Page 78 of Paranoia

I heard another gunshot, but it didn’t seem aimed at me. I peeked around the pillar. Cantor had noticed Rob Trilling and was firing at him. I couldn’t see Doyle either on the bench of the booth or on the ground.

Now Cantor refocused on me. She started shuffling toward me like a zombie with the gun held up in her right hand. I knewI’d be in trouble as soon as she had a clear target. Though I had my own gun out of its holster, I was hesitant to shoot. I didn’t want to shoot Cantor. I didn’t want to accidentally shoot any patrons. I didn’t want to shoot anyone.

I sucked in a breath. Made sure my Glock was seated properly in my right hand. Then I stepped from behind the column.

We stared at each other with our pistols up. She kept shuffling toward me.

I said in a loud voice, “Drop the gun, Celeste.” Then I added, “Please.” I tried towillher to drop the gun.

Cantor shook her head slowly and mumbled, “Why?”

I caught Dennis Wu out of the corner of my eye. He moved right next to the window on the outside. He fired his pistol, shattering the wide window and distracting Cantor for just a moment.

She turned to shoot at Wu. Trilling and I had no choice. We both fired our pistols at exactly the same time.

CHAPTER 117

THE GUNFIRE FROM Rob Trilling and me only made the chaotic situation worse. There were at least eight injured people in the restaurant that I could see. Most had been hurt in the stampede to get out. Hearing gunshots didn’t help the people who were unable to move.

Celeste Cantor was on the floor of the restaurant. She was bleeding from her left shoulder and right side. At least that’s what I gathered from my position. She looked like she was conscious, and I wasn’t sure exactly where her pistol was.

I yelled to Trilling, “What do you see?”

“She’s on the ground and the pistol is near her right hand.” It sounded like Trilling was keeping his position by the bar.

I’d stepped out from the cover I had ducked behind as soon as I’d fired. Suddenly, the restaurant felt like the quietest place on Earth. Aside from someone crying near the front door, there wasno sound at all. A piece of glass dropped from the window Wu had shot out. It fell like the blade of a guillotine and sounded like a car crash in the quiet restaurant.

An overturned chair was on the floor between Cantor and me. She made a sound, and as I stepped closer I could see the pistol just past her right hand.

Her eyes seemed to focus. She reached for the gun. I leapt over the chair and landed a couple of feet away. She grasped the pistol in her right hand and immediately stuck the barrel under her chin.

I literally fell on top of her. My free hand wrapped around her wrist. She felt remarkably strong, but I wasn’t sure if it was real or I was imagining it because I was so frightened. I managed to yank the gun a few inches from her chin at the same time she pulled the trigger. The sound of the pistol firing was stunning. The fact that it was only a few inches from my face and ears compounded the effect.

I couldn’t hear anything as I wrestled the gun completely away from Cantor. After reholstering my own gun, I dropped the magazine on hers and pulled back the slide, ejecting the round that was in the chamber. I secured her gun in my belt as my senses slowly started to return to normal.

Finally, I had a chance to check Cantor’s wounds. The shoulder wound wasn’t bleeding too badly. I immediately applied pressure to the bullet hole in her side. That one was oozing blood way too fast. I used both hands and leaned into it.

Trilling came over to check on me, but I shouted for him to help the customers on the ground.

Wu hustled in and started helping Trilling with a teenage girl who appeared to be pretty badly hurt. She was crying and her leg was bent at an awkward angle.

Cantor cleared her throat and stared up at me. I could see that her pupils were dilated. She might have been going into shock. She mumbled something. I leaned down slightly, hoping to hear her better.

She said, “Mike, Mike, what have I done? I screwed up so bad.”

Blood continued to pour out of her wound. It seeped between my fingers and started pooling on the floor.

I told her to hang on, help would be on the way soon. But Celeste Cantor just started drifting off.

I looked over at Trilling and Wu. They appeared to have the young woman settled and calmed down.

At almost the same time, we all seemed to remember Kevin Doyle. I jerked my head toward the booth as Trilling’s and Wu’s heads snapped in that direction as well.

The booth was empty.

CHAPTER 118

THERE WAS A clear trail of blood leading from the booth to the front door. Kevin Doyle had run out of the restaurant during all the confusion.

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