Page 13 of Not This Soon

Ethan didn't look convinced, but he didn't argue. His eyes scanned the surrounding dunes, searching for any sign of the sniper. "We can't stay here. That brush won't hide us for long."

Rachel knew he was right. The sniper had them pinned down, exposed. It was only a matter of time before he found the perfect angle to finish the job.

She pushed herself up on her good arm, ignoring the wave of dizziness that washed over her. "We need to get to those rocks." She nodded toward a cluster of boulders jutting from the base of a nearby dune. "Better cover."

Ethan helped her to her feet, his hand firm on her uninjured arm. Together, they half-ran, half-stumbled toward the rocks, flinching at every crack of the rifle.

The boulders weren't much, but they were better than nothing. Rachel collapsed against the rough stone, her breath coming in harsh pants. Ethan crouched beside her, his eyes still scanning the dunes.

The sprint to the rocks served a second purpose, though. The gunshots were warning signals to the cops at the crime scene. The killer was on a timer—all the backup was on Rachel and Ethan’s side.

"What now?" he asked, his voice low.

A flash of movement caught her eye, and she froze. But it was just a hawk, wheeling high overhead, its wings spread wide against the cloudless sky.

Rachel let out a slow breath, forcing herself to relax. She glanced at her shoulder, confirming her instincts.

The bullet had grazed her, leaving a trail of blood but not hitting anything vital. She'd live. For now.

"We wait," she replied, staring at the dune where the sniper lay hidden. "Backup's on its way. We just have to stay alive until they get here."

Ethan kept glancing in concern at her shoulder.

"Stay down," she ordered, her eyes never leaving the dune ahead as she reached for her radio.

"Blackwood to dispatch," she said, her voice steady despite the pain in her shoulder.

"Dispatch here," came the crackling response.

"We're pinned down," Rachel said, keeping her voice low. "Sniper fire at our location."

"Acknowledged, Blackwood," dispatch replied. "Backup is en route. We heard the shots. How many assailants?"

“One confirmed shooter. Possibly more.”

Rachel slumped back against the rocks, the adrenaline rush slowly wearing off. She felt raw and exposed under the glaring sun, like a rabbit cornered by a wolf.

“The gunshots have stopped,” she murmured.

Ethan was still watching her, his gun clutched tightly where he kept cover.

"Rachel, you sure you're okay?" he asked. Rachel nodded without taking her eyes off their surroundings, her fingers feeling for her own firearm.

"I'm good," she said again, mirroring the lie from earlier. She wasn't fine. Pain throbbed in her shoulder with every beat of her heart.

Ethan's lips thinned, but he didn't respond. Instead, he shifted so his back pressed against hers, creating a watch on all sides.

In the quiet that followed, even the desert seemed to hold its breath. The sharp chirp of a distant bird, the whisper of wind through the scrub-bushes...it was hard to imagine anything so mundane in this deadly game of hide and seek.

She could hear shouts and radios behind them now as backup came closer. But no more gunshots.

“Just stay tight. They’ll be here in a couple minutes.”

But she tensed at Ethan’s words. “He’s not shooting,” she whispered.

“Rachel, just stay put.”

“He’s moving,” she said. “He’s going to get away.”

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