Page 25 of Skull

It felt like she was running on spinning logs, and she was way too exposed, her heart racing. The staircase wasn’t made for running up, but she threw caution to the wind. She had to get up and over, catch that scumbag and make him talk. Moving fast and avoiding even more debris on the flat roof—bent rusted metal chair frames, splintered wooden tables and doors, even a washing machine, precariously perched on the edge to her right, she sprinted across, careful not to lose her footing on loose sheets of metal, every step testing her balance. A round came out of nowhere, the sound of it splitting the air over her shoulder. She ducked down, swinging her head in the direction of the shot.

She pressed her back against the low concrete lip of the rooftop, heart rattling against her ribs. Every so often, she dared to lift her head above the parapet—but each time, a fresh bullet hissed across the gap between her and the sniper perched on the adjacent building. The muzzle flashes flickered like lightning in the moonless sky, pinning her in place. She was sure she recognized the silhouette of his rifle—a high-caliber weapon that could easily punch through cheap brick and corrugated tin.

She swore softly, looking for a way to drop down to the ground and continue her pursuit, but the moment she moved, another shot impacted near her. Time was slipping away with every bullet zinging off this ruined rooftop in this shantytown sprawl.

She pulled her rifle from the strap across her chest and aimed. She was a great shot, but the sniper was much too embedded for her to get one off. She was pinned down. She turned her head to look for Koz, but saw a slim red blob surrounded by many red blobs. Fuck. Her partner was in trouble, and Walker was unable to help her.

Whipping her head back, she decided that she would have to expose herself and take her chances. She wasn’t going to lie here while that fucker got away. This would have all been for nothing. Swallowing hard against the emotions rising like bile in her throat at the thought of leaving Eva behind, she hardened her heart, her stomach clenching like her guts were being ripped out.

These were the decisions that had to be made, and she was going to make them.

She went to rise, but movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was a dark green, sleekly fast, red-lit blur.

At first, she thought it was more hostiles. Then she realized it wasBones—Skull’s lean, agile Belgian Malinois. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized the uniform harness reflecting in the distant glow of a streetlamp. Skull must have deployed him to her as backup. Either way, it was a lifeline she hadn’t expected.

She stole another glimpse. The sniper fired again, sending a chunk of crumbling concrete flying near her shoulder. The dust momentarily clouded her NVGs, and she coughed, debris and gunpowder stung her nostrils as she hugged the flimsy corrugated barrier on the rooftop—only thing standing between her and the sniper’s next shot. Her heart pounded in her ears.

The strobe-like muzzle flashes from across the alley told her he was reloading, taking aim again. One breath, two… she exhaled slowly, trying to still the adrenaline roaring through her veins.

The dog, undeterred by the gunshot, darted between piles of busted cinder blocks and twisted rebar on that rooftop. Even from across the gap, she could see every muscle in his body tense with purpose.

Her mind reeled.Bones is going to try to take down a sniper? Alone?This was going to be hairy, no pun intended.

The sniper must have heard it, too. He shifted position, leveling his rifle at the shape weaving through the rubble. She silently pleaded for Bones to disappear behind cover. Instead, the Malinois sprang onto a half-collapsed ventilation box, nails scraping metal. Debris skittered off the edge, tumbling into the alley below.

Time slowed. The sniper’s rifle angled upward—aiming at Bones. She scrambled to do anything, anything to help.

She had to buy the dog a second. She slid to the edge of the rooftop, exposing herself to the sniper’s aim. Sighting through her scope, and bracing her arms, she squeezed off two quick shots in the sniper’s direction. Her muzzle flashes lit the night.

Bones raced across the flat structure jumping debris with the kind of agility that made her breath catch in her throat. She held her breath, her mind scrambling on how the dog could have gotten on the adjacent rooftop by himself. He was clearly alone, and she wondered where Skull was, momentarily concerned for his safety. But that was also something she couldn’t dwell on.

She spied a gap…abiggap that seemed impossible for the dog to breach, her heart missing a beat, but Bones was going for the enemy like a heat-seeking fur missile.

