Page 21 of Protecting Her

"Incoming. Thirty seconds. But satellite shows three unmarked cars approaching from the south."

The kitchen's service exit opened into a narrow alley. James waited with their armored BMW and kept the engine running. Jude did a final scan while Sarah and Marcus created a protective corridor to the vehicle.

"Clear!"

They moved fast, their practiced evacuation protocols executed with precision. Jude moved as one with Carmen, her body shielding Carmen as she held her close. She thrust Carmen into the back seat, throwing her own body on top of her. She heard the car door slammed behind them as more gunfireerupted from the rooftops all around them. Engine roaring, James accelerated away from the ambush zone.

“Are you ok, are you hurt?” Jude began to peel herself up from Carmen’s body, as much as she wanted to hold her close, it was far from appropriate now they were in an armoured vehicle.

“I’m fine,” Carmen’s voice had a slight shake to it, as the two of them began to sit up.

Only then did Jude allow herself to really breathe, to feel the sting of the knife wound on her cheek and the weight of how close they'd come to losing everything. Carmen's hand found hers in the darkness of the car, gripping with silent emotion that said more than words ever could.

They'd survived, but the attack's sophistication confirmed Jude's worst fears. Someone with extensive resources wanted Carmen dead. And they'd just proven they had the means to breach even the best security. It was very clear that the only people who could be trusted were Jude’s own tight team.

The armored BMW cut through Bogotá's narrow streets, James taking evasive maneuvers with practiced skill. Streetlights strobed across the tinted windows as they weaved through traffic, the engine's purr masking the tension inside the vehicle.

Jude spoke into her radio, "Status report?”

"Three hostiles neutralized at the venue," Sarah's voice crackled through comms. "Local police response was delayed but heavy. They're sweeping the building now."

"The waiter had military gear," Marcus added. "High-end equipment, American-made. This wasn't cartel hardware."

"Two vehicles following," Kate reported from their support car. "Black SUVs with diplomatic plates. Taking evasive action."

James took them down a series of progressively narrower alleys, the BMW's reinforced frame scraping against ancient stone walls. Carmen's hand found Jude's arm during aparticularly sharp turn, her grip conveying more than just the need for balance.

"You're bleeding." Carmen's voice carried quiet concern as she reached toward the knife wound on Jude's cheek.

Jude caught her wrist before she could make contact, the gesture more gentle than she'd intended. "It's nothing. We need to?—"

"Incoming!" James called out as headlights flooded their vehicle from a cross-street.

The BMW swerved hard, tires screaming against cobblestones. Jude instinctively covered Carmen with her body as bullets sparked against the bullet-proof glass. The windshield held, but spiderweb cracks spread like frost across its surface.

"Multiple shooters," Sarah reported from the follow vehicle. "Taking them out."

Jude kept Carmen shielded while their convoy executed practiced escape maneuvers. Her body thrummed with adrenaline and awareness of every point where they touched. Carmen's perfume mixed with gunpowder residue from the firefight, an intoxicating combination that made Jude's head spin.

"Base team confirms that the hotel security is compromised." Kate's voice cut through the tension. "Proceeding to the fallback location."

They emerged onto wider streets where James could better maneuver. Carmen straightened in her seat but didn't move away from Jude's protective embrace. Their eyes met in the dim light, and Jude saw her own fear reflected in Carmen's gaze—not of death, but of losing each other.

"The waiter," Carmen said softly, her diplomatic mind already analyzing the attack. "He moved like Special Operations Forces."

Jude nodded, forcing herself to focus on security instead of how Carmen's pulse raced beneath her fingers. "American training. Probably ex-Delta or SEALs working in the private sector now."

"Like the contractors at the summit." Carmen's hand still rested on Jude's arm, her thumb making small circles that threatened Jude's concentration. "They're escalating faster than we had anticipated."

"Pursuers falling back," Sarah reported. "But police channels show roadblocks being established ahead."

James took them down a series of predetermined escape routes, each turn carrying them farther from the city center. Jude maintained radio contact with her team while monitoring Carmen's condition, noting the subtle signs of shock starting to set in despite her diplomatic composure.

"Here." Jude shrugged out of her protective vest, draping it over Carmen's shoulders. The move brought them closer in the vehicle's confined space, and Jude caught the slight hitch in Carmen's breathing.

"Always protecting me," Carmen murmured, her voice carrying layers of meaning that had nothing to do with security protocols.

"It's my job." But Jude's response lacked conviction as Carmen's fingers traced the knife wound on her cheek.

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