Images of the lifeless body could have consumed me, but I forced my thoughts in a strategic direction, taking in my surroundings. The stairs were my initial thought, but making it down unscathed was impossible. Remaining on my abdomen, I assessed my other option. The window. The woman's body had it partly obstructed, but I could push past her in a matter of seconds. I shuddered, trying not to let myself fixate on her still form. Still staying down, I scooted in that direction, swallowing the bile that rose in my throat.

"Max!" I heard a muffled shout. Startled, I looked back, then remembered the phone. The small black cellular was inches from the edge of the balcony. Taking it, I started to raise it to my ear. Another shot fired, grazing the side of my arm. I screamed in pain and pushed back from the edge to hide behind Max and Higgins.

Higgins watched me in sick fascination, as if trying to guess what I would do next. I moved my hand from my injured arm, noting the blood between my fingers. I heard Higgins' muffled laugh as my head started to fall backward. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. Now is not the time to faint.

I slid back toward the window, stopping inches from the sill. I had no choice. I would have to push her away and stand to duck inside. Deep down, I knew my risks were great. I heard someone running below me. I opened my mouth to call out even as shots fired below my platform. They ricocheted off the metal in deafening hostile clanks.

I reached back and pushed the woman into her home with my uninjured arm. "Sorry," I whispered. Glancing one last time in the direction of the sniper, I quickly stood and ducked into the home in a headfirst dive. I heard the shot that should have been fatal, but the bullet didn't touch me. I rushed through the cluttered apartment to the exit. Behind me, I could hear the pang of tread on the metal fire escape. The men who had been below me were on their way up. I had to hurry. Even as I closed the front door, I heard something in the apartment shatter; they were making better time than I anticipated.

Sprinting down the hall, I noticed one of the unit's doors was propped open. I pushed inside calling, "Hello?" No one answered. The television was on, but otherwise the apartment was silent and still. Likely, the unit was a bachelor pad judging by the relative filth around the place. I knew my chances of outrunning this bunch were slim. I closed the door softly and turned off the TV. Heading behind the couch to wait, I raised the phone to my ear.

"Kael?" I whispered frantically.

"Harper! Thank God! Where are you?"

I had never heard such panic in his voice; it matched my own.

My voice shook, "They killed Max and another bystander. Higgins is shot." My words tumbled out, almost unintelligible.

"Listen to me. Breathe. Where are you? Safe?"

Finding the lack of noise in the building odd, I looked around the apartment and described my whereabouts, "I'm in an apartment building down the street. I went into one of the units. No one's in here. I think I'm safe."

I heard road noise in the background as he spoke. This helped to calm me. "We're on our way. Do you know the apartment building or street name?"

"It's probably two streets south of the train station," I whispered, "You won't miss the bodies on the fire escape."

I heard shots then. I jumped, then lowered myself even further onto the floor behind the sofa. There was a ruckus at the far end of the hall, from where I'd come. "Just hurry," I choked out a sob. I knew the reprieve offered by the room was swiftly ending.

A few tense moments passed. I could hear doors being kicked in methodically. Their heavy tread grew closer and closer as my heart pounded through my chest. Kael's voice instructed me to ready myself for defense, but his words made little sense to me. My sweaty palms gripped Max's weapon though, and I willed myself to fight whoever would come through that doorway. Reflected in the screen of the television, I could just see the doorway. I kept my eyes locked on the image, anticipating my advisories at any moment.

I didn't have long to wait. The door flung open with the swift kick of a mercenary dressed in all black, his face obscured by a ski mask. He rushed into the room, doing a quick sweep right then left. My only chance was to have the element of surprise in my favor. When I saw him start toward the sofa, I leapt up, aimed in his general direction, and pulled the trigger. He howled in pain and reached for his right thigh. Without bothering with a second shot, I bolted for the door but not quickly enough. He reached out and grabbed my arm. His grip forced me toward him.

I kicked back into his chest, throwing him off balance. Disoriented, he loosened his grip on me enough to allow my escape. I stumbled into the hall moments before I realized my mistake. Three other men in various stages of checking the units had heard the shots and were running toward me down the narrow hallway. Panicked residents ducked back into their homes in horror.

