Page 82 of Ghost

“Good.”She beamed.“Let’s find a movie.”She hooked her arm in Mila’s and led her to the couch.

A warm, fuzzy feeling went through her as she sat down, for once feeling truly accepted.

***

Fuck.

The guard’s yell boomed through the night, alerting all the other guards.The man reached for his gun, but Ghost slammed the knife into his neck.

His eyes went wide with horror as he clapped his throat.He sunk to the ground then tipped into the pool.

Gunfire and shouts erupted around Ghost.He ducked as a bullet flew by him.

“East side is secure!”Zain bellowed in Ghost’s ear.

“One down on the west,” August said.

Ghost bolted across the lawn, wiping his knife on his pant leg as he ran and then tucking it back in its sheath.Securing his gun in his hands, he reached the back door.

Aiming at the lock, he fired.

Crack!

The sharp blast of metal on metal roared in his eardrums.He pushed open the door and spilled into a large mudroom.

“Go, go, go!”someone ordered from inside.

Ghost clenched his teeth and stormed across the slick marble floor.The mudroom opened up into a huge kitchen.He’d barely taken in the gleaming granite and mahogany wood before a guard blipped on his radar.The guy popped out from the side of the island and shot.

A bullet whizzed by Ghost’s head.Drywall exploded and hammered the back of his neck.He dove to the floor, skidding out of the man’s sight.

His finger burned with the need to get up and fire a shot but he held back, waiting for the prick to make his next move.

A radio crackled.“Matt, are we clear?”

“I might’ve got him,” the guy answered, his voice hoarse.

“We made it to the bunker.”

“Copy.”

Ghost smirked and stayed crouched, shuffling silently over the floor.He stood and aimed his rifle at the spot where the man had popped out moments before.

The guy’s shoes squeaked as he shifted.Anticipation made Ghost’s palms sweat.A dark mop of hair rose over the edge of the counter and Ghost fired.

Crack!

There was a loud smack as the man hit the ground.Then silence.

“Kitchen’s clear,” Ghost said into the mic.

“Comin’ in the back,” Rami said, huffing.

A second later, boots clomped through the mudroom.Rami, August, and Zain entered.Rami’s mouth hitched at the corner.“I see you didn’t waste any time.”

“Don’t have much of it,” he ground out.

August breezed ahead, his rifle in hand.“Let’s clear the place before we find the bunker.I don’t want any surprises.”