Page 34 of The Fixer

“I see it,” Jake replied, his Glock already aimed out the window.

The first shots rang out, cracking through the air like a whip. Lyndsey’s grip on the wheel tightened as bullets pinged off the SUV’s reinforced frame. She swerved hard to the right, narrowly avoiding a fallen tree.

“Keep it steady!” Jake barked, firing out the passenger-side window.

“I’m trying!” she snapped, her knuckles white as she wrestled with the wheel.

Reyna laughed, the sound almost manic. “She’s got a little bite, huh?”

“Focus!” Jake growled, taking out one of their pursuers with a well-placed shot.

The shoreline came into view, the water glinting under the quiet light of dawn. Lyndsey veered onto the sand, the tires slipping before gaining traction. The SUV jolted violently as they sped over uneven ground, but she kept her foot on the gas, her mind racing as fast as her heart.

“Three more on your six!” Reyna shouted, leaning out the back window and letting off a volley of shots. “They’re not giving up.”

“They won’t,” Jake said grimly. “They’re too close to whatever Lang has planned.”

A vehicle pulled up alongside them, a black SUV with tinted windows. Lyndsey’s stomach flipped as the passenger leaned out, aiming a rifle directly at her.

“Jake!” she screamed.

He didn’t hesitate. With lightning precision, he fired through the open window, hitting the rifleman square in the shoulder.The man fell back with a cry, and his SUV veered off course, crashing into a cluster of trees.

“Nice shot,” Reyna said, ducking back inside.

“Eyes forward!” Jake snapped at Lyndsey. “Main road coming up.”

She nodded, her focus narrowing as she spotted the turnoff. The sound of tires screeching behind them filled the air, and her pulse spiked. They weren’t out of danger yet.

The SUV hit the main road with a lurch. Lyndsey pressed the accelerator to the floor, her eyes darting between the road and the rearview mirror. Another vehicle appeared behind them, gaining fast.

“Reyna!” Jake barked.

“On it,” she replied, leaning out the back window and firing in quick succession. The pursuing vehicle swerved but kept coming.

Lyndsey stepped on the gas, speeding toward a sharp curve ahead, flanked by a steep drop-off to the lake. Jake hoped she knew what she was doing. “Hold on!” she shouted.

“Lyndsey, what are you...” Jake began, but she cut him off.

“Trust me!” she called back over her shoulder as she jerked the wheel hard to the left, sending the SUV skidding around the curve. The pursuing vehicle tried to follow but couldn’t match the maneuver. Its tires screeched before the entire vehicle slid off the edge, tumbling into the lake below.

“Holy shit,” Reyna breathed, sitting back down. “She’s got moves.”

Jake turned to Lyndsey, his eyes intense. “You okay?”

She nodded, her breath coming in ragged gasps. “I’m fine. Are we clear?”

Jake glanced out the window, his expression unreadable. “For now.”

Lyndsey exhaled. She kept her eyes on the road as they sped toward safety, but Jake was sure her mind was a whirlwind of fear, relief, and something she probably couldn’t name.

Jake leaned back against the passenger seat, watching as Lyndsey gripped the steering wheel like her life depended on it. Her knuckles were white, and her jaw was set in a determined line. She’d held her own during the escape, managing to keep them one step ahead of the pursuing mercenaries. Still, the stiffness in her shoulders told him that the adrenaline hadn’t worn off. Not yet.

“You did good out there,” Jake said, his voice low and steady, cutting through the hum of the SUV’s engine.

Lyndsey didn’t look at him, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. “We’re not safe yet.”

Jake allowed a faint smile to tug at the corner of his mouth. She was right—they weren’t safe. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t acknowledge her courage. “True but getting this far took skill. You’ve got more of it than you give yourself credit for.”

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