then back at the hostages. “There’s a back door. There has to be a back door.” He took a step toward them. Stopped. “Where is it?”
Second Man butted in. He was more soft-spoken than the other two, calmer. “Stop panicking. Everything will be okay. Phil and I have always looked after you, right? Just because we’re in this mess doesn’t mean we’re going to stop doing that.” He gave Phil a look. “Right, Phil?”
“Whatever.” Phil shrugged.
“Give yourselves up!” A voice boomed over a loud speaker outside the cafe. “You’re surrounded. We know you have hostages. Send them out, and we’ll go easier on you.”
“Fuck!” Third Man began to lower his weapon.
“Not bloody likely,” Phil muttered. “Don’t even think about it, Darryl. You go near that door and I’ll shoot you myself.” He pointed at Lisa. “You. Come here.”
Sean shook his head. “No.” He stood. “Pick on the girl because she looks like an easier target, huh? How very brave of you.”
“I don’t need protecting, Sean.” Lisa glared at him. She knew what Sean was trying to do. It was what he’d done the first time history had recorded this. He’d sacrificed himself to save a friend, lost his future because he couldn’t allow her to get hurt, to hell with the consequences.
“Idiot,” Jason muttered. “Bloody fucking idiot.” He grabbed Sean’s arm and pushed him back into his seat. “You’re not doing this,” he growled. “Not this time.” This was not going to play out the same way. It couldn’t.
Second Man raised an eyebrow. “If you guys have finished arguing about who is going to play hero here, I’d like to remind you that we’re the ones calling the shots, not you.” He indicated his weapon. “See this? It’s a gun, something that you don’t have.”
“It makes you feel big and strong, does it?” Lisa retorted. Jason mentally rolled his eyes. It was better that than giving into his rising panic. If Sean wasn’t gay, he and Lisa would be so ideally matched. Each of them was as bad as the other when it came down to putting themselves in the line of fire to protect a friend.
“Fucking bitch.” Phil’s voice rose. He yelled toward the door. “Yeah, we have hostages, and no, we’re not giving up. Want me to show you what will happen if you don’t let us go?” He pointed his gun at Lisa.
Sean’s eyes widened in horror. “No!” he yelled. He pushed Lisa behind him, glaring at Phil. Lisa yanked at Sean’s shoulder, trying to pull him out of the way, but he refused, just standing there stubbornly. Phil grinned, adjusting his shot. His finger tightened on the trigger.
“Sometimes it takes actions rather than words,” he drawled.
“Sean!” Jason saw history begin to play out, almost in slow motion. Sean glanced up at the sound of his name, distracted. Jason launched himself, tackling Sean in a move that would have made a rugby player proud, knocking them both to the ground.
Pain exploded in his side. Glass shattered around them. Phil dropped his gun, backing off. “I didn’t mean it! He got in the way. I swear he got in the way!”
“Jason! No, God, no.” Sean was holding him, stroking his brow, Lisa at his side, a tablecloth in her hand, trying to get between them.
It was getting more difficult to breathe, the edges of his vision growing black. He glanced down at the cloth Lisa was pressing against his side, frowning, trying to make sense of the crimson stain spreading across it.
He smiled, leaning into Sean. “You’re okay,” he whispered. “I changed history. You’re okay.” They’d cheated death. This wasn’t the end of Sean’s life; he had a future now. James was going to be pissed.
“History? What history?” Sean cradled him closer, his words sounding sluggish, more distant. Around them, men barked orders, and Third Man began to whimper. Jason felt something salty on his cheek. Tears that weren’t his. “Jason? Jason! Don’t leave me! Please…
Second Man butted in. He was more soft-spoken than the other two, calmer. “Stop panicking. Everything will be okay. Phil and I have always looked after you, right? Just because we’re in this mess doesn’t mean we’re going to stop doing that.” He gave Phil a look. “Right, Phil?”
“Whatever.” Phil shrugged.
“Give yourselves up!” A voice boomed over a loud speaker outside the cafe. “You’re surrounded. We know you have hostages. Send them out, and we’ll go easier on you.”
“Fuck!” Third Man began to lower his weapon.
“Not bloody likely,” Phil muttered. “Don’t even think about it, Darryl. You go near that door and I’ll shoot you myself.” He pointed at Lisa. “You. Come here.”
Sean shook his head. “No.” He stood. “Pick on the girl because she looks like an easier target, huh? How very brave of you.”
“I don’t need protecting, Sean.” Lisa glared at him. She knew what Sean was trying to do. It was what he’d done the first time history had recorded this. He’d sacrificed himself to save a friend, lost his future because he couldn’t allow her to get hurt, to hell with the consequences.
“Idiot,” Jason muttered. “Bloody fucking idiot.” He grabbed Sean’s arm and pushed him back into his seat. “You’re not doing this,” he growled. “Not this time.” This was not going to play out the same way. It couldn’t.
Second Man raised an eyebrow. “If you guys have finished arguing about who is going to play hero here, I’d like to remind you that we’re the ones calling the shots, not you.” He indicated his weapon. “See this? It’s a gun, something that you don’t have.”
“It makes you feel big and strong, does it?” Lisa retorted. Jason mentally rolled his eyes. It was better that than giving into his rising panic. If Sean wasn’t gay, he and Lisa would be so ideally matched. Each of them was as bad as the other when it came down to putting themselves in the line of fire to protect a friend.
“Fucking bitch.” Phil’s voice rose. He yelled toward the door. “Yeah, we have hostages, and no, we’re not giving up. Want me to show you what will happen if you don’t let us go?” He pointed his gun at Lisa.
Sean’s eyes widened in horror. “No!” he yelled. He pushed Lisa behind him, glaring at Phil. Lisa yanked at Sean’s shoulder, trying to pull him out of the way, but he refused, just standing there stubbornly. Phil grinned, adjusting his shot. His finger tightened on the trigger.
“Sometimes it takes actions rather than words,” he drawled.
“Sean!” Jason saw history begin to play out, almost in slow motion. Sean glanced up at the sound of his name, distracted. Jason launched himself, tackling Sean in a move that would have made a rugby player proud, knocking them both to the ground.
Pain exploded in his side. Glass shattered around them. Phil dropped his gun, backing off. “I didn’t mean it! He got in the way. I swear he got in the way!”
“Jason! No, God, no.” Sean was holding him, stroking his brow, Lisa at his side, a tablecloth in her hand, trying to get between them.
It was getting more difficult to breathe, the edges of his vision growing black. He glanced down at the cloth Lisa was pressing against his side, frowning, trying to make sense of the crimson stain spreading across it.
He smiled, leaning into Sean. “You’re okay,” he whispered. “I changed history. You’re okay.” They’d cheated death. This wasn’t the end of Sean’s life; he had a future now. James was going to be pissed.
“History? What history?” Sean cradled him closer, his words sounding sluggish, more distant. Around them, men barked orders, and Third Man began to whimper. Jason felt something salty on his cheek. Tears that weren’t his. “Jason? Jason! Don’t leave me! Please…
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