Page 20 of Shadow of Doubt

The sound had been close; just the other side of the island. Whoever it was, they were standing only inches away.

She gripped her pistol tighter and applied pressure to the trigger. Planting her feet, she prepared to spring. The moment she fired her weapon, it was going to be like a starting gun going off. Unless some of Martin’s men were still alive, she was going to draw all the heat down on her.

But she had no choice. She and Grechko were trapped. The assaulters would search every room until they found what they were looking for. And she felt pretty certain as to what it was they wanted. They had come for him. She was determined not to let them succeed.

There was another crunch of glass and then another. Looking up at the toaster, she could see one of the black-clad men approaching. He was so close, she could hear him breathing behind his Kevlar mask.

In a tense microsecond, her mind processed all of the data available to her and formulated a plan. She’d be lucky not to catch a bullet in the skull, but there was no time left. Action beat reaction every time. When the assaulter’s left boot became visible, she sprang her trap. Her first shot went through the man’s foot.

As he screamed in pain, she popped back around the end of the island and shot him twice in the groin. The screaming grew even louder.

The assaulter wildly fired his weapon, chewing up the cabinets and countertops, as he stumbled backward to get away.

Sølvi didn’t give him any quarter. Popping out once more, she drilled him twice through each kneecap and was on top of him before he even hit the floor.

Placing the muzzle of her pistol just under his Kevlar helmet behind his left ear, she fired, killing him instantly.

Slamming the butt of her weapon against the man’s chest, the solidthunkconfirmed that he was also wearing a chest rig with a bulletproof ceramic plate. Probably had one in back too. She had been right to aim for his lower extremities. It was the only Achilles heel the assaulters had. At least until you could get in close enough to finish them off.

Working fast, she stripped the man of his rifle and one spare magazine, just as one of his colleagues came around the corner and began firing.

Sølvi raced back behind the island and kept moving. Her new attacker seemed to have known exactly what she was up to because he went full auto, tearing up the island and everything around it. If not for the marble cladding, she never would have made it back to the pantry.

The assaulter from the kitchen was going to be on them any second. Worse still, she had no idea if the other two were still alive and if they were,wherethey were. She needed to come up with a plan, fast.

Covering the doorway, she gave Grechko a set of rapid instructions. As the Russian sprang into action, she pointed the muzzle of the dead assaulter’s rifle into the kitchen, depressed the trigger, and raked the room back and forth with bullets, sending their current attacker diving for cover.

Moments later, Grechko held up what she had asked for. “Like this?”

Sølvi nodded. “Take the cap off and light it,” she instructed as she inserted her one and only fresh magazine into the rifle.

The Russian did as she asked, dragging the scratch strip across the black flare igniter button.

Holding the rifle in her left hand and snugging the stock against her left shoulder, she used her right hand to accept the improvised explosive device from Grechko. The next step was the most dangerous part of her plan.

Tilting the barrel of the rifle around the door frame, she exhaled, pressed the trigger, and charged into the kitchen as soon as the weapon started firing.

She only needed to clear the island. It was a meter and a half, tops. She could cover the distance in three strides. The only question was whether her ammo would last.

She saw two assaulters, partially behind cover, who were actively returning fire. Adjusting the rifle, she focused her shots on them, keeping the pair pinned down.

As she neared the island, she drew her right arm back, and then—just as she cleared it, she snapped her arm forward and released the IED.

Like a granite stone in the sport of curling, the twenty-pound propanetank slid across the polished marble floor of the kitchen, the red road flare duct-taped to its side burning brightly.

The moment she let it go, she spun and raced back toward the pantry. Her weapon ran out of ammo halfway there.

Without losing a step, she dropped the rifle, pulled her pistol, and continued to rain down rounds on her assailants.

The IED had just drawn parallel with the assaulters as she reached the pantry door. Gaining a rapid sight picture, she fired two rounds and dove for cover.

There was an enormous explosion as fire engulfed the living and dining rooms and kitchen. Shrapnel from the ruptured propane tank sliced through the flame-filled air.

Sølvi didn’t wait to see what had happened to the attackers.

Getting to her feet, she swapped out the magazine in her pistol for a fresh one and led Grechko into the laundry room.

After having him stand back, she cracked the door and checked the hall once more. It was clear.

---