If ocelots could gasp, I would have when I spotted Abe lying on the living room floor in front of the fireplace. He wasn't moving. There was a large gash in his forehead, which explained why the man wasn't fighting the two men in the room.
My feline hackles rose as rage filled me. These morons weren't even trying to stem the flow of blood from the gash on Abe's forehead. He could bleed out at this rate. I suspect that was their plan. It would mean one less witness.
"This place got anything to eat in it?"
I hunched down a little farther when I spotted the man walking out of the doorway that led to the basement. He had my computer in his hands. Luckily, it was the computer set up in the laundry room and not the one in the bunker.
"Nothing edible," the guy in the kitchen replied. "It's all that health food crap. Fruits and vegetables and something purple. It looks like an alien pod or something."
"That's an eggplant," the guy with my laptop replied. "Don't you know anything?" He set the laptop down on the coffee table then strode out of the living room, heading in the direction of the kitchen.
I used this opportunity to race over to Abe. I shot a quick look toward the archway leading into the dining room then shifted and gave Abe a good shake.
Nothing.
"Abe," I whispered as I leaned in close. "Wake up, Abe."
Still nothing.
Well, this wouldn't do. I couldn't leave him here for these morons to kill, but I had to do something. I glanced around, wracking my brain for an idea until my gaze fell on the basement door. If I could get Abe down to the bunker, at least he'd be safe until help could get here.
I just wasn't sure I could move him, let alone move him without making any noise.
Still, I had to try.
I hurried over to the archway that led into the dining room. I didn't usually use them. In fact I never used them, but there were panel doors that slid into the wall separating the dining room from the living room.
From what I knew of older homes, they were used to keep the heat in certain areas of the house. Of course, I'd had the brownstone totally updated when I moved in, but I'd never removed the doors. Now I was glad I hadn't.
I grabbed the latch on one door and started pulling it out of the wall. I winced when it made a scraping noise, stopping instantly. Okay, this was going to take a little more work than I suspected. I had to be quick.
I pulled the door out just far enough that I could reach over and grabbed the other latch. As quickly as I could, I pulled both doors out of the wall until they met in the middle. I heard yelling coming from the kitchen as I turned the small skeleton lock then pulled it out. I slid the key into my pocket as I raced back over to Abe.
After carefully rolling him over onto his back, I grabbed Abe under the arms and pulled him around the couch and over toward the door that led down into the basement. I knew I didn't have long. I could hear banging on the panel doors. I was really glad they were made of thick solid wood. Gotta love these older houses.
When I reached the basement entrance, I pulled Abe inside. I don't know what made me do it, but I stepped over him and ran over to grab my laptop. Maybe it was the perverse desire to keep these morons from taking anything else from me. I don't know, but I should have made a better choice.
I cried out and dropped my laptop when something slammed into my arm. My fingers went numb almost instantly. I kicked the laptop under the couch then ran back for the basement door as more bullets pierced the solid panel doors.
Once on the landing, I closed the door and pulled out the skeleton key. I turned it in the lock as quickly as I could before putting the key back into my pocket. I grabbed Abe under his arms again and prayed I didn't do any more damage to him as I carefully pulled him down the stairs to the basement.
After reaching the basement floor, I dragged Abe over to the bookshelf then laid him down on the cold concrete as gently as I could. I jumped up and stepped to the bookshelf, going through the security procedures to open the door just as quickly as I could manage.
I had to take a calming breath and do it again when I messed up the first time. I had to get this right. I couldn't hear any more gunfire, but that didn't mean those morons had left. I was sure they were just trying to figure out how to get into the basement.
I had no doubt they would kill us if they did.
Once the door to the bunker swung open, I grabbed Abe and pulled him inside then quickly shut the door and reengaged the security protocol. I don't think I started breathing normally until I heard the distinctive ding that let me know we were safely locked in the bunker.
My arm ached, but not as much as my heart did when I grabbed Abe and pulled him over to the single bed in the corner. I sometimes slept down here when I was working on something. I put the bed in here so I didn't have to sleep on the floor. I never dreamed I'd have to use it for someone who was injured.
Someone I cared a great deal about.
Chapter Eight
It was harder to lift Abe up onto the bed than it had been to drag him down the stairs to the basement. By the time I was done, my muscles throbbed uncontrollably and my head ached as if it was on the verge of exploding.
As much as I wanted to rest, I knew I couldn't. Abe needed me.
