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СКАЧАТЬ the metal handle could pack a wallop. Not that she’d ever needed to use it.

      A man rounded the corner and approached. Middle-aged and wearing a jacket despite the unseasonable heat, his gaze swung from side to side. Was he looking for someone or was he scared? She stepped to the right side of the sidewalk and averted eye contact.

      “Here? I thought we were meeting at Beckman Center.” His voice was soft with a touch of Southern dialect. Maybe he was on the phone, using an earpiece she couldn’t see. He looked over his shoulder once more before making eye contact, clearly waiting for Audrey to answer.

      She pulled out the flashlight, her finger hovering over the button that would turn the light from dim to blinding. “You must be mistaken. I’m not—”

      “Take it. We don’t have much time.” His left hand fisted at his waist. “I’ve been trying to lose someone all day.”

      He shoved his hand into the front pocket of her purse.

      “Hey!” She struck his shoulder with the flashlight, the beam of light sweeping across the sidewalk and landing on his face—

      Gunshots peppered the ground around her. A scream escaped, and she hunched over, covering her head. The man fell against her, and they toppled to the ground, the flashlight bouncing and rolling away.

      The impact rattled her spine, and the side of the bench’s leg dug into the top of her head. Her ribs ached from the man’s weight, making only shallow breaths possible. She twisted her shoulders inward, providing just enough space to fully gasp as her legs and feet fought for momentum to shove the man off her, but it was pointless. He weighed at least two hundred pounds, and he made no effort to try to move. Maybe he’d fainted. She strained against him. “Please...get off.”

      He budged slightly, but only his head moved as he lifted his chin and flopped against her shoulder. “Your covers.” The man’s voice shook. “Not first one. Several.” His rasp grew louder between sentences. “You need—” He groaned, seemingly unable to speak further.

      Moisture, warm and sticky, seeped through Audrey’s blouse. Blood. She started to shake, her muscles vibrating involuntarily. “I think... I think you’ve been shot.” Her heart pounded so fast she fought against nausea.

      A few more gunshots resounded, loud enough they must still be close, followed by tinkling glass in the distance. So a gunman was still out there, but it almost sounded as if someone was shooting back. Please let it be the police. She strained to slide her hand into her purse. She could feel her phone’s corner digging into her hip. A few more inches and she could grab it, but Audrey couldn’t get her fingers past the man’s draped leg. “If you could just move a little—roll over—I could get my phone out of my purse. For help.” Except, if he rolled away, she might be exposed to the bullets.

      “Don’t trust...”

      Hot air hit her neck with his words. He grew heavier, though she hadn’t thought that possible. His breathing stopped, and his chest no longer rose and fell. “No, no, no. Keep talking. It doesn’t even have to make sense. Just stay with me. If you could just move, we can put pressure on the wound.” Despite her encouragement, his forehead turned cold and clammy against her collarbone. “Sir!”

      He was dead.

      She closed her eyes against the hot tears forming. Strong hands reached underneath her arms and pulled her out from under the man’s body. Knees tapped along her back as someone dragged her backward, her heels sliding over the gravel and then grass. A final heave and she was propped upright, her hands reaching for a tree for balance. Fingers tugged on her arm, turning her around.

      “You’re covered in blood. Were you shot, too?” Her rescuer’s hands moved to her shoulders and gave a small shake. “Were you?”

      The dark silhouette drilled her with questions, but words wouldn’t form in Audrey’s mouth. She couldn’t focus on questions or answers. A man had died on her a mere second ago. An inch in either direction, Audrey would’ve been the lifeless one.

      The lights over the pathway no longer shined. Had they been blasted out? Another bullet sounded as landscape rock flew up and stung her ankles.

      The man dropped to a knee, pulled a gun from his side and took a shot around the tree. He ducked back, grabbed Audrey’s wrist and led her into a run in the opposite direction, between bushes and weaving through trees. Her legs barely cooperated. Maybe he was with the police or maybe not. She didn’t care anymore as long as he was leading her far away from the bullets.

      They ran past an alley where the lights still worked. She stumbled over a curb and the stranger’s arms caught her and a beam illuminated the most structured jawline she’d ever seen, surrounded by light stubble that wouldn’t quite qualify as a beard. Wavy brown hair with touches of golden highlights framed his tan, heart-shaped face. Kind blue eyes narrowed as he pulled her upright again. “Are you sure you weren’t shot? Sometimes the adrenaline can hide it for a bit.”

      Audrey looked down at her navy blouse, now covered with a plate-size wet spot over her abdomen. Her stomach flipped at the thought of wearing a dead man’s blood.

      “That’s it,” he said. “You’re done.”

      Something pressed behind her knees, and her legs flew out from under her. She screamed as a strong arm caught her head. It took her a second to realize the stranger had picked her up.

      He took off on a run again.

      She slapped his chest. Okay, now she did need to know who this guy thought he was. “Who—”

      “We can’t stand around! What happened?” His fingers clutched her shoulder and knees as if emphasizing his demand. “Why would you abandon the plan and meet out in the open? What possible—You know what? You can tell me later. I parked around the corner. Let’s get to the van and get you checked out at the hospital.”

      A van? She blinked rapidly, willing her brain to start firing on all cylinders again. “No. Let me down. Call the police.”

      He slowed his pace and, though she was still in his arms, he looked into her eyes this time. His eyebrows rose.

      “Lee! What happ—Who is she?” A female voice that seemed oddly familiar spoke from the darkness.

      The man, who Audrey assumed was Lee, spun toward the woman’s voice. His jaw dropped, and for a heartbeat Audrey feared he would drop her. “Kendra?”

      Audrey fought to twist her head, cradled against Lee’s arm. As soon as she met the woman’s eyes she fought to stand. Lee dropped her legs first so she could face her mirror image. Though their hairstyles didn’t match, the woman facing her had exactly the same features.

      They were identical.

      Even in the dim light, Audrey marveled at the same square-shaped face, light green eyes, rounded eyebrows and wide mouth. The only thing different was that this version of her sported straight hair and a sleek black wardrobe straight out of a fashion magazine.

      “I guess I don’t need to ask why the meet went off plan.” Lee kept a hand on Audrey’s back as if scared she was about to faint. “We’re going to have a lot of questions for you.”

      She turned to face him. “Me? You have questions for me? You can’t be СКАЧАТЬ