Delta: A Spy Novel

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Something a little more violent,” Pierre amended, which hardly helped matters in the slightest.

I gave him a wary look, preparing to stand up and shoot again, but at that moment, he swung the wheel aggressively. The car swerved to one side, and I almost fell against the broken side window but braced myself in time, my hand tightening on the gun. Our car had slammed into the Harley to our left, causing the driver to fly into the air and his passenger to fall against our car.

Without a second thought, I raised my gun and shot the guard through the broken window. A low gurgle emitted from his throat, his eyes widening as he stared at me, and then he was gone, leaving only a smear of blood on the glass of the window.

“Nice,” Pierre told me, a slight grin coming over his face as he glanced over at me.

For once, his words didn’t send a thrill through me; my fear and anger were too great. I glared at him, ignoring his praise. “Stop acting like a maniac!” I shouted. “You can’t do this!”

Bullets sluiced through the air, crashing through the broken window and into the seat in back of me. I threw myself forward, colliding with Pierre’s seat as the bullets continued to fly toward me. Dang, they had good aim. I snapped a shot back through the broken glass, probably not hitting anything, and then grabbed Pierre’s shoulders again, continuing to shake him roughly.

“Pierre, please!” I begged him. “Turn around! If we give up, we won’t be killed!” And neither will Charlie, I added silently, but couldn’t bring myself to say it aloud. The look on Pierre’s face was almost frightening, the wild desperation as he twisted the wheel again and again.

“Astrid, will you freaking let go of me?” he snarled. “I’m trying to save your life here! Stop or we’ll both end up killed!”

“We’re both going to end up killed anyway,” I whispered, my hands sliding off him as I stared ahead in shock. “The bridge… Oh my gosh –Pierre! The bridge!” My voice rose to a scream as I saw what loomed before us: the chasm that was on the northeast side of Decrioux’s manor, the one I had crossed and gotten shot at only days before. And it was only a hundred freaking feet away!

“Holy–!”

Pierre’s eyes widened to an impossible stretch, and his foot slammed on the brake. With a horrendous screeching noise, the car spun wildly, and I screamed along with the gears as Pierre fought to control the car. We were sliding, sliding towards the chasm, and I was sure this would be the end. Even the Harleys and black car had stopped firing, their riders apparently wondering the same.

“I – am – not – going – to – die!” Pierre growled, twisting the wheel savagely and leaning forward with the effort. His face was so intense that I couldn’t bear to look at it, resisting the urge to bury my face in my hands. I could feel my eyes widening with every screech the tires made on the dirt, my heart pounding so loud that I could hear it in my ears. And it could be silenced any moment…

The Harleys and black car had halted several meters away, waiting…waiting… They were as unsure as we were about our fate. The chasm loomed before us, dark and threatening and deep, and I covered my eyes, unable to bear it as the car slid towards it…