Page 70 of Property of Rattler

The gate blows open. That the grenade thrower is already dead, courtesy of one of the prospects shooting from overhead, is small comfort.

“They can’t drive in,” Pippa reassures me. “They won’t get over the damage. And if they come in on foot, Dum and Dee will pick them off.”

“Oh fuck!” My voice is little more than a whisper. Men are spilling out of the other cars, and they’re wearing body armour and helmets, holding shields in front of them. It looks more like a SWAT team than anything else.

Dee and Dum are shooting, but their bullets aren’t taking them down.

Pippa drags me back by my shoulder. “Come.” She seems icy calm. “Quick. They’re going to break in, and we won’t be able to stop them. We’ve got to do this smart. Saint will be here within minutes. Once he’s arrived, he’ll take them from their rear. We’ve just got to hold off for a few minutes. Unfortunately, that door won’t hold them long.”

Bursts of automatic rifle fire sound from out the back, as Pippa pulls me toward the stairs that lead to the rooms above. After we ascend, she pauses at the top. I cast an eye to Freak and Trixie’s room where I’d slept the night before. Or passed out unconscious, more to the point.

And now she pushes me in that direction. “Go hide.”

“Fuck yourself.” I’m not hiding like a cornered mouse.

Her eyes alight with amusement. “You really know how to shoot?”

I nod, trying to remember everything Flynn had taught me. I won’t be able to steady myself by taking a proper stance but firing around the walls at anyone coming up the stairs, well, if I fire enough bullets, I’m sure to hit something.I hope.And at least I’ve pocketed a few spare magazines.

As she predicted the front door falls to another explosion. Men swarm into the clubroom. Placing a hand on my arm, she indicates I should hold off for now. I presume she’s buying us time so Saint can arrive with the cavalry.

Hidden by shadows, we peer down, as the downstairs area is searched. Cries of ‘Clear’ come from every direction.

“The fuckin’ bitch must be somewhere.”

“Malachi?” Pippa mouths.

I shake my head. That’s not his voice. And wearing their armour, I can’t recognise any of them.

Watching, I see them make hand signals. And grow cold when they start pointing up. Breathing in deeply, I take aim just as Flynn had taught me.

“Shoot the face, pelvis or legs,” Pippa advises. “Our bullets won’t go through their body armour.”

My first bullet hits the leading man attacking the stairs full face. He falls back, crushing his comrades behind them. Enraged they push his body aside and all start rushing up, my next shot goes wide, but Pippa’s doesn’t. Encouraged as she manages to take two men down, I refocus, try to shut everything else out but the memory of Flynn standing behind me.

I start firing again. Okay, I might have only hit a thigh, but it stops the man climbing. And Pippa’s shooting one shot after another. When she runs out and needs to reload, I give her cover, sending bullet after bullet down the stairwell.

It seems like hours, but is probably less than a few minutes, when they draw back.

“Send out Amethyst,” one man’s voice sounds. “Or we’ll blow this whole fuckin’ building up.”

And then comes the most beautiful sound in the world. Motorcycle engines. And Dee and Dum suddenly appear pushing past us, firing their AK 15s on rapid fire, sweeping the stairwell as Saint rushes in through the broken front door, and simultaneously Piston and Words, presumably having mowed down their own enemies, come in through the back.

Surrounded and now outnumbered, the surviving attackers raise their weapons in surrender.

Saint whips his head in a jerking motion, the prospects interpret that and move to disarm Malachi’s team. I count up. Only five of his men are still standing. And once they’vesurrendered their weapons, their hands are quickly zip-tied behind them, and they’re made to kneel. Helmets are whipped off.

It’s only when they’re safely secured, that Saint shouts, his voice unsteady. “Pippa?”

“We’re here, we’re fine.” Pippa starts to descend the stairs. When she sees I’ve frozen, she pulls at my hand.

It’s bizarre. Shock hadn’t set in while I was in the heat of the fight for our lives, but it does now. I follow behind her, shaking so hard, that when I reach the bottom step, she takes the gun out of my hand. Probably wisely.

My stomach rebels and I can’t help myself. I bend over and vomit.

Saint gives me a moment while Pippa rubs my back. When I’m done and start to straighten, multi-tasking keeping the captive men in his sights, he steps forward and asks Pippa, “Jade?” His voice full of concern.

“I got Trix to take her to her house as soon as I got the warning.”