He couldn’t worry about any potential damage as he hoisted her over his right shoulder. The risk was less than the almost certainty of burning to death. The smoke was choking him, his throat raw as he coughed incessantly. He twirled around to look for a way out through the flames. EG wasn’t here so how had he escaped?

Shane’s injured arm ached but he kept the rifle strap on his shoulder and finger on the trigger as he made his way through a snaking path of heat and flames. He found a door to one of the locker rooms. It was locked from the other side. Shit. The fire was building behind him and his skin sizzled.

He stood back. “If anyone is in the male locker room unlock the door or get the hell away from it.”

“Negative. We’re heading that way though,” Ashley’s strained voice came through his earpiece.

“Wait.” He blasted the lock and kicked open the door. He half stumbled inside coughing, the relief from the flames instant but wouldn’t last long as the fire spread. He kept his weapon raised as he moved past the rows of benches into the corridor.

His earpiece screeched suddenly as if someone had scrambled the signal. He pulled it from his ear before it burst his drum.

He glanced into the corridor and saw Alex and Ashley stumbling toward him, Alex bleeding from a bullet wound in his upper arm.

“She okay?” Ashley nodded to Laura who’d gone limp against him.

“I don’t know but she was alert when I found her.” They kept jogging, retracing the way they’d come, alert for EG, Ashley watching their six. He hated the fact assault rifles were once again in this school and that Yael’s name would inevitably be associated with the headlines. The coverage would hurt her and he didn’t want that. He didn’t want her to run. He wanted her to stay. With him.

Why would she when she thought he wasn’t serious about her?

He needed time to persuade her. Prove to her he was worth the price she’d inevitably have to pay with long periods spent alone when he was away with work.

“You okay?” he asked Alex.

“Flesh wound.”

“He jumped in front of me when Grice shot at us,” Ashley said with annoyance.

“Didn’t want Lucas chewing out my ass if you were hurt.”

Ashley gave a soft huff of laughter. “I will kick your ass later. As will Mallory.”

“Where is he?” Shane wanted this guy so badly he could taste it.

“He ran towards his vehicle.”

That was way too close to Yael.

“Shit.” With a glance at Alex, he took off at a run. He had to make sure Yael was safe.

34