Page 296 of Rangers Last Promise

It rolls across the concrete.

Already burning.

“Mara!”

She dives for it.

Vance fires again.

I turn toward her.

The bullet tears across my side.

Pain explodes through me.

I go down.

“Colin!”

Mara reaches the flare and kicks it away from the leaking fuel.

Then she sees me.

Vance raises his weapon.

Not at me.

At Mara.

I try to lift my gun.

My arm doesn’t work.

Vance smiles through the blood covering his mouth.

“Grant died trying to protect everyone too.”

Mara turns.

She fires twice.

Both rounds strike Vance in the chest.

He falls against the fuel truck.

His weapon hits the concrete.

For one second, he remains upright.

Then his knees buckle.

Robert Vance drops beside the burning flare.

Mara kicks it farther away before running to me.

She lands on her knees.

Her hands press against my side.