Chapter 33 · The Huntress Turns

"Get down!" Vala slammed me behind a concrete barrier as the first round punched through the spot where my head had been.

The wall spat dust into my mouth. My ears rang. Across the loading yard, three black armored vans skidded sideways, doors opening before the tires stopped.

Corporate soldiers poured out with rifles raised.

"You said we had two minutes," I snapped.

Vala pressed one hand against my chest and kept her pistol aimed over the barrier. Her glove was warm through my jacket. Her face stayed cold, but her eyes moved fast.

"I said I could buy us two minutes. I didn't say they'd honor the receipt."

"That's your excuse?"

"Do you want a better one while they're shooting at us?"

A burst of gunfire chewed across the barrier. Concrete cracked beside my cheek.

I ducked lower. "Those aren't city cops."

"No."

"Soran's private army?"

Vala's jaw tightened. "You already know the answer."

Another burst ripped through the yard. A parked transport drone exploded in a spray of metal and blue sparks. The blast knocked two soldiers off their feet.

Vala leaned out and fired twice.

One soldier dropped.