Shadow Men – 49 – Anders and Grant

They'd just skirted around Hagerstown and were heading east again on 60 when Anders swore under his breath. "Look for a turnoff—the sooner, the better," he told the others. Before they had a chance to reply he turned fast to the left, barely avoiding an oncoming car.

Grant grabbed the dashboard, his eyes lighting on the speedometer for a second. They were doing eighty and speeding up. All he could see on either side of them was plowed fields. Hazarding a glance behind them he saw another car closing in fast. He also saw Steele holding a large gun as he looked through the back windshield.

Anders whipped the car to the right onto a dirt lane. Ahead of them, Grant saw the lights of a house beyond a large barn. The car veered left into a stand of trees opposite the barn and stopped so fast Grant was thrown forward against the dash. Before he righted himself Anders had doused the headlights and was out of the car. Seconds late Grant heard Steele exit as well. Slamming open the door, Grant jumped out. Steele was kneeling to one side of the car, his gun now trained back the way they'd come.

"Get your ass down," Anders barked. Then a gunshot rang out.

Grant instantly hit the ground on both knees. He reached behind him, struggling to get his gun free. When it was in his hands he searched the dark for any sign of who he should be shooting at, if he actually could.

Another shot, then a short shout of pain told him someone had been hit. He could see Steele a few feet in front of him, pressed against the rear fender of the car. In the silence that followed the second gunshot it seemed to Grant as if the whole world had come to a stop. Then he thought he heard a sound to his left. He swiveled toward it. He was sure he saw someone move. He was about to pull the trigger when he realized he didn't know where Anders was.

His question was answered seconds later when another shot rang out from the other side of the car. The figure beside the tree shifted slightly at the sound and Grant shot, once and then again. He knew he'd hit the man when he heard a muffled groan. The problem was he didn't have a clue if he'd hurt him or just winged him. Whoever it was fired back then, the bullet barely missing Grant to embed in the car's door panel.

Slowly, carefully, Grant aimed again when he saw a flash of movement. As he did, he felt an icy calm invade his senses. He pulled the trigger and was rewarded when the body of his opponent dropped to the ground.

"Good shooting," he heard Steele whisper before he fired at someone. Grant saw a second assailant's body hit the ground in the dim light from the raising moon.

For an interminable length of time there was silence then, far in the distance Grant heard the sound of sirens approaching.

"Time to get moving," Anders announced.

Grant was all in favor of that. He crawled back into the car, staying low as he shut the door behind him. He heard Steele's door close and then saw Anders as he slid into the driver's seat. Without turning on the headlights Anders backed their car out of the trees onto the dirt lane. A car stood there, both front doors hanging open. Anders picked up speed as he sped past it down the lane and back onto the road. He didn't turn the lights on again until they were a good mile or more away from the scene of the battle.

"You did good, Grant," Anders told him, a trace of praise in his voice.

Grant tried to reply then realized he was shaking too hard to speak. He put his head against the dashboard, trying to will himself into some sort of calm. He jumped when he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder.

"He's right, you did very well for a first timer," Steele said.

God, I hope it's the last time as well. He had a feeling it wouldn't be.