Page 26 of Draco's Fire

“In the bathroom, the one down that hall,” he nodded his head toward the half-bath. “Wait, don’t just…”

She ignored him and scurried on hands and knees to the cover of the hallway. Two more bullets thumped into the couch and two in the wall at the entrance to the hallway. She dashed into the bathroom, where she yanked open the cabinet and rummaged through it, finally finding the first aid kit in the back. She ran back out, and then dropped to crawl back to him.

He glared at her. “Are you just trying to get shot??”

She glared back. “You’re already shot, and I’m not going to have you bleeding out on me. Now shut up and let me bandage this.”

He grumbled, but adjusted his position so she could get to the wound.

“It looks like the bullet is still in there. Hold still and I’ll wrap it.” She made quick work of bandaging his wound. “There, that should hold you until we can get you to a doctor.”

She sat back and pulled out her gun, checking the clip and popping it back in. She checked her pockets for her extra clips, and rose to a crouch.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

“I’m doing my job, I'm going to find that shooter.”

“Are you crazy?” He grabbed her arm. “You’re not going out there.”

She pulled loose. “Yes, I am.”

“Shayla, it’s too dangerous. You can’t go out there.”

“Yes, I can.” She started to move away.

He grabbed her again. “No! I’m not letting you go out there!”

“You’re notlettingme?” she asked dangerously. “You don’t get toletme do anything. I decide what I do, not you.” She jerked away from him and started to move again.

“Shayla, please.” He gripped her hand. “I can't lose you. Not now that I’ve finally found you.”

She touched his cheek, softening for a moment. “You won't lose me. This is what I do. I'm good at what I do.”

“Yeah, but you don't have to go out there. Just wait here with me for your backup to arrive.”

“Tyson, that’s why I’m here. I’m here to protect you, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“You can do that from right here beside me.”

“Right, so we just let the shooter sneak up on us from virtually anywhere? We just give him the upper hand? Stay here like sitting ducks? I don’t think so. I’m going out there, I’m going to find him, and I’m going to stop him.”

“Shayla, please don’t…”

She shook her head. “Just stay down, I'll be back before you know it.”

She crawled back into the hallway without another word. She hated having to leave him like that, but she knew staying was not the solution. Her backup was too far away to get there in time, and she would have a better chance by turning the hunter into the hunted.

She slipped out of the guest room window, hoping he wouldn’t see her and would believe she had stayed in the house. She got back down on her hands and knees and worked her way around to the breaker box on the side of the house, and shut off the power.No sense in leaving the asshole a spotlit target.She looked around for some cover. Spotting a pile of boulders about halfway to the treeline, she darted toward it, hoping the shooter was still looking at the living room.

A few strides from the house, she heard several bullets ricochet off of the pile of boulders she ducked behind.No such luck. Now where is he shooting from. I haven’t been hearing any gunshots, he must be using a silencer.Now, how am I going to find him.She pondered the problem for a minute and recalled the green dot.Of course!

She closed her eyes and concentrated, and a fog started rising slowly, thickening until she could see a faint green line pointing straight back to the shooter. “Gotcha!” she whispered, and started stalking her way toward his location, taking care to stay under cover. The green line suddenly winked out. She made a mental note of a landmark where the line had pointed.

Too late turning that off, buddy, I already know where you are. I’m on your trail now.She kept moving toward where the line pointed. She watched the ground as she moved silently through the trees, until she found the marks that showed where the enemy had waited for his shot. She cranked up her stealth mode, and started following the tracks he made when he realized his laser scope had betrayed his location in the fog.

He was good. He wasn’t leaving a clear trail, he was clearly making an effort not to. She was an expert tracker, but she was still slowed down by having to watch carefully so she didn’t miss anything. She worked her way through the woods behind him, then froze as she heard what sounded like pebbles sliding down the hillside off to her left. Was there more than one? She checked her watch. Still almost ten minutes until her backup was due to arrive.

She cursed and flattened, looking up the hill. She shimmied her way up, listening hard. Nothing. She made it to the top and over behind a rock and watched for any signs of movement on either side of the hill. Still nothing. She shook her head.Maybe it was just a decoy. He could have thrown some rocks.She had to get back on this guy’s trail before he got too much of a lead.

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