He looked up just in time to see a figure spring onto the hood of the truck. The curvy silhouette of Jennifer was unmistakable.
She’d always been fearless, especially on the gymnastics vault. He’d seen the way she charged the flat runway and attacked the horse.
This wasn’t so different, except that he’d never been terrified of her dying in a gymnastics meet.
She vaulted onto the truck, took two light steps, and sprang off the other side. Her steps were soundless on the road. The Russian never saw her coming. Her hand arched down.
The Russian sprang up, screaming. Bullets sprayed wildly into the air. Jennifer dropped to the ground as the Russian shrieked. In the moonlight, Leo saw the handle of a knife sticking out of his back. The Russian floundered, trying to reach it.
Jennifer was too close. He couldn’t shoot at the Russian for fear of hitting her.
Leo’s hand closed around something. A rock. It was the size of his fist. He seized it and sprang to his feet.
It was like being back on the field with three seconds left in the final quarter. All his attention homed in on the Russian.
Leo threw the rock with the force and precision of a quarterback who should have played for Cal Berkley.
The rock connected with the Russian’s head. He dropped. Leo sprinted across the field, lifting the rifle to his shoulder and firing as he ran.
A wild yell rose from his throat as his bullets ripped into the prone man. He didn’t stop shooting until he stood over the body, chest heaving.
“Jennifer?”
She picked herself up off the ground. She had blood splatter on her cheek, but otherwise looked to be in one piece. She dusted off her hands on the side of her pants.
“Nice throw,” she said. “You’d never know that you permanently injured your throwing arm.” She gave him a critical look.
“Where did you get a knife?” Leo countered.
Jennifer rolled her eyes. “You don’t think I walked around the streets of Southern California without self-protection, do you?”
“We’re not in Southern California.”
“No, but I brought my pocket knife with me from Riverside,” she shot back. “Did you really think I was stupid enough to come with you without some sort of weapon?”
Leo didn’t answer. It had never occurred to him that Jennifer might be armed.
Gunfire had ceased. The only sound was the distressed lowing of the cows. Cow. One of them had been shot during the battle.
“Anton,” Leo called. “Bruce! You guys okay?”
“I’m okay,” Bruce called. “Dude, that was a radical throw. Cal shouldn’t have written you off for one stupid injury.”
“Yeah, nice throw.” Anton came round the side of the truck, rifle propped on his shoulder. He gave his brother a critical look, but all he said was, “You should be nicer to Jennifer. She keeps saving your life.”
“You’re welcome,” Jennifer said. She made a valiant attempt at being flippant, but Leo didn’t miss the way her hands shook.
He approached her as she peeled off the black mesh top and dropped it to the ground. There was blood on it from the Russian. Now that he was closer, he saw she was covered in blood and grime. She must have rolled in the dirt covered with the man’s blood, because there were dirt and pebbles stuck to her tank, too.
She grimaced down at her bloody tank top. He wordlessly pulled off his T-shirt and handed it to her.
“Thanks.” She turned her back, stripping off the gory tank top, and pulled on his shirt.
Anton was right. He needed to be nicer to Jennifer. It had been over two years, after all.
“You okay?” He asked, making a valiant attempt not to be a jerk.
In response, she turned and pressed her face into his chest. Both arms were criss-crossed over her stomach.
He’d dreamed of moments like this. Of her coming back to him. Of holding her in his arms again.
The reality did not measure up to the daydream. Not by a long shot. He patted her on the shoulder. Their embrace was awkward and stiff.
The situation confused him. He should be loving this moment. Savoring it.
He realized with a jolt of surprise that maybe he hadn’t missed her as much as he thought he had all these months. Maybe it had just been the memory he missed. With that came the realization that maybe he didn’t hate her, either.
“I’m okay.” She backed up, drying her eyes with the corner of his shirt. “It’s just that—well, I didn’t wake up this morning and think this was the day I was going to kill my first Russian.”
He knew how she felt. What she needed was a distraction. Hell, he could use a distraction, too “Come on. Let’s help Tate and Jim.”
Chapter 25Sniper
HIS TWO FRIENDS WERE still in the back of the truck with the dead cow. They’d been bound and gagged by the Russians. All the guys carried pocket knives. They got to work on the ropes. Even Jennifer joined in after she retrieved her knife from the back of the dead Russian.
Jim and Tate were soon free.
“Shit man, are we glad to see you guys,” Tate said. The tall and lanky running back exchanged shoulder slaps with Leo and the others.
“How did you know we needed help?” asked Jim. As a high school right guard, Jim was stocky and well-muscled.
Leo explained how he’d seen the Russians from the top of Pole Mountain. “Are your parents okay?”
“Yeah.” Jim’s face darkened. “One of the Russians spoke English. He told my parents they were now subjects to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. They would be expected to turn over seventy-five percent of their production to USSR troops. Soldiers will come by every few days to make supply pickups.”
“They took us for collateral,” Tate said. “To force our parents to comply.”
“And to butcher the cows,” Jim added. “I think they’re planning a
