Page 98 of New Storm Rising
Silence.
“So…” I enquired, watching the thugs down below attack the crowd that was still throwing rocks and empty bottles. “How long do you think it is going to take them to realize this is a bad idea?”
“That, Mrs Ambrose, would imply that they ever will.”
One corner of my mouth quirked up. “Very true, Mr Ambrose.”
“Indeed.”
Down below, one of the thugs raised his rifle, aiming at one of the teens running away. The one that had thrown the first stone. I narrowed my eyes. Quickly, I raised my revolver and aimed. I didn’t even know why. It was inevitable that some people would die in this. But…
There suddenly was a voice inside me, a brand-new voice filled with iron-hard determination:A kid, gunned down on my watch? No way in hell!
Bam!
The man down in the street leapt back as the dust next to his feet spewed up like a geyser. The others whirled around to face us—which was the last mistake they ever made.
Bam!The shot echoed from behind them, from the very roof they had just turned their back on.Bam! Bam! Bam!
There, clearly visible to his adoring public below, was Karim, kneeling on the roof, aiming his rifle at the thugs about to attack the civilians.
“Oh, will you look at that?” I grinned. “Our hero of the day intervenes!”
“Do you plan to make a hobby out of enervating my personal bodyguard, Mrs Ambrose?”
“No.”
“Hm. Adequate. Well, then—”
“I don’tplanto. It’s been my hobby since the day I stepped into your lovely mausoleum of an office.”
A moment of silence.
“Mrs Ambrose?”
“Yes?”
“Tonight we’re going to have a very long discussion on appropriate behaviour for a married lady.”
I smirked. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“I am not talking aboutthatkind of ‘discussion’.”
“I know. But I am. And how long do you think it’ll take me to convince you to see things my way?”
Bam! Bam!
“Could we postpone this discussion untilafterwe are done being shot at?”
“Oh, certainly, Sir.” My smirk turned into a beatific smile. “After all, I only allow one man to, ehem…shoot his bullets into me.”
I saw a muscle in his cheek twitch.
“Mrs Ambrose, I—”
Bam!
He ducked as another shot whizzed over our heads, just quickly enough to prevent his top hat being blown off his head. I crouched down as well as bullets whizzed over our heads.
