Urgent Interception

Cara didn’t know if Cole had gotten the message – she needed to find him and make sure he knew that they were coming. She made her way as quickly and quietly as she could through the trees, working toward the compromised safehouse.

As she rounded the corner of the building, she could see two men standing apart facing each other in the small clearing in front of the door.

Cara stopped hard when she saw them. Cole was standing along the tree line opposite the door, his hands hovering slightly out at his sides but not quite raised in surrender. The giant military man stood opposite him at the front door, gun drawn and aimed directly at Cole’s center mass.

“Cole Merran. I have a warrant and order issued for your capture. I am authorized to take you into custody – dead or alive,” said Champion, sounding almost pleased.

Champion?

Cara was having a hard time reconciling that Champion was carrying out this order, himself. At the same time, she believed that Champion would shoot if Cole ran or resisted. He believed in the system, was a part of it, it was key to who he was.

If Cole had to choose between fighting or running, he would fight. She could see it on his face, even under this duress. Cole wasn’t going to allow a defeat of a bullet in the back as he ran. He would face it down and take his chances.

“Capture or kill, right?” Cole retorted. “It looks like you’ve decided which one already.”

The implication of this didn’t land for Cara. Champion was a good man, he wouldn’t kill someone he didn’t have to, even under orders. But she needed to intervene. If Cole fought back, he was at a great disadvantage.

If she interrupted Champion directly to stop this, he might overpower her and restrain her – then she’d have no options. And the angle was so bad – he was just inside the covered porch area, she’d have to maneuver around the building to reach him.

If she stepped between them, she might be able to convince him to stop. But she’d have to get in between them before Champion pulled the trigger.

“Run, Merran. That’ll make my report a lot easier,” Champion sneered.

She saw Champion’s finger move to firing position, he was going to shoot Cole even if he didn’t run or resist. She was out of time to consider her choices, it was move or watch him die at her brother’s hand. Just one option was left now – she needed to get Cole out of the line of fire.

She ran toward Cole. And just before she reached him, she heard the shot ring out.

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