Page 131 of Counter Attack

Alex held her breath, and beside her Nathan tensed as the patrol car parked near the pier, blocking the men from view. The only one with a clear shot was Mark.

A shot came from the direction of the lake. One of the deputies they’d stationed near the pier pitched forward.

“Go! Go! Go!” Alex yelled into the mic.

Guns drawn, Nathan and Alex raced with their teams through the wooded area to the lake. The drug dealers were scattering. One hopped in the patrol car while two ran for the boat.

Alex searched for the other deputy who’d been staked out near the pier and found him. He was crouched behind the concrete picnic table, the wounded deputy beside him.

“You take whoever is in the patrol car. I’m going after those two,” Alex yelled to Nathan. She dashed down the pier toward the men running for the boat. “Police! Stop!”

A bullet whizzed by her head.

“Get down!” Nathan yelled from behind her.

Alex dropped to the pier floor. The heat from the next bullet burned her ear. A couple inches to the right, and she’d be dead. Alex couldn’t stay on the pier and rolled off into the waist-deep water, landing on her feet. Thank goodness it wasn’t ten feet farther out where the lake dropped off.

The boat motor roared to life. No! She couldn’t let them get away. She fired, dropping one of the men, then fired again, hitting the motor. It died midsputter. Two deputies splashed in the water toward the boat. They would take care of the escaping drug dealers.

Alex used the iron steps to pull herself out of the water. Halfway up, someone extended a hand. Jared. He held a gun in the other hand, and it was pointed at her. “What are you doing?”

“You’re my ticket out of here.”

She wasn’t going anywhere with him. “You’re the local connection.”

“Shut up.”

Was that all criminals knew to say? “You’re the one who’s been shooting at me. Why?”

“I said shut up. Now, get up here!”

Alex took a step down the ladder. Her vest should protect her from a chest shot. “No. I want to know why.”

“It was Harvey’s idea. He found out about my drug dealing and threatened to turn me in if I didn’t help him.” He waved the gun toward the boat. “He thought if you went back to Chattanooga, he’d get his old job back.”

A slight motion behind Jared caught her eye. Nathan. “But you killed Trevor Martin.”

“He got greedy. When you came to town with a serial killer on your trail, it seemed like a good time to get rid of him.”

She’d never figured Jared for a cold-blooded killer. Alex’steeth chattered. The water was so cold. She hated jumping back in it.

“Enough talk. Climb up on the pier.”

“Sorry.” Alex launched herself into the water, angling for a spot under the pier. Jared fired at her, the bullet slamming into her back. He fired again, and burning pain seared her head.

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Nathan dashed toward Jared, hitting his sergeant just as he fired at Alexis.

Jared turned, his eyes wide, then he dropped his gun and crumpled to the pier floor. Nathan kicked the gun out of reach and searched the water. Where was Alexis? “I need a light!”

Two deputies raced to the end of the pier and shined their lights in the water. Even though the water wasn’t deep, if she was unconscious, she could drown. If she wasn’t already dead.

Nathan caught a glimpse of something dark in the water and dove in.

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Water closed over Alex. So cold.Swim.Too cold. Regret washed over her. She didn’t want to die. Not yet. Had to tell Nathan how she felt.

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