Page 83 of The Devil's Chaos

“Haven shut the fuck up!” Maddie shrieked angrily. “Wait until your brother discovers you tried to help his little pet escape.”

“It’s not what it looks like,” I insisted. I needed to keep her calm and make her think she was in control. Otherwise, she might get spooked and blow my brains out purely by accident. I shifted my body, positioning myself in front of Mila completely, just in case.

“The way I see it, I get to knock out two birds with one stone,” she chuckled. “I get to kill the bitch that took Archer from me, and I get to quiet the annoying cunt of a sister that is always getting special treatment from her brother.”

I recognized the maniacal, unhinged look in her eyes. One or both of us weren’t making it out of here alive.

“Alex will kill you when he finds out.”

“Not when I tell him about this little escape plan of yours. I think he will reward me for murdering his traitorous little sister,” she sneered while keeping the gun pointed in our direction. “The real question is, who should I shoot first? Any volunteers?”

“Maddie, you don’t want to do this,” Mila pleaded with her.

“Oh, but I do though,” she smiled, turning her attention to Mila, wholly consumed with madness.

The time to act was now while she was distracted. I raised my gun and fired off several shots, gun fire echoing through the tiny space. Maddie fell to the ground with a pained yelp, and I didn’t wait for her to get up. Grabbing Mila by the arm, I opened the door to her freedom and shoved her through it. “Stay close to the fence until you reach the hill. Archer is waiting for you there.”

“Wait! Aren’t you coming with me?” She turned to face me.

Her eyes shifted down to my stomach, where I held my side. Maddie had gotten a lucky shot, and it was deep. Blood seeped through my fingers, and I could feel my strength waning.

“You’re hurt. Come with me, and we’ll get you to a hospital.”

I shook my head, giving her a sad smile, gritting my teeth against the pain. “I can’t go with you.”

Her eyes widened with the realization that I was going to die because I saved her. “But you’re hurt,” her eyes widened with horror as she moved to support me.

“I’ll never make it before the cameras turn back on. I’ll be fine. Mila, listen to me. You have to go. Archer is waiting for you. If you don't make it out now, all of this will have been for nothing.”

“Thirty seconds,” Kai’s urgent voice sounded in my ear.

Tears streamed down her face, but she nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I'll come back for you, Haven. I promise,” she insisted stubbornly, even as her legs trembled from exhaustion and pain.

I managed a weak smile. “Don't make promises you can't keep. You need to go. Now!” I pushed her clear of the door, my blood-slicked hand leaving a red smear on her shirt.

With a final anguished look, Mila turned and ran, disappearing into the night. I sagged against the wall, my vision blurring at the edges. The sound of shouting voices and pounding footsteps grew louder, drawing closer. I slammed the door shut behind me.

I smiled as I heard the traffic over the comms. Mila had made it, and she explained to Kai that I wasn’t behind her and I wouldn’t be coming.

“Haven? Haven, what's your status?” Kai's frantic voice crackled in my ear.

I coughed, tasting copper on my tongue. “Mila's safe.”

“What about you? Are you okay?”

I closed my eyes, a wry chuckle escaping my lips. “Not exactly. Maddie caught me. I’m hit pretty bad.” I pressed my hand tighter against the wound, feeling the warm blood seep between my fingers.

There was a pause, and then Kai’s voice tightened with barely controlled panic. “Haven, listen to me. You need to get out of there.”

“There’s no time,” I cut him off, my words slurring slightly. “The cameras will be on any second now.”

“I’m not leaving you behind!” Kai shouted, his voice cracking.

“You have to. We both knew the risks.”

Silence stretched between us, broken only by the sound of my labored breathing.

“Haven…”

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