Lachlan scurries for cover, but not before he smacks into someone.He whips around, holding a handgun in his left, but quickly realises who it is.
His heart sinks.
‘Jules, what thefuckare you doing?’
Bullets pour through the door.
Jules screams and Lachlan drags him down for cover, the third bullet of the night carving a vicious path through the left side of his body, leaving a jagged, white-hot trail offirein his bones, blood and nerves.
He hears yelling in Russian saying tohold fire, Lazorevy is inside.
Lachlan pulls Jules all the way backwards until they hit the wall.It’s the bottleneck room, Lachlan realises.A windowless box with a long, cramped entryway and storage cupboards on either side for towels and linens.
‘Come here,’ he utters, roughly grabbing Jules to feel him all over.‘You hit?Are you hit?Look at me, there you go.Are you—?’
‘No, but you…’ Jules gasps, voice wobbly.‘You’re shot!’
‘It’s fine.Listen to me now.’
‘Lachlan, you’re bleeding so much, let me—’
‘You’re going to have to shoot them, OK?’
Jules’ hands are pressed against Lachlan’s side wound when he looks up, eyes so wide they’re circles.‘What?’
‘I can’t raise my right arm, and I can’t waste bullets on bad aim.You see there?’he directs, nodding to the left corner of the room.‘Good position to take them out one at a time.They’ll come in single file, and they won’t risk a flashbang if you’re in here.You can kill them one by one with headshots.’
‘No, no, no.I… I can’t, I d-don’t know how!’
‘Remember when you aimed my own gun at me?This one’s much easier.No hammer.Hold with two hands.Right hand takes the recoil.Lean in when you pull the trigger.Bottom hand holds you steady.You’re gonna shoot nice and slow.This gun has nine bullets.’
‘Let me hide you then.Let me put you in the closet while—’
‘No.’Lachlan pulls out a flashlight, switching it on and resting it beside him, facing the door, full beam.‘Once the first few go down, I can crawl forward, get their weapons.They’re carrying UZIs.That’s automatic fire.As soon as I do that,youget in the closet.’
‘I can’t.I don’t know how, I’m not tough like you, please.Please just hide with me or… or let me—’
‘Julian,’ Lachlan snaps.‘Take the gun right now.Go there.Point and shoot these fuckers in the head.You can do this, sweetheart.For Mimi.Please.’
The poor kid almost drops the gun but then he takes better hold of it and scurries away where Lachlan pointedjustbefore the door is kicked open.
Lachlan’s right arm is fully dead.
He’s directly in their line of sight.
There’swaymore than nine of them.
If he doesn’t get one of their guns, Jules is fucked.
In English, the leader of the line moves inside.‘Give us the boy.’
Lachlan breathes ragged, blinks slow, looks dazed.He’s waiting for the guy to cross the threshold, for Jules to hopefully do what Lachlan instructed.
Jules fires a shot.
It hits the first guy right in his temple.
He falls down flat on his face.
