Since Cora couldn’t sleep she decided to wander the halls and saw everyone was asleep, unlike her. She thought she might do some work on the computer when she saw the front door ajar. Thinking it was odd Cora went to investigate. She found Charlie sitting on a chair with his feet up on the rail staring up at the sky. Cora started to turn away when he spoke to her.
“Couldn’t sleep?” How had he known she was there? Cora stepped out on the porch and sat in the chair next to him.
“I feel something coming,” she felt foolish saying it out loud.
“Your instincts aren’t wrong.” Was all he said, still staring off.
“What do you mean?”
“Oreo noticed heavy movement coming in through the airport and cars parking in the area. They're coming. They’ll be here before dawn.” He said nonchalantly.
“How can you remain so calm?” Cora snapped and stood up. “This place may have a lot of weapons, but it won’t protect us from all of them. However, many there are. It doesn’t change the fact there are only three of you.” Her nerves were frayed and the anticipation was killing her, and here was Charlie telling her they were about to be attacked by many men and he didn’t seem to care.
Charlie turned and faced her. His scowl seemed deeper with only the house light in the background and casting shadows. “You’ll just have to trust me on this. I’ve been doing this a long time, Cora. Against worst odds.”
She doubted it.
“Do you have some magical army coming to the rescue I don’t know about?”
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Realizing she wasn’t going to get any real answers out of him Cora stomped back into the house to her room. She couldn’t wait for Liam to get home. If she was even alive to greet him when he came home. Heavy movement coming. That didn’t bode well at all for them.
“Hurry home, Liam,” Cora whispered before she fell into a restless sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Cora woke up to the sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway. It was still dark out and she had no idea what time it was. She sat up and threw on the closest outfit she could find. As she was opening her door, Hannah almost barreled into her.
“Cora, thank god you’re up. They’re here. Alejandro’s men are here.” It took Cora a moment for Hannah’s words to sink it. Alejandro’s army was here. And Liam wasn’t. There were only three men against the army. Cora refused to let her panic set in. Panic wouldn’t help her. Heavy movement coming.
“Alright, let’s find Charlie. I’m sure he’ll have us go down to the computer room or maybe there is a bunker we can get to.” She wouldn’t put it past Aaron to put in underground tunnels throughout his property. He seemed like the crazy paranoid kind of guy.
“I can’t go back to him, Cora. I can’t.” Hannah sobbed and clung to Cora.
Cora took Hannah by the shoulders and shook her. “Listen to me, listen. That’s not going to happen. Barricade yourself in the computer room. Look for an escape tunnel; if you find it, use it. Don’t look back. Call the police the first chance you get. Don’t be a hero.”
“What about you?”
What the hell am I thinking?
“I’m going to help them guard the house.” She was a bit rusty with a gun, but she had no doubt it would quickly come back to her. She had her gun as a precaution but never needed one until now.
“Do you even know how to shoot a gun?” Hannah looked at her shocked. It wasn’t surprising. Cora was a computer geek.
If Hannah only knew the truth. “My parents took me out shooting every chance they had. Don’t worry about me.”
“Then let me help too.”
“No,” Cora snapped at her. “You would serve better here in the computer room. Monitoring the property. Please, Hannah.” Cora didn’t have time to argue with Hannah. Charlie and his teammates were yelling downstairs and loading up on weapons. She had to get down there. “Just trust me on this. Everything is going to be fine.” Nothing was going to be fine.
Hannah looked like she wanted to argue but time was of the essence. Cora grabbed Hannah’s arm and dragged her downstairs and pushed her towards the computer room. “I’ll see you when this is over.” Probably. Maybe.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Hannah was trying to give Cora an out, and she didn’t want to be left alone. Cora had to help though. It wasn’t what Liam would want her to do, he would want her to hide with Hannah and let Charlie and his team do what they were trained to do but they were outnumbered, and she had to help any way she could.
“I’ll be fine.” Once Hannah was heading downstairs Cora spun around and raced to the front porch where the men were arming up. She was reaching for a rifle when a strong arm grabbed the weapon from her hands.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Charlie growled at her. “This isn’t play time. Go inside with Hannah. You’ll only get in the way.”
Cora pulled the rifle back from Charlie and checked the chamber before grabbing a few boxes of ammo. “You can use all the help you can get. Both my parents were Marines. Taught me everything they know.”
If she thought that would impress him she was wrong. Charlie grunted. “Just make sure you aim for the bad guys.” Cora barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had been shooting since she was a kid. She was a hell of a marksman, but it had never been anything she wanted to pursue. She only hoped that her skills hadn’t left
