Page 135 of Rear View
Barlowe’s stare dropped to my phone. “Give that to me.” Then to Zoya, “Yours too.”
My chest heaved, my breaths too short. Too shallow. Air. I needed air.
Hands tremoring, I extended my arm. Z followed suit. Barlowe snatched the devices away and stuffed them into his pocket. I tried not to let the panic take over, because we’d planned for this. No. Xavier had. Xavier had protected me.Wouldprotect me. Xavier. I needed him.
Stan edged toward me, drawing Barlowe’s eye. “Be reasonable, Professor. We can figure this out.”
We needed help. I needed to send a message. Squeezing Zoya’s hand, I reached into my pocket. She inclined her head and shimmied closer, blocking my arm from view. My fingers grazed the flip phone. Subtly, I slipped it free.
Barlowe shook his head. “You didn’t think I’d know you’d gone snooping, Stanley? That I wouldn’t have an alert on my system?”
I toggled until I hit a name in my contacts but couldn’t look down long enough to know which. My hand shook, fingers tracking erratically over the keypad as I typed, praying the words made sense.Message. I need to send a goddamn message!
I clicked a button. Sent. At least, I hoped. If I could’ve just stopped shaking, I could tell.
Stan’s hand shot to the radio on his hip. He hit the call button. It beeped. Barlowe pulled the trigger. Theboomthat rang out was deafening. Stan jumped back, but notbefore the bullet pierced his stomach. He grunted, his shirt and skin tearing wide.
Zoya and I screamed, scurrying back. The flip phone slipped from my grasp. Landing on my boot, it skimmed quietly across the floor. Out of reach. Too far to go without pulling Barlowe’s attention. My heart seized.
Blood poured from Stan’s gash, spilling to the floor.
Barlowe advanced, looming over him. Taking aim, he fired three more shots into Stan’s chest. Stan rasped a breath, more blood spurting. Air hissed through the wound. He jolted, and kicked, then stopped moving.
My adrenaline spiked, eyes flying wide. Dead. He was dead.Barlowe killed him!
Run, Ryah.You need to run.
“Go!” I said as I shoved Z and bolted for the exit.
Barlowe exploded across the room, his bloodstained hand latching on to her hair before he jerked her to a halt. Zoya grunted, her legs skidding as her boots shrieked across the floor and he set the sizzling muzzle to her throat. “Don’t. Fucking. Move.”
I froze when a sheer level of terror I’d never felt before turned my blood cold.
“You didn’t listen, Ryah Jane.” He pressed the gun deeper until it bit into Z’s skin, and she winced. “And now you’ve backed me into a corner. You should have justlistened.”
A lone tear slithered down Zoya’s cheek. “Screw you, asshole.”
The metal trigger tinked when he tapped his finger over it.
She whimpered.
I needed to do something, to placate him. Fast. I raisedmy hands, palms out. “I’m sorry,” I uttered. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt her, please!”
“You will be sorry.” He dragged her toward the door. “The three of us are leaving now. You’re both going to go quietly, or what I did to Stanley will be nothing compared to what I do to your friend here, do you understand?”
Tears brimmed my eyes. That ringing in my ears grew louder. “Yes.”
Lowering the gun, he set it against Zoya’s ribs. “Now, walk quickly and do what you’re told, Ryah Jane.” He gave her shoulder a shove. “Both of you, go!”
I wanted to scream. But who would hear? Campus was empty. No one would come.
Willing every ounce of concentration into my next move, I took one step, then another, until I closed in on the door. Barlowe’s grip dug into Z’s elbow as he steered her forward. His pace was rapid, and she stumbled, trying to keep her feet as he barreled her toward the exit.
I had to do something. Help her. Stop him. I couldn’t lose Z, but if he left with both of us, every instinct in me told me I would.
My gaze met hers for a fraction of a second, offering a warning. One I hoped she understood.
Barlowe crossed into the hall. Planting my foot, I pushed off, and charged, my shoulder dipping as I slammed into him from behind. His grip on her slipped as he ambled forward but he caught himself quick.
