Nellie collapsed to the ground with a dramatic flourish. “Sunny will avenge me!” she cried, coughing weakly to illustrate her death. “She’s got two lives left.”
“So do I,” said Dom, then turned away from Nellie, brushing past Brennan to march back toward the lookout.
Brennan dove for cover, narrowly avoiding landing on his face next to Dom on the second floor of their base. Somewhere across the way, Sunny lingered in the shadows with deadly aim. Dom had been hit, and now they were each hanging on by one life while Sunny still had two.
“If we survive this,” Dom said, shouldering her gun and preparing to move, “we’re gettingsodrunk.”
They stood together, stock-still, around a corner that led to a dead end. A few paces behind, Sunny’s footsteps tapped lightly on the ground. She knew she’d caught her prey; why not take her time?
This was it. Brennan was going to die.
“Dom,” Brennan said, “it was an honor to fight alongside you.”
“We can get out of this,” Dom said.
“No,” Brennan said. “Butyoucan.”
He dove out from behind the corner to where Sunny stood, weapon poised. Brennan sliced through the air, desperately taking aim, watchingas Sunny did the same, firing a shot. Everything was moving in slow motion. He narrowly dodged one of Sunny’s shots, but another one followed just as quickly. Brennan fired again—
Sunny’s vest lit up, and so did Brennan’s.
Sunny immediately leapt away, using the cooldown time to put distance between herself and Dom.
Brennan was out, but Sunny was down to one life. They had a chance.
Brennan’s vest announced his death. Dom marched up to him.
“That was pretty brave, kid,” she said.
“Kill her,” Brennan said. Dom nodded solemnly, then started running.
10THE THINGS WE WANT
BRENNAN’S PHONE
Instagram
KeepItSunny
[A group shot in front of a space-station set, with Sunny, Nellie, Brennan, and Dominique shaping their hands like guns in a Charlie’s Angels kind of pose. Sunny and Nellie are glamorous and posing. Brennan and Dom are mid-laugh.]
I never lose. (Except for when I do.)
@laserblazeboston
Nellie
Don’t take it personally! Sunny’s a sore loser.—N
Brennan
Can you promise there won’t be an attempt on my life?
Nellie
Hahahahaha—N
They’d spent the whole train ride melodramatically reenacting the game and laughing over the look of shock on Sunny’s face at being defeated. When Dom was about to get off at her stop, she had asked, “So,you wanna come get drunk, or not?” And, with the train doors threatening to close, Brennan had gone against every instinct and hopped out after her.
