Page 78 of Red Rabbit
“I really would prefer to have this be easy!” Cooper said conversationally. “At the risk of sounding terribly cliche—hand her over and no one gets hurt and we can go about our lives.”
The silence stretched, Graham was apparently not going to humor him. I saw him hold up the gun but Cooper must have seen him too.
“Alright I guess I have my answer,” he said, his tone now as hard as steel. He must have found cover because Graham didn’t shoot.
“Get ready,” Graham breathed.
30
GRAHAM
Cooper was a dick but he wasn’t stupid. He had the house surrounded, he knew exactly where I was in the house and he knew the back door was the weak point. The only things he didn’t know were how much firepower we had but I doubted he cared when his party numbered twenty-five people, at least, against one—he wouldn’t have counted Kaelin as a threat. I had my doubts about that myself. She was barely stable and didn’t have any shooting experience.
I heard the back door slam open and the grenade went off amidst a scream. I was already looking through my sights and found my first mark. I took him down and ducked out of the way as bullets peppered the window where I was standing.
“Three in back, one down,” Kaelin said, her voice shaking.
I peeked out the window again and pulled the trigger, killing another one. I heard Kaelin’s gun go off and she gasped.
“I hit one,” she said breathlessly. “But both are still outside the door.”
Those two were smart and didn’t want to risk any more trip wires. I should have rigged the entire hallway but it was too late for that. I heard a gun go off down the hallway and Kaelin yelped as bullets cut into the wall. She scrambled back and I heard her gun go off a few more times. To her credit she didn’t unload but Istill cringed at the amount of bullets she shot. Cooper was feeling us out right now. I looked down the hall to see the two men advancing into the back room. I strode over to her.
“Cover the front,” I hissed.
I advanced down the hallway slowly. Then I came around the corner into the back room and quickly dispatched the two men. I glanced quickly out the back but bullets cut into the door and I pulled back and retreated down the hallway. I glanced briefly at Kaelin to check on her. She was breathing hard and looked panicked.
Time passed and I picked off a few more.
Anyone who poked their head out, I was on. But Cooper was no fool and he knew if he continued down this road, he would lose the advantage of his numbers. After not shooting anyone for almost an hour, I knew his next move would be a rush.
Chaos erupted on both sides of the house. Men stormed the front porch at the same time as the back. I took out as many as I could in front before I had to turn around and help Kaelin. I yanked a pin from a grenade and sent it into the back room. Then turned around again and took out the men rushing the front door. I heard Kaelin’s gun go off again but I didn’t have time to turn around. Something crashed into the front door and I sent a spray of bullets through the wood. I threw our last grenade into the back room just as I saw one roll into the center of ours. I launched myself at Kaelin, taking her down behind the table as it exploded.
My ears were ringing, I forgot how awful that part was, and jumped to my feet. Kaelin’s eyes were huge but she didn’t look hurt. I stood and shot down the hallway but the front door slammed open and men streamed into the front room.
Kaelin was on her feet, shooting wildly. I stepped forward into the assault, shooting two before they were on me and I hadto resort to hand to hand. I threw one against the wall, feeling something bite into my back I turned and barely avoided a knife to the face. I used the man’s momentum and buried his knife thrust into the man I was just on. I fought my way to Kaelin and grabbed her arm before forcing my way into the first room in the hall, pushing her backwards I forcefully shut the door and locked it, giving us a brief moment. The door shook with tremors as they rammed it and I saw a crack appear. We didn’t have much time.
I was panting heavily and my side and back burned.
“You’re bleeding,” she said, her voice shrill. I ignored her.
“Shh,” I hissed. As my hearing rushed back I heard a glorious sound. Relief poured through me. “Hear that?”
“Oh my god,” Kaelin said.
Rotors. Helicopter rotors.
I thought it was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard.
Then I heard the door shatter and a smoke bomb found its way into the room.
The next few minutes were chaos and survival. Cooper’s men rushed the room and I took several down, trying to stay near Kaelin. I got the wind knocked out of me as four came at me and I got slammed against a wall.
The ringing in my ears was back and I sank down on one knee as time seemed to slow. The smoke began to disperse and I saw shapes move through the haze. With a roar I surged up to my feet. Panting heavily, I drew my handgun and took out three in quick succession. A fist jammed into my side above my bullet wound and I grunted as pain shot through me and I went down to my knees again. I grabbed a fist coming for my face and twisted it down before shooting the man in the neck. Then something connected with the side of my head and I fell against the wall.
I heard Kaelin scream and tried to get to her but my movements were slow and everything seemed far away. I went down on my knees again and this time couldn’t find the energy to get up. The last thing I saw before I fell into darkness was Kaelin being dragged out the door by her hair.
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