Page 2 of SEAL's Promise

“If we can.” Tim motioned for his partner to lead the way, guiding the women toward the right stairwell.

Eric jogged to the door and eased it open. He checked the interior, glanced at his partner, and shook his head. He held up three fingers.

What did that mean? Screams came from the stairwell followed by rapid gunfire. Rachelle clamped a hand over her mouth. Terrorists were shooting people in the stairwell. Worse, she heard more gunfire in the left stairwell.

Tim’s scowl confirmed her suspicions. Her heart sank. She would love to have one of the Fortress operatives by her side, especially a certain former Metro Nashville homicide detective.

Tim and Eric were good at their jobs. Cal Taylor had been a Navy SEAL before he joined the police department. His training put him into a different category altogether, one that was miles beyond Amy’s protection detail.

Rachelle forced herself to think past the fear. Her life depended on the decisions made in the next few minutes. There must be another way off the fifth floor besides the elevators and two main stairwells.

“The service elevator is at the back of the hotel with service stairs around the corner from the elevator. The door is tucked away in an alcove out of sight.” She discovered them while looking for the vending machine earlier in the day.

Eric wrapped his hand around Amy’s and headed that direction. Tim and Rachelle hurried after them.

How long did they have before the terrorists breached this floor? She guessed a few minutes at most. So far, no sounds of gunfire or screams came from the service stairs. Either the terrorists weren’t sweeping up that stairwell yet or they stationed some of their people at the bottom with weapons.

Would her suggestion lead them into a death trap? Her hand fisted. What choice did they have? This was the only option unless they rappelled down the outside of the hotel, and none of them had the equipment.

At the service stairs, Eric nudged Amy to the side of the door. With weapon in hand, he peered inside the stairwell and signaled for them to wait. Eric slipped into the darkened interior. A moment later, he returned. “It’s clear for the moment,” he whispered.

Once again, he led the way with his hand wrapped around Amy’s. Tim followed, gesturing for Rachelle to stay close.

They descended three floors without incident. When they started to descend to the first floor, the door at the foot of the stairwell burst open. Two men charged inside. Spotting Eric, they raised their weapons.

Tim yanked Amy toward the exit to the second floor. Rachelle scrambled after them as gunshots echoed in the stairwell.

Amy screamed. Rachelle gasped as bullets smacked the concrete wall and shards of concrete nicked her cheek. She ducked and rushed onto the second-floor hallway behind Tim and Amy.

“This way.” He ran toward the corner, towing Amy behind him. At the corner, he peered into the next corridor, then continued on.

Rachelle heard stumbling steps behind her. She spun, expecting to see one of the terrorists barreling toward her with his gun raised. Instead, Eric staggered toward her, hand pressed to his stomach, blood oozing between his fingers.

“Eric!” She hurried toward him. When he stumbled and almost went down, she wedged her shoulder under his.

“Leave me,” he rasped. “More are coming.”

“Save your breath.” Rachelle wrapped her arm around his waist and urged him to move. When she thought she’d go down under his weight, Tim ran toward her.

“I’ve got him. Go. Linen supply room on the left. Hurry.”

She sprinted around the corner and saw Amy gesturing to her from a doorway.

“Where’s Eric?”

“Tim is helping him.”

Amy’s face paled. “He’s hurt?”

“He’s been shot. I don’t know how bad.” She didn’t want to upset Amy more than she already was, but unless Eric received medical help soon, she feared he wouldn’t live.

“We have to help him.”

Amy headed for the hallway, but Rachelle caught her arm and tugged her back inside. “If you go out there, Tim will divide his attention between protecting you and helping Eric.”

“You don’t understand. I love him.”

“Newsflash, Amy. I knew that the first day I saw him with you. He wouldn’t want you to put yourself in danger.”