Page 23 of Trigger

Iblinked. “Pardon?”

“Bobis here,” Thorsen murmured, pointing his chin at the building across thestreet. “Six o’clock.”

“Thatbald guy standing next to him,” I said, reaching for my gun. “I know him. He’swanted for murder. Shit, they’re splitting up.”

“I’lltake Bob,” Thorsen said, opening the car door.

“I’lltake Baldie.”

I leftthe car and ran down the street, trying to remain hidden behind a row of trees.When Baldie turned left into a narrow alley, I followed him. A bottle crashingto the ground made me flinch as I raised my gun higher, slowing down. When Ireached the end of the alley, I spotted a door in the building to my left. Iheaded toward it when something hit my head and everything turned upside down.

“Oh,shit,” I mumbled, and it was the last thing I could remember before falling tothe ground.

Chapter5

Trapped

Thorsen

When Iwoke up it was still dark, so I decided to go back to sleep when a wet drop hitmy nose. Was it raining? I straightened up, waiting for my eyes to adjust tothe darkness, when it all came back to me. I was running after Bob when I hearda groan in the distance. It made me freeze on the spot because I knew thatvoice, and my heart sank to the fucking ground.Carter. I ran down thedarkened alley, crashing into the trash cans and dumpsters when something fellon my head, and then… nothing.

Andnow, where the fuck was I? Definitely somewhere underground, but where? Acellar? Not dry enough. A sewer? Not stinky enough. I could discern four stonewalls around me and a small hole in the ceiling. It looked like a drainageopening, and it had bars that let the faint light in. And where… fuck, wherewas Carter? Cold fear washed over me as I looked around in alarm only to spot abody lying on the ground further away from me.

“Carter,”I hissed, crawling towards him. “Is that you?”

Hisbody felt warm, but was he still alive? I placed my fingers on his neck tocheck his pulse, wondering if I should give him mouth-to-mouth.

“Don’teven think about it.” A low growl warned me. “I’m fine.”

“Jesus,”I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “My heart nearly stopped. I thought youwere dead.”

“You’renot that lucky.”

Carterscrambled to his feet, but his movements were unsteady.

“Careful,”I warned him. “You might have a concussion.”

“And Iwould still be more comprehensible than you.”

“Asshole,”I muttered. “By the way, I presume your gun is missing, too?”

“Yup.Whoever put us here made sure we die a slow and painful death. And I left myphone in the car, although I doubt there’s reception here.”

“Metoo,” I grumbled, shaking my head in frustration. “Shit.”

Theimpulsive movement made me frown as the sharp pain in my temples reminded methat someone whacked me on the head earlier. I felt my forehead, looking for anopen wound or worse, but all I could find was a large bump.

“Ithink we’re in some kind of bunker,” Carter said, looking around.

“Youdon’t say,” I mocked him. “Is it the lack of our means to escape that led youto this conclusion?”

Hesmirked, pointing his chin at my biceps. “Are you sure about that? These lookas if they could tear down walls.”

“Charming.But, yeah, we’re somewhere underground. There’s water dripping through thosebars, which means we’re near a source of water. Not in the sewer, though,because I can still smell your cologne and not shit.”

Carterchuckled. “Perceptive.”

“Acompliment? Be still, my heart.”

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