CHAPTER TWENTY
“We have to make a run for it, but wait until I throw more fireworks,” Craig shouted, opening the driver’s door and ducking behind it as he set off two more cones and lobbed them behind him.
Reynard leaped out of the smoke, murder in his eyes, as he raised his gun at Craig.
Before he could fire, Craig heard the crack of a pistol.
Reynard’s face took on a look of shock as he went down. When Craig turned his head, he saw Stephanie had shot the man.
She gasped as she stared at her former fiancé.
“I had to do it.”
“Thanks for saving my life.”
They both crouched low, running forward as the gun battle raged behind them, but there was still a guard at the gate.
“Halt or I’ll shoot.”
“I’m trying to get Miss Stephanie out of the line of fire,” Craig shouted back.
“The hell you are.” He gestured toward the uproar in back of them. “I think you caused whatever’s going on back there.”
“No,” Craig denied, but the man, whose name tag said Wexler, advanced on them, gun drawn.
“Drop your weapons.”
With no choice, Craig and Stephanie dropped their guns. They had gotten this far, but they were still inside the compound.
Wexler held the pistol on them, using his walkie-talkie to call the other stations.
“What’s going on back there?” he asked.
Static crackled on the line.
“Intruder came in to kidnap the bride. Fox is down. Repeat, Fox is down.”
Fox must be the code name for Reynard since his name meant fox in French.
Be ready to drop,he said to Stephanie. He knew she had picked up on what he was doing and was getting ready to send him power, but she stayed on her feet.
Craig had laid down his gun, but he still had the lighter in his hand. While the gatekeeper was distracted by the walkie-talkie message, Craig flicked the lighter on, then used his mind to shoot out a tongue of flame. When Wexler screamed and jumped back, Craig ducked low and rushed him, plowing his head into the guy’s middle and bringing him down.
As they grappled for the weapon, Stephanie rushed in and kicked the gatekeeper in the head, stunning him.
Craig grabbed the gun and slammed it into the guard’s face. As he and Stephanie started for the gate, he saw two figures had emerged from the bayou, a man and a woman, advancing slowly.
Hurry,the woman shouted inside his head.
He and Stephanie picked up speed, but he heard running feet behind them. Guards who had escaped the gun battle were closing in.
As they made a desperate dash for freedom, a bullet whizzed past his head, shot from too far away for accuracy.
The woman raised her hand, lightning crackling at her fingertips. She sent it flying toward the cameras at the guard post. They sizzled and exploded, hopefully wiping out a visual of what had happened at the gate.
Power, give me power,the woman shouted inside his head.
Craig wasn’t sure what he was doing, but both he and Stephanie tried their best to send her additional energy, just as they had done with each other.
