Page 62 of Jina

Grayson had barely stopped the car when Jina jumped out, eager to get inside. She moved to give him room when a crack of gunfire had them all dropping to the ground.

Another attempt in broad daylight! He glanced at Jina and could tell she was about to sprint toward the woods. Until more gunfire peppered the ground in front of them.

Pinning them in place with nowhere to hide.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

What was with this guy? Jina was so over ducking from this perp’s gunfire. She pulled her weapon, wishing once again that she had her sniper’s rifle. Her scope would enable her to pinpoint this joker’s location.

Wishing for the situation to be different was useless. They had to outsmart this guy.

How, she wasn’t sure.

“Klapper?” Cole asked in a whisper.

“Must be. Mike may have tipped him off by mistake.”

As suddenly as it had started, the barrage of gunfire stopped. There was nothing but a prolonged silence for several long moments. She glanced at Cole crouched beside her, both using the open rear passenger door as cover, then tipped her head toward the woods. “You go left, I go right.”

“Not yet.” He grabbed her arm with his free hand. He’d pulled his weapon too and was also prepared to return fire. “Could be a trap.”

“This whole thing is a trap,” she hissed in a low voice. “We need to get him!”

“Jina? Cole? Anyone hurt?” Grayson asked from the driver’s side of the vehicle.

“Negative, we’re good,” she responded. Having a radio for communications would have been nice too. If the shooter was lingering nearby, he might be able to overhear their exchange. “You?”

“Fine here,” Grayson confirmed. “I think our perp is in the woods behind the building.”

“I’m sure he is,” Cole agreed. “They’re not deep but extend the length of the gym. A buffer of sorts between the back of the gym and the strip mall behind it.”

“Understood,” Grayson said. “What’s the plan?”

“We need you to provide cover,” Jina spoke up. “Cole and I will split up and try to find him.”

There was a long moment as Grayson considered her request. Finally, he said, “Okay. Give me a minute to get into a better position.”

Another long moment of silence hung between them. Jina battled a wave of frustration at the thought of this guy getting away yet again.

And now she felt certain their perp was Jeff Klapper. A fellow officer, a guy she barely knew wanted to kill her. It didn’t make any sense, especially after all this time, but her only goal now was to grab him.

“I’m ready,” Grayson said. “I’ll take three shots, then you can go.”

“Roger that.” She tensed, waiting for the gunfire. Grayson was close enough that the sound was deafening, but the moment he’d fired the third and final shot, she sprinted away from the SUV to the right, trusting Cole to do his part.

She ran quickly but not silently. Klapper must have known they’d come after him and was probably already trying to make his getaway in the black Honda. The urge to derail his escape was strong, but once she reached the sparse wooded area, she paused to regroup.

Using a tree for cover, she swept her gaze over the area. There were about five cars parked in front of the strip mall, but a quick glance proved none were a black Honda without plates. A minivan, a sedan, and a black Ford SUV with plates, which gave her pause.

Had the shooter changed vehicles? Or had he parked his SUV behind the strip mall the way he’d done that first night?

Was that just thirty-six hours ago? It seemed like a lifetime.

She couldn’t see Cole, so she made her way through the trees toward the front of the strip mall. Glancing down the tree line, she caught a glimpse of Cole about forty feet to her left.

The silence was nerve-racking. Had Mike called the police? Reports of gunfire, especially in the suburbs, usually garnered a quick response.

Catching Cole’s gaze, she gestured to her right, wordlessly telling him she was going around to the back side of the strip mall. He nodded and gestured to the opposite side. Much like the first night they’d gone after this guy, they would circle the building and meet in the middle.

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