Deep Cover (The Extractor Series Book 4) by Mike Ryan (best novels to read to improve english txt) 📗

talk first and give the bad guys the opportunity to shoot at us first?”

“Because that’s the rules.”

“There are no rules. Why can’t we shoot first? We know they’re gonna shoot at us, anyway. So why do we always give them the first shot? That doesn’t seem fair.”

Bridge shrugged. “Because we’re good and they’re not?”

“Seems so counterproductive.”

“Maybe. But I think it’s in the Good Guy Handbook.”

“You’re making stuff up.”

“No, it’s there. Chapter four, section six, paragraph three, subsection fourteen.”

“Uh huh.”

They watched as the man finished putting the bags in his car and walked back to the house. He closed the door once he was inside. That was their cue. Bridge and Nicole bolted out of their cars, guns drawn, and started running for the house. Unfortunately, their plan didn’t work. They were about halfway there when the door opened again, the same guy walking out, having a few more bags in his hands. He immediately looked to his left and saw two people running his way. Considering they had guns and bulletproof vests, they didn’t look like the kind of people he wanted to wait for.

“Cops!” the man yelled, ducking back inside and closing the door.

“Crap!” Bridge said. “There goes the element of surprise.”

As they ran closer to the building, a few of the windows opened with guns sticking out of them. The flying bullets came next. Bridge and Nicole immediately ran for cover behind a car.

“There goes that idea,” Nicole said.

Bridge looked at the time. “We just gotta keep them busy for a few minutes.”

“Why don’t you stand up and let them use you as a pinata? They can use you for target practice.”

Bridge gave her a glance, but didn’t respond. He took a deep sigh as he figured out what to do next. “We gotta get closer.”

“I’m sure there’s a back door, too. If we wait too long to move, they’re gonna jet out the back.”

“But their cars are out here. They’d have to go on foot.”

“I think they’d take their chances over staying here in a shootout.”

“Maybe.”

“If we stay here, we’re gonna lose them. The one guy yelled cops, so if they think we’re feds or something, they’re not gonna wait for the rest of the crew to show up. They know they wouldn’t make it out.”

Bridge sighed again. “I know. Damn.” He didn’t want it to go down this way.

The gunfire stopped for a few seconds, until Nicole poked her head above the car. “Well, looks like they’re still there. For now.”

“Fine. You try to keep them occupied, and I’ll sneak around from the side.”

“You got it.”

It was going to take Bridge a little longer to get there as he scurried behind a bunch of cars parked along the street. He was going to go down to the next few houses, then come back up to the house from the side, so Kenny and company didn’t have the same good view to shoot at him. Nicole jumped up and fired a few rounds at the window, then immediately ducked back down behind the car.

It took Bridge a few minutes to work his way around to the side of the house, but he finally managed it without incident. Remembering what Nicole had said about people ducking out the back, he made his way to the back door. Just as he got there, it started to open. He recognized Werther. He pointed his gun at her.

“Stop right there.” Werther had one hand on the door, as she hadn’t quite closed it yet, and the other hand on a bag. “Put your hands up, then lay down on the ground. Face first.”

“You followed me here, didn’t you?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“And I thought I was being so careful. I was so sure I wasn’t followed.”

“Guess you were wrong,” Bridge said. “Now, on the ground. Who else is in there?”

Werther acted like she was going to comply with his wishes and tossed her bag down on the ground. As she did, though, she took her hand off the door and put it on her side, where she removed a pistol and fired at Bridge. Bridge leaned to his right just as she got a shot off, hitting him in the vest and knocking him to the ground. She then retreated back inside. Though he was hit, the vest caught the bullet, and Bridge rolled around for a moment. It stung a little, but he would be OK.

Nicole heard the gunfire from the back of the house. “Luke, you OK back there?” Bridge just groaned into the mic. Nicole was getting worried. “Luke?”

Bridge took a couple breaths. His voice didn’t sound the same. “I’m OK. Took one to the vest, but it didn’t go through.”

“You’re sure you’re OK?”

“Yeah. Just knocked the wind out of me, that’s all.”

“If we have to let them go, then we’ll let them go.”

“No. I’m good. How you making out?”

“I’m still busy.”

“You were right,” Bridge said, getting to his knees and then finding a nearby bush, not that it was great cover. “They’re getting ready to leave.”

“I don’t know if we can hold them off, especially split up like we are.”

Bridge looked at the door, thinking about making a run for it. Suddenly, all the gunfire had stopped.

“Luke, I don’t like how quiet it suddenly got.”

“Me neither. I get the feeling they’re planning something.”

“They might all bolt out the same door and take their chances.”

“Could be.”

“We still got a while before Eric gets here.”

Bridge made a run for the back of the house, standing by the corner of it, out of sight if they came buzzing out the back door. Then, the door opened up, with Werther and Kenny slowly coming out, their guns raised and ready to shoot, looking for Bridge. As soon as they had their backs fully turned to Bridge, he appeared.

“Put ‘em down,” Bridge said. Kenny made a swift motion to turn around and start firing, but Bridge quickly put a stop to that. “Ah ah, I wouldn’t do it. You’ll never make it.”

The two of them