Chapter 0052

Daniel grabs me by the hand, pulling me to the south side of the room where a terrace balcony runs.

Kent is close behind us, providing cover. There’s a door there at the corner of the room and I’m filled

with relief when I see it – but suddenly, a man jumps in front of it –

A man all in black, wearing a ski mask –

I stop short and start to pull Daniel back, but my act is disrupted when I hear a BANG at my ear and

scream again, clutching the side of my face.

The man in front of us falls and Daniel bolts forward, dragging me with him, I turn slightly to look behind

at Kent and see a gun in his hand –

What the – how the hell did he –

“Go, Fay!” he yells at me, clearly frustrated at my delay.

I nod and turn my attention back to Daniel, who reaches the door and pushes it open, pushing me

against the wall.

Kent darts out, quickly scanning – then I hear more noise, see his finger pulse again as he shoots –

There are screams, thumps – I hardly have any time to process anything as Kent yells “clear!” and

Daniel pulls me through the door. We run ahead of Kent then as he follows closely behind, watching

our backs.

All of a sudden, I realize that there are bodies that we’re stepping over – there’s blood on the ground –

one of the men on the ground moans, reaching for his gun and I skitter away. Before he can reach it,

though, we’re beyond him.

Panic is rocketing through me, so much that I can’t think, can only act – can only follow Daniel

wherever he’s leading me –

We run to the end of the terrace and wait for Kent to pass us. He goes down the stairs first, expertly

sweeping the area, firing efficiently at the threats he sees. Daniel looks anxiously behind us, but no one

comes through the door –

“Clear!” Kent shouts up and we start down the stairs. “Fucking hurry, Daniel!” he shouts, and I almost

stumble in my haste.

When we get to the bottom there is a moment of quiet where we huddle together with Kent.

“Listen to me,” Kent says, his eyes darting between us. “I don’t know who did it, but this is a setup,

targeted at us. They want one of us – maybe all of us –“ his eyes shift to me, “Maybe just Fay. So we

have got to get out of here, fast.”

Daniel and I nod and I feel my panic subside just a very little bit under Kent’s expert command. I trust

him to know what to do.

His eyes sweep over me then, lighting on my stilettos. “Get those fucking things off your feet,” he says

and I hurry to pull them off, standing barefoot on the cement at the bottom of the stairs. Then, he looks

around once more.

“We’re going to make a run for it,” he says, gesturing a hand out towards the golf course spreading out

before us. “Across the greens, into the darkness. Head for the trees, and then keep going. When I say

go, you two run.” He looks us in the eyes then. “Whatever you do. Don’t. Look. Back.”

I start to tremble, a little, and he steps close to me, taking my face sternly between his fingers. “Do not

fall apart on me now, Fay,” he growls. “Cry at home, if you must. Never on the battlefield.”

I nod quickly, working to do as he says – pull myself together – and then he crouches down, ready to

cover us as we go. “One,” he says, and Daniel and I crouch forward.

“Two,” we get ready, and then there’s a long pause…I almost look back, when suddenly –

“THREE!” Daniel launches into an all-out sprint, my hand in his. I work hard to keep up, but he’s faster,

more athletic than me –

Still, I push myself, willing my legs to whirl, to push, to run as fast as I can.

I hear the sound of gunshots ringing out behind us, of footsteps –

At some point, something tugs on the back of my dress but then it’s gone –

When we reach the treeline I look back, just a moment, and see that there’s a body behind me – what

tried to grab me –

Kent is about halfway behind us, running too, squeezing off live fire as he goes at dark forms chasing

him from the club –

Suddenly, though, he stumbles, grabbing his arm –

“Daniel!” I shout, slowing, trying to turn back –

“Come on, Fay!” Daniel yells, gripping my hand harder and yanking me forward.

“But your dad –“

“He told us to go! Don’t turn back!”