Page 143 of Sheltering You

“Yes. Sophie and Leila are downstairs. Follow them.”

Eliza didn’t argue, just took Levi to safety.

“Go,” a woman’s voice said. Camilla?

Jasmine headed toward the room farther down and across the hall.

“But, Mom, you need to⁠—!”

“Don’t argue with me.”

Zoë crawled into the hallway and saw Jasmine. “I can’t get her to come.” The twenty-something sounded on the verge of tears.

“It’s okay. She’ll be okay.” Jasmine prayed it was true. “Hurry, hurry.” She aimed the flashlight toward the stairs. “Where is your brother?”

“He went to the attic.”

“I’ll find him. Go.”

Zoë opened her mouth like she wanted to argue.

Camilla was at the window, peering out. She aimed, fired.

Jasmine gripped the young woman’s wrist. “Your mother needs to know you’re safe so she can focus on what she’s doing. The best you can do is go downstairs.”

Camilla glanced back and gave Jasmine a grateful smile.

“I love you, Mom.” Zoë gave her mother a final look, then crawled toward the stairs.

“I can’t find Levi!” Peggy’s frantic shout came from the end of the hall.

“He’s with Eliza,” Jasmine shouted over the gunfire. “They’ve gone down.”

“Oh, thank God.” The older woman crawled closer but stopped, coughing. Hacking. “I have to make sure”—she coughed—“Roger and Bryan…” Again, her words were cut off with coughing.

“I’ll check on them,” Jasmine said.

“And Jeremy!” Camilla yelled. “He went to the attic⁠—”

“I’ll see to them.” Jasmine aimed the flashlight toward the stairs. “Go, Peggy. Join the others. We’ve got this.”

Peggy started that direction, then stopped. “But you should—” Hacking coughs kept her from finishing.

“I’ll come when I know everyone is all right,” Jasmine said. “Go. Please.”

From the top of the staircase, Zoë called, “Please, Nana. Please, come on.”

The older woman joined her granddaughter.

After they started down, Jasmine continued to the ladder that had been lowered from a hatch in the attic and climbed up.

She poked her head through the opening and looked around. Though smoke rose from the ground floor, this area had avoided damage. Boxes and furniture had been pushed to one side. “Is everyone all right up here?”

Bryan glanced from his spot at a window facing the rear of the house but didn’t lower the rifle aimed outside. “Grant told us to stay put.”

At a window nearby, Jeremy was pale but unhurt. “Did you see my mom and Zoë?”

Before she could answer, Roger asked, “Is anyone hurt?” He was on the opposite side of the attic, also aiming a rifle. The gun was out of place in the gentle man’s hands.