He started to speak, but one of the girls slowly raised her arm and pointed out into the hallway.
He moved to the side and turned around to see a door. When he looked back to the young girl, she still pointed out to the hallway, directly at the same door.
“Is there a boy in there?” he asked.
Neither girl responded, but the other girl now lifted up her arm and pointed to the same place.
Gabriel turned out of the room and moved across the hallway. He reached for the handle, turned it, and pulled. His eyes widened.
“Dylan.”
The boy sat on the floor of a small linen closet, not making a noise. He wasn’t tied up or gagged, so Gabriel assumed he had been hiding.
“Let’s get you out of here.”
Just as Gabriel leaned down to pick the boy up, the floor creaked and he heard a forceful grunt. He turned just in time to see David Ellis lunging at him with a knife. Gabriel dodged, avoiding most the blow, but the knife still grazed his shoulder blade, ripping his shirt and cutting him so that he grimaced.
David struck again, leaving Gabriel no time to tend to his wound. This time, Gabriel managed to roll out of the way, causing David to miss all together. But in the process, Gabriel’s gun fell from his waist, sliding into the open room with the two young girls.
When he got to his feet, he stood less than ten feet away from David. Gabriel had no weapon left, while David tossed his knife from hand to hand. Looking to David’s belt, Gabriel noticed that the man also carried a handgun.
“I’m gonna enjoy butchering you,” David said.
Gabriel fought for each breath. His back was to the dead end of the hall, and he was looking toward the stairs beyond David. Behind him were rooms he’d yet to check, and for all he knew, there could be others waiting in there, and he’d be surrounded. David lunged toward him, and when Gabriel gasped and jumped back, David laughed.
“This is gonna be way too fuckin’ easy,” David said.
Raising the knife, David came at Gabriel.
Gabriel’s eyes went wide, and he was able to maneuver away from the blow. He ended up beside David and punched him in the kidney. David winced, then turned toward Gabriel and stabbed at him again. Gabriel caught David’s wrist, then used his free hand to grab David’s shirt at the shoulder and drive him against the wall. David struggled to try and use his free hand to punch Gabriel, but he fought it off, all the while managing to keep the knife from driving into him. Feeling like he was about to lose leverage, Gabriel brought his knee up into David’s gut, which was enough of a shock to make the man drop the knife.
Gabriel pulled at David and then jammed him against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. With David stunned, Gabriel delivered a blow directly below his left eye. It only managed to hold David back for a moment, as he reared back and delivered his own right hook, connecting with the side of Gabriel’s face.
The two men now found themselves engaged in a fist fight, trading punches and throwing each other against the walls to each side, both men bleeding from their cheeks.
Ducking a hook, David was able to grab the back of Gabriel’s head and slam him against the wall. Gabriel could hear his own nose crunch against the drywall, and it felt like the entire thing turned inside-out and drove into his brain. He crumbled to the ground.
Gabriel writhed on the wooden floor, blood pooling from his nostrils. He put his hand to his face, and it came back crimson. Then he felt an intense pain in his ribcage as David kicked him in his left side.
“You’re fucking useless,” David said, spitting down at the ground right next to Gabriel.
Gabriel curled into a ball, clutching his side. He felt the blood continue to pour from his broken nose, collecting on the wooden floor. He struggled to breathe, fighting for every breath as his lungs felt like they punched at his beaten ribs. When he heard a click, he looked up.
David stood over him, the barrel of a Glock pointed squarely at his head. David’s mouth crescendoed into a smile as their eyes met.
“I should have already done this when I had the chance,” David said. “At least I got to kick your ass around a bit before watching you die.”
Gabriel tensed every muscle in his body, closed his eyes, and looked away. He thought of Katie and Sarah. He wondered if they were still out there somewhere, trying to survive like he was. Were they waiting for him? Were they out trying to find him? Then, another thought came to him. He pondered whether his beautiful wife and daughter might, perhaps, be awaiting him in the afterlife.
