Page 49 of Hero

And when I get into sight of where I left Zed, I see why.

Two men have appeared out of nowhere. They’ve both got shotguns, and they’re aiming them at Zed. Zed has his rifle propped on his shoulder and aimed too, but it’s two against one, so he’s clearly at a disadvantage.

“It’s just me,” he’s saying, his voice hoarse but steady. “I’m alone. I’m just passing through, and I don’t have anything you might want.”

“We heard talking. You aren’t alone.”

“I was talking to myself. Do you see anyone else around?”

I shoot a silent prayer that Rina will stay upstairs and not come running out to see what’s going on. I can picture it happening so clearly, and the vision makes me so sick I almost gag.

If anything bad happens to Rina, Zed and I would both already be dead. That’s an absolute, unalterable fact.

Right now we have one advantage, and it’s that the men don’t know I’m here. I slip around the house closest to where Zed’s standing so I can approach unnoticed from the other side.

Zed keeps them talking. I can hear his voice and their harsh replies. I’m not actually sure what they’re waiting for, but the fact that he’s armed probably makes them hesitate.

Even if they kill him, he could kill one of them first.

When I’m in position, I pull out my gun and aim it at the man closest to me. Neither of them sees me, but Zed does. His eyes barely flicker in my direction, but he must get an accurate sense of what I’m doing.

He slowly shifts his aim to the other man.

Then he gives a brief nod.

I fire on the man I’ve got in my sights, and he fires at the other.

Both of them drop dead before they can pull the trigger.

With a weird little sob, I lower my handgun and stumble over toward Zed, who’s leaning down to check the bodies and kick the shotguns away just in case.

He grabs me with one arm when I reach him and pulls me into a hard hug.

I didn’t actually know I was running for that hug, but I was.

I bury my face in his shirt, breathe in the familiar scent of him, and squeeze him as hard as he’s squeezing me.

“Where did they even come from?” I ask when I finally pull away.

“I have no idea. I had no hint of their presence until they were there, aiming guns at me. Thank God you got pissed at me and stormed off, or I’m not sure what we would have done.”

I make another weird sound—half giggle, half sob. Then I give him one more squeeze before I step back.

When we go back into the house, Rina is nowhere in sight. We both call out a few times before she responds.

She heard the gunshots and, being well trained by her father, ran into the bathroom and hid in the old tub under a blanket. She’s scared but otherwise all right. “Did you and Essie take care of the bad guys, Daddy?”

“Yes. We did. It’s all safe now, and it’s time to go to bed.”

“Will you get in bed with me, Daddy?” Her color is good, and she’s not trembling or jittery. But her eyes are clearly still worried.

“Of course I will.”

So we tuck Rina into bed and Zed climbs in beside her, staying on top of the covers since he’s still dirty and sweaty. He talks to her in a soft, soothing murmur. I smile down at them, my heart flopping uncomfortably in my chest.

When the sappy emotions grow too strong, I catch Zed’s eye and make a head gesture toward the door to let him know I’m going back outside.

I drag the dead bodies away so they won’t still be there when we leave the house in the morning. Then I walk the perimeter with my gun at the ready, but there’s no indication of another living creature around.

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