Page 73 of Code Name: Grit

I couldn’t risk it might be the latter. I had to reach her first.

“Tank, cover me,” I called, then burst from behind the log, staying low as I sprinted across the clearing.

Bullets kicked up dirt at my feet. A round grazed my arm, tearing through the sleeve of my tactical jacket but missing flesh. I didn’t slow down.

Keller changed direction and raised his weapon. I fired twice, forcing him to take cover behind a vehicle and buying myself precious seconds.

I reached the woodpile seconds before he could circle around. Lumi’s eyes widened when she saw me.

“Stay down,” I ordered, positioning myself between her and the gunfire.

“Tank!” I called into the comm. “Need extraction path to east forest edge.”

“Working on it,” he responded, followed by the sound of concentrated fire from his position.

The intensity of the gun battle was increasing. Giovanni was pinned down, unable to reach either his uncle or Lumi.

“Can you move?” I asked her, quickly checking her restraints.

“Yes,” she replied, her voice steady despite everything. “Get these off me.” She raised her bound wrists.

I pulled a knife from my belt and cut through the plastic restraints. “Stay behind me. We’re getting out of here.”

“Grit!”she yelled.“Behind you!”

20

LUMI

The world slowed to a heartbeat as I watched Giovanni approach, wild-eyed and desperate. He raised his weapon, aiming directly at Grit’s back.

I lunged forward instinctively, moving before my mind could process the decision. The sound of gunfire exploded all around us, deafening in its proximity. We tumbled to the ground together as bullets tore through the air where we’d been standing.

“Stay down,” Grit commanded, covering me with his body as more shots peppered the ground around us.

I peered through the chaos to see Giovanni take cover behind an overturned table, reloading his weapon. Beyond him, Rafael’s men were dragging their boss toward one of the vehicles while Cassio and his guards maintained suppressive fire from the opposite side.

“We need to move,” Grit said, scanning for an escape route. “Can you run?”

I nodded, my eyes fixed on a new threat emerging from the smoke. Keller was crouched behind an SUV, yelling into a radio while occasionally returning fire. Unlike everyone else whoseemed intent on killing each other, his attention kept shifting between the various groups, his eyes calculating even amid the violence.

“What’s he doing?” I whispered.

“Doesn’t matter,” Grit replied. “Our exit’s that way.” He pointed toward the tree line where Ranger and his team were establishing a defensive position.

“On my mark,” he said. “Three, two?—”

A sudden explosion rocked the north side of the lodge, sending debris and smoke billowing into the air. The blast provided the distraction we needed.

“Now!”Grit shouted, pulling me to my feet.

We sprinted toward the forest, zigzagging to make ourselves harder targets. Twenty yards to safety. Fifteen. Ten.

The gunfire behind us intensified, but it wasn’t directed at us—Giovanni’s men were engaged with Cassio’s guards in a full-scale firefight. Through the chaos, I caught glimpses of Keller ducking between the vehicles, his movements purposeful despite the hail of bullets. Whatever his role in this conflict, he wasn’t just another player caught in the crossfire.

We reached the edge of the forest, where Ranger and another operative provided covering fire.

“This way,” Ranger directed, motioning us toward a small ravine that would provide better concealment.

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