Kristi jumped out and ran.
Malik climbed out, grabbed his duffel, and followed, catching up with her. “Run!”
Her legs weren’t as long as his, and she couldn’t take the stairs two at a time. They had reached the first landing when the bastards found them.
“Keep going!” Malik dropped to one knee, grabbed his rifle out of the duffel bag, checked it—and fired at the men who’d jumped out, rifles in their hands.
One down. Two. Three.
The black SUV sped into the alley from the other direction, and Malik knew it was time to move. He had no cover here.
Rifle in hand, duffel on his shoulder, he ran to the rooftop.
“Where do we go now?” Kristi’s panicked expression tore at him.
She was terrified.
“Do you have your phone?”
“Y-yes.” She drew it out of her jeans pocket.
“Text Shields.” He opened his duffel, put on his body armor and helmet. “Tell her we’re under attack. Let her know they’re trying to abduct us from this location and that we’re under fire. I’m going to have to shoot our way out of this.”
He moved to the edge of the roof, looked down to see seven men huddled together, one pointing up at them.
“Okay. Done.”
“Good.” Malik watched the men in the alley below. “Go and see if there’s another stairway on the other side. All of the guys are over here. They won’t see you.”
“Okay.” She hurried off to do as he’d asked.
He could easily take them all out, but that would give them time to bring in reinforcements—or the police. He didn’t want this to become an international incident, and he sure as hell didn’t want to waste away behind bars here in Benin.
“Yes! There’s another stairway here.”
“Let’s go!” He shouldered his duffel and followed her, the two of them reaching the street. “See that auto-rickshaw? That’s our ride.”
Malik knew he would attract unwanted attention armed like this, but he couldn’t do anything about that right now.
Kristi climbed into the back of the auto-rickshaw.
Malik was right behind her. “Drive! Drivez-vouz! Go!”
Eyes wide, the driver nodded and pulled out into traffic.
Kristi looked over her shoulder. “Malik, they’re coming!”
Fuck.
Malik looked back, saw the black SUV turning the corner, a man with an AK leaning out the window.
* * *
Kristi watchedas the black SUV drew closer, panic turning her blood to ice, making her mouth go dry. It honked its horn and threatened to run over anyone or anything that got in its way. Then the man leaning out of the window raised his rifle.
Rat-at-at! Rat-at-at! Rat-at-at!
She screamed, ducked, her heart pounding so hard that it hurt.