Page 56 of A Very Happy Thanksgiving
Phae didn’t answer, just kept scanning the wall of green. Once, Marc had seen the beauty in nature, but now every bush was a hiding place, every tree a shield. Katie stirred at his feet. Thank fuck for that. He crouched, stroking her hair as he helped her to sit up.
“Whaaa—”
“Keep her quiet,” Phae snapped.
“We’re all going to die.”
“Oh, please. Do you think I’m an amateur? I’ve been in far worse jams than this.”
“How should I know? You’ve been avoiding me for the past ten years.”
“Only because you decided to start a whole new life without consulting me first.”
“It was supposed to be a good thing. I wanted us to have financial stability.”
“We had financial stability. Didn’t I pay your rent? Your utilities?”
“I had college tuition.”
“Which I also offered to pay, but you said you’d handle it.”
“I thought I should contribute something.”
“Well, congratulations; you did. You contributed to our breakup.”
“You two…you two know each other?” Katie asked, coughing.
“That’s none of your damn business.”
“Seriously?” She tried to stand, but dizziness sent her sideways. Marc caught her before she hit the deck. “This…this is the place you choose for a fight? He’s right; we’re all gonna die.”
“Who brought Marc here, huh? It wasn’t me.” Phae pressed a hand to her ear. “This isn’t funny.” A pause. “It’s not. Go fuck a hand grenade.” Another pause. “I do; want me to toss it over?”
Marc processed her words, stress slowing his thoughts and turning them to sludge. Wait, did Phae have a grenade? This wasn’t the woman he used to know. New Phae was insane. New Phae was also a little scary.
And new Phae was the only hope he had of getting out of Indonesia alive.
CHAPTER 21
Phae
Dammit all to hell.
Everything I’d wanted to avoid was hitting me at once. Terrorists, Emmy Black’s annoying laughter, a kidnapper I’d happily leave for dead if Marc wasn’t with me. And our reunion was an argument. Terrific.
Jez reported they had nineteen live rounds left, plus a couple dozen blanks. One of the three men in the house had tried to play hero, and now he was bleeding out from a chest wound. Frank had been hit in the shoulder. Heath had a full magazine, but he also had a sobbing Serena to protect, and he was moving her away to safety, which none of us could argue with.
As for me, I had seven rounds in my primary weapon, another nine in my backup, and two civilians, one of whom was concussed. Marc was looking at me funny. Priest and Mimi were allegedly twenty-five minutes away now, but they might as well be on Mars, and Storm reported at least sixteen hostiles were converging on my position.
So, just another Sunday, really.
And I had a plan. Of course I had a plan.
I unstrapped my backup and held it out to Marc, butt first.
“The only friendly with a dick in these parts is Heath. If you see any other man approach, shoot him.”
He stared at the pistol. “I can’t shoot a person.”
