Page 66 of The Rough Ride

Liz’s feet dangled outside the car when someone tried to close the door against them.Shit, that hurt.She flopped onto the backseat and pushed with all her arm and leg strength against the force trying to shut the door. As long as her knee didn’t give out, the titanium prosthetic wouldn’t buckle under the pressure. She dug deep and with a final, mighty shove, the door flung open. Liz aimed the gun and fired at the dark shadow that had tried to trap her.

Whoever it was sprawled backward against the building.

Liz scrambled out of the car and grabbed a woman’s head, slamming it against the flagstone building. “Where’s my daughter, you piece of shit?”

But the woman rebounded with force and wrapped both hands around Liz’s neck, squeezing with a vice grip, choking the air from her lungs. Shooting stars crossed her vision as Liz tore the glasses from her attacker’s face, forcing her thumbs into their eyes.

A knee to the gut took Liz by surprise. She flew back against the car, gasping for a breath. Something hit her head with full impact, and she crumpled into the backseat.

The darkness enveloped her like a bad dream.

38

Agunshot pierced the night. Lana careened headfirst into the driveway, high beams blazing to locate the source. She leaped from the car; gun drawn.

“Security. Freeze,” she shouted at the figure climbing into the driver’s seat. A bullet rang out and punctured the hood of her Jaguar. The sedan revved its engine and charged directly at her. She rolled out of the way before impact.

The big sedan handily damaged Lana’s front passenger side and headlight, sending the other car sliding before jumping a curb and squealing down the street.

That was a mistake, you idiot.

Lana vaulted into her car, spun out, and took off in pursuit as she ordered her Bluetooth to call Nick. He answered on the first ring.

“Lana, what the hell is going on? The alarm notified me a minute ago of a breach to the side door of the building, and Liz’s phone isn’t working.”

“No shit. I’m pretty sure your girl broke house rules and went outside. The next thing I know, there’s a gunshot in thealley. I think the perp’s got her in their car. I didn’t have eyes on. Just a gut feeling. Perp shot at me, tried to run me down.” Her heart jackhammered a wild rhythm in her chest.

“Where are you?”

“I’m hauling ass down the boulevard, with the car in my sight. I think it’s headed for the beltway.”

“Stay with them. I’ll catch up with you on the highway.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. Locate me. How much distance between us?”Dang,there were a lot of dark sedans on the road tonight.

“Fifteen miles. I can make it in ten minutes or less. Don’t lose that car, Lana. I haven’t got a feed on Liz’s location. If she’s in that car, you’re all she’s got.”

“No pressure, huh, Boss?” Lana leaned over to grab glare-reducing glasses, shoved them on her face, and glued her eyes to the back of the sedan. It was flying as it took a sharp curve onto the DC beltway.

“They just turned onto 495 North. Driver’s got to be going ninety and took the ramp on two wheels.”

Lana threw the Jaguar into a higher gear, accelerated, and let it stretch its legs. The bullet hadn’t hurt the engine, and it responded right away.Thank goodness.She glanced in her rear-view mirror after zooming around a delivery truck and shook her head.

“I’ve got lights and sirens on my tail. What do you want me to do, Nick?”

“Ignore them. I’ll call 911 and get their help.”

“Okay. Perp’s going over a hundred now. I can still see them.”

The cop car gained on her and she hit the gas while Nick had her on hold. “Better make that call fast. I don’t want tobust through a police roadblock trying to hold onto that sedan.”

It was the longest thirty seconds of Lana’s life waiting for Nick to come back on the line.

“It’s done. The police know it’s a kidnapping in progress and will help maintain eyes on the sedan.”

Lana’s stomach dipped as she took one of the curves a little too wide on the approach to the Mormon Temple. “How’d you do that? Cops don’t like to share.”

“Feds don’t like to share. Metro police love a good party. They’re sending more cars and getting a chopper up.”

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