Chapter Twenty #2
The words had barely left Patsy’s lips when every light in the house went out, plunging us into darkness.
A split second later, all hell broke loose as the windows began shattering and the deafening sound of semi-automatic gunfire exploded in the room.
I opened my mouth to scream but was instantly silenced as Nash dove off the chair to the ground, yanking me along with him as he flattened me to the carpet.
“Nash…what—” Whatever I was about to say came out as a strangled squeak as the crushing weight of his body pressed me to the floor, half stealing my breath.
“Stay down, Joshua!” he said in my ear seconds before his weight lifted…and he was gone.
NASH
The volleys of semi-automatic gunfire were nothing new to me, but the fear that lanced through me as I dragged the man I loved to the ground, wanting to shield him from bullets, certainly was.
Satisfied he was out of immediate danger, I belly crawled toward the foyer where I’d left my semi-automatic, terrified that I wouldn’t make it in time to protect my brothers but most importantly, Joshua. Though it felt like ages, I made it to the foyer in record time. As it turned out, I was right.
I needed the weapon.
The moment I snatched the rifle away from the wall, I rolled to my back, just managing to sit up halfway before a dark shape came at me with a combat knife.
I blocked the deadly stroke with the barrel of my rifle, quickly flipping it, and smashing the butt across the masked man’s face, sending him reeling away.
He fell backward onto his ass as I swung my semi-automatic forward and squeezed the trigger.
His head kicked back, and though, I could barely make out his shape in the dark, I knew I’d placed three holes dead center in his forehead.
He was nothing but a warm corpse before hitting the ground.
A new attacker squeezed off a volley before I had a chance to turn.
I fell back, breath wrenched from my lungs as the three bullets hit me center mass, buried in my vest. The back of my head smashed onto the ground.
My vision swam before me as I blinked, then coughed, realizing that smoke was filling the room as the sound of semi-automatic gunfire echoed around me.
I clawed at my vest, doing my best to suck in air as spots swam before my eyes.
In the back of my mind, I knew passing out wasn’t an option.
I loved my brothers, but no one was as invested in protecting Joshua as I was.
My ears were ringing as I finally managed to suck in a breath and I rolled, struggling to my knees, then ducking as I staggered back to the place I’d left him.
He lay flat on his stomach, hands covering his head.
I grunted in pain as I rolled him onto his back.
He looked up at me with wide, terrified eyes but the second he recognized me, tears filled them.
“Come on!” I screamed, grabbing his hand, and twisting to block his unprotected body from the chaotic scene going on all around us.
He wore a vest but that only stopped so much.
I dragged him out of the dining room and into the kitchen, shoving him to the ground in a corner, shielded on two sides by cabinets as all hell broke loose in the rest of the house.
I could barely make out the expression of terror on his face as I ran my hands up and down his body. “Are you hit anywhere?”
“No.” He shook his head.
Thank God.
I paused only a moment before yanking my earbuds out of my pocket and shoving them into both ears.
The crackle of shouting nearly made me jump as I heard Candy acknowledging the promise of backup from whoever he was talking to.
Since I hadn’t heard how long it would take or who the captain had called in, I could only speculate that LAPD units along with an airship were on the way.
That’s what was called for in situations like these.
“Calder’s with me…safe,” I shouted over the cacophony of noise, looking down at his trembling form. “Sit rep?”
“Three of them are dead out back, Twizz,” Mickey shouted. “Several others are inside, probably searching for Joshua. We’re on this. Cover your boy.”
“Roger.” I had an idea and looked down at Joshua. “Let’s move!”
He nodded vigorously.
We crawled along the floor and I tore open the pantry doors to find a large, deep space. I didn’t spare a second before I was shoving him into the dark space. “Stay here!” When I tried to pull my hand free, he held on.
“Nash…don’t go out there!”
I pulled my hand free and paused only long enough to brush it over his cheek. “This is what I do, baby. Now, stay here!”
I didn’t wait for an answer before leaving him tucked into a corner and closing him in.
The volleys of gunfire hadn’t lessened as I returned to the living room.
I had no idea how many sicarios Turley and Rojas had sent to kill us, but the safehouse felt like a warzone.
Lingering smoke from the grenades they’d thrown into the room combined with the scent of gunpowder, lit up by occasional flashes of blue from gun muzzles.
“I count several down inside the house. All friendlies report in!” Candy shouted.
“Twizz!” I shouted, unable to see anyone on my team through the swirling smoke.
“Mars!” Clifford shouted. “Took out four at the front of the house, Cap! Prince and Reeves are with me.”
“Milky!” Mickey said. “Three out back, Candy!”
“Hold position, Way!” came the boss’ reply.
“Good and Plenty, at your feckin’ service!” Patsy came back. A volley of gunfire told me he was dealing with his own problems. “All clear!” came the lilting Irish voice a few seconds later.
“Almond!” Alain shouted. “Bedrooms clear!”
“Reese’s Pieces…up your ass!” A volley of gunfire cut off Rex’s announcement followed by several whoops. “Way to die, motherlessfucker!” There was a short pause before heavy breathing over the coms. “Took two down on the roof, boss.”
“Snickers here!” Several volleys of gunfire preceded laughter. “Nice shot, baby!” Napoleon’s praise of someone on the team almost made me smile.
“House is clear,” a voice came back. I wasn’t sure who it was, but Snow was the only one who’d not sounded off.
“Get Calder to the BearCat, Hampstead!” Candy said.
“Roger!” I’d no sooner said it before I heard the crunch of broken glass behind me.
I swung around in the dark but didn’t see the butt of the gun coming at my head.
When it connected to my skull, pain exploded through my brain, rocking me back as my feet left the floor.
The last thing I remembered was crashing to the ground as it rushed up fast to engulf me in darkness.