Chapter 40

For a second, I stood there completely confused about what I saw. Then I realized that Dalton had been shot. I looked around at everyone else, but they had all ducked behind furniture or squatted down.

The door was still open. Dalton lay unmoving on the sidewalk. I didn’t see anyone else, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there.

I eased up to the door and looked around. I saw a few people off in the distance running for various apartments, but no one was looking this way.

Dalton was breathing. I heard her moan softly and say, “What the hell...?”

“You’ve been shot,” I said. “Tell me you’re wearing a vest.”

“Yeah,” she moaned.

“Okay, don’t move. I’ll get you after I set up a shield.”

“No,” she said. “He’ll see you.”

“He? Where?”

“My left. At the corner of the apartment.”

“Okay, I’m going to pull you in.”

“I said, he’ll see you.”

“No he won’t.” I said and thought of the TK spell she taught me.

“What...?” was all she got out before I started pulling on her vest to drag her inside.

Another shot rang out and the plants near my door rustled.

I pulled harder. She was heavier than she looked. Once her shoulders were inside the threshold, I grabbed her arms, along with Katrina and Jordan, and we pulled her in all the way. Cassandra shut the door and locked it.

I looked around. “Someone call...”

“Already on it,” Sammi said.

I had to do some double takes. All the girls were in costume. Cassandra looked like an authentic Wild West sheriff with side arm and rifle. Jordan had on a red silk cloak and not much under it. My libido was drooling over all the skin she was showing. Sammi had the oddest costume: A large oddly shaped hat dominated the ensemble, an orange jacket that looked like a tux jacket, and then a tiny top and short skirt. She waved her phone at me and then focused on it.

“When did you get here?” I asked Jordan.

“We were already here, you were so distracted by Katrina no one else registered.”

I blinked and mumbled, “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it now,” Cassandra said, kneeling next to us too. “Where are you hit?” she asked Dalton.

“Left side,” she said. “Bullet didn’t penetrate, thanks to the vest, but I think I still have a broken rib or two.”

“We shouldn’t move her anymore,” I said without really thinking. “We could cause further damage.”

“We have to get her away from the door,” Cassandra said. “Whoever shot her might knock it open.”

Dalton pulled out her side arm and tried to cock it. “Let ‘em try.” She couldn’t pull the slide all the way back.

I put my hand on hers, but didn’t try to take the gun away. “You’re in no condition for this.”

“Fuck that,” she said. “I wanna shoot the ass who shot me.”

“We have to move her,” Cassandra said again. “The shooter might expect her to be lying in wait.”

“Hang on,” I said. “We need something to put her on, to slide her without hurting her further.”

“Seth, you used Magic to pull her to the doorway,” Jordan said. “Do it again.”

I shook my head. “I was lucky not to hurt her the first time.” Then I thought of a backboard, something emergency crews would use to life her to get her out of a tight space that a gurney couldn’t reach. I knew their typical dimensions and strength. I kept that design in mind and modified the TK spell to form it under Dalton.

“Seth, what are you doing?” Dalton asked.

I didn’t want to lose the spell, so I ignored her question. “Everyone grab handholds.”

Katrina came out to help. Between the four of us, we moved her over on the other side of my computer desk. She would be out of immediate sight, but still be able to get the drop on the shooter if he came in far enough. Once she was on the floor again, I let the backboard ‘deflate’ and vanish.

Dalton had a look of earnest surprise. “Where did you learn to do that?”

I shook my head, not even sure I could answer the question if I knew. I took her gun, cocked it, set the safety on it, and then handed it back to her. I felt her side and she groaned with pain. I felt the bullet lodged in one of the plates. “I don’t think the bullet penetrated.”

“I told you that already,” she said with a grunt. “Now get your hands off of me.”

“Paramedics and police are on their way,” Sammi said, but still had her phone to her ear.

I nodded and went back to the door. I realized the windows were uncovered and ducked back down. I thought about the lights and clapped twice with a little energy. They went out.

“Why’d you do that?” Jordan asked.

“I don’t want him to have an immediate visual on anyone in here,” I said. Then I looked around. “No one else has shown up for the party yet.” I looked at Katrina. “Call the others. Tell them to stay away for the time being. Tell them why.”

She nodded and went to the bedroom.

Something thudded against the apartment door.

I looked around at everyone else. “Hide.” They moved over behind the couch. I went over behind the kitchen island. I didn’t know what I could do, but I knew I could at least draw attention away from Dalton.

Another thud hit the door. A third knocked it open.

A man in black tactical gear came in. He swept the room with a handgun. “I know you’re in here, Seth. C’mon out. Let’s get this over with.”

It had been a while since I heard his voice, but I knew it was Neil. I took a couple of deep breaths to calm my nerves and then stood up at the far end of the island with my hands up.

He turned and pointed his gun at me. He smiled. “God, you’re just as stupid as I remember.”

“What makes you say that, Neil?” I asked. He was too far back for Dalton to get a clear shot. I had to make him move forward into the living room.

He chuckled. “You stood up. You know I’m going to kill you, right?”

“That’s why you’re here?” I asked. “Why would you want to kill me?”