Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
The man fired his gun and the bullet struck near her feet. A scream erupted from her throat and she jumped, almost dropping the laptop, her entire body shaking so hard she’d lost all coordination. She wondered if the sound of gunshots would bring the cops.
She caught a shadow moving between cars. Ben. It gave her courage. “Show me Melissa and I’ll hand over the laptop.”
The man starting walking toward her at a menacing stride. Several other figures emerged from the cars, all closing in. A snarl tore through the air and a man screamed as Ben took him down.
“There’s her dog! Shoot it,” the first man yelled, not moving his aim from her and continuing to walk purposely forward.
She backed away, but he was upon her. He fired his gun right at her chest, just above where she held the laptop. She flew back and landed on her back from the force of it, a searing pain over her heart causing her to lose her breath. The laptop flew from her hands and skidded across the asphalt.
“Hey, watch the laptop, you idiot,” one of the men yelled at the shooter as he scooped it up.
She struggled to breathe, the wind knocked out of her. Hit but not hurt. She reminded herself she was wearing the vest and rolled to her side, wincing at the pain.
A light gray wolf arced over her body, flying at her attacker. He took the man down, tearing at his throat with a horrific snarl. It was a smaller wolf—not small, but normal wolf-sized. She caught the flash of a huge tan wolf launching through the air near the Mercedes and toppling a man despite the bullet he sank into him. Zolla and Mark.
She staggered to her feet, her breath still painful against her ribs. The gun had gone clattering to the asphalt and she snatched it up with her trembling fingers. Gripping the handle, she ducked her head and limped toward the four-runner, the laptop tucked under her arm.
She had to find Melissa.
She yanked open the back door as the sound of gunshots and growls still filled the air. The vehicle seemed empty. She stepped in to peer into the trunk. No one.
She climbed out. A high-pitched animal whine sent a shot of terror through her. Heart in her throat, she aimed the gun toward the sound. Ben was tussling with a man as several others fired shots into him. She pulled the trigger.
She missed, but the men turned and aimed their guns at her. She crouched down and ran for the next car. A driver still sat behind the wheel, which probably meant Melissa was in there. Staying bent in half, she raced around the car and popped up, pointing the muzzle of the gun through the open window, right at his temple.
“Where is she?”
Unnervingly, the man didn’t look ruffled by the pistol she aimed at his head. “Not here,” he said.
“Where?” she hissed through clenched teeth, tapping the gun against his head.
He shook his head. “She isn’t here.” He gave her a greasy smile. “Too bad for you.”
She wanted to shoot him. She thought about pulling the trigger, but morality won out. She wasn’t prepared to take a life, even if they had killed her sister.
She backed slowly away, keeping the gun aimed at his head. The air still rippled with the confusion of shouts and growls. She backed toward the third car, but the man she held the gun on pulled out a gun of his own and fired it at her, but thankfully missed.
A flash of black fur flew over her and Ben was upon the man in the vehicle, tearing him out of the window, but taking at least five shots in the belly in the process.
“No,” she screamed, running toward them.
The gray wolf sideswiped her, shoving her in the direction of her car. When she started again toward Ben, he bared his teeth at her, blocking her way.
“Zolla?” she asked, frightened of him despite the fact that she knew he was a friend.
He lunged forward, butting her legs with his head, once more pushing her toward her car.
“I have to find Melissa,” she said, and darted around him the other way, to the third car. She pulled open the door and looked inside. Empty. Unless her sister was in the trunk, the man had told the truth—she wasn’t here.
A low moan of despair rose in her throat as her legs carried her, running, toward her car. What had happened to Melissa? Was she lying dead somewhere? Had they meant the same fate for her?
She leaped in her vehicle and started it up, backing up with a screech of tires. Sirens sounded in the distance and she gunned the engine, shooting out the parking lot before the cops showed up. As she tore away, her phone rang in her purse. Pulling it out with shaking hands, she glanced at the caller.