Alex followed me into the house, his eyes wide, nearly as surprised as everyone inside.
Hanson, Colin and several others, including the guy that had been standing guard at the front of the house, were face down on the floor, showered in shattered glass. Carter stood over them, looking bored.
“I came all the way out here for this?” he asked. “I think you just missed me.”
He wore a plain black T-shirt, long khaki shorts and running shoes. His hair was a bit longer since I’d last seen him, but still electric-white. He waved the gun over the guys on the floor the way a kid might brandish a squirt gun.
He was right. I had missed him.
“Just figured you needed the practice,” I said.
“Good to know you still aren’t funny,” he said.
“Good to know you’re still ugly.”
“Let’s discuss your lame comebacks later on,” he said. “What are we doing here? Do I get to shoot people or no?”
“Maybe,” I said. “Be patient.”
“Not my strong suit,” he said, then looked past me. “What’s up, Alex?”
“Carter,” he said, still disbelieving. “I, uh…good to see you.”
“It usually is,” he said.
I stuck my toe in Hanson’s cheek. “Where is he?”
“Where is who?” he mumbled.
I brought my foot back and kicked him hard in the cheek. He squirmed on the floor and turned his face away from me.
“Where is he?” I asked again.
“Is he the biggest asshole here?” Carter asked. “Can I shoot him first?”
“Upstairs,” Hanson said.
“Red up there with him?”
“Yeah.”
“Keep them down,” I said to Carter. “Anyone moves, shoot the one I just kicked.”
“Kill him or play with him?” Carter asked.
“Play with him,” I said. “Then kill him.”
“Totally worth the trip now.”
Alex and I ascended the staircase and we each took a side of the long hallway. We were halfway down when Red stepped out into the corridor, his hands up.
“Kid’s in here,” he said. “He’s fine.” He eyed me. “Choosing your side.”
“He should be cool, Alex,” I said. “Keep an eye on him. I’ll get Jackson.”
“Got it.”
Red stepped away from the door, his hands still up. “You want me to get down or something?”
“You’re fine,” I said. “Alex won’t miss from here. No offense.”
“Just business,” Red said, shrugging. “We’re cool.”
I stepped into the room. Jackson was sitting on the floor, surrounded by stuffed animals, watching television.
He looked up and his eyes lit up. “Noah!” He scrambled to his feet and attached himself to one of my legs. “I missed you!”
“I missed you, too, Jax,” I said. “We’re gonna go get your mom, okay?”
“Yes!” His grip tightened on my leg. “Don’t leave me again, okay?”
“I won’t,” I said. “We’re going to get your mom right now.”
I reached down for his hand and he unclamped himself from my leg, latching onto my hand. He looked a little tired, but otherwise fine. I scooped him up with my other arm and he threw his arms around my neck.
“You okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” he said. “I just miss Mommy.”
I stepped out of the room and Red and Alex were exactly where I’d left them.
“Hi, Alex,” Jackson said.
“Hey, buddy.”
I nodded at Red. “Was that man nice to you?”
Jackson nodded. “Yeah. Red brought me ice cream and watched movies with me. We played games, too.” He smiled. “Hi, Red.”
“Hey, little man.”
“Why are your hands up?” Jackson asked.
“We all just playing a game right now,” Red said quickly. His eyes shifted to me. “Right?”
“Right,” I said. “There are more people downstairs.”
Jackson’s eyes filled with anxiety and his arms tightened around my neck. “Is the mean boy there?”
“The mean boy?”
“He would always come up to the room and tell me to be quiet and stuff,” he said. “He said mean things about Mommy.”
I looked at Red.
“Hanson,” he said.
“Yeah, he’s down there,” I said to Jackson. “But he’s on the floor and he’s not getting up. Another friend of mine is down there, watching him.”
“Why am I here, Noah?” he said. “Did I do something wrong?”
I shifted him in my arm so I could look him in the eyes. “You didn’t do anything wrong and you weren’t supposed to be here. But it’s not your fault. Okay?”
Tears bulged in the corners of his eyes. “Okay.”
“No one’s going to take you away from your mom,” Alex said. “Ever again. I promise.”
Jackson buried his head against my shoulder and there was something in Alex’s voice that I hadn’t heard before. He meant it. He’d do whatever he needed to in order to protect Jackson. Maybe it was a combination of guilt and his feelings for Bella, but whatever it was, it sounded different than anything I’d ever heard from him.
“Red, we’ll follow you down,” I said.
Red nodded and went first, followed by Alex and then me and Jackson. We descended the stairs and found everyone still on the floor, like they were frozen in time. Carter paced back and forth, a soda in the massive hand that wasn’t holding the small machine gun.
