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He goes to open the door carefully, but the moment he does, it’s torn open so suddenly it nearly takes him with it.
We found the missing Pit Vipers. Or maybe they found us, since they seem to be waiting for us with their guns out.
Boots ring on metal behind us as more of them come down the escalator. One uses his gun to gesture at us. “Get the fuck out there.”
I look at Blade, but he shakes his head. Crap.
We step out into the food court. What’s usually the coziest part of the mall looks cold and forbidding when all the stores are empty and run down. At one end, the carousel has toppled, the roof collapsed and a bunch of the wooden horses snapped off and lying in a pile.
Barricades surround us, blocking us off from the rest of the mall, but on a podium in the middle, where I can totally imagine cars for sale or local musicians or something else typical for a mall, there’s a wooden throne set up. And right in the middle of it sits Crow.
“Motherfucker,” Blade growls. “Who do you think you are? Santa? Let me tell you a secret, all I want for Christmas is you…dead.”
“You didn’t think we had security cameras?” Crow’s grin is ugly as hell. “I was planning to come get you, but you’ve saved me the trouble. Drop the knife.”
For a moment Blade looks like he’s going to throw it instead, but there are too many of them. His jaw’s so tight I think I hear his teeth grinding, but then he lets go. Shovelhead’s bloody knife clatters onto the floor.
“Good. Though, honestly, I don’t need you anymore, and you’re way more fucking trouble than you’re worth.”
What? No, he can’t mean—
Crow pulls the trigger, the crack of his gun making my ears ring. Blade staggers back with a pained grunt. His hands go to his gut as he slams into a post and crumples.
“Blade!”
I try to throw myself after him, to check and make sure I saw it wrong and he didn’t just get shot in the stomach, but two of Crow’s animals grab me under the arms and lift me away, even as my legs are kicking.
Crow’s already put his gun away, leaving Blade to bleed out by the post. A couple of the goons stand there to watch, but obviously none of them are moving to help.
“Well, Faith,” says Crow. “It’s well past time that we have us a little conversation about how you’re going to best hurt your shithead of a father. What do you think? Should I get him sent to jail first with this”—he pats the videotape on the table next to his chair—”and then kill you so that he gets to hear about it from prison, or should I break his heart first, and then leak the tape? Knowing what he’s done, I don’t think he’ll live long either way.”
I stand there, numb, not knowing what to say, or do.
Blade is dying if he’s not dead already. I’m dying, it’s just going to take a little longer, until Crow decides to execute me.
If anything happens to Blade or Dad, they’re going to die thinking I hate them for what they’ve done, but they’d be wrong. I hatewhatthey’ve done, but I’ve learned a hard lesson in the difference between them and monsters like Crow.
Now might be a little late to see that, though.
35
ALPHA
It’sa gunshot that draws us in the right direction. Echoing through the old mall as it bounces off broken glass and dusty floors.
Question is, why? The only answers I’ve got are bad. We gotta find Faith and Blade fucking stat.
“This way!” I run, Ripper right on my heels with his hand cannon out. Then Eagle-eye, his good eye sharp and scanning for danger. Animal’s got a pistol in each hand—fucking overkill as usual—then Badass, and then Quickshot, who’s left the rifle behind and his gun holstered, but he’s got his name for a reason.
We’re fucking ready, but what the hell are we ready for?
We round a corner, racing past an old jewelry store, where the sign’s still up, but chipped and faded. Ahead is a massive barricade with no visible entrance. Hanging from the ceiling is a big sign that points the way to the food court. I think the designs drawn next to it are supposed to look festive and golden, but now they just look sad and dying.
The gunshot definitely came from this way.
Unfortunately, they heard us, too.
“Watch it!” Ripper barks only a moment before his gun barks even louder, followed by a scream from the jewelry store. Fuck, I didn’t want to get into shooting at least until we found Faith, but no fucking choice now. Not that he made the wrong call. The guy slumped over at the entrance dropped his gun, but it’s smoking.
