Justice(112)

“How thoughtful,” I say through the rising bile.

We keep running up the stairs, and the panic rises with each footfall. I don’t know what to do. He must have a helicopter waiting up there to whisk me off to visit Dr. Mengele in South America. I only know one thing. There is no way in hell I’m getting on that chopper. They’ll have to shoot me first.

The bomber opens the door at the top and a gust of cold wind bursts in. I get goose bumps and shiver, but not from the weather. I’m dragged outside, the wind whipping my hair around. The angled chain-link fence surrounding the perimeter of the rooftop vibrates and rattles in the wind. We gaze up at the empty raised helipad. “Where the hell is it?” Grace asks. They scan the horizon and spot it in the distance, descending like the angel of death. There’s just one more flight of stairs, well a ramp, between me and pure hell. I always wanted to go out fighting.

The linebacker’s attention, like all the others’, is on the approaching helicopter. Now or never. With every inch of my strength, I spin at the waist and cold-cock my captor square in the nose. Involuntarily, he releases me to touch his nose. Not missing a beat, I knee him in the groin while grabbing the gun. I take aim at the others as they spin around. Grace fires first, but I’m too fast for her. I leap behind the stunned linebacker, and she hits him instead. As I sprint back toward the door, and I fire back. Their bullets miss me by centimeters. I leap through the open door, and push it closed just as two slugs hit it, leaving indentations on my side of it. Better it than me.

There’s no way in hell they’ll let me get away that easily. With no way to lock the door, I race down the stairs, reach the landing, duck under the corner of the railing and taking aim back up at the door crouching low. The moment it opens again, I fire. The door shuts just as I hear Grace shriek, “Just leave her!” Guess she’s had enough.

I wait a second. No storming down, just the faint sound of the whirly bird. Another second passes and I can breathe again. I can’t just stay here. No matter how much I want to, I can’t run away. He’ll keep coming after me until he has me. I’ll be looking over my shoulder, we all will, for the rest of our days. I have seven bullets left. He’ll get on that chopper over my dead body.

I’m about to storm up the steps when I hear a noise below. Without thinking, I swing the gun toward it. The moment I do, there’s a flash of movement on the stairs below. Before I can register this, Justin appears in front of me, blood on his cheeks and shirt from the now healed bullet wounds. He throws his arms up. “Don’t shoot!”

I lower the gun and throw myself down the two steps into his arms. “About time.”

We squeeze each other tight, but only for a moment. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. He’s out there.”

“How many?”

“Three at least.”

“Bombs?”

“A lie.”

He nods. “Thought so.”

“Plan?”

“You cover me from the door.”

“No way. We go out together.”

“I work alone.”

“Fight together, or die alone. I know which one I choose.”

He hesitates for a split second, but knows me well enough for it to last only that split second. “Alkaline’s mine.”

I nod in agreement. “Let’s go be heroes.”

I start up the stairs with him one pace behind me. We stop at the door, listening. The sound of the helicopter is loud, which means it’s landed. I look into my best friend’s blue eyes and he into mine. We give each other a thrilling smile. “It’s an honor to fight by your side, Justice.”

He grabs the back of my head, pulling me into a quick kiss. “The honor is mine, Detective.” The smile doesn’t leave either of our faces as he turns the handle.

This is it. What we were put on this earth to do.

And God do we love it.

The door flies open, and he’s off. I take one step outside and begin shooting. Grace and the bomber have no idea where to look, the source of the gunfire or the superhero rushing up the ramp like a freight train. My shots hit the guard square in the head, exploding it just as Justice grabs Alkaline. He runs the villain through the open door of the helicopter and out the other side. The copter jolts as the door breaks off with a creek, the two men and the door all tumbling over the side of the platform out of sight.

“James!” Grace shrieks.

I take cover behind one of the air conditioning vents. I get her in my sights, firing once and missing her head, but hitting the helicopter. Realizing she’s a sitting duck she fires back, getting too close for comfort. I duck again, and the next time I peer out she’s leaping off the side of the ramp for protection. The helicopter pilot wises up, taking off. “No!” Grace shouts after it. She fires at me again. “Bitch!”