Genevieve was standing before him. Only she wasn’t alone. Another gunman. Another weapon. Only this gun was pressed under her chin.
“Come on, hero,” the man—his face covered by a ski mask—said. These thugs sure liked their masks. “Take another step, and she’s dead.”
Cale didn’t move. Not yet. But he planned.
Then Cassidy jumped from the car behind him.
“Cassidy!” Genevieve cried frantically. The woman tried to leap toward her, but the masked man tightened his hold, and Genevieve froze.
The thud of flesh hitting flesh echoed behind them, and in the next moment, Logan was rushing to Cale’s side. Cale had known the team leader could handle himself in that fight.
My money is always on Logan.
Now they just had to dispatch this bozo.
“I will kill her right now,” the man swore. “I will shoot her while you watch!”
“Then what?” Cale demanded. “We kill you? That’s your big exit plan? Death?”
But another vehicle was rushing up behind the armed man, and the guy wasn’t even looking over his shoulder.
Since he didn’t seem surprised or upset by the speeding car’s arrival, Cale knew it could only mean one thing....His backup.
“No, I have another exit plan.” The faintest of French accents tinged the man’s voice.
The Executioner had been French.
So was Genevieve.
Cale lifted his weapon and aimed at the gunman. “You aren’t leaving with her.”
“A sniper has you in his sights right now, Mr. Lane.”
Was he supposed to be impressed because the guy knew his name?
“If you don’t lower your weapon, you’ll be dead within the next five seconds.”
Bull. He knew better than to believe a line like that.
“Surely you do not think you’re the only one who has a sniper on his team?” The gunman shook his head. “Tell them, Genevieve.”
“I—I...it’s true!” Her voice was high and desperate. “They’ve been watching you, all of you!”
“We picked this spot. We sprang our trap.” The gun dug into Genevieve’s chin. “Now we want our prize.”
Too bad for them. Cale took a step forward. Cassidy was behind him. He was afraid the woman might try to lunge in front of him and save her friend. He couldn’t have that. He couldn’t risk Cassidy, not when the end was finally in sight.
His gaze slid toward Logan as he tried to get a read on the other agent’s thoughts.
A sniper? If there was a sniper out there, then the best spot for him would be the building on the right. A sniper would have a good position up on the third floor.
But the sniper wouldn’t be able to take out both him and Logan. If the sniper was even real.
I’ve heard better bluffs before.
Cale straightened his shoulders. “It’s okay, Genevieve. You’re going to be fine.”
The sun was starting to rise higher. He could see the desperate hope so clearly on Genevieve’s face. Hope, but no bruises, no other injuries at all from what he could make out.
Just that wild hope.
“You’ll drop your gun?” she whispered.
Cassidy had crept closer to Cale.
Trust me.
He sure hoped that she did.
“This is how it works,” the gunman shouted. “You send me the pretty blonde. She gets in that car.”
The vehicle had screeched to a stop.
Cale shook his head. “That’s not happening.” He was adamant.
If Cassidy got in that car, she was dead.
Not going to happen.
Cassidy’s fingers pressed against Cale’s back.
“You don’t make the rules!” the man shrieked, his accent becoming more pronounced. “You don’t tell me—”
“It’s been more than five seconds,” Cale snapped, “and your sniper hasn’t fired.”
He wasn’t there. A damn bluff.
Yet even as he said those words, a man was leaping from the front seat of the backup vehicle. He had a gun clutched in his hands.
Logan fired his weapon instantly, and that man crumpled.
The gunman, the one still trying to hold tight to a now frantically squirming Genevieve, lifted his weapon away from her chin.
That was just what Cale had been waiting for. “Drop!” he yelled.
Genevieve fell.
The gunman brought up his weapon. “No, she’s the—”
Cale fired on him.
The shot ripped into the man’s chest. He stumbled back, gasping, then hit the ground.
Genevieve hunched her shoulders, shuddering. But then the injured man reached for her. He was struggling to rise, trying to get her within his grasp once more.
“Shoot him!” Genevieve begged. “Stop him! Help me!”
His hands were around her. Cale ran forward. He kicked the man back. If he could take the man in alive, then they’d find out exactly who was involved in the plot to abduct Cassidy.
“Kill him!” Genevieve cried. “After what he did to me, make him pay!” She tried to lunge for the discarded gun, but Logan was there, stopping her. He pulled her back and held her in his arms as she cried.
“Genevieve?” Cassidy’s hesitant voice. “Genevieve, I am so sorry.”
Genevieve looked up at her. Tears slid down her face.
Cale pulled out his phone and called for backup even as he kept his gun aimed on the fallen man.
Cassidy hurried toward Genevieve. “I never meant for you to be hurt.”
Genevieve stared at her with glistening eyes. Logan’s hands slowly fell away from her.
Logan eased back from the women. Cale saw him turn to make sure that the man in the car wasn’t a threat.
It was hard for dead men to be threats.
“You didn’t mean...” Genevieve’s breath shuddered out. “I know what you meant. I know.” Then she was hugging tightly to Cassidy, and Cassidy—she was looking straight at Cale.
Thank you. Cassidy mouthed the words as she held her friend close.
Cale nodded. He didn’t need her thanks. For Cassidy, he’d do anything.
“Don’t worry, Gunner,” Logan called as he headed for their car and the trapped EOD agent. “We’re going to get you cut out of there.”
Yes, they would and—
A bullet slammed into Cale’s back. He stumbled as white-hot pain erupted near his spine.
Logan swore. “Shooter! Looked like the shot came from the third—”
A bullet blasted toward Logan. He ducked for cover.
Cale’s gun slipped from his fingers when he hit the pavement.