She would have to get to the van first and clear it. If the Saldis were part of the attack, she'd confirm with her family and then try to kill anyone waiting to get them. "Enrica, keep everyone together, quiet, and moving toward the van. I'll get ahead and see if I can figure out just where the enemy is."
She didn't wait. They were running out of time. Emmanuelle stepped back into the deeper shadow that ran along the side of the building. At once the pull was there, a strong magnet dragging her into the tube, swallowing her arms and legs and torso. The tube was extremely powerful and she was moving fast. She caught sight of two gunmen making their way along the opposite side of the building, trying to angle around the van to see the back entrance of Lucia's Treasures.
She had to step out of the tube to keep from moving past the van, and that meant exposing herself to the two gunmen just for a moment. She took a breath and dove for the shadow leading under the van. Gunfire erupted. Bullets hit all around, skipping off the pavement, splintering brick and stone. She felt the bite and sting along her left leg and arm. She rolled, desperate to get away from the bullets.
Heavy boots hit asphalt. Valentino Saldi burst from the back door of the butcher shop, his gun roaring as he did so, providing covering fire for Emmanuelle. He reached down and yanked her to her feet, and then thrust her behind him. She cried out as a bullet slammed into her left shoulder, driving her away from Val and back against the wall. She nearly blacked out from the agonizing pain. Her arm was useless. There was no lifting it or fighting with it. No breaking necks. She swore, trying not to shed the tears swimming in her eyes. She'd never felt anything like that pain.
Val kept his body between hers and the gunmen. So much for thinking he was involved. He returned fire, pinning the two men down. She heard running footsteps as the other gunmen broke away from the entrance to the alley, hurrying to join in the firefight.
"Get inside Giordano's," Val ordered.
She shook her head, fighting back nausea. "Give me a gun." She could barely breathe through the pain. The bullet had gone right through her, but it had done a lot of damage along the way. She wasn't certain how much help she was going to be, but she could shoot with either hand.
"Damn it, Emme," Val snapped. "Who the fuck are these jokers?"
He fired off three more rounds and someone yelled. A body dropped. He'd scored two hits, one injured and one most likely dead. Lethal. That's what she needed right now.
Enrica and the others hurried up the alley, forcing Val to turn back to the firefight to cover them. The moment Enrica was close enough, she slapped a compress on Emmanuelle's wound. Fire raced down Emme's arm and to her belly, making it roll. She wasn't about to get sick in front of Val Saldi.
She took the gun Enrica handed her and indicated for the others to get inside the butcher shop. She was certain those inside had already called the police. Amo pushed Lucia and Nicoletta ahead of him and turned back with the shotgun. Signora Moretti stayed as well. The butcher, Berardo Giordano, stepped out carrying a gun as well. Emmanuelle felt a little hysterical. Her little village was the Wild West.
Val glanced over his shoulder, groaning as he saw the others. He didn't ask questions and he didn't order Emmanuelle inside again, but he stayed close to her, so close she could feel the heat of his body – and his anger. He reloaded, rolled to one side and snapped off two quick shots. The moment he did, Enrica fired as well. Emmanuelle took her time, waiting as Val's two shots hit their marks, one in the foot and one through the throat as the man hopped out into the open.
Enrica's shot took out one of the three men running toward them. Amo's shotgun boomed and Signora Moretti's smaller revolver spat. Everything tunneled for Emmanuelle. Shadows connected everywhere, the runners and those hiding unable to keep their shadows from connecting with the tubes. They had no idea she had an exact map to each location.
She glanced at Enrica. Enrica nodded. Emmanuelle stepped out from behind the safety of the van and squeezed the trigger as if she had all the time in the world. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Bodies dropped. She stumbled back, feeling faint. Val caught her around the waist and dragged her behind cover as return fire sprayed all around her.
The jerking on her body sent another black wave through her. Vision clouded. Bile rose. She was going to go down. Desperate, she caught Val's arm. "Get the others to safety." She choked out the plea. Her knees went weak and she found herself falling.
Val caught her up, cradling her weight in his arms. "Berardo, Enrica, keep them pinned down. Signora Moretti, I'll need you and the kid to stop this bleeding. Call an ambulance. Tell the police to step it up, we're taking heavy fire."