Justine heard a spray of gunfire from a semiautomatic weapon. Anna hit the deck once again, covering Piper’s body with her own. Nigel was up and running toward his daughter before Justine could stop him.
She returned fire, though she struggled to see her target. She pulled her night-vision glasses from her side pocket and donned them, hitting a button on the side, enabling the thermal imaging.
“Anna?”
“I’ve got Piper and Nigel. We’re moving toward the sedan again.”
“I’ve got you covered. Haven’t sighted the assailant yet.”
“I…”
“Stay with Nigel,” Charity said. “Maldano is hit and Constance is conscious. I’m going to leave the two of them here, and I’ll hunt the assailant.”
“Affirmative,” Justine said.
“Anna, get to the car and pick up Constance and Maldano,” Justine said. “I’ll cover you.”
“Affirmative.”
Justine kept her attention focused and laid a burst of ground fire to cover Anna and the Carters as they ran for the sedan.
“We’re in. The driver has been shot.”
“Fuck. Get out of the car. It may have been tampered with.”
Anna was cursing simultaneously. Justine saw the car door open out of her peripheral vision, but kept her own gaze sharp. Anna and the Carters were back out of the car in seconds and moving toward her. Justine wished she had her damn assault rifle instead of the Beretta, but they hadn’t anticipated this kind of trouble at the airport.
“I’m going silent,” Charity said.
“Affirmative,” Justine said. “We’re getting back on the plane. We’ll get airborne and decide what to do next.”
Running away didn’t sit right with her, but Justine and the team’s first priority was to keep Nigel Carter and his daughter alive.
Constance ran over to Piper and wrapped the little girl in her arms. Nigel put his arm around both of them. Justine saw the anger and fear on his face. Dammit, this was a mess. They needed to take control of the situation. “Do you have an alternate route out, Anna?”
“Yes. In the hangar. We’ll have to go together. I don’t like leaving anyone out here.”
“Then let’s go. I’ll cover these three. Do you want to get Maldano?”
“I can get myself,” Maldano said. “My men should be here in a moment.”
“Someone blew up your car…I’m not sure you should trust your men.”
“I trust them, Ms. O’Neill, the way you trust your partners.”
“Well, until they arrive, we’re going to the hangar. We can defend our position better from there,” Justine said.
There was no more fire from the assailant and nothing from Charity. Justine was edgy; she was better at going after a target in the dark than Charity. That wasn’t to say Charity wasn’t very good at the task. Only that Justine preferred action to guarding.
“We’re heading toward the hangar. Stay low and keep moving. Constance, put Piper down and let her walk.”
“I won’t. My baby is tired and scared. I can run with her like this.”
Justine didn’t have time to argue with the other woman. “Nigel?”
“Let her carry Piper.”
“Let’s go then. Follow Anna.”
Anna moved quickly over the tarmac, followed by Constance, then Maldano. Nigel moved swiftly, and kept his eyes on his daughter and her nanny.
Justine swept her gun from left to right, moving quickly through the darkness. In the distance, she saw lights approaching. Maybe Maldano’s men. She wasn’t waiting on them for the rescue. Justine knew Anna wasn’t, either.
They needed to get the Carters and the nanny to safety. Justine entered the hangar just as Constance and Piper got in a second car. A burst of gunfire from behind her caused Justine to turn. She returned fire this time, able to see her target.
Nigel was sick of getting shot at and watching his daughter cringe. As soon as Piper and Constance were in the car, he signaled the driver to leave. He wanted his daughter out of harm’s way—NOW.
“Where do you need another weapon?”
She returned fire, though she struggled to see her target. She pulled her night-vision glasses from her side pocket and donned them, hitting a button on the side, enabling the thermal imaging.
“Anna?”
“I’ve got Piper and Nigel. We’re moving toward the sedan again.”
“I’ve got you covered. Haven’t sighted the assailant yet.”
“I…”
“Stay with Nigel,” Charity said. “Maldano is hit and Constance is conscious. I’m going to leave the two of them here, and I’ll hunt the assailant.”
“Affirmative,” Justine said.
“Anna, get to the car and pick up Constance and Maldano,” Justine said. “I’ll cover you.”
“Affirmative.”
Justine kept her attention focused and laid a burst of ground fire to cover Anna and the Carters as they ran for the sedan.
“We’re in. The driver has been shot.”
“Fuck. Get out of the car. It may have been tampered with.”
Anna was cursing simultaneously. Justine saw the car door open out of her peripheral vision, but kept her own gaze sharp. Anna and the Carters were back out of the car in seconds and moving toward her. Justine wished she had her damn assault rifle instead of the Beretta, but they hadn’t anticipated this kind of trouble at the airport.
“I’m going silent,” Charity said.
“Affirmative,” Justine said. “We’re getting back on the plane. We’ll get airborne and decide what to do next.”
Running away didn’t sit right with her, but Justine and the team’s first priority was to keep Nigel Carter and his daughter alive.
Constance ran over to Piper and wrapped the little girl in her arms. Nigel put his arm around both of them. Justine saw the anger and fear on his face. Dammit, this was a mess. They needed to take control of the situation. “Do you have an alternate route out, Anna?”
“Yes. In the hangar. We’ll have to go together. I don’t like leaving anyone out here.”
“Then let’s go. I’ll cover these three. Do you want to get Maldano?”
“I can get myself,” Maldano said. “My men should be here in a moment.”
“Someone blew up your car…I’m not sure you should trust your men.”
“I trust them, Ms. O’Neill, the way you trust your partners.”
“Well, until they arrive, we’re going to the hangar. We can defend our position better from there,” Justine said.
There was no more fire from the assailant and nothing from Charity. Justine was edgy; she was better at going after a target in the dark than Charity. That wasn’t to say Charity wasn’t very good at the task. Only that Justine preferred action to guarding.
“We’re heading toward the hangar. Stay low and keep moving. Constance, put Piper down and let her walk.”
“I won’t. My baby is tired and scared. I can run with her like this.”
Justine didn’t have time to argue with the other woman. “Nigel?”
“Let her carry Piper.”
“Let’s go then. Follow Anna.”
Anna moved quickly over the tarmac, followed by Constance, then Maldano. Nigel moved swiftly, and kept his eyes on his daughter and her nanny.
Justine swept her gun from left to right, moving quickly through the darkness. In the distance, she saw lights approaching. Maybe Maldano’s men. She wasn’t waiting on them for the rescue. Justine knew Anna wasn’t, either.
They needed to get the Carters and the nanny to safety. Justine entered the hangar just as Constance and Piper got in a second car. A burst of gunfire from behind her caused Justine to turn. She returned fire this time, able to see her target.
Nigel was sick of getting shot at and watching his daughter cringe. As soon as Piper and Constance were in the car, he signaled the driver to leave. He wanted his daughter out of harm’s way—NOW.
“Where do you need another weapon?”
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