Page 7 of Run

“Waiting for Dimitri and Joe,” Megan said. “They’re doing one last sweep of the building, making sure the weapons are locked up tight.”

“What about your house?” Julia asked, referring to the converted carriage house at the bottom of the garden, where Callum lived with his family.

He glared at Elle. “Everything that might be sensitive is locked up or binned. Which I’m none too happy about.”

“I’m sorry, Callum.” Elle hit him with her best contrite expression, which included anime-sized eyes. “I’ll make it up to everyone. I won’t ever search for David ever again, I promise.”

Whatever Callum planned to say was lost when a gunshot rang out and a bullet struck the wall behind the reception desk with a loud smack.

“Take cover.” Callum ducked out of sight of the door.

Ryan shoved Elle away from the door, while Megan yanked Julia back against the wall.

Elle couldn’t tear her eyes from the bullet hole above reception. What kind of idiot shot at a business in the center of London? In the middle of the day?

“Is this real?” Elle asked no one in particular, so she wasn’t surprised when she didn’t get an answer.

“Sitrep?” Joe demanded as he hurried down the stairs with Dimitri.

“Somebody’s shooting at us.” Megan sounded quite pleased about it too.

Joe made his way along the walls to his wife. “Hit the alarm, Jules.”

Julia reached up to the panel behind her and triggered the silent alarm that went straight to the local police station. Meanwhile, Joe darted out to slam the doors shut.

They’d barely closed when another bullet shattered one of their glass panels.

“Why the hell aren’t those doors bulletproof?” Callum demanded.

“Because you wouldn’t sign off on the quote, you cheap-assed Scot,” Joe said. “Julia told you the glass was a wise investment, but you said, ‘Who’s gonna shoot at us in a London street?’ Good call.”

“Aye,” Callum said. “I may have made a mistake with that decision.”

“Anybody see anything?” Dimitri fired a warning shot through the door. “I can tell there’s more than one of them, but that’s about it.”

Another bullet blasted through the glass and embedded itself in the wall beside reception.

“Who the hell are these people? And why are they still here? Don’t they realize the cops will be here any minute?” Ryan fired another warning shot to keep their attackers from coming inside.

Elle wanted to shoot too. She really needed a gun. Why didn’t she have a gun? It wasn’t like this was the first time she’d been shot at. She was damn well going to start carrying her own gun. A pink one. Or maybe blue. So what if it was pure luck when she hit whatever she aimed at? If worst came to the worst, she could always throw the gun at her attacker. Or pistol-whip them. She was rambling. Again. At least this time, it was in her head and not out loud.

“Get to the basement and hole up in the panic room,” Callum ordered. “I’ll cover you.”

“What about you?” Elle didn’t want anyone left behind. Especially Callum. Isobel would not be pleased if her husband ended up with holes in him.

“Don’t worry; I’m right behind you.” Never before had he looked more like a Highlander ready to wage battle. She found it kinda comforting.

“We don’t want to hurt anyone,” a voice shouted from outside the building, making them pause. “We only want the girl.”

By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!

She knew that voice.

Almost as well as she knew her own.

As though in slow motion, a bullet floated through the air and sank into the front of the reception desk with a muted thud.

“If you don’t want to hurt anybody, why are you still shooting?” Ryan’s voice sounded like he was underwater. Distorted. Dull. Drawn out.