“Nobody moved, unfortunately,” he said. “And I got thirsty. He motioned at Red. “How about him? Can I shoot him?”
“No,” I said. “You may not.”
Red got down on the floor next to the others.
Carter shrugged and smiled at Jackson. “Hey, little dude.”
Jackson smiled. “Hi. You’re really big.”
“I really am, aren’t I?”
“Like a monster or something.”
“You have no idea, little dude.”
Jackson giggled and buried his face on my shoulder again.
“Everyone but Hanson. Get up,” I said.
There was some momentary indecision, but the five others on the floor finally stood. Hanson stayed flat against the ground.
“Put them in a closet,” I said to Carter. “Or someplace. I don’t care where. Secure. Lock them in.”
“Can I shoot anyone?” he asked.
“Only if necessary.”
“Define necessary.”
“Anyone breathes the wrong way.”
“Perfect.” Carter grinned. “Let’s go find a room, ladies! And if this thing goes off accidentally, I’ll just apologize now.”
He herded them together and they shuffled off down the hall.
Alex and I flanked the couch and I set Jackson down. He stayed right next to my leg.
“Get up,” I said to Hanson. “On the couch.”
Hanson got to his hands and knees, then moved over to the couch. A nice red welt had formed on his cheek where I’d kicked him.
“Jackson, will you do me a favor, buddy?” I said.
Jackson nodded.
“Will you go with Alex and check out the kitchen? See if you can find me something to drink?” I asked. “A soda or something?”
“Can I get one, too?”
“Sure.”
He walked in a wide arc around Hanson and over to Alex. I nodded and Alex took him around the corner and into the kitchen.
I looked at Hanson. “I hope you’re listening because this is the last time we are ever going to talk.”
“Oh, fuck you, man,” he said. “You’re dead as soon as I…”
I reached out and grabbed him by the hair and slammed him to the floor, coming down on top of him. I turned him over and straddled his chest.
“Open your mouth,” I said.
Blood trickled from his nose and the defiance in his words was absent from his eyes.
“Open your mouth,” I said.
He kept it shut.
I took the end of the gun and pressed it to his lips. He squirmed beneath me.
“Open or I’ll make my own hole,” I said.
His lips finally parted and I shoved the gun into his mouth.
“Let’s try again,” I said. “Ready to listen?”
He made a nodding movement, his eyes glued to the gun in his mouth.
“Good,” I said. “We’re never going to talk again. And you’re going to choose how that happens. You leave Bella alone and you’ll never see me again after today. That’s option number one. Nod or gag or something if you understand.”
He made the nodding motion again.
“Well done,” I said. “Option number two. Pay close attention. If you so much as say hello to Bella again, I will come and kill you. Just like this. We’ll be on the floor again, you’ll be eating the gun and I’ll pull the trigger. Several times. We won’t talk. I’ll just kill you.” I leaned down over him, my eyes inches from his. “And I’m guessing you know enough about me now from Zip to know I’ve done it before. So taking you out will be like scraping gum off my shoe. Easy and quick. We clear?”
He made the nodding motion again.
I pulled the gun from his mouth and pressed it against his left eye. He squirmed again, but couldn’t move me.
“And if you so much as breathe on her kid again, I’m gonna let my friend play with you,” I said. “For a long time.” I pressed harder against his eyes. “Tell me you understand.”
“I understand,” he whispered.
There was a part of me that just wanted to end his life right there, to give everyone the peace of mind they needed to know he’d never bother Bella again. But I’d done that before and it hadn’t given me what I’d hoped it would. It had given me more than I could handle. In every way.
I pulled the gun from his eye and stood up. “Get on the couch.”
Hanson pushed himself up and fell back on to the couch, blood still trickling from his nose. He wiped at his mouth and stared at me.
“You keep looking at me like that and you’re going to lose one of those eyes,” I said.
He moved his gaze to his knees.
Carter came back into the room behind me. “I found a really tiny hall closet and wedged all of them in there. Then I tied the door shut with a curtain cord.”
“Nice work.”
“I’ve still got it.”
“I’ll say.”
“Now what? He motioned at Hanson. “We bury his body somewhere?”
Hanson couldn’t help but glance in his direction.
Carter smiled at him.
“No,” I said. “He knows he can walk out of here if he behaves himself.”
“Can’t believe I came all this way and I don’t get to shoot anyone,” Carter said. “Seems so anti-climactic.”
“Maybe we can find someone on the way home.”
“Jesus, I hope so.”
Hanson stared at us like he couldn’t decide if we were serious or insane.
I was comfortable with him wondering.
“So are we good then?” Carter asked.
“Think so,” I said.
And we were until Bella opened the front door, holding a gun.