Free Having It All by Kati Wilde Page A

Gunner and Stone to the bedroom. “Get the others unchained and out.”
    Stone nods and covers Gunner as he slips down the hall.
    “Not arguing,” Red says over the radio, “but this ain’t going to be getting out of here clean. Blindfold them if you can and we’ll drop them off at the Episcopalian church in La Pine. And watch your mouths. Don’t use each other’s names now.”
    Gunner flips off the bedroom light—using the night vision so that he can see but the girls can’t see him. There’s still a strip of light under the bathroom door.
    Muffled shrieks come from the bedroom, shrill with terror. Gunner’s voice is low and reassuring. I cover Stone as he heads in to help.
    “Does Reichmann have his weapon on the girl or the door?”
    “On the door.”
    A rifle or shotgun. That’s gotta be real hard to hold when one of his hands is still healing. But if I go through the door, I might be a dead man. If I shoot through the door, there might be a dead girl.
    That’s not going to happen.
    Bare feet slap the floor. Four women, looking terrified and holding onto each other. Stone’s carrying a fifth over his shoulder.
    “I got two brothers coming out with five women. Do they have a clear path outside?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    I gesture for them to go. “Head to the meet point.”
    Gunner hesitates. “Boss—”
    “Get the fuck out.” I say it easy, but if I have to say it again, it’s going to go down real hard. “I’ve still got eyes watching my back.”
    They head out. I watch the strip of light under the bathroom door. Reichmann’s got a shotgun and a gimp hand. Unless he’s using a semi-automatic, it’s going to be damn hard for him to work the action after he fires his first shot. And even if he’s got a semi-auto, he’s holding onto both a girl and the gun. The kick is going throw his aim off and if he’s not steadying it with both hands, he won’t be able to aim quickly again.
    And he’s a fucking coward. He won’t hold steady. He’ll panic.
    In the living room, I grab one of the guards’ phones. The screen is cracked but I don’t need to use it. Returning to the hall, I crouch low. I put the bathroom door in my sights and aim the assault rifle at the top of the frame. I’m not looking to hit anyone inside; I’m just going for the light.
    The recoil jackhammers against my right shoulder and the bullets rip a hole through the drywall above the door, into the bathroom ceiling. The light winks out. Plaster dust and wood splinters rain across the hallway floor. The woman’s screaming but I can barely hear it through the ringing in my ears.
    I toss the phone at the remains of the door. It hits with a thunk. An instant later, the center of the door blows apart and Reichmann’s shotgun blast booms through the house.
    I’m thinking of Jenny as I charge down the hall and kick through the remains of the door. Thinking of how he had her crammed against that wall in that booth, thinking of the fear and anger on her face. Thinking of the bruises on her arm and her thigh. Thinking how she hadn’t seen him coming.
    He doesn’t see me coming now. He’s dropped the pump-action shotgun and is fumbling for the blade sheathed at his waist, trying at the same time to hold onto the woman pulling away. Her tears are ghostly tracks over her cheeks through the night vision lenses.
    I knock away the knife and slam my fist into his face.
    That’s all it takes. His head snaps back against the tile wall and he crumples into the tub. Fifteen years ago, I killed his brother with one kick. I didn’t mean to—and I didn’t even know that he’d gone into a coma and died until the cops showed up.
    I don’t know if I killed Reichmann now with that hit. But this time, I mean to. Grabbing his head, I jerk his chin around until his neck snaps.
    Now I’m sure.
    • • •
    Jenny
    There’s no moon in the sky. Only darkness outside. My heart lodged in my throat when Saxon left; the lump hasn’t moved yet. I