Page 103 of The Cottage on Plum Island
Shannon laughed as she spun Jennifer around and dug the cold steep of the barrel into her back. “Do you think there isn’t a contingency plan for this sort of thing happening?” Her voice was close to Jennifer’s ear. “Don’t you get it? BAD MAN is like a hydra. You cut the head off one part. There are still others to take over.”
“Not this time,” Jennifer informed her. “Didn’t my father tell you?”
“That’s the second time you’ve referred to Andrew as your father,” Shannon pointed out. “Have you suddenly gotten over your abandonment issues with him?”
“I now understandwhyhehadto leave us,“ Jennifer hissed. “It’s you and your family I now have an issue with. Who do you think you are? You can’t mess with people’s lives the way you have.”
“You’re so innocent, Jennifer.” Shannon pushed her forward. “It’s a dog-eat-dog world, and I prefer beingtheapex of apex predators.”
“No, you don’t understand,” Jennifer pointed out. “An apex predator is only apex while his prey fear him. But not when they realize there’s strength in unity.”
“Whatever,” Shannon fobbed Jennifer’s wisdom off. “Move.” She shoved Jennifer forward again, out of the cave. “Stand down.” She addressed Sam and his men. “You all know by now what I’m capable of.”
“Back off!” Sam commanded, his authoritative voice slicing through the air.
As the men moved back, Shannon, undeterred, ascended the stone stairs, using Jennifer as a human shield. At the top of the stairs, she pushed Jennifer towards her bulletproof SUV, intending to make a hasty escape.
“Don’t try anything while I open the car,” Shannon warned. “I’d hate for you never to get the warm fuzzy family reunion your little heart has been secretly yearning for, for forty years.”
As Shannon reached the car door, Harriet’s voice rang out like a warning shot.
“Stop, or I’ll shoot!”
Shannon grabbed Jennifer’s hair to use her as a human shield again. Her hair was released when Shannon slid her arm around Jennifer’s neck. She saw Harriet wielding Aunt Betty’s large six-shooter pistoland pointing it at Shannon with deadly precision. The atmosphere crackled with tension as Harriet, determined and unyielding, questioned Shannon’s fate.
“Oh, look, it’s the faithful friend!” Shannon sneered. “What are you going to do?” She laughed. “Shoot me through your friend?” She cocked her head. “I guess that gun’s probably powerful enough to go through both of us.”
“I’ve been shooting since I was old enough to walk,” Harriet warned Shannon. “Tilt your head again, and I’ll show just how good I am.”
“Are you sure that thing still fires?” Shannon snorted. “It looks like it’s from the Wild West. I doubt the bullets in it are even real as they probably haven’t made them since then either.”
“Maybe.” Harriet’s hand didn’t shake, nor did her voice falter as she inched closer. “But let me ask you this.” She raised an eyebrow. “Are you willing to find out if this pistol still works? Do you feel lucky, Shannon?”
“Seriously?” Jennifer hissed at Harriet, who loved Clint Eastwood movies and was probably trying to find a way to say that.
“I think you have your movies muddled up,” Shannon pointed out. “Dirty Harry’s gun wasn’t as ancient as that thing.”
“If you don’t release Jennifer and give yourself up, I guess we’ll find out if it fires,” Harriet said, her voice and aim still not faltering as she addressed Jennifer. “Jen, what animals freak you out? Remember you told me they’re the one creature you probably wouldn’t have a conscience about learning to hunt?”
“D…” Jennifer’s eyes widened even more as she realized what Harriet was telling her to do.Is she crazy?
But the slight movement of Harriet’s finger on the trigger and shoulders told Jennifer Harriet was deadly serious. Jennifer knew that Aunt Betty would frown on what she was about to do, but it was the only way to get out of Shannon’s grip. She bit down hard on Shannon’s arm.
“Cow!” Shannon grunted and released the grip on Jennifer’s neck.
Jennifer took the gap and slipped out of Shannon’s grip. She dodged sideways and knocked Shannon’s weapon out of her hand, sending it flying to the ground. Jennifer jumped to the side, but Shannon managed to grab her arm as the gunshot exploded through the air. The world seemed to slow, and something hot stung the top of Jennifers’ arm as she heard Shannon grunt, and the next thing Jennifer was being pulled down to the ground, landing beside Shannon.
Pain seared through Jennifer’s arm once the world sped up, making her squeeze her eyes shut. Her hand shot up to grip the painful areaand encountered sticky liquid. Her eyes opened as she brought her hand toward her face.
Is that blood?
“Jennifer, are you okay?” Harriet appeared above her.
“You shot me!” Jennifer accused, holding up her bloody fingers. “I can’t believe you actually shot me!” All the fear, anger, and anxiety of the day tumbled to the surface. “It’s my birthday. You’re not supposed to shoot me!”
“I’m sorry!” Harriet’s brows knitted together, and she held the gun up. “But in my defense, when you told me that Aunt Betty had a gun. I thought it was a cute automatic that a woman carries in her purse, not something out of a Clint Eastwood movie.”
“Jennifer!” Sam’s voice alerted them to the team swarming towards them. He reached them, and his eyes fell on Jennifer’s bloody arm. “Oh, no. You were shot!” He looked at Harriet. His eyes were wide with concern.
