I take deep breaths as I quietly press open the door to the 20th floor.
I heard the doors slam open below me when I was on the sixth floor. My backup is coming, but they aren’t close enough. I can’t afford to wait.
Easing the door closed behind me, I check the gun Angelo gave me. Round in the chamber, safety off.
Staying low, I make my way towards my office. Only about half of the overhead lights are on, but it’s plenty bright.
A shout sounds from down the hall.
Hearing Randal’s voice pulls me back to the last time I saw him. When I was forced to chase him through the streets while he tried to steal my daughter. I push away the memory. There’s no time for that.
I stay in the shadows as I round the last corner. I want to run straight for him, but I need to make sure Sasha won’t be collateral damage.
Sasha’s soft voice floats down the hallway and the buried part of me that worried that she might already be dead takes a breath.
I’m still a few yards from my office and I can see that the door’s been left open. I align myself with the opening, hoping I’ll be able to see where they are in the room.
I’m close enough to hear Sasha’s words. “I’m so sorry.”
Her tone fills me with dread.
My eyes trail forward and for the first time in almost a decade I see Randal. And the gun he has pointing at Sasha.
I can’t make out his expression, but he suddenly sounds very calm. “I’m not.”
The words are final and my blood chills.
I stand to my full height and raise my own gun.
I watch, confused, as he seems to turn the gun away from Sasha. I follow the trajectory. And my heart fucking stops. Annie.
Randal sights his gun on my daughter.
I squeeze the trigger.
So does Randal. His muzzle flare lighting up the dark room.
I turn feral.
Keeping my gun trained, I squeeze the trigger again and again as I stride towards my target. Red mist blooms in arcs from Randal’s body. Each bullet hitting true.
I don’t stop.
Two seconds and I’m in the office. Striding closer.
He’s turned to face me now. I press off another round, this one passes through his shoulder and cracks a spiderweb into the window behind him.
Randal rocks back with each hit. But he hasn’t dropped his gun.
Another hit. He stumbles, catching himself against the window.
Randal tries to lift his gun. This time his aim will be on me.
Finally.
I don’t stop. My wrath is too overwhelming to halt my forward momentum.
With a roar, I close the distance between us and slam my foot into his chest. The impact is too much for the battered window behind him to resist. The glass bows outward for a split second before the pane gives. A look of disbelief flashes through Randal’s eyes before he disappears into the darkness. Twenty stories above the ground.
Gone. Randal’s gone.
“Dad?” Annie’s cry has me spinning away from the window.
Oh god. Randal’s one shot. He got off one shot.
Annie and Sasha are huddled on the floor. Both chairs tipped over.
I drop to my knees in front of Annie and set my gun on the floor behind me. “Annie. Princess. Are you okay?” My words are choked.
I grip her small face in both hands. She looks shaken and scared but she doesn’t look hurt.
Annie starts to cry harder. “What’s going on?”
I run my hands all over her. Checking for an injury. There’s blood, but I can’t tell if any of it is hers. Randal’s blood is splattered everywhere.
“Annie, honey, are you hurt?”
She shakes her head. The worry wrapped around my heart starts to loosen. Randal was aiming at her when he fired, but he missed. He must have missed.
As I lean forward to pull her into a hug, my knee slides across the floor. I look down. And it takes me a moment to understand what I’m seeing. I’m kneeling in a pool of blood. A lot of blood. Too much.
With dread creeping up my spine, I raise my gaze to Sasha.
Even in the dim light I can see how pale she is. Panic slams through me.
“Sasha.” She starts to tilt. “No. Baby, no.”
I reach out to catch her as she slumps back against the desk. That’s when I see the blood stain on her side, growing with each heartbeat. Her pretty pink dress quickly turning a deep crimson.
She starts to shut her eyes.
“No! Sasha! Stay with me, baby. Stay here, Sasha. Stay here.”
I move so she’s leaning against me and with careful fingers, I rip open the small tear in her dress. The sight of her gunshot wound tries to pull me under. Tries to pull me back 30 years.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” I keep repeating the words as I press down, trying to stop the bleeding.
With my hand in place, I look for an exit wound. But I can’t find one. The bullet is still inside her. The fucking bullet hit her in the side. That shouldn’t have happened. It shouldn’t even be possible. She would’ve had to…
Annie.
My throat tightens even further as I put together what happened. The bullet meant for Annie is lodged in my girlfriend’s side. This beautiful woman literally threw herself in front of my daughter to save her life. And now she’s dying.
My vision blurs. Tears clouding my eyes. I blink. Hard.
I can never repay her for this. For the rest of my life, I can never repay her for this.
I press harder on her wound, still feeling blood seep out between my fingers. “I’m sorry if this hurts, baby. I have to keep the pressure on.”
Her eyes slide open and miraculously a small smile pulls at the corner of her mouth. “It doesn’t hurt.”
“Good. That’s good.” I’m lying. It should hurt.
She’s going into shock and time is running out.
Her hand reaches up towards my face, fingers stained red with her own blood.
I press my cheek into her palm. “Sweetheart, you have to hold on. Okay? Help is coming.” I saw Angelo come in a moment ago and grab Annie. With my eyes still on Sasha I shout over my shoulder. “Get the goddamn ambulance here! Now!”
Sasha’s hand falls away from my face.
“No. Sasha. Come on. Stay with me.”
Her blink is slow. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” Her eyes close.
Hearing my father’s dying words on her lips tears my soul open.
“Sasha! Don’t you leave me! I can’t lose you. I can’t do this without you. Please. I can’t do this again. Not again.” I can hardly hear my own words over my own pounding heart. “Baby, please. Please don’t go.”
Sasha’s lips part and I think she’s about to say something. I need to hear her. I lean closer, straining to listen, only to have her body go limp against me.
I’m fucking helpless. I’m a man this time, not a child, but it’s exactly the same. It’s the fucking same. I couldn’t do anything then and I can’t do anything now.
I was too late.
I’m always too fucking late.
I drop my forehead to hers, my tears dropping onto her cheeks. “I love you, Sasha. Come back to me. I love you.”
