LITMIR.BIZ

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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 serious. I’m here for a conference and instead—” The conference name tag on her clone demanded attention. “You’re wearing my badge. Audrey Clark is my name. You’re wearing my face.” The photo on the badge was Audrey’s photo, the one she’d sent in for registration. Her heart pumped so hard she started to shiver. No wonder the organizers thought she’d already registered. She took a small step back. “You’ve stolen my identity.”

      “I didn’t steal anything.” The woman almost shouted it.

      That was exactly what she’d want everyone to think. And Audrey had let this man—this Lee—lead her toward a van in the alley. To take her to who knew where to do who knows what... She would not end up like the other man, cold and lifeless, without a fight.

      Audrey took several more steps backward, eyes trained on the two of them, as she slipped her hand into her purse. Oh, yeah. The tactical flashlight was no longer there. Her phone would have to do. Her thumb tried to find the home button by feel.

      Lee held his hands up as if in surrender. “We’re not stealing anyone’s identity. We’re federal agents. You walked in and ruined our operation tonight.”

      If that was the case, why was one of the supposed agents wearing her name with her photo on it? “Are you trying to tell me this is all a coincidence?” The statistical probability that would happen would be astronomical.

      “I don’t believe in coincidences.” Kendra pointed to Audrey’s stomach. “Were you hit?” When Audrey didn’t answer fast enough, she turned to Lee. “Was she hit? I took out the shooter.”

      Audrey put her hand over her chest. “Why do both of you even have to ask? I think I would know if I’d been shot.” Maybe it was a stalling tactic while they regrouped to attack her.

      Kendra’s high heels clicked as she ran to peek around the corner of the brick alley. “The adrenaline can mask it for a little—”

      “Yeah, I told her.” Lee kept his hand on the handle of the gun on his holster. “Look, we see blood. It’s a natural question.” He turned toward the other woman. “I think the blood is Adam’s. He was gone by the time I reached them.”

      Kendra returned, but she kept her hand on her gun and her eyes trained on Audrey. She groaned and dropped her shoulders. “He was a good man, not to mention our best chance. I think the shooter came alone, but we shouldn’t wait around. A team is on the way to sweep the grounds before the conference attendees are released.” She put a hand over her chest and sucked in a sharp breath.

      Audrey had made the same gesture, the same sound even, a second earlier.

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