Run to Ground(108)

“Not anymore,” Theo said, carefully placing the phone into his BDU pocket before heading for Sherry. “He’s my partner now.”

With a wordless scream of rage, Sherry twisted toward Viggy, snatching something from her pocket. The gun! Jules screamed in her head. She’d been so focused on the bomb that she’d forgotten about the gun.

“Don’t shoot!” Theo shouted, sprinting toward Sherry and Viggy. It felt like the world slowed down as Jules realized Theo wasn’t going to reach them in time. He was too far away.

The barrel was pointed at Viggy’s vulnerable head as he kept his jaws closed around Sherry’s arm. Jules lunged toward the pair, her gaze fixed on the handgun. She didn’t think about getting shot or whether the bomb would detonate or anything except that Viggy was about to get shot, and she had to stop it. Her body plowed into Sherry’s at the exact moment the gun fired with a cracking boom.

Just like after the barn exploded, everything went quiet. Dazed, Jules saw the gun spin away from them, skidding across the pavement. She ripped her gaze away from the gun just in time to see Sherry’s fist swinging toward her face. There wasn’t enough time to push away from Sherry or even to cover her face and protect herself. All she could do was watch as the fist got closer and closer. Cringing, she braced for the blow.

It never came. Opening her eyes, Jules saw that Theo was there, that he’d caught Sherry’s arm before she could connect. His lips were moving, but Jules could hear only a roaring sound in her ears.

Viggy! The gun had gone off. Had Jules been too late to save him? Dreading to look, so terrified of what she’d see, she twisted her head to the side. Viggy was standing next to them, no bullet wound in sight, his tail wagging madly, his tongue lolling out in the happiest of doggy grins. A wave of utter relief crashed over Jules, and she burst into tears.

Suddenly the world snapped back into place, and Jules could hear again—Viggy barking excitedly and the distant sound of sirens and Theo snapping out orders to a silent Sherry. Theo hauled Jules to her feet and then reached for Sherry, who kicked out, catching Theo on the side of the leg. He staggered, stumbling into Jules and grabbing onto her arms to keep her from toppling over and bringing them both to the ground.

As they regained their balance, Sherry scrambled to her feet and ran toward the diner. Theo pivoted around to chase after her, but Viggy was there, eager to help, and Theo had to come to an abrupt halt to keep from plowing over the dog. By the time he’d disentangled himself from Viggy, Sherry had disappeared through the back door of the diner.

Theo spun around and sprinted back toward Jules, grabbing the end of Viggy’s leash as he came. “Go! Go!”

It clicked then, clarity erasing the last traces of Jules’s daze. Sherry was in the diner…with two bombs and nothing left to lose. Turning, Jules ran.

Within just a few strides, Theo caught up to her and grabbed her hand. She tried to speed up, but she was already sprinting as fast as she could go. The barriers marking the end of the alley and the beginning of the safe zone looked miles away, rather than just blocks.

“Go ahead!” Jules said between panting breaths. She’d never run so fast in her life, but she knew Theo’s long legs could get him to safety much sooner if he wasn’t keeping pace with her. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“I’m not leaving you.” There was no give in his tone, no room for doubt, and Jules knew there was absolutely no chance of him leaving her side. Jules pushed her legs to move more quickly. Despite the terror and the uncertainty and the horribleness of everything that had happened, it helped having Theo and Viggy next to her, supporting her.

The orange-and-white barricades were visible up ahead, and she flew toward them, air sawing in and out of her lungs. Everything seemed too quiet. The only sounds were rough breathing and shoes slapping the pavement.

There was a boom that seemed to fill the entire space between her ears. The sound echoed through her body, so deep and loud that it took over everything. The early morning dimness suddenly turned incredibly bright, too bright, and the ground shook beneath them. Jules stumbled, almost going down to her knees. Theo used his grip on her hand to haul her upright, and they were running again. The barricades drew closer and closer, and then they were there, in front of her, and Jules had to stop abruptly so she didn’t crash into them. A roaring cheer broke the silence as everyone waiting behind the barricades celebrated their little group’s safe arrival.

Only then did she turn to look behind her. A tower of flame and black smoke had taken the place of the diner. As she watched, another explosion rocked the ground, and she flinched back, instinct making her cover her head with her arms. Debris rained down around the diner, the clatter and crashes barely audible over the roar of the fire. Shouts and curses and barking surrounded her, adding to the chaos, as a fresh plume of flame rose from the remains.