Page 5 of Thin Ice

“Just one other guy, but I’m not sure where he went after he shot Kinsley. Since they captured us, there have been others coming and going. I heard the one man calling for help before he disappeared into one of the other rooms.”

“Who’s Kinsley?” Brookes asked.

“Kinsley Allison, the secret service agent who was with me when they grabbed us. They beat her up pretty badly. She was unconscious when they brought us here. We were both restrained and blindfolded. When they found Kinsley’s cell phone earlier today, and realized she’d reached out to someone, they shot her.”

“Stay here. If anyone comes, get down as low as you can.” He turned to Abby and nodded.

She moved to one side of the door. He took the other.

“Go,” he mouthed, and they rushed inside the room. A blast of shots forced them back into the hall. When the firing stopped, Brookes peeked past the door. A woman lay crumpled in one corner of the living room. She wasn’t moving. Blood seeped from a wound in her stomach. A second door stood ajar beyond the kitchen leading to a small balcony. The man was escaping.

“Go, I’ve got her.” Abby quickly removed her backpack and went to work on saving the agent’s life.

Torn between helping Abby and nabbing the shooter, Brookes rushed from the apartment out onto the balcony. A set of stairs led up to the roof. Brookes raced up them as fast as he could with a bum leg until he was almost eye-level with the roof. He froze briefly before peering over the edge of the roof and was met with more gunshots. He ducked low until the shooting stopped, then climbed the rest of the steps to the top.

The roof appeared vacant. Where did the shooter go?

A small utility shed intersected the building. The man fired off several rounds and disappeared behind it again. Brookes hit the ground. When the shooting stopped, he stumbled to his feet and rushed to the shed. Counting off three in his head, he jumped from behind the cover. The man was nowhere in sight.

Brookes hurried to the far side of the building and leaned over. The man was waiting for him. Shots forced him back out of sight. When quiet returned, he peered over the side. The shooter had taken the stairs down to the second floor and leaped to the ground. He hit hard and rolled several times.

If he got away, he’d alert other members of Legion. They’d block off every escape route out of the city.

Brookes opened fire. One shot hit the man’s leg. He yelped and grabbed the limb but kept going. Brookes emptied his clip. The man zig-zagged across the parking lot avoiding another hit, jumped into a parked car, and sped away.

Frustration doubled him over. Brookes pulled in a couple of agitated breaths and returned to Abby. They needed to evacuate the building now.

Abby looked up from her work when he entered the kitchen.

“I hit him, but he got away. How bad is she?”

“Bad. She’s lost a lot of blood. She’ll never make it to the compound without treatment.” Abby was the best nurse he knew. He trusted her opinion completely.

“I’ll get her to the SUV. I know someone close who can help.” Brookes gently lifted the unconscious woman into his arms while Abby hurried in front of him.

President Douglas waited for them near the door. “Is she going to make it? She saved my life and she’s a good friend.”

Abby didn’t mince words. “She needs help, but first we have to get out of here alive.” She took the lead, descending the steps quickly to the ground floor. Brookes did his best to keep the agent as immobile as possible. She didn’t look well at all.

They reached their confiscated SUV.

“Get her in the back,” Abby told him.

Brookes gently placed the fallen agent on the lowered third-row seat while Abby climbed in next to her. He got behind the wheel. President Douglas slid in beside him. Quickly, he fired the engine and spun out of their hiding spot in the alley.

“What’s the plan, Brookes? She doesn’t have much time.”

He grabbed his cell phone and called the only person he knew who could assist them. His foster-sister, Hannah. Though there wasn’t a choice, calling meant he’d be bringing Hannah into the spotlight. And possibly putting his sister onto Legion’s radar.

“Hello?” Hannah sounded as if she’d been sleeping.

“It’s me. Sorry I woke you, but I need your help. I’m ten minutes away.”

“Come around back. It’s safer.” The call ended. Just like Hannah. To the point with few words.

He jerked the SUV onto a heavily traveled street and did his best to keep from drawing undue attention to them. If they were stopped for any reason, President Douglas would be recognized. Right now, they couldn’t trust any of the police officers not to be working for Legion.

He glanced in the rearview mirror. “How is she?”

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