“Kat,” Gage said, suddenly beside me. He’d had to run to catch up, but he wasn’t even out of breath. Score one for rec league sports.
“Gage, you need to leave right now,” I said calmly but firmly.
“Please, Kat, just let me ask you one question.”
In my ear, Penn spoke. “Too late, Kat. First shooter, twenty seconds out.”
“And the second?” I asked.
“No,” Gage said, trotting to keep pace with me. “Just one question, I promise.”
I shook my head hard at him, but I could see the confusion on his face since not only couldn’t he hear my team, but he didn’t even know of their existence.
“Ten seconds behind the first guy,” Li, our sharpshooter who was stationed on the tallest roof in the area, answered. “I have him in my sights. As soon as he’s out of the crowd, I’ll take him down.”
“Okay, give me a countdown, Pasco,” I said, so I would know when shooter one would be taking aim at me. I picked up my pace to a near run, heading for the quiet street ahead.
“What the—?” Gage said as he sped up right along with me.
“Nine, eight,” Pasco counted.
When he hit five, I needed to dive into the alley and prepare my shot. And I’d have to take Gage with me.
“Seven.”
We reached the alley opening that was barely visible from the street. I pushed Gage hard. He staggered backward between the buildings.
“Six.”
I charged Gage hard, pushing him to the ground and no doubt knocking the wind out of him.
“Five.”
I threw myself down on top of Gage to cover him and pulled my Glock out of my pocket.
“Four.”
Aimed for the alley entryway.
“Three.”
Braced myself and sighted the figure moving into view.
“Two. One.”
I pulled the trigger, and the guy dropped before he even spotted my position.
“Another incoming,” Pasco said. “Li has him.”
Shooter two must have closed the gap between him and his friend. He reacted quickly to seeing his fallen comrade and entered the alley with his gun arm already in the air. He toppled forward and landed face-first on the blacktop. The tip of Li’s long-range dart stuck out of his back left shoulder.
“Clear,” Penn said.
“Clean-up crew is two minutes out,” Kessler said. “I’ll be there in one.”
With the imminent threat neutralized, I glanced down at Gage. He was staring up at me, wide-eyed and silent. I crawled off him as I responded to Kessler.
“Have clean-up bring me a shock blanket when they arrive.”
