Page 46 of Friar
The shooting outside intensified, bullets spraying the diner in a pattern that suggested multiple shooters.Not just Tasha then -- she’d brought friends.The acrid scent of gunpowder mixed with spilled coffee and the coppery tang of blood, creating a smell I’d never forget as long as I lived.
Hawk had made his way to a side window, keeping low as he peered cautiously outside.“Three shooters,” he called back.“Two at the front, one working around to the side.Moving in from the alley.”
My brothers returned fire, controlled bursts designed to pin down the attackers rather than hit them.They were buying time, creating cover for evacuation.Club protocol in an ambush -- protect the wounded and vulnerable first, then unleash hell on whoever was stupid enough to attack.
“When I say move, we’re going for the kitchen,” I told Cheri, fighting to keep my voice steady as pain clawed through my shoulder.Each heartbeat sent a fresh pulse of blood down my back, soaking into my shirt.“Stay low, stay close.”
“Your shoulder --”
“Doesn’t matter.”I met her eyes, willing her to understand.Nothing mattered except getting her and our baby out alive.My life was a fair trade for theirs if it came to that.“Be ready.”
A Prospect I barely recognized -- one of the newer recruits -- crawled toward us, keeping his head below the level of the booths.“Friar,” he called softly.“Forge says to get your old lady out.We’ll cover you.”
I nodded, grateful for the organized response of my brothers even as the pain in my shoulder threatened to drag me under.The bullet had missed anything vital.I could still move my arm, still function, but blood loss was becoming a concern.Dark spots danced at the edges of my vision, and cold sweat beaded on my forehead.
“Ready?”I asked Cheri, shifting my weight to allow her to move while still providing as much cover as possible.
She nodded, her gaze never leaving mine.In that moment, surrounded by chaos and violence, I saw nothing but absolute trust in her eyes.Trust that I would protect her, that I would get her through this.It was a heavier responsibility than any I’d carried before.
“Now!”Forge shouted from his position, unleashing a barrage of covering fire toward the front of the diner.
I rolled off Cheri, keeping my body between her and the shattered front windows as we slid from the booth to the floor.Pain exploded through my shoulder as I landed on my injured side, the world tilting dangerously for a moment before I fought back to clarity.
“Crawl,” I instructed through gritted teeth, one hand pressed to the floor to steady myself.
We moved on hands and knees across the debris-strewn floor, shards of glass cutting into my palms, adding new pain to the throbbing agony of my shoulder.Cheri stayed close to me, her breathing ragged but controlled.Halfway to the kitchen, a bullet punched through the wall beside us, showering us with plaster dust.I threw myself over her again, instinct overriding the screaming protest from my wounded shoulder.
“Keep moving!”Beast shouted from somewhere to our left.“We’ve got you covered!”
The gunfire intensified, a deafening exchange that made conversation impossible.I focused solely on forward movement, on getting Cheri to the relative safety of the kitchen and the back exit beyond.My vision narrowed to a tunnel, the edges darkening as blood loss took its toll.Cold spread through my limbs, but I pushed forward, dragging myself toward safety one painful inch at a time.
Finally, we reached the swinging kitchen doors.Cyclops appeared beside us, helping first Cheri and then me to our feet.The sudden change in position sent a wave of dizziness through me, and I staggered, catching myself against the doorframe.
“Jesus, you’re hit bad,” Cyclops muttered, taking in my blood-soaked shirt and the pallor of my face.“Can you walk?”
“I can fucking run if it means getting her out of here,” I snarled, though in truth I wasn’t sure my legs would carry me much farther.
The kitchen was eerily quiet compared to the chaos of the dining area, the gunfire muffled by the walls.The back door stood open, revealing a narrow alley behind the diner.Two Prospects stood guard, weapons drawn, scanning for threats.
“Hawk says the shooters are all focused on the front,” Cyclops informed me, supporting my weight as we moved toward the exit.“Back should be clear, but we’re not taking chances.”
Cheri stayed close to my uninjured side, her hand gripping the back of my cut as if afraid I might disappear.I could feel her trembling, though whether from fear or adrenaline, I couldn’t tell.Her eyes were wide and focused entirely on me rather than her own safety.
“You hurt anywhere?”I managed to ask as we approached the back door, scanning her for injuries I might have missed in the chaos.
She shook her head.“Just you.You took the bullet meant for me.”
There was no time to respond as we reached the doorway.One of the Prospects went first, checking the alley before signaling it was clear.Cyclops guided us through, the bright sunlight outside a jarring contrast to the dim interior of the diner.The change in lighting sent fresh pain lancing through my head, and I stumbled, nearly going to my knees.
“Keep him upright,” Cyclops ordered, and Cheri slipped under my good arm, her small frame surprisingly strong as she helped support my weight.
The alley stretched before us, a narrow passage between buildings that led to a back lot where our vehicles were parked.Safety was just yards away, but those yards might as well have been miles given the lead weight of my limbs and the darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision.
Behind us, the gunfire reached a crescendo, then suddenly ceased.The silence was almost as jarring as the shooting had been, leaving my ears ringing in its wake.Something had changed.Either our brothers had neutralized the threat, or the shooters had retreated.
We were halfway down the alley when Hawk burst through the back door, his weapon still drawn, blood streaming from a cut above his eye.His gaze locked on something ahead of us, and his face transformed with recognition and rage.
“It’s Tasha!”he shouted, raising his gun toward the end of the alley.
