Chapter 14 - THE LAST BULLET
The bullet hit Adrian in the shoulder.
He spun and fired back.
Eleanor dropped behind the stage.
Maya pulled Elena behind a pillar.
Charles struggled against the chair.
Outside, Mercer’s team began pounding on locked doors.
“Police!”
Adrian fired toward Eleanor.
“You should’ve stayed gone!”
“You should’ve stayed dead!” Eleanor screamed.
Another shot.
Glass shattered.
Maya crawled toward Charles.
“What are you doing?” Elena hissed.
“Getting him out.”
“Stay down!”
Maya reached the chair.
Charles stared at her.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“I’m hearing that a lot tonight.”
She worked at the rope.
“You knew you were my father and you said nothing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t get that word yet.”
“Fair.”
A bullet ripped into the floor beside them.
Maya ducked.
Charles shouted, “Eleanor! Stop!”
Eleanor stepped out with her gun trembling.
“You think any of this ends with prison?”
“Yes,” Maya shouted. “That’s usually how getting caught works.”
Eleanor laughed wildly.
“You stupid girl. You think Charles will protect you?”
“I don’t need him to.”
“That’s what your mother thought.”
Elena stepped into view.
Eleanor aimed at her.
Adrian raised his weapon at Eleanor.
Three people.
Three guns.
Three histories colliding.
Then Luis appeared from the service entrance.
“Maya!”
She stared.
“What are you doing here?”
“Saving you badly! It’s a family tradition!”
Even Mercer, somewhere behind the locked door, shouted, “LUIS, GET DOWN!”
Eleanor turned toward the voice.
That was enough.
Adrian lunged.
The guns went off almost together.
Eleanor screamed and fell.
Adrian staggered.
His weapon slid across the floor.
Maya ran toward it.
So did Adrian.
They reached it at the same time.
He grabbed her wrist.
She struck him with her elbow.
He shoved her hard.
Maya fell.
Adrian snatched up the gun.
Charles, finally free, threw himself between them.
Adrian aimed.
“Move.”
Charles didn’t.
“Move!”
“No.”
Maya looked up.
Charles stood unarmed, bleeding, facing the son he had erased.
Adrian’s hand trembled.
“You think dying for her fixes anything?”
“No.”
“Then move.”
“No.”
Adrian’s eyes filled with tears.
“I hate you.”
“I know.”
“I wanted you afraid.”
“I am.”
“I wanted you to lose everything.”
“I have.”
“No, you haven’t!”
Charles looked at Maya.
“Yes, I have.”
Adrian screamed and pulled the trigger.
Click.
Empty.
For one stunned second, nobody moved.
Then Mercer’s team smashed through the side doors.
“DROP IT!”
Adrian stared at the useless weapon in his hand.
Eleanor, bleeding on the floor, laughed.
“I emptied it.”
Adrian turned toward her.
“You—”
She raised a second gun from beneath her body.
Maya saw it first.
“CHARLES!”
Eleanor fired.
Charles jerked backward.
May you like
Maya screamed.
And the sunrise began spilling through the windows.
