For a second, I couldn’t breathe.
“They’re shooting at us,” Julie screamed overthe noise.
“But are you hurt?”
“No, no. I’m okay.”
“No crying.”
Another full magazine of automatic weaponfire punched through the roof, pinging off the metal floor. Whilethe layered construction of the hull and windshield was made towithstand the occasional run in with a seagull or even a goose, itcouldn’t hold up to bullets. And I couldn’t risk lifting off,provided the instrument panel was even operational at thispoint.
“We have to evacuate. Find cover.”
I swung the doors on both sides of thecockpit open.
The roar of another engine caught myattention, then the shuddering clang of steel.
I had hesitated at running through the fence.The Iranians hadn’t. The green SUV screeched to a stop less thantwenty yards away, between us and our yellow cab.
“The river.” Kirk gave me a look. “Can youkeep them busy?”
I nodded, fitting the Ruger into my hands,wishing I had a rifle. “Move.”
Kirk and Julie scrambled out of the cockpitand crouched on the helicopter’s off side. I climbed out as well,kneeling low, trying to gain as much cover as I could.
I gave Kirk a look, then squeezed off severalrounds, first targeting the helicopter, which was too high to hit,and then the Iranians’ SUV.
Bullets flew, from the ground, from the air,until it was impossible to tell who was shooting who, the onlything I was sure of was that Julie and Kirk had made it off theedge of the platform and into the river.
I didn’t think I would be so lucky.
The chopper lifted higher, flying out ofrange of my .380.
Something moved in my peripheral vision.
I swung the pistol back in time to see one ofthe Iranians advancing along the concrete pad that jutted into thewater, just ten feet away.
He wasn’t out of my range. I put a round inhis throat.
The Persian went down, made a few twitchingmovements, and then lay still, his rifle still slung across hisshoulder.
A gift.
Firing off my last few rounds, I scootedtoward the man I’d just killed. I yanked the rifle—a MadsenLAR—over his head and tugged the strap free of his heavy body.
The weapon was hot to the touch, and by mymental count he’d used about half of his thirty round AK magazine.I squeezed off a burst of three at the SUV.
No one returned fire, but I could seemovement.
The beat of the blades crescendoed, coming infor another assault.
I couldn’t hold off the chopper and the SUV,not without more ammunition, and in a few more seconds, my chanceto make a break would be gone.
I fired another three rounds, then made mydash for the river.
My feet slapped pavement, trying to gettraction, adrenaline humming in my ears.
Five steps to go.
Four.
Three.
A gust of wind hit me, sending my Yankees capflying, knocking me to my knees.
The purple helicopter dropped in front of me,hovering, cutting me off.
I propped myself up, raised the rifle, tookaim, fired.
My first shot cracked the windshield. Mysecond missed entirely.
The chopper turned to the side. The passengercompartment door gaped open, my old buddy Hawk Nose raising hisrifle, putting me in his sites.
I squeezed the trigger and held it, givinghim everything I had left.
But I didn’t aim for Hawk Nose.
I aimed for the back rotor, and I hit itsquare.
The helicopter whirled around, spinning,spinning. It veered to the side, smacked into the far side of theplatform, crumpling like an angry god squeezed it in his fist.Flames began to curl out from the engines.
Tires screeched, drawing my attention. It wasthe SUV.
The last Iranian was driving away, fleeingthe scene.
But why?
I scrambled to my feet, dropping the uselessrifle and heading for the water’s edge. The helicopter exploded ina brilliant fireball, heated air and the smell of burning fuelwashing over me.
Adios, Hawk Nose. Maybe you’ll luck out andthey’ll have donkey porn in hell.
I spotted Julie and Kirk twenty meters away,hovering on the edge of the platform, clinging to the concretepilings that anchored the pier-like helipad to the river floor.
My purse vibrated, and I slapped my cell tomy face.
I traded codes with Jacob. It was a miracle Icould remember the appropriate response.
“Chandler, I’m watching via satellite feed.They’re coming.”
“Who?”
“The DoD. They’re treating you ashostiles.”
“How soon?”
“Now. Get out of there.”
“Nice shot,” Kirk said, peering up from thewater as I approached.
The river smelled, of fish, of rot, ofpetroleum and garbage. The air smelled of smoke. Something moved atthe base of the pilings, and I had a creeping feeling it wasprobably rats.
“We need to go.”
“We can swim downriver, steal a boat or acar.”
“Let’s do it.” I squatted, preparing to slipinto the water, and squinted past Kirk. “Ready, Julie?”
“I … I can’t.” Julie stared into the darknessunder the platform.
“Don’t think about them,” I said. “Rats won’thurt you if you don’t hurt them.”
“No, no, it’s not that.” Her voice was soakedin tears, and I glanced at Kirk, waiting for him to warn her not tocry.
Kirk was facing the same direction as Julie,but they weren’t staring at the rats. They were staring at the redblooming all along Julie’s arm and streaming into the water.
A hum rose in my ears. Bright motes swirledin front of my eyes, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to throw up orcry.
Kirk was the first to recover. “Get out ofthe water. Now.”
He grabbed Julie by the arm and dragged heraround the helipad and up the shore.
I pushed all thought, all feeling into theback of my mind and forced myself to follow, my body relying ontraining and muscle memory to function.
We ran for the closest trailer. The door waslocked, so I broke it down. Once inside, I pulled off Kirk’s buttondown, wrung it out and handed it to him. We moved quickly andwithout talking, him wrapping the cut on Julie’s arm, me checkingthe trailer’s perimeter.
The hum in my ears gave way to a beatingsound, more helicopters, two of them, black this time. Fourmatching SUVs roared through the broken gate and rimmed theperimeter of the heliport, reflecting light from the burningchopper like dark mirrors. Soldiers wearing black CBRN suitsdeployed from the vehicles, assault rifles at the ready. They movedfrom trailer to trailer, clearing each, approaching ours.
I knew what was coming but had no ideas ofhow
