“Yes.”
“Then we have to go. Get out of here.”
“We have to stay close to the floor. Crawl behind the island.” He looked her in the eyes. “Can you do that?”
Fear paralyzed her muscles, but she had to do as he asked to stay safe. “Yes.”
“On the count of three I’ll roll off, and we go. Belly crawl if you can.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath.
“One. Two. Three.” He rolled away.
Feeling even more vulnerable, she flipped over and scratched her way across the wood floor.
Bandit whimpered.
“Come here, Bandit,” she said, but didn’t stop to look back at him.
Another report sounded. Another bullet whizzed through the door.
They reached the other side of the island, and Bandit trotted toward them but stopped short.
“Bandit come here, boy. Come on.” She leaned toward him.
“No. Don’t move.” Ryan retrieved his phone from his pocket. “Stay as low as you can. I’ll call 911.”
He tapped his screen.
Bandit whined and slunk across the room in the opposite direction. She wanted to help him, but wouldn’t call out while Ryan was on the phone. Her heart thumping erratically, she listened to his conversation. She could easily tell he’d been a deputy at one time. He sounded calm. In charge.
Not her. Her heart continued to race at top speed, and her hands trembled.
Another blast sounded. She jumped and cringed.
A bullet pierced the door and lodged in the island.
“We’re still under fire,” Ryan said. “Get someone here now.”
He ended the call. “A uniform is two minutes out, and they’ll let Russ know what’s going on.”
“Can I crawl over to Bandit?” she asked, feeling odd to be lying prone on the floor and having a conversation.
“No. Try to get him to come over here.”
She turned her head. “Here, Bandit. Here boy.”
She held out a hand. He moved a few inches then sat again.
“C’mon now,” she cooed in her best baby talk tone. “I’ve got a treat.”
She was lying, but that didn’t matter if it got him to move to a safer location.
“Been a bit since the last shot.” Ryan’s tone held a good dose of worry now.
“You think they left?”
“Could be.”
