Page 49 of Jina

If she survived long enough for a next time.

“White sedan,” Cole murmured near her ear. “Probably not the shooter since Cassidy saw a black Honda.”

She nodded while keeping her head down. By unspoken agreement, they waited for several long minutes after the sedan passed them before getting back up on their feet. A quick glance revealed that several round prickly burrs were stuck to her bag, clothing, and likely her hair. Hiding a grimace, she ignored the discomfort of the sharp pricks and focused on getting to their designated meeting point.

“We still have a mile and a half to go,” Cole said as if reading her mind.

“Okay, let’s pick up the pace.” She broke into a jog, the bag once again slapping against her hip with every step. At this rate, they would be late for their meeting point, especially if they had to drop to the grass again for another car. That meant covering as much ground as possible while the street was empty.

As before, Cole maintained his position behind her. Imagining the map of their location, she watched the opposite side of the road, hoping to spot the building before they came too close. Better to approach with caution. They’d assumed the structure was empty or abandoned but had no way of knowing for certain.

“Another car,” Cole whispered. In unison, they dropped to the ground, hiding among the weeds, which were higher here. As much as she wanted to lift her head to look at the oncoming vehicle, she stayed down.

The car engine grew louder as it prepared to pass. Then the vehicle slowed, the engine dropping to a low idle.

Then the car engine went silent.

Her pulse kicked up. Maybe the shooter had spotted them. She almost hoped he had. Time to get rid of this guy once and for all.

Still holding her weapon, she slowly turned her head toward the road. Would she recognize the shooter? Or would he be a stranger? Her memory of the guys she’d taken on at the gym wasn’t that clear. Once she’d proved her point, she’d mostly forgotten them.

Cole tensed beside her. Neither of them moved as they waited for the shooter to show.

There was nothing but a strained silence. Finally, she heard the swish of tall grass and weeds as the driver of the car stepped closer.

“Jina? Are you out there?” Hearing Zeke’s voice made her relax. Lifting her head, she peered at her teammate.

“Yeah. We’re here.” She rose to her feet, holstered her weapon, then brushed at the prickly balls on her clothing as Cole did the same. She reached for her bag, scowling at her teammate. “Do you realize how close you came to being on the wrong end of my gun?”

“Oh, sorry.” Zeke’s grin was unrepentant. “You should be glad it’s me, though. It was easy to see the depression of your bodies in the long grass. If the perp had driven by, he’d have spotted you from a mile away.”

“Yeah, well, we didn’t have much choice.” She was irritated by his showing up like that, sending her blood pressure through the roof. “What was with the sneak attack anyway? Why didn’t you just keep going? We agreed to meet at the abandoned building.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the thing.” Zeke scratched the back of his neck. “The building is gone. It must have been bulldozed in the past few weeks; there are still ruts in the earth from a front loader.”

Hearing that, it made sense that Zeke had come to find them. She sighed. “I didn’t realize it had been destroyed. What about Cass and Flynn?”

“They’re waiting at the site. I offered to come find you.” Zeke gestured to a black SUV, not his truck, which had taken gunfire at the American Lodge, but likely another rental. She often wondered how much money Rhy paid in rental fees each year. Had to be more than what she paid for three months’ rent. “I’ll give you a ride.”

“Thanks.” She trudged toward the SUV, still picking burrs from her clothing. Cole was doing the same. Running a hand through her hair, she winced as she pulled several more burrs from the strands.

“I’ll get them,” Cole offered, pushing her hand out of the way.

“Climb inside the SUV first,” Zeke advised, glancing behind them. “Cassidy lost the black Honda, but we still need to keep you hidden.”

Resigned, she dropped her bag onto the floor, then climbed into the back seat. Cole slid in beside her, setting his bag down between his feet too. With the patience of a saint, he gently tugged burrs from her hair. She held herself still, keenly aware of his closeness. His fingers pulling burrs from her hair shouldn’t have come across as intimate. Her ridiculous hormones were spiraling way out of control.

“You wouldn’t have shot me, Jina,” Zeke said. “You’re too good of a cop for that.”

“Don’t bet on it.” She held his gaze in the rearview mirror. “You should have announced yourself sooner. I truly thought you were the perp.”

“She was seconds from jumping to her feet to confront you,” Cole agreed, still pulling burrs from her hair. “And I would have joined her. Between the two of us, you wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

“I wish the shooter had found us.” She winced when Cole tugged on a particularly tangled burr. “Then this mess would be over.”

Zeke looked chagrined. “I hear you. I should have realized you’d be on edge. Next time I’ll call out to you sooner.” He gestured to an open area between some trees where two more vehicles were parked. “There’s the rest of the cavalry.”

“Just in time,” Cole murmured. One last tug, then he turned away. “I think I got them all.”

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