On the sidewalk, Max had gone very still. He closed his eyes for a moment, as though collecting his courage, and then strode closer to Colin until he was within the circle of the men. “I’ll willingly go with you, no questions asked, if you let Patton go. I won’t put up a fight.”
“Oh, but we want you to fight,” Colin said. “Don’t take all the good parts out of it. I don’t want you to give up. I want your nephew to see just how weak you are.” His hand curled into a fist and he drove it into Max’s stomach.
Max gasped and buckled over, clutching at his middle. Patton let out a cry and surged toward Max, but the big guy held him back. “Let me go!” Patton yelled, pounding at the man’s hands that were wrapped around his shoulders. “Let me go!”
Matthew looked at Wyatt, hoping it was time. Colin had a maniacal grin on his face as he began to circle Max, seeming to debate where he wanted to hit Max next. Wyatt met Matthew’s eyes and gave the nod. It’s time. As one, they set their guns along vantage points in their car-shield. Please don’t hit Patton, Matthew prayed, before he heard Wyatt give a soft countdown. On three, they opened fire on the group.
The trigger responded to Matthew’s light touch and the gun jolted back into his shoulder like being punched in the arm. It was a much different experience than with the shotgun. It felt as though this gun was alive, somehow.
Matthew could barely identify anyone as the group of men dove for cover when the bullets rained down on them. These men were probably used to being fired at, he thought. They probably didn’t even blink when being shot at. He caught sight of Max, doubled over in pain, rushing for Patton. Max grabbed Patton, covering him with his body as they slammed into the ground, scrambling for cover.
It was difficult for Matthew to open fire on an area where his son was so exposed, but Wyatt had promised him that it was the best solution. After Matthew had done so many wrong things thinking he was in the right, he listened to Wyatt’s suggestions, no matter how much it pained him. He shot off another round. He had to trust that Wyatt knew best.
The cartel men reached for their own weapons and sought shelter behind the gas pumps and the concrete pillars holding up the pump’s infrastructure. A sharp ping ping reached Matthew’s ears, paired with a sudden sunburst of light exploding in front of his vision. He realized in a daze that the men were shooting back at them, and their bullets were hitting and ricocheting off of the car-shield. Matthew ducked, as he heard a volley of bullets slam into the cars. His heart pounded in his chest like a galloping horse. Jade checked him over before levering herself back up to shoot back at the cartel.
“Kill them!” Colin cried, his loud and panicked voice cutting through the gunfire. Matthew saw the man’s slender form reach into his waistband and pull out a handgun. Matthew tried to put him in his firing sight, but Colin wasn’t one to hold still, and he seemed to dance around the area. The gun finally pulled out, Matthew expected Colin to start firing in their direction. Horror filled him when he saw Colin turn the gun on Max. Max curled up tighter over Patton, shielding his nephew with his body.
“Don’t think so,” Wyatt whispered next to Matthew. A sharp shot rang out as Wyatt’s shoulder absorbed the blast. Matthew barely saw the shot fly true and slam into Colin’s shoulder. The man let out a wild cry and spun, his gun blasting wildly in every direction, as though the whole world was his enemy. Wyatt ducked behind the car shield. Matthew followed suit, but he heard a zing of a bullet flying too close combined with the wet thump of it penetrating something meaty. Next to him Jade cried out in agony. She flew backwards, clutching her shoulder. Blood bloomed under her hand, soaking through her jacket in seconds. Matthew grabbed her and dragged her closer to the car-shield, making sure she was obscured from sight and any other stray bullets. His hand slammed over the wound, putting immense pressure on it. Jade whimpered and thrashed as if trying to dislodge him, but Matthew held her steady.
Another hand fell over his and he looked up to see David’s grim expression. “I’ll help her,” David whispered. Matthew nodded and slipped his hand away, shocked at the bright blood coating his palm. Swallowing hard and trying to hold himself steady, he took his position again and put his gun to his shoulder. Please don’t die, he thought at Jade as he wiped her blood off on his jeans. Please don’t die. I owe you so much for everything you’ve done for me. Please don’t die.
