***
I got out of the car and walked towards the garage behind Anelya and Burris, and heard a pinging noise.
“Gun!” Burris shoved Anelya down, and covered her body with his. I got down, trying to figure out where that came from.
“I think he’s in the house,” I said. Then the garage door closed again and we were inside with the person who wanted to hurt us.
“That shot came from the side door,” Burris whispered.
Anelya was still and quiet, watching us. She was waiting for our lead, but I knew our first responder girlfriend would be cool and calm. She tilted her head towards the garage door opener by the inside door.
Burris nodded. If one of us could get to that, the other two could run out.
He moved slowly ahead of Anelya, all of us watching the side door. I saw the outline of a hooded figure in the side porch, peeking at us to see if we had a weapon.
“Burris,” I said as quietly as possible. “Shovel.”
He nodded again. We’d just purchased new ones for the grounds crew that week and they were along the side of the garage not far from the switch. Burris needed a weapon if he was going to get to that switch.
“Be careful,” he said.
This time I nodded. I knew there was only one way to give Burris coverage so he could open the door.
“Jared. I want to talk to you. I didn’t know I had another brother.” I projected as loud as possible while Burris crawled forward.
Crouched between Anelya and the side door, I motioned for both of us to get ready to run.
“I’m your only brother,” came the voice. “He’s not your real brother by blood. He shouldn’t be running the company with you.”
I heard the clang as Burris picked up the shovel, then the garage door opened.
Before Jared could close it again, I grabbed Anelya’s hand and we bolted for the opening. I felt a bullet hit my shoulder and another seared my arm. The door was halfway up and started to stop as we slid under it.
Then the side door opened, and I could see Jared’s legs before Burris stepped behind him and knocked him down with the shovel.
“You will stay with me, Greg.” Anelya pulled off her shirt and held it against my shoulder as I lay in the driveway. Then she pressed her leg against my arm.
“Your arm is ok, but I don’t see an exit wound on the shoulder. You should not have risked yourself.” Her voice was stern, but I could see the worry in her beautiful eyes.
“You would have gotten shot,” I said. “I knew you’d save me if I did.”
“Not smart,” she muttered as she applied pressure.
I could hear Burris on his phone telling police the intruder was tied up and disarmed.
Anelya rode with me on the ambulance, taking over my care on the way to the hospital. I stayed awake and talking with her and a police officer who had also ridden with us, until I was moved into surgery. I asked to have police go over the house and factory to ensure no other traps were set up.
As I was rolled into surgery with Anelya still holding my hand, I let myself rest.
Epilogue
One Year Later: Anelya
"The winner is Raymond, with his cherry wood dining set!”
Greg called out the winner at the Lumberjack Days competition.
I scanned the crowd. Greg and Burris kept all the tools locked until the competition this year, just in case, though Jared had been in prison for a year now.
