Page 114 of Fracture

Lorelei stepped over Adam and the woman, knowing she wasn’t a threat. The woman sobbed and held her hands out for Adam to cuff her. She was more scared than anything and relieved to be arrested instead of carted off with the man Lorelei went after.

Lorelei moved through the halls, the air changing the farther she followed the man. It grew damp, like they were underground. The sound of gunfire was softer, too.

Where was he going?

Lorelei barely wondered before she heard a sound. She stopped, listening again.

An inhale. Quick. Close.

Lorelei turned toward the sound. She took a step forward.

He growled. A two-by-four came out of the darkness and slammed into her shoulder.

Lorelei stumbled backward, catching herself on the wall. Her gun clattered to the floor, skidding away from her as the man charged forward.

“Gah!” he yelled as he ran.

Lorelei blocked his attempt to get to her and landed a quick kick to his crotch.

“You bitch,” he hissed.

Ice cold fear ran down her spine. She knew that voice. She’d been taunted by that voice. In her dreams, yes, but before that, in the very house they were in.

“It was you,” she breathed without thought of her words.

“You remember me? I’m touched,” the man said. His grunt as he stood brought reality back to Lorelei. “Too bad you won’t be able to tell anyone anything about me.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you’re not going to make it out of here again. I’ll kill you right here.”

He smiled, his white teeth catching the little light in the darkness. He raised his arm and didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

The searing pain as the bullet grazed her arm was enough to send her running. She took cover around the corner, spotting her gun a few feet from her, in plain view of the man who was trying to kill her.

Run and hide or fight back? Lorelei knew she didn’t have time to debate her options. She put the mask back on, knowing the other Curvy Vigilantes were somewhere in the house, sneaking out the women prisoners and saving as many people as possible.

Lorelei wasn’t going to run. She was going to fight back. Because she was a Curvy Vigilante.

Footsteps drew closer, and Lorelei knew she was out of time. She took a breath and ran for her gun. She grabbed it just as another bullet sliced through her, this one splitting her side.

She didn’t stop, just turned and fired toward the man, hoping she slowed him down enough to get a better shot.

His grunt and string of curse words told her she hit her target.

“Lorelei!” Vinnie shouted.

“Vinnie!” she called back.

Help was coming. She was okay. And the man who took her was never going to hurt anyone else again.

When Vinnie’s team breached the back doors of the house, he focused solely on his task. He and Molly moved through the house as one, clearing rooms and sending presumed innocents out for the FBI to interrogate. Their job was to take down as many people as possible.

Vinnie and Molly found Adam with a crying woman in his arms, the woman barely able to walk. She was scared, high, and injured.

But all Vinnie cared about was where Lorelei was.

“She followed the assailant down the hall,” Adam reported, his words immediately followed by the echo of a gunshot.