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I braved between the shadows, still hidden by the shelves, when I spotted under the platform the two men I’d shot before. They were almost under me. Michael and Matias were further away, still limping and carrying a rifle, looking for me. That was my chance to balance the game.
I squatted down, ignoring the shot of pain on my knee, and placed the front side of both guns on parallel gaps between the metal. My heartbeat sped up, and the constant buzzing from the company phone in my pocket wasn’t helping. The men were turned away, but I didn’t want to kill them, even though I knew it was either their lives or mine.
Praying I could shoot with the same precision with both hands, I pointed the guns at their back. There was no space for hesitation, I didn’t have much choice. I was also aware that move would be the beginning of the end. Most likely my end.
I shot the guns, and the bullets hit their targets. Maybe it was just death breathing down my neck, but the shattering sound that echoed around the space seemed more deafening than expected.
Shooting them again before seeking a hideout was my mistake. My position was already compromised, and as small as I was, as fast as I once had been, there was no avoiding Matias and Michael’s rifles.
I stood up from my squatting position and tried to run farther away from the border of the platform, trying to disregard the screaming of the men I shot, the roar of the men who wanted me dead, and the loud shot of their rifles.
The first bullet that broke into my shoulder propelled me further. The second one hit my arm, and despite my pain, I was too high on adrenaline to slow down. The third one, though, struck my leg and made me falter. The sound of my knee hitting the metal floor sounded like a gong announcing my demise.
I powered through my pain. It was more painful to admit I was actually afraid. More shots were fired from under the platform, and I wasn’t fast enough to avoid their grazes. As I heard one of the men climbing the metal stairs, my instinct took over, and I braved further to get to the corner, where I could access the vault and gain a few more minutes.
I reached the top entrance to it, cleaned my hand as best as I could on my clothes so as not to leave any blood marks on the hidden door, punched the code, and put the lid again on the display, hiding it. As soon as the door opened, I stepped inside and closed it behind me, locking it from the inside. Since I entered from the raised door and not the floor one, I had to climb down the stairs, which proved to be impossible when you were shot up like Swiss cheese.
I fell down with a thud on the floor, in the middle of a growing pool of my own blood. For some odd reason, though, I felt peaceful.
I was under no illusion there was any salvation for me. I was just relieved I had some time to say goodbye.
As Danny watched the cameras with Izzie, I studied the blueprints with Aaron as we strategized on the best way to burst inside, while Zach looked for bombs to dismantle around the building.
To make it all more dooming, Holy Water fulfilled its promise, covering us with an odd stream of rain in December. It seemed fitting, though. The rain froze our bones, despite our heavy clothing and high energy. The way only death could do.
Izzie let out a painful cry as Danny shouted a variety of expletives worthy of a polyglot. Aaron and I ran to them, and I had to suppress the urge to throw up. It looked like they’d found her on the platform and were closing in.
“She ran to the vault. Call her.” I ran my trembling hands over my face. “Put us all on the call.”
Aaron turned to one of his agents, instructing quietly to direct the specialist to where Zach was, so he could come to stay with us. Even though I appreciated his sensitivity on the matter, I hated how goodbye-on-the-death-bed that seemed.
“She’s not answering.”
“Keep calling. She has to pick up some—”
“Good Lord, you guys are worse than a clingy boyfriend.” Despite the heaviness in her breath, hearing her voice loosened the knot in my stomach. Not for long, though.
“What the fuck are you doing, Mia?” I didn’t mean to snap.
“I’ve been kind of busy, Benny. You know, checking the storage, cleaning the vents, shooting people.”
“Are you safe,cariño?”
“I shot two of them besides Matias. Got another one trapped. Don’t worry about me,” she panted. “Where is Izzie?”
“I’m here. And I’m so mad at you. That wasn’t what we agreed on. I trusted you’d be behind me.” I’d never seen Izzie so mad. Or afraid.
“That’s on you, honey.” I didn’t like her heavy breathing one bit—not even her sarcasm could hide her struggle.“You should know better than to trust a Cancer. We’re manipulative as hell.”
“Save your strength, Bryant,” Aaron admonished her. “We’re getting you out of there.”
“Is that Aaron? For God’s sake, you called the feds on me? Not cool, guys.”
She made a hissing sound right when Zach came running to us. “What’s going on? Why are you making that noise?”
I whispered to Danny to access the computers on the vault, but he was already on it.
“You know me, Zee. I’m getting old as heck, and I don’t have the same vitality from my younger days.” She hissed again, clearly in pain. “This is the sound of wisdom and experience.”
