We all hear the click and thunk of the front door opening. For just a moment, I allow myself the hope that the guys have found out that I'm missing, and that we're about to get dramatically rescued at the last moment, but I know it's a pipe dream.
Please don’t be Jerry. The last thing we need is four of us in trouble.
"Travis!" I don't recognize the voice, so it’s neither my guys nor Jerry.
"In the back," Travis responds, then more quietly, "It's too late now anyway. I didn't have a choice."
He almost sounds like he's expecting me to forgive him, and I just look at him like he's crazy. He shot someone, and he’s using dogs and Carl to get at me, just so someone else can get at the men I've fallen for, and somehow he thinks that I'm going to be understanding about how hard he has it?
"Fuck you, Travis."
I get a little nod and an expression of resigned acceptance back. "I figured. It's not personal."
"Feels it to me."
The door opens, admitting a group of nasty-looking men, who glare at me with undisguised hostility. One of them, a beefy guy with long, greasy hair and a bushy beard grins cruelly as he looks me up and down. "I see why those bikers are so fond of you. Once we're done, maybe you and me can get to know each other better."
Ugh. Rapey on top of everything else.
"They're going to come for me."
He laughs, and it's an ugly sound that has me gritting my teeth. "I'm counting on it," he says. "We're already preparing."
His guys spread out, grabbing what looks like dense bricks of gray play-dough out of their backpacks and jamming it into corners in the room. A couple of them herd the dogs into cages,not really caring who ends up where and how many, just getting them out from underfoot.
Travis's eyes go wide. "Wait, hey, Frank, you can't do that? This place is all I've got. I got you the girl. That was the deal. Not fucking explosives. I need this place whole."
Frank shrugs. "Important thing is the Eagles eating shit. Why should I give a fuck about this place?"
"But—but, I can get you more dogs. Give me a chance here." Travis has to be the most pathetic man I've seen in my life. I wish I'd truly seen it earlier. Maybe I wouldn't have been in this mess then.
"Jesus, you're annoying." In a single smooth motion, he draws his gun, aims it at Travis's face, and pulls the trigger.
Carl screams and the dogs bark in panicked surprise as Travis's body flies backwards in a spray of blood and other things I'd rather not think about. Ugh. I look away, not needing to see that. God, Travis was a piece of shit, but he didn't deserve… that.
"They—they shot him!" Any bravery Carl found is gone.
I don't blame him. I'm not feeling so good myself, and I've been through the wringer a time or two. I grab Carl firmly by the shoulders and force him to look away too.
"You can't do anything about it. And it's not your fault. Breathe."
Frank watches us with a grimace, probably disgusted by how we're thrown off by something as irrelevant as a dead body. "Shut up, and keep it down until we're ready to move on."
Move on? "We're not staying here?"
He laughs. "We're gonna blow this place sky high. Do you wanna fucking be in here? I'd be fucking happy to arrange it, except we're gonna hold on to you until we're sure we've got those assholes who fucking killed Zeke. So no, we're gonna pull out of here as soon as it's ready. Only need a couple of guys to set off the bombs." He glances at Carl. "We don't need him, though." He waves at one of the guys. "Hey, Ray, go strip Travis, see if he’s got their phones. I want to rub it in those assholes’ faces if they call her. Oh, and find some rope."
Oh, God. We're so screwed.
33
ZERO
Jerry meetsus by the shelter, his car parked in the lot outside. He gestures at the dark facade. "I… I think I heard gunshots earlier and drove over to the diner to wait." His face crumples a little before he pulls himself together again. “It’s been quiet since. I hear the dogs sometimes but nothing else.”
"Shit." Beast looks ready to charge in through the fucking window. “You wanna get out of here? If there's someone here still, shit might get ugly. Sandra said you got someone you love at home. Better go be safe. I bet he's already worried fucking sick."
I don't know if it makes Jerry brave or stupid, but he shakes his head. "Nah. Sandra's been my friend for a long time and we went through some real rough patches together. If there's any way I can help, I need to be here to do it."