As these questions held his focus, Gabriel heard a yell and then felt the weight of someone on top of him. He grimaced again, his body still aching from the fight.
“Boy, you better get the hell outta the way right now,” David said.
David glared at Dylan, who shielded Gabriel’s body.
“Please, don’t hurt him,” Dylan said.
David scoffed, and then Gabriel, barely able to look up from the ground, felt the boy begin to struggle as David worked to pull him off the injured man beneath him.
The weight of Dylan left Gabriel, and he looked up to see David clutching the boy with his free hand while he reacquainted the barrel of the Glock with its target.
A gunshot sounded, and Gabriel flinched, closing his eyes and awaiting an intense pain—a burn.
But he didn’t feel anything.
The gunshot hadn’t come from David’s gun. Gabriel looked up to see David looking back and forth between his target and something behind him. He’d finally let Dylan go, but now held him by the arm at his side.
Gabriel fought to look around David, and he finally saw where the shot had come from.
The two young girls who’d been sitting in the room now stood side by side, just outside the doorway. One of them, the older looking of the two, had Gabriel’s handgun fixed on David.
“Sweetie, put the gun down,” David said in a cordial manner.
The girl ignored David, keeping the gun pointed at him.
“Hand over the gun. I won’t hurt you.”
David reached out to try and wrangle the gun from the child, and Gabriel startled when the gun went off again. She’d shot just beyond David, seemingly missing him on purpose once more as another warning, and blowing a hole in the wall just behind Gabriel. Gabriel hoped it would be his last warning.
“No more killing,” the girl not holding the weapon, said. “Leave.” Her tone was mumbled and gentle.
David looked back down toward Gabriel and scowled. He backed away, heading towards the stairs. Dylan cried out for Gabriel, and David covered the boy’s mouth. The girls apparently didn’t care if David took the child; they just wouldn’t allow Gabriel to die here in front of them.
“Not gonna be so lucky next time,” David said.
Gabriel scratched at the wood floor, trying desperately to make it to his feet. Even with his mouth muted, Dylan continued to cry a muffled scream. But Gabriel didn’t have it in him to get to stand.
He watched David and Dylan disappear down the stairs, and then he passed out.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
David
Once downstairs, David contemplated heading out the front door. Will’s truck was now parked in the center of the yard, a straight line from the front porch, and the two groups were still trading fire. He decided to try and sneak around the back so as to not be seen.
When they arrived at the back door, only a screen door stood between them and the outside as gunshots continued to sing through the cool Autumn air. He pushed through the door and poked his head around the corner.
A line of tall bushes sat ten yards from the back door, stretching beyond the width of the large farmhouse. He scanned the area, noticing that it was clear. When he looked down to his left, he could see a pickup truck sitting behind the barn. It was Clint’s truck. He’d ridden in it himself, so he knew that it ran.
Jackpot.
“Come on,” he said, tugging on Dylan’s arm.
“Where
are you taking me?”
“Disney World. Come on.”
David tightened his grip on the boy’s forearm and pulled him down the stairs. He crept toward the corner of the house, then poked his head around the wall to look out toward the firefight. Danny, Clint, and Horace hid behind the large tree, which was luckily thick enough at its base to shield all three men. Halfway between the tree and the farmhouse sat the hospital group’s truck. The cab appeared empty, but Marcus, Holly, and Will crouched down on the driver’s side, using the vehicle as a shield from oncoming gunfire. He watched Marcus peak over the bed of the truck and fire toward the hillbillies, narrowly missing Danny.
From where David stood, he could take a shot at Will. He was a damn good shot, and even with a Glock, he’d have at least a small chance of hitting him. He pointed the gun toward him, cocking the weapon in preparation. His finger itched at the trigger, one eye closed tight as he took aim. Right as he’d started to squeeze, he put the gun down and decided against taking the shot. Not yet.
No, he had a much better idea.
