Page 33 of Critical Strike

He cursed under his breath. There would be no quick getaway.

“What?” she whispered.

“They’ve got us surrounded. They’re covering both doors.”

“What are we going to do?”

His mind raced. They needed a distraction. Calling the police wasn’t an option, but...

He pulled the burner out of his pocket and dialed.

“9-1-1,” the dispatcher answered, “what’s your emergency?”

Luke took a couple of shallow breaths to make himself sound more panicked. “The Wars Hill library is on fire. Oh my gosh, it’s spreading so fast. Please hurry.” He hung up before the dispatcher could ask any further questions.

Claire’s eyes widened. “Are we going to start a fire?”

“No, but the fire trucks and paramedics will be here soon. Hopefully, that’ll chase off Ballard’s men and we’ll get away in the confusion.”

She looked skeptical, and he couldn’t blame her. He fought back a tiny smile at the sight of her. Her brown wig had gotten pretty twisted and wisps of blond hair kissed the corners of her face. Once again, she looked like the little girl he’d known.

Little girl or grown woman, there was no way in hell he was letting Ballard’s men get her.

The sound of a lock breaking and the emergency alarm being smashed to eliminate the noise echoed through the library. Luke grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the display in the children’s section.

They barely made it inside before they heard voices.

“Check every aisle,” a man called. “They’re in here somewhere.”

Luke pulled Claire’s stiff form against him. He cocked his head, trying to figure out exactly how many men there were as they talked. Three? Four?

He was a good shot, but he wouldn’t have much chance at getting them all before they got shots off themselves.

A ringing phone only a few feet away from the display made Claire jerk. Luke tugged her closer to him, wrapping his fingers around her nape, massaging gently. It was over for them if she had some sort of panic attack now.

“Hello?” one of the men answered. Brief silence followed. “Damn it. We haven’t found them. Maybe they got out before we got here, but there’s not going to be enough time for a thorough search.” More silence. “Yes, sir.”

The man yelled louder, “Fire department is en route thanks to a 9-1-1 call. ETA less than five.”

“Bathrooms and employee rooms are clear,” another voice responded from farther away. “No sign of them.”

“We don’t have enough time to search thoroughly. But we’ll give the fire department a real fire to fight and cover the exits. There’s a gas canister in the van. Have Brickman bring it in. Hurry.”

Damn it, Luke had handed the bad guys exactly what they needed by placing that emergency call.

The best bet was still to stay put. Getting out in the chaos of the fire would give them a better chance of survival than facing their guns.

The smell of gas a minute later had Luke reconsidering that notion. Then the pungent smell of smoke.

“Make sure we’ve got both doors covered. We’ll get them running out or when the fire department brings out their charred bodies.” The voices faded as the smell of smoke grew stronger.

“What do we do?” Claire’s pitch was high and her breathing was way too rapid.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “Just wait a minute.” They had to make sure no one was still inside the building.

Their best bet was to stay alive until the firefighters arrived, and then they could get out with them. More witnesses equaled more protection.

But that was easier said than done. The smoke invading the air caused all his survival instincts to kick into overdrive. His feet ached to run.

---