He nuzzled against her—as much as he could in his helmet and gear, in the middle of a crushing crowd.He was trying to soothe her even now, and Quinn felt her heart might burst from joy.Casting a quick glance back, she spotted Boone behind them.His eyes were scanning the crowd, and he was speaking into his mic.
A gunshot sounded from somewhere close by.
“We’ve got to move!”Xaden yelled from ahead of them.
The crowd around them seemed to grow increasingly agitated, and Cooper turned and yelled at several Afghans to back off.“Three blocks west, and we’ll be able to get to the vehicles!”Cooper called out.
The group moved as one unit, Xaden firing a warning shot into the air.The crowd was restless and chaotic.Cooper shoved a man away who got too close, but the energy in the air was spurring the angry mob on.
“I don’t like this,” Gage said, edging closer to Quinn.
A man lurched himself toward Quinn, and she screamed in fright.Cooper and Gage quickly subdued him, but Knox’s grip on her hip was growing tighter.He’d released her hand and was carrying a gun once more.
“You know how to use a weapon?”he asked her.
“Sure.My dad’s military,” Quinn reminded him.
Knox handed her the sidearm, swinging his rifle around.He spoke in a low voice into his headset.Just then, the crowd surged toward them, and Knox grabbed her, forcing Quinn into a jog.She clung to him, scared, as they ran down the street.Several of the team shot a couple violent members of the mob who suddenly surged toward them.Quinn screamed as she saw several Afghani men falling to the ground.
Xaden led them around a corner, halting as they spotted another group of agitators at the end of the block.
“Fuck.We’re going to have to fight our way out of this,” Cooper said in a clipped tone.
The men pressed closer, shielding her from any danger.Quinn swung her gaze left and right, fresh panic slicing through her.They were trapped.
Chapter 17
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“STAY BEHIND ME,” KNOXordered, moving her bodily behind him.
Except crowds were moving closer from both ends of the block.
Quinn watched in shock as Xaden and Cooper moved in front of them, Boone and Gage handling the rear.Their group was boxed in, with angry mobs edging closer.Did the Afghans have weapons?No doubt some of them did.What had happened to the police they’d seen earlier?
She shook with fear, clinging to Knox, gripping the gun in her right hand.Quinn was a decent shot.Clearly, the men she was with had training she didn’t, but she could aim for the chest of an aggressor if needed.Except they were outnumbered.