***
Will
Will waited for the men to reload before peeking over the hood of the truck and shooting back. He fired off four rounds, then ducked back out of sight.
“Shit! Sarah!” Holly said.
The nurse had been given instructions to follow Holly’s lead out of the truck. Instead, she still lay inside, screaming as gunfire continued to fly overhead and slam against the passenger side.
“She’s gotta get out of there before they fire a round heavy enough to pierce through the panel and hit her,” Marcus said.
“Sarah,” Will said, shouting, “you’ve got to get out of the truck, now!”
The nurse continued to wail.
“Shit,” Marcus said.
Marcus turned around toward the truck and reached through the doorway. He grabbed Sarah by her ankle.
“Sarah, sweetie, you’ve got to get out of the truck.”
Will wished he’d just left Sarah back at the hospital. They desperately needed every set of hands they could have for the fight, but having the terrified nurse around was futile.
She finally stopped the constant wail, only yelling out when a heavy shot went off.
“Come on!” Marcus shouted.
Apparently confused, Sarah sat up.
“No!” Marcus called.
A single shot from a rifle sounded off, and there was a grotesque thud. Will looked into the truck just in time to see Sarah’s head splatter all over the windows inside. Her body fell forward and her arms dangled out the door. The open door blocked Will’s view of the rest of Sarah, but he could see her blood pouring down onto the ground.
Marcus turned away, moving back to his position by the rear tire.
“Goddammit!”
Will clenched his eyes shut for just a moment before he regained his focus. Somehow, the driver’s side window was still in tact. He stood in a crouched position and moved around Holly to the driver’s side front door, rising until he could look through the window.
“What can you see?” Holly asked.
“Two of the men are hiding behind that tree,” Will said. “Then there’s a shack twenty yards or so off to the left, and that big asshole is using that as cover.”
Will ducked back behind the truck.
“Did you see the girl or the Empty?” Marcus asked, yelling over the gunfire.
As soon as there was a break in the fire, Will rose again to where his eyes could just look through the window. He scanned the yard, looking for the Empty, but it had apparently disappeared. He then looked back toward the table. He could see it shaking. Apparently, whoever—or whatever—was bound there was struggling on the other side. Will ducked all the way out of view again.
“I’m not sure where the Empty went,” Will said. “Maybe they shot it, but I don’t see a body.” And the table is moving. That girl could still be alive on the other side. We’ve gotta do whatever we can to make sure we don’t hit her.”
The gunfire came to a halt.
It became so quiet that Will could hear the girl struggling on the table. He hoped that one of the men wouldn’t get tired of her writhing and shoot her.
“No one needs to get hurt,” one of the men shouted. “Put down your weapons.”
“Where’s Dylan?” Will yelled back.
“Who?”
“The boy! Where’s the boy?”
Will heard feet moving through the grass near the tree. Marcus had apparently heard it, too, as he poked his head around the back of the truck. Will rose again to look through the cab of the truck. A skinny man with long hair was making a bee-line for the large barn.
Marcus put the rifle to his shoulder and took aim. He was able to do so at an angle where the other two men couldn’t see him setting up a shot.
Will covered his ears, and Holly did the same.
The shot went off.
A yell.
Marcus withdrew the gun and retreated back to his resting position.
“Son of a bitch!” the man who’d been trying to negotiate yelled.
The two remaining men opened up fire again on the pickup truck.
There was another break in the shooting, and Will looked over to Marcus.
“Helluva shot.”
“Thanks.”
“They’ve gotta run out of ammo soon,” Holly said.
“You’d think so,” Will said. “Let’s just make sure we make our shots count.” He looked over to Holly. “Do like Marcus did and see if you can peek around the front bumper while keeping most of your body protected behind the truck. Keep an eye on the guy behind the shack and see if you can hit him. Jessica is still off in that bush somewhere, but I think they’ve forgotten about her. Make sure he doesn’t make a run for her.” Then he looked over to Marcus. “Try to keep an eye on the house in case someone is in there. It’s doubtful, because I’m sure they’d have come out by now. Other than that, set up over the top of the truck bed, and fire at whichever one of these assholes you can get a good shot at. I’m gonna stay focused on Boss Man behind the tree.”
