Page 4 of Little Bird
Suddenly a shadow falls across us and a man shoots into our path, and I crash right into him, too close to stop myself. Arden runs into me and I can feel another impact that must mean Stella was right on our heels, and when I look up, I see the man I noticed earlier in the corner.
The one who was too awake at midnight.
“Professor Hawke?” Arden asks from behind me.
I jerk, surprised. Professor? Does he teach at NYU? I’ve never seen him, but Arden is in a different program than I am, and I don’t question that she might know him.
I do question what comes out of Stella’s mouth, though.
“Benjamin?”
The word is a gasp, full of relief and something that sounds an awful lot like longing, and I shoot a look over my shoulder at my best friend. She’s right behind Arden, towering over the smaller girl, and though I expect to see her looking terrified and confused—which is what I’m feeling—her face is...
Relieved.
She’s staring at the man in front of me like he’s fucking Jesus Christ, come down off his cross just to save her.
My mind snags on the thought but before I can process it someone in the restaurant part of the building starts shooting again, and every thought of Stella’s face goes right out of my brain.
Until a large, muscular arm shoots around me to grab both Arden and Stella. My friends grasp his hand like he’s some sort of familiar lifeline and are immediately yanked around me to this Benjamin Hawke’s side.
Moments later they’ve been disappeared through the door to the outside world.
And moments after that, the door is slamming shut in my face.
I rush to it and jerk at the handle, breathless with desperation and shock. Who the fuck was that guy? How did he happen to be in the kitchen right when we were, and where the fuck did he come from? Why did he reach around me like that and yank Arden and Stella to him?
Where in the devil are my friends?
I yank at the door, pulling with all my might on the handle, but it’s no good. It must have locked behind them or something, because it doesn’t budge.
Which leaves me trapped in here on my own, left behind by the guy who rushed in to save my friends.
Stuck here with whoever is shooting people in the main restaurant.
By myself.
As always.
I whirl around, looking desperately for some other way out of this kitchen, but I already know there’s nothing else here. We’ve been through this place top to bottom in the past—don’t ask why, because I won’t tell you—and the only other way out of the building is through the main doors in the front.
Where the shooting is happening.
God, I’m cooked. I’m completely screwed. How the hell am I supposed to get out of here when?—
Suddenly a man appears in the kitchen, gun up and dressed in the uniform of a New York City cop, and I nearly cry in relief. The police are here. Thank God. I can still hear shooting and shouting in the restaurant, but they must have everything under control. Maybe they’re shooting the bad guys. Saving everyone who’s not a criminal.
He’s here to save me.
I’m saved.
“Hands up!” he screams. “Drop anything you’re holding!”
“What?” I gasp. “I’m not holding anything! I’m in college!”
“That doesn’t mean shit to me, little girl! Hands in the sky, you’re under arrest!”
I put my hands up automatically, too surprised to do anything else. Under arrest? For what? I was running from the people they should be arresting! Those guys were shooting at us!