Colin’s mad shooting continued, and Matthew could make out bullet holes in the concrete surrounding them. A new kind of fury built within him, one that raged against the insensitivity and cruelty of humanity. Colin wanted nothing more than to make people hurt and suffer. He didn’t deserve whatever reward he thought he had coming to him. The man deserved nothing but to be put down for putting Patton’s life in danger, beating up Max, and shooting Jade.
Matthew lined up the sight so that Colin wavered in and out of his vision. He waited, remembering Jade’s instructions to wait for the perfect opportunity. He took in a deep breath. His finger curled around the trigger. Time slowed as Colin disappeared from view and then emerged again, the red splotch on his arm coating his shirt. His arm hung uselessly at his side. He picked up his gun and aimed it again at Max.
Matthew didn’t know how many bullets Colin had left, but he wasn’t going to wait to find out. When Colin swayed into his line of sight, Matthew pulled the trigger slowly, and the sharp bang that erupted felt like the final blow of a long-fought battle. Colin staggered suddenly and jerked to the side. His hands covered his stomach, and when he pulled them back, they were stained red with blood. Colin gave a gurgle, his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
The frequency of gunshots lessened. In his bubble of slowed time, Matthew counted the bodies on the ground. The burning cigarette had been abandoned and lay in a smoldering pile next to its fallen owner. The big man’s legs could be seen sticking out of the shadows, unmoving. Another man lay in a motionless sprawl face down on the concrete. The other two men clicked empty guns and then bolted down the road. Matthew stopped shooting and Wyatt followed suit. They sat there for a minute, listening, until finally they could hear nothing but silence. Gunshots still rang in Matthew’s imagination, and for a moment, he considered leaping to his feet and chasing the cartel runaways, but he abandoned the idea. Maybe they’d tell their boss to stay away from Galena. It was protected by some serious folk.
His breath caught in his throat when he made out the slumped form of Max, still hunched over Patton. For an agonizing moment, he didn’t know if they were going to move. If they’d been wounded. Whether they were alive or dead. But then, finally, Max uncurled away from his nephew, and Matthew saw Patton’s tear-stained face pop into view. “Oh thank god,” he whispered, grateful that his son was unharmed.
They had done it. Somehow, against all odds, he had managed to get his son back.
30
Matthew pointed his gun toward the ground and flicked the safety on. He tried to leap to his feet but felt a hand grab his shoulder.
“Matthew, we need to wait,” Wyatt hissed, yanking him back behind the shield of cars. “Just for a moment. There could be other shooters out there. We need to wait.”
Matthew pushed off Wyatt’s hand. “If someone was waiting to shoot at us, they would’ve attacked by now. They might still attack my son. I can’t wait.” He scrambled to his feet, and brushed off Wyatt when the Marine tried to pull him back down once more.
“Matt, wait, wait—”
Even with Wyatt’s warning still ringing in his ears, Matthew crept around the shield of cars and rushed forward toward Patton. His son’s tear-stained face was the light at the end of this particular tunnel, and Matthew knew he had to reach him and see for himself that Patton was alive and well. He needed to count the scratches and bruises. He needed to see what had been done to Patton with his own two eyes.
Ahead of him, Patton scrambled to his own feet, launching out of the protective circle of Max’s arms and running full speed toward Matthew. “Dad,” Patton cried out and Matt
hew’s heart tightened painfully at the distress in his youngest child’s voice. Matthew skidded to his knees as Patton barreled into him. Patton’s shaking, wiry arms wrapped around Matthew’s neck like steel bands and Matthew held him as tight as he possibly could. Relief engulfed him. Tears pressed against Matthew’s eyes as he whispered into Patton’s hair, “I’m so sorry, Patton, I’m so sorry, but you’re safe, I’ve got you. I’ve got you and I’ll never let you go.”
Patton shuddered with sobs.
“I’m so sorry,” Matthew said again through his own tears. “I won’t let anything hurt you ever again. You’re safe. I promise, I’ll always keep you safe. I should’ve kept you safe. I’ll never let anything like that happen to you again.”
