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I eased up enough to peek over the top of the crates, but Lachlan jerked me back down.

The abandoned truck beside the retaining wall was our last cover before the service door. Its driver was already dead, one more body added to the chaos. I wondered how many more would die before this day was over.

Between us and it was nothing but open concrete.

Lachlan followed my gaze.

“The service door’s right behind that truck,” I said.

“Then let’s go.” He nodded.

Rafael crouched beside us and checked the courtyard behind us.

“I’ll cover the rear.”

Lachlan shifted closer to me. “You stay close to me.”

“I have been.”

His mouth twitched despite the gunfire.

“Good girl.”

Under any other circumstances, those two words would have done terrible things to my concentration.

At the moment, I was mostly trying not to get shot.

Lachlan leaned out from behind the crates.

A man moved near the road along the retaining wall.

Lachlan brought his pistol up and fired.

The man stumbled backward and went down beside the retaining wall.

“Now!”

Lachlan reached for me without looking back. I put my hand in his, and we took off toward the truck.

Rafael followed close behind us, firing once toward someone moving along the upper level.

The truck looked impossibly far away.

Bullets struck the concrete somewhere behind us.

I ran harder.

Lachlan stayed slightly ahead of me without letting go, his body naturally taking the more exposed side.

Another shot cracked from our left.

Lachlan released my hand long enough to turn and fire toward where the round had come from.

“Keep going.”

I did.

Rafael fired behind us.