Page 95 of Debt of My Soul

Shock gives way to tears and they trickle down my cheek. Every emotion from those days in the cell floods my body.

I knew people were watching me. That the camera provided a way for people to laugh or check on me, but knowinghedrew me like this. Helpless. Alone.

A loudPOPechoes around the cabin and I jump, dropping the paper to the floor. Swinging to the front door, I find it’s still closed, and Liam hasn’t returned yet.

POP.

POP. POP.

I slam the portfolio closed and shove the pencil pouch back against the desk, then take off for a window.

There isn’t too much noise out here at the compound. The extent of the ruckus comes from the guys and their parties, perhaps a few noisy shipments. This is sharp and abnormal. While most of the guards at the gate carry weapons, I haven’t once heard a gun discharge while here.

But that sound?—

Gunfire.

More pops and bangs bounce off the surrounding wood and I peek out the window, squinting to see what’s going on. A few men from the neighboring cabins leap from their porches while several figures I don’t recognize sneak around. I realize too slowly they’re armed and kicking in doors one by one.

For a moment, relief calms me. Have the police finally decided to show up?

But any hope of that dies when a shrill scream from the edge of the compound pulls my attention. I barely catch the curly-haired woman who works around the clubhouse being pulled into the woods by her feet. The man dragging her is unrecognizable, but the long weapon strapped over his shoulder can’t be missed.

What the hell?

Racing to the door, I fling it open in time to hear another gurgled cry before she disappears.

It’s then the chaos makes itself known.

Unknown persons with weapons dart around while several men from the compound fight back. I flinch with each shot, ducking behind the porch railing, and watch as men shoot back and forth. Another scream tears through the stagnant night air and I whip my head to see a man straddling another woman. Her back is thrown on the gravel pathway, her shirt rides up to expose the chewed-up skin around her sides as she pants and struggles to wrestle the man off her.

A million thoughts run through my head, mainly regarding who these attackers are and what they want. Never would I assume responsibility for these people, the criminals who took me and turned my home into ash. But if there’s any injustice here currently, it’s this man planning to take what does not belong to him.

I curl my hands around the porch railing, gripping tight enough my knuckles turn white. With a sigh and a deep breath, I dart from my spot, running toward the man.

“Hey! Get off her!”

The man’s head darts to mine, and he raises his weapon at me at the same time the girl beneath him bucks. He loses his balance and topples to the stone, cursing. The woman scrambles to get up and I reach her in time to give her a hand. She climbs up my arm, almost pulling me down beside her. We both take off running.

“The … club … house,” she pants and grabs my arm as our feet dig into the gravel pathways.

Another shot fires from behind me and a man I recognize from the guard station thumps to the ground. More screams, both from men and women, distract me and I trip over a bleeding arm extended over the pathway.

Skidding on the knife-like stones, I throw my hands out to temper my fall. Rock pieces tear my flesh and blood instantlywarms my palms. Slipping, I grapple to stand. The woman halts ahead and turns to find me getting up, but quickly her eyes widen and she takes off running in the opposite direction.

A ping next to me blasts part of the path away, and the cock of a gun freezes my slow crawl. Over my shoulder, the man following us has caught up.

I stare up at him, the barrel of his gun inches from my forehead.

My brain registers very little. Seemingly unimportant facts slither through my mind about how tall he is, or how I’ve never seen this man in Ruin before. But as he reaches down for my shirt and gathers a fist around it, my thoughts stride to Liam.

Is he okay? Please be okay.

There’s more yelling, but the slowing of my breaths and the pounding of my heart in my ears make any words unintelligible. The man above me is red-faced and yelling at me, but I don’t hear him as he drags me off the path and into the woods.

Chapter 37

Liam

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