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Zach acknowledged the praise with a nod. It felt good to have been right, but there was too much going on right now to linger in that feeling.
“Guys, we got another snag, I think,” Gargo called from the front. “Check the steering wheel.”
Zach had the quickest path back to the driver’s door, so he headed up there—and saw the problem within two steps. “There’s a fucking Club on the wheel.”
“That’s nothing,” Geno said. “I got this.” He came around to the front, pulling a slim kit from his jacket.
Lonnie laughed. “Geno’s a pro with tumbler locks. He’s probably responsible for half the burglaries in that neighborhood over by the golf course back home.”
“Three-quarters! Don’t undersell me, man.”
“Time’s up,” Gargo said, and everybody heard the trouble right after those two words left his mouth. The previously quiet night was filling up with metallic thunder.
The Dragons had arrived.
Cooper ran to the front, pulling his AK forward. “Geno, keep working on that lock. Everybody else, get ready to fuck some assholes up. But keep to cover. If we kill one of these motherfuckers, we’re gonna kill ‘em all.”
“Coop,” Caleb said. “You want to try to talk to Wash first?”
Cooper looked at Caleb, then out through that single narrow door. Standing at the front of the van, Zach could see the bright light of the Dragons’ headlamps; the time for making plans was over.
But Cooper answered Caleb. “Let’s see how they come off their bikes. Wash walks up calm-like, we can try using our words. But fuck, Cay. They tried to rob us.”
“I know, just—”
He didn’t finish his sentence because a shot rang out, and Gargoyle dropped.
He’d been at the door, using it for cover, but still keeping a lookout. Now, he lay in the doorway, a hole the size of Zach’s fist in the back of his head.
“Gargo! FUCK!” Cooper shouted.
The overhead doors started to roll up; Wash must have used a remote. Bullets started slamming into and through the doors as they made their mechanical way up, and the Bulls dived for any cover they could find.
Zach was probably the best, fastest shot among their crew, at least as far as he knew. Wanting the widest possible range he could get, he ran to the concrete block wall that made up the front of the garage. There was a space about two feet wide between the overhead doors that could provide cover and give him sightline in two directions.
He quickly made out seven pairs of legs, three pairs to his right and four to his left, all of them standing basically in a line, firing at the rising doors. That was a huge risk, either hubris or idiocy. The Dragons were clear now, but as soon as the Bulls had a shot, those thieving, murderous assholes would have nothing but their bikes for cover.
As soon as the doors were high enough that he could be sure to hit center mass, Zach started aiming and firing. He took out two men on his right before the third got to cover. Other Bulls were firing too, and the Dragons still on their feet were now scattering.
The doors were up high enough now not to be obstacles—or cover—for anyone. Zach darted a look to his left. Reed had stepped out of cover to put down one of the Dragons; he’d got the shot but now was vulnerable. Ben shouted his son’s name—but Zach saw the Dragon aiming at Reed and took the fucker down.
A shot hit the edge of the wall Zach was using for cover, and the bullet took out a chunk of concrete. The spray of stone hit Zach’s face and throat. A couple pieces hit his eyes and blinded him for a second.
While he was blinking his vision clear, Caleb shouted “Zach!” and Zach dropped to a crouch instantly. A spray of bullets hit the wall where his head had been.
He darted a look around the wall and saw the Dragon facing him had dropped face-first onto the driveway, and Caleb was ducking behind one of the Dragons’ bikes. He’d run straight out onto the driveway to protect Zach.
Then Ben put down the Dragon charging Caleb.
In the way of these things, the sudden cacophony of a firefight was just as suddenly replaced by quiet. Everybody held position for a minute, maybe longer, until Cooper yelled, “Bulls call out!”
“Zach!” Zach yelled.
Caleb, Ben, Reed, Lonnie, Geno, and Kai all called out.
Everyone but Gargoyle was whole.
Cooper came up to Zach’s side and stared at the body of their fallen brother. “Gargo, goddammit. FUCK FUCK FUCK.”
