Alpha One (Shadow Agents 1)

Jasper was firing, attacking from the distant right side, back near the heavy gate—a gate that was currently busted open.

Blasted your way in.

Syd would be coming. The woman was always their eyes and ears. She’d be watching the video surveillance, sending backup and joining the fight herself.

The woman could be lethal.

Logan grabbed the cop’s hand and shoved it against the guy’s wound. “Keep pressure on it.” The uniform was as pale as death, shaking, but he’d be okay. Provided he didn’t take another bullet.

Logan ignored his own injury, barely feeling the pain. He didn’t have time for it then. These men—they weren’t getting into the house. They wouldn’t get to Juliana.

He eased away from the cop and began to stalk his prey. He’d been trained for up-close-and-personal kills. He could get close and the prey wouldn’t know it. Not until it was too late.

Jasper kept firing and distracting the attackers so that Logan would have time to sneak up on them.

Leave some alive. He wanted to take them down but would kill only if necessary. These men had to be brought in alive—we’ll make you turn.

No one would be pulling knives and taking the easy way out of this mess.

Logan wasn’t going to allow for easy.

He snuck up on one of the gunmen, grabbed his hand and broke the wrist. The man’s weapon flew to the ground but he tried to kick out at Logan.

Logan punched him in the throat. The man never even had time to scream. In seconds, he was on the ground, and he wasn’t going to be getting up anytime soon.

One down.

* * *

CHIPS OF WOOD FLEW from the banister as Juliana rushed up the stairs. That last bullet had come too close for any kind of comfort.

She jumped off the stairs and hurried down the hallway. Just a few more feet...

Juliana shoved open her father’s bedroom door. “Susan!”

Susan spun toward her, a knife in her hands.

Juliana shook her head, stunned. “What—”

Her paintings were behind Susan. They’d been slashed.

“Run...”

A whisper. So faint she almost didn’t hear it, but Juliana’s gaze jerked toward that hoarse sound.

Gunner. On the floor. Covered in blood.

But then Susan leaped toward her and grabbed her hand. “You’re not running anywhere.” That knife flashed toward Juliana.

When you attack, use the strongest part of your body.

Juliana grabbed for the knife with her right hand even as she slammed her left elbow into Susan’s stomach. Susan stumbled back and grunted in pain.

The knife skittered across the floor.

“What the hell are you doing?” Juliana screamed because she didn’t want to believe what she was seeing. Susan couldn’t be in on this mess.

But then Susan yelled and launched herself at Juliana. The two women hit the floor, rolling in a tangle of limbs. Susan was the same size as Juliana, and the woman was fighting with a wild, furious desperation.