December Solstice

Chapter 32

Thursday night

Light raked across the prow windows as a vehicle drove up the driveway. At first, Lenna hoped it was a police cruiser, but when the truck entered the ring of security lights, she saw it was unmarked. Her heart dropped. A man in dark clothing jumped out of the cab, pulled a tire iron from the backseat, and walked toward the house.

Victoria gave the 911 operator an update.

"That doesn't look good," Lenna said.

"It'll still take some time to break in if they go for the door, but not nearly so long if they keep up the attack on the window," Ethan said. "I may have to fire this cannon; if I do, someone will get hurt."

"Just make sure it's one of them and not us," Emma said.

"They're going for the door," Ethan said. He and Lenna had moved to the doorway of the den. From that position, they had a clear view of the windows, the front door, and the door to the garage. If needed, they could easily find shelter behind the wall separating the den from the living room.

The intruder struck the front door with the tire iron, testing the door's strength. Then he began working on the molding. The other intruder resumed assaulting the window with the cement block. Ethan watched the window and waited for the intruder to penetrate the protective shield. Brutus growled and moved close to Lenna.

The intruder at the back door had quit trying to break in. Lenna thought he had given up gaining entry and was positioned to prevent their escape.

The intruder at the front window broke through the protective shield and smashed against the inner pane. Cracks radiated from the spot in a pattern similar to the exterior pane.

The intruder at the door ripped through the molding and began working on the door casing. The man with the cement block threw it against the window, widening the hole. The hole looked large enough to pass a gun through.

"Watch him," Ethan said. "Cover your ears when he points a gun through the hole."

Lenna held her dog's collar, but Brutus seemed to have taken up his guard post, and Lenna was his charge.

The intruder kept chipping at the hole. It was about eight inches in diameter when he pulled his gun, stuck it through the hole, and fired several rounds into the living room.

Ethan leveled the shotgun. A loud report vibrated through the house, and glass splintered from the window. The intruder screamed and withdrew his bloody hand. His gun dropped to the floor. The shooter stumbled toward the porch out of sight. One of the men cursed at him and told him to get out of the way. The man struck the door with the tire iron in frustration.

Brutus sniffed the air and growled but remained at Lenna's side.

Ethan chambered a fresh round.

Victoria said, "Shots fired," into the phone.

Then all was silent.

"Now we wait," Ethan said. "They will be much more cautious but will likely begin using their weapons."

Several rounds were fired in quick succession through the window opening as if to respond to Ethan's prediction. The shooter was a safe distance from the window, and the rounds went wild.

"The hole in the window is tantalizing them," Ethan said. "Want to bet that one of the four will try to get a shot at us?"

"You seem to think this is a game," Lenna said.

"It's a prediction based on training," Ethan said.

"Training?"

"I'll tell you later," Ethan said.