Rebirth (John Taylor #1)

Chapter 5

I looked at the headlights headed in my direction and in the time it took me to realize they were not the Marshal's reinforcements arriving, they closed a lot of the ground between us. There was no time for us to run but, since the last guys ended up in a shootout with a US Marshal to most likely get the girl hiding in the back seat, leaving her to fend for herself seemed like a bad option.

"I'm going to set the phone down, and deal with these two guys," I said setting the phone down.

The guy on the phone was still talking, but I couldn't hear him anymore. I checked my gun and I only had two rounds left. Sliding my weapon back into my holster, I reached down and picked up the Marshal's weapon. It was also low, but she had a clip holder on her belt. Checking it, I found a full clip still there, which I loaded into the borrowed gun.

By this point I could see the vehicle was another black SUV. It had pulled up behind and a little to the passenger's side of the first SUV. I didn't want to try and hold the same position as the Marshal had used. Once the shooting had started, she had been locked down, which had really limited her options.

I quickly circled around the driver's door and crossed between the Marshal's cruiser and the first SUV. Right before I crossed the grill of the first SUV and putting the second vehicle out of view, I saw a flash of the passenger door opening on the new arrival.

I continued making my way around the front of the first SUV in a crouched walk to keep out of sight. Coming around the side of the vehicle I saw the driver had already stepped out of the SUV and was heading towards the Marshal's vehicle. I pulled my weapon up and doubled tapped into his chest the second he came into view, dropping him next to the front of his vehicle.

I waited for a moment to see if there was anyone in the back of the new SUV that might join the fight. Not seeing anyone I moved towards the back of the SUV I was using as cover. Coming around the back of the bumper I caught movement in my peripheral vision the moment I passed into view. I barely made it back into cover before bullets whizzed through the spot I had just occupied. I had moved back fast enough that I lost balance, falling on my back.

Looking under the SUV, past the rear tires, I could see feet slowly moving towards the spot I just vacated. Instead of facing the attacker face to face I rolled to my left shoulder to get a steady position, and fired once into his ankle. He quickly fell to the ground, one hand grasping his ruined appendage. I didn't hesitate at all. As soon as the rest of his body came into view I fired one shot into his head.

I continued lying there for another moment, waiting to see if anyone else was going to come out of the SUV. While waiting, something on the guy's forearm and hand caught my attention. It was a series of tattoos. After it became clear no one else was coming, I hopped up and walked backwards to the Marshal's car, because you can never be too careful. Getting to the rear driver's side door, I opened it and extended my free hand to the girl still hiding on the floorboards.

"It's ok, everything's safe, now. Come on out for a second while we wait for local police," I said.

She just shook her head no in response.

I gave an internal sigh and tried again, "Seriously, you're safe. If I was one of the bad guys, wouldn't whatever was going to happen, have happened already? When you get out, you can look over where they are lying, and see for yourself that they won't hurt you."

She sat for a few seconds longer, considering my words, before pulling herself up and onto the back seat. She did not, however, grab my hand. She waited until I backed out of the way before she would step out of the car. While she was getting out of the car I walked around to the driver's seat where I had left the cell phone.