Fear slithering over him like snakes, he cut right into the first available parking lot, snagged his tactical gear bag from the trunk of his car, and took off running.
“You shot me,” Lindsey said as Megan approached with the gun in her hand, eyes wild. Lindsey was feeling a little wild herself. Wild and woozy, and frankly, pissed.
“How bad is it?” Megan stopped in front of her, gun pointed at Lindsey’s chest. “I’d prefer you stay alive. At least for now.”
Lindsey pointed at her shoulder. “I don’t know. Feel free to look.” A wave of nausea made her shudder.
“I’m not a fucking medic.” She reached into the neighboring aisle and produced a roll of self-adhesive bandage, tossing it into Lindsey’s lap. “Maybe this will help.”
Lindsey thought of Todd using a glove to staunch his own bleeding while he ushered her to safety and almost sobbed. She had to be strong if she wanted to see him again. It didn’t matter if she was scared out of her fucking mind. It was try or die. Maybe both, but she had to fight.
She ripped open the box and removed the roll. Clamping one end between her chin and shoulder, she wrapped the stretchy cloth around her upper arm and pressed the end until it stuck.
Gripping her thighs, she took slow deep breaths through her mouth to quell another flare of pain.
“All patched up?” Megan asked.
Lindsey just glared at her.
Sirens cut through the din of traffic outside the store.
“Fuck.” Megan looked around frantically, and ducked into the aisle with Lindsey. “Come back here,” she said, waving her gun as she sidled toward the tall refrigerators stocked with bottled water and energy drinks.
Lindsey crawled one-handed on shaky limbs. To her left was an open door topped with a sign for the exit and restrooms.
The front entrance rattled several times and a man called out, “Hello?”
Megan carefully peered over the shelf.
Lindsey dove through the doorway, crashing into a mop cart. She slithered into the dingy storage area, kicking the door shut behind her. Heart banging in her chest, she pushed to her feet and rammed the heavy-duty mop head under the door knob, bracing the end of the handle against a box pushed up to the opposite wall.
“Hey!” Megan cried.
Lindsey stumbled to the side and looked around the dimly lit space. To her right was the one-hole bathroom, but that was a death trap.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lindsey screamed as bullets embedded themselves in the far wall.
“Come back here, bitch!” Megan yelled through the fresh holes in the door.
Something hit the door, putting a crack in it.
And again.
Lindsey flinched with each blow. The mop handle bowed and creaked.
Across the room and down a small, dim corridor, somethingthunked. A breeze rattled papers tacked to a corkboard plastered with employee notices.
Crack!Another blow to the barrier between her and Megan. The wood around the deadbolt had begun to splinter. Much more and Meg would be able to reach through and unlock the door.
Nodding to herself, Lindsey sucked in a deep breath and nearly choked on the scent of mildew and urine.Focus. All she had to do was get to the corridor and around the corner. What were the odds of Megan getting in a good shot as Lindsey passed by? Didn’t matter. If Lindsey stayed put, she had zero chance of surviving.
She waited for another kick to rattle the door. Stepping out with her right foot, she lunged and slid into a roll—something she’d practiced hundreds, if not thousands, of times in volleyball—crossing the open space quickly.
Bullets slammed into the wall above her, the sound assaulting her eardrums.
Lindsey popped to her feet in the corridor, ears ringing, left arm throbbing. She’d made it! All she had to do now was get around the corner and out the back.
