Beyond the Breaking Point - Lori Sjoberg Page 0,70
to shoot the guy. She’d never shot anything aside from targets. But she couldn’t just let him get away. For all she knew, he might return with reinforcements. And considering he was taller and heavier than her, chasing him down and wrangling him to the ground simply wasn’t a viable option.
Taking aim, she released a long, steady breath and pressed the trigger. The gun jerked in her grip, more than she’d expected, and a plume of dirt kicked up about a foot to the right of the man. Adjusting her aim, she fired again. This time, a high-pitched yelp split the air as the man tumbled to the ground.
Cautiously, she inched toward him, her heart caught in her throat.
Teeth gritted, the man clutched his right upper thigh, where a bloom of crimson stained his pants. From what she could see, there wasn’t an exit wound, which meant the bullet was lodged inside his leg. For his sake, she prayed it hadn’t severed the femoral artery, because if it had, she’d be hard-pressed to keep him alive.
As his gaze shifted to her, his eyes narrowed with contempt. One of his hands slid up to the revolver tucked in the waistband of his pants.
She fired another shot that ricocheted off the ground a few inches from his head. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
He stilled for a few long seconds, and it seemed as though he were attempting to determine the odds of him shooting her before she shot him. Apparently, he didn’t think the odds were good, because he slowly slid his hand away from the gun and held it in the air.
Well, hell, what was she supposed to do with him now? “Roll onto your stomach and put your hands behind your head.” Then she realized she’d said it in English, and repeated the words in a rough Spanish translation.
“I can’t,” he replied in English through gritted teeth. “I’m shot.”
Patience running thin, she fired another round near his head. “That wasn’t a request. On your stomach. Hands behind your head. Don’t make me tell you again.”
With a grunt, the man reluctantly complied, rolling over onto his stomach and lacing his fingers behind his head.
She should have thought to ask for handcuffs before the guys left for the compound. Then again, she didn’t want to get close enough to the guy to restrain him. He looked like the type who’d try something if she got too close. For now, she’d settle for disarming him. With the bullet wound to his leg, he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “Very good. Now reach down with your right hand, take the gun from your waistband, and throw it as far as you can.”
He did as she demanded, though he looked pissed about it, which didn’t come as a surprise.
“What now?” he asked.
“We wait.” She backed up a step. “And you stay exactly as you are. If you make a move I don’t like, I’ll shoot your other leg.”
He stiffened. “You can’t do that.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Seriously? Your boss held me captive for the better part of a year. Now that I’m the one holding the gun, I’ll do any damn thing I want.”
“You’re a doctor,” he pleaded. “I’ve been shot. I need medical attention.”
“Yes, you do, but I’m not getting that close to you until help arrives.”
“I could be dead by then.”
“True, but that’s a chance I’m willing to take.” In reality, the doctor part of her wanted to tend to the gunshot wound, but her practical nature overrode the impulse, realizing he’d kill her in a heartbeat if given half a chance.
At the compound, automatic gunfire filled the air, followed closely by a series of rapid gunshots, a scream, and then eerie, deafening silence.
Hope’s stomach knotted. Her gaze flicked toward the compound, and at that moment, she would have given anything to know what was going on inside. Was Wade okay? How about the rest of the guys? Were any of them injured…or dead? The possibility of the latter made the knot in her stomach tighten.
The sound of movement caught her attention, and her pulse jumped when she realized she’d taken her eyes off her prisoner for too long. She looked back to him, just as a handful of dirt flew at her face.
“Shit!” She whipped her head to the side, avoiding most of the debris, but some still managed to get into her eyes, and she blinked rapidly in an effort to clear it.