Page 95 of Hot Intent

“Get down, Katie!” Alex bit out. She dropped like a rock as the driver’s door started to open.

In the next millisecond, the pistol fired deafeningly, a single shot. A spray of blood coated the inside of the windshield.

“Get in the back seat,” he ordered, already pulling the driver’s door open.

She pushed to her feet, causing her injured shoulder to send a wave of fiery pain through her. As she took a deep breath and released it slowly, Alex opened the driver’s door and commenced dragging the body out of the vehicle.

She’d seen her fair share of blood as a nurse, but never like this, sprayed all over the inside of a car, along with brain matter and bits of bone and other gore. Even she was grossed out by it.

Alex slid behind the wheel and picked up a jacket that must’ve been lying on the front passenger seat. He leaned forward to wipe off the windshield with it, but a fusillade of gunshots erupted around them, and she flattened herself against the back seat while Alex did the same in front.

How he managed to start the engine from his prone position, she had no idea. But the cab’s motor roared to life.

As he threw the car into gear, another barrage of bullets unleashed around them. She threw her arms over her head and rolled off the seat onto the sticky rubber floor mats. It was a tight squeeze between the front seats and rear ones, and thehump between the seats was insanely uncomfortable. But this was better than being dead.

Alex swore from the front seat and returned fire.

“These guys are pros, Katie. They’ll kill the car. We’re sitting ducks in here. When I say go, kick open the door with your feet and run like hell for the woods. Zig zag. It makes you much harder to hit. I’ll cover you.”

“Pass me the driver’s pistol,” she responded in a trembling voice. “Then I can cover you while you join me.”

A hand came over the back of the front seat and she took the weapon from it. All those years of shooting tin cans with her dad and brothers were finally going to come in handy, apparently.

She couldn’t actually believe she was about to run out into a firefight. But she and Alex were in life threatening danger. He was outnumbered, which meant he was also outgunned. If she didn’t help him, he would die. They would both die. Determination temporarily overrode her panic. She reached back, staying low to unlatch the door.

“I’m ready,” she reported.

“On my mark. Three. Two. One. Go!” Alex popped up from the front seat and sprayed gunfire at whoever was out there.

She kicked the door open, rolled out onto the ground and to her feet in one motion and then ran like she’d never run before in her life. She dodged randomly from side to side as she went, but it barely slowed her headlong flight. She ran into the trees and dived behind the first good-sized fallen log she came across.

Propping the pistol on the log, she trained it on the clearing and searched frantically for a glimpse of the shooters or at least their positions. There. A muzzle flash from across the little valley. And another one from beyond the bullet-riddled cab. That guy would have a better angle to shoot at Alex, so she trained her weapon on him.

Disbelief that she was engaging in a gunfight briefly passed through her mind, but she shoved it aside. Alex needed her.

The cab’s front door flew open, and she shot at the closets shooter until he had to dive for cover, then she shifted her aim to the second shooter. She squeezed off two rounds at that guy and was pleased to see he ducked as well. She swung back to the first shooter ‘s position and sent another round in his direction for good measure.

Alex raced from the car much as she had and almost landed on top of her as he dived across the log. She rolled aside at the last minute to avoid being summarily crushed.

The swale went quiet. Carefully, she ejected her clip and counted bullets fast. Seven rounds left. One would already be in the chamber. Eight shots to live or die.

Alex jerked his head at her to follow him and rose to a crouch. She mimicked him and was not surprised when he took off running up the hill. High ground was a sniper’s friend. The reached the top of the rise and Alex paused his headlong dash to crouch between two table-sized boulders.

She knew from games in the woods with her brothers that stealth was vital, now. Alex leaned close to murmur low and urgent. “This is as defensible a position as we’re likely to find. You’re going to have to cover one direction while I take the other. Welcome to on-the-job armed combat training.”

Holy crapoli.

He continued, “We have limited ammo, so wait until you’ve got a close, clear shot to fire. Got it?”

“Yes.” She couldn’t’ resist adding in a rush, “I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you. You were right. It’s all real. You’re not crazy.”

“Thanks. Now concentrate. Slow your breathing and focus.”

A strange calm overcame her. Adrenaline was screaming through her blood, and she felt light and weightless. But her mind was crystal clear. Every leaf, every blade of grass wasvividly outlined as she peered out of the narrow gap in the boulders.

Time seemed elongated, each second stretching out around her as she waited. Alex’s presence was warm and steady at her back. They could do this.

“Incoming,” he murmured. “One’s circling to my left. Should come into your line of fire in a few seconds. I’ve got the second guy.”

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