Delta: A Spy Novel

Chapter Twenty-Three

“What?” he snapped. “I’m saving your life! You think I’m going to drive into some guy’s manor because someone puts a gun to Charlie’s head?”

I stared at him, my mouth falling open in shock. I almost couldn’t believe that he’d said that about Charlie – but then my mind flew back to their earlier argument, and I realized that something was happening between them that I didn’t fully comprehend. But I couldn’t think of that now – the blood on Jay’s gun – Charlie’s blood…. I opened my mouth, determined to undermine Pierre’s desire to get lost, but at that moment, a barrage of bullets slammed into the back of the car. I twisted in my seat and looked back: the Harleys were approaching. Rapidly.

“Pierre!” I screamed again, but he was already sliding the wheel back and forth to dodge the bikes’ onslaught. I pulled my gun out of my boot, pressing a button to my left to make the window slide down. Turning in my seat, I leaned out of the window, aiming my Beretta towards the Harleys. I fired as quickly as I could, three times, and then ducked back into the car as I was met with a hail of bullets in response.

“Stay in the car!” Pierre ordered. “They’ll kill you!”
            “Oh, because you aren’t going to?” I retorted, unclipping my seatbelt and coming to a kneel on the seat. I shoved the top of the roof, opening the sunroof and standing shakily. It didn’t take the Harleys that long to spot me, and soon I was a sitting duck. Or a standing one. The bullets began coming my way, far too quickly for my liking, but since Pierre was swerving so wildly and the terrain was so rough, none of them hit me. I rapped off a few shots, swearing loudly as Pierre continued to drive at an atrocious speed.

“Can you freaking slow down?” I shouted as I crouched in the car again to breathe, glaring at him. “I’m trying to shoot here!”

“And I’m trying to get away from them!” he countered, not even looking at me as he pressed harder on the gas pedal.

Swearing, I stood again, but only fired two shots before stopping. I felt a sense of dread rush through me as I looked ahead: A sleek black car was now driving towards us at the same monstrous speed, several guns poking out of the many windows. There was no way I could take on them and the Harleys, so I ducked down into the car again, avoiding the bullets slicing my way.

“Now what?” I snapped, glancing at my watch.

“Two minutes are up, beautiful,” Jay said in my ear, reading my thoughts. I looked at the iPhone: his fingers were tightening on the gun. Charlie. I couldn’t let Jay kill him – the blood on the gun – Charlie’s anguished face – if Jay killed him, I’d never be able to forgive myself…

“Pierre!” I grabbed his shoulders, causing him to swear loudly. Bullets were flying through the air, crashing into the windows. I winced as the glass shattered to my right, ducking slightly to avoid it. Pierre glanced back at me with wide green eyes, and then turned back to the road.

“We can get rid of those Harleys,” he muttered, half to himself, half to me. “Get ready, Astrid. I’m going to do something violent.”

“Like you haven’t already?” My breath came in ragged, scared gasps. Half of my fear was for Charlie, though, and my eyes kept flying to my iPhone, which I had left on the seat as I fired.