Chapter Thirty-Five
The door slammed, and I jerked. Someone was here, had gotten past his security. Kill them. Navarro had to believe they were coming for me.
Garrick.
Is he outside? I went to the window, and I could swear I felt him close. With him here, I knew I’d be safe. But as I peered out the window, I saw nothing.
“Don’t go over there!” Carrie screamed, and I jumped back, holding my hand over my heart.
Still, my eyes lingered on the window. “What if someone is here to rescue us? They may need to know where we are.”
“Or what if one of Navarro’s enemies are here. You’ll be a target. He’s claimed you.”
The sickening feeling swept over me again. He may have claimed me, but I would never be his.
Bang!
Immediately, we dropped to the floor. That was a gunshot. They—whoever they were—were close, possibly just outside the window.
Carrie crawled over to me where I’d scrambled under the window. “Knoah, are you okay?”
“Yes. Are you?”
“Yes.”
We kept our voices barely above a whisper.
Bang!
I jolted again, and Carrie began to shake. “I don’t want to die, Knoah. I want to live. I want to see my baby girl grow up.”
“We’re going to get out of this.” Wrapping my arm around her, I held her close. I had to believe Garrick was coming to rescue me.
Carrie fought to control a sob. “I want Mom and Dad to meet Kimberly.”
“They will.”
If, out of this, Mom and Dad got their other daughter back, maybe the journey was worth it. At least I hoped it was. I had to focus on the positive in order to mentally process all this. Negative thinking wouldn’t help.
An eerie silence fell over the house.
“I’m scared what they’ll think of me, Knoah,” Carrie whispered.
The answer to that was easy. “They’ll love you unconditionally. When they told me about you, they said so.”
“Really?”
Bang!
We screamed again and held each other tighter. Please let us survive. Please.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted on both inside the house and outside the window. Flashes in the dark of night flared with each shot. The gunfire drew closer in the hall, and Carrie and I huddled closer together by the window.
Then it all stopped and there was a thud outside the door.
Someone was close.
So close.
Footsteps drew closer, and Carrie began to whimper. I remained frozen, my eyes on the door. Carrie let go of me and flattened herself against the wall.
The door burst open. Instinctively, I stood to defend myself. In the doorway stood Navarro, his hand outstretched, gun pointed.
At me.
“Come with me. We need to leave now.”
“No!” a deep voice from the hallway yelled.
Wait. Is that Garrick?
“Knoah!”
It all happened so fast. Carrie launched herself in front of me just as—
Bang!
Carrie slammed into me and we both fell to the floor.
Navarro raised his gun again. This time, it was aimed at my head.
I love you, Garrick.
Bang!
I started at the noise, and I shut my eyes.
Thud.
I opened my eyes. Navarro was on the ground. Dead.
We had to leave. If it wasn’t Garrick here to rescue me, we could still be in danger. Before I had time to move, Hastings appeared at the door, gun drawn. Then Garrick, followed by Joe.
“Get her out of here! I’ll get this mess cleaned up,” Hastings instructed.
Garrick rushed to my side. I moved my hand and saw it was covered in blood. Have I been shot? I started to shake.
“Knoah! Oh, shit! Knoah!”
Carrie wasn’t moving beside me. Garrick lifted me into his arms, but Carrie slumped over more. What’s wrong with her? Garrick took a few steps before I found my voice. “No! No! No! You can’t leave her. Get Carrie! You have to get Carrie!”
Garrick paused. “Joe.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get her.”
With surprising gentleness, he picked her up and cradled her. She moaned. Oh thank goodness she’s alive. We were safe. We were really safe.
Hastings led the way. A man wearing all black popped out from around the corner, and I froze.
“He’s with us,” Garrick said.
Another man came around the corner, brandishing a gun.
Bang!
He dropped to the floor. I held onto Garrick tightly as we passed the body of another man dressed in black.
I had no idea where we were going since I hadn’t been in this part of the house. It appeared to be a back way. We rushed down a flight of stairs, and then we were out of the house. A car screeched to a stop in front of us.
Hastings opened the door. “I’ll see you back at headquarters.”
“Yes.”
The car was one of those special vehicles with benches lining the walls, which provided ample space on the floor. The doors had barely closed before Joe yelled, “Go!”
We took off. A bullet ricocheted off the glass, and I ducked further into Garrick.
“We’re safe, sweetheart. I need to look at you.”
The interior light came on. Garrick began pulling on my clothes to search my body. There was a lot of blood.
“Is it mine?”
Garrick kept searching. “Are you hurt?”
“No. I-I don’t think so.” Carrie. I glanced at Joe, who held her to his chest on the floor of the car. “H-how is she?”
The non-answer was bad. I scrambled to the floor where she was. “Carrie, hang in there.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Knoah…” Her voice was weak. Too weak. No. No. No. She had to survive.
“Hang in there. You’re going to get through this.” I hoped my words of encouragement helped until we were able to get her to a doctor.
Again, her eyes fluttered open. “Take care of my baby.”
“Don’t talk like that.”
The car swerved, and she coughed. I braced myself to keep from landing on her. “Promise me.”
I searched Joe’s eyes, and he shook his head.
“I-I-I promise.”
“Get her to Mom and Dad.”
“I promise, but you’re going to pull through.” I grabbed her hand and felt her return some pressure. That had to be a good sign.
But her eyes fluttered closed, and her voice became raspy. “Tell them I love them.”
“They love you, too. Carrie, be strong. Pull through this so you can tell them yourself.”
A small smile formed, and a little blood dripped from her mouth. My heart sank. That was bad. Very bad. “I finally did something right. I kept the bullet away from you.”
Tears ran down my face. “You did. You saved me. Just hold on, please. I don’t want to lose my sister.” I tried to stop from sobbing. “Fight, Carrie! Fight!”
She coughed again. This time there was more blood. “The man with you was in on it.”
“What?”
“Tell Kimberly I love her. Always.”
And with that, she took her last breath.
“No!” Her fingers relaxed in my palm, and I rocked her back and forth. “Please! No! Garrick! Do something!”
Joe took her pulse and shook his head. I turned to Garrick. “Please do something. Please.”
“I wish I could. I wish to hell I could.” He joined me on the floor, looking lost, and rubbed his hands along my arms.
The movement kept the chill from engulfing me. With shaking fingers I touched her face. “Thank you, Carrie. Rest in peace.”
I turned into Garrick’s chest and cried.
Carrie had wanted to live! She’d wanted to live!
And now she was dead.
How will I ever explain this to my parents?