Page 27 of Target Acquired

Bullets whipped past her, and she expected to feel one find its mark any second, but the officers returning fire must have rattled the shooter enough that he was off his game.

Kenzie shoved Buzz into the warehouse. Butler followed, ducking to the side of the door while Buzz sank to the floor, his hand wrapped around his upper bicep, blood leaking through his fingers. “Man, that stings.”

Kenzie went back to the door. “Greene!”

“I’m good! Stay down!”

She hefted her weapon and glanced out the door once more, looking for anyone she could help. A bullet pinged off the metal above her head and she slammed the door.

Buzz grunted and Kenzie swept the area with her gaze. It was quiet. Too quiet even with the chaos still raging outside. “Thought this was a hostage situation,” she whispered. “Where’s the situation?”

“Yeah.” Butler shifted, his weapon aimed at the darkness.

Thanks to the light filtering through the dirty windows above the door and along the wall Buzz leaned against, Kenzie could see about ten feet in front of her. Boxes lay scattered, trash littered the floor. Wooden pallets leaned against the wall, but that was as far as she could see. “Cover us, please,” she told Butler. “I need to see to Buzz.”

“I got it.”

Kenzie dropped next to Buzz. “You okay?”

He quirked a brow at her. “Was counting on you to tell me.”

“Someone’s in here,” Butler said.

Buzz nodded. “I heard him. Sounded like a kid. I’ll be all right. Go find him.”

More bullets sprayed the side of the building, taking out another window to her right. Kenzie crouched low and aimed her gun into the dark, musty interior of the warehouse, worried about Butler going farther alone. “Who’s in here? Call out but stay down!”

The gunfire continued outside, loud pops that came fast and furious along with the answering fire from the cops who had cover. Kenzie thought she heard something not too far from where she stood. Feeling horribly exposed but needing to find who was in there—especially if it was a scared kid—she motioned to Buzz that she was going farther in to cover Butler. She pulled the Maglite from her pocket and aimed it into the darkness, flicking it over the discarded trash, empty beer bottles, evidence of drug use, and more.

James, Cole, and Greene burst in, stopping Kenzie’s progress. Greene was tucked under Cole’s shoulder, fighting to drag in a breath. He collapsed just inside the door next to Buzz even while he kept his weapon ready to snap up should he need it. Kenzie hurried to Greene, who waved her off.

“Got my vest.”

James covered the area in the shadows beyond, while Cole hurried to Buzz, who shook his head. “It’s just a flesh wound. I’m fine.”

“Fine’s stretching it.”

Buzz stood, his face etched in granite—except she caught the flash of pain in his eyes before he was able to blink it away. “Need to clear this place. There’s a kid in here and who knows who else?”

“Stay down,” Cole said. “We’ll find him.”

Preferably before another hand grenade went off.

Buzz hesitated, then sank back to the floor.

Butler stepped toward the darkness. “You sure it was a kid?”

“Sounded like it,” Kenzie said. “Voice was still high-pitched and a little cracky.” She stood beside Butler to search the black hole with a narrowed gaze. It was useless. With no windows on the back wall, there was nothing to illuminate the inside and the Maglites weren’t picking anything up.

“Anyone else hit?” she asked Cole.

“Just Buzz and Greene.”

“Lucky us,” Greene muttered.

Cole shifted and pressed a finger to his ear. “Where are you, Magic?”

“Pinned down in Dolly,” the man said over the comms. “As soon as I can get in there without getting shot, I’ll be there.”