footfalls, followed by a tight grip on her wrist, stopped her attempt to get the drop on her assailant.
A vise-like grip clamped both of her hands together, ripped her from the car and against a hard chest. Twisting and turning, Tess fought to free herself, but to no avail.
“Stop squirming, bitch!”
Ignoring her attacker’s demand, she continued her struggle. Lifting her foot, she slammed the heel down on the attacker’s toes. Then turning quickly, she swung at his head with all of her might, but the man doing his best to subdue her blocked her attack, and as his hands collided with hers, the gun went of, blasting a hole in the ceiling. The attacker dropped her. She fell to her hands and knees as the gun skidded across the cement floor. Suddenly, her attacker disappeared, quicker than he’d appeared.
* * * *
A loud pop echoed from the garage.
A gunshot.
Leaping over the porch rail, Jack sprinted toward the garage.
Terror gripped him as he approached the open garage door and was knocked to the ground. A heavy weight crashed down on top of him briefly before moving away just as quickly as it’d happened.
Leaping to his feet, Jack caught a glimpse of what had slammed into him. For a moment, he contemplated giving chase as he watched the tall figure disappear through the gate and out of sight, but Tess’s safety was far more important than catching some thug.
“Tess!”
As he jumped to his feet and bolted into the garage, he was nearly knocked over again as he ran headlong into her.
“Are you all right?”
Gripping her by the upper arms, he twisted her body this way and that, as he looked her over. Much to his relief, she didn’t seem to have any injuries.
“Yes, I’m fine. Did you get a good look at him?” she asked as she brushed his hands away irritably and continued past him, out of the garage.
“No. Did you?” he answered as he followed her out into the bright sunlight.
Tess shook her head.
“We need to call the police.”
“I am the police,” she reminded him.
“You’re on leave; need I remind you? We should still call someone and report this. He shot at you!”
“Actually, I shot at him.”
“You shot at him?”
Jack watched as Tess walked back into the garage and promptly returned with a small handgun.
After she replayed the events of the attack, including how she’d shot at the criminal, she turned and stepped into the doorway of the garage before pointing up at a hole in the ceiling where a stream of sunlight now poured through. “That’s where the bullet hit.” Bending down, she grabbed the cans of paint she’d dropped. She moved out of the garage and back to Jack’s side.
Jack nodded. “He must’ve known I’d hear you and come investigate so he ran off.”
Tess nodded her agreement as she turned to close the garage door, snapping the padlock into place. She headed back toward the front of the house.
“Are you going to report this?”
“No. It was probably just some teenagers out trying to stir up trouble. I don’t think it’s anything I really need to worry about.”
“You don’t expect me to believe that, do you? There’s no way you’d have pulled your gun if you thought it was a teen.”
She glared at him, but didn’t disagree.
“Someone just attacked you and you want to let it go?” he asked with disbelief.
“That’s right.” She nodded as she started back toward the porch at a quick clip.
“Come on, Tess. You could’ve been seriously injured.” He followed her up the front steps.
Tess stopped and turned to face him as she stood two stairs above him, placing her on his eye-level.
Stopping quickly, he caught himself before running into her.
“Look,” she said with a sigh, “I have enough on my plate without my fellow officers buzzing around my house, asking questions, and doubting whether or not I can still protect myself, if and when I return. Many of them already think Dean’s death was my fault. I don’t need them questioning
A vise-like grip clamped both of her hands together, ripped her from the car and against a hard chest. Twisting and turning, Tess fought to free herself, but to no avail.
“Stop squirming, bitch!”
Ignoring her attacker’s demand, she continued her struggle. Lifting her foot, she slammed the heel down on the attacker’s toes. Then turning quickly, she swung at his head with all of her might, but the man doing his best to subdue her blocked her attack, and as his hands collided with hers, the gun went of, blasting a hole in the ceiling. The attacker dropped her. She fell to her hands and knees as the gun skidded across the cement floor. Suddenly, her attacker disappeared, quicker than he’d appeared.
* * * *
A loud pop echoed from the garage.
A gunshot.
Leaping over the porch rail, Jack sprinted toward the garage.
Terror gripped him as he approached the open garage door and was knocked to the ground. A heavy weight crashed down on top of him briefly before moving away just as quickly as it’d happened.
Leaping to his feet, Jack caught a glimpse of what had slammed into him. For a moment, he contemplated giving chase as he watched the tall figure disappear through the gate and out of sight, but Tess’s safety was far more important than catching some thug.
“Tess!”
As he jumped to his feet and bolted into the garage, he was nearly knocked over again as he ran headlong into her.
“Are you all right?”
Gripping her by the upper arms, he twisted her body this way and that, as he looked her over. Much to his relief, she didn’t seem to have any injuries.
“Yes, I’m fine. Did you get a good look at him?” she asked as she brushed his hands away irritably and continued past him, out of the garage.
“No. Did you?” he answered as he followed her out into the bright sunlight.
Tess shook her head.
“We need to call the police.”
“I am the police,” she reminded him.
“You’re on leave; need I remind you? We should still call someone and report this. He shot at you!”
“Actually, I shot at him.”
“You shot at him?”
Jack watched as Tess walked back into the garage and promptly returned with a small handgun.
After she replayed the events of the attack, including how she’d shot at the criminal, she turned and stepped into the doorway of the garage before pointing up at a hole in the ceiling where a stream of sunlight now poured through. “That’s where the bullet hit.” Bending down, she grabbed the cans of paint she’d dropped. She moved out of the garage and back to Jack’s side.
Jack nodded. “He must’ve known I’d hear you and come investigate so he ran off.”
Tess nodded her agreement as she turned to close the garage door, snapping the padlock into place. She headed back toward the front of the house.
“Are you going to report this?”
“No. It was probably just some teenagers out trying to stir up trouble. I don’t think it’s anything I really need to worry about.”
“You don’t expect me to believe that, do you? There’s no way you’d have pulled your gun if you thought it was a teen.”
She glared at him, but didn’t disagree.
“Someone just attacked you and you want to let it go?” he asked with disbelief.
“That’s right.” She nodded as she started back toward the porch at a quick clip.
“Come on, Tess. You could’ve been seriously injured.” He followed her up the front steps.
Tess stopped and turned to face him as she stood two stairs above him, placing her on his eye-level.
Stopping quickly, he caught himself before running into her.
“Look,” she said with a sigh, “I have enough on my plate without my fellow officers buzzing around my house, asking questions, and doubting whether or not I can still protect myself, if and when I return. Many of them already think Dean’s death was my fault. I don’t need them questioning
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