Page 66 of Deadly Sights

On alert, I open my mouth to ask him what’s happening.

“They’ve found us,” he whispers into my ear. “I’m going to lure them away. Get in the car and prepare for my signal. Nod if you heard me.”

By the time I nod, he’s up and gone. I jump into the car, retrieve the extra gun Julian keeps in the console, and recline the seat. Picking up on the tension, Leaper stares at me and remains still.

Minutes that feel like hours pass before Julian appears at the passenger side door. He enters the car in a rush, displacing Leaper. “We have to go now. The asshole called it in from the gas station we stopped at, and there will be more on our tail soon.”

I start the car and peel out of the underground garage. The weather is still holding, which gives me hope we’ll make it home before anyone else discovers us. Within five minutes, a white SUV pulls up behind me, following every lane switch I make and dashing any hopes of leaving Douglas unmolested.

I exit toward Denver, knowing that the ride will pass through small towns with a sparse population. Another vehicle pulls up next to us while the white SUV from earlier cages us in. I speed up, narrowly dodging a bullet to our tires, but so does the vehicle behind me.

They rear end me, forcing the car to jolt forward, and I almost lose control of the steering wheel. “I need some cover.” I drive while dodging their bullets and attempts to run us off the road.

The car beside us shoots, shattering the rear passenger window and missing their targets.

“I got you.” Julian rolls down the window. First, he aims at the windows of the car driving alongside us. When the bullets barely make a crack in the glass, he says, “Speed up.”

I stomp on the gas pedal and accelerate, giving Julian the distance he needs. He adjusts his target to the hood and empties his gun into the engine. The car swerves, scraping against the car behind us, which barely escapes a collision with the mountainside. The second vehicle continues its pursuit.

Julian gestures over a control and the sunroof slides open. He braces himself against the seat, stands, and aims. This time he takes out the tires, causing the white SUV to flip onto its roof.

“Thanks,” I say as he settles himself in his seat. I glance over to catch his grimace. “Julian?”

“Keep driving to the next town and stop at the first hospital or clinic.”

“Why?”

“Because I have a bullet inside me and I need you to remove it.”

CHAPTER 27

A WHITE OUT AND A HIDEAWAY

Nadira

The moment I pull up to a closed clinic, the sky decides it no longer wants to cooperate with me. Fat snow flurries begin to fall. We’re still two hours out from Denver if road conditions remain clear. During snowfall, that two hours easily doubles. Without knowing the extent of Julian’s injury, I’m not willing to risk his life.

I break into the closed building and search for the supplies I need. There’s no time to cover my tracks. The town we’re in may be small, but I’m sure a guard and possibly the police will come by soon to check on the breached security system. I need to be gone long before they arrive.

Faced with a room full of supplies, I call the one person I trust to keep this secret. “Moni, I have a hypothetical situation that requires a proper solution. Gunshot wound to the abdomen, no access to X-ray machines or anesthesia or hospitals, how do I get it out and not kill the person in the process?”

“Girl, it is Christmas Eve. How you going to?—”

“Moni! I don’t have time to explain. Please, what do I need?” My voice breaks. It’s the first time I’ve ever shown strong emotion before, and it works to get Moni talking.

I fill a bag with everything she lists and a little more for safe measure, hoping it will suffice given my limitations.

“Thanks, Moni.”

“Will you tell me what this is for?”

“Probably not. Just know that if all goes well, I’ll owe you for the rest of my life.” I rush to leave the building and get Julian to safety.

Outside, the ground already has an inch of snow and visibility is fading fast. At this rate, our chances on the road are as bad as returning to Douglas and meeting up with my assailants.

“We need to get off the road.” Julian hands me his phone. On the screen is a map of the area showing the rooftops of homes surrounded by trees. “There are some homes about ten miles out. Maybe we’ll find an empty one.”

Occupied or not, I’m stopping at the first house without smoke rising from their chimneys. I randomly choose a house and enter it into the GPS. It takes more than half an hour to traverse the road because of the snow falling fast and heavy, and the GPS stalling from connectivity issues.

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