He wanted to stop, to make sure his friends and colleagues were okay, but he recognized an ambush when he saw one.He mentally kicked himself for not seeing it sooner, for not realizing the cars following them weren’t actual photographers.
There wasn’t anything he could do about that now.Pushing the grim thoughts aside, Navarre’s gaze flicked to the mirror.The vehicles that had been trailing them were picking up speed and gaining ground, while the truck, its front metal bumper dragging on the ground, backed out of the ditch to join the pursuit.
“You mean they—” Shock widened Sloane’s eyes.“That was on purpose?”
He bit back his sarcastic response, because picking a fight in the middle of a car chase wasn’t going to do them any good.
“Is your phone working?”He flicked her a glance.“Can you call Jackson?”
She grabbed her phone, swiped at the screen, and frowned.“No signal.”
He had a feeling she was going to say that.The GPS on the dash had gone offline moments after the truck rammed Jackson’s vehicle.Either this neck of the woods had shit for reception, or their pursuers were jamming the signal.Either way, they were on their own.
“Hang on!”he barked.“And stay low.You’re not getting killed on my watch.”
In the city, he’d stand a decent chance of outmaneuvering the other vehicles, or losing them within the labyrinth of streets crisscrossing the landscape.He didn’t have that luxury out here, just a winding stretch of rural road with three hostiles in pursuit.His only chance was to stay out of reach until they got to Sierra’s property.
That feat would be a lot easier to accomplish if their rental car wasn’t such a pokey piece of shit.The winding roads made it damn near impossible to build up any kind of speed, and it wouldn’t be long before the vehicles in his rearview mirror closed the remaining distance.
If the real Sierra was their intended target, they were in for one hell of a surprise.Unfortunately for them, once the hostiles figured out they were chasing an imposter, he and Sloane were as good as dead.
The SUV fishtailed as he rounded the next hairpin turn.Navarre turned the wheel in the direction of the skid and took his foot off the gas long enough for the tires to regain traction and hold the road.It worked, but it also gave the other vehicles ample opportunity to catch up with them.One of them swerved into the oncoming lane and pulled up alongside them.A dark-tinted window on the rear passenger side rolled down, revealing a white guy dressed in black with a big fucking gun that was pointed directly at them.
Teeth gritted, Navarre wrenched the wheel hard to the left and slammed the accelerator to the floor.The SUV veered into the oncoming lane, sideswiping the pursuing vehicle and forcing it off the road.Gunfire erupted from behind, each crack punctuating the chaos.One of their rear tires blew, and as the SUV lurched to the right, he fought to maintain control.
Sloane screamed at the top of her lungs.
His blood ran cold.“Are you hit?”
“No, I’m scared shitless.”Her face was white, her eyes wild with fear.“I thought you said the tires were bulletproof.”
“Nothing is completely bulletproof.”Technically, a run-flat tire could handle a bullet in the sense that it wouldn’t blow out upon impact like a regular tire.Instead, the reinforced sidewalls would allow the vehicle to be driven a limited distance at a reduced speed.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t afford to drive at a reduced speed, not if they wanted to stay alive.He had no choice but to keep his foot on the gas and use every last bit of his skill to keep the SUV on the road.
He glanced down at the dash and frowned.The gas tank must have also taken a round, because the gauge showed a lot less fuel than it did a few minutes ago.He muttered a curse.
“What is it?”she asked.“What’s wrong?”
“We’re running out of gas.”
Her eyes got even wider, a feat he hadn’t considered possible.She hunched down as bullets pinged off the vehicle’s armored plating.“We’re not going to make it, are we?”
“Shut up.We’re going to be fine.”That was a lie, and they both knew it.Bullets punctured the other back tire, and their vehicle was losing speed.At the rate they were going, they wouldn’t be mobile for much longer.Even if he managed to keep them on the road, the blown tires would make it impossible for them to stay ahead.
The black SUV pulled into the oncoming lane, the front of the vehicle pulling even with the back bumper of the rental.Navarre veered to the left, cutting them off, and he heard the sound of gunfire a split second before the driver’s side mirror shattered.
He wouldn’t be able to hold them off for much longer.Eyes narrowed, he scanned the scenery ahead, searching for a suitable spot to ditch the vehicle.If possible, he’d rather be in control of where and when they came to a stop.It was their best chance of coming out of this alive.
“Listen up,” he told Sloane.“I’m going to take us into that wooded area up ahead.When we come to a stop, I want you to get out and run like hell.I’ll hang back and give you enough time to get away.”
She gaped at him with a look of sheer horror.“Are you insane?You’ll get killed!”
“I’ll be fine.”Maybe.There were no guarantees.“I’ve been in worse scrapes than this and made it out alive.”
His words failed to allay her concerns.If anything, they seemed to make them worse.“You want me to run into the woods by myself?I won’t know where I’m going!”
“Don’t worry about it,” he assured her.“I’ll only be a few minutes behind.I’ll find you, and then we’ll find our way back to safety.”
