Chapter 33 #3
Ace let out an exasperated sigh. “This isn’t up for debate April. I don’t know why you and Joy are walking around here thinking you gon’ play Charlie’s Angels but we don’t have time for this. You both need to get out of here. That’s an order.”
At that, Joy smirked.
“I’m not leaving you,” Joy said, sending shots from where she was ducked behind a pillar diagonal to Ace.
There was no more time to argue as the symphony of gunfire got closer.
She could feel a second onslaught of an episode creep up on her. Lingering anger and a desire to protect the people who'd come to mean something to her, made her body switch quickly back into that mode before she could fully leave it.
The banquet hall blurred as Joy cocked her gun, preparing herself for incoming fire.
She hadn’t been in an active shooter situation in a while but all of her training came back to her in a flood.
Joy’s ears hearing was impaired but she faintly heard Ace instructing April to move behind him and Remy’s line of fire and urging Joy to exit as well.
Joy couldn’t have listened to him if she wanted to.
Her body wasn’t under her control anymore.
She had one goal and that was to neutralize the threat.
Her ears were tuned to the gunshots coming towards her, paying attention to how many and how close. Taking into account Ace, Remy, Jrue, and the twins, Joy deduced that there were at least 15 gunmen.
In the distance, Ray yelled into his earpiece for the guards stationed outside for backup but no one answered and no one came.
Joy peeked around the pillar and it became very clear that the intruders’ targets were Ace and Jrue. Almost all of their efforts were focused on the two of them.
Using their focus to her advantage, Joy crept closer, hiding behind a wall that would give her better leverage and more coverage. They were closing in on Ace, Jrue, and April and the only way to keep them from becoming overpowered would be to take out a few of the intruders much quicker.
Back firmly against the wall, gun cocked, and aimed in the direction the shooters were approaching from, Joy made eye contact with Ace. His eyes widened briefly, but the look of surprise quickly morphed into a smirk. They shared a brief look, silently agreeing to the plan.
Once they were close enough, Joy, still out of view, began sending shots around the corner of the wall.
She swung around the corner, seeing that she’d hit 3 targets, one in the chest, one in the arm, and one in the center of his forehead. Joy chastised herself.
“Every shot needs to be a kill shot!”
Byron’s voice boomed in her head, making her wince. She quickly finished off the other two then took cover behind the wall. With three taken down in addition to the five Ace Remy and April were able to handle, the attack was much less overwhelming.
Ace‘s gaze couldn't help but snag on Joy for a few moments. His shock morphed into awe as he watched her work. Each shot was precise and lethal. Her form was practiced and she handled that little gold gun like she was no stranger to using it.
I fucking knew it, he thought.
He knew that there was something dangerous lurking beneath Joy’s surface and watching her bust back at the masked gunmen and take them down with an ease and calm that could only come from experience, Ace knew he’d been right.
He pulled his gaze away from her just in time to fire at one of the two remaining gunmen. His bullet pierced one in the center of his forehead and a bullet from his right — Joy’s bullet — took down the other.
The symphony of gunfire came to an abrupt halt once the last one fell and bathed the destroyed banquet hall in silence.
When it became clear that the threat had been neutralized, Joy’s breathing slowed, her eyes focused and a headache immediately made her skull throb and her chest ached from the rapid beating of her heart.
She looked around to see her surroundings littered with bodies.
Remy and August were tying up three bloodied but still breathing men.
“Oh my God! Joy, are you hurt?” April exclaimed rushing towards her from across the room. Joy wasn't even sure when they’d gotten separated. The last she remembered, they were side by side.
Eyes swung to her and she became all too aware of the blood on her hands and splattered across her face, and a wave of embarrassment and shame washed over her.
“N-no. I’m fine,” she answered. “This isn’t mine.”
April, Remy, August and Jrue all looked at her with a mixture of shock and confusion.
Ace’s eyes held no surprise, but bore into her, a silent demand for answers.
Joy suddenly felt disgusted, wanting to peel her blood marred skin off of her bones. She could practically see the life she’d built crumbling before her eyes. She knew the questions swirling in everyone's eyes would need to be answered but she had no desire to do so. At least not right now.
Ace’s attention was drawn away from her by Ray motioning him over to show him something he found on one of the gunmen’s persons. With one last glance at Joy, he made his way in their direction.
The rest of them diverted their attention as well, and Joy used that opportunity to make her exit.
Not bothering to pick up any of her discarded belongings, she fled.