We were under attack, no, the house was under attack.
Shit.Just remembering that Heather was still here, I hoped that she was somewhere safe. By this time, she would’ve most likely been in bed. I longed to check on her but the gunfire didn’t relent, I didn’t want to be caught in the crosshairs. I didn’t know how many shooters there were, or where they were shooting from.
My eyes wide with fear, I crawled to the door, keeping by the chairs and sofas that were scattered about the theater room for extra cover. There were no windows in here but what if their bullets went straight through the walls? Was Nikolai home? Had he organized this? Had the ‘hit’ on Marino’s been faked? I was so confused. I didn’t know what to think or where to go.
Getting to the door to the room, I eased it open an inch. From this vantage point, I couldn’t see anyone, just shards of broken glass and ruined plaster all over the floor. Breathing hard, I closed the door again and drew my knees up to my chest, hugging my thighs to me.
The thunder of the gunshots seemed to last forever. Until it went deathly silent. That’s when the real panic set in.What was happening?
I couldn’t see, I couldn’t hear. I had no way of knowing if they’d gotten bored and left, or if they were now searching the house.
The light from the TV cast garish shadows and it seemed like every thirty seconds I heard phantom footsteps outside the door to the theater room. But I sat there, with my back pressed to the door. It was a silly wish in my current position but I wished that I could reach up and lock the door.
I knew it wouldn’t do anything to stop anyone getting in here if they wanted to, hell they had guns, but it would’ve been a small comfort.
How long would I have to wait before I felt like it was safe to move?
How long would Nikolai be?
I couldn’t stop my thoughts from reeling. I knew I’d be getting no sleep. My back had started aching by the time I heard the relief of sirens. I prayed they were headed this way. It took a few minutes, the sound growing louder before I cried with joy. They were coming here, they had to be.
I didn’t move from my position until I heard the cars pull up outside. Doors slammed. They announced themselves and began searching the property. I cracked open the door again, to double-check that I wasn’t being fooled.
It was the second time I’d been found and rescued by police within the past two months. I waited in the foyer with a female officer for Nikolai.
I felt bad that his house had been destroyed but more than that I needed him with me. I needed to know that he was safe. If this was what they did to his house, I didn’t want to imagine what they would’ve done to him - but nonetheless, images hounded me.
For fuck’s sake, where are you, Nikolai?
“Hey, man. Where’s the fire?” Zedd laughed as I nearly bulldozed him over in my rush to get to my truck.
“Where are you off to?” Finch asked, always one to be taken more seriously.
“There’s been an attack on the house.” I barely got the words out before I was out of range. Even Zedd’s outraged cry wasn’t enough to make me stop and turn. I was having none of it, I was a man on a mission.
I sped like crazy, breaking as many laws as it took. I didn’t care about anything, except for the fact that I wasn’t by her side. My Anastasia.
Was she hurt? Was she still there? Had she slipped out during the chaos and finally managed to escape? I had to get to her. I just had to get to her and everything would be fine. I promised I would never leave her side again.
I hadn’t ever been one to believe in any religion but I swore to God that I’d convert. I’d go to church every Sunday if that was what it took, just for my Ana to be unharmed. I understood at that moment why so many people turned to gods in times of crisis because there was nothing else I could do. It was small comfort as I pulled up to the drive.
Flashing lights clouded my vision. I jumped from the truck barely taking the two seconds to put it in park. My eyes scanned the path, searching the faces for my queen.
I found her sitting on the staircase, knees pulled up to her chest, shaking with a tear-streaked face. She flinched as I opened the door.
“Ana?”
“You’re home, oh my god, I was so scared.” The flood of words rushed out of her as she stood. For a split-second, she looked as though she was about to throw her arms around me, but then she stopped herself.
“I’m home, it’s okay. They’re gone.” The flashing blue lights of the police van outside gave her face a ghostly pallor.
She looked out of the door, over my shoulder. “Is Heather...?”
“Heather’s fine,” I nodded, touched by her concern. “She was in the kitchen at the back of the house when they shot the place up. She called me and said she couldn’t find you. I came straight back.”
I paused, not wanting to put this on her, but knowing it had to be done. “The police are here, they need to speak with any witnesses. It’s…” I wanted to dismiss it. I knew the police would never find anything, we’d have to do this the Kings’ way. “It’s best that we just get it over with.”
Anastasia nodded. “Can we come back in here afterwards?” she asked, voice small.
