“Not right now,” he said, as he stepped out into the main area.
She looked around and asked, “Where’d Hudson go?”
“He’s collecting all the stuff from the other apartment,” he said. Just then, Baylor’s phone vibrated. As he read the text message, an odd look came on his face.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“Hudson just sent a message, saying we’re about to get company again.”
“What?”
Gunfire erupted, rapid, ugly, and deadly gunfire.
She immediately cried out, as she was crushed to the floor by Baylor, who held her there, his hand over her mouth. Wide-eyed, she watched as he warned her yet again to stay silent. She nodded, even as more bullets ripped through the air. But not though their door …
He held her close and whispered, “The shooting is at the other apartment.”
She shuddered. “But Hudson is there!”
Baylor nodded. “He had advance warning. He’ll find cover. He’ll be fine.”
“And how is that for keeping me alive so they can get money from me?”
“It’s not,” he said. “But, if you were injured, that would be okay with them too.”
She just stared at him, hating the truth of his words. As long as she wasn’t badly injured, it would just keep her more compliant. She breathed in deep. “Surely that’s not a smart tactic.”
Yells came from outside the apartment, down the hallway.
“Nope, but it sounds like they’re gone now.” Baylor added, “Stay here while I check it out.”
She lay here on the floor, waiting.
He slowly got up to see Hudson at the doorway. Lots of cries came from people outside this apartment, but nobody came knocking on their door. She stayed on the floor, her arms were wrapped around her chest, noting no blood on Hudson, as she waited for the men to tell her what to do. How had her world collapsed like this? She shook her head in disbelief.
Baylor walked back to her and said, “It’s okay now.”
She sat up and announced, “I used to live a normal life. You know that, right?”
He grinned at her. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”
She glared at him and snapped, “I don’t like being afraid.”
“Good,” he said, “then you’ll try to avoid getting into dangerous situations.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “I didn’t get into this one,” she said. “All I was doing was enjoying a holiday with my mother.”
“And that was a great sentiment,” he said, “but obviously it went south very quickly.”
It wasn’t long before a hard knock came at the door. Baylor gently moved her to the bedroom, while Hudson went to answer the door. She didn’t hear the conversation.
Soon Hudson closed the door and rejoined them. “That was the police. They were asking if we heard anything. I told him we heard the gunfire and stayed inside.”
“Good enough,” Baylor said.
“Aren’t we registered over there?” she asked quietly.
Baylor smiled. “Not under any of our names.”
She rolled her eyes at that. “All this supersecret spy stuff.”
“Which is keeping you alive, by the way,” he reminded her.
“Yes, but it doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “They’re after me. That shooting spree could have killed me.”
“It could have. I guess the other option to consider is that we might have a second faction here.”
Hudson looked up. “I don’t think so. I got a look at the bullet holes, and they were all shot pretty high, almost like a warning. I think they went inside right afterward to double-check if anybody was there.”
“But weren’t you in there?” she asked Hudson.
He chuckled. “I got fair notice. Stashed our stuff in the stairwell and waited it out.”
“And because you weren’t there,” Baylor said to Gizella, “they couldn’t get you.”
“So, I’ve once again escaped their grasp? Now they’ll really be pissed.”
“Something like that,” he said. “Hudson, do you think the cops noticed?” He shook his head, and Baylor chimed in, before he could reply. “They’ll probably just think it was somebody really tall.”
Hudson rolled his eyes at his friend.
“So, the shots were really high?” Baylor wanted confirmation.
Hudson nodded, then demonstrated with his rifle, holding it with the muzzle pointed upward at the door.
“So definitely warning shots then,” she said. He nodded. “Wow, I feel somewhat better.”
At that, Baylor laughed. “I don’t know why,” he said. “I mean, I get that they aren’t trying to kill you, at least not until you get them the money,” he said, “but don’t kid yourself. After they get the cash, they’ll be looking to take you out.”
“I know,” she said, “and for that I’m very sorry.” Baylor looked at her, surprised, and she shrugged. “I’m sorry I got you guys into all this.”
“Listen. It’s not fun for any of us, but it’s certainly not your fault. So don’t even get yourself hung up on that.”
“No, but now it’s something different than the way it started out. I mean, you came to rescue my father,” she said, “but this is a completely different issue now.”
“It’s the same op for us. These parameters change all the time in every mission,” he said. “We have to adapt.”
“Maybe so, but it seems like it’s more confusing than ever.”
“No, in the end, it’s all very simple. It’s called greed.”
Gizella sighed. “I don’t like people much,” she announced.
“No, I don’t either,” he said. “But I do understand them, and I know how they work.”
“It sounds like these guys don’t want to work at all. They just want a free ride.”
“Well, fear is a great motivator,” Baylor said. “Remember that, and, as far as they’re concerned, their lives could very well be in danger now too.”
“I wonder why,” she said, in a sarcastic tone, “with them being such fine upstanding citizens and all.” That got both men laughing, and she smiled.
“At least we have a sense of humor,” Hudson said.
“That’s right,” Baylor murmured.
She looked around at Baylor and then at Hudson. “Where’s Dane?” she asked. “Where was he in the midst of the shoot-out?”
“He was outside before, and he’s still outside, tracking the killers,” Baylor said.
She stopped, considering