They each took their positions, and the firefight continued.
***
Gunfire be damned, David reached the vehicle behind the barn, unscathed. He dragged Dylan over and opened the unlocked passenger side door. He pushed the boy inside.
“Stay here. I’ve got no issue putting a bullet in your back if you decide to try something funny.”
David slammed the door and hurried around to the driver’s side. He opened up the door and sat in the driver’s seat. Rummaging around for keys, he checked under the visor, in the armrest, and in the glove box. A key was nowhere to be found. It was an older model sedan, so he figured he should have no problem jump-starting it. So, he stepped out and kneeled down, leaning into the floorboard.
A short time later, the car roared to life.
David stood, about to step into the vehicle when he heard rustling in the nearby brush. He turned to face the tree-line and drew his Glock. He crept toward the sound, working to tune out the fight happening in front of the barn. He heard a weep and the plants rustled again. David moved around a bush, and saw a figure lying down, trying to hide. He cocked his gun.
It was Samuel, the preacher.
“Please, don’t hurt me. I just want to get out of here,” Samuel said, pleading.
“How the fuck did you get back here?” David asked.
The preacher put up his hands, both of them trembling.
Another noise caught David’s attention, and he turned. It sounded as if it had come from the other side of the barn.
“Please, don’t—”
The boy hit the passenger side window and yelled something from the front seat of the vehicle. Samuel narrowed his eyes.
“What’s going on?” Samuel asked.
“Shut your mouth,” David hissed at the preacher. He shook his head, then turned and crept toward the back of the barn.
He put his bac
k up against the rear of the building, and slowly shuffled toward the corner. Shadows covered the backside of the barn, the sun starting to settle down for sleep. A cool breeze snuck through the tree-line. As he approached the corner, he heard the sound of something wiggling in the tall grass again, and whatever it was growled. He tensed, holding a strong grip on the Glock. His heart beat against his chest, and he felt the urge to destroy creep up into his gut again. This was it. He’d fulfill that need again.
Just as he started around the corner, he heard a snarl, and the creature lunged at him. It howled, diving straight at David’s arm. He never saw it coming until it was on him.
The Empty, still dragging the pole looped around its neck, sunk its teeth into David’s forearm, just above the wrist. Before it had the chance to tear away the skin, David pressed the barrel of the handgun to the thing’s temple and pulled the trigger.
He fell to the ground, gasping for air.
Shit. Oh, shit.
David sat with his back against the rear wall of the barn, pressing his palm down against the wound. His mind raced and he felt lightheaded. Footsteps approached from the brush, and he looked up to see the preacher at his side.
“Oh, no,” Samuel said.
The preacher dashed to the car, grabbing a shop towel that sat on the trunk.
“Here,” he said. Samuel wrapped the towel around David’s arm, tying it taut.
David’s heart raced faster as his mind panicked. He couldn’t believe he’d been so careless.
“Help me up,” David requested.
Samuel grabbed onto David’s good arm, and leaned down to help him to his feet. David grimaced, having to use his bitten arm to help push himself off the ground. On his feet, he headed for the driver’s side of the vehicle.
“Get in the back,” David said.
Samuel narrowed his eyes. “You can’t drive. And where will you take me?”
“We’re gonna get away from this shithole and you’re gonna fix this.”
“But, sir, I—”
David drew the Glock and aimed it at Samuel’s head. “I ain’t got nothin’ to lose. I’ll kill ya.” He loaded a round into the chamber, circling his lips with his tongue. “Now, you better jump in the back seat of this car right now, or I’ll pull this damn trigger. Don’t test me, priest.”
Empty Bodies 3: Deliverance (Empty Bodies Series Book 3) Page 12