I dove across the warped floorboards toward the stairs. Even as I took the stairs down two at a time, I could hear my pursuers just behind me. I reached around the corner of the first landing, firing back towards the top of the stairs with only a moment's aim. Someone moaned. I'd managed to hit one of them.

I knew we had climbed nearly six flights on the fire escape so I kept a mental tally of my progress going down. At last I reached the bottom. Out of breath, I found myself at the back of the building, in a residential parking lot that opened onto the street. Other than the cars in the lot, there were few opportunities for cover. I ducked behind a large sedan several rows back. Just as I dropped to all fours, I heard the back door of the building open. Keeping my breathing even as I could, I chanced a look under the car. The bounty hunters had emerged, feet clad in heavy combat boots.

The man I had shot in the apartment came out a second behind the rest. Limping and furious, he slammed the door as he exited shouting, "Find her!"

I kept low behind the car, but they were once again rapidly approaching my hiding spot. The only options for cover were these cars, a few light poles, and some garbage bins out by the street. I only had seconds before one of them checked my car. Either I would try to run deeper into the parking lot, a plan which seemed destined to fail, or head for the street. Maybe someone out there could help me.

They were sweeping the row of cars in front of me. Now was my only chance to run. I tried to keep low behind the cars as I moved, but only a few seconds passed before they heard me. "Hey!" Someone yelled, alerting the others to my escape. I had made it a few feet from the street when one of them jumped in front of my path, standing between me and the street.

Realizing I could be killed at this mad man's whim, I froze. He spoke, "Drop the weapon on the ground," and gestured with his gun.

I obeyed. Raising my shaking hands to shoulder height I waited for the final shot. His eyes were unsympathetic, unyielding. He raised the gun. Through the ski mask I could see the sickening twist of a smile on his lips.

"Ten million dollars," He breathed. I shrunk back, waiting for what would inevitably follow. At that moment, tires screeched loudly on the street. My eyes flew open as a black sedan with dark windows came flying into the parking lot, literally driving into my assassin. I jumped aside, not expecting the car to have time to break before hitting me. Half a dozen officers jumped out in full bulletproof gear. They engaged the remainder of the team in the parking lot with a sweeping storm of fire. I fell to the ground, narrowly missing getting shot myself. I felt a knee on my shoulder pinning me down. I turned to find Ava over me. Her gun was drawn, her trained eyes on any possible threat.

She shoved me into the passenger seat and slammed the door behind me. Seconds later the car filled with my rescue team, successful in covering my extraction. Ava slid into the driver's seat and gave me a quick glance.

"That was close," She commented as she threw the car into gear. My heart was pounding and the ringing in my ears was nearly deafening. I only nodded as she reversed the car out of the lot as quickly as she'd entered it. She touched her ear and spoke with unnatural calm considering the situation at hand, "We've got her. Get out. Send backup up to Heartland and Straights..."

She continued with her instruction, as she peeled around a corner. I let the ringing in my ears drown her out. A deep slow breath started to calm my racing heart. I knew that at this moment, I should be dead.

The plastic divider between me and the soldier filled rear slid open. One of them reached out to touch my shoulder. I started, looking back at the black helmet. The gear hid all identifiers but his hazel eyes.

"You ok?" Kael's voice was hardly recognizable through the ridiculous mask. I nodded and reached up to squeeze his offered hand. It was unlikely that he was part of an elite extraction team in addition to being a double agent. He was only here because of me.

My racing heart began to slow. Finally safe, I couldn't believe I had survived. I was convinced that I couldn't take much more violence, though deep down I felt some small personal victory at having survived this particular episode. Kael had come for me, but more importantly, I'd protected myself. Kael's eyes searched mine, seeming to sense that my nerves were settling.

"They got Higgins," he called with a glance toward Ava.

She smiled, "Good. I've got some questions for my old friend." Her smile was cynical, vicious even. Whatever she was planning, Higgins deserved it, and more.

*****

That was a close one! Now lets hope Higgins has some of the answers we seek and is willing to share them.

*****