by Raymond Lee
“About ten or fifteen minutes?” Raven shrugged. “He was tied up.”
“Something’s wrong. It’s got to be him.”
“So Hal said something was wrong and you just believe him?” Damian scoffed.
“I saw his face when he said it. I saw the threat in his eyes. You know there’s something about that guy.”
A cold bead of sweat slid down Raven’s spine. Cruz might be crazy but in that moment he looked truly spooked and she knew why. There was something about Hal, just as he’d said. If Hal had told her something had happened, she’d believe him too. “Let’s find the others.”
“You and I can look for them,” Cruz responded. “Damian, you stay here with the twins.”
“Why do I have to stay?”
“Strength in numbers.” Cruz reached into the cart he’d brought with him and retrieved a set of walkie talkies. “It’s time we start carrying these. Everyone needs to be armed too. The three of you stay here, watch each others’ backs. Raven and I will go see if Kurt is still secure then find the others. If they return before we do, let us know.”
“Sure.” Damian took the walkie talkie offered to him. “You’re freaking me the hell out now. You two keep an eye out, stay alert.”
“We will,” Raven promised, reaching back to grip the hilt of the katana, needing the surge of security it gave her just knowing it was there within reach.
“You think he got loose?” she asked a moment later as they left Damian and the twins to investigate.
“I do.” Cruz’s eyes were everywhere as they moved forward, as quickly as they could move while remaining cautious. “What the hell did you say to him?”
“You think it’s my fault if he’s loose?”
“Your fault? No. Do I think you’re the reason why he escaped?” He looked over at her. “Yes, but that’s not your fault.”
“That’s the same thing,” Raven protested. “You’re blaming me.”
“There’s a difference between being the reason for something and being at fault for it, and you’re not even the only reason so don’t get your panties in a twist. He wants you and he wants Damian, he just wants you both for two entirely different reasons.”
“I’m pretty sure he’d kill us both,” Raven murmured. “Especially after I told him off earlier.”
“You shouldn’t have been anywhere near him.”
“You had him in the aisle I needed to get through. If we end up on the run with a baby, we’re going to need a plug in that child’s mouth, shutting it up.”
“Damian should have gotten the pacifiers.”
“Oh yeah, because Kurt was so much nicer around Damian?”
“He wants to kill Damian, but that isn’t as bad as what he wants to do to you.”
The look Cruz delivered her way made Raven’s stomach turn over. The sick feeling grew as they reached the aisle Kurt had been tied up in, only to find his ropes lying on the floor, torn apart. “Oh hell.”
“Damian?” Cruz spoke into the walkie talkie.
“Yeah?” Damian’s voice crackled through.
“Anyone back yet?”
“No.”
“Kurt’s escaped. The three of you stay where you are with a weapon in hand and all eyes open.”
“Shit. I got it, man. You two be careful.”
Raven retrieved the katana, no longer secure just having it on her. She needed the blade in her hand, ready for whatever came next. “We need to find him before he finds the others.”
“He may have already. Carlos and Elijah should have checked in. Damn it, we should have been using walkie talkies before this happened.”
“We didn’t know.” Raven walked past Cruz, grip tight on her weapon as she exited the aisle and looked in both directions. “Where would he go?”
“He’d go for you or Damian.” Cruz stepped beside her. “He’d kill Damian right away, but you he’d want to spend time with. He’d try to get you while you’re alone, or else just take out anyone who stood between you and him.”
“How do you know this?” Raven swallowed hard, hoping he didn’t give her some creepy answer like ‘It’s what I would do’ or some crazy crap like that.
“Just a hunch.”
Yeah, that wasn’t creepy at all. She shivered, switching the katana to her other hand so she could wipe her suddenly clammy palm on her jeans. Looking down at her weapon, a light bulb went off. “He wouldn’t kill us with his bare hands.”
They looked at each other and she saw the moment her words sank in.
“Shit!” Cruz cursed before taking off at a run. “I was just there!”
“You couldn’t have known,” Raven advised, staying with him as they raced through the aisles, headed for the weapons. “That shopping cart looked pretty full. Tell me you got all the good stuff.”
“I chose whatever would fit in the backpacks and could be easily used by all of us since when the shit hits the fan, we’re all just gonna grab a bag at random and get out. There’s still weapons left and he could have any of them.”
“Guns?”
“Of course, and all the ammo he’d need.”
“Maybe he just left,” Raven suggested hopefully.
“He wouldn’t leave without making us pay for tying him up. He’s just that kind of dick.”
They slowed down as they reached the sporting goods area, knowing better than to just run right into the waiting arms of danger.
Cruz pulled her behind a basketball display, crouching down. “He could be anywhere around here, and he can already be armed. I’ll go first.”
“Why you? I’m the one he wants.”
“You just answered your own question.”
“You’re not risking your life just to protect me.”
“I’m protecting all of us.” His eyes narrowed. “Isn’t that what you want?”
Feeling as though she’d been chastised, and not sure why, Raven merely nodded before adding a whispered, “Be careful.”
“Keep an eye out in case he comes from behind,” Cruz whispered back. “I wish Hal had stayed with me, then we’d have three.”
