I shook my head, not wanting to listen to options. “Ty, you know he will never stop. You know that. I want to be free of this. You want that too.”
She nodded slowly. Her shoulders deflated some, but I saw the truth flash across her face. “I do. I just… I don’t want to lose anyone.”
“Me either.”
Gunfire drew our attention. We peered into the street and searched for our men. They had been pulled across the street to where their brothers fought off Matthias’s men.
“What are they doing?” Tyler gasped.
“I don’t think they meant to go over there. They didn’t leave us on purpose.” At least I didn’t think so.
The wind picked up and we had to plaster ourselves against the building to keep from blowing away. Darkness blanketed the streets and I couldn’t hear anything over the roaring wind. A heavy hand on my head pushed down. I peeked over to find Andy instructing us to crouch down.
I squinted through the dust and wind, but it was impossible to see Hendrix through the bad weather. I slid to the ground and buried my head in my knees, throwing my arms overhead to keep the grit out.
I sat there, huddled into myself, terrified and furious. I hated that I couldn’t see Hendrix and that I didn’t know if he was safe. I had no idea how to kill Matthias or even get close to him again. And this damn weather.
It made things harder for the other side, but we were just as handicapped. We needed something else to go our way today. We needed help from a higher power or maybe a miracle.
That’s what we needed… a series of miracles.
So… easy, right?
The wind continued to whip and sting until I was convinced that when I lifted my head I would be buried underneath a pile of dirt. I pressed into Tyler and waited out the worst of it.
Five long minutes later, everything stopped.
The wind lessened into a mild version of the hurricane strength gusts that had been blowing hard since early this morning. The sky lightened to a deep shade of green and the red dirt settled back on the hard ground.
Was that it?
I lifted my head. My ears rushed with the sudden silence after such a violent onslaught. The handle of my gun was slick from my sweat. Dirt and gravel had found a way to crawl beneath every seam of my clothing. I licked at my dry lips and tasted grit and gravel.
I jumped to my feet and pulled Tyler up with me. Nothing moved beyond our alley. I couldn’t see Hendrix or Vaughan or any of the Parkers for that matter.
I wondered if they had been sucked into the storm?
Where were they?
I joined Andy at the edge of the alley and tried to shake off the storm. It had been such a consuming part of today and now everything felt too still. Too quiet.
My heart hadn’t stopped its frantic beat in my chest and my blood rushed uncomfortably beneath my skin. It felt too hot beneath my grubby skin. I itched all over, desperate, anxious and afraid all at once.
“Is it over?” I whispered to Andy.
He shrugged one shoulder. “I have never been in something like that in my life. I have no idea.”
Looking toward the opposite end of town, I could see the black wall of cloud that reached from the sky to the hardened earth. If I had to guess, I would say the storm had moved on.
“That was intense,” I breathed out slowly.
His shoulders stiffened, “It’s far from over.”
My gaze swung in every direction. With the wind and chaos calmed down, I could see the true destruction the storm had created.
The entire town was ablaze with hot flames. A huge fire burned in the middle of the street. Charcoaled bodies melted together beneath flames that licked at the sky. I could feel the heat and smell the burning flesh.
More fires dotted the street on either side. The wind had carried embers from building to building until the entire town threatened to become a hungry inferno. The rush of the wind had been replaced with the roar of fire.
The elements were so not working in our favor today.
I scanned the area for Hendrix, desperate to find him between billowing clouds of smoke, dead bodies and general chaos. Men emerged from the other end of the street. The wall cloud at their back cast ominous shadows on their arrogant posture.
“Come out!” one of them called. “Collect what’s yours!” Two figures were shoved to their knees.
“Luke,” Andy hissed.
“Nelson,” Tyler echoed.
“They must have come to check on us,” Andy explained. “I left them with Joy and the girls.”
My chest squeezed. Haley and the baby were close. Page was close. And now Matthias had Luke and Nelson.
Rage and fear blinded me for a moment. I couldn’t think. I didn’t know what to do! All I could do was breathe through the moment and hope something came to me.
I knocked my head back on the building behind me. Think, Reagan. Think!
“You have five seconds!” Matthias shouted clearly. “Five seconds or I blow their brains out!”
I opened my eyes and made a decision. I turned back to Andy and Tyler. “Don’t let him kill me.”
Then I stepped out to meet Matthias.
Chapter Three
I chose the center of the street to perform my death march, because that was the safest place from the fires. I tried not to flinch from the floating embers that landed on my skin. They burned through my clothes and I wanted to swat them away like a pesky swarm of insects.
Pieces of the building to my right started to collapse and the loud crumbling of wood and plaster highlighted the state of my life.
This was not a good place to be right now.
I had tucked my gun into the back of my pants before I stepped onto the street. I walked with my hands raised at my sides.
I had already decided that if they started to shoot at me, I would whip my gun out and take them out like I was John Wayne incarnate.
That is, if John Wayne had made it to the Zombie Apocalypse and had only about seven bullets against fifteen men.
Matthias’s men grinned at me, cat-calling and whistling while I closed the space between us.
