Page 134 of Stutter

Mav stares at the computer screen and Damon looks down at his phone. “It is. It just lost signal. It happens crossing over the ocean.”

“Like it’s roaming?” I ask, feeling a bit better knowing I’ll be able to pinpoint her location.

“Exactly like that.”

“Got it. It doesn’t show much. But the person that came through was swift. All black. Even the boots. Distracted Kronos with meat.”

“What time?”

Maverick sighs. “Forty minutes after you left.”

“Forty minutes.” I rasp, repeating him. “Forty fucking minutes. I was gone for threehours.”

“We were gone, Jonas.We.” Maverick reminds me.

“Teach me how to use your gun,” I demand.

He doesn’t question me. He just stands and nods, and we go downstairs to the basement gym, Damon follows, but his eyes are glued to his phone, typing away. Mav opens the safe we have down there and pulls out guns and ammo. I should be questioning it, second-guessing myself. I’ve never held a gun before, but as soon as he places it in my hand, the weight of it feels right and all I can think about is gunning anyone and everyone responsible.

I want blood.

Nobody touches my girl.

“There’s a shooting range in town. Let’s go until she pops up again. You may not have a killer aim, but let’s get you as close as we can.”

We pack up everything we can think of, including clothes for our girl. I call my mom on the way to the shooting range, telling her what happened and she’s quick to send the jet to us from Maine.

________

We’ve been shooting for two hours straight, and I’ve finally gotten the hang of it, getting as close to the target as I possibly can. I don’t let my mind wander to anything other than this. Damon is too, shooting closer and closer to the red dot when he gets an alert on his phone.

“She’s showing again. She’s in… they’re over land now, but I think they’re headed to Wales.”

I check my phone, seeing a notification from my mom stating the family jet will be landing in thirty. “They’re all gonna fucking die, Damon.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I know it’s true. I’m sure as fuck not leaving any survivors and if I’m scaring him right now, he makes no sign of it.

But something flashes in his gravestone eyes in understanding. “Agreed.”

We don’t stop by the house to grab anything, just head straight to the airport where my father’s jet is waiting for us.

I don’t eat.

I don’t sleep.

I just pace about the luxurious cabin, planning absolute fucking mayhem on the fuckers that took my girl.

“Jonas. If you don’t sleep, you’re not gonna be able to think straight until we get to her.”

“We wasted time going to the range,” I reply to Maverick.

He shakes his head, pushing his glasses up. “We would’ve had to wait for the jet anyhow and with the way it was snowing when we left…”

I know what he’s thinking. Any minute later they would’ve said we couldn’t fly out. The gun tucked into the waistband of my jeans on my back feels good and cool against my fevered skin.

“We have no idea what’s waiting for us.” Damon interrupts my thinking.

But that doesn’t matter.

I’ll fuck every single one of them up.

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