The Collected

But his warning was drowned out by the bang-bang-bang-bang-bang of the semiautomatic rifle.

Quinn saw movement at the back of the group. Someone going down.

He ran to the side and let off five quick shots. Four more shots came from off to his right, Daeng circling the other way and mirroring Quinn’s course.

Janus took two steps backward, his rifle tilting up in the air.

Quinn emptied the rest of his magazine.

As Janus went down for the last time, his finger jerked on the rifle’s trigger, sending a final hail of bullets flying high over the jungle.

As Quinn ran toward Janus, he released the empty mag and jammed in his final one.

He and Daeng reached Janus at the same time.

The man’s chest was full of entry wounds, and his eyes had the empty death stare Quinn had seen so many times before. But there was only one way to make sure the man never got up again. Quinn aimed his gun at Janus’s forehead and pulled the trigger.

“Quinn!” Nate called out.

Quinn whipped around, thinking maybe there was another attacker somewhere. But Nate was at the back of the group, kneeling on the ground. There were two people lying to either side of him.

“Hurry!” Nate yelled.

The hair on the back of Quinn’s neck stood on end. He ran as fast as he’d ever run, trying to keep his mind blank.

The closest person on the ground was Peter, and Quinn instantly knew the former head of the Office would never get up again. A bullet had caught him on the side of the head just above his right ear.

Then he twisted around and saw the other person Janus had hit.

Orlando had no idea what happened.

She’d been standing, she was sure of that, but now she seemed to be lying on the ground.

Why can’t I get up? Why can’t I move?

Voices. Hollow. Distant, but not distant.

“Quinn…Hurry…”

I’m tired. Why am I so tired?

The ground shook under her. Thud. Thud. Then something bumped against her arm.

She could feel it. She couldn’t move her arm, but she could feel it. That was good, right?

“No, no, no, no, no!”

Quinn?

“Orlando. Orlando, can you hear me?”

I can hear you.

“Orlando? Come on, baby, stay with me!”

It was strange. Though she knew he was right beside her, it sounded like he was a million miles away.

“Do you hear me? Baby, please, stay with me!”

Growing farther and farther.

“You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be fine. Just stay with…”