She risked a glance through the spiderwebbed glass, her stomach twisting. He was right. The line of sight ran too close to the Cedar Ridge building. If she missed or if the shooter shifted, she could put a round straight into the sanctuary. Straight into David.
“I can’t aim without risking someone inside,” she admitted, frustration burning hot in her chest.
Cal’s eyes flicked to her, steady and resolved. “I know. But we don’t have a choice.”
Another round hit the SUV, tearing through the rear quarter panel. The whole frame rattled. Metal shrieked as the vehicle took the punishment. It was only a matter of time before one of those bullets found them.
Alena’s grip tightened. They were seconds away from being trapped in a coffin of twisted steel.
Cal had his hand on the door handle when the acrid bite of smoke hit her nose. Alena’s head snapped toward the windshield. Flames leapt across the road, thick smoke rolling up into the branches. Some kind of incendiary device had gone off, turning the narrow road into a wall of fire.
“Cal,” she whispered, her voice tight.
“I see it.” His jaw clenched, eyes darting between the flames and the tree line.
The crackle of burning brush filled the air. Heat already seeped through the glass. Before Alena could speak again, another blast rocked the ground. Behind them, fire surged up in the other direction, cutting off their escape.
Hell. Trapped.
Her pulse hammered in her ears, louder than the gunfire. They were boxed in, with a shooter waiting for them to make a move and flames closing fast.
“What now?” she muttered, forcing the words through her clenched teeth.
Cal’s eyes met hers. His gaze was intense, determined, and like her, he was no doubt calculating what they had to do to survive.
Alena pressed her back to Cal’s, their shoulders locking as they tried to cover both sides. His heat steadied her, but the chaos around them didn’t let her breathe easy.
Shots cracked again, sharp and relentless, snapping bark off the tree just feet from her head. At the same time, the firehissed and spit, clawing at the underbrush. The heat rolled in waves, and the smoke burned her throat.
She forced herself to look through it, blinking hard. The flames were shrinking, burning through the brush fast, but they weren’t out of danger. Not even close.
Her gaze flicked toward Cedar Ridge, the roofline visible past the smoke. Instinct screamed at her to make a run for it, but another thought shut her down. If the shooter shifted fire toward the sanctuary, toward David, she’d never forgive herself.
She tightened her grip on her gun, heart pounding. They had to end this out here.
The flames were finally sinking into ash, but the smoke still clawed at her lungs. Her eyes watered, stinging, and every cough felt like it rattled her ribs.
“We need to move toward the main road,” Cal said, voice rough from the smoke.
She nodded, keeping low as they edged forward through the thinning haze. Her pulse kicked harder when she caught the flicker of movement. A shadow darted behind a tree, right between them and their only way out.
“Got him,” she whispered.
The figure leaned out and fired, bark exploding from the tree inches from her head. Adrenaline jolted through her, sharp and cold.
She couldn’t be sure if it was Dexter or Arneson. Both men were dangerous. Both men had reasons to want them dead.
Alena raised her gun and squeezed off a shot. The bullet slammed into the tree, high enough to miss but close enough to make the shooter flinch back. She fired again, then again, her rounds tearing splinters free. Each shot bought them a heartbeat, maybe two.
“Keep him pinned,” Cal said, shifting to flank.
She didn’t argue. She kept her finger steady on the trigger, forcing the bastard to stay behind cover.
The gunfire behind them cut off, sudden and sharp. For a moment, all she heard was the crackle of dying flames and her own harsh breathing. Then came the sound of boots pounding through the brush. Someone was running.
Her gut tightened. The first shooter wasn’t holding back anymore. He was coming straight for them.
“Keep your eyes on the guy behind the tree,” Cal ordered, his voice clipped. “I’ll handle the one closing in.”