“With me tucked safely in the middle?”
“Get mad if you want, Raven, but you’re not going to make me feel bad about protecting you. I’d rather you be pissed off than dead. Besides, you and Damian are the ones this jackass wants so it makes sense that the two of you should be protected, you even more because of what he wants from you.”
Well, she didn’t have anything to say to that, and wished his words didn’t create a very disturbing image in her head. Raven kept her mouth closed and followed Cruz’s lead as he moved forward in a crouch, trying her best to look in every direction at once. They cleared the basketball display and slowly progressed toward the weapons.
The last aisle before they’d have to step into a wide open lane bisecting sports equipment from weapons contained bows and arrows, and crossbows. Raven’s mind wandered, first to an internal debate of whether these items were in the correct aisle. Were they considered sporting goods? She would have put them with the guns. Her second thought was more along the lines of fan fiction. How would Katniss Everdeen fare in the zombie apocalypse? What if Daryl Dixon and Katniss had to face off against each other? Who would be the victor? This train of thought reminded her she would never be able to see the second part of Mockingjay. Now that was a damn tragedy.
The sound of a gunshot and the air leaving her lungs as Cruz shoved her to the hard floor brought her back from her musings. They landed in the aisle with the arrows, Cruz’s body on top of hers, his hands cradling the back of her head to absorb impact.
“You all right?”
“I’m good.” She looked over at the hole that had been blown through a shelf where they’d been walking. Where Cruz would have been. “He shot at you.”
“Yep, I noticed that,” he said, sliding off her, careful not to let her head hit the floor as he removed his hands from underneath.
“Where is he now? Did you see him?”
She grabbed the katana that had fallen from her hand then cautiously sat up. “You could have been stabbed had we landed wrong.”
“I was more worried about the bullet coming my way, and yes I saw him. Didn’t you? He was right at the end of that aisle across from us.” He tilted his head in the direction he referred to as he cleared a few items from the shelf before them so they could look through it.
“Uh, I was looking over here at these bows and thinking about The Hunger Games.”
“Seriously?”
Raven shrugged as she joined him. “Can’t fault a girl for mourning the loss of the Mockingjay Part Two release.”
“I can when her ass is being hunted and she needs to be on high alert.” He shook his head. “Shit. He knows where we are and we don’t know where he is. This isn’t good.”
Another gunshot sounded and they both flattened against the floor, acting on instinct. When nothing exploded around them they looked at each other, confused.
More gunshots popped off, followed by a man’s cry of pain.
“What’s happening?” Raven whispered.
Cruz frowned. “He’s not shooting at us.”
The sound of footsteps approached, causing a surge in Raven’s heart rate. Cruz switched his blade for a revolver, crouching protectively close to her. “Don’t make a sound.”
She nodded, silently agreeing as she gripped the handle of the katana tight, ready to jump up and chop Kurt into pieces the minute he showed his pasty white face.
“Cruz? Raven?”
They both jumped, then looked at each other and laughed.
Cruz slowly made his way to the edge of the aisle and peered around. “Where’s Kurt?”
“Ran off,” Raven heard Hal say. “I think I got him in the arm. Raven with you?”
She quickly joined Cruz at the end of the aisle to see Hal standing there, gun in hand. “Right here.”
“Good. Let’s go get Carlos and then head back to the group before Kurt has a chance to attack again.”
“Is Carlos all right?”
“Kurt cracked him in the head pretty good. He’s still pretty groggy so I left him back a few aisles when I heard the gunshot.” Hal looked them over. “I see he missed.”
“Cruz got us out of the way.”
“Good.”
“Damian?” Cruz spoke into the walkie talkie.
“Yeah?” Damian’s voice came through.
“We found Hal, or rather, he found us. We’re grabbing Carlos and coming back to the group. Has Elijah returned?”
“No. We heard gunshots. That you?”
Raven’s heart sank. “Guys, Elijah is still unaccounted for. He could be in danger or Kurt may have gotten him already.”
“He’s not dead.” Hal made the statement without emotion, as if he were simply stating a fact. “We need to get Carlos back to the group then we find Elijah.”
“You still there?” Damian’s voice crackled through the walkie.
“We’re here,” Cruz responded. “Kurt took a shot at us but missed. The rest of the gunfire was between him and Hal. He’s injured but not dead, and he’s still on the loose. Stay alert.”
“No shit.”
Cruz laughed. “Well, he’s eloquent. At least he’s not distracted by movies he never got to see.”
Raven glared at Cruz, but couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from rising. “Fine. I was stupid. Let’s forget my huge blunder and focus on our immediate problem. Where’s Elijah?”
“Nearby,” Hal answered, looking straight ahead as they traveled toward where he’d left Carlos.
“Care to share how you mystically know this?”
He grinned. “I wasn’t the only one shooting at Kurt, and the other shots came from opposite where you and Cruz were.”
“Oh.”
“He’s still out here alone,” Cruz pointed out. “Raven and Damian are who Kurt wants, but he won’t hesitate to take out anyone who gets in his way. He already hurt Carlos and took a shot at me.”
“Elijah has a gun and he knows Kurt is loose. He’ll make his way back to the group.”
