Page 103 of Mountain Security

She’s hurt.

As Aristide raised his hand a second time, Alex jumped on the man, tackling him. They fell in a heap on the ground, arms and legs tangling together, each angling for control.

Aristide was younger and much stronger than his father.

He gripped Alex’s wounded arm, his fingers like claws, digging in until Alex felt himself go lightheaded with pain.

He slammed his head upwards, hearing the satisfying crunch of Aristide’s nose. The man wailed, his hands going to his bleeding appendage. Alex pulled the gun out of the man’s hand and tossed it as far as he could.

“Tonnerre!”

Thunder.

Alex almost—but not quite—laughed. You had to give it to the Frenchman. Alex placed himself behind him. His right arm now lay useless, but he wrapped his left arm around the man’s neck and squeezed.

Aristide scratched at his arm, but Alex didn’t let up. He pressed harder—then harder still—until eventually Aristide went limp.

Alex fell to his knees and crawled to Yvette.

He turned her around, so she faced him, put his face down to her mouth. His heart started beating again when he felt her breathe.

Blood oozed steadily from a cut on the side of her head.

Alex tore a strip from his T-shirt and put pressure on the wound. It went red almost immediately, soaked in her blood.

Panic filled him.

He had to get her help. He had to—

Movement on the periphery of his vision surprised him. Somehow, the older man had managed to crawl to the gun Alex had thrown. It was now held tightly in his hands.

Alex cursed. He’d underestimated Arnaud. He looked around him for his own gun. In his haste to reach Yvette, he’d dropped it, and it now lay uselessly a few body lengths away.

Time stood still as Arnaud raised the gun. His beady eyes, fixated on Yvette, didn’t even seem to see Alex.

No.

Alex stood in front of Yvette, blocking her head and upper body with his own.

“Move,” Arnaud ordered. It was the voice of someone used to being obeyed. His fingers tightened on the trigger.

Alex had no illusions he could survive getting shot from this distance. All he could do now was stall Arnaud, and hope his team would get here in time to save Yvette.

“Even if you kill us, Gaultier. It’s all over. You’ll never pass this off as an accident.”

The man looked at his son, lying unconscious on the snow. “Maybe not. But she ruined my life. I will make sure—“

He never got to finish the sentence. A shot broke the silence. Arnaud’s body jerked, his hands dropping the gun. Alex looked behind him to see two men running towards him.

It was Ry and Hugo, in their PGHM uniforms. Behind them stoodSous-OfficierRomain, a gun in his hand.

Arnaud’s wails increased in tempo and frequency. Hugo and Romain split up, each of them heading to one of the Gaultier men. Within seconds, both were in handcuffs.

Alex barely noticed.

The only thing he had eyes for was Yvette.

Ry fell to his knees beside her.

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