Alena swallowed hard, pressing her shoulder tighter to the trunk for cover. She hated splitting their focus, but she didn’t argue. If either shooter broke free, they’d both be done.
Her hands tightened on her gun, eyes locked on the tree where the second bastard still hid. Any second, he’d lean out again. She just had to be ready.
Behind her, she heard Cal shift, preparing to intercept the runner.
The air felt too thin, smoke stinging her throat, fear spiking sharply. They were caught between two attackers, and the next few seconds would decide if they made it out alive.
The crack of a shot split the air, bark exploding inches from her shoulder. The bastard behind the tree had leaned out again.
Alena raised her gun and squeezed off another round, this one lower. The bullet chewed into the trunk, sending a shower of splinters flying. It wasn’t close enough to hit him, but it forced him to duck back. Better to waste a bullet than risk hitting someone who might be walking the trails near Cedar Ridge.
Her lungs burned as smoke curled through the thinning brush. She reset her grip, braced for his next move.
Behind her, Cal’s gun barked, sharp and steady. She flinched at the closeness of the sound. They were pressed back to back, his body solid against hers, but she couldn’t see what hewas firing at. The pounding in her ears made it worse, the not knowing.
“Stay on him,” Cal ground out, his voice low but fierce.
She tightened her grip, eyes fixed on the tree.
The gunfire cracked through the smoke and then came a sound that froze Alena’s blood. A sickening thud.
Her heart lurched.Cal.
“Cal—”
“I’m good,” he cut in, breath rough. “Not me.”
Relief swept through her in a dizzy rush, just as her brain caught up. He’d hit the runner. Somewhere out there in the haze, a body had gone down.
Before she could take it in, movement snapped her attention back to the tree. The second shooter bolted, his boots pounding hard against the dirt. He whipped around as he ran, his arm snapping up. Muzzle flash lit the smoke.
Bullets ripped into bark and earth around them, forcing her to duck lower. The bastard was covering his escape, keeping them pinned down.
“Damn it,” she hissed, fury sparking through her chest.
She kept her sights trained, but the smoke and trees swallowed him up. In seconds, he was gone.
Alena held her breath, straining to hear through the ringing in her ears. No more shots. Only the faint hiss of smoke curling off the scorched brush.
She glanced at Cal. He gave a tight nod, and together they eased away from the tree, guns still raised. Each step felt like it carried a lifetime.
The fires had burned themselves down to smoldering patches, the smoke drifting low and gray. It stung her eyes, but not enough to hide the shape sprawled in front of the SUV.
A body.
Her pulse hammered harder. They crept closer, cautious, every sense still on high alert. The closer they got, the clearer the details became. The shooter wasn’t a man.
It was a woman.
Alena’s breath caught as recognition hit her like a punch. The ski mask had slipped back just enough to reveal her face.
Kara.
Chapter Fifteen
By the time they pulled up at Cal’s cabin, the sky had gone black. It was pushing eight, and the weight of the day dragged at every muscle in Alena’s body.
She could still see Kara’s face, lifeless and pale, the ski mask twisted around her head. The image twisted something in her chest, but she shoved it down. At least David was safe. Safe for now.