“Or he’ll just go back with us,” Raven said as they reached the aisle Hal had left Carlos, to find Elijah hunkered down next to the injured man, shotgun pointed at them.
“Sorry,” the teen apologized. “I thought you might be him. I’m going to kill that bastard.”
“Get in line, kid.” Cruz stepped forward and gripped one of Carlos’s shoulders. “For now, keep an eye out while Hal and I get your dad back to the group.”
“Is this really safe?” Janjai asked, no longer bothering to hide the fact she understood English. It was clear who the real enemy was and it wasn’t Carlos or his son.
“This is the best place to be,” Hal answered.
“The best place would have walls and a locking door.”
“So we could be caged in and pecked off?” Cruz shook his head. “No, this, this right here, is our best bet. Hal knows what he’s doing.”
Janjai looked around the make-shift camp they’d quickly put together inside the megastore. The scene before her did little to calm her nerves.
Hal, Cruz, Raven, and Damian had decided the best place for them to stay was in the far northeast corner of the store, in the camping section. The area was already pretty open since space had been made to allow displays of the tents. Raven liked the fact they could sleep in the tents and the men liked that the area was close to camp supplies, such as camp ready foods, lanterns, and close to the back bathroom.
Shelves and display racks had been moved to allow them some form of a barricade. Boxed items had been stacked against them in strategic spots to make perches. They’d decided to have two armed people watching on either side at all times. Currently those two people were Damian and Elijah. The latter glared down the barrel of his gun, nostrils flaring, looking as if he were praying to see his enemy just so he could spill his blood. The former didn’t show any emotion at all, just a soldier doing his duty, which was surprising considering his history with their target.
Carlos rested in one of the tents, Pimjai with him, administering to his wound. Raven and Cruz busied themselves stuffing backpacks with things they would need if they had to leave. When they had to leave.
Hal stood at the opening they’d left, the one spot, as wide as a doorway, that they hadn’t barricaded. Gun in hand, he just stood there, watching.
“Maybe we should just leave now,” Janjai suggested. “We’re filling backpacks now. We have plenty of stuff. Let’s just go and find another shelter.”
“When’s the last time you looked outside, Janjai?”
She thought about it. “A couple of weeks, maybe.”
“Winter has started. The snow has been coming down hard for a while. We don’t know how many miles are between us and the nearest running vehicle, let alone the nearest shelter. We have a man with a head injury and a pregnant woman. You really want them out in the elements?”
“No.” She looked toward the tent both of those people were currently in before looking back at Hal. “We’re trapped in here with a man who wants to kill us.”
“Yes, one man,” he advised. “Only one man in here. Out there, there are thousands who want to kill us.”
“Yes, but according to Elijah, the one man in here has access to security cameras and can see every move we make.”
Cruz and Elijah made their way toward the manager’s office slowly, knowing that if Elijah’s hunch were true, the man they were seeking knew they were coming for him.
“If he’s in there we could easily kill him,” Elijah said in a low voice. “We should have all come for him, made sure there’s no chance of escape.”
“It doesn’t matter how many of us there are if he can see us coming,” Cruz advised. “Better he only have the chance at taking two of us out than the whole group.”
Elijah’s face paled. “You think he could actually kill us?”
“I told you Damian should come with me.”
/> “I’m just as capable.” Elijah straightened his shoulders, puffing his meager chest out as he tightened his hands around the shotgun he held. “Besides, you said Damian and Raven are who he wants most. They’re safer back with the group. You got this and I’ll be back-up if anything goes wrong.”
“You get that we aren’t actually trained soldiers, right? You know all that action crap I did in movies was just acting and stunts, and a lot of the stunts weren’t even done by me?”
“Yeah, I know that. I’m not an idiot.”
Cruz studied the young man, noting the wounded look in his downcast eyes and pouting lip. “I’m just saying, we’re not heroes. This guy is pissed off and dangerous. There’s no telling how far he’ll go to get back at us for keeping him tied up. Honestly, we should have killed the bastard the moment he shot at Damian.”
“You should have. You should have never listened to my dad. He doesn’t have what it takes to make it in this world.”
Cruz didn’t have anything to say to that. Most people would have probably reminded the kid that he was talking about his father and shouldn’t do that. You were supposed to respect your parents, but Cruz knew better than anyone that not all parents deserved respect. Carlos seemed like an all right guy to him, a little too nice for this world, sure, but he hadn’t been in it enough for it to change him, mold him into a survivor. Then again, who knew more about the guy, him or the man’s son?
As they drew closer, Cruz noticed a cluster of blood drops on the floor. A few more feet revealed more. “It looks like he came through that aisle over there and headed up this way.”
“Looks like I was right. I should have smashed those monitors.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Those monitors could have actually been really useful to us. There was no reason to think they’d need to be destroyed. No one planned on Kurt getting loose.”
“No one thought he should live, except my dad in all his wisdom.”
“Bitching about mistakes made won’t make them go away. Besides, you could argue that we were wrong to not overrule your dad. Things happened the way they happened. We just need to focus on stopping this guy before he hurts anyone else. How’s your dad doing by the way?”