Read Play Nice for Free Online

black entered the room, a handgun held tight to his body. He took two steps into the room, then ducked behind a column as gunfire erupted again.
    Anna’s heart froze.
    Trapped.
    She trained her gun in his direction, mentally counting how many rounds she had left. Eight. She had eight shots left. Enough. She held the gun straight-armed in front of her and shot off three rounds into the column at head level.
    She heard him swear, diving backward for cover. He returned fire, and Anna ducked down, narrowly missing a bullet as it bounced off the desk chair. Anna retaliated, shooting off four more shots his way, before ducking back down behind cover. Out of the corner of her eye the man darted across the room toward her, hailing more fire from the front of the office.
    She turned her gun on him.
    But he was faster, grabbing her by the wrist and twisting her arm behind her until she cried out, her hand involuntarily releasing her weapon with a sickening thud to the floor.
    “Anna!” Shelli cried out, her voice high with hysteria.
    Anna struggled. But the man’s grip was tight. It was like struggling against steel, completely unyielding. There was nowhere to go. He shoved her up against the wall, his hard body pinning her there, pressing into her back. His mouth ground up against her ear, the stubble on his chin scraping her cheek. She tried to turn away, but there was no space left to move.
    “There are at least two in front, one down in back.” His voice was deep, low, and direct, demanding attention. “I’ll provide cover. You grab the girl and go out the back.”
    Anna felt her breath hitch. He would provide cover?
    Who was this guy?
    Anna nodded in agreement. What choice did she have? Instantly she felt the pressure on her back let up as he slid away from her. Slowly. As if the lack of trust was mutual. He paused to pick up her gun from the floor, slipping it into the waistband of his own pants.
    Anna didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Shelli by the arm, hauling her out from under the desk. Her heart pounded, her legs antsy, ready to spring into action.
    “Go,” the man commanded. “Now!”
    He stood, shooting toward the front of the shelter. Anna didn’t waste time, shoving Shelli ahead of her and running through the backdoor, expecting the fiery pain of a gunshot wound to erupt along her back at any second.
    Deafening shots ripped through the room, plaster flying off the walls on either side of them as the gunmen returned fire. Their would-be savior continued shooting, sending round after round into the front window until she heard the sickening click of his gun signaling he was out of ammo.
    Then he was behind her, urging her forward, past the kennels of dogs barking, cats howling, all whipped into a frenzy over the commotion.
    “Go!” he shouted again, punctuated by a swift shove to the small of her back. She stumbled but kept moving forward, all the while listening to Shelli’s steady chorus of “Ohshitohshitohshit,” as she clutched the terrier to her chest like a security blanket.
    They hit the backdoor, and Anna plowed straight into Shelli’s back as she stopped short and let out a strangled cry.
    A man in black sweats and a wool cap lay on the pavement just outside the door. A red bullet hole dotted his forehead, eyes staring toward the sky, open and unseeing.
    Anna took one look and felt her insides go numb. A hollow yet jarringly familiar feeling. Years faded before her vision, and she was transported back in time. How many times had she seen this same scene?
    “Move. Now!” The man shoved her forward again.
    Adrenaline coursed through her limbs, the panic she’d felt moments earlier converted into trained reflexes. She grabbed Shelli, who was still making gurgling sounds in the back of her throat, and pushed her down the narrow back alley running the length of the building.
    Reluctantly, Shelli complied, the two of them covering the length of the block, stumbling over chunks of uneven asphalt,