Page 92 of Descent

Making sure Dom is hidden, I strafe out to get a peek…

A row of gun barrels greets me. The rest of the mercs and the bounty hunters squirm on the ground, struggling against restraints.

“FBI, put down the gun, show us your hands.” What the hell? Where did they come from?

My main pistol drops to the sand, my arms raising.

“Identify yourself.”

“I’m a civilian consultant for the U.S. Marshals. I was in one of the vehicles, please. I just?—”

I see the narrowing gaze at my lie. Worth a shot.

The squad leader raises his gun. Just as Ero rises up behind the two men on the left, Don pops out to the right. A shower of bullets clears me a path through.

The remaining feds bolt for cover, firing in all directions.

Leaving the last vehicle wide open.

Ero’s closing in, staggering. Automatic weapon fire peppers the side of the vehicle as I dive over the seat, dragging Ero into the back seat behind me. He’s woozy, blood all over him.

Dom throws himself into the passenger seat alongside me as I slam the driver’s side door and gun the engine. Wheels peel out, spraying dirt.

“Here!” I toss Dom my belt. “Tie it off, stop the bleeding.”

“I know how a tourniquet works. What are we going to do about him?” He nods toward the back seat.

Blood trickles into one of my eyes as I try to look over my shoulder. Swiping it away in frustration, I slam my palm on the steering wheel. “He’s tough. He’ll make it until we can stop. Right, E?”

“Yup,” Ero mumbles, slumping back down and into unconsciousness.

In the mayhem, no one appears to be following us. We ditch the car in the next town. Steal another. By nightfall, we’re in the clear.

We’re headed north, driving straight up into Montana and heading towards Canada.

Fatigue drags at my eyes.

“Let me take over.”

“Maybe after we get supplies.”

“Fine. While we’re at it, we need to get some things straight. Like why you saved me.”

“We have reasons.”

“I’m guessing one of them has to do with why Ero doesn’t recognize me.”

“Among others. Why do I get the impression you were expecting us?”

“Not you, exactly. And not the free for all fuck fest between two different departments and a handful of hired guns.”

“So someone was supposed to extract you.”

Dom tilts his head, staring out the window. “That was the plan. Not sure what went wrong. The guys that were supposed to bust me out tried to kill me. My own people.”

“Yourpeople?”

He side-eyes me.

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