Page 32 of The Pakhan

I glanced out, and Sofiya immediately pulled me back. She pressed her finger across her lips then pointed about twenty feet away to what appeared to be an exit door. I only hoped her plan was really set in motion or the moment we raced outside, we could be facing whoever was trying to capture us.

We both took a deep breath at the same time and lunged for the door. Voices sounded off behind us just before we bolted into the sunshine. There was no time to look back or second guess what the hell we were doing. We needed to get to safety.

The screech of tires greeted us, the black SUV we’d been brought in rolling to a sudden stop. Doors flew open, the three soldiers jumping out.

“Get in!” the man named Francois barked, immediately pointing his weapon toward the outer door of the mall.

We didn’t hesitate although I was halfway in, halfway out and looked back.

“No. No!” Sofiya jerked me all the way in, one of the other men slamming the doors. The glass on the vehicle was dark but didn’t prevent me from seeing the assholes rushing from the door.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

The barrage of gunfire was horrific, my ears ringing… Still, I managed to lift my head, already feeling suffocated.

“Roll. Roll. Roll!” Francois yelled even as he climbed inside the SUV.

The vehicle started to move and additional shots were fired from the bad guys. I could hear pinging noises as the bullets hit the side panels, yelping from fear.

Sofiya somehow found my hand, squeezing it in reassurance.

The driver sped down the back alleyway, Francois managing to fire another round of shots as he was hanging out the window. As soon as he finally slipped inside, rolling up the window, he slammed his hand on the dashboard. “Damn it. Damn it all to hell. How the fuck did this happen?”

I was still shaking, my heart thudding to the point blood was rushing to my ears.

“Are you okay?” Sofiya asked as we both sat up.

Nodding, I glanced out one window and the other. “Yeah. What about you?”

“Fine. Who the fuck were those guys?”

If she was asking me, I had no idea what she wanted me to say. “I don’t know.”

“Bullshit, girlfriend. Who are they? They wanted something.”

“They’re looking for a jump drive. I think they were Italians.” As soon as I made the statement, Francois turned his head in my direction, narrowing his eyes. Maybe I shouldn’t have said a damn thing in front of the soldiers.

“Shit. You stole something. Didn’t you? And not just information.”

“I did what I was hired to do,” I told her. Now I was feeling like some terrible criminal.

“What else? I can tell by that face of yours there is something else.”

I was shrinking back against the seat, even resting my head. I closed my eyes, trying to will all this away. From somewhere, I heard a rattle. Maybe the SUV wasn’t all powerful after all.

“Talk,” she hissed.

“I know who tried to kill your father.” I opened a single eye, noticing hers were wide open.

“Does my father know?”

“Yes, I told him.”

She shook her head, no longer looking at me.

“But there’s more,” I whispered.

“What more could there possibly be?”

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