at a smart clip. She stopped at the Mercedes-whatever-class sitting across from
the SUV. It took her three and half minutes to stow her crap and get her ass in
gear. The entire time, curses strolled through my head. Each minute that passed
gave Ellery a chance to leave. Finally, her taillights slipped out the entrance.
Another minute passed. Then another. Finally, the sedan’s back door opened,
and Ellery stepped out. He bent down, one arm resting on the edge of the open
door to say something to the person inside.
“Go.” Kayden’s soft command came over the wire.
I rose to my feet, gun up, and closed in on the sedan. “Reeve Ellery,” I called
out, my voice cold and lethal, keeping his attention on me.
His body stiffened, then he carefully straightened. He faced me over the
sedan’s roof, his smile just as creepy in real life as it was walking through the memories in the condo. “Hello, Cyn. I’ve been expecting you.”
“Hands where I can see them.”
That creepy ass smile just widened. “Nope, don’t think so.” His gaze slid to
my right and spotted Jinx. “Look, you brought friends.” He dismissed her.
“Where’s the rest? Gunderson? Shaw? We have some unfinished business to
address.”
I ignored him and called out, “Step out of the car, Hobbes.”
The back door on the passenger side opened, and an older man stepped out, then moved to the front of the sedan. “What is the meaning of this?”
Ellery took advantage of the momentary distraction and dropped behind the
car door. Gunfire sounded, deafening in the garage’s confines. My ears rang.
Hobbes crumpled to the ground. The sedan’s front windshield spider webbed.
“The door,” I yelled, hoping someone would cover the fire exit as it was Ellery’s only escape route.
I dashed to Hobbes, knelt, and rifled his pockets with one hand. Smooth, hard plastic met my touch. I snagged the flash drive, slipped it into my pocket,
and then checked his pulse. “Hobbes’ is down, no pulse.”
“Got your six,” Kayden’s muffled voice came through the ringing of my
ears.
I worked my way around the sedan, expecting Ellery to pop back up at any
minute. Both back doors hung open. Something by the exit door caught my
attention at the same time as Jinx’s “Cyn!” sounded. Ellery stood next to the fire
door, his face twisted into a vicious mask as he kicked against the unyielding metal.
I raised my gun, only to lower it. Alive, we needed him alive. Dammit. The earlier gunshots would bring the locals barreling in at any minute.
As I came around the sedan’s hood, Ellery turned. Suddenly, the driver’s
front door swung open on its own, slamming toward me.
I dropped my gun and managed to get my hands up just in time to block it
from plowing into my stomach and thighs. Another shot echoed and bits of concrete rained down on Ellery.
“Don’t shoot!”
I couldn’t tell who yelled that one, as I had my own problems to deal with.
Like the stream of fire barreling toward me. I twisted aside and dropped, barely
dodging the lethal flame. Enough of this shit. I rolled over the concrete and reached out for my gun. Only it skittered out of reach.
