Page 71 of I'll Be There
The high-pitched shatter ripped through her and she ducked, cowering.
Pull it together, Liza.
Jagged glass marked the edge of the window, and Conner and Pete kicked out the glass as Reuben stepped over it onto the sidewalk. “Come on! Let’s go!”
The fire roared, the kitchen now engulfed, the sirens blaring. Smoke fogged the room, and she coughed, her eyes running.
Raina was crying and Liza crawled over to her to help her. Casper held Layla to his chest, trying to protect her air.
Pete had Mona’s hand, helping her step out when—over the chaos of the fire, the screams, and the growl of the flames—a singular, stinging pop pierced the air.
Liza turned back to Reuben just in time to see when the bullet hit. When his legs buckled. When he pitched into the sidewalk, unmoving.
“Reuben!”
Conner whirled back around at the sound of her scream, and in a second landed on the sidewalk next to the big sawyer.
The second shot whooshed past Conner, hit the bricks next to him, chipping off pellets. He ducked, leaning over Reuben. “Shooter!” He grabbed Reuben under his arms, tugging him—what was he doing,no!—back into the building.
Help him!Liza moved forward, as if she might be the answer, but Micah was already there, lifting Reuben’s legs, hauling him back into the building as another shot zinged off the window frame.
They fell into the burning building, Pete bending over Reuben. “He’s still alive. Help me lift him.”
The blood seemed to be coming from a ragged wound in his upper chest. Micah lifted him.
“I got an exit hole.”
“Okay, let’s get pressure on him.” Pete grabbed a towel discarded on the floor, sooty and black, and wadded it up, laying Reuben down on it. “Get me anything. I need to stop the blood—”
Kyle had whipped off his T-shirt, now threw it at Pete, who grabbed it one-handedly, pressed it to the wound. “C’mon, you big oaf, don’t die on us.”
Conner had crouched down by the window. The fire now crawled inside the dining area, rolling in blue-and-orange flames over the ceiling.
“We gotta get out of here,” Micah said, next to him. Darek had pulled out the long table runner from under the buffet line and now helped Pete wrap it around Reuben’s chest. He hadn’t woken or responded.
Liza crept over to Conner. Blood soiled his shirt and hands, blackened from the fire. Sweat rolled down his temples, onto his chin as he stared out. He caught sight of her. “Stay down.”
But he reached out his hand and squeezed hers, fast. Hard.
“He’s shooting anyone who comes out,” Conner said, his words directed at Micah.
Who—?
“What about the back door?” Micah glanced behind her.
“Locked,” she said.
“There are two of them, remember?” Conner said.
Two of them... “What’s—”
Another explosion lit up the kitchen. Screams, more smoke boiled out. “Get down!” Conner yelled.
“We’ve got maybe two minutes before this whole place goes up.” Jed put his arm to his mouth, coughing into it, his eyes red as he headed back to help Darek.
“He wants me. I’m sure of it,” Conner said.
When Micah nodded, Liza turned hollow. “What—what isgoing on?”
