Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents 2)

The air bag deflated instantly—because someone had just shoved a knife into it. The gleaming blade of the knife shone in the darkness.

Then that blade came toward her. Veronica screamed.

But who was out there to hear her cries? She was in the middle of nowhere, and the man with the knife wasn’t hesitating as he jerked her out of the car.

Chapter Two

It was a scene out of a nightmare.

Jasper slammed on the brakes when he rounded the corner and saw the crashed sedan. The front of the vehicle was lodged in a fence, and the driver’s-side door was hanging open.

His gaze shot back across the two-lane highway. The other car—the bigger vehicle—was parked sideways, cutting across the pavement, and its doors were open, too.

Jasper jumped out of his truck.

Two men were trying to shove something—someone—into the trunk of that gray car. Veronica? Hell, no.

He had his weapon out in less than a second’s time. “Let her go!” he roared even as he raced toward the men.

A swear broke from one of the men. They dumped Veronica into the trunk. One guy tried to slam the lid shut on her.

“I will shoot you! Get away from her!”

Veronica tried to jump out of the trunk. One of the thugs shoved her back inside.

I warned you.

Jasper aimed at the man who’d pushed Veronica. Fired. The bullet tore into her attacker’s shoulder, and he stumbled back, screaming. The other man rushed toward the driver’s side. He dived into the vehicle even as Veronica leaped out of the trunk. She started running toward Jasper as the driver rushed away with a screech of burning rubber.

The driver thought he was getting away. Just leaving his bleeding buddy behind. Think again. “Get down, Veronica!” Jasper shouted.

She instantly hit the pavement. He fired. Once. Twice. The bullets found their targets as he aimed at back tires. The vehicle was still lurching forward, but the driver wasn’t getting far, not on those tires. Jasper yanked out his phone. He had Gunner on the line in less than five seconds. “Got a fleeing vehicle on 59, back tires are out.”

That was all he’d need to say. Gunner would stop the driver. If not Gunner, then one of the other agents in the area. The EOD always had his back.

Jasper kept his weapon out as he hurried toward Veronica. The gray car had disappeared around the curve, but Jasper knew he’d be seeing that guy again real soon. But right now, Veronica was his priority.

She was still lying flat on the ground. “Is it...okay to move?” she called out, voice trembling.

He glanced at the man he’d shot. The guy had slammed his head into the back of the car when he fell, and it looked as though the would-be kidnapper was now out cold. But Jasper wasn’t taking any chances. “Get up, but stay with me.”

She pushed to her feet. In the darkness, he couldn’t tell much about her or any injuries she might have. “Did they hurt you?”

Veronica shook her head. “They were— They tried to kidnap me!”

Which didn’t make a hell of a lot of sense to him.

He headed toward the downed man. Veronica’s hesitant steps followed him. His shot had been clean, right in and out of the shoulder. Jasper felt for the guy’s pulse. Found the steady beat. He searched the guy, taking away a very sharp knife from the sheath on the man’s hip.

Just what did you plan to do with this?

Another car rushed past them. Gunner. And Jasper could hear yet another vehicle coming from the north, heading in to cut off their escaping kidnapper.

No one was getting away.

He risked a fast glance back at Veronica. Her shoulders were hunched. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach, as if she were hugging herself.

“Did they say anything to you?”