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Excerpt 2
I ducked low and circled the car at the end of the row. Traffic rushed
by twenty yards away. From behind the car, I could no longer see the sedan.
I popped my head up and saw nothing but the sun reflected off the rear
window of the car I was hiding behind. I blinked several times, but all
I could see was a huge dark spot. I waited a minute for my vision to clear,
trying to watch with my ears.
The banging at the coffee shop had stopped. All I heard was the traffic
racing by on the street behind me. I started over to the next car. Then
things went crazy.
As soon as I moved, the driver's door opened. I don't know who was surprised
more. A man stepped out dragging a briefcase. He had a cellular phone
tucked under his chin while his other hand juggled a set of keys.
"What the. . . ?" he said when he saw me.
"Dropped my keys," I said.
His face went slack as his eyes widened. The cellular phone dropped
toward the ground.
"Don't move!" came a shout from behind me. Of course I moved. I was
already crouched, so I rolled to my left before the phone hit the ground.
Pain shot into my shoulder where it hit the pavement.
"Federal agent!" came a different voice, a woman's voice. I couldn't
tell the direction. "Freeze!"
Cannon fire. Something spanged off the ground next to me. Hot fragments
burned my face.
The phone clattered. I was on my back, gun coming out, looking for a
target. Explosions everywhere. Someone towered over me. His gun swung
away as bits flew from his chest. Fire spit from his gun as he spun toward
the ground.
I sat up. A pistol swung around the next car. I snapped a bead on the
maid.
"Federal agent!" A man's voice, this time. "Don't do it!"
Tires squealed in the background.
"He means it!" said the maid. She had me just as dead as I had her.
We all ignored the guy who had fired at me. He was lying several feet
away bleeding as hard as he could.
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