Page 39 of A SEAL's Protection
“Unclip,” I tell her. “And get your firearm.”
She’s breathing hard, but I hear her fumbling with the rope.
“We’re not out of danger yet.”
18
ALLEGRA
Marcus’s arm hangs at an alarming angle, useless by his side. He crouches on the ledge with his gun raised, scanning the tree line.
My heart pounds against my rib cage, and I cannot breathe. I tear my pack off my back and clutch it to my chest. If they’re coming for my samples, they’ll have to pry them out of my hands.
Marcus scoots across the flat surface of the rock to a large boulder. The terrain is flat up here with boulders and tussocks of grass strewn about the place. A few feet away are gorse thickets and beyond that thick wood.
Marcus glances back and frowns when he sees me clinging to my backpack.
“I need you to move, Allegra.”
His voice is firm and commanding and jolts me out of my trance.
I stay low to the ground like he does, aware there’s a man with a gun across the ravine. A shot rings out, and chips fly from the boulder near Marcus’s head.
He swivels around with his weapon raised. “Get down!”
My stomach hits the ground and air expels from my lungs. Marcus rises to a crouching position and aims his weapon, precise and focused. He’s a soldier now, and the change in him is terrifying.
There’s movement behind him as a figure darts out of the tree line.
“Behind you!”
The figure lunges at Marcus just as he fires off his weapon. The man across the ravine goes down with a cry. Marcus and the other man tumble to the ground. Marcus grunts as he lands with the man on top of him, who’s holding a gun. As they struggle, he raises his hand to point the gun at Marcus.
Marcus fights him off, but he’s only got one good arm. The other hangs useless, flopping around as they struggle. With his good arm, he fends off the perpetrator, blocking him from raising his gun to his head. But the man is using both arms against Marcus’s one.
The strain on his face tells me he can’t hold him off for long. I watch in horror as the gun slowly creeps around to point at Marcus’s head.
My mouth goes dry as I scramble to my knees. I fumble in my rucksack and pull out the weapon Marcus gave me. The gun is heavy, but. I hold it as Marcus showed me, with my hands trembling.
The men scuffle on the ground, and I follow them with the gun, looking for an opportunity.
My heart races fit to burst as adrenaline courses through my veins.
I swallow and channel all the confidence I can muster. “Get off him or I’ll shoot.” My voice comes out squeaky, and the men continue their struggle.
I cough and try again, this time moving forward so the man can’t ignore me.
“I said get off him or I’ll shoot.”
This time my voice comes out more controlled than I feel.
The man turns cold, dark eyes to me. Sweat courses down his forehead, and his arm shakes as his muscles strain to bring the gun around. It’s pointing at Marcus’s ear, and in another moment it will be right at his head.
“You really think you can shoot that thing?” the man hisses. “This is what’s going to happen,princess.” His voice hisses with the strain of fending off Marcus. “I’m going to shoot your bodyguard, and then you’re going to hand over those samples.”
I pull back the safety, and there’s a satisfying click.
The man smirks. “I’m not afraid of Allegra Simpson.”
