Page 42 of Target Acquired
The screams continued to echo around her while smoke stung her nose. Another hard push sent her and the other woman, still gripping the man, to the cement floor. Kenzie ignored the pain sweeping through her and searched for the one who’d started this amid the panicked people trying to get out.
She caught a glimpse of him, aiming his way to one of the side exits, shoving people out of his way to create a path.
Once he reached it, he would be in the parking lot and could easily disappear. Kenzie pushed herself to her feet, slightly lightheaded but wanting to go after the guy. She started forward and stopped when pitiful cries reached her. A young girl no more than four years old stood in the middle of the chaos, weeping.
Kenzie snatched her up, wincing at the pain the action caused. “It’s okay, baby. We’ll find your mama.”
She shook her head. “Granny.”
“Okay. Granny.”
“Mia! Mia!”
The little girl’s eyes went wide and her head whipped toward the voice.
“Mia! Where are you?”
The panic in the woman’s voice was clear.
“I have Mia,” Kenzie called out. “Keep saying her name!”
“Mia!”
“Granny!”
In less than five seconds, an older woman took the little girl from Kenzie’s grasp and held her, tears dripping off her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Yes ma’am. You’re welcome. Now, y’all head for that exit right there.” She pointed to the open door behind one of the vendor stalls. “You got it?”
The granny nodded and fell in with the crowd, clutching her granddaughter tight. Kenzie stood still while the last of the crowd slipped out the door. The smoke hovered in the air, but it wasn’t too bad. Not like a fire raging out of control.
She spotted Cole helping another frightened older woman to her feet. “Cole!”
She hurried to him, and he shot her a relieved look. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Get her out. I’m going to see where the smoke is coming from and make sure no one else is in here.”
“Got it. I’ll be back to help you clear it.”
Black dots swirled in Kenzie’s vision for a moment, and she stayed still, waiting for it to pass.
“Kenzie?”
“Yeah. I’m good. I’ll be right back.” Her side throbbed just under her rib cage and she pressed a hand to it, the intensity of the pain taking her by surprise. A sticky wetness slid between her fingers, and she hissed a breath through her teeth while she hurried to the back of the store, looking for the source of the smoke. She wanted to stop and check out whatever wound she’d managed to acquire, but needed to make sure the store wasn’t going to burn down around them or anyone else in the place.
Sirens screamed into the parking lot while Kenzie cleared the bathrooms. Empty.
Squinting through the thin layer of smoke, she hurried toward the row of freezers against the back wall. Smoke rolled from underneath them. A short in the wiring?
Maybe. But no flames in sight.
Her lungs protested the harsh treatment, and she pulled her sweatshirt up around her nose and mouth while she squinted, searching for the source of the smoke.
It dawned on her that there was no heat, and the thickness of the smoke was concentrated in one area now. Under the last freezer. Kenzie hurried to it, wondering why her side hurt so bad, but had no time to stop and check it. She dropped to her knees and, using her phone’s flashlight, looked underneath the freezer.
“A smoke bomb,” she muttered. “Of course.” Thankful that the place wasn’t in danger of burning down, she turned and gasped at the sudden appearance of the firefighter next to her. Then choked on a lungful of smoke.
She pressed a hand against her chest, her heart pounding a triple-time rhythm against her palm.