Gareth handed it to him.
They headed back inside while Colby went over to the front of the store, staying low, waiting to see them come out the front. He wanted to go to the east to check but that would take Bill’s eyes off him and right now, keeping him looking one way while something was happening another was all he could do to ensure this worked.
A radio crackled on Edward’s vest. Jackson was ready.
He gave Colby the thumbs-up.
Colby got on the radio and told Rachel to let Paul out, then he hollered to Bill. “All right, they’re coming out. Don’t shoot and once they’re gone, you get what you want.”
“I always do!” Bill bellowed back. Jackson exited with his son who was bundled up. His clothes were different, he wore a baseball cap and had his head down and under the glow of the external solar lights, he noticed he was sporting a bloody bandage. They took off down the street, his son hobbling, pretending he’d been injured.
Jackson had a duffel bag over his shoulder, he was sure a few goodies were inside that. As agreed, Bill’s men didn’t open fire. That would have been a wrong move. He’d lost too many men to watch this place go up in flames. All those days, all that loss of life. No, he wanted the contents of this store like a crack addict wanted another hit.
When they were out of sight and sure that no one was following, Bill bellowed through the megaphone, “Okay. Now it’s time for you all to leave.” The engines revved, one final threatening reminder.
“You got eyes on the drivers?” Colby asked.
“I got a bead on where the driver would be,” Dominic said.
“Edward?”
As he was waiting for a response, Rachel appeared on the roof, an unusual weapon in hand, ready to help. On her back was a small backpack.
“Just give me the word,” Edward added.
“Did Paul get out?”
“Yeah, he’s safe.”
Colby nodded. “Good.”
Rachel got into position, unzipped the bag, and showed him a collection of flash and smoke grenades.
“Is that a…?” he asked, pointing to the unusual weapon.
She nodded. “An M70 grenade launcher. Jackson wanted me to hold off using it. It’s a one-of-a-kind. It’s not for sale, and the military now use the 203 but it works like a charm.” It looked like a short-barreled rifle. It was a single-shot device that was simple and deadly. She reached in and took out a 40 mm grenade and shifted the lever in the back to break open the gun. Rachel loaded the round into the breech then closed the barrel.
“You used that before?” Colby asked.
“I run a gun store, what do you think?”
He smirked.
“Colby! Don’t push my patience,” Bill shouted.
“You think you could work some magic on that asshole?”
“We’ll give it a try.” Rachel smiled. He tapped her on the shoulder and told the others to get ready to unleash hell. Before they even had a chance, gunfire erupted. It was Jackson and Gareth, they’d skirted around to the west and begun the assault. Rachel popped up before Bill could bark an order and fired the M70.
The explosion from the grenade rocked the street, sending huge chunks of concrete down and a plume of dust rising. Edward and Dominic delivered rounds at two of the drivers at the same time. The windshields cracked, holes riddled metal. For a brief moment, he thought they’d done it.
That it was all over.
It wasn’t.
Bill wasn’t dead. Amid the dust, Colby saw silhouettes making a break for it. And while two of the vehicles were out of commission, the third wasn’t. The truck came barreling toward the store from the south, striking the corner and erupting in a fireball. Colby felt the store roof shift beneath his feet.
Rounds erupted and he ducked then returned fire.
After a few minutes of exchanging gunfire, then he raced down into the store to go after Bill. Colby found the whole front of the store ablaze. He lifted a hand and had turned to alert the others when he was struck in the face and sent reeling back. The world flashed for a second, then when he blinked again, he saw a young guy bringing down a barrel inches from his face.
Instinctively Colby slapped the barrel.
Pop.
It went off millimeters from his ear. A ringing reverberated loud and steady as he kicked the guy in the knee and his attacker buckled. In a flash, Colby was on him, striking him in the face several times.
Until he heard a gun cock behind his head.
Colby froze, arm in the air, ready to deliver another blow.
“That’s it. Get up!”
He lifted his hands. He felt the handgun pulled from his waistband. Hauled to his feet, he was shoved against the far wall. The blaze continued sending black smoke into the store. The young man on the ground got up, blood gushing down his face. Without a warning, he lifted his gun and aimed it at Colby, but it was forced down by Bill. “No. He’s mine. You came for Gareth.”
The young man nodded and took off up the stairwell. Outside gunfire continued.
Another armed man went up the stairwell to the roof and gunshots rang out. Colby could only imagine that they’d been caught off guard and Jackson’s kids and wife were now dead.
“Helps to know someone who knows someone,” Bill said in his ear. “I told you. I always get what I want.”
The blaze intensified. Colby coughed.
“Was he there?” Colby asked.
“Who?”
“Jeb.”
Bill snorted. “He’s already dead, and so are you.”
He lifted his gun to shoot Colby but at the same time, there was a scraping sound, nails clawing the floor. Both of them turned toward the basement door just in time to see a dog launch in the air.
It was just a blur of movement, fur, and sound.
Two things occurred. A gun went off as the animal latched onto Bill’s gun hand, taking him down to the floor.
The dog wasn’t alone. Paul appeared in the doorway. The military and police
