Farrow and Sloan split up. Sloan ran to Margo and Theo’s room to rouse them and get them loaded into the van. Farrow ran to get Danny and Maze. The boys took predetermined positions around the room, each quickly yanking the wooden barricades from where they’d been stowed since the family made them four months ago.
Creed’s deft hands grabbed the electric screwdriver and had the window sealed inside twenty seconds. He tossed the tool to Cole, who repeated the process barricading his window. Evan removed night goggles from the cabinet beneath the window he would secure and tossed a pair across the room to Creed. Cole finished his window and threw the screwdriver to Evan who caught it fluidly with his right hand while he tossed another pair of glasses to Cole. Evan was the last to secure his window, then slipped his own night vision glasses over his eyes and peered outside, gun in hand ready to defend his family.
Creed was doing the same thing on his side of the room, feeling calm and deadly—as if he were finally home when an attack was imminent. He was planting blocks of C-4 explosives in strategic load-bearing walls around the center of the house and setting up their timed detonators, but didn’t start their countdown just yet.
Alik had been gathering his mom’s purse, Theo’s wallet and the keys to the van. He then moved to grab two thick satchels from the front closet and ran to the back of the house where the others waited anxiously to load up.
One of the reasons Margo and Theo had chosen this house over others was because of its tactically desirable position at the top of a hill. Also, it was close to two easily accessible highways making escape more likely. And the last reason: This home was built by an American who was accustomed to the convenience of an attached garage.
Alik moved with skilled calm. He had the family loaded in the van and Theo ready to drive like a bat out of hell before the gunfire started.
As Alik was ducking out of the van, Danny reached up, wrapped his pudgy arms around his brother’s neck. He kissed him on the cheek and whispered, “I love you, Alik.”
Margo’s angry face softened at the simple words from her not-quite four-year-old.
“Love you, too big man. Take care of Mom for me,” he shrugged gently from his little brother’s arms and nodded to Theo. One glance at his mother and he knew she’d slipped into soldier-mode. Her gun cocked and loaded in her lap.
“We’ll see you at the billboard,” she nodded tersely. “Get yourself and the others there in one piece, Alik.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As the family watched Alik duck out of the van and run back into the house, Theo muttered, “I was hoping this night would never come.”
“It’s always just a matter of time, Theo. At least Evan’s here to help.”
Maze yawned nervously, letting out a small squeak. Danny patted his lap and smiled widely when the coydog carefully climbed to sit beside him.
Farrow and Sloan were rechecking their weapons. They were to provide cover fire in the event the van was followed by guns. A quick glance over at Sloan’s shaking hands had Farrow reaching out to check and load her weapon for her. She handed it back to the young doctor carefully.
“This is live, Sloan,” Farrow whispered. “Do not raise that weapon unless you intend to shoot to kill. There are no second chances. Got it?”
Sloan’s gray eyes were as wide as saucers, but she managed a nod.
Alik ran back into the house and put his night vision glasses on before taking up his position. His body was responding to the adrenaline—he was hulking out. Without even looking, he knew his eyes were glowing violet as he forced himself to breathe slow, deep breaths. The elastic on his pajama bottoms stretched to accommodate his expanding size. He had to blink to clear his vision. So rapid was his change; his eyes took a fraction of a second to focus.
“Status?” He breathed as quietly as he could.
“Movement in the east,” Evan whispered back.
“Looks like a freakin’ party in the west.” Cole’s anger was right at the surface.
“They are not screwing around if that’s what I think it is,” Creed growled.
“What do you see?” Alik moved to stand beside his brother at the front door. Creed had shoved a heavy bookcase against it for coverage, but was peering through a crack in the side window.
“Is that—?”
“RPG! Duck and cover!” Creed yelled to the room.
All four boys landed on their bellies, ripped off their night vision glasses, rolled behind furniture and covered their heads.
The night was cut by a screaming knife as the rocket propelled grenade careened through the front door, igniting the pages of the books on the bookcase as it flew and exploded right above their heads. The living room lit with a burst of light.
Evan leaped to his feet, having avoided the shrapnel blast, but wasn’t about to let this go unpunished. Primal fury had him yelling into the blast of light.
“You want to fight?” he screamed into the ripped night. He held his hand out to the flames and light bursting through the living room. As if attached to a rope, the light jumped from the air and zipped directly into his outstretched, scarred hand.