Another dark figure steps out, and I fire, then press myself flat against the wall and wait for the ringing in my ears to subside so I can figure out what the hell is going on.
It takes a few seconds before I can hear anything.
The voices become familiar.
Liam and Lucky…
Then a low, deep voice I don’t recognize.
Panic and anger lace their words, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. Not when my hearing is fucked up from firing off so many shots plus the blood rushing in my ears…
I fight the sheer panic that starts to seize my chest.
Calm.
Focused.
Sounds of a fight from inside trickle out.
Grunts.
Screams.
Breaking wood.
Crushing fists.
Lucky’s sharp cry.
I push off the wall and run the last few steps to the open barn door to peek in. Gizmo lies on the ground a few feet away, Lucky frantically screaming as a man and Liam roll around on the old barn floor.
I’m out of shells.
This gun in my hand is useless.
And there’s a man on top of Liam. He rips a blade from his boot…
Liam’s axe lies on the ground only a few feet away from them, but I don’t know if I can get to it without alerting his attacker to my presence. But I have to try as that blade moves toward Liam’s throat.
I set down the gun and creep in, trying not to draw attention to myself, staying to the shadows until I can lunge forward and grab the familiar weapon.
The moment it settles in my hands, it feels right even though everything else I’ve done tonight has felt so wrong.
All thought disappears.
Instinct takes over.
I climb to my feet, raise it, and drive the blade down into the attacker’s head. He collapses onto Liam in a squelch of blood that has me screaming inside and makes me want to retch. But I hold it all in as I collapse to my knees and try to drag the man off Liam.
It takes me a second to get him free and what I find beneath makes my breath seize in my lungs.
Blood seeps from Liam’s shoulder, pooling under him far too fast.
No, no, no, no, no.
This can’t be happening.
“Connor!”
