Page 26 of Leading Conviction

“Hawkins Black! Why the hell would you push—”

Hawk leaned over them both and cut Hannah off by pressing her farther against Eagle.

“Those are gunshots,” Hawk grunted as he searched the stands with wide eyes.

Eagle had never seen the man look so panicked. But the way Hawk’s gaze darted between Hannah and finding the shooter, Eagle realized it wasn’t just Hawk’s panic he was seeing for the first time.

It was fear.

Another shot rang out and the stadium ground underneath Eagle’s back thudded as everyone stampeded to safety. Eagle could see people’s heads bobbing over the rim of the seats as they fled, but even though fewer and fewer people remained, the bullets kept zipping just over their section.

Hawk ducked and shielded both Eagle and Hannah with his body. A chunk of the seat Hawk crouched behind scattered around them.

This wasn’t just any shooter.Theywere the targets.

When Hawk leaned up again, Eagle shifted so Hannah was shielded between the two of them. Hawk yanked Eagle’s Braves jersey collar and whisper-shouted in his ear.

“There’s more than one. But the one I saw looked very fucking familiar.”

Eagle’s already racing heart stuttered. “One of the jobs?”

Hawk nodded, not needing to clarify that one of the bastards from their missions was now targeting them.

Alarms suddenly blasted over the speakers. Interspersed between three blaring warning tones was a prerecorded public service announcement.

“Attention all patrons: there is a report of an active shooter in the stadium. Please calmly and safely—”

Another crack of a gun made Hannah scream. Hawk stretched his broad body to completely cover her, further sandwiching her between them both. She tried to duck into Hawk’s chest, but Eagle held her closer, fighting her instincts to seek out her boyfriend for safety.

Hawk pulled away and shot his own gun over the rim of one of the green plastic chairs. A man screamed just as another bullet clipped the seat beside Hawk.

Hawk ducked and when the shots stopped firing, he pulled Hannah by the nape toward him and kissed her fiercely on the lips. Eagle felt her melt in his arms for another man, but before the jealousy could take root in his gut, Hawk broke it off and locked eyes with Eagle.

“Get her out of here and I’ll draw them away. Once she’s safe, I’ll take care of them.”

Eagle nodded and grabbed Hannah. Her formerly pliant body turned rigid as she tried to escape him.

“Hawk, no! Come with us! Please,mi cielo! Please!” Hannah cried out, reaching for Hawk.

He shook his head. “I love you, dove.” Another bullet sliced through the green plastic chair next to Hawk’s head like butter. His focused eyes found Eagle as he shouted, “Go!”

Hawk leapt from the ground and ran like hell, drawing gunfire his way. The stadium had nearly emptied out around them, so he had no trouble leaping, jumping, and crouching down the row.

After he made it to the next section of stands, Eagle did the same, ignoring Hannah’s pleas and the scratches she made on his forearm. He picked her up and carried her, one arm around her waist, his pistol drawn in the other.

All hell had broken loose topside as the packed stands funneled through the much-too-small aisles and gates. Everyone was so concerned with their own safety no one even noticed the woman being lugged around, screaming her head off.

“No! We can’t leave him!”

“Stop moving, or I can’t defend us!” he yelled, but it was no use.

She tried to wriggle away and turn around, but Eagle halted his running to grasp her tighter. A bullet whizzed in front of him, right where he would’ve been if he hadn’t stopped to grab her.

“Shit, that was way too damn close.”

Out of the corner of Eagle’s eye, Hawk raced from his shielded position behind a row of seats and picked off the guy that’d shot at Eagle. Before another shooter could take out Hawk, he leapt over one of the metal handrails on the stairs and landed into a crouch in an adjacent row.

“Come on,” Eagle ordered Hannah. “We have to get out of here.”