there.”
She waved at Danielle to go back into the closet one more time. As she crossed the bedroom, she tucked her flashlight into the back of her pants and pulled an arrow from the quiver. Sweat made her fingers slick as she notched it. Her hands were shaking. She wouldn’t be able to aim for crap. Probably for the best anyway.
The bow and arrow were just for show this time. There was no way she would shoot this man in his own home, but maybe—maybe—if he saw she was armed, he’d at least hesitate long enough for her to talk her way out of this.
She kicked the bedroom door open and then spun out into the hall, facing the stairs and pulling the bow taut as she moved.
She aimed down the staircase, toward the voice. The dark, hulking shape of a man blocked out most of the light. She couldn’t distinguish any of his features or guess at his age, but he was bulky. A grown adult. He held Jacks in front of him. Jacks clawed helplessly at his grip and at the gun the man held to Jacks’s throat.
She had no idea where Stu was, only that she hadn’t heard any gunshots yet. She assumed he’d been taken out. Disabled. Knocked out, but probably not shot. Yet.
Her mind raced, trying to think of a resolution to the standoff that wouldn’t involve Jacks’s brains being splattered all over the wall. Or hers. Or possibly both.
Maybe she could stall him. Maybe the cavalry would show up.
Yeah, right.
The cavalry was Carter, up on the mountain somewhere. Miles away.
With a show of bravado she so didn’t feel, she called out, “Let him go!”
He ignored her and called back, “You okay, Danielle?”
“She’s fine,” she yelled before Danielle could answer. However this went down, it wouldn’t be good. Someone would die—her or Jacks or the man. Maybe all three. Jesus, she wished Danielle would go back to hiding in the closet.
“She’s just fine,” Lily called again, trying for the soothing tone she failed at so miserably. “If you let my friend go, I’ll send her down.”
The guy let out a guttural sound that was part growl, part sneer. “You think I’m going to just let you and your little friends walk out of my house?”
“We didn’t do anything wrong.”
“’Round here, we shoot thieves like you.”
“We’re not thieves.” But the line between thieves and scavengers was a thin one. “We didn’t know anyone lived here. You let us go and we’ll never bother you again.”
“I let you walk now and you’ll come back and murder us all in our sleep.”
“We don’t want to hurt you.” She could feel her anxiety rising as her voice rose in pitch. Her arm quivered with fatigue from holding her bow. “We have plenty of supplies without yours.”
“What sort of Pollyanna bullshit is that? Where’ve you been living, missy, that you think there are plenty of supplies anywhere?”
She automatically tensed at the aggression in his voice and instinct caused her to pull the bow even more taut. Her eyes were starting to adjust to the dark and she could see more of him now: gray, shaggy hair, worn plaid shirt, work boots. Jacks’s feet dangled above his. Oh God, were his kicks getting weaker? He was about to pass out. He was going to die. For all Lily knew, Stu was already dead.
She had two options: put down her weapon and let him kill her or shoot him herself. Jacks wasn’t a small guy, but this guy was huge. She might hit his shoulder or arm, if her aim was steady.
But she’d never shot anyone. Not anyone human anyway. She’d shot targets at Girl Scout camp. A rabbit once at her uncle Rodney’s. She’d thrown up after that. And then Ticks. She’d shot lots of Ticks. She’d thrown up then, too.
That had been horrific enough.
Could she shoot a human? A sentient, normal human? A guy who was just protecting his kid?
Before Lily could lower her bow, Danielle pushed her way past and into the hall. She threw herself in front of Lily, arms outspread.
“Don’t shoot her, Daddy! She’s here
She waved at Danielle to go back into the closet one more time. As she crossed the bedroom, she tucked her flashlight into the back of her pants and pulled an arrow from the quiver. Sweat made her fingers slick as she notched it. Her hands were shaking. She wouldn’t be able to aim for crap. Probably for the best anyway.
The bow and arrow were just for show this time. There was no way she would shoot this man in his own home, but maybe—maybe—if he saw she was armed, he’d at least hesitate long enough for her to talk her way out of this.
She kicked the bedroom door open and then spun out into the hall, facing the stairs and pulling the bow taut as she moved.
She aimed down the staircase, toward the voice. The dark, hulking shape of a man blocked out most of the light. She couldn’t distinguish any of his features or guess at his age, but he was bulky. A grown adult. He held Jacks in front of him. Jacks clawed helplessly at his grip and at the gun the man held to Jacks’s throat.
She had no idea where Stu was, only that she hadn’t heard any gunshots yet. She assumed he’d been taken out. Disabled. Knocked out, but probably not shot. Yet.
Her mind raced, trying to think of a resolution to the standoff that wouldn’t involve Jacks’s brains being splattered all over the wall. Or hers. Or possibly both.
Maybe she could stall him. Maybe the cavalry would show up.
Yeah, right.
The cavalry was Carter, up on the mountain somewhere. Miles away.
With a show of bravado she so didn’t feel, she called out, “Let him go!”
He ignored her and called back, “You okay, Danielle?”
“She’s fine,” she yelled before Danielle could answer. However this went down, it wouldn’t be good. Someone would die—her or Jacks or the man. Maybe all three. Jesus, she wished Danielle would go back to hiding in the closet.
“She’s just fine,” Lily called again, trying for the soothing tone she failed at so miserably. “If you let my friend go, I’ll send her down.”
The guy let out a guttural sound that was part growl, part sneer. “You think I’m going to just let you and your little friends walk out of my house?”
“We didn’t do anything wrong.”
“’Round here, we shoot thieves like you.”
“We’re not thieves.” But the line between thieves and scavengers was a thin one. “We didn’t know anyone lived here. You let us go and we’ll never bother you again.”
“I let you walk now and you’ll come back and murder us all in our sleep.”
“We don’t want to hurt you.” She could feel her anxiety rising as her voice rose in pitch. Her arm quivered with fatigue from holding her bow. “We have plenty of supplies without yours.”
“What sort of Pollyanna bullshit is that? Where’ve you been living, missy, that you think there are plenty of supplies anywhere?”
She automatically tensed at the aggression in his voice and instinct caused her to pull the bow even more taut. Her eyes were starting to adjust to the dark and she could see more of him now: gray, shaggy hair, worn plaid shirt, work boots. Jacks’s feet dangled above his. Oh God, were his kicks getting weaker? He was about to pass out. He was going to die. For all Lily knew, Stu was already dead.
She had two options: put down her weapon and let him kill her or shoot him herself. Jacks wasn’t a small guy, but this guy was huge. She might hit his shoulder or arm, if her aim was steady.
But she’d never shot anyone. Not anyone human anyway. She’d shot targets at Girl Scout camp. A rabbit once at her uncle Rodney’s. She’d thrown up after that. And then Ticks. She’d shot lots of Ticks. She’d thrown up then, too.
That had been horrific enough.
Could she shoot a human? A sentient, normal human? A guy who was just protecting his kid?
Before Lily could lower her bow, Danielle pushed her way past and into the hall. She threw herself in front of Lily, arms outspread.
“Don’t shoot her, Daddy! She’s here
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