and the windshield popped out. Sarah slammed the Jeep into reverse, the wheels and engine whining from the sudden exertion after the collision.
Bullets tore into the hood and passenger side of the Jeep as three of the guards arrived at Sarah’s position. The Jeep bounced over small mounds of sand as Sarah juggled driving the Jeep in reverse and firing into the guards advancing on her position. The sights on her pistol bounced around the shoulders and arms until she managed to line up a shot that sent a .45 right through a guard’s left eye.
Sarah jerked the wheel hard, keeping her foot on the gas, and the Jeep spun a one-eighty. She flew through a cluster of trees, dodging any deadly collisions. “What’s air support looking like?”
“A few of the guards headed to the helipad, but I don’t think any of them know how to fly. They’re just sitting there,” Bryce answered.
“Good.” Sarah shifted into third gear, the clutch straining from the speed. The thump of gunshots peppered the Jeep’s back as she drove out onto the beach, the massive tires kicking up waves of sand and leaving divots in the earth behind her. She drove around the island to the north side, toward the front of the house.
The north end of the island opened up into a larger area void of any trees and brush except for those that were meant for aesthetic purposes. The heliport rested on the right side of the house, and the three guards keeping watch opened fire on the Jeep the moment Sarah entered the front yard. She floored the accelerator, shell casings dumped into her lap.
Each piece of lead Sarah fired drove the guards back. The Jeep sped closer to the house. One magazine emptied, she reloaded, shifting gears and still firing with the other hand. The Jeep sped right for the structure underneath the heliport. Just before the Jeep collided with the building, Sarah tucked and rolled out onto the sand.
Metal, concrete, wood, and glass twisted and crumbled as the Jeep drove itself deep into the house. Sarah wiped the sand from her cheek, rising to one knee. The ground felt uneven, and the images in front of her wavered and doubled. Movement rustled on her right, and she fired, dropping one of the guards that had come around the corner in a Spartan sprint, thinking he could take her alone. Sarah pushed herself off the ground, darting into the hole the Jeep had just created for her.
“The remaining guards are all converging on the house,” Bryce said.
“Where’s Finley?”
“Still locked in his room.”
Glass crunched under Sarah’s boots as she made her way to the staircase in the middle of the house. The thump of feet above told her exactly where the brutes would be coming from, and when they turned the corner, she lined each of their heads up in her sights like pins in a bowling alley. The force of the bullets flung their heads back in such jerks that their feet flew out from under them, crashing them to the floor.
Sarah leapt the stairs, two at a time, pistols up and out, poised and ready to strike for any others heading her way. The crunch of glass behind her triggered a spin while still ascending the steps, driving her heels into the wood, firing into the guards who had spread themselves out, bringing a storm of bullets from different angles.
Two bullets hit the chest of Sarah’s Kevlar jacket and pushed her backward. Her heels almost tripped over the back side of the stairs, but her legs stiffened, keeping her balance. The wooden bannisters next to her erupted in splinters as she made it to the second floor. She pushed herself behind a column, feeling bullets enter the opposite side.
Hallways jutted out from both sides of Sarah. Her pistols hung light in her hands. She checked the ammo count around her waist. Only one magazine left. She pivoted on her right foot and swung around the column, marching her legs sideways while keeping her body positioned to the front of the house. Her run caused the three guards to reveal
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