32

 

Jake

 

Jake flew at Everest, his hand closing around the gun as it went off again. White-hot pain seared across his shoulder, but Jake kept going, his legs pumping through the pain like he’d done in high school football. They crashed against the far wall, toppling to the floor in a fury of elbows and knees that jabbed and punched.

Jake reared up, loomed over the smaller man, and threw a punch that rocked through his entire arm.

Everest’s head whipped to the side, but he kept his grip on the gun, brought it up, and fired another round.

The blast ripped past Jake’s ear, missing by millimeters as the heated air rushed by, blowing out his eardrum. Jake twisted to the side in pain.

Everest scrambled to his feet, kicked Jake in the ribs and sent him writhing to his side.

Angry, Jake whipped his leg across Everest’s knees, sweeping his feet out from under him. The smaller man went sprawling on his back. The gun clattered across the warped wood floor towards Riley.

Everest and Jake dove for the gun, both men fighting for the weapon.

Jake glanced down and saw Riley’s blood spreading out in a crimson mushroom across the dirty floor. She was reaching for the gun, her small hand closing around it.

“No, you don’t.” Everest shouted and kicked at her arm.

She screamed in pain, and the gun skittered back across the room, butting up against the door.

Fury building in his chest, Jake threw Everest, sending him flying across the room against the pot belly stove. Jake dove for the gun, skidding on his hands and knees to it and came back up searching for Everest, but couldn’t find him in the shadows of the shack.

To his right, shaking in its hinges with the force of the wind, the thin wood door bowed and caved, splinters jutting from the corners. Thunder claps jolted all of them, rocking the shack as the crackling heat of another bolt of lightning made the hair stand up on Jake’s arms.

Everest flew out of the corner, his teeth bared in the blue flashing light.

The feral grin of a crazed animal crossed the man’s face. Everest let out a yowl, diving for Michelle as she cowered on the floor next to the stove. He was at her before Jake could close his hands on him.

Everest’s hand came up, a rusty knife held at Michelle’s throat as he yanked her to her feet in front of him.

Jake froze, his heart going still at the sight of the blade at her pulse.

Her eyes swirled, fear driving her to scream and flail in Everest’s grip, but he held her tight, ducking behind her, using her body as a shield.

“Look what I found behind the stove,” Everest screeched and bobbed his eyebrows over Michelle’s shoulder at Jake.

“Everest,” Riley pleaded. “Everest, don’t.”

“Shut up, just shut up.” Everest’s wicked smile contorted into a grimace through his bloodied lip. The knife in his hand twitched.

Michelle’s eyes went wide with pain.

“How about a trade, Jake? The girl for Riley?”

Jake held the gun on Everest but Michelle blocked any shot. The wind and flashing, the shaking of the shack made hitting Everest impossible.

“Please, Everest,” Riley called out. “Why are you doing this?”

“This is your fault,” Everest said and staggered with the force of the shifting floor. “You couldn’t leave things alone. Couldn’t let them believe your baby brother was crazy.”

“He wasn’t.” Riley gritted her teeth, her hand at her side as she pushed herself up.

So much blood on the floor. Jake’s heart tumbled; worried that she might lose too much before they got help.

“But I had them convinced!” Everest yelled and in his anger, shook the knife, scraping a crimson line across Michelle’s neck. “You wouldn’t even die right when I sent that Grossman Chemical goon after you! You ruined everything!”

Jake tried to aim for him, tried to steady his hand against the floor buckling under their feet.

Everest caught his movement, shifted his stance to shield himself better.

“Now, give me the gun, or I take her head off!” Everest screamed.

Jake put his hands up in surrender, the gun pointed up. He glanced at Riley, watched her with growing dread as she struggled to her feet. Her face was pale with pain.

“Do it, Jake,” she told him. Her light eyes locked on his and his soul ached, torn with the thought of losing her to this madman.

“Set it on the floor and kick it over to me.” Everest walked backwards with Michelle, her whimpers lost in the storm’s tumult lashing at the small building.

Jake tossed the gun.

Everest bent down with Michelle, the knife still at her throat, and had her pick up the gun. He took it from her with his free hand.

“Let Riley and Michelle go, Everest,” Jake shouted. “You can run… no one will find you. They’ll assume you’re dead in the storm.”

Everest shook his head, a fierce snarl pulling at his lip. “Take her!”

He shoved Michelle at Jake, sent her sailing at his chest.

As he grabbed Michelle, Everest pounced for Riley.

Jake heard her scream as he yanked at her. Jake twisted towards them, trying to get Michelle away and reach for Riley at the same time, but he felt just the whisper of material pass under his fingertips. Missed them.

Riley flailed at Everest, screaming and pounding at him with her fists, and the two of them went crashing against the door. It flew open, the wind shrieking through the doorway and lashing at them.

Jake lunged for Riley, swiping at her with his hands, but she and Everest were out the door in a fury of wind and flying debris. Their bodies lifted in the hurricane’s power.

Riley screamed, her mouth open with fear, clawing at the doorway for terrible second, and then she was gone.

Jake’s heart stopped.

“Riley!”