target and shot a foot over his head to drive them back. "I've gotta commend you on your firepower. Impressive."
He raised his eyebrows . "There are some perks working for a bureaucracy." He glanced through a hole in the wood. "As far as I can tell, there's about ten or fifteen of them."
" Not bad odds if they're as unskilled as they appear." Sabrina shrugged, easing off a round into the trees. "But they've come close a couple of times." She pointed toward the wall behind her, which had a few embedded rounds.
He examined the wo od, fingering the splinters and fragments. "Kindergartners with guns, if you ask me. That's the problem with these Wanted Dead or Alive scenarios. You get every two-bit loser anxious to score easy cash. I imagine earning a couple thousand euros by doing a little target practice sounds easy."
" Okay, you're the big bad FBI guy, how do we get out of this?"
" We don't want to hurt anybody. Let's spray the trees with bullets so we can slip away into my waiting car."
" A car full of gas?" When he nodded, she smiled as relief shimmied through. "I better cover for you. You'll need extra time with that bum leg?"
" I'll do okay."
" You're hobbling around like my ninety-year-old grandma. Well, if I had a ninety-year-old grandma."
His brow furrowed as a hint of a smile turned up his lips. "I could still beat you in a race."
" I wouldn't be too sure about that. You didn't do so well last time."
" That's because I let you get away."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." She encouraged him to come closer by curling her fingers. "Let me see. Is it sprained?"
" Twisted it during that last takedown in the tunnel. If you had stuck around, you would have known that."
" Pull up your pants." She rubbed her fingers together. "I'd be much better with my needles, but they're gone. Along with my cell phone, my money, and my luggage."
" Needles? What the hell are you talking about?" He glanced through a hole and let off a couple of rounds before he backed away.
" I know acupuncture. At least enough to ease some of the discomfort. I prefer using my needles, but in a pinch, I can ease it with acupressure as well." She shook her head and smiled. Despite everything going on outside, with him shooting off a round or two every thirty seconds or so, this whole thing felt like a slice of normalcy. "Now stop being such a baby."
She held the pressure points and counted. Little by little she felt the relaxation of the muscles underlying the injury. His injury wasn 't bad, but it was enough to slow them both down.
" Feels a little better."
" Hate to say I told you so, but this gal has skills." She glanced outside. "There's no time like the present to do a little disappearing act."
Letting loose a barrage of bullets , they covered the area, keeping it up for several rounds. Taking short breaks in between kept the men outside off balance, never quite knowing when the shooting would start up again.
" You didn't think you'd get far in that pick-up, did you?"
" I was in a jam. I opted for what was handy."
He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "Good thing I have connections. The car is on the other side of that set of trees. Next break, we make our move."
With one last explosive round, they set off into the trees behind them with her in the lead, grasping his hand to pull him along. A few moments later, she spotted the old Volvo ready and waiting.
D espite a sincere desire to the contrary, she'd hooked herself up with a partner.
* * *
Sabrina settled against the front seat, feeling a sense of relief wash over. Although she knew this respite was short-lived, it gave her the opportunity to catch her breath.
" How did you find me?" Now that the dust settled, she was curious. It wasn't coincidence.
" I listened for the bullets, and followed the sound to trouble."
She gave him her best "oh pleeeez" look.
" I got into town right after you and heard you'd stolen a pick-up."
She shook her head and urged him on
He raised his eyebrows . "There are some perks working for a bureaucracy." He glanced through a hole in the wood. "As far as I can tell, there's about ten or fifteen of them."
" Not bad odds if they're as unskilled as they appear." Sabrina shrugged, easing off a round into the trees. "But they've come close a couple of times." She pointed toward the wall behind her, which had a few embedded rounds.
He examined the wo od, fingering the splinters and fragments. "Kindergartners with guns, if you ask me. That's the problem with these Wanted Dead or Alive scenarios. You get every two-bit loser anxious to score easy cash. I imagine earning a couple thousand euros by doing a little target practice sounds easy."
" Okay, you're the big bad FBI guy, how do we get out of this?"
" We don't want to hurt anybody. Let's spray the trees with bullets so we can slip away into my waiting car."
" A car full of gas?" When he nodded, she smiled as relief shimmied through. "I better cover for you. You'll need extra time with that bum leg?"
" I'll do okay."
" You're hobbling around like my ninety-year-old grandma. Well, if I had a ninety-year-old grandma."
His brow furrowed as a hint of a smile turned up his lips. "I could still beat you in a race."
" I wouldn't be too sure about that. You didn't do so well last time."
" That's because I let you get away."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." She encouraged him to come closer by curling her fingers. "Let me see. Is it sprained?"
" Twisted it during that last takedown in the tunnel. If you had stuck around, you would have known that."
" Pull up your pants." She rubbed her fingers together. "I'd be much better with my needles, but they're gone. Along with my cell phone, my money, and my luggage."
" Needles? What the hell are you talking about?" He glanced through a hole and let off a couple of rounds before he backed away.
" I know acupuncture. At least enough to ease some of the discomfort. I prefer using my needles, but in a pinch, I can ease it with acupressure as well." She shook her head and smiled. Despite everything going on outside, with him shooting off a round or two every thirty seconds or so, this whole thing felt like a slice of normalcy. "Now stop being such a baby."
She held the pressure points and counted. Little by little she felt the relaxation of the muscles underlying the injury. His injury wasn 't bad, but it was enough to slow them both down.
" Feels a little better."
" Hate to say I told you so, but this gal has skills." She glanced outside. "There's no time like the present to do a little disappearing act."
Letting loose a barrage of bullets , they covered the area, keeping it up for several rounds. Taking short breaks in between kept the men outside off balance, never quite knowing when the shooting would start up again.
" You didn't think you'd get far in that pick-up, did you?"
" I was in a jam. I opted for what was handy."
He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "Good thing I have connections. The car is on the other side of that set of trees. Next break, we make our move."
With one last explosive round, they set off into the trees behind them with her in the lead, grasping his hand to pull him along. A few moments later, she spotted the old Volvo ready and waiting.
D espite a sincere desire to the contrary, she'd hooked herself up with a partner.
* * *
Sabrina settled against the front seat, feeling a sense of relief wash over. Although she knew this respite was short-lived, it gave her the opportunity to catch her breath.
" How did you find me?" Now that the dust settled, she was curious. It wasn't coincidence.
" I listened for the bullets, and followed the sound to trouble."
She gave him her best "oh pleeeez" look.
" I got into town right after you and heard you'd stolen a pick-up."
She shook her head and urged him on
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