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Then he was hit, going down hard. Goddamn it.
I rushed toward him, dropping to his side.
“Fuck,” he hissed. “Just got me in the leg. You can’t stay here, Jag. There were at least six more coming in. That’s what I was able to see.” Panting, he struggled to crawl backwards. “Get her out of here.”
“Shit.” I went through mental exercises, plotting out every possible maneuver. None of them were ideal at this point. The assholes had gotten the upper hand. “I don’t want to leave you here.”
“They don’t give a shit about me. Get out of here. I can hold my own.”
I knew he could, but the fuckers would eliminate him if possible. “Listen up, soldier. Get close to the building. Shoot anything that comes your way.”
“Yes, sir,” he hissed, and I could tell he was in extreme pain.
This was jacked to the point if I were in combat, I’d pull the troops out, but I didn’t have that option. Not if I wanted to keep Isabella alive.
I didn’t waste any time, lunging forward, the adrenaline running high. Hearing noise, I slammed against the side of the house, gasping for air, the same nagging I’d felt kicking me in the gut.
After taking three deep breaths, I rushed into the open. Then I saw several flashes.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
CHAPTER17
Isabella
Terror unlike anything I’d ever felt before jetted through me. I held the weapon against my chest, crowding the wall as I tried to control my breathing. No one could ever be prepared for what we were going through, but it hadn’t bothered Cobra in the least.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I allowed a brief, beautiful memory of the moment we’d just shared to enter my mind. Would it ever happen again? I’d heard the sound of gunfire, so many rounds shot. Was there a chance in hell that Cobra would survive?
Don’t think that way. Breathe.
What the hell was I going to do?
Survival was the key, but even with all the training I’d been through, a scenario of this nature hadn’t been on the agenda.
I thought about the drive, trying to push aside the need to retrieve it, but after a few minutes, my instinct told me the best thing to do was make certain no one else got their hands on it. I was no hero, no savior of the world, but the heavy burden of knowing what damage it could cause even in the current formula was too much to bear.
After counting to ten, I unlocked the door, taking another twenty seconds before I found the courage to open it. All was quiet, no masked intruders waiting to finish what they’d been instructed to do. My hand was shaking but I kept the gun firmly planted in my fingers as I headed toward the stairs, trying to avoid making any sounds.
When I was at the top, I said a silent prayer before opening the door. Everything seemed quiet. Taking careful steps, I moved through the darkness, feeling my way through the kitchen toward the hallway. The rumble of thunder was constant, the lightning flashes providing a small amount of light.
I reached the stairs without incident, scanning the area before taking the steps two at a time. I remembered everything I’d been taught over the years, staying close to the wall as I headed for the bedroom. I heard a couple of gunshots and resisted gasping. When I was inches away from the door, I took another ten seconds, shocked not to hear any additional gunfire. Maybe it was over. Maybe… No. I refused to think that way. I willed myself to walk into the room, moving silently toward the nightstand, cringing when the wood scraped against the side as I pulled it free.
Then I heard a sound and froze.
“This was supposed to be easier. What does Cobra call you? Princess…”
Jeremy.
Oh, my God.
I pulled away, taking several deep breaths before turning around. The sound of his voice was entirely different. Then he laughed and a cold shiver trickled down my spine.
“You,” I said, realizing my instincts about the man had been right. “How could you do this? How?”
“This is just a business transaction and nothing more.” He moved closer and I sensed he’d been injured. “Sadly, you breached my security, little girl. I’d intended on letting you live, even saving the life of my buddy, but you fucked everything up. I was going to copy the damn drive, allowing you to think nothing had changed. You stupid bitch.”
“What did you do to Cobra?” I held the gun out, my hand shaking so much I almost dropped it. “You son of a bitch.” I wanted to kill him, to drive a bullet between his eyes, but I was almost paralyzed with fear.You can do this. Stay strong.Cobra’s words filtered into my ears.
