Rikka said, lowering her weapon. She walked over to
Mr. .44 Magnum, pulled his weapon from his side holster, and tossed
it to her sister. “You hear any shooting, you kill both of them and
get to safety. You come after me and I swear I’ll shoot you
myself.”
Shade nodded and turned away from her
sister’s gaze. The blackness of her eyes made her feel uneasy.
“You have any idea what’s going on, or who
took your people?” Shade asked Mr. .44 Magnum after Rikka made her
way upstairs.
He huffed, seeming to conquer his depression.
“No, we don’t. You think we’d be sitting around moping if we did?
Wherever they went, they’re not coming back. Whoever got them…” he
shook his head and wiped a tear from his eyes. “I was lying in bed
with her. One minute she was wrapped up in my arms, and the
next…”
“I’m sorry,” Shade whispered. She glanced at
Daniel before settling her gaze back on Mr. .44 Magnum. “I lost my
dad to whatever’s going on, and it may not look like it, but I lost
Rikka too. She’s…different.”
Mr. .44 Magnum looked up suddenly. “How
so?”
“The house is clear,” Rikka said as she made
her way downstairs. “Looks like they were telling the truth.”
With a groan, Mr. .44 Magnum slowly pulled
himself to his feet—making sure to keep his hands visible—and
walked over to the sobbing Daniel. He knelt down next to the boy
and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We have no reason to
lie. We’re the only ones left.”
Rikka turned right when she got to the bottom
of the stairs and flipped up the thermostat on the adjacent wall. A
few moments later, the bottom section of the stairs rose revealing
the entrance to the underground bunker.
Mr. .44 Magnum’s lips tightened. He looked
from Rikka to Shade and back again. It was clear he understood the
situation fully. In showing Daniel and Mr. .44 Magnum the bunker,
Rikka was announcing that she had no intentions of letting either
one of them live. Despite urging Rikka to pull the trigger only
moments before, the look in his eye revealed his desire to live—his
primal hunger to find his wife no matter how small of a chance he
had.
“Lou,” Rikka called as she made her way down
the steps. “Louise.”
Shade took the opportunity to maneuver
herself so she was between the bunker’s entrance and the captives.
She drew both weapons tucked in her waistband and handed the magnum
back to its owner. Mr. .44 Magnum didn’t take it immediately. He
stared up in Shade’s eyes, waiting for an explanation.
“I want to help you find the rest of your
group. I know you have no reason to trust me, but you don’t have a
choice at the moment. Neither of us do. Promise you won’t shoot me
in the back, and I’ll do my best to keep both of you alive.”
Mr. .44 Magnum nodded as he took his weapon.
“You have yourself a deal.”
“Good. Now you need to get him”—she nodded
towards Daniel—“to pull himself together.”
Rikka screamed Lou’s name a few more times,
her voice getting more and more frantic. The bunker wasn’t big. If
Lou wasn’t visible from the stairs, she wasn’t there. After calling
her name once more, Rikka fell silent. A minute passed. Then
another. Shade was tempted to see what was going on down there, but
she didn’t want to give up her position between the door and her
charges. Both Daniel and Mr. .44 Magnum would make it out of that
house if that was the last thing she did.
“This is all your fault.” Rikka growled as
she charged up the stairs two at a time. When she emerged she had
an unfurled map in one hand and her weapon in the other. Before she
had a chance to aim at anyone, Shade had her weapon drawn.
Rikka paused, her gun at her side.
“Drop it,” Shade ordered.
Rikka sneered. “You’re going to shoot me? For
what? Them.” Her hand twitched, as if she was testing how fast she
could raise and fire her weapon.
“I won’t ask again,” Shade replied
evenly.
“You pathetic little
Mr. .44 Magnum, pulled his weapon from his side holster, and tossed
it to her sister. “You hear any shooting, you kill both of them and
get to safety. You come after me and I swear I’ll shoot you
myself.”
Shade nodded and turned away from her
sister’s gaze. The blackness of her eyes made her feel uneasy.
“You have any idea what’s going on, or who
took your people?” Shade asked Mr. .44 Magnum after Rikka made her
way upstairs.
He huffed, seeming to conquer his depression.
“No, we don’t. You think we’d be sitting around moping if we did?
Wherever they went, they’re not coming back. Whoever got them…” he
shook his head and wiped a tear from his eyes. “I was lying in bed
with her. One minute she was wrapped up in my arms, and the
next…”
“I’m sorry,” Shade whispered. She glanced at
Daniel before settling her gaze back on Mr. .44 Magnum. “I lost my
dad to whatever’s going on, and it may not look like it, but I lost
Rikka too. She’s…different.”
Mr. .44 Magnum looked up suddenly. “How
so?”
“The house is clear,” Rikka said as she made
her way downstairs. “Looks like they were telling the truth.”
With a groan, Mr. .44 Magnum slowly pulled
himself to his feet—making sure to keep his hands visible—and
walked over to the sobbing Daniel. He knelt down next to the boy
and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We have no reason to
lie. We’re the only ones left.”
Rikka turned right when she got to the bottom
of the stairs and flipped up the thermostat on the adjacent wall. A
few moments later, the bottom section of the stairs rose revealing
the entrance to the underground bunker.
Mr. .44 Magnum’s lips tightened. He looked
from Rikka to Shade and back again. It was clear he understood the
situation fully. In showing Daniel and Mr. .44 Magnum the bunker,
Rikka was announcing that she had no intentions of letting either
one of them live. Despite urging Rikka to pull the trigger only
moments before, the look in his eye revealed his desire to live—his
primal hunger to find his wife no matter how small of a chance he
had.
“Lou,” Rikka called as she made her way down
the steps. “Louise.”
Shade took the opportunity to maneuver
herself so she was between the bunker’s entrance and the captives.
She drew both weapons tucked in her waistband and handed the magnum
back to its owner. Mr. .44 Magnum didn’t take it immediately. He
stared up in Shade’s eyes, waiting for an explanation.
“I want to help you find the rest of your
group. I know you have no reason to trust me, but you don’t have a
choice at the moment. Neither of us do. Promise you won’t shoot me
in the back, and I’ll do my best to keep both of you alive.”
Mr. .44 Magnum nodded as he took his weapon.
“You have yourself a deal.”
“Good. Now you need to get him”—she nodded
towards Daniel—“to pull himself together.”
Rikka screamed Lou’s name a few more times,
her voice getting more and more frantic. The bunker wasn’t big. If
Lou wasn’t visible from the stairs, she wasn’t there. After calling
her name once more, Rikka fell silent. A minute passed. Then
another. Shade was tempted to see what was going on down there, but
she didn’t want to give up her position between the door and her
charges. Both Daniel and Mr. .44 Magnum would make it out of that
house if that was the last thing she did.
“This is all your fault.” Rikka growled as
she charged up the stairs two at a time. When she emerged she had
an unfurled map in one hand and her weapon in the other. Before she
had a chance to aim at anyone, Shade had her weapon drawn.
Rikka paused, her gun at her side.
“Drop it,” Shade ordered.
Rikka sneered. “You’re going to shoot me? For
what? Them.” Her hand twitched, as if she was testing how fast she
could raise and fire her weapon.
“I won’t ask again,” Shade replied
evenly.
“You pathetic little
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