White Night

Chapter 41

"Stay where you are or I'll shoot!" Connors screamed, her weapon aimed at his torso, her finger solid on the trigger.

Ross' eyes widened as his jaw dropped.

Thought you'd walk right up to us and kill us while we welcomed you as our knight in shining armor? No way in hell, Sir Ross.

"Connors, it's me!" he shouted, his brow twisted.

Her finger twitched on her trigger. With twelve pounds of force needed to pull it, she wouldn't fire accidentally, but she would drop him if he lifted his weapon.

"Drop your weapon, Ross. Now!"

His face went cold as he started to lift his gun.

One second, no choice. She moved her trigger finger backward slowly, too slowly, but she needed more time. Something wasn't right. He wasn't looking at them.

"Stay down!" he shouted as he took aim.

Now, Connors! No time left, Michael's dead if you don't.

He narrowed his eyes and finalized his aim. She was certain his aim was high, but he could move his weapon on target again in a split-second...

A shot burst from his gun, flying over their heads. Still, she kept her weapon trained on Ross. Glancing back now could get them both killed if the first shot was a distraction.

Footsteps retreated behind them, and as Ross lowered his weapon, she saw a man fleeing the scene. Even catching a glimpse of the bulky frame, thick features, and short brown curls of hair was enough for her to know it was Nikolai. She'd been familiarizing herself with his mugshot ever since his name was mentioned on her case. Ross had been aiming at him, and she'd nearly killed her partner.

"Come on!" Ross shouted angrily, dragging them both up and pulling them to his car.

"We can't leave Tejo!" But she wasn't leaving Michael, either.

"I'll go! Take my car!" He started back to Tejo's position.

Sirens wailed. Backup was close by, and the gunmen rushed back into their van. Unable to advance without taking more fire, they knew they would soon be outnumbered.

Connors pushed Michael into the back seat of Ross' Charger and scrambled into the front, praying Tejo was unhurt, desperate to know if he was okay. Any injury to anyone was her fault and unforgivable.

The van reversed into another car and roared down the street. Ross and Tejo came into sight from around her own vehicle. Tejo gave the thumbs-up and his famous smile, and she finally took a real breath. Lights and sirens swarmed the street. Leaping out of the driver's seat, she motioned at Tejo to take over guarding Michael.

"Where are you going?" Ross shouted.

"After Nikolai."

Connors took off running in the direction Nikolai had fled. He had to have a vehicle nearby, and if he made it to that, he would be gone.

Nikolai was large, but not fit. He'd just about made it back to his car, but before he could open the door, she yelled, "NYPD! Stop!"

He whipped round, dropping his keys. His hands were empty, but she unholstered her weapon. He could reach for a piece any second.

Nikolai started to run and she lowered her Glock as she raced after him, Ross' heavy steps behind her. Connors' stomach flipped at the thought of his Sig 9 mm at her back. He didn't shoot her thirty seconds ago, but that didn't make him clean. She glanced back, but his face, twisted with exertion and adrenaline, didn't reveal his intentions. His gun was aimed at the floor, but could change in half a second if he was on Nikolai's payroll and she got too close to his boss...

Nikolai disappeared into a maze of alleys running between ageing brick industrial buildings. Paint peeled from heavy steel doors and dark, grime-covered windows stared out like drug-addled eyes. Doors rattled close by; Nikolai was looking for a hiding place. They moved toward the noise.

"Where the hell are you? I'm in the warehouses. Get here now!" Nikolai barked.

He had to be on his cell, no one else could've heard him if they weren't already here.

She edged along the wall of the building, Ross' breath warming the chill on the back of her neck. Eight feet to the corner, then they should be face to face with Nikolai.

Sharp cracks split the air as gunfire erupted. Ross flinched but stayed close behind her. She rushed to the corner in time to see a group of men firing at Nikolai as he darted down another street. There were three, no, four of them. The gunmen moved to follow Nikolai, then scurried backward, more shots echoing through the streets.

Pop, pop, pop...but not from the group. Nikolai was returning fire.

She looked back at Ross, his skin glistened with sweat, his breath faster than hers. He put his hand on her shoulder and nodded. She leaned out and moved her Glock on target with the gunmen. Ross leaned out over-top of her, his gun arm rigid above her head, his Sig aimed at the middle of the group.

"NYPD! Drop your weapons!"

The men didn't hesitate. Weapons swung at them and bullets clattered against brick, sending them behind the wall.

Connors leaned out and returned fire, but only one gunman remained crouched behind a stack of pallets. The others had taken off after Nikolai. She motioned at Ross to move back the way they'd come. More gunfire echoed through the narrow streets to their right. Ross rushed toward it as she followed, her gun at his back this time, but her hand still tight around the grip. Ross suddenly abandoned caution and sprinted toward the shots, too sure of where he was going. A sick feeling swirled in her gut and she hung back, letting a gap open between them. If she was running into a partner-sponsored ambush, she needed some reaction distance.

Ross disappeared around the next corner without hesitation. No cop did that unless they knew what they were running into. She stopped, barely able to breathe. If he was clean and she didn't back him up, he could die. Then forget her career, she'd never forgive herself. Abandoning your partner—no cop did that, either.

If he was dirty and she followed him, then in moments bullets would ricochet inside her body, bouncing off bones and pulverizing precious organs. No one would know that rich-kid Ross was a killer, a real one this time, no self-defense pretense.

Screw it.

She would not leave her partner to face armed perps on his own. But as she started to follow him, something hot and damp grabbed her arm, jerking her backward.

Nikolai.