page64 (2/2)

As they started off the o with you?”

“No, stay here There’s a police officer posted out front Anything happens you get to him”

“Okay, good luck”

Stone and Chapone about twenty feet when she grabbed his arm

“What?” he said

“That security guard?”

“What about him?”

“Do they norloves?”

Stone flinched, wheeled around and sprinted back the way they had come

The door was locked now Chapman shot the handle off and kicked it open They rushed back into the lobby There was no sign of the guard

Outside the cop told them that the man had come out and headed into the alley

“He said you told hi and—”

Chapman and Stone ran off before he finished

They found the security guard’s uniform next to a Dumpster Stone and Chapman peered around

“He can’t be more than a few seconds ahead of us,” she whispered

“Thanks to you,” said Stone “If you hadn’t figured out—”

She hit hi him down an instant before the round slammed into the side of the Dumpster at the spot where Stone’s head had just been Chapman rolled, took aim and fired Her shots chipped concrete off the side of the building, but the shooter was already gone

Stone had rolled over on his belly and had his gun aimed at the same spot

“See anything?” he hissed

She shook her head “He’s gone”

The cop fro

“Stay down,” exclaimed Chapman, and the cop went to his knees and then scuttled forward until he was behind the Dumpster too

“Backup’s here,” he said “You guys okay?”

Stone sat up and looked at Chapman “Thanks to her I am”

Chaped “More luck than skill, really”

“I’ll take it That slug was going right for my head”

The three of them made their way cautiously down the alley They picked up their pace when they heard the car race off By the tin of a vehicle or the shooter Stone and Chaped back

They both stopped when they reached the cop

He was squatting over his partner, as lying behind so blankly up

As they knelt over the body, Chapuy He wouldn’t have had time to shoot at us and then do this”

“He had backup of his own,” said Stone quietly, as the cop sat on his haunches wiping tears from his eyes over the death of his partner

“These guys are unbelievably organized,” said Chapman “I mean, who the hell are they?”

Stone put a hand on the shoulder of the cop “I’m sorry”

The officer glanced up and nodded and then returned to staring at his dead colleague

Stone straightened, turned and walked back down the alley as the wail of sirens reached fever pitch