Laurie had to admire his ability to persuade and rally a crowd but not the man. Hitler had been a charismatic maniac, too.
The door crashed back against the wall, the explosion of sound reverberating through the room. Laurie whirled and dropped into a defensive crouch. Damien’s bulk filled the doorway.
She blinked and stared at him. He exuded an air of calm, supreme, confidence. Dangerous, grim excitement glittered in his eyes. She swallowed hard but maintained her defensive posture, eyeing him warily. He carried a rifle, full ammunition belt, and wore his pistol on his hip. He looked so much like a terrorist she trembled at the sight of him.
“Laurie,” he said urgently.
She only stared at him. He unsnapped the holster and slid the pistol out of it. He flipped the safety switch off then hesitated. Would he shoot now? No, she told herself. He had promised to take her home. That very personal, though brief, fear must have shown in her eyes. He scowled but only flicked an appraising glance over her. He stalked across the room and stood over her.
“Get up,” he commanded.
She was abruptly reminded of that last day of training at his cabin. Of course, his harsh cold demeanor had changed drastically that night when he …. She pushed those memories aside and slowly got to her feet. Her eyes never left him as she tried to gauge his intent. He nodded as though making a decision and handed her the pistol. She took it, tentatively curling her hand around the grip.
“It’s ready to fire,” he warned. He paused, his expression hard and unyielding. “Shoot to kill.”
She gulped at the glint of steel in his eyes and nodded, unable to speak. Trying to look deeper, she studied him with a kernel of hope. But the tender love they had shared was gone. Of course, there had only been love on her side. He felt nothing then or now. She faced a professional government trained killer whose goal was to accomplish his mission and survive for the next one. The image terrified her but at the same time inexplicably thrilled her.
ALWAYS A WARRIOR Patricia Bruening
70
“What’s going on?” Her voice was a hoarse whisper. She locked her knees to stop them from shaking.
“Shit’s about to hit the fan,” he growled, low but harsh. “Follow me and keep your head down.”
He turned to lead the way, clearly expecting her to keep up with him. Terror grabbed her in its icy grip and Laurie stood rooted to the spot. Trembling uncontrollably, she mentally ordered her feet to move but they refused. The room offered a flimsy safety preferable to the certain danger waiting outside.
Damien turned back and frowned. His single lightening glance raked over her, missing nothing of the terror radiating from her. Muttering curses under his breath, he stalked over and grabbed her hand. She gripped the gun tightly in her other hand until the fierce ache spread from her knuckles to her wrist.
“Don’t wimp out on me now, honey.” She caught a flicker of understanding in his eyes as he stared hard at her. “Don’t let fear paralyze you.”
“I—I can’t move,” she stammered past the hard lump of fear in her throat.
“Yes, you can.” He jerked her toward him.
Adrenaline surged into her bloodstream and she stumbled through the door after him.
Once moving she snatched her hand from his. He shot a sharp, fast glance back at her. Terror still churned her stomach but Laurie found herself free of that paralysis. She nodded, indicating she was fine. He focused his attention forward and she followed him to the outer door.
He stopped so abruptly she plowed into him, gripped his waist to steady herself. He slunk along the wall, pulled her behind him, and peeked around the doorframe. Laurie held her breath until her vision swam. She exhaled slowly, quietly, and her vision cleared. Releasing her hold on his belt, she waited.
Without looking at her, he spoke over his shoulder. “Keep your eyes on me and when I give the signal, run into that large building. Neal, my second in command, will meet you there.
He’ll take you to the extraction point.”
“But you ….”
His forceful glare stilled her protest. She gulped, nodded slowly, and pressed back against the wall.
ALWAYS A WARRIOR Patricia Bruening
71
Chapter Seven
Time slowed to a crawl as Laurie watched Damien study the fracas outside. She went rigid, forcing herself not to fidget. Minutes dragged. She waited, none to patiently, on the raw edge of her nerves. Suddenly, all hell broke loose. Gunfire erupted from outside the compound.
Terrorists scattered, dove for cover, and returned fire. Several fell, never to move again. Several soldiers in American uniforms, Laurie assumed they were Americans, slunk around buildings, moving quickly and quietly.