Of course she is. She’d be standing beside you if she weren’t trapped somewhere.

“We’ve got video of her running down one of the aisles, before she takes a turn toward the rear of the store,” Ray stated, appearing beside him. “Clyde let us into the store’s security room, and we checked every camera angle. Neither Ava nor the shooter is in a current shot, but we backed up the main entry camera and it showed her heading toward the garden supply side of the store. Somehow she eludes all the cameras after that.”

“You can’t find either of their present positions?” Mason asked.

“We can tell he’s in front of the restrooms. We saw him haul Lizzy out of the women’s restroom, but he’s holding her out of camera view. The contact team placed him in aisle nineteen, but said he backed out of there when he saw them. He hasn’t moved out of the immediate area.”

“Ava must be in the same area, otherwise she would have risked coming out.”

“Why does he keep asking for her?” asked Ray. “And how the fuck does he know her by name?”

“I’d like to find that out myself. Other than when he stopped to offer help to her at the Rivertown Mall shooting, I’m not aware of any other contact.”

“Shit. Think he’s purposefully interacted with her, and she didn’t realize it was him?”

Acid flowed in Mason’s gut. “I hope not.”

“At least he didn’t shoot at her until tonight.”

Sometimes Ray had a way of offering comfort that completely backfired. “We just need to get her out.”

“She’s smart. She can handle herself,” Ray stated, crossing his arms confidently.

Mason knew that. But it didn’t settle his stomach.

“This is taking too fucking long,” the shooter swore.

Ava jumped as his gun fired, and his hostage screamed. Her screams subsided into gushing sobs, and Ava clenched her teeth, fighting the urge to step out of her hiding place.

“You’re fine,” the shooter said. “Your foot will heal. Stand up, God damn it!”

Ava held her breath. Now. He’s distracted with his hostage.

Ava stepped out from her alcove, holding her weapon like a bat, and saw them. He stood with his back to her, an arm clasping the woman to his chest as he struggled to keep her on her feet. A pool of blood had formed under the woman’s left shoe. He pointed his weapon at his hostage’s blond head, but Ava focused on her target. His skull.

Brown hair. Tall. One swing would do it.

She silently danced forward, tightening her grip and readying to put all her strength into one swing. I’ve got one perfect chance. She slid to a stop and held her breath as she swung.

He turned.

She met his gaze. In the fraction of a second she saw elation, surprise, and fear. His weapon changed targets, and she saw the end of the gun barrel swing to point at her head. She ducked, affecting her aim, and her swing buried the weapon’s pronged head in his left shoulder. He let go of his hostage, who flung herself to the side.

The sound of his gunshot exploded in her ears as she tripped, her weapon’s impact sending shock waves into her shoulders. She stutter-stepped trying to keep her balance as his roar of pain filled the aisle. Her fingers froze in their grip on her weapon, and she yanked on it, wanting another swing.

It wouldn’t budge out of his flesh. Blood flowed around the prongs.

Her pulls on the weapon made him scream, and he fired wildly. Over and over.

I hear the shots. Therefore I’m not dead. Sirens clamored in her brain from the roar of the close shots and adrenaline exploded through her nerves. He will kill me. Ava steered him in a circle, an awkward deadly dance, trying to dislodge her weapon and avoid being shot. His cap fell off and she got a clear look at the melted left side of his neck.

Burn scars.

She ducked and dived as they spun. His dark eyes flashed with anger and pain as he tried to line up his weapon on her.

“You! You bitch!” he screamed. “You did this!”

She frantically wrestled with her weapon, trying to unhook it so she could swing again. This time she wouldn’t miss. She wanted to see it sink into his skull.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blond girl dash down the aisle, ducking as she ran.

I’m on my own.

Spit flew from his mouth and she twisted her weapon, wrenching the handle. He shrieked and his eyes seemed to roll back in his head as he fired at the ceiling. She tripped over his foot and clung to the garden tool to keep her body upright, her weight sinking it deeper into his flesh. His scream pierced her ears as his knees buckled, and she knew they were both about to collapse.

I can’t last much longer.

His gun swung wildly, giving her a glimpse down its barrel.

She ducked her head out of the way, imagining a bullet speeding from its depths.

“GET DOWN GET DOWN GET DOWN!”

She let go, flung herself to the floor, and covered her ears. Gunfire filled the store. Pairs of thundering boots sprinted toward her, and she pressed her cheek against the cool concrete, suddenly exhausted.

“SHOOTER DOWN! WE NEED A MEDIC!”

Ava closed her eyes in relief, loving the sound of those words. He wouldn’t hurt anyone else.

“Agent McLane!” Someone shook her, but she was too tired to open her eyes. “Agent McLane! Can you hear me?” She wanted to tell him she was fine, but she couldn’t speak.

“Too tired,” she mouthed silently.