Straight through the Heart

Chapter 1

The name's Naomi Jax Smith. People call me Jax for short. The dude to my 3 o'clock is my twin brother Robin Matthias Smith. People call him Rob.

We all have our own secrets. Our family has secrets--ones people kill for.

Some secrets are meant to be hidden away in a deep, dark abyss. Some are meant to be told.

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A/N Be warned. The story begins a bit graphically.

I have a list. Over the years, the list grows longer but also shorter. I have it written down on a piece of paper which is folded neatly into my wallet. I'm talking about my bucket list of course. I want to do many things before I die, but there are some things that I would rather not.

One thing I did not list would be getting shot at. That was definitely not on my list of to-do's. I've never been in a gun fight nor do I ever want to be. I'm pretty positive I'm in a gunfight currently.

I duck behind the cash register and try not to hyperventilate. I fumble nervously for my cell phone in my purse/backpack. My hands shake severely so I have to wait a bit before I can dial the number.

Just a few minutes ago I was casually minding my own business as I waited for the worker to hand me my merchandise at Target. Then, out of nowhere, a loud bang sounded. The person bagging my item looks at me with wide eyes before falling forward. I immediately duck. It doesn't take me long to figure out what that sound was and where it ended.

She's dead. The young lady Jamie I was just talking to a minute ago was dead. I stare at her back in shot. The red vest she's wearing turns a darker shade as the blood on her back spreads.

Immediately, screams are heard throughout the store accompanied with more bullet shots.

Why is there someone shooting at me?

I dial 911. They pick up on the second ring. "911. What's your emergency?" More bullets ring out. I let out an involuntary shriek before crawling to another position.

"I'm being shot at!" I yell into the phone over the bullet shots.

"Where is your current location?" She asks calmly. "Please remain calm."

"Target on Figueroa Street!" I take out the skillet I bought. Perhaps it can help me.

"Are you currently injured?"

"No." I reply. I find another clothing rack to hide behind. I picked the wrong day to shop at Target. I try to look through the clothes to see where the shooter is. Whoever he is, he is at the entrance with a ski mask over his face. 

Actually, scratch that. There are multiple shooters. I am screwed. The ski mask shooter has at least four other accomplices. Two are on my opposite side and the other two are twenty feet away from me. Ski mask is apparently the head honcho. Well, I'm about to be discovered. Despite my martial art training, I never learned how to defend myself against five armed mask men. I can probably disable one of the guys, but I'll probably be shot to death by the other guys.

The more I observe them the more I realize something. They are all very fit and well trained. There's a frightening deadliness with the way they move and communicate. Yet, they seem to look like normal citizens despite the masks over their faces. 

What type of shooting is this? What's their agenda?

I glance around and see several civilians cowering behind clothing racks too. I curse under my breath since it's holiday shopping season too. The store is filled with people of all ages. My eyes widen as I see two bodies, a mother and child, lying on the ground across from me in their own pool of blood. The mother died holding her young toddler tightly to protect him, but it was in vain. That sight is going to haunt me.