Page 2 of Hidden Ascent

“I surrender. Just don’t shoot.” It was only another second before the gunshot hit him, and he was dead like the rest.

Panic closed off Isla’s throat as she fought for calm. She didn’t want to die like this. Her job was risky, and death was often a possible outcome, but she’d made a vow to herself a long time ago that, when it came down to it, she wouldn’t die scared.

This is it, God. I didn’t expect it to end like this. It’s not what I wanted. But I trust you. Wherever you are. Whatever you’re doing. I trust you. I just wish I…

She opened her eyes when she heard footsteps.

Two figures had entered the room.

Isla remained motionless as she watched them walk slowly toward Hugo’s prone body. When they reached him, one of the assailants fired a round into her team leader to make sure he had no chance of recovery. They continued moving through the room and doing the same to the rest.

Fury burned deep in her belly as she watched them.

Don’t let them get away with this.She wanted to charge them. If she could only get her hands around their throats before they had the chance to take her out…but she couldn’t be driven by emotion. Emotion got you killed.

But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a chance. They thought she was dead. If she could make it out of here alive, she would make whoever was behind this pay for annihilating her team.

The rifle she’d been carrying was on the floor behind her position, so it wasn’t an option to defend herself. But she had a sidearm in her belt that she might be able to reach.

Slowly, she shifted her arm, keeping the rest of her body still as she monitored the movement of the two men.

She grimaced when they put a bullet into Greg, but her resolve solidified.

With her hand on the holster, she waited to release the gun until one of the men fired his weapon, covering the sound of her movement.

When they headed her way, she let out an extended breath, steadying herself. In the moments that were about to follow, she didn’t care if she lived or died.

Pushing the fear away, she focused on her next action. She’d fire her weapon in quick succession. If she missed either man, it would be over for her.

With her hand on her gun, she counted off their steps as they moved closer, then pulled the gun free and whipped her body around, firing twice.

Both men fell, but she couldn’t be sure she’d killed them, and now wasn’t the time to check. Others could come at any moment.

She ran for the door. Each press of her feet into the floor sent a reverberation up her body as she waited to feel a bullet tearing through her skull.

When the night air hit her face, she dove behind a pile of pallets nearby only long enough to gather herself. The longer she stayed on the premises, the greater the chance she’d get caught.

After confirming she wasn’t being followed, she made a break for the support vehicle but found the two men who had been waiting in the van were dead.

It jarred her enough that she staggered backward until she heard shouting from the building. She stumbled toward a break in the fence, then sprinted down the road. When she reached the first intersection, she turned and continued running, changing direction any chance she could until her mouth was thick from the exertion.

Fogarty and Baker were in danger, and she was the only one who could warn them.

She slowed her speed and replaced her gun into its holster when she entered a busier part of town. It was still early enough that traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, was abundant, and the way she was dressed was drawing too much attention. But her biggest problem was that she had no idea where she was.

She stepped in front of a slow-moving car, holding up her badge, then moved to the driver’s side, knocking on the window.

“I’m agent Isla Taylor with the—”

The driver didn’t wait to hear more before driving off. It didn’t look like the safest part of town, and this guy wasn’t waiting around to find out if her badge was real or not.

Several people had stopped and were watching. She scanned the street. She couldn’t remain in the open like this. Not when they’d be searching for her. Drawing more attention would only make matters worse.

She noticed a convenience store down the road and hurried inside.

“Can you tell me where I am?” she said to the clerk, who had been flipping through a magazine. She didn’t stop to think before it was too late how weird that question sounded.

He looked her up and down. “You don’t know?”

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