his semi-automatic. “Bullshit. Something isn’t right.”
Mark’s expression went serious. “What’s up?”
“Too quiet. I dunno.”
Without question Mark grabbed his weapons and left the SUV with Adam. Adam scanned the front of the building but didn’t see a thing. Going in slowly and in a formation they’d learned many years ago on the battlefield, they cleared the restaurant room by room.
Son of a bitch. There isn’t a soul in here. Adam kept his breathing steady, his mind on the task at hand. If the place had been looted earlier they would have seen the mess—it looked pristine except for the fact no one greeted guests at the front and no one sat at the tables. At this time of day the restaurant, a burger stand of sorts, wouldn’t need lights. Shadows had started to crawl across the room. A headache nagged in his temples as his concern for Mally rose.
Sounds of a struggle came from the back. Shuffling feet, a female yell.
“Get off me, you asshole!” A female voice came from the back of the building.
Crashing sounds. Cursing from the female.
Mally.
Adam’s attention jerked to the hallway leading to the back. He exchanged hand gestures with Mark and the two ran down the hallway toward the commotion. They exited the building cautiously. Adam stepped into the situation just in time to see Mally standing over a man sprawled on his back. A pistol lay several feet away from the man. She breathed hard, her attention fixated as deadly as a shark waiting for prey to move into position for attack. If the guy moved an inch she wouldn’t have any problem capping the guy. Relief barreled through Adam. She had the upper hand.
“Don’t shoot!” The guy held his hands up, his eyes wide with fear as Mally pointed her semi-automatic at the ass. He glanced at Mark and Adam. “Get this bitch off me! She attacked me.”
Mally snorted. “Uh-huh.”
“I’ll bet that’s a blow to your ego, eh?” Mark asked.
“Bout time you guys got here,” she said with a harsh smile. “I think you saved this jerk’s life.”
Mark moved in and within seconds had retrieved the weapon on the ground and turned the guy over to zip tie his hands behind his back. Mally didn’t lower her weapon.
“What happened?” Adam asked as he stood next to her.
“I heard noises back here and when I stepped out this douche grabbed me around the neck. He told me not to move. I didn’t listen,” Mally said as matter-of-factly as if she was baking bread. She jerked her chin toward a shack in the back. “There are noises coming out of there. Sounded like moans.”
Adam called in the incident as he strode to the shed. Mally covered him while he opened the shed. Light spread over the interior and revealed two women in restaurant uniforms and one man dressed in an apron and chef hat. All three were tied up and gagged.
“Shit,” Adam murmured under his breath as they moved in to help the people.
None of the hostages appeared injured, but within a very short time paramedics and police came to take over. Adam’s patience ran thin a couple of times as the police grilled everyone after the hostage taker was transported to jail. He understood an investigation would include them, but one of the police officers didn’t hold back his obvious disapproval that Adam, Mark and Mally had made an arrest. Adam made certain the jerk knew Mally had taken down the suspect and rescued the people.
When it was all over, and Mark had already retreated to the SUV, Adam snagged Mally’s arm right outside the front door of the restaurant.
He brought her close and lowered his voice. “Are you all right?” He had to touch her, and brushed his finger over the side of her throat. “There’s a bruise here. That shit for brains bruised you.”
Pink filled her cheeks, but the way her eyes flashed he didn’t know if she was mad at him for some reason or embarrassed the criminal got the drop on her.
“Yeah, he did.” A smile eased to her mouth. She kept
Mark’s expression went serious. “What’s up?”
“Too quiet. I dunno.”
Without question Mark grabbed his weapons and left the SUV with Adam. Adam scanned the front of the building but didn’t see a thing. Going in slowly and in a formation they’d learned many years ago on the battlefield, they cleared the restaurant room by room.
Son of a bitch. There isn’t a soul in here. Adam kept his breathing steady, his mind on the task at hand. If the place had been looted earlier they would have seen the mess—it looked pristine except for the fact no one greeted guests at the front and no one sat at the tables. At this time of day the restaurant, a burger stand of sorts, wouldn’t need lights. Shadows had started to crawl across the room. A headache nagged in his temples as his concern for Mally rose.
Sounds of a struggle came from the back. Shuffling feet, a female yell.
“Get off me, you asshole!” A female voice came from the back of the building.
Crashing sounds. Cursing from the female.
Mally.
Adam’s attention jerked to the hallway leading to the back. He exchanged hand gestures with Mark and the two ran down the hallway toward the commotion. They exited the building cautiously. Adam stepped into the situation just in time to see Mally standing over a man sprawled on his back. A pistol lay several feet away from the man. She breathed hard, her attention fixated as deadly as a shark waiting for prey to move into position for attack. If the guy moved an inch she wouldn’t have any problem capping the guy. Relief barreled through Adam. She had the upper hand.
“Don’t shoot!” The guy held his hands up, his eyes wide with fear as Mally pointed her semi-automatic at the ass. He glanced at Mark and Adam. “Get this bitch off me! She attacked me.”
Mally snorted. “Uh-huh.”
“I’ll bet that’s a blow to your ego, eh?” Mark asked.
“Bout time you guys got here,” she said with a harsh smile. “I think you saved this jerk’s life.”
Mark moved in and within seconds had retrieved the weapon on the ground and turned the guy over to zip tie his hands behind his back. Mally didn’t lower her weapon.
“What happened?” Adam asked as he stood next to her.
“I heard noises back here and when I stepped out this douche grabbed me around the neck. He told me not to move. I didn’t listen,” Mally said as matter-of-factly as if she was baking bread. She jerked her chin toward a shack in the back. “There are noises coming out of there. Sounded like moans.”
Adam called in the incident as he strode to the shed. Mally covered him while he opened the shed. Light spread over the interior and revealed two women in restaurant uniforms and one man dressed in an apron and chef hat. All three were tied up and gagged.
“Shit,” Adam murmured under his breath as they moved in to help the people.
None of the hostages appeared injured, but within a very short time paramedics and police came to take over. Adam’s patience ran thin a couple of times as the police grilled everyone after the hostage taker was transported to jail. He understood an investigation would include them, but one of the police officers didn’t hold back his obvious disapproval that Adam, Mark and Mally had made an arrest. Adam made certain the jerk knew Mally had taken down the suspect and rescued the people.
When it was all over, and Mark had already retreated to the SUV, Adam snagged Mally’s arm right outside the front door of the restaurant.
He brought her close and lowered his voice. “Are you all right?” He had to touch her, and brushed his finger over the side of her throat. “There’s a bruise here. That shit for brains bruised you.”
Pink filled her cheeks, but the way her eyes flashed he didn’t know if she was mad at him for some reason or embarrassed the criminal got the drop on her.
“Yeah, he did.” A smile eased to her mouth. She kept
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