The words poured out of him like a river bursting from a dam, and even if he didn’t believe that he could keep Patton safe—that of course this world and people in it would try and hurt Patton again—he would do everything in his power to stop it. He would move mountains, ford streams, move heaven and earth to make sure Patton was happy and well.
Patton pulled back just enough for Matthew to see his dark eyes. The boy’s brown hair, mussed and grown out, stuck to his forehead. For a moment, Matthew hysterically wondered if he would have to learn how to cut hair as well as mend fences and shoot rifles. Maybe Patton would like having long hair. He didn’t care. It didn’t matter, as long as Patton was safe.
He reached out and laid a shaky finger against the red scabbed cut marring Patton’s neck. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered and wondered if he could ever say it enough.
“Dad,” Patton cut in. “It’s okay. You didn’t know. How could you? I should’ve fought back. It’s all my fault.”
“Nothing is your fault,” Matthew said. He gripped Patton’s shoulder and gave him a small shake. “You did nothing wrong.”
“I should’ve told you where I was going,” Patton said as his chin began to crimp and wobble. “I should’ve at least tried to fight back against Colin. I should’ve tried harder to escape.”
Matthew exhaled a laugh. “It’s hard to fight back with a knife to your neck. You saved your grandmother from these awful people. You did everything right. It’s not always about using your fists. You have to use your head, too. I’m so proud of you for doing that.”
“Really?” Patton asked, and for a moment he looked incredibly fragile, as if he wanted to believe Matthew but couldn’t quite accept that.
“I swear to you,” Matthew said. “I’m so proud of you.”
This time, when Patton embraced Matthew, it didn’t have the same desperation, but Matthew felt as though Patton had changed in some way. Despite everything, Patton was quickly growing up and Matthew was starting to glimpse the man he might become. Matthew held Patton close and let his breathing return to normal. Another wave of relief washed over him, and he looked over Patton’s shoulder to see Max stagger up from his hands and knees to his feet. Max leaned heavily against one of the pillars that had been chewed up by gunfire, and Matthew wondered if he would be able to say the same for his brother-in-law. Even though Max had done the brave thing—the honorable thing—by being willing to give his life up for Patton’s, Matthew couldn’t quite forget that none of this would have happened in the first place if Max had stayed away from them and the hotel. Somewhere deep inside of him he wanted to punch Max square in the jaw and release some of that churning anger. Maybe it would make things better, or at least easier to get over. He would have plenty of time to deal with that later. All that mattered now was that the threat had been eliminated and everyone was safe. For the most part.
Jade. Matthew broke his embrace with Patton and turned back to look at the car shield. David and Wyatt had propped Jade up between them, with her arms over their shoulders, and walked around the line of bullet-marked cars. Blood stained her shoulder in a wide patch of red. Her face looked wan, and she swayed but managed to keep her feet steady on the ground. “Is everyone okay?” she called out to Matthew.
“You tell me,” Matthew said back.
Her mouth bared in a grin. “Never been better,” she said. “Although I think my jacket might be ruined.”
“We’ll do everything we can to save it,” Matthew said.
Wyatt snorted and shook his head. “At least the jacket doesn’t need any first aid. We need to head back to bandage her up without delay. You sure everyone’s okay?”
“I’m fine,” Patton said, “but I think Uncle Max might need some help.”
Wyatt grunted in agreement, and both he and David started to walk slowly toward them. Matthew stood up and saw that Patton was right. Max looked like he was in a bad way, his skin clammy with a pale sick tinge to it and his re-opened head wound bleeding down his forehead. He had moved from his spot against the gas station pillar and now stood over Colin. Matthew approached them cautiously, shuffling Patton behind him. “Go help Jade,” he said to Patton. His son didn’t need to see what a gunshot to the gut looked like. Patton looked at him for a moment as if considering defying the order, but then turned and went to help Jade, taking David’s place in supporting her.
Max glanced quickly at Matthew, but then focused back on Colin. Matthew stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Max and followed his line of sight. Colin had collapsed on the ground, his hands clutching at his stomach, and a low groaning gurgle came from him. He sneered at them and tried to sit up, but it seemed as though his body wouldn’t obey. Even though this man had kidnapped Patton, Matthew felt an unwanted stab of compassion go through him. To him, death would never be a laughing matter.
