Page 6 of Dangerous Mission

He curses under his breath.

“Your buddy’s probably got a concussion. If he’s alive. I hit the truck hard.”

Desperate, the man slashes out at me with the five-inch blade of his field knife. He lowers his guard as he does.

The plastic bumper piece hisses through the air as I swing. A jagged end catches the side of his face, gashing open his mask and his skin.

He roars and stumbles back.

“You liked that?”

He clutches the side of his face with one hand. “Fuck you!”

I charge him. Taking him to the ground.

He slashes at me, screaming.

My patience is done.

I flip him over on his back, pinning his knife-hand to the ground. Just in time to hear a truck engine roar to life and get blinded by a crooked headlight.

Chapter Three

Oh my god. Oh my god.

I scream, hit the gas and squeeze my eyes closed.

I know it’s coming. I know?—

Slam!

Holy crap, how did that truck get up so much speed and hit me with such force?

Slam!

Is that me screaming?

Slam!

Covering my head, I duck down in the driver’s seat.

Oh my god. I’ve gone through a black hole and landed in a terminator movie.

Slam!

I hold my breath, waiting on the next horrible impact, covering my facewith my arms.

“Aria!”

Next to me, the driver’s door rips open.

“Aria! Goddamnit, are you okay?”

What?!

My brother’s voice barely cuts through the ringing in my ears. When I sit up, he’s there, reaching for me. Rain blows into the cab of the truck through the opening, soaking me again.

Dazed, I raise arms that feel like noodles.