Page 285 of The Reluctant Hero

When I get back to the stage area, I stop to catch my breath. Cardio is not for me. Neither is getting shot, saving people, and anything that surrounds me right now. My eyes hit the steps I’m standing next to, and anger takes over again.

“I swear to God, if someone pushes me down these stairs, I’m going to set this place on fire,” I mutter grimly.

I’m out of breath again when I get to the next room. A casino with blackjack and roulette tables. No one is here. There are hallways leading out in two different directions.

A left turn and another dark hallway later, I’m in a smoking area with leather couches and a bookshelf taking up one wall. I haven’t seen another person yet. Not even Brass.

It’s way too easy, and I don’t like it. But my warning system is quiet. It’s simple dread and paranoia making me more cautious, which is probably not a bad thing.

I make it through the smoking room and the restaurant. The more familiar layout and lack of action have restored a little of my confidence. Then, the hair on the back of my neck starts to rise in the sitting room with the bar. The feeling of doom hits my chest, and calm envelopes me.

Gunfire erupts from above me, echoing in a painful stab to my ears. It sounds like more than one, but I can hardly tell with how fast the rounds are coming out. Is that an Uzi? Or five of them?

Yelling and some screams of pain follow. Shouts of confusion.

Brass comes careening around the corner, his face ashen. He tries to stop, sliding until he falls on his ass.

“They’re all dying out there,” he squeals, scrambling to get up.

“Who?” I demand, trying to pretend he didn’t just scare the hell out of me.

“Everyone.” He finally gains his feet and tries to approach me like I’m his ticket out.

Why is Brass acting chummy with me? He fuckingkidnappedme!

“We aren’t friends, fuck off,” I tell him with a scowl, lifting up Jakob. My eyes move to the doorway and back to Brass quickly.

“I’m hiding,” Brass tells me and tries to hurry past me.

No way.

My foot slides out, tripping him up. He lands flat on his face, reminding me of Sarah for a split second. Jakob spins in my hand as if it has a will of its own. I bring it up, clenching both hands around the bulb end and bring it down on him without mercy.

I don’t know how many times I hit him. My arms are rubbery, and he isn’t moving. It’s good enough for me.

Gunfire rings around my head for a minute, much closer than before, until it all stops.

The sudden silence is as startling as the rattling noise of multiple bullets.

How many people are dead out there? And who could have done it?

I have two choices. Hide like a coward and pray I make it out. Or I can walk into a dangerous situation like a scary movie victim and get killed anyway.

Based on how hiding out has worked for me so far and the fact that there are a lot of people back there who need to gohome, I know which way to go. I march towards the next set of steps with Jakob at the ready.

I’m halfway up when someone runs from the entrance and down a few steps, stopping in front of me. Jakob goes up defensively before my eyes widen.

The hand holding the gun drops as his arm falls. Gabriel’s pale face and blood-splattered white shirt stuns me. His hair has fallen out of its tail to cover half his expression. One amber eye reflects pain and remorse back at me as he falters down another step. A gunshot echoes above as soon as his foot hits. Then he stands still.

“Mana-chan.”

His voice is broken into pieces and rough over my name.

“Are you hurt?” I whisper back, eyeing all the blood on him.

He shakes his head and releases me from my paralysis.

I run up the steps to throw myself into his arms before he can finish raising them. He clamps me to him, holding my shirt in a tight fist.

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