Page 78 of Love Bleeds Red
The grounds are massive. Rolling hills and sprawling green, gardens and pruned hedges, random stone paths leading in the opposite direction of the treeline. I remember this place looking like something out of my fairytale picture books, too bad the reality never matched the vision.
We crouch and take slow steps forward, eyes peeled for guards. I hope they didn’t get caught… that’ll make this so much fucking harder.
“There.” Damon points toward a stone fountain ahead. “Something moved.”
“Might not be them,” I say, but head in that direction anyway. The fountain provides good cover while we catch our breaths. Its trickling sound blocks out our voices.
“This is nuts, bro,” Jasper says. “Your dad lives like a king.”
“Not my dad,” I correct. Dad implies he’s a part of my life. He’s been there from the start. “Sperm donor is more like it.”
Jas nods, dropping the subject.
“What the fuck do we do now?” Damon asks. As the words leave his lips, the alarms stop wailing.
“Shit,” I whisper.
A twig snaps to our left, and within seconds a guard jogs down a path right toward us. I hold a finger up to my lips, and pull my gun out. The guys do the same.
His radio crackles, and a voice comes through. “Check in.”
Holding it up to his lips, he says, “No visual on the escapees. Circling the fountain garden for the trespassers.”
Bloody wonderful. They know we’re here. I guess I knew that was bound to happen.
“Escapees?” Jasper mouths.
I knew it. They’re running away from here.
The guard’s flashlight sweeps in our direction. We press farther against the fountain, hiding in the shadows, but it’s only a matter of moments before he finds us.
“Shit,” Damon whispers. He raises his gun an inch and I know what he’s thinking.
We’re fighting our way out of here.
The beam catches the edge of Damon’s jacket. The guard holds the light there, his hand moving to his weapon.
“Go!” I cry.
We scatter in different directions as the guard shouts into his radio. “Multiple contacts near the fountain! Requesting backup!”
Damon’s on his feet first, circling wide to get behind the guard. Jasper goes left, using the fountain for cover. I stand, dropping my gun and putting my hands up, keeping his attention focused on me.
“Stay right there!” the guard yells, his weapon pointed at my chest.
I take a step forward, into the light. “Easy, mate. Just out for a walk.”
“Get on the ground,” the guard calls.
I lower myself, keeping my eyes trained on Damon, who’s slowly creeping behind the guard. This is exactly what we wanted.
“Look,” I tell him. “There’s been a misunderstanding. I’m a guest. I?—”
Damon attacks from behind, wrapping his arm around the guard’s throat in a sleeper hold. The man struggles, thrashing, but Damon’s done this move before, and within seconds, he’s gone limp. Damon lowers him gently to the ground.
“Nice,” Jasper says, stepping out of the shadows.
I tuck my gun away, and grab the man’s radio, switching it off. “We don’t have long before that backup he called for comes our way.”
