The Sixth Day (A Brit in the FBI 5)

“I agree. I do think they’ve been compromised, yes. Whether from inside or out, someone is accessing information they shouldn’t have. But don’t worry, we’ll—”

There was a heavy thud against the side of the car, and Mike’s window exploded, spraying glass all over her.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Nicholas could see there was an exit ahead in a few hundred feet. He floored the car, whipped off onto a tree-lined country road, shouting, “Get down, get down! Don’t you dare get shot!”

Mike had already flattened herself against the seat. “I’m okay, lots of glass shards, but only pricks, nothing major, no blood, no pain, no bullet wounds.”

The road was thankfully empty of traffic. Mike came back up on the seat and looked back. All she saw was country road.

“Did you see the shooter?”

“No, they must have been on the A14, and there’s no one behind us.”

Nicholas checked in the rearview mirror. Nothing. “We must have kicked the hornet’s nest. Mike, there’s a gun in the glove box. Wherever the shooter is, you know he’s coming back. When he does, take him out.”

They were hit with another barrage of bullets.

“More bloody hornets! Hold on, Mike.” He wrenched the wheel to the right, and the car started to spin. He looked grim, hard, but there was no panic. More bullets, but none struck the car, it was weaving around too fast.

Mike grabbed the Glock out of the glove box and twisted in her seat, aiming out the shattered window with her right hand, her left holding her steady. She looked behind them, to the sides, didn’t see anything. “I don’t understand. Nicholas, there’s no one here,” and then she looked up and saw it—a drone flying above them.

“Crap, it’s a drone. Hold the car steady, hold it steady.”

He slowly brought the car around until they were once again straight on the road.

Immediately, more shots. Nicholas gunned the gas again, and the Beemer leaped forward. The shots kept on coming, ripping into the side panels.

There was a moment’s pause in the gunfire. Mike ignored the shards of glass and pushed herself up on the edge of the window, leaned out. She sighted the Glock, and her father’s words came clear in her mind. Trace the path, pull the trigger, once, twice. It was tough to site, the drone was only about two feet in length, but she did it. She missed. There

was a flash of gunfire from the drone, and she ducked back into the car, a bullet pinging not two inches from her head. Nicholas yanked the wheel to the right, and she tumbled, hit her shoulder hard against the gearshift, and yipped. “I’m okay, I’m okay.” The moment the bullets stopped, she was hanging out the window again, tracing the path, tracing the path, shooting upward. This time, with the third bullet, she hit the drone. She saw a trail of black smoke and watched the drone swallowtail out of the sky.

She pumped her fist. “Yes! Nicholas, I got it!”

Nicholas slowed. They heard the drone slam into the ground some twenty feet off to their left.

When Nicholas had backed up and they were out of the car, Mike said, “I was expecting a small fireball, maybe some burning bushes or grass, but there’s nothing.”

“No,” he said, “nothing, only a dead death machine. Great shooting, my girl.” He cursed. “You’re bleeding.” His fingers wiped away a trickle of blood making its way down her neck, seeping onto her white shirt.

Mike felt the base of her skull. Her fingers came away wet. “No, don’t worry, not much blood. I think it’s a cut from the window glass when it exploded.” She grabbed his hand. “I’m all right, Nicholas. Now, how about you? That was some driving, by the way.” And she whispered a prayer.

“What?”

“I’m thanking my dad. He taught me how to hit a moving target. Now, answer me, are you okay?”

“I’m mad as hell, is what I am, but my body’s intact.”

She saw the rage in his eyes, a killing rage. Calm down, calm down. She said, her voice matter-of-fact, “Let’s go get a look at that drone.”

Several cars were pulling over now, a few people getting out to see what was going on, but Nicholas waved them off. He shouted, “Thanks, we’re fine. I’ve called the police.”

Once alone, they walked through the tall grass until they found the crash site.

Nicholas put a hand on her arm. “Stay here. I want to make sure the thing isn’t still capable of shooting or blowing up on us.”

“Nicholas, forget it. I’m the one with the Glock although how a gun would save us might be in question.”