Page 65 of Sleigh My Heart

A guy took off down the block. Cliff? His hair was longer, and his beard shorter, but Nick would swear it was him.

A split second later, Mickey burst through the door in hot pursuit.

“Well, shit.” Good thing Nick had on his comfortable boots. He took off.

He was two steps behind her when Cliff cut down an alley.

“I’ll head him off,” he called and turned the block before.

She glanced over her shoulder, and after a moment of recognition, she nodded.

Nick pumped his arms and pushed his body harder. He needed to beat Cliff to the end of the block. His heart pounded in his ears. He was almost there.

A gunshot rang out.

His stride faltered. Mickey? No! His focus locked on her and getting to the alley. He pushed his body harder than ever before. His pulse flooded his ears. Get to her!

Rounding the corner, he skidded to a halt. Cliff lay on the ground, blood pooling beneath him.

Michelle ran full out. She was still fifty yards back—her gun in her hand. Seeing him, she waved him off. “Get back. I don’t know where the shot came from.”

Ignoring her, he continued to move to Cliff, scanning all possible accesses to the alley. Finding no one, his head jerked back, and he scanned the rooftops. No movement.

“Don’t touch him. Call it in.” Michelle yelled as she reached them.

He pulled out his phone while she dropped to the ground next to Cliff. She checked for a pulse. “Come on, Cliff. Stay with us.”

“He has a pulse.” She blew out a breath. Holstering her gun, she pressed her hands over the wound in his chest.

“The police and ambulance are on the way. What happened?”

She shook her head. Her eyes scanned the entrances to the alley. “I don’t know where they came from.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know. I rounded the corner at the other end of the alley, and a shot rang out. Cliff jerked and crumbled. I didn’t see where it came from.” Her hands were coated in red as she staunched the bleeding.

“You ran into an active shooter situation?” His blood boiled at the thought.

“I didn’t think, just reacted. Cliff was down and I knew you would be coming around the corner. I had to get here.”

Sirens sounded in the distance. With the adrenaline subsiding, a cold chill seeped in. He pushed back the icy weather by canvassing the area. The shooter was gone. He knew it. They accomplished their task. If they wanted us dead, we would be.

***

Michelle stood in the low-lit room watching through the two-way mirror as her brother Jim interviewed Junior. She felt naked without her firearm. She’d turned it in at the scene for tests.

Nick clenched his fist next to her. “That asshole. He had to be in on it.”

“He signaled Garmen when he entered the bar. But being he was still at the bar and the blonde bartender confirmed he hadn’t left that stool when we were catching Cliff, he has a solid alibi.”

“I don’t know how, but he’s involved.” Nick grit his teeth.

“Well, unfortunately, in law enforcement, we can’t just go on your Spidey-senses.”

“I’m a superhero now?”

“How else could you have beaten me to the end of the alley?” She’d been in track and still ran every day. She had to be in shape to chase perpetrators with twenty-five pounds of gear.