The silence that followed the screech of tires was heavier than the gunfire itself. For a long, agonizing minute, the only sound in the parking lot was the ticking of cooling metal and Lyse's ragged, uneven breathing. The concrete of the structural pole felt cold against her side, but the heat radiating from Levi who was still shielding her body with his own was overwhelming.
"Are you okay?" Levi asked, his voice low and tight with a controlled sort of panic. He didn't move his arms; he kept her pinned in the safety of the shadow.
"Yes, I'm fine," Lyse gasped, her voice trembling as the adrenaline began to ebb, replaced by a cold, visceral terror. "What about you? What was that? Levi, what just happened?"
Levi didn't answer immediately. He slowly peeled himself away from her, his eyes scanning the perimeter of the lot with a predatory intensity. He reached into his jacket, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number with steady fingers.
