Chapter 9 - The Crossfire
Vincent pushed Claire behind him, shielding her with his own body.
He raised his handgun, but he knew Thomas had the tactical advantage.
An assault rifle would tear through them both before Vincent could fire a fatal shot.
“Put the gun down, Vincent,” Silas ordered, stepping out from behind Thomas with a triumphant smirk.
“Or Thomas cuts the nurse in half.”
Vincent locked eyes with his former right-hand man.
“You used to have honor, Thomas.”
Thomas laughed bitterly.
“Honor doesn't pay for my mother's chemotherapy, Vincent.”
“Silas does.”
Vincent slowly lowered his weapon, dropping it onto the concrete floor.
Silas walked forward, pulling a heavy silver revolver from his jacket.
“You had a good run, kid,” Silas said, aiming the revolver at Vincent’s head.
“Say hello to your old man for me.”
Before Silas could pull the trigger, Claire stepped out from behind Vincent.
She didn't run.
She didn't scream.
With a speed that shocked everyone in the room, Claire kicked Vincent’s dropped handgun straight up into the air.
She caught it flawlessly in her right hand.
In one fluid, highly trained motion, she aimed and fired two shots.
The first bullet hit Thomas directly in the center of his chest.
The heavy enforcer dropped his rifle and collapsed to the floor, dead before he hit the concrete.
The second bullet struck Silas in his right shoulder, spinning him around and causing him to drop his revolver.
Vincent stared at Claire in absolute shock.
Emergency room nurses did not possess Tier 1 tactical firearm skills.
“Move!” Claire yelled, grabbing Vincent’s arm.
She laid down suppressive fire with his weapon as Silas’s remaining guards rushed into the room.
They sprinted toward the loading dock doors.
Bullets ricocheted off the metal walls around them.
Vincent slammed his shoulder into the heavy exit door, bursting out into the cold night air.
They ran down the alleyway, ducking behind a rusted dumpster just as a spray of gunfire chewed up the brick wall behind them.
Claire ejected the empty magazine from the handgun and tossed the weapon to Vincent.
“I’m out,” she breathed heavily.
Vincent looked at her, his mind struggling to process what he had just witnessed.
“Where did you learn to shoot like that?” Vincent demanded.
Claire wiped a smear of blood from her split lip.
“My father was a Marine.”
“My brother is a cop.”
“I don't just put on bandaids, Vincent.”
Vincent felt a strange, sudden surge of deep respect for the woman sitting in the mud beside him.
She was magnificent.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his secondary burner phone.
He texted Russo a single location pin.
“David is sending a heavily armed extraction team,” Vincent said.
“We just have to hold out for five minutes.”
Claire leaned back against the brick wall, closing her eyes.
“Thank you for saving my daughter.”
“I would burn the city down before I let them hurt her,” Vincent said quietly.
Claire opened her eyes and looked at him, truly seeing the man behind the terrifying reputation.
May you like
Suddenly, a red laser sight danced across Claire’s chest.
A sniper on the roof of the adjacent building had found them.
