Page 48 of Jackal

Rooster and the others pulled up along the side of the road and we all looked around. Something was wrong. “Everyone get down,” I said, dropping the bike and crouching in the ditch.

Just as I got low, shots rang out. Hawk was close and he was low, but not low enough, as he fired shots into the woods. I didn’t know where the other shots were coming from or how many were out there. Without thinking, I ran toward Hawk and tackled him to the ground.

“What the fuck?” he yelled.

“Stay down!” I yelled before standing and running toward the woods.

Footsteps crunched near me and I looked over to see Roosterrunning with me to the tree line.

I still had plenty in the clip and another in my pocket. More footsteps hurried behind us, but I couldn’t look back. That stubborn shit didn’t stay down.

More shots rang out and we all stopped, standing against the closest tree to our path. In between shots, all that could be heard was the sound of our heavy breaths and the crickets chirping. Glancing around the tree, a shot fired, but at least I saw where it came from.

Swinging my gun in that direction, I popped off three rounds in a row but didn’t hear any sounds of distress. My eyes adjusted enough to see a few yards ahead of me, but the tree cover prevented any sliver of moonlight from illuminating enough for us to see where the gunman was hiding–or gunmen.

“I’m moving ahead,” Hawk said as he crouched, leaving the refuge of the tree he hid behind.

My jaw ticked as I followed behind. We started bobbing between trees, advancing further into the woods.

Hawk stopped at a large oak tree, and I crouched behind some heavy brush and hoped they didn’t take random shots in my direction. The other trees were pines and weren’t thick enough to shield me.

Rooster and Coop made their way closer. We all stopped moving and tried to steady our breaths so we could hear any other footsteps, or maybe a clip being swapped.

“Hawk,” Eagle called from a distance.

They must’ve not been too far behind us and saw our bikes on the side of the road. If I pulled my phone out it would be like a big, glowing target.

As they got closer, my heart sped up. My gun was still in my hand, ready to defend us. I turned my head to look over at Hawk, still flush against the tree, when a whiny motor rang across the forest.

Hawk took off running toward the sound, so I stood and chased him, shouting behind us, “Hold your fire!” worried that Eagle would shoot first and ask questions later at the movement.

Hawk was fast, so I had to take long hurried strides to keep up. “Prez, stop!”

But he kept going, so I followed. I was rushing through the trees, barely able to see past Hawk and trying to catch up to him when I felt the familiar burn of my flesh being torn by hot metal.

Chapter 27

Shivana

My eyes flew open as my body was jostled.

“Shiv, wake up. C’mon.”

Swinging my arms, I sat up, but once my eyes adjusted I said, “Lacy? What are you doing? What time is it?”

She tugged at my arm, but I yanked the blanket up and batted her away. “Excuse you, but I’m naked. Don’t just drag me out of bed.” I was hoping Jackal didn’t forget his wholeI’m hungry for something elsething and wanted to be prepared.

“They need you downstairs, like, right now.”

The sleepy haze began to wear off. “Downstairs?” I glanced over at the clock on his nightstand. Nothing good was happening at this hour. “What for?”

Lacy flipped the bathroom light on and grabbed the pile of clothes from the floor. “Here, get dressed. I’ll wait outside.”

A knock on the door startled me, and I pulled the blanket evenhigher.

“Give us a minute,” she said through the door.

“The sooner the better,” a muffled man’s voice said through the door. It sort of sounded like Eagle, but my blood was pumping so fast that the swishing sounds in my ears made it hard to be sure.

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