Page 74 of Death Wish

Simone climbed behind the wheel and cranked the engine. She backed from the parking space and headed toward Jesse who was the closest of the two men. Bullets plunked against the vehicle but none of them penetrated the doors. She skidded to a stop beside Jesse.

He yanked open the door and jumped in. “Go to Sawyer,” he said as he lowered the window and aimed at the closest gunman. Jesse pulled the trigger. A second later, the gunman flew back and hit the ground. He didn’t move.

Simone raced through the parking lot toward Sawyer, praying no one else was in the parking lot. Bullets flew everywhere. Windows in cars shattered. A few tires went flat. Car alarms screeched, adding to the cacophony.

She slammed on the brakes beside Sawyer who climbed into the back with Allison and Beckett. “Go, go, go!”

Simone floored the accelerator pedal and raced for the closest exit. “Where to?”

“Turn left onto the street,” Jesse said as he dropped the empty magazine from his Sig and loaded a fresh one. He and Sawyer aimed at the two remaining gunmen. Four shots later, the gunmen were no longer a threat. “Drive the speed limit. We don’t want to be seen racing away from the hospital.”

“Do we have to worry about those gunmen tailing us?”

“No,” Sawyer said, his voice grim. “They won’t be going anywhere except to the morgue or to surgery.”

“As soon as I’m sure we’re safe, I’ll have you pull over so we can check the vehicle for trackers,” Jesse said. “Right now, though, it’s better to be sure we have firepower available in case of another ambush.”

“I hope not. I don’t want to drive through a hail of bullets again.”

Jesse chuckled. “Didn’t like the excitement?”

“Not a fan. How do you guys deal with this all the time?”

“Training and experience,” Sawyer said. “Want to join the black ops arm of our company?”

“No, thanks. I’ll stick to being a keyboard warrior. You can have all the adrenaline rushes you want.”

“Chicken.”

“You bet.”

Simone drove for another thirty minutes, taking turns as Jesse directed until she didn’t know where they were.

“I don’t think we have a tail,” Jesse said. “Pull over at the hotel and park around the back. I need to check the SUV for trackers.”

She did as instructed and gladly handed the key fob to Sawyer. “It’s all yours with my blessings.”

“You did good, kid. Thanks for saving my bacon out there.”

“All part of the service.” She hopped out of the vehicle and took Sawyer’s place in the back with Beckett and Allison.

Jesse climbed in the passenger seat again. “All clear. Let’s get out of here, Sawyer.”

He drove from behind the hotel and onto a side street. For the next few minutes, Sawyer took turn after turn. Finally, he drove toward the safe house.

Finally, Sawyer drove around the back of a small villa and parked. “End of the line,” he announced. “Stay put until we return.” He and Jesse climbed out and closed the doors.

“Why can’t we go inside?” Allison asked.

“Jesse and Sawyer will make sure it’s safe. They won’t take long.”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“Terrified,” she admitted. “But I’ve seen Jesse and his teammates in action. They know what they’re doing.”

“You know what will happen when Allison and I disappear,” Beckett said.

“I have a good idea.”

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