“Where’re the rest of your friends, Reagan?” Matthias shouted. He jabbed his gun into the back of Nelson’s head to drive home his point.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I hollered back. “I lost them in the storm!” Not a lie.
“And your help?” he pressed. “Where’s the bomb maker?”
I liked that. The Bomb Maker. I kind of hoped Andy stuck with it.
“You want me,” I reminded him. “Just do what you want to me and we’ll call it even!”
Matthias threw his head back and let out a hysterical laugh. “You still don’t get it!” He looked at his men. “The dumb bitch still doesn’t get it! I don’t want you dead, Reagan. I want you to suffer. Like I have. I want to take everyone you love and murder them while you watch. And then I want you to live with that pain. I want you to know that it was your fault they died. I want that reality to weigh on your mind and drive you insane.” He shoved the gun into the back of Nelson’s head again. “This… this is just not good enough.”
My mind spun blankly. How did I respond to that? A small part of me wanted to apologize. I got it. From his point of view, I got it.
But he was still a sadistic bastard. He blamed me for losing his family, but I blamed him.
That was something he would never understand. He was too sure of his greater purpose. He couldn’t see beyond his arrogance to realize how the destruction he craved spread to his family.
I opened my mouth to tell him that, but I didn’t get the chance.
The building closest to Matthias and his men suddenly crashed to the ground in a deafening break of structure tearing from structure. The fire erupted from inside and created a searing explosion that hit me with a blast of heat.
I was thrown backwards. My feet actually lifted off the ground and I landed on my back three feet away. The gun I’d hidden away s
tabbed at my spine and rough gravel cut into my skull and exposed skin.
I coughed and wheezed, cringing each time my lungs were forced into use. Owie. That hurt so bad.
I tried to push up on my elbows, but my left forearm gave out with a painful snap and I released an agonized cry.
Broken. My forearm had to be broken.
Oh, god. That hurts so bad.
I used my good arm to wipe at my eyebrow that trickled blood into my eyes, blinding me. The cut stung from my dirty hand. I gritted my teeth and tried not to whimper.
Urgency pulsed through me and overrode my senses. Thankfully adrenaline kicked in and I somehow managed to stumble to my feet. I readjusted the gun in the back of my pants, hoping that I had been discreet, and lifted my chin to meet Matthias.
Most of his men were still pulling themselves to their feet too, so I felt less of the threat. That didn’t mean my adrenaline turned off. I met Matthias’s cold gaze and it rocketed back into full force.
He had a firm grip on Nelson’s full head of hair, but his gun had been knocked out of sight or he’d managed to stow it somewhere.
Before either of us could speak another building lost integral pieces of its structure. The front façade remained intact, while we listened to the wood snap and crash beneath a blazing roof. All of us glanced over with fearful expressions. Nobody wanted to suffer through another explosion.
This whole town was about to be covered in flames. We needed to kill Matthias and get out.
“Bring out the rest of your friends or I’ll kill this one where he kneels,” Matthias threatened. One of his men handed him a gun.
My stomach twisted and I thought I would be sick. I didn’t want to use Nelson to call Matthias’s bluff. He was a new father. He was the love of my best friend’s life. I wanted him to live more than anyone.
But I could not give into Matthias.
Nelson would for sure die then. Matthias wouldn’t give it another thought.
“No.” I took a step forward.
“Now!” Matthias screamed.
“No.” I took another step.
Matthias’s gun lifted to me. “Maybe I’m not using the right incentive.” He shoved Nelson’s head and Nelson dropped to the ground.
Matthias was too blinded by rage to notice Nelson had let Matthias push him over.
I glanced at Luke. His shoulders shook beneath his bowed head. I didn’t know if he was terrified or furious.
Knowing the little I did about Luke though, I would have bet it was anger making him vibrate and not fear.
Matthias’s gun lifted to point at my chest. “Maybe we should just get this over with.”
“Matthias!” I expected Hendrix’s voice calling this off, but it was Miller that stepped out of the shadows of an alley. “Wait!”
“What are you doing here?” Matthias sneered. “I disowned you months ago.”
I couldn’t see Miller’s face with blood dripping from my eyebrow and obscuring my vision, but I knew without a doubt that was the wrong thing to say to the youngest Allen.
Miller surprised me when he shouted back. “I want to come home, Dad! I want to go back home with you!”
Matthias was apparently just as surprised because he did a double take. “That ship has sailed, Son! You made your choice!”
“That’s not fair!” Miller shouted. He sounded like a petulant child, which was not the Miller I knew. He could be scary… like serial killer scary, but he did not whine. “Tyler talked me into it! She fed me lies so she wouldn’t have to go alone! It’s her fault.”
Tyler stepped out from behind me. “You’re a liar! You know that’s a lie! You wanted to go with me. You couldn’t wait to get away from, Daddy!”
I felt like I’d entered the land of the weird. What was happening right now?
“You’re both liars!” Matthias boomed at them. “You’ve always been liars. I tried to teach you respect, but you’re both too stupid to learn.”
Miller pressed his palms together in prayer position. “I promise I’ll try harder, Daddy! I promise I’ll learn respect. I’ll do whatever you say! Just let me come home! Please! Please take me away from these people!”
