Page 30 of No Vow Broken

What the hell were they doing? I hadn’t given them the signal yet.

Gunfire and a flash-bang suddenly erupted on the side of the house where Hands guarded the ballroom drawing my attention. The attack seemed more determined and committed than any I had heard before. It continued, with frequent flashes creating hot spots in my goggles as I looked through the gaping frames of the dining room windows. From my angle, I could see someone crouching in the doorway between the dining room and the hall. It had to be Gio, and he was turning, looking down the hall to where Hands was battling. An extended burst of gunfire from the ballroom was punctuated with a final flash-bang and Hand’s call over the radio. “Got him!”

At that precise moment, one of the attackers rose from behind the emergency generator where he’d been hiding. Sliding sideways, he panned the room with his gun through the broken window.

Gio had his back to him as he peered down the hall.

Damn.

I swung my gun up, but I already knew in my heart.

I was too late to save my brother.

FIFTEEN

Lexi

Icarefully stepped out of the room, pulling the door shut. I waited until I heard Elvis lock it behind me before I turned and whispered to Agent Glass that I was coming out.

She sat with her back against the wall near the barricade, gun in her hand.

“What are you doing?” she hissed when she saw me. “Get back into the room now.”

“I brought you something I think might help.”

Before she could answer, a loud bang and gunfire exploded behind us on the floor below. I crouched down against the wall. The gunfire was intense and seemed to swing around to the dining room area underneath us and then echo to the ballroom end. Even with my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could barely sense Agent Glass slide into a firing stance near the barricade with her gun pointed at the top of the stairs. I didn’t know how useful her gun would be, as neither of us could see much of anything. But hopefully the attackers couldn’t be sure about how blind we really were.

“This must be their final assault,” she said in a low voice. “They’ll have to take us now, as Hawkeye will be here soon.”

“Hawkeye?”

“The counterassault team. I think I can hear the chopper. We only have to hold on for a couple more minutes, and we’ll have made it.”

That was the best news I’d heard all night, but given the intensifying gunfire below, I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel safe again.

I dashed over to her and slid down the wall. I was surprised that while straining to hear the incoming helicopter, I heard the wail of approaching police sirens. “I brought you a high-powered flashlight. I always travel with one because…well, you never know when the lights will go out. You can use it to blind the attackers if they’re wearing night-vision goggles. It might give you a slight advantage.”

She glanced over at me in surprise. “How did you happen to think of that?”

“It’s a long story, but the short version is I was once embedded with the Navy SEALs. I picked up a thing or two from my time with them.”

Just then, a short volley of shots sounded right below us, followed by heavy pounding as someone raced up the stairs. There was no more time for discussion and no time for me to get back to my room.

“Get behind me and stay down,” Agent Glass ordered, maneuvering herself in front of me in a protective stance. “And if you want to help, get that flashlight ready. Wait for my signal.”

A few seconds passed, and nothing happened. The helicopter whomping was now obvious and getting closer. I had relaxed slightly when a shadow rose abruptly from the top of the stairs and fired several shots in our direction. It happened so fast I had no time to react. My brain was momentarily frozen by the muzzle flashes.

A distant part of my brain registered that his gun sounded different than most, and the high-velocity bullets tore effortlessly through our makeshift barricade. Agent Glass was only able to snap off a couple of shots before she slumped sideways on top of me, taking us both to the floor. The flashlight rolled from my hand. I lay there, stunned, feeling her blood soaking into my dress. I sensed movement above me and froze, closing my eyes while expecting to be shot at any moment.

I could sense the attacker looming over us for a moment and then hurrying on down the hall. He must have figured he took us both out with his counterfire and was in a hurry to get to his target.

His mistake.

I cracked my eyes and turned my head slightly. I could barely see his shape highlighted by the smoke detector over his head, but I could tell he was a large man, and, as I’d suspected, he wore night-vision goggles. He was moving strangely and holding one arm against his chest like he was hurt. He stood at the door to the room I’d just vacated—the room where two of my best friends were hiding in a bathtub. He let out a roar when he discovered it was locked.

I had seconds to stop him.

I wiggled as imperceptibly as I could from beneath Lucy, my elbow bumping into my flashlight on the ground. I flinched as the attacker shot the lock, then gave the door a vicious kick. The door cracked but didn’t open. He kicked it again. It splintered and sagged but still held. Thank God for old houses with solid wood doors.

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