On the west side of the house she heard loud voices through the window.
“. . . your friend?” Rick asked.
“Dropped me off and went home,” Mitch said.
He was conscious and alive. Sophia let out a quiet breath as relief washed through her. The feeling didn’t last long.
A high-pitched squeal of pain sliced the air. “Mitch!”
His sister. Sophia wilted.
“Let’s go over your story again,” Rick said. “We know your biker friend was near the house and heard us talking about you because Ed found a backpack and tyre tracks nearby. Biker then follows the Rover and rescues you in a blaze of glory. Here’s where your story gets . . . creative.” He chuckled without humour. “You claim the biker took you to a rustic cabin with no electricity or phones, helped you clean up, and then brought you back here. Is this correct?”
“Yeah.”
“Glenn,” Rick said.
A heart-breaking scream erupted. Sophia rolled into a ball to keep from pounding on the window and surrendering.
“You won’t hurt her,” Mitch said in a flat, deadly tone.
“We already have,” Glenn said.
“Surface bruises. You won’t damage the merchandise or you’ll lose thousands of dollars.”
Mitch just bought her a few extra minutes. She hurried. She found the box and pulled out her Swiss Army knife. Silently thanking her father for teaching her another fireman’s trick, she unlocked the box and turned off the electricity.
Her night vision returned as cries and curses sounded. She ran to the window and peered in. Ed and the Tank held Mitch tight. Glenn had one arm wrapped around a young girl. He had backed into a corner with his other hand pointing a gun. Rick told everyone to calm down.
“The biker only knows one trick,” Rick said. “Stay put, I’ll get the spotlight.” He felt his way from the room.
Sophia aimed her rifle. A million worries and doubts boiled in her stomach. What if she missed? Act now, agonize later. She held her breath, braced for the recoil, and squeezed the trigger.
The window shattered, the noise ricocheted around the room, and Glenn slammed into the wall. The bullet pierced his shoulder right at the joint of his shooting arm. The force knocked him out. He slid to the floor with a thud.
Bingo! One down, three to go.
The girl yelled and threw herself flat, covering her head with her arms. Her brother had taught her well. Sophia swung the rifle towards the others. Ed dived into the hallway, but the Tank had his arm around Mitch’s neck, pinning the agent in front of him as a shield.
“Shoot him,” Mitch called.
Where? Mitch covered almost all of the Tank. And she wasn’t a sharpshooter. Then she realized Mitch’s hands weren’t bound. One grasped the Tank’s meaty forearm, but the other pointed down. The guy’s knee poked out between Mitch’s legs.
Oh shit. She aimed. I bet Mitch is wishing for a real pair of bulletproof underwear. She fired the gun and the bullet hit the Tank’s knee, obliterating it. Yuck. Mitch broke away as the Tank screamed.
“Jenna?” Mitch called, searching for his sister. They connected. The girl wrapped her arms around him and sobbed.
“It’s OK,” he said over and over.
I wish. She kept watch for the two men who escaped. The sound of an engine turning over came from the front of the house. Headlights stabbed the darkness.
“Mitch, they’re in the Rover,” she said.
The noise grew louder as the light brightened.
“Go!” Mitch ordered.
Sophia sprinted around the back of the house, hoping to loop behind them and shoot out their tyres. When she reached the front, light blinded her. She forgot about the pickup truck.