bike came alongside, then the crack of shots. More holes appeared in the walls and Danny threw himself to the floor. He turned his head to see Andrea’s face pressed hard against the vinyl floor tiles. The cushions around her spat out wads of stuffing.
Something in the galley kitchen burst into flames, sending sparks and orange tendrils down towards the woman’s head. Danny scrambled up.
“Over here!” He beckoned to her, then leapt over her. Standing momentarily on the seats, he planted a boot into the rear window.
The latch of the window popped under the sudden pressure and he rolled sideways through the improvised exit. Andrea didn’t need his words of encouragement to follow, her laptop bag swinging behind her. Another two booming shots sounded from Clay’s revolver then he too tumbled bodily from the window. But where Danny had landed with feline grace, Clay fell sideways as a tuft of hair was sheared from his head by a wild ricochet and he landed heavily on his back. Danny grabbed his older brother’s arm and hauled him to his feet. Bullets continued to rip through the body of the RV as the three crouched and ran towards a shallow culvert at the side of the road.
* * *
The two gunmen met at the front of the Winnebago and watched the spreading flames with satisfaction. Mark scanned the road either side of the ruined RV as Luke speed-changed his magazine and emptied it into the vehicle on full auto with a roar of angry contempt. His head snapped up as a blur of movement caught his attention. He slapped Mark’s shoulder and made two brief chopping motions in the direction of the blur. Both men advanced as one. Luke sighted down the stubby barrel of his weapon, eyes straining in the darkness. Mark moved low and quick, aiming too into the roadside. Nothing moved, no target presented itself. They knew better than to try a blind charge. Luke reached into a pouch at his waist and pulled his night-vision goggles clear. The night turned a curious hue of green. He scanned the roadside from left to right.
There!
Thirty feet away. The woman crawling away, moving fast despite her ass being stuck way up in the air. Where were the men from the RV?
Make sure they’re dead, then pick up the girl
, Luke thought.
Move!
A brief flash from his left flank and a round entered Mark’s neck just below the ear. In a moment of curious detachment Luke realised that it must have been a big one. A fist-sized chunk of blood and bone was ejected as his comrade pitched onto his knees. Then he slumped forward, forehead hitting the asphalt.
Luke pivoted towards the sound of the shot and pulled the trigger, emptying the magazine into the darkness.
* * *
Danny emerged from cover as the gunman let the empty magazine clatter to the ground. He put a three-burst into the man’s right shoulder from his MP5K, knocking him to the ground. The man was still valiantly trying to swap his weapon to his left hand as Danny pressed the muzzle into his ear. “Enough!”
The gunman released his weapon and clamped both hands over his right pectorals. Blood seeped between his fingers.
“Aye, you’ve been shot, fucknuts!” Danny’s Scottish brogue was thick with contempt as he kicked the man’s sub-machine gun to one side. “The cops should be along soon, but between now and then we’re going to have a wee chit-chat.”
Clay appeared from the darkness. “Chit-chat my ass. I’ve got one left in the chamber for this asshole. I say we ventilate his head just like his buddy, make a matching pair.” Clay levelled his huge revolver at the injured man’s face.
“You’ve got one chance or it’s the end of the road for you,” warned Danny.
The man gasped for breath, a bloody froth at his lips.
“You’ve taken one in the lung. Pretty soon you’ll be drowning in your own blood. Not a good way to go. Now, who sent you and what do you want with the woman?”
The response was a blood-choked gurgle. The gunman spat out a gobbet of blood
Something in the galley kitchen burst into flames, sending sparks and orange tendrils down towards the woman’s head. Danny scrambled up.
“Over here!” He beckoned to her, then leapt over her. Standing momentarily on the seats, he planted a boot into the rear window.
The latch of the window popped under the sudden pressure and he rolled sideways through the improvised exit. Andrea didn’t need his words of encouragement to follow, her laptop bag swinging behind her. Another two booming shots sounded from Clay’s revolver then he too tumbled bodily from the window. But where Danny had landed with feline grace, Clay fell sideways as a tuft of hair was sheared from his head by a wild ricochet and he landed heavily on his back. Danny grabbed his older brother’s arm and hauled him to his feet. Bullets continued to rip through the body of the RV as the three crouched and ran towards a shallow culvert at the side of the road.
* * *
The two gunmen met at the front of the Winnebago and watched the spreading flames with satisfaction. Mark scanned the road either side of the ruined RV as Luke speed-changed his magazine and emptied it into the vehicle on full auto with a roar of angry contempt. His head snapped up as a blur of movement caught his attention. He slapped Mark’s shoulder and made two brief chopping motions in the direction of the blur. Both men advanced as one. Luke sighted down the stubby barrel of his weapon, eyes straining in the darkness. Mark moved low and quick, aiming too into the roadside. Nothing moved, no target presented itself. They knew better than to try a blind charge. Luke reached into a pouch at his waist and pulled his night-vision goggles clear. The night turned a curious hue of green. He scanned the roadside from left to right.
There!
Thirty feet away. The woman crawling away, moving fast despite her ass being stuck way up in the air. Where were the men from the RV?
Make sure they’re dead, then pick up the girl
, Luke thought.
Move!
A brief flash from his left flank and a round entered Mark’s neck just below the ear. In a moment of curious detachment Luke realised that it must have been a big one. A fist-sized chunk of blood and bone was ejected as his comrade pitched onto his knees. Then he slumped forward, forehead hitting the asphalt.
Luke pivoted towards the sound of the shot and pulled the trigger, emptying the magazine into the darkness.
* * *
Danny emerged from cover as the gunman let the empty magazine clatter to the ground. He put a three-burst into the man’s right shoulder from his MP5K, knocking him to the ground. The man was still valiantly trying to swap his weapon to his left hand as Danny pressed the muzzle into his ear. “Enough!”
The gunman released his weapon and clamped both hands over his right pectorals. Blood seeped between his fingers.
“Aye, you’ve been shot, fucknuts!” Danny’s Scottish brogue was thick with contempt as he kicked the man’s sub-machine gun to one side. “The cops should be along soon, but between now and then we’re going to have a wee chit-chat.”
Clay appeared from the darkness. “Chit-chat my ass. I’ve got one left in the chamber for this asshole. I say we ventilate his head just like his buddy, make a matching pair.” Clay levelled his huge revolver at the injured man’s face.
“You’ve got one chance or it’s the end of the road for you,” warned Danny.
The man gasped for breath, a bloody froth at his lips.
“You’ve taken one in the lung. Pretty soon you’ll be drowning in your own blood. Not a good way to go. Now, who sent you and what do you want with the woman?”
The response was a blood-choked gurgle. The gunman spat out a gobbet of blood
Similar Books
