Page 55 of Gravel and Grit

Thinking about Zaek made her chest tighten, making it hard to breathe.

Did them being here mean he was dead or captured?

Please, please, be okay.

Crouching down, she took cover behind the wall and drew the tranq gun.

From here, she had a view of the front door and the opening to the kitchen, so she’d be able to see if they came through the back door as well.

She tried to steady her shaking and took aim, then waited.

Zaek’s voice whispered commands in her head, the words he’d repeated over and over during their training.

“Steady. Deep breath in, take aim, gently squeeze the trigger, exhale, aim

again. Fear enhances your senses, but panic will get you killed. Avoid lethalmeasures if possible, but know you may be forced to kill.”

“I don’t think I can do that, Zaek,” she’d answered.

“You can and you will. Survive first, cope second. Do not hesitate.

Hesitation will kill you as surely as panic.”

The boom as they used some kind of explosion to break in made her scream, but it was drowned out under the screech of splitting wood and the reverberating thud as the door crashed to the floor.

They didn’t pour in like she expected. Their entry was fast but methodical, their automatic rifles up and sweeping the entryway, searching for a target. Searching forher.

Mira held herself still, resisting the urge to empty her gun at them.

“Wait. Do not give away your position until necessary. The securitysystem will take down the first wave.”

Remembering Zaek’s voice helped steady her.

Four of them made it inside before the last one stepped on the pressure plate in the floor, triggering the dart guns hidden in the walls to emerge and fire upon them. They went down almost immediately, collapsing on top of each other like marionette dolls with their strings cut.

Yelled orders came from outside, someone warning the other soldiers that there were booby-traps.

The next group of men were more cautious. They sidestepped the pressure plate, but the one in the lead triggered the trip laser a little farther inside and went down with a dart in his neck.

Now.

Mira drew in a slow, silent breath and took aim.

Center mass. Squeeze the trigger. Aim again.

She took down another three before they returned fire.

Their bullets tore into the wall above her, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere like confetti, but they didn’t penetrate. It was shockingly loud and made the panic she fought to suppress come back in full force.

“Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Panic will get you killed,” she whimpered, fighting against it, struggling against the instincts telling her to get up and run.

Wait for the lull. Get low. Return fire.

The shots didn’t stop like she expected, and she realized they must be staggering their fire. Trying to calm her breaths so she didn’t hyperventilate,

Mira waited, praying they didn’t advance while she wasn’t looking.

There.

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