack of the shot.

The passenger window shattered a split second before the driver’s side did. Glass rained down on her. She heard Nathan shouting onthe other end of the line. Another bullet followed the same path as the first.

With no time to be terrified, she stayed low and pulled her gun from the holster. Then she opened the driver’s side door and slid out onto the drenched asphalt. Wet soaked into her clothes, instantly chilling her. She’d left her coat in the car, not needing it in the church, and now she didn’t have time to grab it. She looked underneath the Jeep and saw black boots walking her way. She aimed, but the rain blurred her vision. And the slow traffic on the busy road behind him made her hesitate. If she missed, she could hit—

The gun fired again.

He was closing in. Nathan was on his way but wouldn’t arrive in time.

And closer still the shooter came.

It was now or never.Please let him be a bad shot.

She bolted for the opposite side of the building, shoulders hunched, bent at the waist to make herself as small a target as possible.

The gun cracked again. Jesslyn rounded the brick corner and aimed herself for the back road, patting her pocket. Rats. She’d left her phone in the car. The rain sluiced down her hair and face, blinding her, but she continued down the road looking for a place to hide. Another glance behind her and she could see him looking for her. She ran through the My Pie restaurant parking lot, tucked her gun out of sight, and ducked into the building.

As soon as she stepped inside, everything went quiet while the three patrons and two waitresses stared at her.

One of the waitresses stepped from behind the counter. “Goodness, girl, what happened to you?”

“Can I use your phone? It’s an emergency.”

The woman dipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, tapped the screen, and handed it to Jesslyn. Jesslyn stared at it. She had no idea of anyone’s number. She could hear the sirens in the distance and knew Nathan was on his way to the church.She dialed 911 and gave an abbreviated report of her situation and location. “Contact Detective James Cross with the LCPD while I hold, please.”

She waited. All eyes in the restaurant were on her and a few jaws were swinging.

Note to self. Memorize at least one friend’s number in case of an emergency.

A loud crack sounded behind her. A bullet had gone through the glass door. People screamed and ducked under booths.

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