The gunman shoved at Kevin, who ended up falling down. The gunman kicked him and Kevin got up slowly. She heard them when they made it into the house and started walking up the stairs. Samantha picked up a syringe with a long needle and crept to the door. She crouched down to the side where they would open it and waited.
As soon as the door was opened, the man shoved Kevin inside and he skidded across the floor. Sam swung her arm with all her might, intent on shoving the needle as deep as she could into the man’s neck.
His arm came up, but not in time. She got him. When she pulled the needle out, there was blood but not enough to have hit his jugular. He dropped his gun. Sam hit her knees, intent on grabbing it. He kicked her in her stomach and sent her flying on top of Kevin. She rolled over and went back toward the gun. This time, Kevin did too. The man got his hand on the gun, but Samantha grabbed his arm and bit down on it. Kevin grabbed his other arm. The man kicked out and fell on his butt. As Kevin and Samantha tried to wrest the gun from him, a shot went off.
Sam froze. She looked at Kevin. He shook his head. Good, she wasn’t shot either. But where there’d only been a drop of blood on the side of the man’s neck from the needle, there was now a torrent of red flowing into his shirt collar. The bullet had grazed him. He pressed his hand against the wound and flopped onto his back.
Sam grabbed the gun from the man and held onto it as she tried to fight the wave of pain that coursed through her abdomen.
“Sam, are you all right?” Kevin wheezed out the question.
She nodded. She couldn’t catch her breath to speak.
“We need to get out of here.”
She looked down at the gunman lying in the doorway, holding his neck where blood was steadily seeping between his fingers. Eyes glazed, he was grinning up at them.
Kevin was grabbing at her wrist. She tried to step over the man but he grabbed her leg and she fell on top of him. He made a grab for the gun. Kevin took it and pointed it at him.
“Let her up.”
“You know Ajax heard the gunshot. He’s coming up right now, you dumbfuck.” The man whispered hoarsely.
“Who is Ajax?” Samantha asked Kevin.
“He’s the guy we left in the car.”
“Holy mother of God, and you didn’t think to mention this ’til now?”
“I told you we had to go.” Kevin defended himself.
She listened but didn’t hear any footsteps on the stairs. But that didn’t mean anything. The man in the car had to have heard the gunshot. He would be here to help his partner. Or maybe he drove away.
Sam ran to the window. Nope, the car was still there. She squinted. Nope, she didn’t see anyone in it. Yeah, he had to be in the house.
She ran back to Kevin. “Give me the gun and drag him in here. We need to close the door and wait for Ajax.”
“No, I need to go find him and kill him.”
“Neither of us are in the shape to do that. What’s more, he’s a professional. Just do what the hell I’m saying and drag that guy in here!” She snatched the gun out of Kevin’s hand.
As soon as he had the bleeding goon inside the door, she slammed it shut. There wasn’t a lock on the inside.
Of course not. Always a lock when you didn’t want one, never a lock when you needed one.
“Lonnie! I heard a gunshot. Where are you?” A man’s voice yelled. Had to be Ajax.
Samantha put her finger to her lips and shook her head at Lonnie as she tried desperately to hold onto the heavy gun with her right hand. Who knew guns were this heavy? Lonnie grinned at her.
“Lonnie, answer me.”
Crashes reverberated down the hall as they heard door after bedroom door being smashed open. Then it was this room’s turn. Lying right in front of it, Lonnie’s eyes filled with terror.
“In here, don’t break the door,” he wheezed out.
Ajax must not have heard him, or just didn’t care, because he smashed open the door on top of Lonnie, who yelled in pain as it hit him.
Samantha fired the gun, but so did Ajax. Both of them missed.
“I’m not going to miss again, Miss Brooks. Put down the gun,” Ajax smiled.
Samantha aimed for his torso and fired, just like Granddad always said. She shot him in the chest. He staggered backwards but didn’t fall down.
Ajax took another shot and this time he hit Sam.
He laughed as fire lanced through her, a pain like no other.
“The wonder of body armor Miss Brooks; it stops a bullet every time.”
Her right arm felt like it was no longer part of her body except for the excruciating pain. She couldn’t move it. She heard a thud as the gun she’d been holding hit the floor.
“Sam!” Kevin yelled.
“Stop right there, or I’ll kill you. You’re nothing but a bargaining chip for her. I need her alive. Go stop her bleeding, you putz.”
Sam felt the room twirling around her, her ankles wobbled, and she dropped to her knees then fell over onto her side. The side with her hurt arm. She shrieked with pain.
“Ah God, Sam, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so
