10:37 Local time Paris
Pain from the bullet's impact clouded Yvette's vision but she focused on Amanda. The little girl reached her arms out toward the woman she knew, "Tante."
Yvette reached for the young child, "I've got you."
She scooped her up and headed for the protection of the building awnings as her body reacted to the trauma. But it was not over and she had to focus on the next step.
Dalton had found the hotel floor and counted the doors to find the right room. He barely registered the first shot before he heard his team and the commotion of Patricia's order. But there was the sound of a second sniper shot from the hotel room and he couldn't wait any longer. The American leader gave a forceful kick to the door. The cheap construction busted on contact and the door swung open.
The second sniper bullet slammed into Yvette, knocking her to knees, her arms instinctively protecting her daughter as she fell.
Amanda whimpered as Yvette nearly lost her grip on the girl. A million thoughts ran through Yvette's mind, but she kept coming back to Amanda. Focus on her. Amanda's little arms cling to her neck. She gripped the girl tight and balanced the weapon in her dominant hand. She pushed herself up from her knees and moved toward the buildings out of sight of anyone watching over the scene.
"I've lost my visual." Jaz told the crew as Yvette stepped out of her eyesight out of the square.
The sniper in the hotel room jumped up, whirling his weapon around to the intruder but Dalton rushed him. The man looked familiar but Dalton pushed the thought aside as he forced the confrontation. Focus on the man; what weapons did he have, what fight style would he use?
Dalton swung a right hook. The sniper blocked the man's punch but dropped the long gun. Dalton glanced down to see if he could use it to his advantage but the man pulled Dalton away from the gun and to the center of the room as they struggled. The sniper pulled a knife and stabbed at the other man.
Dalton knocked away the knife arm and got a grip of the man's neck. Locked in a hold, the man shoved Dalton against the wall of the room. Dalton retaliated by kneeing him but the man reacted with a head butt. Dalton pulled the knife toward him, throwing the man's balance off slightly.
Shifting his weight around, Dalton forced the man into the wall. This time the knife dropped to the floor. Dalton twisted his arms around the man's neck and with a sickening crack, the bones broke and the man went limp. Dalton dropped him to the floor.
Taking a breath to calm his racing adrenaline, he looked at the man's face, Dalton realized where he had seen the man before. Hampton's sniper was a passenger who left the plane after Jaz's dad. Yvette was right; the distraction of Ephraim's appearance covered the arrival of other violent individuals.
"Sniper down." He headed away from the scene and listened to the earpiece. "What do we have?"
"Hampton's down, second male is down, Yvette has Amanda and Amir is nearing Yvette. I think she's been shot, maybe twice." Preach recapped softly.
Noah had been monitoring emergency services, "You are about to have company: police are on their way." He warned the crew.
"Everyone, get clear of the scene. Amir find Yvette and her daughter and meet us at the safe house." The leader told his crew, "Be careful and watch your back."
Yvette clung to her daughter. "I've got you." Pain was causing her to lose focus, but she had Amanda. Where is Hampton? In the momentary protection of the building, she turned to look back at the table.
"We've got to go." The nearby male voice startled Yvette. She felt an arm slip around her. She tensed at the touch and threw her right elbow into his side—but Amir was ready and his other hand caught her arm while keeping her gun in that hand away from him, "Police are on their way, we have to leave." He pulled her off the wall and headed away from the commotion on the square.
"Amir, what are you doing here?" Yvette looked surprised at his appearance.
"Apparently saving you." He propelled her forward away from the scene.
Yvette's knees buckled as the pain registered. Only Amir's grip on her waist kept her on her feet. She leaned into him and he kept them moving.
"How did you find me?" Yvette mumbled as she struggled to regain her balance.
"Long story." Amir realized that she was wearing a bulletproof vest. Hampton hadn't searched her. She leaned away from him and he saw blood on her shirt, "Where are you bleeding?"
"Side." She released her weapon to Amir and adjusted her daughter against her trying to compensate for the pain.
He tucked the gun away where it couldn't be seen as the girl snuggled into the Parisian's arms.
"You're ok sweetheart." The mother comforted her toddler.
Amir tried to see her injury as he guided Yvette away from the dead, "McG is going to need to take a look at that."
"I'm not sure that is a good idea." Yvette responded. Amir ignored her words and moved the two between booths into a side street, "Any chance you have a vehicle we can use?"
"Not one that's not compromised. French Intelligence is watching me." Yvette breathed deep as the pain echoed through her torso.
"So they did sideline you."
"Of course, this wasn't authorized." She realized he was still close, "Move your hand."
"No one is looking for a family." Amir reminded and only tightened his grip as he met her gaze, "I'm not going to hurt you."
"You really like the couple cover, don't you?" Even injured, Yvette had some attitude and didn't appreciate his casual arm around her.
"You should have told us Amanda was yours." Amir retorted.
She paused, "It didn't change anything except tell you that I was more compromised than you thought."
"That would have been helpful to know." He pointed out
Yvette's pace slowed and she didn't respond.
"Let me help." Amir reached for the child.
Yvette yielded her daughter to the American, "Where are we going?"
"We need to talk." Amir smiled at the girl who stared at him with big eyes. She wriggled against him but he held her gently.
"That sounds ominous."
"Considering we just saved your life, you could be grateful." He glanced around.
Yvette didn't have the energy to argue.
A phone rang close by. Amir jumped. He knew he wasn't carrying one.
Yvette reached into the pocket of her sweater and revealed a burner phone, "Bonjour."
She spoke in French, "Où êtes-vous maintenant?"
"Jaz." He jiggled his earpiece, hoping she could hear and translate.
"I didn't catch it," Jaz tried to understand the conversation but she was in motion, moving away from the scene and couldn't make sense of the words. Her bag of gun pieces felt obvious as she carried it through the streets, "Sorry."
"Noah?"
The America bound technician reached for the cloned phone computer to see what she was saying.
Amir saw Yvette look around and heard the name of the street, "Who are you talking to?" He grabbed her arm. She pushed him off and ended the conversation.
"Who was that?" He asked again.
"Someone who owes me a favor."
"A male voice said his name is Enriquez and is asking where she is." Noah revealed on the earpiece. Amir tensed.
"You guys okay?" Preach wondered if he would need to make a beeline for his teammate.
"I don't know." Amir watched around them. People were around but no one sent off aggressive vibes.
Yvette and Amir moved through the street and came to an intersection. A car pulled over and stopped. Amir turned away but Yvette approached the vehicle. She opened the car door and spoke with the driver in low tones. Amir approached, holding tight to the little girl but keeping a hand free near a weapon in case he needed it. As he got closer, the car took off. Amir only saw the arm of the driver. Male, he thought.
"What was that about?" Amir was now very nervous about a double cross.
"A favor I'm owed." Yvette paused, breathing hard. She had a medical package in her hand which she tore open. Amir recognized it as a medical chest seal for Military and first responders to use for injuries. She pressed it to her side to seal the bullet damage but bent over in pain. Amir set Amanda down so he could focus on Yvette. "You need medical treatment. I need to get you to McG."
"How far?"
"It's going to be a few minutes' walk." Amir grimaced.
Yvette took a deep breath. "I don't know if I can make it."
"Would you prefer me carry you?"
Yvette glared at him as she gritted her teeth and stood on her own. Amir held back a smile. He thought that would do it, "Let's go."