The sniper jerked, momentarily distracted by her shots, and that was all the Malinois needed. With a powerful coil of his hind legs, the dog rocketed over that gaping hole in the rooftop’s corrugated surface. It looked as though the rusted edges would crumble under his weight, but the dogsoaredacross, like a freaking spring-loaded projectile, his muzzle pulled away, revealing his sharp, lethal teeth. He landed precariously on a sliver of stable ground just a few feet behind the sniper. Bones crouched, snarling in a low, guttural growl. His powerful body was primed for action, assault, and mayhem, and the sniper knew it.

The sniper twisted, belatedly aware of the threat behind him. He tried to bring the rifle around.Too late fucker.The Malinois launched again, bridging the distance in a single, unnervingly graceful bound straight into his torso. Even across the gap, she heard the snarl as the dog latched onto the sniper’s arm, wrenching the rifle away from his shoulder. The man staggered backward, smashing into a low pipe. The rifle clattered out of reach, skittering across the roof.

The man wrestled, flailing to dislodge the dog, but his jaws stayed locked, chewing at his flesh, clamping down to the bone. The man fought, the sounds of his painful cries loud in the night. Lights came on, and Walker rose in one swift movement. While the fearless Malinois kept the man’s full attention, Walker aimed and hit the man with a headshot. The cries ended and Bones lifted his head, his muzzle dark with the sniper’s blood, his ears perked, scanning for more threats. A triumphant bark cut through the still night.

She finally exhaled, letting her arms drop, peering at the battered form of the sniper and the dog beside him. This whole mission hadn’t turned out the way she planned, but at least she was free to continue her pursuit thanks to a fearless four-legged operator who made a daredevil leap when it mattered most.

And from her vantage, pinned down and helpless, it was the mostimpossibly boldtakedown she’d ever witnessed.

She owed him some huge treat. What an amazing animal. There was more movement, and she swiveled her scope toward it, but then dropped the rifle. Talk about another amazing specimen racing onto the roof from a rooftop hatch, his rifle primed and ready as relief spread across his face. It was Skull and she only gave herself a moment before keying her comms. “Koz is in trouble. Help her.”

She shut out his response, not giving an inch. One command from Skull, and Bones paced her. Skull had to retrace his steps. He couldn’t cross that gap. She didn’t focus on the dog. He was obviously being directed by Skull. She never looked back. After picking up the red blobs still moving steadily, she took off like a shot in hot, relentless pursuit across the unstable rooftop.

She ran like she was drunk, forced to slow at a spot where the tin sagged dangerously. Bits of shattered tiles underfoot threatened to skid her right off the edge, and her arms windmilled to keep her upright. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to move faster, but if she mis-stepped, she’d go crashing into the alley below. Still, her mind kept chanting:Don’t lose him. Don’t you dare lose him.

Gunfire rattled from behind her, maybe the sniper’s backup. A bullet sparked off a metal gutter mere inches from her head. She flinched and pressed herself against the crumbling wall, adrenaline flaring. No turning back now. The HVT was one block away. She mentally apologized to the tall, sleek dog’s handler for leaving him behind with the sniper, but that was the job. They had to divide and conquer.

Jumping onto the adjacent roof with a grunt, she slid awkwardly on loose debris. Her ankle twisted, sending a sharp flare of pain up her calf. She bit back a curse, refusing to let it slow her down. She had to keep going.

Slipping through a gap in a rusted chain-link fence that someone had installed haphazardly at the roof’s edge, she dropped onto a lower section of corrugated metal. Ahead lay the labyrinth of shanties and improvised walkways. Winding alleys. Countless hiding spots. The HVT could vanish in a hundred directions. Her heart thudded in her chest.

But she could still see him, ducking around a corner to the right. One final leap across a three-foot gap to an adjacent roof, and she landed on a concrete block, stumbling forward but still on her feet. Her lungs burned and her mind set on a single objective:run him down.

The memory of that pinned-down sniper flicked in her head.Thank the starsfor Bones, or she wouldn’t have even made it to this point. Now it was up to her to secure the man who held the key to locating Hazard and Leigh. She drew on every ounce of training, ignoring the dull ache in her leg and the rattling in her chest.

---