Reid’s brow furrowed, and he started to speak, but before he could say anything, glass shattered in the front room and something landed on the floor just feet from JJ before bursting into flames.
JJ screamed as flames licked the carpet, following an unknown trail. Quinn jumped from her chair, heart in her throat, and raced for him. Reid beat her to him, scooped him off the floor, and ran back to the safety of the dining area.
He put JJ down. “Do you have a pitcher we can use to douse the flames?”
It took a moment for the words to sink into her brain. “Yes. In the cabinet next to the sink.”
Reid opened the cabinet, retrieved the pitcher, and filled it with water. Quinn knelt in front of JJ and started inspecting him. “Are you hurt?”
“No, Momma.” Little tear tracks lined his cheeks.
Reid passed by her with the pitcher and started to douse the flames. Popping came through the same window, breaking more glass, and bullets slammed into the wall across the room. JJ screamed and jumped into her arms.
“Get down!” Reid threw the pitcher at the flames. “Let’s get out of here before they decide to come in.” He picked up JJ, grabbed her hand, and pulled her toward the sliding glass doors in the dining area.
The glass shattered, sending pieces cascading down the gauzy curtains that covered the sliding door. Reid turned to shield JJ from any flying glass and whatever else may come through the door. He pushed her into the kitchen, out of the line of fire. “They’ve got both exits covered, and we have no way of putting out the fire.”
Her stomach tightened. They were trapped. “What are we going to do?”
Reid untwined JJ’s arms from around his neck and handed him to her. “You and JJ get down low on the ground.”
He was right. The air quality would be better lower to the ground. She set JJ on his feet and told him to lie down.
Reid started opening drawers. Then, the kitchen faucet turned on, and moments later, he was handing her two wet kitchen towels. “Put these over your mouths and noses.” He demonstrated with a third towel. “I’m going to try to lure them away from the back door. When you hear the glass break upstairs, count to twenty and then quietly sneak out the back door.” He handed her his cell phone. “Call 911 while I’m making my way upstairs.”
She handed JJ a towel and grabbed the proffered cell phone. Reid didn’t say anything else. He just turned and ran toward the flames. With shaky fingers, she dialed 911.
“911. What’s your emergency?” a calm voice asked.
“My name is Quinn Matthews, and I’m at 1232 Willow Lane, Side B. Someone has thrown something through our front room window.”
More popping noises came from the front of the duplex. No doubt whoever was watching from outside had seen Reid’s shadow pass through the front room. She tried to make herself as small as she could while covering JJ.
“There’s a fire, and someone is shooting at us from outside. We can’t get out.”
“I have dispatched police and fire. How many people are there with you?” the dispatcher asked.
“There are three people in the house.” Quinn clenched her fists, fighting the panic that was trying to take control.
“Is there a back door you can get out?”
More shots rang out from beyond the sliding glass doors, as if to reinforce that the door was still being watched.
“We tried, but there’s someone shooting at us from there, too.” Her throat burned. She wasn’t sure whether it was from fear or the smoke. JJ coughed beside her. She reached over and pushed the wet towel back over his mouth and nose. What was taking Reid so long?
“Please help. We’re trapped!” she cried into the phone.
Glass shattered on the second floor. Reid had made it.
“We’re going to try to get out,” she told the dispatcher and then put the phone in her pocket.
One.
Two.
She grabbed JJ and stood him up. “Get ready to run. Do as I say.”
More glass shattered upstairs.
