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He landed hard, the weapon slamming into his shoulder. His entire right arm went numb. “You okay, Piper?” His NOD’s had been knocked askew and he couldn’t see her in the sudden dark.

“Yes. You?”

“Five by five. Stay where you are. I’ll come get you.”

He climbed to his feet, his right arm stinging like hell. He yanked the NOD’s back down over his eyes, gave them a whack, and they came back on. The French might have their foibles, but they made sturdy military optics. The room lit up in lime green. He made his way over to Piper and reached down for her.

“You okay?” she asked as he pulled her to her feet.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Sounded like you went down hard.”

“I’ve walked fifty klicks on a broken leg. I’m fine.”

“That’s right. I forgot you’re a miracle of modern testosterone.”

He rolled his eyes and led her to the back door. “Doesn’t look boarded over from the outside. If we bust the lock, it ought to open.”

“Be my guest, Macho Man. I’m as blind as a bat.”

“Bats see pretty well, you know. And their sonar puts eyesight to shame.”

“Whatever. Just get the door open and let’s get out of here.”

He used his sidearm, a 9 mm Beretta, to blow the lock open. Quick look left and right. Alley. No hostiles in sight. He got his bearings and moved off to the right, toward his hidey hole.

The gun battle raged one block over now, but they were able to move mostly unimpeded. They ducked down another street and, without warning, somebody took a pot shot at them. But the bullet winged way wide. Probably some terrified kid. Whoneeded bedtime stories when a real-life drama like this was playing out under your nose? Hell of a way for kids to grow up.

“You got a flash bang?” she muttered.

He blinked, startled by Piper’s question. “Yes.”

“We need a diversion to get across this street. Yesterday when I was scoping out this area, there were at least a dozen rebels strolling around like it was home sweet home. I think the shooter who just tried for us isn’t alone.”

Good thing she’d run a recent recon in this neighborhood. It had been a solid week since he’d eyeballed this sector. He pulled out a flash bang—a grenade designed to create mostly noise and sound, and murmured, “When it blows, you run for it. I’ll cover you. When you reach that alley over there, turn and cover me.”

She nodded grimly.

He couldn’t believe he’d just said that. He was entrusting his life to this civilian female. “Five second delay,” he muttered. He pulled the pin and lobbed the grenade. He muttered, “One monkey. Two monkey…

When he reached four, she took off running. Right about when any lurking snipers could acquire her as a target, the flash bang blew. She swerved, righted herself, and kept on running. Grimly, he jumped off the curb and sprinted for Piper. He was a sitting duck. Every watching eye on the whole street would be trained on where that explosion had just happened, and unlike her, he didn’t have the distraction of an explosion to make them miss their shot.

He was startled when a muzzle flash lit up from the mouth of the alley Piper had just dived into. Another one. Two more in quick succession. Cries accompanied each shot. If she was actually acquiring and hitting hard targets with each of those shots, she was as fast as a pissed off rattlesnake snake.

He dived for the darkness beside her and rolled against a wall as the ground behind him exploded in a puff of dirt. Damn, that was close.

“Thanks,” he grunted.

“No prob. Let’s move out before any of these jerks decide to rush us.”

“The way you were picking ‘em off? Not likely.”

Nonetheless, he climbed to his feet and took up a point position. Abruptly, his back felt a whole lot safer. That girl was hell on wheels with a firearm.

They had to sprint the last block full out as some sort of armored vehicle cruised into the area. He highly doubted it was the government trying to restore order. More likely, El Noor had a new toy and was looking for some buildings to blow up.

Ian jammed the key in his front door lock and slipped inside as a small armored vehicle came into sight. Piper jumped in behind him and he kicked the door shut just as the armored vehicle’s spotlight swung down the alley.