“We’re gonna get you, Max,” Colin said, his voice low and venomous. “The cartel won’t stop. Especially now. Especially after everything you’ve done. You’ve spilled blood.”
“Is that what you want your last words to be?” Max asked. “More threats?”
“It doesn’t matter if I die, you know,” Colin gasped. “The others got away. They’ll tell everyone what you did to me. Not only did you betray them, now you’ve killed one…one of their best and brightest. One of their most…most loyal.” His words started to become breathy. “You’ll…you’ll regret the day you crossed them.”
“No one is coming, Colin,” Max said. “The cartel don’t care about you. They don’t care about me. You’re the one who had it in for me on their behalf.”
“You’re wrong,” Colin insisted. Blood coated his teeth. “There’s a huge compound just for loyal cartel members. When they come for you, they’ll take you there and you’ll see. You’ll be sorry for doubting them and betraying them like this. You’ve made the biggest mistake of your life.”
Max shook his head again, and Matthew decided to hold his tongue. Whatever argument or betrayal existed between them needed to stay between them and not infect anyone else. He hoped Max was right and that no one else would be coming for him. It was a matter they would need to seriously talk about later.
“There is no place waiting for you, no one coming for me,” Max said and even Matthew could hear the pity in his tone. “You put too much trust in an organization that only used you for what you could do for them. It’s exactly what they did to me. Don’t you see? They promised me the moon and the stars, but at the first sign that something was wrong, they turned away from me. I meant nothing to them. I was just a means to an end. Just like you. Can’t you see that they’re using you?”
Colin spat at them even as his face transformed into a snarl of hatred. “You’re wrong. They’ll defend me. They’ll avenge me! The cartel takes care of their own. You’ll see. When they come for you, you’ll realize just what you’ve done.” Colin coughed as a shudder went through him. He closed his eyes in pain and whispered something under his breath that Matthew couldn’t make out.
Matthew wondered if Max would try to convince the dying man to see the truth, but Max only went unnaturally still and quiet as Colin’s breathing became ragged and his eyes glazed over. Colin collapsed fully against the concrete as his breathing stilled and he stopped moving.
>
Matthew glanced at Max, who was studying the fallen man. “Should I be relieved?” he whispered to Matthew. “I should feel sad, shouldn’t I? Life is sacred and all that. Why do I feel this way?”
“Don’t think about it too hard,” Matthew said. “He was going to kill you. He kidnapped Patton. I don’t think it’s unnatural to feel somewhat relieved that the threat to your life has come to an end.”
Max looked up at Matthew with tears in his eyes. “What do we do now? Are we supposed to bury him? I don’t know what to do.”
“Not unless we want to bury the rest of them, too,” he said, and indicated the other fallen cartel members around the gas station. “We don’t have the resources or time to do such a thing. We can move them into the woods, if you’d like.”
“I don’t know,” Max said, sounding lost. “I don’t know what to do. I was fully prepared to die, Matt. Now that I have another chance, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.”
“Take it easy, then,” Matthew said, and clapped Max on the back. “One step at a time. Step one is to get Jade back to the hotel. She was shot helping us get Patton back.”
Max paled even more. “Oh my god,” he whispered.
Matthew turned Max away from Colin’s body so that they faced Jade, David, and Wyatt. Even though they would be having a serious discussion about his responsibilities and Matthew’s expectations at a later point, Matthew did have to admit that Max had planned to sacrifice his life for Patton’s safety. Even though Max had brought all of this down on their heads, he was at least trying to do the right thing. There was merit in that. “Max, meet your knights in shining armor,” Matthew said. “These are the people who just saved your bacon.”
“Thank you,” Max said, turning to them and sounding awed, as though he never expected anyone to try to come to his rescue.
“You’re welcome,” Jade said. “Now can we please get me back to the hotel to patch up this wound? I’m starting to feel a little woozy. Matt, I might just have to take you up on your offer to stay a little longer. Looks like I’ll be out of commission for a bit.”
EMP Catastrophe | Book 2 | Erupting Danger Page 22