“Shut up, Miller!” Tyler screamed.
A cocky smile spread across Matthias’s face. “What have you two gotten yourselves into now? And you think I’m going to save you?” His maniacal laughter pulled goose bumps from my arms. “Of course, I’m still going to have to kill you. But it will feel so much better now.”
I hadn’t noticed that Miller had inched closer while Matthias was distracted with his gloating. Tyler too stood only a foot behind me. I could see the silver of her weapon in my peripheral vision.
Behind Matthias’s group of men, Joy and Haley lined up with guns. Hendrix, Vaughan, Harrison, King and Andy filled in the rest of the space until the entire circle was surrounded.
Nelson rolled over and pulled a gun from his ankle, popping up to his knee and aiming it at the man that held a gun to Luke’s head.
We had them surrounded.
Slowly, I pulled the gun from the back of my pants and raised it to meet Matthias. We stared at each other, neither of us speaking.
He hadn’t expected his own children to betray him like this. I could see it on his face. He had thought Miller was sincere.
Matthias’s gaze moved over my shoulder. “You’d kill your own daddy?”
“Every day of the week,” Tyler sneered.
Matthias glanced wildly over his shoulder for Miller. “You too? After all of that? After all I’ve done for you? You’d really rather stay with these cretins than be with your own flesh and blood?”
Miller grinned like only Miller could, “I’ve never been happier.”
Matthias launched himself at his son while screaming, “Why you disrespectful, little-”
That’s when hell really broke loose.
I didn’t know who shot first, but I had the sick realization that they shot at Luke. I didn’t know what happened to him beyond that because all of my attention followed Matthias as he tried to murder his son.
Gun shots exploded with deafening clarity all around me while I chased down Matthias. Miller fired two rounds and missed before he turned around to sprint the opposite direction from his father. Matthias raced after him.
I chased after Matthias, lifting my gun and firing… but missing. My left arm hung limply at my side, useless and pained. Black dots danced in front of my stinging vision, but I would not give up until Matthias had no heartbeat.
Miller ducked into a flaming building. My breath hitched and I stumbled. Strong arms were there to catch me.
Hendrix.
He frowned down at me, but didn’t say anything. The rest of his family had Matthias’s men to deal with.
I ran after Matthias, letting another shot go wild. I needed to calm down before I wasted all of my stolen ammo, but I wanted him dead so badly.
I just wanted this to be over.
I darted through the doorway, ignoring the searing heat of the flames and the embers that sprinkled down on my skin, burning me with each contact.
This had been a small restaurant at one point. Tables and chairs were overturned and there was a counter in front to place orders.
Miller threw his body over the top and dropped to the floor. He used the counter for cover while he tried to shoot his dad. Matthias jumped back behind a turned-over table to avoid his son’s bullets.
I heard a gunshot directly behind us before a body dropped to the ground. Apparently, Hendrix and I weren’t the only ones to follow Matthias in here.
I just really hoped it wasn’t someone I loved because they were dead now.
Hendrix and I had the angle on Matthias. His gaze darted to us and he fell backwards off balance. He started shooting mid-fall before I could pull the trigger.
I felt the burn rip through my thigh. For a second I thought my leg was on fire.
“Son of a bitch!” I screamed.
My vision blur
red as the hottest, most intense pain blazed through me. My breathing started to come in short pants. I couldn’t catch a full breath. My good arm swung wide and I pulled the trigger. My shot landed somewhere in the ceiling.
I gritted my teeth and willed focus to return to my muddled brain. Hendrix caught me as my body started to teeter backwards. His forearm slipped under mine and he shot Matthias from that position. I felt his blowback jerk through me and wanted to puke.
He landed two shots in Matthias’s chest. I watched it happen and prayed it wasn’t a hallucination.
Matthias flew back into the fiery wall. Agony contorted his crazed features. Blood soaked his dirty shirt, painting a picture of death.
Down, but not out. His head dropped back against the wall, but his black eyes stayed with us. I watched his hand twitch, armed with a still-useful weapon. I pointed my gun at his body and pulled the trigger.
My bullet exploded from the barrel and buried itself in his chest.
I aimed for his head, but my weakness and wounds inhibited me. Still, Matthias’s chest stopped struggling for breath and his soulless eyes were lost forever behind closed eyelids. He stilled completely, the kind of still that only came with death. The kind that promised he would never move again.
Despite my pain, I felt myself inhale.
It felt like it was my very first breath.
My very first breath of freedom.
I closed my eyes and slumped against Hendrix. The heat became too much. My skin burned from the intensity of it. Sweat poured from my skin and I stopped being able to breathe clearly.
A huge chunk of the ceiling dropped in the far corner and I knew it was only a matter of time before the entire ceiling would collapse, but I couldn’t find the strength to move.
Hendrix shifted abruptly and I winced from the pain that shot up my leg, through my broken arm and to every single nerve ending in my body.
“Miller, let’s go!” Hendrix shouted.
Through blurry vision, I watched Hendrix hold me with one arm and reach out for Miller with his other. He pulled Miller over the counter and dragged us both through the door.