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Mike appeared stunned, unable to process what I was telling him.
“Is there a back way out of the building?”
He remained quiet.
“Mike. Listen to me. We have about five seconds before some bad guys bust through that door and I assure you that they’re crack shots.” I glanced out the window again. The fuckers were heading toward the building next door. The addresses were close, the buildings in the complex using the letters A and B. If someone didn’t know the exact address utilizing the building designation, they could go to the wrong location. Thank fucking God that was the case at this point.
“Fuck. Um. Yeah. There’s an exit through the laundry room. You ain’t shittin’ me?”
I moved toward the door. “Not in the least. Listen to me carefully. I’m only going to say this once. My Hummer is on the other side of the street, down by a couple hundred feet. We’re going behind the buildings. Getting to my vehicle is going to be dicey but there’s nothing else we can do.”
“I got it.” The look of fear had finally arrived in his eyes.
I only hoped he did.
After taking another look out the window, I headed to the front door, opening it slowly and peering out. Then I motioned for Mike. At least he heeded the urgency, taking long strides. I pushed him into the corridor, remaining behind him as we rushed toward the back.
He opened the door to the laundry room, his breathing ragged. “This is crazy.”
“You’ll live as long as you follow my directions.” There was no time to waste with talking or explaining the situation any further. The second I opened the back door I had a bad feeling. After giving a cursory look, I ushered him into the common space, pushing him toward the opposite end of the building.
We both remained quiet. Then we heard a loud bang, which meant they’d entered his apartment.
“Go. Go. Go!” I calculated we had maybe thirty seconds before all hell broke loose.
Before we’d reached the end of the second building, my hackles raised. Mike sensed something was wrong and turned around. “What the fuck?” His eyes were opened wide with horror.
I yanked my keys from my pocket, shoving them into his hand. “Get to my vehicle. Stay low and for the love of fuck drive away if I’m not there in fifteen seconds.”
“I can’t do that.”
“If you want to live, you will.” I didn’t have time to waste coddling him. As soon as he took off running, shots were fired, one ricocheting off the building. I spun around, dropping to my knees and firing off without hesitation.
One of the fuckers went down, another still racing toward me. That left the third likely waiting in the front.
I was a crack shot, had been prior to joining the Marines. However, this time, something very personal was on the line.
Pop! Pop!
The fucker went down, but not before getting off a shot. As the bullet slammed into my shoulder, I was knocked back by several feet, the shock of being hit yanking at my breath. There was no time to waste. I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the pain and bolting around the side of the building.
As it seemed in LA whenever shots were fired, everyone cowered in their homes, refusing to get involved. Today I was grateful no innocent lives would be lost. I raced toward my vehicle, noting something out of the corner of my eye.
The last assassin had his weapon pointed at the windshield of my Hummer. My muscles were tense, enough so my arms were aching from agony as well as adrenaline. I picked up speed, reaching the street just as the fucker fired off two shots. While the windshield didn’t shatter, the power of the weapon used managed to crack it. He continued walking toward it, determined to end Mike’s life.
“Hey, fucker!” I yelled. When he darted a glance in my direction, I fired off two rounds.
He remained standing for two seconds then dropped to his knees, falling face first on the pavement.
I didn’t slow down, reaching my Hummer and throwing open the door. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I am. Fuck. You’re bleeding.” Mike was crouched in the passenger seat, gasping for air.
“Keys!” Even though I yelled, he was frozen in the moment, his eyes open wide as he stared out the windshield. “Mike!”
“Yeah. Okay. Sure.” He was slow in extending his arm, just enough of a hesitation that the fucker in the street crawled to his knees.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
