“Shit,” Jade cried as her injured side careered into the edge of the stairwell she was hurtling down. Nevertheless, she pushed herself onward, her legs struggling to keep up with the momentum of her body, which, fired on adrenalin, made her only goal to get out alive. Her pursuer crashed through the door after her, just as her legs gave way, and she bounced down the remaining flight of stairs, landing in a heap in the entrance hall. Her gun flew from her hand, skidding across the floor. As she went to retrieve it, a rain of bullets showered down from above Instinct took over as she whirled around and lunged through the doorway into the alley. “Come on!” she screamed at herself, willing her body to respond. If she didn’t make it to the main road, she was dead. She had to focus, but the loss of blood from the bullet wound on her side, made her vision swim. Her assailant burst through the door behind her. For the first time, she thought she was not going to make it. She frantically searched for cover, but there was none. A voice sounded in her head—she was going to die in a dirty alley. Well, she was going down fighting, determination creased her brow as she turned to face her assassin, nothing but a bulky shadow to her now.

“Come on, you bastard. Are you going to shoot a cop in cold blood? You have no idea the hell you’ll unleash upon yourself.”

His only response was a snigger, and she could just make out his arm as he raised it. Then he was illuminated, and Jade was blinded by the headlights of a car. She swung her body around and hauled herself toward the vehicle. It was sleek and fast looking, but nothing more. She opened the door.

“What the hell?” the driver barked at her as she swung her bloodied body into the seat.

“Drive! Go!” she screamed. He slammed his foot on the accelerator just as a bullet shattered the windshield.

The last words Jade heard before she passed out were. “Bastard’s going to pay for that.”