That quickly, he lost the humor. “Nothing. I just like the Humvee.” He took her hand with his free one, tracking the world outside. His eardrum popped, and he bit back a wince.
God had given him one more mission, and he’d use it to make sure Sami had a safe home when he left her. Blood trickled out of his right ear, and he casually wiped it away before she could see.
They made record time, and soon the nice brick on the side of the freeway turned to gang tags and graffiti.
Sami gasped, looking out the front window.
Tace turned. “Shit.”
Smoke billowed from Vanguard territory in frightening yellow and black. “Fire. Something is on fire,” Sami said, her voice full of panic.
It looked like the entire world was filled with smoke. “She’s okay, Jax,” Tace muttered. Lynne Harmony had to be all right.
Jax didn’t answer. He leaned forward and sped up, careening off the freeway and down the exit ramp. A series of shopping carts filled with garbage were no match for the vehicle and flew up into the air to bounce harmlessly behind them.
They careened through abandoned neighborhoods and almost hit a pack of wild cats that scattered in record time. Finally, the protective perimeter of Vanguard came into view. The two Humvees would go in the front, while the other vehicles would crash through the rear. As a plan, it was fraught with problems, but it was too late to turn back.
Jax took the corner squarely.
“Holy hell,” Sami breathed.
The Elite Force had blown a hole through the front Vanguard gate. The downed vans, trucks, and even the tires all burned bright with fire. “Did they use gasoline?” Jax hissed, swerving around a burning mass of metal.
An explosion blew out several windows on the second floor of headquarters, spraying glass down across the entire parking area. Jax drove around a truck to see the president’s men behind their trucks, throwing grenades and firing rapidly. Vanguard soldiers fired back from the burning building, their bullets pinging off the trucks.
A quick glance toward the front headquarters door confirmed black uniforms. The Elite Force had breached the building.
“Start spraying,” Jax ordered, gunning the vehicle toward the middle truck.
Tace took aim toward the soldiers behind the truck to the right. Men yelled as Jax plowed into them, and bodies flew up into the air. They impacted the truck with the sound of metal bashing metal. Tace rocked back in the seat and grabbed onto Sami before she could fly into the windshield. “Stay behind me.” He opened the door, already firing. Bullets pinged against metal.
The other Humvee crashed into the third Elite truck, and blood sprayed through the air to mix with the smoke.
“Take back headquarters,” Jax yelled, charging out of the Humvee.
“Damn it.” Tace kept low and tried to cover both Sami and Jax. “Take cover, you asshole.”
Jax ignored him, running full bore across the open parking lot.
Tace sprayed bullets to the left while Raze fired to the right. Sami took aim next to him and plugged a guy coming out of headquarters. “Nice shot, baby,” he yelled through the smoke.
Bullets threw concrete up around them. “From the roof.” Jesus. How had they gotten on the roof so quickly?
Raze rolled and came up on the other side of the door, his back to the brick. Blood flowed down his face from his forehead, but Tace couldn’t determine the type of wound. The soldier nodded, lifted three fingers, and then counted down.
Tace’s left knee shook.
He waited.
When Raze’s last finger dropped, Sami yanked open the door. Tace went low, Jax went high, and Raze provided clean up. Sami moved behind them, rapidly firing toward the parking lot.
Tace shot an Elite soldier in the knee while sweeping his leg out and taking a second down. Raze and two men grappled over to the left, while Jax took the stairs three at a time.
Sami shut the door.
Bullets impacted the glass.
“Sami!” Tace grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the flying glass. She winced and clapped a hand over her shoulder. “I’m okay.”
