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A gunman emerged from the end of the hall. Ramon fired off two shots while swinging Nicola behind him and saying, “Put pressure on it!”
She hit the wall, gasping as she slid down to sit. Leaving blood smeared on the paint behind her as she cried and held her bleeding arm.
The group huddled around her, all of them trying to stand against the wall.
More shots smacked into the wall, and Ramon crept over to it. He looked around the corner and fired two shots, then two more. “Clear.”
“Okay, everyone. Let’s go.” Kenna helped Nicola up and ushered them all along. If she got them to an exit or to the bureau agents, they’d have help. She could double back for Buzard.
He had to be here somewhere.
One of the men turned to Kenna. “I know how to use that.” He motioned to her rifle.
She was about to object when she spotted the Marine Corps tattoo on the inside of his forearm. She pulled the pistol from the back of her belt, where she’d slid the holster. “How about this?”
He took it and immediately ejected the magazine, then slid it back home and racked the slide back. “Ready.”
“Ready.” She was going to keep a close eye on him but prayed that whatever instinct had been trained into him would win out,and he would help her protect these people. “Keep any eye out. Shoot anyone that’s not us and doesn’t have an FBI badge.”
She didn’t trust cops right now but wasn’t going to tell him to shoot any. She’d let that be his judgment. “Maizie, update?”
“Two men headed your way, coming up behind you.”
The marine swung around, and she spotted blood on the back of his neck. From the glass that sprayed down on them when the light was shot out? He fired a single shot, then two together. “Okay, that feels good.”
Kenna spotted the deceased men behind them, dressed in old-timey medical clothing. “If everyone is wearing white, it’s going to be difficult to figure out who is who.”
They passed a corkboard with papers pinned to it.
Kenna had a crazy idea and snatched a pushpin off the wall. She grabbed the arm of a young man in front of her and stuck the pin in the fleshy underside of his forearm. He flinched, flailing his arms before she could get out of reach. She ducked. “Easy. You with me?”
“I-I think so.” He looked around, still walking with the rest. Falling out of step.
“What’s your name?”
“Sean.”
“Okay, Sean. You know where the exit is?”
He said, “Maybe. I think so.”
Nicola dropped back to walk with them. “I can help Sean find the exit. I remember some things.” She looked at Sean. “The yellow fire extinguisher.”
“Right. And the door with the light.”
“We need to get there.”
“Okay,” Kenna said. “Sounds like we’ve got the beginning of a plan.”
“No go.” Maizie didn’t sound happy.
The marine asked, “Who’s that?”
“I’m your guardian angel, Axel.”
“Are you hacking military files, Maze?” Kenna walked with the crowd, following Ramon.
Maizie said, “Facial recognition.”