"Not quite." Maddox's car rolled up behind mine and he got out, jogging over to me. I climbed out, noticing his weapon was already drawn.

"Give me the lowdown," he said.

"My client is locked in the upstairs bathroom off the master bedroom. She heard footsteps in the bedroom, but none for the past few minutes." We both glanced towards the house. All the lights were off.

"I don't see a flashlight," he said. "But that doesn't mean anything."

"I think the stalker knows his or her way around the house."

"Here's what we'll do..." Maddox stopped as a scream echoed down the phone.

"Juliet?" I yelled. "Juliet?"

"He's got an ax!" she yelled, no longer cautious at being heard. "I can see the blade in the door. He's..." she screamed again, her words lost.

"You go around back," Maddox commanded, already racing for the door. I followed swiftly, reaching the stoop as he pointed to the side of the house. "I'll take the front. Did you call someone else? Do we have backup?"

"I tried calling everyone. No one's picking up. Someone on Solomon's team is supposed to be watching the house, and we have cameras inside."

"So where is everyone?" Maddox tried the handle. It didn't budge. He threw himself at the frame and I heard something splinter.

"I don't know."

He rammed his shoulder against the door again. "Go!" he yelled.

I turned and raced away from the front door, hearing the door rupture as I reached the side of the house. "FBI," yelled Maddox. Whoever was inside had to have heard the door break. I edged around the house, ducking under windows. At the kitchen window, I slowly slid upwards, peeking inside. The kitchen was dark, but I saw a figure darting across the room towards the doors. I dashed forwards, seeing a person step outside, and launched myself at the intruder. I knocked the guy off balance and he went down with a grunt. We rolled across the deck and I got in a punch to the belly, which was met with a soft grunt and a fist to my face that soon had me seeing stars. Momentarily stunned, he pushed me off, scrambling to his feet as I flailed on my back, grasping for any kind of handhold to prevent his escape. I grabbed a fistful of coat and pulled hard, hearing the fabric rip, before the perp dropped to his knees, coming at me with his fists raised.

I scrabbled for my gun in my waistband with one hand as I tried to fend off the frenzied attack with my closed fist. All I could focus on was deflecting blows rather than landing any of my own. A kick to my ribs winded me as my hand closed around my gun's grip. "Stop! Or I'll shoot!" I groaned, raising the gun as another hard blow slammed into my cheek. My head snapped sideways, connecting with the deck. The figure started to scramble to his feet. I wrapped my ankles around one of his and pulled hard, knocking him off balance. He tumbled over me, landing a knee to my belly and dropping to the ground. The black knit mask distorted his features as we wrestled. I felt the fight change. I was no longer defending myself because he stopped trying to disable me. I made a huge error in announcing I would shoot. Now my assailant wanted my gun!

Fingers closed around mine on the handle, and I landed a soft, feeble punch to his belly as he yanked my hand and... a shot sounded in the quiet street. The body went soft, and for a moment, my breath was lost.

The body was still.

On my back, I relaxed just in time for the head to rear up and smash a fist into my cheek. Another thump stunned me, followed by a kick to my belly that sent bile climbing up my throat. I lay on my back, blinking, as the figure scrambled off and raced across the garden.

Groaning, I rolled onto my side, and pushed onto my knees. The moment I was back on my feet, I started running. The figure slipped from the shadows cast by the garage into the shadows of the tree. I raced forwards, catching sight of the perp as he scrambled over the fence. A soft thud on the other side told me he landed. In the low light, I searched for how he climbed over. A rain barrel lay on its side. I pushed it upright, scrambling upwards when another shot sounded.

A woman's scream followed it.

Amidst the heavy thudding in my chest, my heart skipped a beat.

Chapter Sixteen

I climbed over the fence, landing in a heap on the dirt. The alley was lit softly by moonlight away from the shadows of the houses, and the tall fences that separated the neat backyards. Trashcans sprang up periodically next to gates. There were no vehicles and no running assailants. Pained moans sounded as I crept forwards, keeping close to the fence, searching for the source of the noise. I didn't have to look very far. In the middle of the alley, a woman lay on her side, whimpering.

Taking a cautious look to the left and right, but not seeing anyone, I straightened, edging forwards as the woman rolled over and looked up at me.

"Lexi?" she whimpered, her bloodied hands clutching her leg.

I frowned as my jaw dropped. "Penelope? What happened?"

"Someone jumped over that fence and rushed me. He knocked me down and... and... I think a gun went off. I think I've been shot!"

"Shot?" I took in her dark jeans, black sweater, and ballet pumps as cold fear went through me. Did I shoot her in the scuffle? As I thought that, it didn't ring true... Where was the ski mask? And the dark jacket missing the material I ripped off it? Where were the boots that kicked me?

"It hurts so bad," Penelope moaned, tears rolling down her cheeks. She nodded in the opposite direction. "I think he took off down the alley. What happened? I don't understand! Why would someone shoot me? He didn't even take anything."

"It happened just now?"

"Yes. I've never heard a gun go off before. It was so loud!"

"Did you see who did it?"

"No, he wore a mask. I was just walking back along here and suddenly, there he was. I was taking a shortcut to Rob's house; and he, this guy, jumped over the fence and I think I must’ve surprised him. He lifted his hand and I thought he was going to mug me, until I saw the gun. I tried to knock it out of his hand, but he hit me and I fell, and then he shot me. I thought I was going to die. Am I going to die?"

I knelt beside her, taking another close look at her leg. Her jeans were damp, but there wasn't any spurting blood pooling around her. That was a good sign. "The bleeding is slow. I don't think any major arteries were hit."

"I need an ambulance," she wailed.

As soon as she said it, someone yelled my name before I heard a stampede of feet. A vehicle turned into the alley, flooding it with light from the high beams, almost blinding me before someone skidded to a halt next to us.

"Lexi, are you okay? I heard gunshots." Maddox panted as he slid to a stop in the dirt.

"I'm okay. I saw the person exiting at the back of the house. We fought, but he got away and raced into the alley. I chased him but I was too slow. Penelope surprised him and got shot," I told him quickly. "Is Juliet okay?"

"She's fine. One of Solomon's men is with her and the police are on their way."

"Who's that?" I asked, nodding to the car. The door opened and black boots hit the ground. The beam blinded me as to the boot owner’s identity, but moments later, Solomon was crouching beside me.

"You rushed an armed assailant?" he asked, running his eyes over me before glancing toward Penelope.