His spine straightened, and his shoulders fell back. The kid’s goateed chin lifted, and the hand that had been trembling steadied itself—and the kid’s gun—into an eerie calm. But it was the look in his eyes as he stared back at her that sent an ice-cold shiver down the length of Raegan’s spine.
Cold.
Uncaring.
Evil.
It was a look she’d seen on more than one occasion, and there was only one way for Raegan to interpret its hidden meaning…
He’s going to shoot.
At the same time the realization struck, the middle-aged man crouched down next to the counter on her right started to move.
For the love of God, just stay where you are and don’t try anything stupid!
With Raegan’s attention split between the would-be-robber and the idiot clearly trying to escape the danger, the hooded gunman saw the distraction as an opportunity…and took it.
He pulled his trigger. Raegan ducked her head and fired in return. Having already determined she had a clear shot with no risk of hitting an innocent, her reaction to his use of deadly force was a no-brainer.
Just like the decision to throw herself behind a nearby desk for cover.
Wood splintered around her as the man fired her way again. Several screams echoed throughout. With the shooter’s attention solely fixed on trying to kill her, many of the customers saw the chance to run for freedom.
Several ran right out the front door. A woman was crying hysterically while another screamed for those outside to call the police.
The man in black shot at Raegan again. She immediately shot back. A low grunt sounded from his direction, and when she risked a quick glance around the desk’s damaged corner, she found a twinge of pleasure in knowing her bullet had hit its target.
The shooter ran behind a desk several yards away. The blood trail—and the way the jerk had been favoring his left arm when she’d spotted him—were both evidence that she’d winged him, at the very least.
Raegan didn’t want to shoot him again. She hadn’twantedto shoot him atall. But life had taught her more than once that young and innocent were not mutually exclusive, and if this kid didn’t come to his senses soon, she may not have any other choice.
More shots flew overhead, and Raegan was forced to remain low and take cover. Looking across the lobby, her gaze met the young mother’s. The look on the woman’s face reached a place in Raegan’s heart she never even knew existed, and suddenly there was only one thought racing through her mind…
I have to get them out of here. I can’t let this man hurt that little girl!
She spun around, resting her back against the desk drawer behind her as her mind worked to come up with a plan. The guywith the gun was good, Raegan couldn’t deny that. But she was better.
I have to be better.
A plan quickly began to form. Putting the steps she’d only just devised into motion, Raegan carefully slid herself over a few feet to the opposite edge of the desk keeping her hidden.
She swung her gaze back to her left, her eyes once again locking with the young mother’s. Raegan held up her free hand to signal for them to wait, and without a word, she did her best to relay the plan.
When the mom gave a slight nod of her head, Raegan felt confident the other woman understood.
Please, God, let this work.
Counting down with her free hand from five to one, she mouthed the word“Now”. With her next breath, she jumped up from behind the desk to shoot. Keeping her gun steady and her eyes solely focused on the place where she knew the gunman had hidden, Raegan fired several rounds without pausing in between.
As she did, the mother jumped to her feet and hoisted her daughter into her arms. With Raegan’s carefully aimed bullets keeping the asshole crouched and bleeding behind the other desk, the duo was able to make it through the bank’s front doors and out onto the sidewalk to safety.
The middle-aged man took off, too, and thankfully, there were enough bullets in the Glock’s magazine to provide cover long enough for the three of them to escape.
The gun clicked with the next pull of the trigger, and Raegan knew the time to reload had come. Dropping low to the ground behind the same massive desk, she made herself as small as possible while more shots rang out.
Raegan’s thumb pressed the small release at the side of her weapon, and the empty magazine fell into her lap. In a series ofquick, seamless moves, she retrieved one of her three backups from her belt, slammed the mag into place, and pulled back the slide to load a shiny new 9 mm round into the Glock’s chamber.
When the gunman continued firing toward the other corner of the desk, where she’d first been hunkered down, Raegan theorized that he hadn’t seen her move.