Page 84 of Under Fire in Big Sky

“One.” Sean held her gaze.

The air crackled with tension. She knew Sean was serious. Yet, she couldn’t see how he planned to win, how he could possibly beat the odds.

“Two.”

Nonetheless, there was a way, and she was missing it.

“Three.” Everything changed. Sean’s expression hardened, then his focus shifted along with the muzzle of his gun. “Now!”

With no clear shot of Sean, Olivia spun, redirecting her aim at Brandon in anticipation of him making a move.

But Lenek swung his gun to the right, pulled the trigger, and shot Finch in the head. The other FBI agent dropped.

A maelstrom of gunfire erupted in the library.

Olivia shot at Brandon and ducked for cover.

Bullets were flying in all directions. Brandon fell backward, his gun clattering to the floor, but she wasn’t sure if it was her shot that got him. Crying out, Chance grabbed his arm. Lenek dropped next, clutching his neck, blood spurting between his fingers, writhing on the floor. The governor was struck in the knee and crumpled to the ground, holding his leg. She could only assume it had been from friendly fire, to get him out of the way and save his life.

With the governor on the floor, Olivia took aim at Sean. His gun was pointed at Eli. She pulled the trigger twice, hitting him in each shoulder.

Eli was on him almost instantly, followed by Chance.

Olivia stared, almost numb, as they wrestled Sean onto his stomach and zip-tied his wrists behind him. Trujillo stormed into the room flanked by two sheriff’s deputies. Everyone crowded around Sean, trying to subdue him.

Even injured and bleeding, he kicked and thrashed, refusing to go quietly.

In the library, there were three dead bodies and so much blood.

She stepped around to the other side of the sofa and glanced at Brandon and Lenek. They were both still, eyes open. The double agent, Lenek, had been giving Sean a status report right in front of them, telling him the sheriff’s department was on the way and how they were running out of time.

Chance and Eli maneuvered out of the way, letting the deputies take over. Blood trickled from Chance’s arm, but it looked like he’d only been grazed.

The deputies hoisted Sean up onto his feet and started dragging him from the room.

As they were about to pass her, Sean bashed his skull into a deputy’s head and rammed his boot heel down into the knee of the other. He jerked toward her, but Trujillo and Chance caught his arms, holding him back.

“I’m not sorry,” Sean growled. “Not for any of it. Not even the part that’ll break your heart. I warned you.”

A dark foreboding slithered through her.

“Let’s get him out of here,” Trujillo said. They hauled him into the hallway. “The governor needs medical attention up here!”

Sean’s parting words echoed in her ears, and the dread spread, sinking deeper, crawling and pulsing beneath her skin.

Olivia spun around, facing Eli. She noticed a bullet lodged in his vest. It didn’t penetrate. Still, it must’ve been agonizing.

“Are you okay?” Eli asked, his chest heaving. His eyes looked wild, probably from the spike of adrenaline, but his face was pale.

“I’m fine. How about you?”

Eli stepped toward her. Then he stumbled over onto a sofa.

Olivia’s heart went into freefall as she rushed to him. “E?”

He leaned against the couch, clutching his lower abdomen, right below the bulletproof vest, where his stomach was exposed. Blood dripped between his fingers.

No!