No.No, no, no!
Vera steps in front of the girl, they’re about the same height, and she covers the girl’s eyes with one of her hands.“Don’t look.There’s nothing to see.Keep walking.Keep walking and you’ll be free.”She quickly puts her gun away and takes the girl’s arm with her other hand, guiding her in Luca’s direction.“Follow the others.You’re safe now.”
As soon as the girl is through the door, Vera starts to push Luca through it too, but he fights back.
“You don’t need to see this.Go back with the kids.”Vera’s voice is cold, only fury remaining.“Unless there’s someone in here who doesn’t deserve to die?”
In the reflection of the windows, I watch as Luca looks around the room a final time, his eyes falling on every person in here.
After a long minute, he shakes his head, leans close to Vera, and gives her a kiss, mask-to-mask, but it’s still a kiss.“No.Go ahead.I’ll see you two outside.I love you.”
Then he steps into the hallway, closing the door audibly behind him.The kids are safe and won’t be able to see anything anymore.
Now we can let loose in here.
Vera slides under my arm, taking my hand, as she’s got her gun in the other hand.We’re both right-handed, so it’s a little awkward with her under my arm at this angle, but this will do.
This is for what they put Mathew through.
This is for what they put Luca through.
And this is for what they put all the other kids and adults through.
Scum of the earth!
13
Luca
A groupof people from Mathew’s organisation herds the teens through the hallway to the back of the building, while I stay right behind the door, listening to Vera and Riley, tears in my eyes as my breathing shudders.
When I heard the teens scream, after someone got shot trying to escape through the side window, I couldn’t stay outside any longer.I had to get in there, I had to help them.
I’ve looked after some of the kids for years and they were terrified, I couldn’t ignore that.They were terrified of what was going on around them.They probably didn’t have a clue who they could trust.
The people from Mathew’s team waiting for the teens in the hidden hallway didn’t seem to want to let me through at first, but when they realised I wasn’t going to stop, they got out of the way.
The front room was exactly the same as it always had been, a little more cluttered and with a broken window, but otherwise exactly the same as before.As soon as the teens recognised me, they seemed to be much more willing to get out of there.As I expected.
I knew that once the teens were out, and I’d closed the door behind me, there would be a bloodbath on the other side.And from the screams and shots, that’s exactly what’s happening.
Unlike when Vera rescued me, it’s over a lot quicker this time.It takes less than three minutes before everything goes quiet.
“Luca?”Vera’s voice comes through the door.“We’re coming in.”
I open the door slightly, making sure to not look inside the room, not wanting to see the carnage.“How did you know I was here?”
Vera steps inside, immediately hugging me.“Because that’s how you are.And I noticed your pheromones through the door.”
“While I’d love to join in on the cuddle.Let’s get moving.We’ve got more to do tonight.”Riley crowds us deeper into the hallway.She seems much calmer than before, surer.
“The teens are out and on their way to safety.”Jorge’s voice over the earpiece is short, to-the-point.“Luca, are you joining Vera and Riley, or are you also coming out?”
“Luca’s inside?!”That seems to surprise Mathew.
“That wasnotpart of the plan.”I can almost imagine the pained face Derrick is pulling right now.I’m sorry, I know how much you hate it when people don’t follow your plan.
I reach up, activating my earpiece.“I’m staying here.Are the younger kids downstairs or upstairs in their rooms?”
