“I don’t understand. Secret gun compartments? Crazy stalkers? What is going on?”
“We don’t have time right now, please, just do what I asked,” he commanded. Bree scooted away to the end of the hall and waited on the other side. She wasn’t quite ready to head to the bathroom.
She poked her head around and watched as Chad flipped on the back porch light and looked through the window. She saw him staring out it, looking in every direction. He moved to the back door and looked through that as well. It didn’t seem real, with him standing there in nothing but a towel, holding a deadly looking black gun in his hand, with all the lights off inside.
Then the first shot rang out, seeming to echo through the house. The kitchen window shattered and Bree felt her face drain of any color that might have been left. She decided it was time to listen, and scrambled to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door.
There was a night light casting shadows in the large room. Though there were no windows in it, she still crawled to the vanity, where she felt around for the secret compartment Chad spoke about.
It took her several minutes, but finally she found the latch and opened the small door, reached her hand inside and came out with the gun he spoke of. Her fingers shook as she took the weapon in her hand, then crawled over to the back wall and sat there huddled.
Please don’t have to use this, please don’t have to use this, she repeated over and over in her head. What if she fired it and hit Chad? What if she hit her own leg? She wasn’t used to weapons and didn’t know the first thing about how to fire a gun. She just hoped she wouldn’t have to have her first lesson on a real live person.
***
Chad waited to hear the click from the bathroom door before he moved forward again. He didn’t know where the guy was – didn’t even know if he was alone, or he had help. All he knew was that he wasn’t going to let them near Bree again, not while he was still alive.
He glanced back out and caught a flash of light glinting off metal. It was an instant red flag and he quickly dropped to the ground as the gunshot rang out and slammed through the kitchen window.
He covered his head as the window shattered to his left, littering the kitchen floor with shards of glass. He kept his ears tuned toward the back of the house, making sure the door didn’t open. Bree needed to stay out of there. He could hold them off, but he needed to know she was safe.
He crawled back from the door, wishing he would’ve put on some pants after his shower. He felt too vulnerable in nothing but a small swatch of cotton.
The next shot rang out and hit the stone columns on his porch. He knew he just had to wait them out. He wanted to rush into the yard, take down the bastards daring to shoot at his home, but he couldn’t leave Bree. That was probably what they were hoping for.
Chad moved to the hallway as more bullets besieged the house. He listened for several moments, noticing a pattern to the shots. They were ringing out exactly two minutes apart. He waited, counting, and sure enough, the next shot came right on time.
As soon as the shot went off, he moved back toward the window and peaked into his yard. He saw the glint of metal from the trees near his barn. There was a slight movement, then exactly two minutes later, another shot rang out. Holy Hell! It wasn’t a person firing. They had some sort of device set up. He needed to get to Bree.
He heard glass shattering in one of the back bedrooms and he immediately ran for that area. The gun was nothing but a diversion to keep him busy. The stalker was coming after her.
Chad’s body tensed as he made his way down the hall, looking through each open doorway, before quickly passing by them. He reached the room he’d heard the glass breaking and looked inside. A man wearing a full black mask was looking right at him through the open window. Chad lifted his gun and fired a shot but the man ducked out of the way at the last minute.
He never popped back up and Chad was torn between chasing after him and ending the hunt for Bree, or staying in the house to keep her safe. If the guy had a partner and Chad left the house he’d never forgive himself.
“Chad, it’s me,” Mark called out as he rushed in through the front door, not even considering his own safety.
“Back here,” Chad called, and he heard Mark’s footsteps echoing down the hallway as he ran through the dark house.
“Where is he?” Mark demanded, his own weapon drawn.
“I just fired at him through the window. Bree’s in the bathroom, watch her, I’m going after this guy,” Chad said as he stepped forward to jump through the window. Mark grabbed his arm.
“The guys are on their way, along with the sheriff. Get some pants on and guard Bree. I’ll go after him,” Mark said before rushing toward the window.
Chad wanted to argue, but Mark was right. He needed to get some clothes on. He was too vulnerable in nothing but a towel.
“Fine,” he grimaced as Mark jumped out the window.
Chad quickly moved into action and rushed to his room, where he threw on his pants, a pair of shoes and gun holster in less than twenty seconds. He didn’t bother with a shirt, there was no time. He quickly rushed back to the window Mark had jumped out, and didn’t see anything. He wanted to chase after him, but he wouldn’t leave Bree.
“Chad,” Trenton called. Chad changed directions and ran toward the front door.
“Right here,” he answered so they’d know it was him. “Bree’s in the bathroom. Knock and tell her who you are before opening the door. I told her to shoot first if anyone tried to enter,” Chad warned as he rushed past Trenton and out the front door.
He stayed low to the ground as a shot rang out near his barn. He needed to get out there. He skirted the barn and came up behind the trees, looking in every direction, making sure he wasn’t headed into an ambush.
Just as another shot rang out, he rounded the back of the barn and spotted the contraption firing at his house. Chad was filled with rage as he approached the rotating gun. He quickly disarmed it, trying to be careful not to touch too many areas, just in case they were able to pull prints from the weapon. He had a feeling the stalker was smart enough not to leave prints, though.
“Chad, get over here,” Mark hollered.
Chad turned toward the sound of Mark’s voice and jogged to the front of the house.
“What have you found?” Chad asked.
“I’m going to kill someone,” Mark replied. Chad was surprised by his words. Mark was normally the mellowest guy he knew, though Chad knew his best friend could certainly be counted on. He was afraid to know what it was that had gotten him so riled up.