“Wait, wait, wait!” she exclaimed as I turned to make my way out of the room.
I felt her hand slip into mine and I whipped back toward her. “I can’t stay. I have to go help.”
“I can help, too, you know. I’m a soldier as well.”
My heart sang for her. She was so strong. So much stronger and more valiant than she ever gave herself credit for.
I cupped her face in my hands and slammed my lips to hers.
“Doc!” Brutus barked.
I released her lips before I pointed to the bedroom closet. “That is outfitted with weapons. You won’t be able to get out of this room unless someone keys in from the outside. But on the off-chance that this room is compromised, that closet is full of everything you’ll need. Anna!”
“What!?”
I whipped around, feeling Elizabeth still tugging on me. “Get in here with the girls. You and my Liz are in charge of shooting whoever the fuck crosses the threshold if they get in.”
“Awwww,” Anna said as she stomped into the room. “I want to come with you guys, though.”
I leveled her with a look. “You and Elizabeth are responsible for the health and well-being of the girls.”
She sighed heavily and flopped down onto the bed. “You and Brutus are no fun.”
“Doc, goddamn it, get out here!” Brutus barked.
I turned around and crashed one last kiss to Elizabeth’s shocked face. “I’ll be back.”
Her voice was breathless. “You fucking better be.”
I rushed out of the room and Brutus slammed the door closed behind me. I jammed my hand into an inconspicuous place on the wall next to the door of the panic room, and when I pressed inward, it gave way. The panel flipped open, and I pressed the big red button that locked down and armed the room they were all in.
Then all was silent on the western front, so to speak.
“The room is soundproofed?” Brutus asked.
Another bouncing of a bullet off one of the windows forced my head to turn in that direction. “Yeah, among other things.”
“Good,” Brutus said as he stormed off down the hallway. “Now, we need to be armed. Let’s go.”
To be fair, I was shocked that we went this long at my place without being found. We were here just shy of a week and a half, and I wondered when those assholes were going to rear their heads.
I wondered how long they were scouting my property.
How long it took that sniper to set up shop.
Brutus slamming open the closet door to the armory on the second floor of the house yanked me out of my mind.
“Cap and some of King’s crew were in Bryersville when I called.”
Fuck, they’re over an hour away. “All right, so we’re all being watched.”
Brutus handed me a scoped handgun. “Exactly. I know they’re striking at a point where we are all spread out.”
I read between the lines.
He meant it was just us against them when it came to protecting the girls.
And I had a fuckton to protect.
