Glitter and Gunfire/Bulletproof (Shadow Agents 4)

He shoved Cassidy even farther behind him and took aim again when he saw that glint.

“I’ve got him,” Gunner said into his ear. “But I’m also seeing two more bodies moving on the ground. You need to get her out of there.”

“Northeast corner is empty, but there’s blood on the ground. Gunner got a hit,” Lancaster told them in the next instant. “There are motorcycle tracks back here. Fresh, from the look of them—”

He broke off, and the sound of gunfire had Cale’s eardrums aching.

A trap.

The hit from the northeast corner had been designed to draw out Cale’s team. And, sure enough, Drew had gone right back there—lured by the bait.

“Lancaster!” Now Cale was the one trying to frantically get a response.

“H-hit,” Lancaster responded weakly. “Get...out...”

The EOD didn’t leave a team member behind. That wasn’t how they worked.

But he wasn’t going to risk Cassidy, either. These bastards wanted her, but they’d have to go through him in order to get her.

“Give me cover, Gunner, and get backup out here—”

“Sydney’s already got it on the way.”

He kept a tight grip on Cassidy’s wrist. “Move with me. Every step.”

She nodded.

Then they were off, rushing back through the dark woods, heading for the safety of the SUV that waited near the street and—

“Cassidy!”

Cassidy froze.

“No! Keep going!” Cale ordered.

She tried to pull away from him. “That’s Genevieve!”

It was another trap. One designed to bring her into the darkness, the same way that Lancaster had been lured in. Only...

“There’s no exchange planned. He’s not going to let her go. He’ll take you both.” She had to see that.

Cassidy stared back at him. “But we knew that was the plan all along, didn’t we? That’s why you’re here. Why I’m here. Why I’ve got the tracker.”

His jaw ached.

“So let’s do this.” She yanked her hand away from him. “Just follow me. She’s here.”

And Cassidy could be tracked anywhere.

Then a hail of bullets broke the night.

No! Cassidy could be tracked, but if a bullet took her out... More gunfire told him that this wasn’t about capturing Cassidy. Not about using her.

It was about killing her.

And Cassidy was running away from him. Running toward Genevieve’s fading scream.

“No!”