Sheltered

Chapter 43

Pull back the slide... two hands on the gun... just squeeze to shoot... that easy...
Savanna consoles herself silently. She runs her finger along the smooth, plastic-feeling barrel. Easy.

A door creaks too close by.

Savanna takes in a sharp breath as she quickly positions the gun to face the door.
Tilting her head slowly to the side, she sees a sliver of light as the bedroom door is opened in slow motion.

Breathe. Just aim and squeeze. It's that easy... That easy...

Someone steps into the room. She recognizes the shoes to be Luke's, but isn't completely sure until he lowers his pistol to the floor.
He makes a waving motion to come out, and Sav carefully slides toward him, the barrel of her gun on him the entire time just in case.

"Lucas." She breathes so quietly he doesn't hear her.
He puts a finger up to his lips, and picks up his gun again.

Glock in his left hand, Savanna's hand in his right.
"We are leaving." He mouths.
Sav nods her head shakily, letting go of his hand to steadily hold onto the gun.

Lucas seems to hold the gun as if it's attached to his hands. Like it's a permanent part of him. He turns his head, the end of the barrel gracefully turns in the same way.
He's clearly used this weapon for a long time. For such a long time that there seems to be some kind of bond between him and it.
That is, if you can even have a "bond" with an inanimate object.

I wonder what he's used that gun for.
Savanna quickly shakes the thought from her head, focusing on walking directly behind Luke, covering his six o'clock.

Once they reach the kitchen, Luke pulls Savanna down behind the counter. He slips her hair behind her ear and whispers almost too quietly to be heard.
"Grab the bag. I'll clear the entry way. Meet me back here. No more than 30 seconds."
Savanna bites her lip, pulling back to look at him.

"Three..." he mouths. "Two... Go."

They silently sprint in opposite directions, staying close to the ground. She grabs the black duffel bag from under the couch, and quickly slips back into the kitchen.

She glances at her watch for 30 seconds... 31... 32... 33...

Bang!

She leaps behind the kitchen island for more cover. Glass breaks from the entryway. Two more gunshots.

Think... think...
Her heart pounding so hard she's convinced it'll pop out of her chest.
Aim... squeeze...

Savanna pokes her head out from behind the counter. Nothing.

3... 2... 1...

Crouch-running to the entryway, stopping just before the doorway.
She pokes her head in for half a second.
Lucas is there alone.

She slowly moves her body around the corner, walking toward him.
He holds up a hand. Silently tells her to "STOP."
Jerking his head toward another corner, the entryway to the front door.
Savanna moves her gun to face that direction. Hands aching from holding it up for so long.

Motioning to the front door again, he mouths to her "No gun. Knife."

Savanna's heart drops. Someone has a knife, and they're around that corner.

Luke looks at Savanna, not breaking eye contact. There's a longing look in his eyes.

She raises her brows questioningly. Lucas looks away with a sigh and silently forms the words  "Stay here." with his lips.

He rounds the corner in a quarter of a second, his gunshot ringing painfully in Savanna's ears. Her chest heaving, she's glued to the wall where she stands unable to see Luke.

A loud grunt, and a gun slams to the floor. A tall man emerges from around the corner dragging Luke by the collar of his shirt.
He must be around six foot, five inches.
Much more muscle mass than Luke.

Lukas is pinned to the wall by this huge intruder. Luke makes eye contact with Savanna.

That's when she spots the knife.
Without a millisecond of hesitation, she pulls the trigger.