Page 102 of Girl Lost

But it wouldn’t ride in his waistband, not without his belt. He’d just have to carry it.

He stood. Pain shot through his side, but his legs held.

He turned, his gaze falling on the gunman’s body. The man’s eyes stared sightlessly at the ceiling, his face frozen in a rictus of pain and surprise.

A wave of nausea washed over Corbin. He hadn’t meant for this to happen. It was self-defense, yes, but the brutality of it shook him to his core.

But there was no time for regret or self-recrimination.

Corbin stumbled toward the exit, his legs unsteady beneath him. Every step sent shock waves of pain through his battered body. His throat throbbed where the gunman’s fingers had dug in, and he could already feel bruises forming. Blood soaked through his shirt, but not as bad as before. He’d be fine.

A tremor ran through the building.

The floor beneath his feet shuddered, and a distant boom echoed through the corridors. An explosion.

He yanked the door open, nearly falling into the hallway beyond.

Emergency lights pulsed an angry red, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls. A siren wailed. No smoke. Not yet.

Corbin sprinted down the hall, heading for the service tunnel.

35

THE GROUND SHUDDEREDbeneath Luna’s feet, a tremor that pulsed through her bones. The shelves rattled. Jars clinked together. The distant boom of the explosion rolled through the building like thunder.

Luna couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. The market. The beggar girl. Aisha’s lifeless eyes.

What if it was the lab? Or the vault. What if Corbin was trapped? She could almost feel the heat of the explosion, smell the smoke, hear the echoing boom that reverberated through her.

“What was that?” The voice of one of the guards was closer now.

“Sounded like a blast ball or stun grenade. We’d better check it out.” Footsteps retreated, growing fainter. “C’mon!”

Stun grenade. Not a deadly explosive. Just a distraction.

Luna waited, counting her heartbeats until she was sure the guards were gone. She did a four-count breathing exercise. When her hands were steady again, she said, “Okay, I think it’s clear.”

“Are you sure they’re gone?” Trinity whispered. She clutched the edge of a shelf for support.

“Only one way to find out.” Luna eased the storage room door open and peered out. The hallway was empty.

Summer put her hand on Luna’s arm. “Was that ... a bomb?”

She shook her head. “No. Special ops tactical diversion. Big noise, bright flash. It’s meant to stun and distract.”

“Worked for us,” Trinity said.

“We have law enforcement outside waiting for our signal,” Luna said. “That’s probably them making a move.”

Trinity’s eyes widened. “So that was your people?”

“Maybe. Or Corbin creating a distraction,” Luna said. “Either way, we’re safe.”

“Yeah, but what about Corbin?” Summer asked. “What if that was meant for him?”

“He knows what he’s doing.” How many times had she told herself that in the field when operations went sideways? But this wasn’t just any partner. This was Corbin.

“What do we do?” Summer asked.