Sharpshooter (Shadow Agents #3)(31)
Author: Cynthia Eden

The killer had never had the chance to finish his kills. Never had the chance to take out Sydney or Gunner.

“This could be related to those attacks. Guerrero, the EOD agent hits…it could all tie together,” Cale said, voice tight.

Gunner nodded. He feared, suspected, the same thing.

“If this is the case, then the EOD has one powerful enemy, one with a grudge against you and Sydney.”

The bedroom door squeaked open. Gunner looked over his shoulder. Sydney was clad in jeans and a fresh shirt. She’d put on her sneakers and was coming toward them with a smile on her face.

“You haven’t told her,” Cale murmured.

No, not yet, he hadn’t.

“Better update her on the way,” Cale said, “because Logan wants us all in for a briefing in an hour.”

Figured.

Sydney’s smile faltered. “Gunner? What’s going on?”

He exhaled slowly. He’d never sugarcoated when it came to a mission. Of the Shadow Agents, Sydney was the best at gathering intel. There was nothing that woman couldn’t get a computer to tell her, so Gunner knew that Logan would want her in the office, working with the other techs to recover data and try to pick up a trail on the hacker.

So he just told her the plain truth. “The EOD may have been compromised.”

Her eyes widened.

“And it looks like the breach came from the inside.”

* * *

SYDNEY HURRIED OUT of Gunner’s building, her steps too fast, but adrenaline was pulsing through her. First the arson at her house, and now someone had hacked into her file? Definitely a personal attack, and she wasn’t about to stand by and do nothing.

She was going hunting.

“I’ll follow you,” Cale said as he exited the building after them. Sure enough, she saw his car waiting a few feet down the road. Cale and his cars. The man loved the classic rides. His vintage Mustang was parked at the edge of the street. Gunner’s truck waited in his reserved spot. Being a special agent did have its perks, and having your vehicle close by in case of a government emergency, well, that was important.

Sydney nodded. “Thanks, Cale, I’ll see you at the—”

Gunner slammed into her. Sydney’s breath was knocked from her body as she tumbled toward the ground. Gunner twisted, trying to cushion her as she fell, and in that split second she just wondered…what the—

A loud crack sounded.

Gunfire.

She reached for her own weapon, a weapon she’d taken from Gunner’s stash in the condo. Gunner had taken her down behind the truck, giving them cover behind that vehicle. As she pushed up into a crouch, his hands flew over her.

“Are you hurt?” he demanded.

Sydney gave a quick shake of her head. Not hurt, just mad.

Another hit? In less than twenty-four hours?

Gunner yanked out his phone. An instant later he was saying, “Logan, get a team on my street now. A shot was just fired.” His gaze glittered as it held hers. “It came from the northwest corner, the James Fire Building. I saw the damn glint of light right before the bullet came at Sydney.”

Gunner was a sharpshooter, one of the best she’d ever seen, so of course he’d know where that shot originated.

“Cale’s clearing civilians now, and you get that team here ASAP.” He shoved the phone back into his pocket and yanked out the gun that had been holstered beneath his jacket. They’d both left the condo armed, just in case. When you knew you were being targeted, you never went anywhere without a weapon at your side.

“I want you to stay down,” Gunner told her. “Stay behind this truck until backup arrives.”

She knew what he was planning, and it was not going to fly with her. “While what? You race up to that building and face the shooter on your own?”

“I can’t let him take any more shots! Civilians could be at risk.”

The street had been nearly deserted when they came out. Just a young couple, walking down the sidewalk. Cale had gotten them clear, but what if someone else came out?

“You need cover,” she told him. “I can provide it for you.”

He shook his head. “You’re the target, and I’m not letting him take another shot at you.” His gaze dropped to her stomach. “Neither of you.”

Her heart was racing too fast. “You can’t go in alone.”

Sirens were wailing. Yes, thank goodness. Someone had called the cops—could have been someone from the building, could have been Logan. Logan knew how to get the local officials to instantly jump into action.

“The cops are going to be here any second,” Gunner said as he tilted his head to listen to that approaching wail. “They’re going to scare the shooter off.”

Because most shooters ran at the first sign of cops, except for the shooters who’d staged the attack to bring local enforcement into the danger zone.

In Gunner’s eyes, she saw that same knowledge.

“I have to make sure no one else is at risk.”

Because he was Gunner. And that was just what he did. Sydney nodded grimly. “I won’t be able to give you much cover. He’s too far away.”

Gunner pressed his lips to hers. “I just want you to stay safe.”

Then he was gone. Damn him, he was rushing right out into the open. She lifted up, keeping as shielded as she could, and raised her gun. If she saw the glint of that weapon coming from the northwest, she would—

There was no glint from a weapon. And the sound of gunfire didn’t break the stillness of this morning. Gunner kept to cover as much as he could as he ran toward the building.

No shots were fired.

Sydney still didn’t relax her guard.

She stayed there, armed, ready to do anything necessary if she saw Gunner get threatened.

Soon the cops were pulling up and rushing toward her, rushing for the building on the northwest corner. Logan had already briefed them. Now it was just a matter of seeing if they could catch the shooter.

She glanced toward the building. Gunner.

* * *

THE JAMES FIRE Building was abandoned, due to be demolished in just a few weeks so that a new apartment complex could be built in its place. Isolated, private, it was the spot that Gunner would have picked himself if he had to take out a target on the street below.

So as he’d led Sydney to his truck, Gunner’s gaze had automatically risen to that building. A reflex act. He’d scanned the windows, then seen the glint—a glint that didn’t belong. He’d pushed Sydney to the ground.

Just in time.