Page 6 of Defender
Again, Dani adjusted her grip on her weapon and kept to the side of the house.
Right now, you’re here to learn and watch my back.
She had to cover Macy and Rick. Delta would be covering the other corner. No doubt Clarkson and Reese were itching to be in on the figh?—
At the sound of yelling and broken glass coming from the backyard, Dani was even more tempted to see what was happening.
She had to prove herself now, but one day, she’d be on the front lines and calling the shots. Show everyone that she was an asset. She could make a difference.
A window on the second floor opened. Before Dani could say anything, a large man in a flashy gold tracksuit dropped to the grass.
“Stop!” she called out.
The bald man with a linebacker build glanced over his shoulder at Dani and ran toward the front of the house.
As she sprinted after him, Dani called behind her. “Assailant on east side of the house, headed toward front. I’m in pursuit!”
“That’s not the target. Stay in position!” Macy’s voice sounded far away, barely registering as Dani’s boots pounded the landscape rock.
“He can’t get away!” A deep bass crackled in Dani’s ear. Spurred her on.
Oh, he wouldn’t. Not on her watch! The guy had to have a hundred pounds on her, but he was fast.
Just not fast enough.
He didn’t have a weapon in hand. She couldn’t justify shooting him. She’d have to take him down the hard way.
Dani holstered her weapon, launched herself at his knees, wrapping her arms around both legs and holding tight. They hit the ground with a thud. The man yelled and kicked. She caught a foot to her sternum and lost all breath.
But she didn’t let go.
“Get her off me!” he yelled.
He threw a wild punch that only glanced off her helmet. His next punch caught her in the chin, but she kept her vise-like grip. With all he did to exploit innocent children, he wasn’t going to get away. That and she still couldn’t breathe after that blow to her chest.
Glass crashed somewhere above and rained down on Dani and her captive. A black jean-clad leg appeared in the window right above Dani’s head. Before she knew it, a man hit the ground and stood over her and her captive. Norman Prince.
She had the wrong guy! But she couldn’t move, her arms still locked around Not Norman Prince’s legs. Her paralyzed lungs refused to work.
“Thanks for clearing the way.” With a rude smirk, Prince glanced at her before dashing toward the front of the house.
He was getting away! Since she still couldn’t breathe enough to speak, she let her arms go limp and rolled over on the grass.
Macy sprinted over, eyes frantic. “You okay, Kim? What happened?” She grabbed the man in the flashy tracksuit, who attempted to scramble away as soon as Dani loosened her grip. He was no match for Macy, who quickly pushed him against the side of the house and held his hands behind his back.
Finally, Dani’s lungs inflated, and she sucked in a quick breath. “Prince. Got away.” She pointed to where she’d last seen him.
Macy ignored the curses and shouts from the man in her custody and called into the comms that the suspect was last seen moving to the front of the house from the east side. “He’s got a vehicle out front. Don’t let him get away!”
“No need to worry. I’ve got him right here. Northeast corner.” Clarkson’s raspy voice came through the channel loud and clear.
Because of course he would be the one to capitalize on Dani’s mistake.
She closed her eyes and groaned. With the adrenaline quickly leaving her body, the pain in her center mass grew.
But seeing the grim expression on Macy’s face hurt even worse. The special agent held a hand out and helped Dani up to her feet as soon as one of the other agents had the man in gold in hand.
“Why didn’t you follow my order?” she asked Dani.
