Countdown by Heather Woodhaven Read Free Book Online Page B

unbuckled seat belt.
    She raised her eyebrows and looked at him. Confusion lined her forehead. James shook his own seat belt as he clicked it into place with his left hand.
    â€œOh.” She followed his example as he turned the key in the ignition with his right hand. The door to the house burst open.
    â€œStop,” a man in a black suit hollered. He whipped a gun out from the holster underneath his suit jacket and aimed the weapon at the windshield.

FIVE
    R achel’s heart went into overdrive at the sight of the weapon. Her body stiffened and her fingernails dug deep into the sides of the leather seat. The man kept the gun level at the driver’s side of the windshield.
    â€œShift to Reverse.” James spoke out of the corner of his mouth. “While he’s focused on me.”
    He had to be joking. Rachel stared at the gun. One move of the trigger finger and James would be shot. The man took one step down the garage steps, but his weapon remained on target.
    The man narrowed his eyes and yelled, “Hands up.”
    James slowly began to lift his hands. “Rachel.” His voice sounded like a plea.
    â€œHe’s a bad man, Daddy!” one of the boys cried.
    The little voice was her undoing. So much could go wrong, but the alternative meant being in the gunman’s control. She’d had more than her share of interactions with arrogant, adrenaline-filled crooks with guns. It never ended well.
    Rachel slipped her left hand to the gearshift and shoved it down into Reverse.
    The car shot backward. Her head bounced off the headrest as the car smashed against the garage door. The screech of aluminum filled the air as the garage door buckled. James must have floored it.
    His hands snatched the steering wheel as the car shot into the street. He swung the car around, and her hands hit the dashboard as he shifted into Drive.
    Shards of the left mirror exploded and bounced off the driver’s-side window. It mimicked the sound of hail during a thunderstorm. An involuntary scream tore out of her mouth as the wheels squealed and the car sped down the street.
    The boys’ screeches overpowered hers. “Were you hit?” She turned to find the boys petrified in their booster seats. Little teardrops rolled down their cheeks, but they fell silent. No sign of blood or injury.
    James said nothing, but his face paled.
    Rachel peeked in the right-side mirror. Were they still shooting? Two men in suits were running to the black sedan in the cul-de-sac.
    She flung her gaze back to James. “Call the police. Have you called the police?”
    â€œI wish we could, but we can’t.” James zigzagged through the roads out of the subdivision. “Did you hear them? They have fake badges. They shot at us.”
    She unzipped her purse, hunting for her phone in the unorganized mess. “All the more reason to call.” If he wasn’t going to do it, she would.
    â€œNo. Rachel, we’re dealing with people who are trying to launch a weapon in the sky.” He sucked in a shaky breath. “Imagine what kind of resources they have at their disposal. I won’t trust anyone with the safety of my sons until I hear from Derrick.” He lowered his voice so softly she almost didn’t hear him continue. “I’d die before I let one of those goons close enough to touch them.”
    Her fingertips found her phone at the bottom of the bag, but she hesitated to dial. She’d seen firsthand how much he loved his sons and his words only confirmed it. Her finger hovered over the screen. Her heart beat so loudly in her ears she struggled to think straight. “Is Derrick the contact you mentioned? The one from the NSA?”
    â€œHold on.” He took a turn at a diagonal. “Yes. I need to speak with him, and I need to focus now. I’m driving straight to the police station to drop you off, but I’m begging you... Do not bring us into this. Please.”
    Rachel