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The man wailed in agony as the other man—no longer approaching—roared, “You bitch!”
Tap. Tap. Tap went her scared chest to my back as she told that pissed man, “I am an excellent shot. Your brother’s clock is now ticking with that hit. Take another step toward my children, and the next bullet will be in his head.”
The angry man gave my mom a menacing glare. Fists strained by his sides.
Mom told me, “Lynx, get your sister out of here so I can finish this without her seeing.”
Desperate for this nightmare to be over, even if it meant my mom was now a murderer, I dipped under her right arm and spun behind her to retrieve my sister. Yanking her free of Mom’s leg, I picked Ev up in record speed and then darted to my room. Everleigh clung to my neck, her legs around my waist.
I didn’t even reach my door before I heard Mom firing. Then I heard a man roar before a very loud thump. I was hoping it was a male body dropping to the ground due to a successful shot, but Ev screamed in my ear, “Mama!”
At my doorway, I turned to see Mom with her back slammed to a hallway wall, where two men had sent her after charging her. Both were fighting her arms, trying to seize the weapons.
I took a step forward, but Mom screamed, “Run with her!” then got one more shot off.
The un-shot man’s head tried to dart out of the way, but the bullet grazed his cheek. Blood started leaking immediately.
As he stood there, appearing to be momentarily stunned, Mom kept fighting for control over her arms. Her robe was becoming drenched in blood that belonged to the twin brother.
“Lynx! Run!” she demanded. The fear in her voice told me she knew she was losing the battle. She knew she would soon be completely overpowered.
Every part of me wanted to stay and help her fight, but Ev was screaming, reminding me who these men truly wanted.
So…
I ran.
I slammed my bedroom door shut and locked it. Not wasting one second, I raced past my closet and to a window. Holding Everleigh, I managed to unlock it and slide the window open, only to realize it was raining. The water was going to complicate my escape because it would make the outside wall slippery.
It wasn’t easy, but I got Ev to let me go so I could crawl through the window first. I wanted to be sturdy on the ground so I could pull her through and not drop her if I slipped.
Crying, she held on to the windowsill, waiting for me to tell her what to do next.
From the ground, my feet in mud, I reached up for her, but then my mom screamed. It didn’t sound scared as much as in pain. It was simply too much for me to ignore. It sounded like a howl from an injured wolf, crying out for her pack to help her.
Mom.
Instead of grabbing Ev, I faced my palms up to her, telling her to stay put as I crawled back inside. My muddy toes slipped against the outside wall as I climbed, but I scrambled and got enough traction to flop back inside.
Back on my feet, I scooped up Ev and ran toward the door until I realized I was putting her right back in danger. My eyes darted about, trying to come up with a quick plan. That’s when I decided my closet was her best chance. I swung a door open, swiping items off a side shelf. I shoved my sister into the small space, whispering for her to be quiet and not move.
On her side, curled into a ball, she covered her own mouth while staring at me. Huge grey eyes bored into me, begging me to help our mom. Exhaling, I nodded, then laid the clothes I’d swiped back on top of her. When the pile of clothing didn’t move, I sighed in relief, then rushed to close the closet door.
As soon as I backed away, ready to run and help Mom, I noticed all the mud on a small rug in front of the closet, practically an arrow to where I hid my sister.
More of Dad’s past words blew through me. “You control what they see.”
I picked up the dirty rug and tossed it out the window, hoping it suggested I had taken Ev out of the house and we were out there somewhere.
I’m coming, Mom!
Opening my bedroom door, I was surprised to not hear anything but rain. In fact, the dark house felt eerily still. I snuck down the hallway again and peeked into the living room. There was blood all over the floor leading to the open front door.
I whispered, “Mom?”
That’s when I heard a sharp inhale that sounded as wet as the falling rain outside. I rushed around a loveseat to find my mom on the floor, on her side, her robe even more drenched with blood now.
By her side, I dropped to my knees. “Mom.”
