Search Me(19)

“Look, as soon as I can get some cover behind a downed tree or something, I’ll start returning fire. I’ve got enough ammunition to buy us some time.”

His plan didn’t seem all that comforting. Sure, he had Army training and had parachuted out of planes, but me? I was a helpless and hopeless ballerina. And I was pretty sure I couldn’t pirouette my way out of this one.

A quick peek in the rear view mirror showed Jensen’s car stuck on the same path. His tires spun, sending clumps of mud flying. They started inching forward. At the same time, I heard the thumping sound of our tires going completely flat.

“Okay, we’re breaking to the right over that hill,” Maddox instructed as he grabbed his backpack along with a shiny barreled shotgun. “Go!”

My fingers momentarily fumbled with the door handle. Finally, I threw it open. I barely let my feet hit the ground before I started running, darting over tree limbs and logs while trying my best not to slip and fall.

Maddox appeared at my side, pushing me in front of him so he could act as a human shield. The gesture made me feel a little more confident, and I pushed myself to run faster. I didn’t dare look back, and fear gripped me when I heard Jensen’s car screech out of its mud prison and start speeding towards us.

The next sound I heard was the pop of a pistol. I screamed just before Maddox threw us to the ground. Fortunately we landed next to an upturned oak tree whose massive roots stretched six feet in the air. By now, I was so scared I was shaking so hard my teeth were chattering. “Come on.” Maddox ordered, pulling me forward to crawl behind the tree roots. I covered my head with my hands as Jensen and his men started firing rapidly. It sent clods of dirt raining down on us along with exploding tree bark.

I peeked through my hands to see Maddox lifting the shotgun to the base to his shoulder. Tentatively, he peered around the tree roots. Aiming in the direction of the gun shots, he then fired off two quick rounds before stopping to reload. Just as he finished putting in the ammunition, his right shoulder jerked back, causing him to drop the gun.

“SHIT!” he shouted, his voice echoing over the ridge.

Horror-stricken, my eyes trailed down to his bicep. The arm of his t-shirt had been ripped by a bullet, and blood oozed from his skin. “Oh my God! They shot you.”

“Thanks Captain Obvious,” he grumbled, pressing his hand tight against the wound to stop the bleeding. “It’s just a nick. Nothing life threatening.” He grimaced as he tried reaching for the shotgun again. “I better try the pistols.”

Bullets continued to whiz over and around our heads. Maddox groaned and spat out a string of expletives as he reached for his bag with the pistol. I warily eyed the shotgun at his feet. Since I wasn’t raised around guns, I’d never shot one before. I had managed to shoot the fake ones in the gameroom at Dave and Buster’s, so how hard could it be?

Before Maddox could protest, I snatched the shotgun. Rising up, I steadied myself while taking a deep, calming breath. Copying Maddox, I lifted the gun and aimed, honing in on the shorter of Jensen’s thugs. My finger pulled the trigger just as Maddox demanded, “What the hell?”

The next thing I knew an unseen force sent me flying backward. The gun dropped from my hands, and I started flailing my arms for balance. But it was no use. My back smacked flat onto the ground.

“Oomph,” I muttered, my breath exhaling out in a harsh pant. Okay, so maybe in my adrenaline rush I’d forgotten about the whole ‘guns having kickback’ thing. It wouldn’t be something I would easily forget.

Just as my eyes focused on the sky above me, Maddox’s face blocked it out. I stared up at him, his expression was one of utter and complete shock. That’s when I noticed raised voices and swearing across the ridge.

“I’ll be damned,” Maddox muttered, tearing his gaze from mine to stare through the trees.

“What?” I croaked, barely able to breathe let alone talk.

“You hit one…you actually freakin’ hit one.”

It took me a minute to process what he was saying. “You mean I…shot a guy?”

“You sure as hell did. You got the short one in the shoulder.” He reached out his right hand—the one not covered in blood. I grabbed it, and he pulled me to my feet. “We need to make a break for it while they’re distracted with him.” He took a shiny, silver gun from his bag. “Start running, and I’ll cover you.”

I stared open-mouthed at him. “With your bummed up arm?”

He rolled his eyes. “Trust me, I can still shoot.”

I doubted it seriously, but what choice did we have? “Fine. But watch out for yourself, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just get the hell out of here.”

I didn’t bother looking over my shoulder before I started sprinting for the ridge. Fear drove me, my breath coming in frantic gasps and pants. But no matter how hard I ran, it felt like I would never reach the trees. At the sound of gunfire, I jolted to a stop. Panic reverberated through me. Oh God, please don’t let Maddox be hurt. Please don’t let Maddox be…dead. I prayed over and over in my mind as I started running again. I jumped over the rocks and fallen limbs before pressing myself behind a tree to wait for Maddox. Just when I thought my heart would pound out of my chest, he hopped over the ridge.

“Lane?” he questioned in a whisper.