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Wyatt counted to three once they’d reached the corner, both popping out to clear the adjoining hallways. Deep shadows pocketed the corridors, more exit signs glowing at the far ends.
Wyatt shifted over to her. “If they’re here, they’ll use a rear staff entrance. Avoid the main section, altogether. They’ll travel in pairs if there’re more than two, and attempt to keep casualties to a minimum, to avoid attracting more attention than necessary. They can spin us dying as just some double agents who probably turned on each other. If they kill a bunch of civilians…”
“Agreed. I’ll go check it out. You stay here and make sure no one gets past me to Booker.”
“Sorry, honey. We’re a team. Period. I’ll give the staff treating Booker a quick debrief — see if they can lock or barricade the door. But we go together. SEAL, remember. These assholes might think they’ve got the upper hand, but I guarantee they haven’t done half the shit I have. And with you backing me up…”
He took off, heading for Booker’s trauma room, and damn, the man didn’t make a sound. Not a footfall, or a whisper of breath. Just him standing beside her one moment, disappearing into the shadows the next. Just like Booker had done in Puerto Rico. All that special training that made them unstoppable.
She’d thought about protesting. Insisting she take on Higgins or at least his men, alone. Prevent any further collateral damage, but she couldn’t get the words out. Not when she knew Wyatt was far more skilled than her. Sure, she was an excellent shot, and she’d been in over a hundred raids, but that didn’t quite meet SEAL level. And she wasn’t too proud to say she wanted his help.
Neededit because this ended, here.
Wyatt was back in under a minute, shouldering up beside her. Calm. Focused. His breathing steady. Strong. Not that she was nervous, but her heart rate had definitely picked up a bit. A slight pounding in her chest that simply reminded her she had more than just her life to lose.
He motioned to the right, then followed after her, constantly checking their six, his pace matching hers. She did a quick check of each door they passed, either peeking inside or ensuring it was locked, then continued ahead. Gun sweeping the hallway with every step. Straining to hear anything out of the ordinary.
They made it down the length of the hall when a door whooshed somewhere up ahead. Likely down the distant corridor. The one fully encased in darkness with nothing but even deeper pockets of shadows lining it. What she thought led to the staff parking at the rear, just like Wyatt had suggested.
Wyatt obviously heard it, too, because he was up and in front of her a second later, keeping her back as he darted to the corner, showed the countdown on his hand the darted out. Up and over to a small alcove partway down the hall. Not much cover, but some.
Callie covered him until he’d gained another ten feet before following his path, using the alcove then darting in the doorway across from him. He made a few signals with his hands. He’d stay left, she’d go right, and they’d meet at the next corner.
Spotting a laser sight bounce off the wall next to Wyatt the moment she stepped out made her change her mind. Had her lunging at him, knocking him back a second before the wall exploded, bits of drywall spraying across the floor.
Wyatt rolled with the impact, regaining his feet, then yanking her up and shoving her into a doorway a moment later. Crowding her over as he wedged himself in front. What she assumed was his way of blocking any shot. Ensuring he’d be the one to take a hit.
Screw that.
“I don’t need a shield. Go! Before they flank or relay we’re on to them if they’ve got backup.”
And she knew as sure as this conflict would end bloody, there were more. Four, maybe six, total. However many Higgins had managed to fit in his over-sized SUV.
The only wildcard was whether Higgins was part of the team. While, he hadn’t been in the field in years, this was personal, and she had a feeling he’d want to make a stand. Maybe try to bargain with her, like Keith had.
Wyatt glanced back at her, eyes narrowed. A hint of color high on his cheekbones. “I swear to god if you die on me…”
“Feeling’s mutual, jackass. Go. I’ve got your six.”
Another second of him staring at her, then he was out and running, firing off a couple rounds when one of the men tried to dart out of the shadows — catch them before they reached the corner.
One shot, and the perp was down. No rolling or staggering just the retort of Wyatt’s gun, and the guy was on the ground. Motionless. His partner fired up the hallway, using way more rounds than necessary, but Wyatt was already squished into a doorway, waiting until the asshole paused before capping him, too. A damn one-man wet squad without the body armor or night vision goggles.
She moved out to join him when a footstep sounded behind her. Callie had just enough time to dive — get to the corner before the hallway lit up. A steady stream of bullets ricocheting off the doors, the walls. What she assumed was the asshole’s attempt at killing them without aiming.
A stray round caught her in the thigh — carving a groove along her skin as it took an odd bounce off a door — embedding into the wall behind her. Pain burned down her leg, but she managed to cross over to Wyatt without getting hit, again. Scoot in behind him.
He looked at her leg, frowned, then returned fire. “You good?”
She nodded, hissing out her next breath. “It hurts like a bitch, but it’s just a graze. We need to split up. I’ll go left, see how many I can draw down to the imagining department while you take care of any threats in the parking lot. Maybe hiding outside.”
“And leave you alone? I don’t think so.”
“Wyatt. We both know we need to get some firepower in behind them. I’ll be okay. You’re the one who’s taking the real risk. There could be a dozen men outside. I doubt more than a couple will follow me. They know you’re the threat, and they’ll adjust accordingly.”
“I can handle however many they send.”
“Good, then go thin the herd. I’ll be buying a bit of time in X-ray or the MRI.”
