Page 27 of The Sniper

Daniels frowned. “No, you...”

“Daniels,” she interrupted, her gaze cutting to his. “I’m faster, and you know it. I’ll signal if it’s clear.”

He hated that she was right, but there was no time to argue. With a reluctant nod, he watched as she disappeared into the shadows, her movements fluid and precise. His grip tightened on his weapon as he scanned the room, every second stretching into an eternity.

Then, it happened. A faint click echoed through the warehouse, followed by the low hum of machinery. Daniels barely had time to register the sound before the room was flooded with blinding light. He spun, his gun raised, but before he could react further, a deafening clang echoed behind him. The door slammed shut.

“Reyna!” he called, his voice sharp.

“I’m fine!” she shouted from somewhere beyond the crates. But her voice was strained, and it didn’t take long for Daniels to understand why. The air was suddenly alive with movement—figures emerging from the shadows, armed and purposeful. They were trapped.

Daniels dropped to one knee, firing at the first figure to step into view. His shot hit center mass, the man crumpling to the floor. A second assailant darted toward him, but Daniels was faster, disarming him with a swift strike before landing a brutal kick to the chest.

He caught a glimpse of Reyna out of the corner of his eye, her lithe form moving like a shadow as she engaged two attackers at once. She ducked under a swing, her elbow driving into one man’s ribs before she delivered a sharp kick to the other’s knee.Daniels smiled, reminding himself she was good at what she did. The woman was lethal, and it would take a hell of a lot to bring her down.

But their assailants just kept coming; their numbers were overwhelming. More figures poured into the room, and Daniels realized they were being herded—separated. His jaw tightened as two men cut him off from Reyna, forcing him toward the far wall.

“Daniels!” she called, her voice carrying a rare note of urgency.

“I’m fine!” he shot back, even as he ducked a punch and drove his knee into his attacker’s stomach. The second man lunged at him, a knife glinting in the harsh light. Daniels sidestepped, grabbing the man’s wrist and twisting until the blade clattered to the ground. He finished with a sharp strike of his gun to the man’s temple, his body dropping like a stone.

But when he turned, Reyna was gone.

The realization hit him like a gut punch, his heart hammering in his chest as he scanned the room. She was nowhere to be seen, and the attackers were regrouping, their movements coordinated. They were stalling, keeping him occupied while they dealt with her.

“Reyna!” he shouted, his voice echoing in the cavernous space.

No answer.

A surge of fury roared through him, sharpening his focus. Whoever had set this trap had made a fatal mistake. They’d underestimated both of them. Daniels moved with lethal precision, dispatching the remaining men with brutal efficiency. Each strike, each shot was calculated, his training taking over as he cleared a path through the chaos.

When the last man fell, Daniels didn’t hesitate. He sprinted toward the direction he’d last seen Reyna, his mind racing.The warehouse was a labyrinth, the narrow corridors lined with crates and machinery. He rounded a corner, his breath catching when he heard the faint sound of a struggle.

“Let go of me, you bastard!” Reyna’s voice rang out, defiant even in the face of danger.

Daniels pushed harder, his boots pounding against the concrete as he followed the sound. He burst into a smaller room at the back of the warehouse, his gun raised. Two men had Reyna pinned against a wall, her arms restrained as she fought to break free.

“Hey!” Daniels barked, his voice a cold command.

The men barely had time to react before Daniels fired, his shots precise and lethal. They dropped instantly, their bodies hitting the floor with a dull thud. Reyna staggered forward, her breathing ragged as she clutched her side.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice tight.

“I’ve had better nights,” she muttered, wincing as she forced herself upright. “But we need to move. I saw explosives—this place is about to blow.”

Daniels’ pulse ratcheted up, but he didn’t waste time questioning her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the exit, their footsteps pounding against the concrete. The sharp crack of smaller detonations echoed behind them, warning them they needed to run faster.

They barely cleared the threshold before the first explosion tore through the warehouse, a shockwave of heat and force slamming into them. Daniels instinctively wrapped his arms around Reyna, twisting to shield her as they hit the ground. Debris rained down, the air was thick with smoke and the acrid smell of burning metal.

When the chaos finally subsided, Daniels pulled back, his dark eyes scanning her for injuries. “You sure you’re okay?”

Reyna nodded, though her expression was grim. “I’m fine. But whoever set that trap wanted us dead. This isn’t just about Veda anymore.”

Daniels helped her to her feet, his jaw tightening as he surveyed the burning wreckage behind them. Whoever was behind this was playing a dangerous game, and they’d just raised the stakes.

“Then we make them regret it,” he said, his voice low and steady.

Reyna met his gaze, a flicker of determination in her eyes. “Damn right we do.”

---