Page 54 of Cruel (Brutal Academy)

I stepped past the dildo and considered scooping it up. If only so I had something in my hand to defend myself with. I dismissed the idea. Even if I moved quickly, I'd be stepping out of the shadows into the moonlight. The risk of being seen was too great.

Slade led us off the gravel and onto grass, where our footsteps were muffled. We made it to a line of trees before the lights converged on the Academy building. Slade was right, there were about a dozen of them. Dark silhouettes with a phone or torch in one hand and a gun in the other.

"They don't look like they're here for a party," Parker whispered. "Chloe, are you sure they're not with you?"

"If they were, I would have told them where to find you by now," she pointed out.

"And if they were with us, we would have done the same," I said. "Chances are, they want both of us dead."

"Zachary looked pissed off the last time we saw him," Parker said. "They could be friends of his."

"I'm starting to think Zachary is unhinged," Hunter said. "That's saying something, given the company I keep."

"You can't see me right now, but I'm flipping you off," Parker told him.

"Let's keep going," Dane said.

"The more distance we put between us and them, the better." Slade led the way through the trees, somehow moving silently over the dry leaves.

"Make a note of the date," Parker said. "Mr D and Slade agreeing on something."

"We can all agree we don't want to die," Hunter said.

"Can we all agree that you should shut up?" Chloe snapped.

"I actually think that's a good idea," I said. "In the interests of not ending up dead."

Parker muttered something under his breath but the twins fell silent until we reached the sheds.

We stopped in the shadows about twenty metres away and watched.

"This isn't an inside job," Dane said softly.

"No," Slade said. "Unless they don't know what's kept in the sheds."

"That's possible," Dane conceded. "But if that's the case, they didn't do their homework."

"Either way, they're not—" Slade was interrupted by the sound of gunshots. Someone screamed. Another shouted, but that was cut short by another gunshot.

"We need to hurry." Slade trotted over to one of the sheds and pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. He slid one into the lock and opened the door.

The walls of the shed were lined with guns, ammunition, flame throwers, bats and what looked like a rocket launcher.

Hunter rubbed his hands together. "I love this place." He went straight for the rocket launcher.

"Trying to overcompensate?" Chloe asked.

"Sweetheart, I'm the only one with big enough muscles to pick this thing up." He grinned.

She rolled her eyes at him and grabbed up a handgun. I took the one beside it.

I thought Parker might opt for a flamethrower, because why not? Instead, he picked up a handgun of his own. But only after opening the tequila bottle and taking a swig.

"Now it's a party." He grinned.

Dane picked up a handgun for himself, hesitated for a moment then grabbed another. "Can never be too careful."

"Hey," a whisper came from the doorway.

---