Page 54 of Sweet Betrayal

What—?

One of the military vehicles had exploded, but she barely had time to register it when a second, larger detonation followed.

Thick, black smoke swallowed them up, covering the road.

Pandemonium erupted.

Through the haze she saw army officers sprint toward the flames, rifles raised. Drivers leaned on their horns. Voices shouted conflicting orders, while panic spiraled out of control.

Their own driver seized the moment. He floored the accelerator and veered sharply onto the gravel shoulder.

Gunfire erupted behind them.

She flinched as a volley of bullets screamed through the air, ducking down in her seat. From the back of their truck came a rattling burst of machine-gun fire. She saw one soldier collapse, while the others scrambled for cover behind the flaming wreckage.

Their truck surged forward, bouncing over debris and small mounds. She hit the ceiling once, then was slammed back into the seat.

Thank God Tom had told her to buckle up.

Finally, they punched through the cloud of smoke and burst out the other side. They were back on the open road to Jemah.

CHAPTER 21

“You didn’t tell me they were going to blow up the roadblock!” Hannah yelled at Tom as he opened the door to let her out. Her voice shook with fury. “Are you trying to get us killed?”

They’d skidded to a halt near a low building that might once have been a school or hospital. Now it was just a skeleton of rubble and broken concrete. The driver and the others in the back, including Jamal, scattered the moment the truck stopped. Already, the blue flashing lights of the military police could be seen closing in—seconds behind.

“You wouldn’t have come,” Tom shot back, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the shattered structure.

“Damn right, I wouldn’t!” she snapped, following him through a hole that had once been a window. “That was madness. Those guys are crazy. They’re full-on rebel activists. I can’t believe you?—”

“Get your head down,” he cut in sharply. She dropped low without protest as they sprinted through one derelict room after another, hugging the walls.

Gunfire cracked behind them.

“That’s Jamal and his rebel activist friends covering us,” Tom muttered. “It’ll buy us some time.”

Hannah ran blindly, heart pounding, ducking as best she could while he led the way through the maze of rubble. A bullet zinged past, striking the pillar next to them with a vicious thud.

More gunfire, closer this time.

Tom launched himself on top of her, shielding her as they hit the ground behind a low wall. He rolled to one side and fired rapidly in the direction of the gunfire.

Hannah lay frozen, eyes squeezed shut.

“Come on, let’s move!” Tom shouted, yanking her to her feet in one fluid motion. She stumbled after him around a corner and into another burnt-out room.

He paused, scanning quickly for exits. His eyes locked on a window still crusted with broken glass. With a few hard scrapes of his rifle, he knocked the jagged shards away. Then he turned to her.

“After you.”

Shouts echoed behind them. Gunfire popped again.

Hannah placed her hands on the windowsill.

“Brace yourself!” he called out.

Before she could ask why, he grabbed her legs and boosted her through. She hit the ground awkwardly, surprised more than hurt. They were only on the first floor, thank God.

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